Digital Music, Reissues, Tracklist — May 13, 2010 at 10:32 pm

The Cure launches ‘Disintegration’ website, streams 20 unreleased demos, live tracks

The Cure, circa 1989

In a surprise move, The Cure today launched a special standalone website dedicated to the upcoming Disintegration: Deluxe Edition that features videos, liner notes and photos — plus streaming audio of 20 additional demos and live tracks that won’t be on the 3CD set when it arrives June 8.

Dubbed Alternative Rarities 1988-1989, the collection of unreleased tracks — which are in addition to the 20 outtakes already appearing on the upcoming reissue (see that tracklist here) — can be streamed at TheCureDisintegration.com or, for the moment anyway, downloaded from a link provided to our friends at Chain of Flowers.

The set features 13 of Robert Smith’s home and full-band demos, three studio mixes and four live cuts, including a recording of “Faith” from a 1989 concert in Rome (see full tracklist below). The rest of the tracks are either songs that ended up on Disintegration, became B-sides or are leftover session material, including a different version of outtake “Delirious Night” than appears on the Deluxe Edition and two previously unheard full-band jams: “Tuned Out on RTV5” and “Fuknnotfunk,” an odd foray into funk.

In the sleevenotes posted on the new site, Smith writes:

“Every member submitted home recordings for consideration, in a varied range of styles, and with varying degrees of success… from Roger’s prog-jazz sketches, a couple of which evolved into the B-sides ‘Fear of Ghosts’ and ‘Out of Mind,’ through Boris and Porl’s howling-Beefheart jams, one of which turned into ‘Delirious Night,’ to Simon’s hissy but gleaming happy/sad creations, which became most notably ‘Lovesong,’ ‘Untitled’ and the B-sides ‘Babble’ and ‘2 Late.’ Even Lol pitched in with a flute sample that inspired the band to construct ‘Homesick’!”

On Twitter tonight, Disintegration-era keyboardist Roger O’Donnell chimed in on the newly posted, decades-old outtakes, writing: “I don’t remember half this shit!” He later added: “Some of those tracks definitely sound like we were on serious drugs. White boy funk by The Cure? What the hell were we doing?”

The new site also is currently streaming the 3x3x3 sampler, which features nine tracks from the 3CD set, and is available free to fans who pre-order the reissue from Rhino.com. Beginning May 24, the site also will stream a full live performance of Disintegration recorded on Sept. 15, 1989 at the Dallas Starplex — a different recording than appears on the Entreat Plus portion of the upcoming reissue.

See full tracklist for The Cure’s ‘Alternative Rarities 1988-1989’ after the jump…

The Cure, 'Alternative Rarities 1988-1989'

Tracklist: The Cure, Alternative Rarities 1988-1989

1. “Closedown” (RS Home Instrumental Demo 5/88)
2. “Last Dance” (RS Home Instrumental Demo 5/88)
3. “Lullaby” (RS Home Instrumental Demo 5/88)
4. “Tuned Out on RTV5” (Instrumental Rehearsal 6/88)
5. “Funknnotfunk” (Instrumental Rehearsal 6/88)
6. “Babble” (Instrumental Rehearsal 6/88)
7. “Plainsong” (Instrumental Demo 9/88)
8. “Pictures of You” (Instrumental Demo 9/88)
9. “Fear of Ghosts” (Instrumental Demo 9/88)
10. “Fascination Street” (Instrumental Demo 9/88)
11. “Homesick” (Instrumental Demo 9/88)
12. “Delirious Night” (Instrumental Demo 9/88)
13. “Out of Mind” (Studio Instrumental Jam 10/88)
14. “2 Late” (Studio ‘WIP’ Mix 11/88)
15. “Lovesong” (Studio ‘WIP’ Mix 11/88)
16. “Prayers for Rain” (Studio ‘WIP’ Mix 11/88)
17. “The Same Deep Water as You” (Live Dallas Starplex 9/15/89)
18. “Disintegration” (Live Dallas Starplex 9/15/89)
19. “Untitled” (Live Dallas Starplex 9/15/89)
20. “Faith” (Live Rome Palaeur 6/4/89 – Crowd Bootleg)

PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS

8 Comments

  1. dang!

  2. now THAT is awesome.

  3. Awesome!

  4. The Large Glass

    A Major important release – an finally! Remember 1989 – EVERY ONE believed this was the last album because of the title…magical times back then…weel, we will live for ever! Can’t wait for this to materialize….

  5. Pingback: Tracklist: Tired pony rides | Crib Notes » Atlanta Music Blog

  6. I seriously am excited about a Cure release again. I remember buying this tape at B-Sharp records the day it came out. 1986-1989 were my very favorite years growing up. All the music was so new and good in the “alternative/new wave” scene. It was a magical time that will never happen again. Ah nostalgia!

  7. fuckin! awsome ill buy this :D

  8. Any chance of anyone reposting this? I missed out on it when it originally posted. Can’t seem to find it anywhere. Plus the site is no longer in existence. Help!

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