Boris Williams | |
|---|---|
 Williams in the mid-1980s while a member of The Cure | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Boris Peter Bransby Williams |
| Born | 24 April 1957 Versailles, France |
| Genres | Punk rock, post punk, gothic rock, alternative rock, pop |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Drums, percussion |
| Website | www |
Boris Peter Bransby Williams (born 24 April 1957) [1] is an English musician, best known as the drummer for The Cure from 1984 until 1994, and for forming the band Babacar in the late 1990s.
Williams was born in Versailles, France and his family moved to Farnham, England during his childhood. He first played drums in local bands with future Cure bandmate Roger O'Donnell and originally focused on jazz fusion. He then turned to alternative rock and served as a session and touring musician for Thompson Twins and Kim Wilde. [1]
In 1984, The Cure needed a new drummer in the middle of an American tour, when previous drummer Andy Anderson was suddenly fired. Williams was recommended for the position by the Cure's then-bassist/producer Phil Thornalley, who had worked with Williams while engineering the Thompson Twins album Quick Step & Side Kick. Williams learned the Cure's set list in three days, and his first performance with the band was in November 1984. He was then invited to be the band's permanent drummer, and his first album as a full-time member was The Head on the Door in 1985. [1]
Williams was present during the Cure's most successful period and is often cited by fans as the best drummer in the band's history. [2] Known for experimenting with electronic percussion and loops, Williams was a primary contributor to the band's remix album Mixed Up in 1990. [3] He was also known for his innovative drumming style, with Freaky Trigger saying: "[He] is a god among drummers due to his complete willingness to create an entire beat based on doing rolls on the various toms in his kit." [4] Williams has been cited by Billboard for his subtle but forceful drumming, "improbably stealing the show from his bandmates"; [5] and critics often praise his technical and timekeeping skills. [6] [7]
Williams is also credited with contributions to albums by Shelleyan Orphan, featuring his longtime partner Caroline Crawley. [8] He left the Cure for personal reasons in 1994. [1] Later in that decade, he formed the band Babacar with Crawley and various other associates of The Cure; his former Cure bandmate Porl Thompson made occasional contributions to the band. Babacar released a self-titled album in 1998. [9] Williams contributed to new acoustic versions of Cure songs that were recorded for their Greatest Hits compilation in 2001, though he did not officially rejoin the band. [10] In 2019, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Cure. [11]
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 six years of the band's history.
Wild Mood Swings is the tenth studio album by English rock band the Cure, released on 6 May 1996 by Fiction Records. The album charted at number nine on the UK Albums Chart, staying on chart for six weeks, and charted at number 12 in the US Billboard 200.
Disintegration is the eighth studio album by English rock band the Cure, released on 2 May 1989 by Fiction Records. The band recorded the album at Hookend Recording Studios in Checkendon, Oxfordshire, with co-producer David M. Allen from late 1988 to early 1989.
The Head on the Door is the sixth studio album by English rock band The Cure. It was released on 30 August 1985 by Fiction Records. Preceded by the single "In Between Days" which had reached No. 15 on the UK Singles Chart, The Head on the Door was described by Melody Maker as "a collection of pop songs". With its variety of styles, it allowed the group to reach a wider audience in both Europe and North America. In the United Kingdom it became their most successful album to date, entering the albums chart at No. 7 on 7 September.
Alex Sadkin was an American record producer, engineer, mixer and mastering engineer.
Roger O'Donnell is an English keyboardist best known as a longtime member of The Cure, which he first joined in 1987 and for which he has served three different tenures. O'Donnell has also performed as a touring and session keyboardist for many artists and maintains an active solo career.
Pearl Thompson is an English musician and artist. Thompson is best known as a member of the English alternative rock band The Cure from 1983 to 1993 and from 2005 to 2011, during which he was credited as Porl Thompson and played mainly guitar with occasional keyboards and saxophone. After leaving the Cure he focused on a successful career as a visual artist.
Jason Toop Cooper is an English drummer, best known as a member of The Cure since 1995.
Michael Stephen Dempsey is an English musician, best known as the bassist for the Cure and the Associates.
Phillip Carden Thornalley is an English songwriter, musician, and producer who has worked in the music industry since 1978. He produced the album Pornography by The Cure and was later their bass player. He began releasing his own music in 1988 and briefly joined the band Johnny Hates Jazz. In later years he worked principally as a songwriter, and is perhaps best known for co-writing the song "Torn" and for writing two UK number one hits for Pixie Lott. Starting in the 2010s he released more solo music under his own name and as Astral Drive.
Clifford Leon "Andy" Anderson was a British drummer, best known for his work with The Cure and Steve Hillage, as well as a lengthy session career.
Shelleyan Orphan were a British alternative music group that came to prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. They played a style of pop influenced by chamber music, and which featured dual male-female vocals.
Laurence Andrew Tolhurst is an English musician, songwriter, producer, and author. He was a founding member of the Cure, for which he first played drums before switching to keyboards. He left the Cure in 1989 and later formed the bands Presence and Levinhurst. He has also published two books and developed the Curious Creatures podcast. His most recent studio release is the album Los Angeles (2023), in collaboration with Budgie and Jacknife Lee.
"Catch" is a song by English rock band The Cure released on 22 June 1987 as the second single from their album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987). It was only released as a single in the UK, where it charted at No. 27, and Europe.
The Cure: Trilogy is a double live album video by the Cure, released on two double layer DVD-9 discs, and later on a single Blu-ray disc. It documents The Trilogy Concerts, in which the three albums, Pornography (1982), Disintegration (1989) and Bloodflowers (2000) were played live in their entirety one after the other each night, the songs being played in the order in which they appeared on the albums. Trilogy was recorded on two consecutive nights, 11–12 November 2002, at the Tempodrom arena in Berlin. A third, previous Trilogy concert in Brussels on 7 November was not used.
Presence were a British rock band formed in 1990, best known for its associations with the Cure. They released the album Inside in 1992 and split the following year.
Babacar was a short-lived rock supergroup formed in England, featuring former members of Shelleyan Orphan, the Cure, and Presence. The group released a self-titled album in 1998.
David M. Allen is an English record producer, engineer and mixer. He is mostly known for his work with new wave, synth-pop and goth rock bands including the Cure, the Sisters of Mercy, the Chameleons, Depeche Mode, the Mission, the Associates, the Human League, Clan of Xymox, Gianna Nannini, Shelleyan Orphan and others. He also produced Neneh Cherry's hit album Man.
Caroline Lesley Crawley was an English singer who sang for various bands.
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