Lol Tolhurst

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Lol Tolhurst
Lol Tolhurst 2020.jpg
Tolhurst in 2020
Background information
Birth nameLaurence Andrew Tolhurst
Born (1959-02-03) 3 February 1959 (age 65)
Origin Horley, [1] Surrey, England
Genres
OccupationMusician
Instruments
  • Drums
  • keyboards
Years active1976–present
Member of Levinhurst
Formerly of
Website loltolhurst.com

Laurence Andrew Tolhurst (born 3 February 1959) 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. [2] His most recent studio release is the album Los Angeles (2023), in collaboration with Budgie and Jacknife Lee.

Contents

Career

Early years

Lol is an English abbreviation of Laurence. [3] Tolhurst was born in Horley, and is the fifth of six children to William and Daphne Tolhurst. His family later moved to nearby Crawley, where he first met future bandmate Robert Smith when they were both five years old. Tolhurst's grandmother lived next door to Smith's family, and Tolhurst and Smith attended St. Francis Primary and Junior Schools together. [2] During their teen years, the two played together in several early bands, with Tolhurst on drums. These bands eventually evolved into the Cure in 1978. [4]

The Cure

Tolhurst played drums and occasionally keyboards for the Cure on their first four albums. After the tour for the Pornography album in 1982, Tolhurst decided to abandon the drums and switch to keyboards and synthesizers full time. [5] During this period he also produced two singles and one album for the band And Also the Trees. [6]

By 1985, Tolhurst's contributions to the Cure were diminishing due to his alcoholism, and during live performances some of his keyboard parts had to be supplemented by guitarist Porl Thompson. [2] Shortly after the release of Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me in 1987, Tolhurst's apparent lack of preparation for the album's upcoming tour caused the band to recruit a second keyboardist, Roger O'Donnell. [7]

During the recording of the following album Disintegration in 1989, Tolhurst's alcoholism became so severe that the other members of the band threatened to quit, and Tolhurst contributed very little to the album even though he was credited as a co-writer on all songs. [8] While it was later revealed that Tolhurst contributed to the song "Homesick", [9] his contributions to the rest of the album were nearly nonexistent, [9] [10] and he was ultimately credited with "other instruments" in the album's liner notes. [11] Tolhurst was fired by Robert Smith shortly before the album's release. [12]

After the Cure

Following his departure from the Cure, in 1990 Tolhurst formed the band Presence with singer Gary Biddles, who had been an early member of the Cure's road crew and was previously a member of Fools Dance. Presence released the album Inside in 1993; a second album titled Closer was recorded during this period but was not released until 2014. Meanwhile, Tolhurst had moved to Los Angeles in the United States and successfully overcame his alcoholism. His son Gray was born in 1991. [2]

In 1994, Tolhurst sued Robert Smith and Fiction Records for unpaid royalties, claiming that he had been coerced into signing an unfavorable contract in the mid-1980s while debilitated by his alcohol problem. That contract had removed him as an equal partner in the Cure with Smith and relegated him to a paid employee. Tolhurst also claimed part ownership with Smith in the Cure's name. [13] Tolhurst lost this lawsuit and was ordered by the court to pay Smith's legal expenses. [14] Smith refunded the money to Tolhurst years later after they reconciled their friendship. [13]

In 2002, Tolhurst and his wife Cindy Levinson formed the electronica band Levinhurst. [15] This band released the albums Perfect Life in 2004 and House by the Sea in 2007. For their third album Blue Star in 2009 they were joined by another former member of the Cure, bassist Michael Dempsey. [16] Tolhurst also composed music for the film 9000 Needles , which won the Best Documentary award at several prestigious film festivals. [17] [18]

In 2011, Tolhurst contacted Robert Smith to suggest a collaboration to honor the 30th anniversary of the Cure album Faith . Tolhurst had also discussed the possibility with another former bandmate, Roger O'Donnell. The Cure decided to organize a short tour commemorating three of their early albums. Tolhurst temporarily appeared with the band for several shows, first at the Sydney Opera House in Australia, playing keyboards and percussion. [19] [20] However, he did not officially rejoin the band. [21]

Recent activities: writing and Los Angeles

In 2016, Tolhurst published his memoir Cured: The Tale of Two Imaginary Boys, largely recounting his childhood friendship with Robert Smith and the early years of the Cure. [22] Tolhurst undertook an extensive book tour of the United Kingdom and United States. In 2018, he was featured in an episode of the BBC Radio 4 series Soul Music, in which he discussed the history of the Cure song "Boys Don't Cry". [23] In 2019, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Cure. [24]

