Let's Go to Bed (The Cure song)

"Let's Go to Bed"
Single by The Cure
Released 15 November 1982
Format 7", 12"
Genre New wave
Length 3:33
Label Fiction
Producer(s) Chris Parry
The Cure singles chronology
"A Single"
(1982)		 "Let's Go to Bed"
(1982)		 "The Walk"
(1983)

"Let's Go to Bed" is a 1982 single by The Cure. It later appeared on the album Japanese Whispers.

In the aftermath of the bleak Pornography, Robert Smith returned from a month-long detox in the Lake District to write the antithesis to what The Cure currently represented. Written as a sarcastic reflection on sexual imagery in pop music, the single was a surprise hit.[1] It was most successful in Australia, reaching #15.

History

The origins of "Let's Go to Bed" lie in "Temptation", one of the demos for Pornography. The song is a relatively upbeat, guitar-driven instrumental. In August 1982, soon after Simon Gallup's departure from the band, Smith demoed a vocal version of the track, entitled "Temptation Two", a psychedelic piece not far removed from the Pornography album but somewhat lighter in tone. At the end of the song, Smith sings a string of wordless syllables, nearly identical to the "doo doo doo"s of the later song. The song version was debuted on Kid Jensen's radio show on 27 November 1982, as a take which was very close to the final version that appeared as a single in the same month.

Robert Smith has often stated that he wished its B-side, the darker "Just One Kiss" (also first performed during the session), was released as a single.

The song was covered by New York pop band Ivy for their 2002 album Guestroom. The video for the cover features a brief appearance by The Smashing Pumpkins' James Iha, also known for his love for, and his own covers of, The Cure. Los Angeles rock band The Dreaming have also covered this song. The hook was also sampled by Rihanna in her song "S&M".

On 20 July 2012, "Let's Go to Bed" was the final song ever played on Boston alternative rock station WFNX. The song was also their first broadcast, in 1983.

Track listing

UK 7"

  1. "Let's Go to Bed" (3:35)
  2. "Just One Kiss" (4:10)

UK 12"

  1. "Let's Go to Bed" (Extended Mix) (7:04)
  2. "Just One Kiss" (Extended Mix) (7:02)

US 7"

  1. "Let's Go To Bed" (3:34)
  2. "Boys Don't Cry" (2:36)

US 12"

  1. "Let's Go To Bed" (7:45)
  2. "Just One Kiss" (7:18)
  3. "Let's Go To Bed" (Edit) (3:35)

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ The Crack Up, article in Mojo magazine, August 2004.

External links