A Forest
Encyclopedia
"A Forest" is a single by the English rock band The Cure
, released on March 28, 1980 as the only single from their second album Seventeen Seconds
. It was their first chart single in the UK
, reaching #31; the song was also a hit in the Netherlands
, reaching #26. It was also their first single to be released on the 12" single
format, which was able to feature the un-edited album version. The 7" single
version omits the initial guitar and keyboard introduction, removes a few bars between verses and fades out part way through the guitar solo ending, making it approximately two minutes shorter. Versions subsequently released on various compilations such as Standing on a Beach
as the "single" version vary slightly from the 7" single edit in that they restore the guitar solo ending to its full length.
's minimalistic bassline gives this nervous chase more depth and keeps the song on the edge of a frantic groove until the end. Former drummer for The Cure, Andy Anderson said A Forest was the first song by the band he ever heard. He "fell in love with it" and the songs vocals, Robert Smith's guitar work, and the keyboards, which he describes as "haunting." The drums, he believed were straight-forward and "all that is needed on it."
Though not their biggest hit, it is regarded by many fans and critics as one of the best examples of The Cure
's sound, particularly their use of chorusing effects. The song is also notable for securing the band its first slot on BBC
's Top of the Pops
.
and featuring Earl Slick
on guitar.
An acoustic version was recorded and released on the bonus disc that came with some copies of the 2001 Greatest Hits
CD. Robert Smith
supplied vocals for a Blank & Jones
cover version in 2003.
The song has also been covered by:
in Belgium
, July 5, 1981. Everything was late at the festival, and the crowd was mostly there to see artists that were at the time bigger than The Cure, such as Dire Straits
and Robert Palmer, of whom the latter happened to be the next on stage after The Cure. After twelve songs, Palmer's roadies said that if The Cure didn't stop playing soon, they would pull the plug. They reached a compromise that they would play one song before they left, opting for "A Forest", which they decided to play a lot longer than what was normal at the time (almost ten minutes), with Robert Smith
adding some lyrics improvised on the spot (including the words: "Such a long end" repeated several times). When the band finally finished, bass player Simon Gallup
yelled into the microphone: "Fuck Robert Palmer, and fuck rock 'n' roll!" Palmer's roadies responded by throwing The Cure's gear off the back of the stage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GquE0zt47m4.
12" single
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, released on March 28, 1980 as the only single from their second album Seventeen Seconds
Seventeen Seconds
Seventeen Seconds is the second studio album by The Cure, released in April 1980 by Fiction Records. It is the only Cure album to feature keyboardist Matthieu Hartley, and was featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. The album reached number 20 on the British album charts...
. It was their first chart single in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, reaching #31; the song was also a hit in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, reaching #26. It was also their first single to be released on the 12" single
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
format, which was able to feature the un-edited album version. The 7" single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
version omits the initial guitar and keyboard introduction, removes a few bars between verses and fades out part way through the guitar solo ending, making it approximately two minutes shorter. Versions subsequently released on various compilations such as Standing on a Beach
Standing on a Beach
Standing on a Beach is a singles compilation released by the British rock band The Cure in May, 1986, marking a decade since the band's founding in 1976...
as the "single" version vary slightly from the 7" single edit in that they restore the guitar solo ending to its full length.
History
The lyrics tell a vague story about a man looking for a girl in a forest. He hears her calling for him, and as he chases her, he suddenly stops and realizes that he is lost and that the girl is not there. The song is fairly upbeat compared to the other material on the album, and Lol Tolhurst's machine-like steady beat together with Simon GallupSimon Gallup
Simon Jonathon Gallup is an English musician and bassist of the post-punk band The Cure.-Early years:...
's minimalistic bassline gives this nervous chase more depth and keeps the song on the edge of a frantic groove until the end. Former drummer for The Cure, Andy Anderson said A Forest was the first song by the band he ever heard. He "fell in love with it" and the songs vocals, Robert Smith's guitar work, and the keyboards, which he describes as "haunting." The drums, he believed were straight-forward and "all that is needed on it."
Though not their biggest hit, it is regarded by many fans and critics as one of the best examples of The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
's sound, particularly their use of chorusing effects. The song is also notable for securing the band its first slot on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
.
