SONG OF THE DAY

“Close To Me” by The Cure (The Head On The Door, Fiction Records, 1985). Written by Robert Smith.

INTERESTING DETAILS (from wikipedia)

– There are two versions of “Close to Me”, one with a brass section and one without. The version without the brass section is the original album version on The Head on the Door while the version with brass instruments is a remix that was released as a single and appears on Staring at the Sea: the Singles.

– The instrumental brass section appearing on the single versions is actually adapted from a traditional New Orleans funeral march.

– The song was used as the theme music for the BBC sitcom The Smoking Room, for the BBC food program A Taste of My Life presented by Nigel Slater and plays over the closing credits for the 2007 film Son of Rambow.

– On its original release, the single was most successful in Ireland, peaking at #4, also reaching #7 in Australia.

– The 1990 remix peaked at #13 on the UK singles chart.

– Chart positions: #13 (UK); #97 (USA)

– Covers include: French recording act -M- on his album Je dis aime in 1999; The Get Up Kids on their compilation album Eudora; Buck 65, the Canadian hip-hop artist, has been known to freestyle over this song at his live show; Indie rock/rap band Why?; I Was A Cub Scout covered the song on the single “The Hunters Daughter”.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Click here for this amazing music video.

INTERESTING DETAILS ABOUT THE MUSIC VIDEO (from wikipedia)

– The music video, written and directed by the band’s frequent music video director Tim Pope, was featured on a compilation of the best music videos on VH1.

– The video consists of the band all inside a wardrobe on the edge of a cliff. Boris Williams is clapping to the beat, keyboardist Lol Tolhurst is playing a very small, handheld keyboard, and Porl Thompson on the top shelf is plucking a comb to represent the short high sounds in the song. Bassist Simon Gallup has a light bulb in his mouth to create a “lit from within” feel. Robert Smith then comes from the back of the wardrobe and sings, also playing with finger puppets, which appear to be voodoo dolls of the band members, as when he moves them, the corresponding member moves.

– The music video was #13 on 20 to 1 Amazing Moments in Music aired on Australia’s Nine Network 4 March 2007. Essentially the show rated the most distinctive music videos (won by Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer).