The Only One (The Cure song)
Encyclopedia
"The Only One" is a single
by the British
band The Cure
which was released on 13 May 2008 on Geffen Records
in the United Kingdom
. The single was released in the United States
on 20 May 2008. It is the first single to be released by The Cure in over three and a half years — their last single being 2004's "Taking Off" / "alt.end". It is also the first single from the 2008 album
, 4:13 Dream. The single was produced
by Robert Smith
and Keith Uddin
. The song debuted live on October 7, 2007 in Mountain View, California
at a festival and was also played in Mexico City
the next week. During that time, the song was known as "Please Project".http://www.cure-concerts.de/concerts/2007-10-22.php It wasn't until early on in the European tour in early 2008 was "The Only One" established as the title.
The B-side
, "NY Trip", does not appear on the new album.
music magazine Exclaim!
, describes the song as if it could have come from the sessions for the uplifting 1992 Wish album. They went on to add that Smith sounds "happier than ever" and that the song is a return to the form that produced many of their Top 40 hits. The Observer
described the song as having all the ingredients of a classic Cure song by having "lovely spiralling guitars, glowing bass and Robert Smith at his giddiest". Saying that the song sounds "like a pop single by The Cure", Pitchfork Media
adds that the lyrics are not distinctive and goes on to say that the release will not make anyone forget the previous great singles from the band.
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...
by the British
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...
band 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...
which was released on 13 May 2008 on Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
in the United Kingdom
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...
. The single was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on 20 May 2008. It is the first single to be released by The Cure in over three and a half years — their last single being 2004's "Taking Off" / "alt.end". It is also the first single from the 2008 album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, 4:13 Dream. The single was produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by 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...
and Keith Uddin
Keith Uddin
Keith Uddin , also known as KU, is a songwriter and record producer/engineer.Keith Uddin has had 78 consecutive top 20 singles & albums, as a producer/engineer and/or writer, worldwide, so far this Century, and 42 of those singles and albums went to No1...
. The song debuted live on October 7, 2007 in Mountain View, California
Mountain View, California
-Downtown:Mountain View has a pedestrian-friendly downtown centered on Castro Street. The downtown area consists of the seven blocks of Castro Street from the Downtown Mountain View Station transit center in the north to the intersection with El Camino Real in the south...
at a festival and was also played in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
the next week. During that time, the song was known as "Please Project".http://www.cure-concerts.de/concerts/2007-10-22.php It wasn't until early on in the European tour in early 2008 was "The Only One" established as the title.
The B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, "NY Trip", does not appear on the new album.
Reception
In an early review on their website, CanadianCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
music magazine Exclaim!
Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
, describes the song as if it could have come from the sessions for the uplifting 1992 Wish album. They went on to add that Smith sounds "happier than ever" and that the song is a return to the form that produced many of their Top 40 hits. The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
described the song as having all the ingredients of a classic Cure song by having "lovely spiralling guitars, glowing bass and Robert Smith at his giddiest". Saying that the song sounds "like a pop single by The Cure", Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
adds that the lyrics are not distinctive and goes on to say that the release will not make anyone forget the previous great singles from the band.
Chart positions
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
Weeks on chart |
|---|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
48 | 2 |
| US Modern Rock | 31 | 6 |
| US Hot 100 Singles Sales | 4 | 6 |
| Dutch 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... Singles Chart |
86 | 2 |
| French France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... Singles Chart |
28 | 5 |
| Spanish Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... Singles Chart |
1 | 5 |