In 2021, Tolhurst developed the podcast Curious Creatures with Budgie, a member of longtime Cure associates Siouxsie and the Banshees, in which they explore "post punk’s enduring legacy and contemporary relevance" along with invited guests. [25] Tolhurst’s second book Goth: A History was published in 2023. The Guardian wrote that the book "traces the genre from its 18th-century literary roots to its flourishing as a music subculture". [26]

During this period, Tolhurst took up drumming again and teamed up with Budgie and Jacknife Lee on the album Los Angeles , released in November 2023. [27] The album features guest appearances by James Murphy, the Edge, Bobby Gillespie, and Isaac Brock. [28] Mojo praised the album as "thrilling", saying that "Los Angeles lands with a visceral impact, rich texturing and smart distortions adding a destabilising wobble". [29] The album was issued on vinyl, CD, and digital. Tolhurst and Budgie toured in the US in spring 2024.

Discography

With the Cure

With Presence

With Levinhurst

With Budgie and Jacknife Lee

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Cure</span> English rock band

The Cure are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith has remained the only constant member, though bassist Simon Gallup has been present for all but about three years of the band's history. Their debut album, Three Imaginary Boys (1979), along with several early singles, placed the band at the forefront of the emerging post-punk and new wave movements that were gaining prominence in the United Kingdom. Beginning with their second album, Seventeen Seconds (1980), the band adopted a new, increasingly dark and tormented style, which, together with Smith's stage look, had a strong influence on the emerging genre of gothic rock as well as the goth subculture that eventually formed around the genre.

<i>Three Imaginary Boys</i> 1979 studio album by the Cure

Three Imaginary Boys is the debut studio album by English rock band the Cure, released on 11 May 1979 by Fiction Records. It was later released in the United States, Canada, and Australia with a different track listing as a compilation album titled Boys Don't Cry.

<i>Disintegration</i> (The Cure album) 1989 studio album by the Cure

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.

<i>Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me</i> 1987 studio album by the Cure

Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me is the seventh studio album by English rock band the Cure, released on 26 May 1987 by Fiction Records. The album was recorded at Studio Miraval in Correns, France.

<i>The Top</i> (album) 1984 studio album by the Cure

The Top is the fifth studio album by English rock band the Cure, released on 4 May 1984 by Fiction Records. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number ten on 12 May. Shortly after its release, the Cure embarked on a major tour of the United Kingdom, culminating in a three-night residency at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.

<i>Galore</i> (The Cure album) 1997 greatest hits album by The Cure

Galore: The Singles 1987–1997 is the second singles compilation by The Cure and was released on 28 October 1997. It contains singles from the years 1987–1997. The song "Wrong Number" is the only new song on the album. The album cover features Isabel Caroline Slark photographed by Ralph John Perou c.1997.

<i>Concert: The Cure Live</i> 1984 live album by The Cure

Concert: The Cure Live is the first live album by English rock band the Cure. It was recorded in 1984 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London and in Oxford during The Top tour. The cassette tape edition featured, on the B-side, a twin album of anomalies, titled Curiosity : Cure Anomalies 1977–1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Budgie (musician)</span> English drummer

Peter Edward Clarke, known professionally as Budgie, is an English drummer best known for his work in Siouxsie and the Banshees. He is also the co-founder of the Creatures.

<i>The Cure in Orange</i> 1987 video by The Cure

The Cure in Orange is a concert film by British rock group The Cure. It was shot on 35mm film at the Théâtre antique d'Orange in the French countryside, on 8, 9, and 10 August 1986. Band members Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, Porl Thompson, Boris Williams (Drums), and Lol Tolhurst (Keyboards) make their way through 23 songs, under the direction of Tim Pope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger O'Donnell</span> Musical artist

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.

Michael Stephen Dempsey is an English musician, best known as the bassist for The Cure and The Associates.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boys Don't Cry (The Cure song)</span> 1979 song by The Cure

"Boys Don't Cry" is a song by English rock band The Cure. It was released in the UK as a stand-alone single in June 1979, and was included as the title track on Boys Don't Cry, the American equivalent to Three Imaginary Boys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let's Go to Bed (The Cure song)</span> 1982 single by The Cure

"Let's Go to Bed" is a song by English rock band the Cure, released as a stand-alone single by Fiction Records in November 1982. In the aftermath of the dark Pornography, Robert Smith returned from a month-long detox in the Lake District to write the song, the antithesis to what the Cure currently represented. It was later included on the album Japanese Whispers, which compiles the band's three singles from 1982 to 1983 and their five B-sides.

<i>The Cure: Trilogy</i> 2003 double live video album by the Cure

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.

Garret "Jacknife" Lee is an Irish music producer and mixer. He has worked with a variety of artists, including the Cars, U2, R.E.M., the Killers, Robbie Williams, Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, Two Door Cinema Club, AFI, the Hives, Weezer, One Direction, Silversun Pickups, Editors, Modest Mouse, Lonnie Holley, and Taylor Swift.

