Standing on a Beach: The Singles
Standing on a Beach: The Singles is The Cure's compilation of their singles, released in May 1986 on Fiction, with some CD editions in certain countries titled Staring at the Sea. Both names come from the opening lyrics of their debut single, "Killing an Arab". It arrived a decade after the band formed in 1976, and it gathers their singles from 1978 to 1985, a run that takes in the stretch from Three Imaginary Boys to The Head on the Door.
There are a few details for collectors to enjoy. The new mix of "Boys Don't Cry", issued just before the album, is left off. "A Forest" appears in its album version with the first 59 seconds trimmed, which is not the same as the 7-inch edit. Critics rated the set highly, and AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine ranked it among the finest albums of the decade.
Standing on a Beach: The Singles: tracklist, credits and charts
17 tracks · 1:01:59Tracklist
- 1Killing an ArabDempsey, Smith, Tolhurst2:22
- 210:15 Saturday NightDempsey, Smith, Tolhurst3:39
- 3Boys Don’t CryDempsey, Smith, Tolhurst2:35
- 4Jumping Someone Else’s TrainDempsey, Smith, Tolhurst2:56
- 5A ForestGallup, Hartley, Smith, Tolhurst4:55
- 6Play for TodayGallup, Hartley, Smith, Tolhurst3:39
- 7PrimaryGallup, Smith, Tolhurst3:36
- 8Other VoicesGallup, Smith, Tolhurst4:29
- 9Charlotte SometimesGallup, Smith, Tolhurst4:14
- 10The Hanging GardenGallup, Smith, Tolhurst4:22
- 11Let’s Go to BedRobert Smith and Lol Tolhurst3:34
- 12The WalkRobert Smith and Lol Tolhurst3:30
- 13The LovecatsRobert Smith3:40
- 14The CaterpillarRobert Smith and Lol Tolhurst3:40
- 15In Between DaysRobert Smith2:57
- 16Close to MeRobert Smith3:41
- 17A Night Like ThisRobert Smith4:11
- Produced by
- Chris Parry, Mike Hedges, Robert Smith, The Cure, Phil Thornalley, Steve Nye, David M. Allen, Howard Gray
- Recorded at
- Morgan Studios, Playground Studios
- Recorded
- 1978–1985
- Mixed by
- Chris Parry, Steve Nye, Robert Smith, Phil Thornalley, David M. Allen
- Engineered by
- Mike Hedges, David M. Allen
- Label
- Fiction
- Length
- 1:01:59
Line-up
- Michael Dempsey · bass, bass guitar · guest
- Robert Smith · guitar, lead vocals, vocals, electric guitar, electric bass guitar, keyboard, bass guitar, bass, violin
- Lol Tolhurst · drums (drum set), keyboard, drum machine, vibraphone
- Simon Gallup · bass, electric bass guitar, bass guitar
- Matthieu Hartley · keyboard · guest
- Steve Goulding · drums (drum set) · guest
- Andy Anderson · drums (drum set) · guest
- Phil Thornalley · bass guitar · guest
- Porl Thompson · keyboard, guitar · guest
- Boris Williams · drums (drum set), percussion · guest
- Ron Howe · saxophone · guest
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1986 | 4 |
| US Billboard 200 · 1986 | 48 |
| New Zealand Albums · 1986 | 3 |
| Dutch Albums · 1986 | 6 |
| European Albums (Music & Media) · 1986 | 6 |
| German Albums · 1986 | 11 |
| Swiss Albums · 1986 | 11 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1986 | 13 |
| Swedish Albums · 1986 | 27 |
| Canadian Albums (RPM) · 1986 | 48 |
All 11 charts
| French Albums · 2016 | 154 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia · 2000 | 3× Platinum |
| France · 1992 | 2× Gold |
| Germany · 1990 | Gold |
| Netherlands · 1988 | Gold |
| New Zealand · 1987 | Platinum |
| Switzerland · 1990 | Gold |
| United Kingdom · 1986 | Gold |
| United States · 1997 | 2× Platinum |
Awards
- SNEP double gold album
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 15 May
Every year →More from The Cure
Full discography →The best of 1986
All of 1986 →More on Fiction
The label →Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia 1986-05-15 vs 1986-06-21 (musicbrainz), 1986-05-06 (wikidata)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 21 June 1986 | ignored lone early release dated 1986-05-01 |
| Wikipedia infobox | 15 May 1986 | |
| Wikidata | 6 May 1986 | |
| US release | 1986 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 1 May 1986 | earliest UK or European date |
18 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | XE | Fiction | 042282923929 | other |
| — | US | Elektra | other | |
| 1986 | XE | Fiction | 042282923929 | other |
| 1986 | US | Elektra | 075596047746 | other |
| 1986 | US | Elektra | 075596047722 | other |
| 1986 | US | Columbia House | 075596047722 | other |
| 1986 | GB | Fiction | 042282923912 | other |
| 1986 | XE | Fiction | 042282923912 | other |
| 1986 | AU | wea | 022925685124 | other |
| 1986 | US | Elektra | 075596047722 | other |
| May 1986 | US | Elektra | 075596047715 | other |
| 1 May 1986 | GB | Fiction | 042282923943 | original |
| 21 June 1986 | JP | VAP | 4988021850025 | other |
| 7 August 1986 | CA | Elektra | 075596047722 | other |
| March 1995 | ZA | Fiction | 6001210768234 | other |
| 2000 | XE | Fiction | 042282923929 | other |
| 2002 | UA | Fiction | 042282923929 | other |
| 28 January 2017 | — | Polydor | 042282923929 | other |
Cover art sources
fanarttv · upscaled: major: best source 1000x1000, upscaled to 1500 (x1.50)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| fanarttv ✓ | 1000×1000 | upscaled: major: best source 1000x1000, upscaled to 1500 (x1.50) |
| coverartarchive | 3690×3502 | rejected |