Closedown

The year was 1991, I was watching an episode of Ed McMahon's "Star Search" tv show. They did a segment called the spokesmodel competition, male and female. During the male model segment, there came from my Cathode Ray Tube TV a sound like I had never heard before. The rolling drums, almost like distant thunder, coupled with a synthesized sound of human voices, ever so faint, but chorus-like, ephemeral, and beautiful... then came the haunting guitar, a type of guitar I'd never heard before (I would later learn it was the 6 string bass), and I was hooked.

Before I knew it the segment was over, and I was pained because chances were I'd never ever hear that song again. At the time I figured it was just music made especially for the show, and at the end of the show they did not credit that segment's music to anyone. Alas, I figured I'd never hear it again. But as fate would have it, a few months later, I was in in my dorm room ( I was a college student), and I heard a vaguely familiar sound coming from down the hall. Instantly, my heart fluttered a bit, my ears perked up, and I burst from my room and ran to the door from whence the music was emanating.

I knocked feverishly on the door. Surprised, the occupant inside sleepily opened the door and asked,

"What are you doing? What do you want?"

I said, "Quickly! Who is that, What song is that!"

He wiped the sleep from his eyes and replied, "Oh, that's The Cure. You mean you've never heard of them?"

"No never!" I said excitedly, but there was no mistaking it, that song was the one from Star Search.

"What's the name?" I demand.

"I think it's called Closedown," he replied.

Indeed, it was Closedown, the song that would become my favorite song of all time. That day he let me borrow his cassette tape, the title was Disintegration. Soon, I went to buy it myself, then learned that another Cure album, "Wish" was due out soon. I became a fan that very day. Since that time with various levels of intensity, I've been a fan and collector. Collecting every version of Closedown I could find, and every release by The Cure, good or bad. I've seen them live 5 times, and look forward each time to a new show. I can say that the 6 string bass, the lush orchestrated sound, is my favorite aspect of Cure music, and hope they rediscover the sound again in future releases.

(From: Steven Shirley -- whereabouts: unknown)