THE CURE - 10:15 SATURDAY NIGHT

Released: June 1979

Album: Three imaginary boys

"10:15 Saturday Night" is a track that served as the B-side to the single "Killing an Arab" released in December 1978. It also appears as the opening track on the debut album, “Three Imaginary Boys”. Initially released in France as a single with "Accuracy" as the B-side, the song has been a staple in their live performances since its release. 

Early in their career, The Cure were actively seeking a record deal, and according to interviews in the booklet for the Deluxe Edition of "Three Imaginary Boys," it was the demo of this song that captured the attention of Chris Parry in 1978. This pivotal moment led Parry to sign the band to his newly established record company, Fiction Records. 

 "10:15 Saturday Night" captures Robert Smith's poignant reflection on loneliness and desolation. Written at the tender age of 16, Smith wrote the song one melancholic evening while seated at his kitchen table, engulfed in solitude. The lyrics evoke a scene where he listens to the haunting sound of a leaky faucet, yearning for the phone to break the silence. 

In a demo version featured in the deluxe edition of The Cure's debut album, Robert Smith slows down the tempo and plays it on his sister Janet's Hammond organ, showcasing his admiration for David Bowie, particularly echoing the guitar part from Bowie's "Be My Wife." The album's original version maintains a metronomic pace that captures suburban isolation themes. Curiously, the album was recorded in haste under covert circumstances, sneaking into the studio at night while The Jam were working on their album "All Mod Cons."

The performance clip for "10:15 Saturday Night" marked The Cure's debut music video. Directed by Piers Bedford, this video provided viewers with their initial glimpse of a relatively clean-cut Robert Smith, a stark contrast to the iconic and spooky style he later became known for.