Re-recordings and cover versions
The track has been re-recorded a number of times by The Cure. In 1990, the track was re-recorded and remixed as the "Tree mix" on the band's Mixed Up album. It was redone for the second time on the Join the Dots box set this time remixed by Mark PlatiMark Plati
Mark Plati is a New York-based musician, record producer, and songwriter, widely acclaimed for his work in the 1990s with David Bowie. An in-demand producer, Plati also has worked with Spookey Ruben, The Cure, Duncan Sheik, Hooverphonic, Robbie Williams, Joe McIntyre, and Natalie Imbruglia...
and featuring Earl Slick
Earl Slick
Earl Slick is a guitarist best known for his collaborations with David Bowie, Jim Diamond and Robert Smith, although he has also worked with other artists , John Waite, and even released some solo recordings.In the early 1970s, Earl Slick gained his...
on guitar.
An acoustic version was recorded and released on the bonus disc that came with some copies of the 2001 Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (The Cure album)
Greatest Hits is a 2001 compilation album by The Cure. The band's relationship with longtime label Fiction Records came to a close, and The Cure were obliged to release one final album for the label. Robert Smith agreed to release a greatest hits album under the condition that he could choose the...
CD. Robert Smith
Robert Smith (musician)
Robert James Smith is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976...
supplied vocals for a Blank & Jones
Blank & Jones
Blank & Jones is a Cologne, Germany based Trance duo, consisting of the members Jan Pieter Blank , known as Piet Blank; René Runge , better known as DJ Jaspa Jones; and the producer Andy Kaufhold...
cover version in 2003.
The song has also been covered by:
- Creaming JesusCreaming Jesus-Origins:Creaming Jesus were a London based UK band influenced by gothic rock, punk and thrash metal.Formed in 1987, their original line up was Andy Lil Tally Roy Lindy and Paul , their original sound was a wall of percussive noise Slayer type thrash metal guitars and screamed vocals.Lil left...
on their 1990 EP Bark and it has been included on a number of compilations, including Zwischenfall - From The 80's To The 90's Vol. 2, Gothic Rock 3 - Black On Black - Best Of 80's Collection and Gothic Party Time - WaltariWaltariWaltari is a band from Finland, known for its diversity and combination of music styles, frequently combining alternative metal, progressive metal, death metal, hard rock, heavy metal, hip hop, industrial, pop, punk, rap, symphonic metal, techno and thrash metal.Most of the band's music is written...
on their 1994 album So Fine - Mark HoppusMark HoppusMark Allan Hoppus is an American musician, record producer, and television host. He is the bass guitarist and one of the two lead vocalists of the pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the bass guitarist and lead vocalist of the alternative rock band +44. He is a co-founder of both bands...
' first band, The Attic Children in 1989 - Carpathian ForestCarpathian ForestCarpathian Forest is a Norwegian black metal band formed by Nattefrost and Nordavind in 1990.-Biography:Carpathian Forest emerged with the demo tape "Bloodlust and Perversion" in 1992. In 1993 the band released a second demo: Journey Through the Cold Moors of Svarttjern...
on their debut album Black Shining LeatherBlack Shining LeatherBlack Shining Leather is the debut album by the Norwegian black metal band Carpathian Forest.-Track listing:# "Black Shining Leather" – 4:32# "The Swordsmen" – 4:07# "Death Triumphant" – 4:27# "Sadomasochistic" – 4:02# "Lupus" – 3:06...
(1998) - MinimalistixMinimalistixMinimalistix is a trance project from Belgium, consisting of members Dave Lambrechts, Janus De Decker, Johan Casters, Peter Bellaert and Steve Sidewinder ....
in 2001, released by Sphear Records - Nouvelle VagueNouvelle Vague (band)Nouvelle Vague is a French musical collective led by musicians Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux. Their name is a play on words, meaning "new wave" in French, and "bossa nova" in Portuguese...
on their first album Nouvelle VagueNouvelle Vague (album)Nouvelle Vague is the 2004 self-titled debut album by Nouvelle Vague. The album consists entirely of easy listening and bossa nova versions of songs that were written and recorded during the post-punk/New Wave era...
