MAKING OF THE ALBUM: The Cure – Pornography

In just two years between the release of their first and third albums (Three Imaginary Boys and Faith, respectively), The Cure had matured significantly, having evolved their sound from simple punk tunes to more developed and sophisticated songs. But as they had progressed their mental states had changed, growing darker and more isolated from one another, resulting in a sound that was far-removed from the more commercial heights of Boys Don’t Cry. Following the release of Faith, frontman and principal songwriter Robert Smith had begun writing material for their follow-up, which he began to demo by himself at Rhino Studio in Surrey. During this time, he conceived approximately twelve songs for what would ultimately become Pornography, which would capture the band at the height of their despair.

Smith had found the recording of Faith to be almost unbearable and by the time it was completed the group were on the verge of self destructing. Deciding that The Cure needed something new, Smith chose not to collaborate once again with producer Mike Hedges, who had been responsible for all three of their previous records. Instead, they eventually settled on Phil Thornalley, who had previously worked as an engineer on The Psychedelic Furs 1981 album Talk Talk Talk, which would produce the hit single Pretty in Pink (although it would later be re-recorded for the movie of the same name several years later). Instead of working at their regular studio, London’s Morgan Studios, Smith opted for a change of scenery and instead relocated to RAK, a converted school and church hall in St John’s Wood.

Recording on Pornography commenced in January 1982 but sessions proved problematic from the outset, due to the band’s increasing substance problems and internal conflicts. Further issues would arise due to Smith and Thornalley aiming for a different sound; Thornalley was attempting to make something more commercial, whilst Smith wanted the album to be disturbing, aggressive and uncomfortable, something that he was considering as the band’s swan song. Having lost the demos that he had recorded by himself at Rhino, Smith was unable to explain his intentions to either Thornalley or his own bandmates, which caused further tensions during their time in the studio. The recording sessions lasted approximately three months, eventually coming to an end in April, and eight songs were eventually selected for the album.

Pornography was released by Fiction Records in early May 1982 and surpassed its predecessors, both commercially and critically, although its darker tone would result in some reviews commenting on how the group had lost their radio friendly element. Two months after its release, The Cure followed with A Single, a four-track 7″ that would feature the songs Hanging Garden and One Hundred Years from the album, as well as two live tracks, recorded in Manchester in April. Following Pornography, The Cure would return to the studio two years later to record The Top, which would begin their transition away from the gothic sound they had adopted for their three previous albums and more towards the mainstream.