Login
Login

The 13th

{{Short description|1996 single by The Cure}}

{{About|the 1996 rock single by the Cure|other uses|13 (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox song

| name = The 13th

| cover = The Cure - The 13th album cover.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = the Cure

| album = Wild Mood Swings

| B-side =

  • "It Used to Be Me"
  • "Ocean"
  • "Adonais"

| released = {{start date|1996|4|22|df=y}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Mariachi{{cite web|url={{Allmusic|class=album|id=r315457|pure_url=yes}}|title=Galore: The Singles 1987–1997 – The Cure|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|publisher=AllMusic}}

| length = 4:16

| label = Fiction

| writer =

| producer =

  • Robert Smith
  • Steve Lyon

| prev_title = A Letter to Elise

| prev_year = 1992

| next_title = Mint Car

| next_year = 1996

}}

"The 13th" is a song by English rock band the Cure, released as the first single from the band's 10th studio album, Wild Mood Swings (1996), on 22 April 1996. The song reached the top 20 in several territories, including Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Wallonia. It charted the highest in Hungary, where it reached number two, and in Italy, where it peaked at number five.

Background

Bassist Simon Gallup discussed the creation of the track in a contemporary interview, "That was one of Robert's songs, initially called The 2 Chords Corp. because it was just two chords strummed on a guitar. It was one of the songs we had recorded; we kept adding bits of percussion and then we'd put it away and then add more to it." he also viewed the song as "tacky" and "tongue-in-cheek".{{Cite web |title=Interview: The Cure's Wild Mood Swings |url=https://www.musicfanclubs.org/cure/press/I77.html |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=www.musicfanclubs.org}}

Release

The song reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart and number 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was played very few times during the Swing Tour and never again since the tour.

Reception

Writing for AllMusic, Ned Raggett rated the single four stars out of five and noted the unexpected tone of the song: "There's no question that 'The 13th' was probably one of the Cure's most unexpected singles -- though horns had appeared on the single mix of 'Close to Me' back in 1985, the distinctly Latin percussion and brass on the song here was something else entirely!"{{cite web|last1=Raggett|first1=Ned|title=AllMusic Review by Ned Raggett|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-13th-mw0000187685|website=AllMusic|access-date=25 February 2017}}

Clash magazine said that, alongside "Gone!", "The 13th" has become known for dividing fans, describing them as "love/hate affairs", but noted they "still [show] a band happy to experiment and play with conventions."{{cite web|last1=Walker-Smart|first1=Sam|title=Complete Guide: The Cure|url=http://www.clashmusic.com/features/complete-guide-the-cure|website=Clash|date=6 September 2016 |access-date=25 February 2017}} Peter Parrish described "The 13th" as "a pseudo-latin number with a not-especially-hidden message about giving in to your lust."{{cite web|last1=Parrish|first1=Peter|title=Playing God: The Cure - Wild Mood Swings|url=http://stylusmagazine.com/articles/playing_god/the-cure-wild-mood-swings.htm|website=Stylus|access-date=25 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140330023100/http://stylusmagazine.com/articles/playing_god/the-cure-wild-mood-swings.htm|archive-date=30 March 2014|date=9 November 2004}}

Music video

The music video of the song shows Robert Smith, dressed in ripped velvet dress, lying on his bed and watching a TV broadcast where he performs with the Cure. Comedian Sean Hughes also appears in the video.{{cite news |url=http://www.musicfanclubs.org/cure/press/I53.html |title=Making Wild Mood Swings pay off |publisher=Music Fan Club |date=22 April 1996 |access-date=16 October 2017}}

Track listings

All tracks were written by Smith, Gallup, Bamonte, Cooper, and O'Donnell.

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

UK CD1 and Australian CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=The 13th|author=The Cure|year=1996|type=UK CD1 liner notes|publisher=Fiction Records|id=576 469-2}}{{cite AV media notes|title=The 13th|author=The Cure|year=1996|type=Australian CD single liner notes|publisher=Fiction Records|id=0630148512}}

  1. "The 13th" (swing radio mix)
  2. "It Used to Be Me"
  3. "The 13th" (Killer Bee mix)

UK CD2{{cite AV media notes|title=The 13th|author=The Cure|year=1996|type=UK CD2 liner notes|publisher=Fiction Records|id=576 493-2}}

  1. "The 13th" (Two Chord Cool mix)
  2. "Ocean"
  3. "Adonais"

European CD and cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=The 13th|author=The Cure|year=1996|type=European CD single liner notes|publisher=Fiction Records|id=576692-2}}{{cite AV media notes|title=The 13th|author=The Cure|year=1996|type=European cassette single sleeve|publisher=Fiction Records|id=576 468-4}}

  1. "The 13th" (swing radio mix)
  2. "It Used to Be Me"