<i>Perfect Life</i> (Levinhurst album) 2004 studio album by Levinhurst

Perfect Life is the debut studio album of Levinhurst, released in 2004.

The Cure: "Reflections" refers to a set of shows in which The Cure played their first three albums Three Imaginary Boys, Seventeen Seconds and Faith in full at the VividLive festival at the Sydney Opera House on 31 May and 1 June 2011. All three albums were played in their entirety on both nights, along with several other tracks from the same era.

<i>Los Angeles</i> (Lol Tolhurst, Budgie, and Jacknife Lee album) 2023 studio album

Los Angeles is a collaborative studio album by Lol Tolhurst, Budgie, and Jacknife Lee. The album was released by PIAS Recordings on 3 November 2023. Tolhurst and Budgie, the drummers of the Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees, respectively, wrote and composed the album with producer Lee in Los Angeles. It was recorded with guest singers and musicians, such as LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy, U2 guitarist the Edge, Primal Scream vocalist Bobby Gillespie, and Modest Mouse singer Isaac Brock. The album is the solo debut of both Tolhurst and Budgie.

References

  1. ↑ Apter, Jeff (2009). Never Enough: the Story of the Cure. Omnibus Press. p. 42. ISBN   9780857120243.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Price, Simon (2023). Curepedia: An A-Z of The Cure. New York, NY: William Morrow. pp. 367–373. ISBN   978-0-06-306864-3.
  3. ↑ Sherburne, Philip (27 September 2016). pitchfork.com (ed.). "The Cure's Lol Tolhurst On Blackouts, Breakups, and Escaping the '80s Alive". pitchfork. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  4. ↑ Uncut, ed. (2016). "The Cure". The Ultimate Music Guide. pp. 6–9.
  5. ↑ Uncut, pp. 32-36.
  6. ↑ Price, p. 12.
  7. ↑ Jeff Apter (5 November 2009). Never Enough: The Story of The Cure. Omnibus Press. p. 227-229. ISBN   9780857120243.
  8. ↑ Banulescu, Eduard (27 August 2023). "The Cure Albums Ranked: What's Their Greatest Album? - from Worst to Best". Alt77. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Lol Tolhurst – Interview". pennyblackmusic.co.uk.
  10. ↑ "Roger O'Donnell: Recording of the Cure's 'Disintegration' a 'happy, jokey' time". Slicing Up Eyeballs . 28 December 2009. Archived from the original on 6 October 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  11. ↑ Brown, James (8 April 1989). "Ten Years in Lipstick and Powder". NME.
  12. ↑ Apter, p. 240.
  13. 1 2 Price, pp. 215-216.
  14. ↑ ""Drummer beaten in cash battle" 27 June 2007". Picturesofyou.us. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  15. ↑ Tocino, Kevin (3 April 2017). "Cindy Levinson, wife of the Cure's Lol Tolhurst, chats with John M". Y101fm.
  16. ↑ Price, pp. 218-219.
  17. ↑ Uncut, p. 144.
  18. ↑ Simpson, Melody (2 April 2011). "Documentary Review 9000 Needles". Archived from the original on 27 April 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  19. ↑ "The Cure playing first 3 albums in Sydney with ex-members Lol Tolhurst, Roger O'Donnell". Slicing Up Eyeballs. 5 May 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  20. ↑ Uncut, pp. 134-137.
  21. ↑ Michaels, Sean (24 August 2010). "The Cure's original drummer asks to rejoin band". The Guardian .
  22. ↑ Pearlman, Mischa (27 July 2016). "Boys Don't Cry: A Story of Rock 'n' Roll and Surviving the Cure". Vice . Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  23. ↑ "Boys Don't Cry". BBC Radio 4 - Soul Music. 17 January 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  24. ↑ Grow, Kory (30 March 2019). "Read Cure Frontman Robert Smith's Gracious Rock Hall Induction Speech". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  25. ↑ Price, p. 82.
  26. ↑ "Goth: A History by Lol Tolhurst review – the dark is rising". The Guardian. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  27. ↑ Breihan, Tom (2 August 2023). "Lol Tolhurst, Budgie, & Jacknife Lee – "Los Angeles" (feat. James Murphy)". Stereogum . Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  28. ↑ Trendell, Andrew (24 July 2023). "Lol Tolhurst, Budgie and Jacknife Lee talk new project Los Angeles". NME . Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  29. ↑ Segal, Victoria (27 October 2023). "Lol Tolhurst x Budgie x Jacknife Lee Review: The Edge, LCD Soundsystem, Bobby Gillespie and more join post-punk drummers' dystopian party". Mojo . Archived from the original on 3 November 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
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