Growing up in the 80s, New Wave music was always in our ears. Either from the stereo in mom’s Volvo or the rooms of older, much more musically dialed in, cousins. Joy Division, The Smiths, O.M.D. and especially The Cure. Therefore, it’s always exciting when Cure items walk in the door of the shop. Like this gorgeous UK only 45 single of Boys Don’t Cry, which had never appeared on our radar before. The B-side contains Plastic Passion. The Cure released the single in 1979 (#5 in their catalogue); one year before the release of their second LP of the same name.
We love everything about this two track release. From the gorgeous cover art to the provocative song titles. The black-and-white, masculine military photo clashes with the purple and blue color scheme of the background. Perfectly underscoring the song title itself. 5’2″ Helga, on the other hand, reads like an advertisement in the back of naughty magazine. This also give the single that sort of do-it-yourself feel – typical of the post-punk, zine reading aesthetic. This rich texture is somewhat lost on the New Zealand version of the single, which opted for an all black-and-white look: https://www.discogs.com/The-Cure-Boys-Dont-Cry/release/1045052
From the same collection came a picture disc version of The Cure’s Disintegration. The packaging in and of itself is a work of art. The translucent inner sleeve is laced with light blue flowers. The disc is also translucent with the original cover art on one side while the other is a negative image of the flower layout on the sleeve. When you insert the disc inside the sleeve, you actually create another art piece. Unfortunately, the cover makes no mention of its designer but it’s safe to say they knew what they were doing. This has to be one of the most stunning cover packages we’ve seen on any album.
