This article needs additional citations for verification .(December 2009) |
"A Letter to Elise" | ||||
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Single by the Cure | ||||
from the album Wish | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 5 October 1992 | |||
Genre | Alternative rock | |||
Length | 5:12 | |||
Label | Fiction | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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The Cure singles chronology | ||||
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"A Letter to Elise" is a song by English rock band the Cure, released as the third and final single from the album Wish on 5 October 1992. In 2010, Pitchfork Media ranked it at number 184 in their list of "The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s". [1]
"A Letter to Elise" was made public for the first time on MTV's Cure-"Unplugged" show in 1991 and had very different lyrics from the later version to be released as a 7".[ citation needed ] Letters to Felice by Kafka was a huge influence when Robert Smith wrote the lyrics of the track. [2]
The B-side "The Big Hand" was planned as an A-side single early in 1993 but the idea was scrapped, largely due to Boris Williams not wanting the track to appear on the album but having no qualms about it appearing as a B-side (from KROQ radio interview with the band in 1992). "The Big Hand" is one of the few B-sides to be played live, although very rarely. It was first played in 1991, performed a few times during the Wish Tour in 1992, then revived at the Ultra Music Festival in 2007, and was occasionally played during the band's 4Tour World Tour 2007–08.[ citation needed ]
A promo version of the song features yet another longer unreleased mix, with phaser on Robert Smith's voice.[ citation needed ] An instrumental version on cassette is also known to exist.
"A Letter to Elise" itself was revived by the band's new Smith/Gallup/Thompson/Cooper lineup in 2005 after being played sparingly, if ever, during the Smith/Gallup/Bamonte/Cooper/O'Donnell era.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "A Letter to Elise" (7-inch remix edit) | 4:20 |
2. | "The Big Hand" | 4:52 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "A Letter to Elise" (Blue mix) | 6:37 |
2. | "The Big Hand" | 4:56 |
3. | "A Foolish Arrangement" | 3:54 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "A Letter to Elise" (7-inch remix edit) | 4:24 |
2. | "The Big Hand" | 4:56 |
3. | "A Foolish Arrangement" | 3:54 |
4. | "A Letter to Elise" (Blue mix) | 6:37 |
Chart (1992) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [3] | 103 |
Ireland (IRMA) [4] | 23 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [5] | 13 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [6] | 39 |
UK Singles (OCC) [7] | 28 |
US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [8] | 2 |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 5 October 1992 |
| Fiction | [9] |
Japan | 5 December 1992 | CD | [10] |
"A Letter to Elise" has been covered by Aaron Sprinkle, for his Really Something EP; Blink-182, for the 2004 MTV Icon show for the Cure; and Sense Field, for their 2003 album Living Outside.
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current lineup features Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar), Reeves Gabrels (guitar), Simon Gallup (bass), Roger O'Donnell (keyboards), and Jason Cooper (drums). Smith has remained the only constant member throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, including stints with guitarist Pearl Thompson and drummer Boris Williams, though Gallup was absent for just three years of the band's history.
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"Never Enough" is a song by English rock band the Cure, released as a single in September 1990 from their 1990 remix album, Mixed Up. The song topped the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, reached number three in Finland, and peaked within the top 20 in Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
"High" is a song by English rock band the Cure, released as the lead single from their ninth album, Wish (1992), on 16 March 1992. The track received mostly positive reviews and was commercially successful, reaching number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, number six on the Irish Singles Chart, and number eight on the UK Singles Chart. It charted within the top five in Portugal, where it peaked at number two, and in Australasia, reaching number five in Australia and number four in New Zealand; it is the band's highest-charting single in both countries.
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