The Walk by The Cure

Album: Japanese Whispers (1983)

Charted: 12

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When this was first released many people thought The Cure had ripped off the sound of New Order's mega-hit "Blue Monday." Though many fingers were pointed at The Cure, no legal actions were ever taken because "The Walk" was written and recorded before (but released after) "Blue Monday." The likeness between the two was proven to be nothing more than coincidence, as both bands were experimenting with electronic instruments, sequencers and drum machines, leading them to arrive at similar sounds around the same timeframe.
The Cure had lost their bass player Simon Gallup and were in limbo when the remaining two members, Robert Smith and Lol Tolhurst, got together to compose this song in late 1982. Tolhurst came up with the distinctive vibrato keyboard riff, and Smith took it from there. The song became their biggest UK hit to this point, going to #12 and revitalizing the band.
There have been several versions of this track. The band re-recorded it for their 1990 remix album Mixed up, as the original master tapes had been lost. They also recorded an acoustic version for their 2001 Greatest Hits album, which included a bonus disc featuring exclusively acoustic renderings of their songs.
This was the first Cure song to enter the UK top 20, and it put unprecedented pressures on the band for commercial success. In a 1983 interview with the Italian magazine Rockerilla, vocalist and primary lyricist Robert Smith said: "There was so much pressure around 'The Walk' because it went in the charts and now everyone wants another single. We must resist this temptation, I'm tired of being bound to the same group of people, the same music area. People don't understand why we split up, since this would be the ideal moment to take advantage of three years of incessant touring. Everyone was saying that our next album would be the definitive one, but we decided to call it quits without reaching our initial goals."
The Cure used an Oberheim OB-8 synthesizer and a DMX drum machine on this track. These were relatively new creations, and they didn't quite know how to use them. At the beginning of the song, there's a synth note over a drum beat that they didn't want there but couldn't get rid of, which is why the song starts in discordant fashion.
During their 1991 appearance on MTV Unplugged, the band (along with the audience) played kazoos to replace the song's synthesizer riffs.

Comments: 3

Ken from Pittsburgh, PaReally?? Sounds nothing to me like Blue Monday.
Daniel from Rio De Janeiro, Brazilby "without you", I think you mean "Inbetween days", right?

Anyway, you're correct. But if I'm not mistaken, it even led to a fall out between Peter Hook (NO's bass player) and members of the Cure

but whilst NO ventured deeper into electronic sounds, The Cure kept synths to a reasonable minimal, not far from the usual for a band during the 80s.

As of 2005, The cure are without a synth player and have been performing all the synth parts using guitars on their live shows, much to their fans sadness. Songs like The Walk are completely trashed without *some* synths in it. Apparently, the new 2008 album will also keep keybaords to a minimum.
Anthony from Tokyo, JapanThe reference to New Order is interesting. While they didn't rip off 'The Walk', they began to incorporate New Orders twangy high chorused string sound into many of their songs starting with 'without you' on Head on the door & including many of their hits such as 'Pictures of you', 'Just like heaven', 'Love song' & 'Lullaby'. This sound became very much a cure sound. Much of The cures new sound, post Head on the door could be attributed to New Orders 'Power, corruption & lies' album, particularly the song 'the village'. Smith has admitted to being influenced by New Order. In an interview speaking about Pornography, he said he initially got the idea for the albums dark depiction of death after listening to Movement, New Orders first album since the loss of Ian Curtis. The two albums are sonically quite different though; it is only the theme that was borrowed.

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