Precariousness surrounded the recording of 'Seventeen Seconds'. To save money, the components of The Cure had to sleep on the floor of recording studies. And they went fear. “It was a bit creepy”recognized the group's battery: “When the study was dark, A kind of ghostly glow was visible. “ Despite the fear and the shortage of resources, the April 18, 1980The Cure published The album that Robert Smith had in mind. The one that established The emblematic sound of the English band.
According to your discography, 'Three Imaginary Boys' (1979) is The First Album of The Cure. However, the English band leader considers that His first album was not that. “I always thought of 'Seventenen Seconds' as our debut albumis The first album that I felt was really the cure”Smith acknowledged in the 2005 reissue libretto. In addition, the singer confessed in a 1982 interview for Penthouse: “I hate the first album, I hate it. I never imagined we would make more recordings after that album. ”
Already during the 1979 summer tour of the United Kingdom, such as openings of Siouxsie and the Banshees, occurred irreparable fractures with bassist Michael Dempsey. That was united A growing tension with his girlfriend, Mary Poole. When the young 20 -year -old musician returned home loaded with a backpack of rage that distressed him. “I felt overcome, overwhelmed and very alone,” I had on Uncut.
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In a few days, Smith reorganized training replacing bassist Michael Dempsey with the guitarist Simon Gallup and incorporating into the keyboardist Matthieu Hartley. Lol Tolhurst remained in his battery post. He had a specific sound in mind and struggled to revitalize the band. For production he trusted Mike Hedges.
He took refuge in his parents' houseand there he found comfort in the sound of David Bowie (Low), Nick Drake (Five Leaves Left), Jimi Hendrix (Live isle of Wight) or Van Morrison (Astral Weeks). Recorded the demos in a basic recorder With a Hammond organ.
“We were in Smith's house, in Crawley, when Robert put a cassette tape “Tolhurst wrote in his autobiography 'Cure: The Tale of Two Imaginary Boys'. “I stayed amazed at the minimalist beauty of songs… listen A glacial sound landscape which reflected My own feelings of loneliness then”.
To record it, They barely had money. They crossed authentic economic narrows. “With 'Three Imaginary Boys' money, I bought 10 days of time in the study“Smith confessed in Rolling Stone magazine. And so they could Enter the Morgan Studios de London, where they had engendered their debut, In January 1980. The budget ranged between 2000 and 3000 pounds.
Saved time and money Sleeping on the floor of the study, glued to each other, in two narrow rooms. The four They drank in abundance until they felt prepared To go to work with Mike Hedgeswhich had designed the previous album. “We sleep at old Morgan Studio One and It was a bit creepybecause Before it was a church“, wrote Tolhurst.” On the roof there was an old stained glass window. When the study was dark, A kind of ghostly glow was visible. At 4 am The atmosphere seemed almost from another world. “
An example of precariousness was the theme 'The Final Sound'. It was planned that It was longerbut it was seen reduced to 53 seconds because the tape is over while being recorded and the band could not register it again.
Robert, Simon, Lol and Matthieu worked almost tirelessly, between 16 and 17 hours a day. In the end, they even left over two days. “We only use eight daysso They returned the money of the last two. Was A blow of luck because We spent more than I thought of beer “Smith declared at Rolling Stone.
'Seventeen Seconds' was The first album in which Robert Smith had control. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and He did not want inferences from anyone, except for Mike Hedges, co -producer.
Nevertheless, Anonymity It was a prominent factor In the album. Mainly on the cover. Directed by Smith, photographer Andrew Douglas managed to capture the absolute introspection containing the LP. “We took all the photos the day we finished the recording, around eight o'clock in the morning”, Revealed the leading vocalist in Rolling Stone.“ I said, 'could you do something unfocused? ' and those are the ones we usebecause Those who were focused seemed frightful”
Tolhurst wrote in his biography: “The band's photos They are blurredhence We feel correctly reflected. That was what our fans should perceive the album. We wanted people to focus on music, on songs, not our aspect. ”
April 18, 1980, Three days before his 21st birthday, Robert Smith The dream album was self -registered. 'Seventeen Seconds', considered a Early example of Gothic rockmarked the beginning of the one who became The Emblematic Sound of The Cure. The principle of One of the most iconic and instantly recognizable groups of all time.
