A Letter to Elise
{{Short description|1992 single by the Cure}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox song
| name = A Letter to Elise
| cover = A Letter to Elise (The Cure album - cover art).jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = the Cure
| album = Wish
| B-side =
- "The Big Hand"
- "A Foolish Arrangement"
| released = {{start date|1992|10|5|df=y}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = Alternative rock
| length = 5:12
| label = Fiction
| writer =
| producer =
- Robert Smith
- David Allen
| prev_title = Friday I'm in Love
| prev_year = 1992
| next_title = The 13th
| next_year = 1996
}}
"A Letter to Elise" is a song by English rock band the Cure, released as the third and final single from the album Wish on 5 October 1992. In 2010, Pitchfork Media ranked it at number 184 on their list of "The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s".{{cite web |title=The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 200-151 – Page 2 {{!}} Pitchfork |url=http://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/7854-the-top-200-tracks-of-the-1990s-200-151/?page=2 |website=Pitchfork |access-date=28 October 2016}}
Background
"A Letter to Elise" was made public for the first time on MTV's Cure-"Unplugged" show in 1991 and had very different lyrics from the later version to be released as a 7".{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} Letters to Felice by Kafka was a huge influence when Robert Smith wrote the lyrics of the track.{{cite web|title=Robert Smith's Reading List|url=https://radicalreads.com/robert-smith-favorite-books/|website=Radical Reads|access-date=27 March 2024}}
The B-side "The Big Hand" was planned as an A-side single early in 1993 but the idea was scrapped, largely due to Boris Williams not wanting the track to appear on the album but having no qualms about it appearing as a B-side (from KROQ radio interview with the band in 1992). "The Big Hand" is one of the few B-sides to be played live, although very rarely. It was first played in 1991, performed a few times during the Wish Tour in 1992, then revived at the Ultra Music Festival in 2007, and was occasionally played during the band's 4Tour World Tour 2007–08.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}
A promo version of the song features yet another longer unreleased mix, with phaser on Robert Smith's voice.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} An instrumental version on cassette is also known to exist.
"A Letter to Elise" itself was revived by the band's new Smith/Gallup/Thompson/Cooper lineup in 2005 after being played sparingly, if ever, during the Smith/Gallup/Bamonte/Cooper/O'Donnell era.
Track listings
{{Track listing
| headline = 7-inch vinyl
| title1 = A Letter to Elise
| note1 = 7-inch remix edit
| length1 = 4:20
| title2 = The Big Hand
| length2 = 4:52
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = 12-inch vinyl
| title1 = A Letter to Elise
| note1 = Blue mix
| length1 = 6:37
| title2 = The Big Hand
| length2 = 4:56
| title3 = A Foolish Arrangement
| length3 = 3:54
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = CD
| title1 = A Letter to Elise
| note1 = 7-inch remix edit
| length1 = 4:24
| title2 = The Big Hand
| length2 = 4:56
| title3 = A Foolish Arrangement
| length3 = 3:54
| title4 = A Letter to Elise
| note4 = Blue mix
| length4 = 6:37
}}
Personnel
- Robert Smith – guitar, keyboard, vocals, 6 string bass
- Perry Bamonte – 6 string bass, guitar, keyboard
- Simon Gallup – bass
- Porl Thompson – guitar
- Boris Williams – percussion, drums
- Bryan 'Chuck' New
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Weekly chart performance for "A Letter to Elise" !scope="col"|Chart (1992) !scope="col"|Peak |
| scope="row"|Australia (ARIA){{cite web |url=http://i.imgur.com/oyPN1pW.jpg |title=Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 15 July 2015 |access-date=2 August 2015 |via=Imgur |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716153430/http://i.imgur.com/oyPN1pW.jpg |archive-date=16 July 2015}}
|103 |
|---|
| {{single chart|Ireland2|23|artist=The Cure|song=A Letter To Elise|rowheader=true|access-date=22 January 2020}} |
| {{single chart|New Zealand|13|artist=The Cure|song=A Letter To Elise|rowheader=true}} |
| {{single chart|Sweden|39|artist=The Cure|song=A Letter To Elise|rowheader=true}} |
| {{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|28|artist=Cure|song=A Letter to Elise|artistid=20492|rowheader=true}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|2|artist=The Cure|rowheader=true|access-date=22 January 2020|refname="sc_Billboardalternativesongs_The_Cure"}} |
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Release dates and formats for "A Letter to Elise" !scope="col"|Region !scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Format(s) !scope="col"|Label(s) !scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| scope="row"|United Kingdom
|5 October 1992 |{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|12-inch vinyl|CD|cassette}} |rowspan="2"|Fiction |{{cite magazine |title=New Releases: Singles |magazine=Music Week |page=19 |date=3 October 1992}} |
|---|
| scope="row"|Japan
|5 December 1992 |CD |{{cite web |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/4567/products/201797/1/ |title=レター・トゥ・エリーズ {{!}} Cure |trans-title=Letter to Elise {{!}} Cure |publisher=Oricon |language=ja |access-date=6 February 2024}} |
Cover versions
"A Letter to Elise" has been covered by Aaron Sprinkle, for his Really Something EP; Blink-182, for the 2004 MTV Icon show for the Cure; and Sense Field, for their 2003 album Living Outside.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Discogs master|31994}}
{{The Cure}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Letter To Elise, A}}
Category:Songs about letters (message)
Category:Songs written by Robert Smith (musician)
Category:Fiction Records singles
Category:Songs containing the I–V-vi-IV progression
Category:Songs written by Perry Bamonte
Category:Songs written by Boris Williams
Category:Songs written by Lol Tolhurst