I mentioned a couple of days ago that I would post the mix CDs of Christmas past. So here is the first one.

Liner Notes…

Hello, it’s winter and what better way to beat the winter blues than with a mix full of Cure songs, right?

Ok, that really doesn’t make a lot of sense, let me explain.

Everybody knows that the cure didn’t make a single happy song. Even with a song like “Love Song” (which isn’t included here), you know he was singing to the dead body of some gloomy gal he just me. And with “Friday I’m in Love” (which is included), you know by Friday afternoon, she’s sufficiently creeped out and has probably called the cops by now.

So what am I doing making a mix of Cure songs to cure the winter blues? I honestly have no idea, but these are the songs that in some way have made me smile over the years.

Admittedly, I’m a Cure snob. I rarely listen to anything post-Disintegration, and then only the Wish album. And so these selections are culled from the early Cure.

Most are alternate mixes, demos, live or “rare” in some other way. We begin with a rare “new” mis of “Love Cats.” I generally loathe new remixes of older songs, but in this case, I think they caught the feel of the original. “Catch” is just cute. Cute Cure. “It’s Not You” is a very early cut, this one taken form a demo. “Throw Your Foot” is a B-Side that’s been in my head since I first heard it in the late 80’s.

A new favorite, “Six Different Ways” was just rediscovered a few weeks ago. This 12″ mix of “Friday I’m in Love” is almost too new, but I’ll let it slide. Besides, it’s a great remix. “The Perfect Girl” is one of the most adorable songs, Cure or not, ever put to wax. While “2 Late” popped up as the B-Side of “Love Song,” an odd nugget from the depressing Disintegration era. This newer (I think) remix of “Just Like Heaven” is a bit more down, but not jump-out-the-window down.

To pick up back up, an acoustic version of “High,” again, almost too new. And although I looked, I couldn’t find a remix of “Why Can’t I Be You?” So here’s the album cut in all its funky glory. I did, however, manage to come across a rare extended cut of “In Between Days.” Wonderful! “Harold and Joe” is possibly my most favorite B-Side ever, especially the chorus. “The Exploding Boy” is an old favorite of mine, you’ll dig it too.

The LP Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me gave us a slew of Horribly sad cuts and a few wildly upbeat ones. “Hot Hot Hot” is my favorite. “Push” is almost an afterthought, a very forgettable song until you listen to it again and wonder how you ever forgot it. And a live version of “Let’s Go to Bed” from In Orange take the song to a different place than the studio cut. And we end it with a kick ass remix of “Hey You!!!,” which I was very happy to stumble upon.

Track listing…

1. Love Cats (TC+Benny 12″)
2. Catch
3. It’s Not You (Demo)
4. Throw Your Foot
5. Six Different Ways (Demo)
6. Friday I’m in Love (Strangelove Mix)
7. The Perfect Girl
8. 2 Late
9. Just Like Heaven (Chuck Remix)
10. High (Acoustic)
11. Why Can’t I Be You?
12. In Between Days (Extended)
13. Harold and Joe
14. The Exploding Boy (Demo)
15. Hot Hot Hot!!! (Extended)
16. Push
17. Let’s Go To Bed (Live)
18. Hey You!!! (Kevorkian 12″ Remix)

Click here to download!

I’m using a file hosting service called Megaupload (new to me, I mean). If you have any problems with it, just let me know. It’s easy! Just click the link, put in the little “captcha code,” hit enter and then choose “regular download,” ignore the ads (sorry) and download it to your desktop.

It’s a zip file, so everyone in the universe should be able to open it.