{{col-2}}

US CD1 and cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=The 13th|author=The Cure|year=1996|type=US CD1 liner notes|publisher=Elektra Records, Fiction Records|id=64292-2}}{{cite AV media notes|title=The 13th|author=The Cure|year=1996|type=US cassette single sleeve|publisher=Elektra Records, Fiction Records|id=4-64292}}

  1. "The 13th" (swing radio mix)
  2. "Adonais"

US CD2 and Canadian CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=The 13th|author=The Cure|year=1996|type=US CD2 liner notes|publisher=Elektra Records, Fiction Records|id=66036-2}}{{cite AV media notes|title=The 13th|author=The Cure|year=1996|type=Canadian CD single liner notes|publisher=Elektra Records, Fiction Records|id=CD 66036}}

  1. "The 13th" (Two Chord Cool mix)
  2. "Ocean"
  3. "It Used to Be Me"
  4. "The 13th" (Killer Bee mix)

Japanese CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=The 13th|author=The Cure|year=1996|type=Japanese CD single liner notes|publisher=Polydor Records, Fiction Records|id=POCP-7141}}

  1. "The 13th" (swing radio mix)
  2. "It Used to Be Me"
  3. "Ocean"
  4. "Adonais"

{{col-end}}

Personnel

Charts

class="wikitable sortable"

!Chart (1996)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Australia|31|artist=The Cure|song=The 13th}}
{{single chart|Flanders|43|artist=The Cure|song=The 13th}}
{{single chart|Wallonia|12|artist=The Cure|song=The 13th}}
{{single chart|Canadarock|17|chartid=2989|access-date=23 February 2019}}
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1996/MM-1996-05-25.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=13|issue=21|page=16|date=25 May 1996|access-date=21 November 2019}}

|align="center"|30

{{single chart|Finland|11|artist=The Cure|song=The 13th}}
{{single chart|Germany|55|songid=3213|artist=Cure|song=The 13th}}
Hungary (Mahasz){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1996/MM-1996-05-25.pdf|title=Top National Sellers|magazine=Music & Media|volume=13|issue=21|page=18|date=25 May 1996|access-date=16 February 2020}}

|align="center"|2

{{single chart|Ireland2|22|song=The 13 th|access-date=14 January 2020}}
Italy (Musica e dischi)

|align="center"|5

{{single chart|New Zealand|37|artist=The Cure|song=The 13th}}
{{single chart|Scotland|23|date=19960504|artist=The Cure|song=The 13th|access-date=13 March 2018}}
{{single chart|Sweden|20|artist=The Cure|song=The 13th}}
{{single chart|Switzerland|29|artist=The Cure|song=The 13th}}
{{single chart|UK|15|artist=The Cure|song=The 13th|date=19960428}}
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|44|artist=The Cure|song=The 13th|artistid=4388}}
{{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|15|artist=The Cure|access-date=13 March 2018}}
{{single chart|Billboarddancesales|11|artist=The Cure|access-date=17 August 2021}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref(s).|Reference(s)}}

scope="row"|United States

|8 April 1996

|{{hlist|Triple A|college|alternative radio}}

|{{hlist|Elektra|Fiction}}

|align="center"|{{cite magazine|title=Cure Captures 'Wild Mood Swings'|last=Sexton|first=Paul|magazine=Billboard|volume=108|issue=13|pages=18, 41|date=30 March 1996}}{{cite magazine|title=Be on the Lookout|magazine=Gavin Report|issue=2099|page=28|date=5 April 1996}}

scope="row"|United Kingdom

|22 April 1996

|rowspan="2"|{{hlist|CD|cassette}}

|Fiction

|align="center"|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1996/Music-Week-1996-04-20.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=27|date=20 April 1996|access-date=17 August 2021}}

scope="row" rowspan="2"|United States

|23 April 1996

|rowspan="2"|{{hlist|Elektra|Fiction}}

|rowspan="2" align="center"|

29 April 1996

|Top 40 radio

scope="row"|Japan

|1 June 1996

|CD

|{{hlist|Polydor|Fiction}}

|align="center"|{{cite web|url=http://www.polygram.co.jp/music/intl/cure/disco.html|title=Cure Discography|publisher=PolyGram|language=ja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990224125215/http://www.polygram.co.jp/music/intl/cure/disco.html|archive-date=24 February 1999|access-date=27 August 2023}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Discogs master|32083}}

{{The Cure}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:13th, The}}

Category:1996 singles

Category:1996 songs

Category:The Cure songs

Category:Elektra Records singles

Category:Fiction Records singles

Category:Music videos directed by Sophie Muller

Category:Polydor Records singles

Category:Songs written by Jason Cooper

Category:Songs written by Perry Bamonte

Category:Songs written by Robert Smith (musician)

Category:Songs written by Roger O'Donnell

Category:Songs written by Simon Gallup

Category:Mariachi