Strange Attraction
1996 single by The Cure
title: "Strange Attraction" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["the-cure-songs", "1996-singles", "1996-songs", "songs-written-by-robert-smith-(musician)", "songs-written-by-jason-cooper", "songs-written-by-roger-o'donnell", "songs-written-by-simon-gallup", "songs-written-by-perry-bamonte", "elektra-records-singles"] description: "1996 single by The Cure" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strange_Attraction" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary 1996 single by The Cure ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Strange Attraction |
| cover | Strange Attraction (cover).jpg |
| type | single |
| artist | The Cure |
| album | Wild Mood Swings |
| released | 8 October 1996 |
| recorded | 1995 |
| genre | *Synth pop |
| length | 4:20 |
| label | Elektra |
| composer | Perry Bamonte, Simon Gallup, Robert Smith, and Jason Cooper |
| lyricist | Robert Smith |
| producer | Robert Smith |
| Steve Lyon | |
| prev_title | Mint Car |
| prev_year | 1996 |
| next_title | Gone! |
| next_year | 1996 |
| :: |
| name = Strange Attraction | cover = Strange Attraction (cover).jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = The Cure | album = Wild Mood Swings | released = 8 October 1996 | recorded = 1995 | studio = | venue = | genre = *Synth pop | length = 4:20 | label = Elektra | composer = Perry Bamonte, Simon Gallup, Robert Smith, and Jason Cooper | lyricist = Robert Smith | producer = Robert Smith Steve Lyon | prev_title = Mint Car | prev_year = 1996 | next_title = Gone! | next_year = 1996
"Strange Attraction" is the third single released by the English rock band the Cure on their tenth studio album Wild Mood Swings (1996). It was only release on Elektra Records as a single in the United States and Australia on 8 October 1996.
History
No music video was filmed to promote the single, believed to be because Robert Smith felt the last video for a single release exclusively in the US, "Fascination Street", was not what the band were aiming for. Because of that "Strange Attraction" remains the only The Cure single (not counting original mix of "Boys Don't Cry") without a music video. Every other single made by the band has received a music video.
Reception
Chris Gerard of Metro Weekly dismissed the song as "one of the band’s weaker attempts at a pop hit", Aidin Vaziri of Houston Chronical called it "light synthesizer pop"Trouser Press called the song "a disappointing romance with a letter-writing fan — stands out for sharing subtle and credible emotions in a most attractive setting."
Track listing
- "Strange Attraction [Adrian Sherwood Album Mix]"
- "The 13th" [Feels Good Mix]
- "This is a Lie" [Ambient Mix]
- "Gone!" [Critter Mix]
- "Strange Attraction" [Strange Mix]
Personnel
The Cure
- Robert Smith – vocals, guitar
- Simon Gallup – bass
- Perry Bamonte – keyboards
- Roger O'Donnell – keyboards
- Jason Cooper – drums
Technical
- Steve Lyon – production, engineering
- Robert Smith – production
- Adrian Maxwell Sherwood – mixing
- Ian Cooper – mastering
Charts
::data[format=table] | Chart (1996) | Peak position | |---|---| | Australia (ARIA) | 145 | ::
References
References
- Vaziri, Aidin. (5 May 1996). "The Cure Keeps Its Edge". [[Houston Chronicle]].
- "The Cure, "Strange Attraction", Master Release".
- Gerard, Chris. (2013-10-16). "The Cure's "Wild Mood Swings" revisited".
- Vaziri, Aidin. (5 May 1996). "The Cure Keeps Its Edge". [[Houston Chronicle]].
- "Cure".
- "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 12 September 2016". Imgur.com.
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::