This month in 1986, The Cure was in Draguignan, southeastern France, for a two-week pre-production session to refine the Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me demos recorded earlier that summer in London.
The album’s third single, “Just Like Heaven”, is eventually regarded as one of the band’s strongest songs in its whole career. It became the Cure’s first American hit and peaked at number 40 on the Billboard charts in 1988.
The lyrics were written by Robert Smith, who drew inspiration from a past trip to Beachy Head, a famous cliffside on the southern coast of England, with his future wife, Mary Poole.
AllMusic wrote that the song was “instantly memorable and sparkling with rough energy. It’s a perfect showcase for Robert Smith’s ear for wistful, romantic numbers. His main guitar line, a descending, gently chiming melody, contrasts perfectly against the fuzzier mix of the rhythm guitars, while Simon Gallup’s bass and Boris Williams’ strong, immediate drums make for a great introduction to the track.”
A number of cover versions of “Just Like Heaven” have been released, including recordings in Spanish, French, and German. Robert Smith has publicly stated that the version by Dinosaur Jr. is his favourite. “J Mascis sent me a cassette, and it was so passionate. It was fantastic. I’ve never had such a visceral reaction to a cover before or since.”
“Just Like Heaven” is a perfect encapsulation of The Cure’s ability to blend their signature moody and melancholic sound with bright, pop-infused melodies—the lighter side of goth!
Brandon Flowers (The Killers) credits the song for kickstarting his love of British music in the 1980s and influencing his early work. Ben Folds told Blender, “Everything about it—the songwriting, the music—is state of the art. It’s as good as it gets. Anytime I hear it on the radio or a mixtape, I jump around like a freak.”
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Featured image via LOST WORLD.
