''Japanese Whispers'' is the second

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

by English group

The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...

. It was released in late 1983 by

Fiction Records Fiction Records is a British record label founded by Chris Parry in 1978, owned by Universal Music Group and based in the United Kingdom. It is best known for being the home of the Cure for over 20 years. It was originally a part of Polydor, ...

. The title is a

pun A pun, also known as a paronomasia in the context of linguistics, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from t ...

on the children's game

Chinese whispers Telephone (American English and Canadian English), or Chinese whispers (some Commonwealth English), is an internationally popular children's game in which messages are whispered from person to person and then the original and final messages are ...

. It includes the singles " Let's Go to Bed", " The Walk" and " The Love Cats". The other tracks are the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

s of these singles, although "Mr. Pink Eyes" (the second B-side for "The Love Cats") was not included. The songs were recorded when the band was in a transitional phase after bassist

Simon Gallup Simon Johnathon Gallup (born 1 June 1960) is an English musician who is best known as bassist for The Cure, which he first joined in 1979 and for which he has played through most of the band's history. Gallup is the second-longest-serving member ...

left following a tour to promote the previous album, ''

Pornography Pornography (colloquially called porn or porno) is Sexual suggestiveness, sexually suggestive material, such as a picture, video, text, or audio, intended for sexual arousal. Made for consumption by adults, pornographic depictions have evolv ...

''. Beginning with these singles,

Lol Tolhurst Laurence Andrew Tolhurst (born 3 February 1959) is an English musician, songwriter, producer, and author. He was a founding member of the Cure, for which he first played drums before switching to keyboards. He stayed a member of the Cure until ...

switched from drums to keyboards, a role he kept until his departure in 1989. For the tracks from the "Let's Go to Bed" and "The Walk" singles, the Cure were a duo consisting of Tolhurst and Robert Smith, with the addition of session drummer

Steve Goulding Steve Goulding (born 1954) is an English drummer, who has played as a member of Graham Parker and the Rumour, the Associates, Poi Dog Pondering, the Waco Brothers, Sally Timms and the Drifting Cowgirls and the Mekons. He also played the dru ...

(a member of

Graham Parker Graham Thomas Parker (born 18 November 1950) is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the British band Graham Parker & the Rumour. Life and career Early career (1960s–1976) Parker was born in Hackney, East L ...

and

the Rumour The Rumour were an English prog rock new wave rock band active in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They are best known as the backup band for Graham Parker, whose early records (from 1976 to 1980) were credited to Graham Parker & the Rumour. ...

) for the tracks from "Let's Go to Bed". For "The Love Cats" single, a full band was assembled with the addition of bassist/producer

Phil Thornalley Phillip Carden Thornalley (born 5 January 1960) is an English songwriter, musician, and producer who has worked in the music industry since 1978. He produced the album ''Pornography'' by The Cure and was later their bass player. He began releas ...

, who had worked with the band on ''Pornography'', and drummer Andy Anderson, a lineup which would continue for the ''

Concert A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

'' live album. In 1986, the singles' lead tracks were included on the '' Standing on a Beach'' compilation album, while all of the B-sides were included on the 2004 B-sides and rarities

box set A boxed set or (its US name) box set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box, hence 'boxed', and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists ...

'' Join the Dots''. ''Japanese Whispers'' was the first Cure album to enter the ''Billboard'' 200 in the US, in early 1984.

Track listing

All tracks written by Robert Smith and Laurence Tolhurst except as noted. # " Let's Go to Bed" – 3:34 # "The Dream" (Smith) – 3:13 # "Just One Kiss" – 4:09 # "The Upstairs Room" – 3:31 # " The Walk" – 3:30 # "Speak My Language" – 2:41 # "Lament" (Smith) – 4:20 # " The Love Cats" (Smith) – 3:40

Personnel

* Robert Smith – vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass guitar *

– keyboards, drum machine,

vibraphone The vibraphone (also called the vibraharp) is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using Percussion mallet, mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone ...

(6, 8) *

– drums (1, 3) *

– double bass (6, 8) * Andy Anderson – drums (6, 8)

Charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1983 compilation albums The Cure compilation albums Albums produced by Steve Nye Fiction Records compilation albums Sire Records compilation albums