“We must resist this temptation”: The song that inspired The Cure to split up, if only momentarily
Most bands experience intense periods of turbulence, with some calling it quits before they’ve even tried to overcome the first hurdle. And while others scathe away, trying to re-establish common ground before admitting defeat, some challenges are too big to overcome. While The Cure lived to tell the tale, their ongoing success doesn’t diminish the struggle they endured in the early 1980s when things felt far less certain.
Being Robert Smith isn’t exactly easy, especially considering the constant scrutiny he receives from others in the rock space about his voice, appearance, and general approach to music. And all of that adds to the already difficult venture that comes with being a human being in the spotlight and transforming everyday darkness into beautiful, melancholic poetry.
However, since The Cure’s formation, a handful of uncontrollable or external disturbances almost forced them to call it a day. The most notable is, of course, the strain that occurred before and during the creation of Bloodflowers, when Smith wasn’t entirely sure he even bought into the idea anymore. However, the writing process for the album enabled him to regain his love for the art and push through the doubts, no matter how strong they initially seemed.
Even before that, when the band lost their bass player Simon Gallup in 1983 after a heated incident that saw him walk away, everything suddenly stopped. The Cure unknowingly and implicitly went on hiatus while Smith joined Siouxsie and the Banshees, which surprised many, especially after the success of Pornography and its subsequent tour, which also led to the explosive New Order-esque single ‘The Walk’.
At this point, however, it seemed likely that the Cure had thrown in the towel, with Smith already focussing on other projects like being a full-time member of Siouxsie and the Banshees and working on releases like Nocturne and Hyæna. And while ‘The Walk’ enjoyed their best sharing position to date, Smith felt the success pushed him into a corner, one he was keen on breaking free from.
Reflecting on this brief split in 1983 with Rockerilla, he recalled there being “pressure” around the single because “it went in the charts and now everyone wants another single”. However, he admitted they walked away, albeit temporarily, to ensure they didn’t fall into the trap. “We must resist this temptation, I’m tired of being bound to the same group of people, the same music area,” he said.
Adding: “People don’t understand why we split up, since this would be the ideal moment to take advantage of three years of incessant touring. Everyone was saying that our next album would be the definitive one, but we decided to call it quits without reaching our initial goals.”
Most of the Cure’s near-misses regarding disbandment feel less like brushes with finality and more like necessary fodder to keep pushing on. For instance, despite the challenges that have pushed them to near-splits on multiple occasions, every one of these scenarios has enabled them to come back stronger and more resilient, with even better music to prove their unwavering prowess.