(2004) - Ror-Shak, released in 2005, on their only album Deep
- Steven WilsonSteven WilsonSteven John Wilson is an English musician, best known as the founder, lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of progressive rock band Porcupine Tree...
of Porcupine TreePorcupine TreePorcupine Tree is a progressive rock band formed by Steven Wilson in 1987 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. Their music is difficult to categorise, being associated with both psychedelic rock and progressive rock, yet having been influenced by trance, krautrock and ambient due to Steven...
covered the song on the third release of his Cover Version series in 2006 - A Dream of Poe on their 2006 demo release Delirium Tremens
- ToadiesToadiesToadies are an alternative rock band from Fort Worth, Texas, best known for the song "Possum Kingdom." The band's classic lineup consisted of Todd Lewis on vocals/guitar, Mark Reznicek on drums, Lisa Umbarger on bass, and Darrel Herbert on guitar. It formed in 1989 and disbanded in 2001 after...
on their 2008 album No Deliverance - Bat for LashesBat for LashesNatasha Khan , also known by her stage name Bat for Lashes, is an English musician. She sings and plays the piano, bass, guitar, harpsichord and the autoharp....
on the B-side of the 7" pressing of their 2009 single "DanielDaniel (Bat for Lashes song)"Daniel" is the first single from Bat for Lashes' second album Two Suns. It is her best selling single to date, selling over 46,000 copies worldwide. The song was announced as the lead single from Two Suns in January 2009, then released as a digital download single on 1 March 2009, and as a 7"...
" - British Sea PowerBritish Sea PowerBritish Sea Power are an indie rock band based in Brighton, England, although three of the band members originally come from Kendal in Cumbria. Critics have likened their sound to a variety of groups, from The Cure and Joy Division to the Pixies and Arcade Fire. The band are famed for their live...
on the Pictures of You: Tribute to The Cure NME compilation CD
1981 "Robert Palmer" version
The most notorious performance of this song is the so-called "Robert Palmer" version, performed at the Werchter FestivalRock Werchter
Rock Werchter is a Belgian annual music festival held in the village of Werchter, near Leuven, since 1974. It is one of the five biggest annual rock music festivals in Europe...
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, July 5, 1981. Everything was late at the festival, and the crowd was mostly there to see artists that were at the time bigger than The Cure, such as Dire Straits
Dire Straits
Dire Straits were a British rock band active from 1977 to 1995, composed of Mark Knopfler , his younger brother David Knopfler , John Illsley , and Pick Withers .Dire Straits' sound drew from a variety of musical influences, including jazz, folk, blues, and came closest...
and Robert Palmer, of whom the latter happened to be the next on stage after The Cure. After twelve songs, Palmer's roadies said that if The Cure didn't stop playing soon, they would pull the plug. They reached a compromise that they would play one song before they left, opting for "A Forest", which they decided to play a lot longer than what was normal at the time (almost ten minutes), with Robert Smith
Robert Smith (musician)
Robert James Smith is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976...
adding some lyrics improvised on the spot (including the words: "Such a long end" repeated several times). When the band finally finished, bass player Simon Gallup
Simon Gallup
Simon Jonathon Gallup is an English musician and bassist of the post-punk band The Cure.-Early years:...
yelled into the microphone: "Fuck Robert Palmer, and fuck rock 'n' roll!" Palmer's roadies responded by throwing The Cure's gear off the back of the stage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GquE0zt47m4.
Track listing
7" single- "A Forest" - single version
- "Another Journey by Train"
12" single
- "A Forest" - album version
- "Another Journey by Train"
Personnel
- Robert SmithRobert Smith (musician)Robert James Smith is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976...
- voice, guitar - Simon GallupSimon GallupSimon Jonathon Gallup is an English musician and bassist of the post-punk band The Cure.-Early years:...
- bass - Matthieu HartleyMatthieu HartleyMatthieu Hartley is an English musician born in Smallfield, England. He is best known as the original keyboardist for The Cure, but before that he and Simon Gallup were involved in two other bands called Lockjaw and The Magazine Spies....
- keyboards - Lol Tolhurst - drums