# Japanese Whispers

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1983 compilation album by The Cure

Japanese Whispers Compilation album by The Cure Released 16 December 1983[1] Recorded November 1982 – April 1983 Genre New wave gothic rock pop post-punk Length 28:27 Label Fiction (UK) Sire (US) Producer Chris Parry Steve Nye Robert Smith Phil Thornalley The Cure chronology Pornography (1982) Japanese Whispers (1983) The Top (1984)

Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating AllMusic [2] The Rolling Stone Album Guide [3]

***Japanese Whispers*** is the second [compilation album](/source/Compilation_album) by the English group [The Cure](/source/The_Cure). It was released in late 1983 by [Fiction Records](/source/Fiction_Records). The title is a play on the children's game [Chinese whispers](/source/Chinese_whispers).

It includes the singles "[Let's Go to Bed](/source/Let's_Go_to_Bed_(The_Cure_song))", "[The Walk](/source/The_Walk_(The_Cure_song))" and "[The Love Cats](/source/The_Love_Cats_(song))". The other tracks are the [B-sides](/source/A-side_and_B-side) 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](/source/Simon_Gallup) left following a tour to promote the previous album, *[Pornography](/source/Pornography_(album))*. Beginning with these singles, [Lol Tolhurst](/source/Lol_Tolhurst) 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](/source/Robert_Smith_(musician)), with the addition of session drummer [Steve Goulding](/source/Steve_Goulding) (a member of [Graham Parker](/source/Graham_Parker) and [the Rumour](/source/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](/source/Phil_Thornalley), who had worked with the band on *Pornography*, and drummer [Andy Anderson](/source/Andy_Anderson_(drummer)), a lineup which would continue for the *[Concert](/source/Concert_(album))* live album.

In 1986, the singles' lead tracks were included on the *[Standing on a Beach](/source/Standing_on_a_Beach)* compilation album, while all of the B-sides were included on the 2004 B-sides and rarities [box set](/source/Box_set) *[Join the Dots](/source/Join_the_Dots%3A_B-Sides_and_Rarities%2C_1978%E2%80%932001_(The_Fiction_Years))*.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

*Japanese Whispers* was the first Cure album to enter the [*Billboard* 200](/source/Billboard_200) in the US, in early 1984.

## Track listing

All tracks written by Robert Smith and Laurence Tolhurst except as noted.

1. "[Let's Go to Bed](/source/Let's_Go_to_Bed_(The_Cure_song))" – 3:34

1. "The Dream" (Smith) – 3:13

1. "Just One Kiss" – 4:09

1. "The Upstairs Room" – 3:31

1. "[The Walk](/source/The_Walk_(The_Cure_song))" – 3:30

1. "Speak My Language" – 2:41

1. "Lament" (Smith) – 4:20

1. "[The Love Cats](/source/The_Love_Cats_(song))" (Smith) – 3:40

## Personnel

- [Robert Smith](/source/Robert_Smith_(musician)) – vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass guitar

- [Lol Tolhurst](/source/Lol_Tolhurst) – keyboards, drum machine, [vibraphone](/source/Vibraphone) (6, 8)

- [Steve Goulding](/source/Steve_Goulding) – drums (1, 3)

- [Phil Thornalley](/source/Phil_Thornalley) – double bass (6, 8)

- [Andy Anderson](/source/Andy_Anderson_(musician)) – drums (6, 8)

## Charts

Chart performance for Japanese Whispers Chart (1984) Peak position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[4] 18 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[5] 46 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[6] 8 UK Albums (OCC)[7] 26 US Billboard 200[8] 181

## Certifications

Certifications for Japanese Whispers Region Certification Certified units/sales United Kingdom (BPI)[9] Silver 60,000^ ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["News"](https://www.flickr.com/photos/57779449@N02/46776070101/in/album-72157677820522278/). *[Record Mirror](/source/Record_Mirror)*: 9. 10 December 1983. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via flickr.com.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** True, Chris. ["Japanese Whispers – The Cure"](https://www.allmusic.com/album/r4922). [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["The Cure"](https://www.rollingstone.com/t/the-cure/). *Rolling Stone*. Retrieved 16 December 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Kent, David](/source/David_Kent_(historian)) (1993). *Australian Chart Book 1970–1992: 23 years of hit singles & albums from the top 100 charts*. St Ives, N.S.W, Australia: Australian Chart Book. p. 79. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-646-11917-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-646-11917-6).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ac_Germany_The_Cure_5-0)** "[Offiziellecharts.de – The Cure – Japanese Whispers: The Cure Singles Nov 82 : Nov 83](https://www.offiziellecharts.de/album-details-7468)" (in German). [GfK Entertainment charts](/source/GfK_Entertainment_charts). Retrieved 3 July 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ac_New_Zealand_The_Cure_6-0)** "[Charts.nz – The Cure – Japanese Whispers: The Cure Singles Nov 82 : Nov 83](https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Cure&titel=Japanese+Whispers:+The+Cure+Singles+Nov+82+:+Nov+83&cat=a)". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ac_UK2_7-0)** "[Official Albums Chart on 15/1/1984 – Top 100](https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/albums-chart/19840115/7502/)". [Official Charts Company](/source/Official_Charts_Company). Retrieved 3 July 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ac_Billboard200_The_Cure_8-0)** "[The Cure Chart History (*Billboard* 200)](https://www.billboard.com/artist/The-Cure/chart-history/TLP)". *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. Retrieved 3 July 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-United_KingdomThe_CureJapanese_WispersalbumCertRef_9-0)** ["British album certifications – The Cure – Japanese Wispers"](https://www.bpi.co.uk/page/certified-awards). [British Phonographic Industry](/source/British_Phonographic_Industry). *Select*albums*in the Formats field.* *Type*Japanese Wispers The Cure*in the "Search:" field.*

v t e The Cure Robert Smith Simon Gallup Roger O'Donnell Jason Cooper Reeves Gabrels Andy Anderson Perry Bamonte Michael Dempsey Matthieu Hartley Pearl Thompson Phil Thornalley Lol Tolhurst Boris Williams Studio albums Three Imaginary Boys Seventeen Seconds Faith Pornography The Top The Head on the Door Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me Disintegration Wish Wild Mood Swings Bloodflowers The Cure 4:13 Dream Songs of a Lost World Live albums Concert: The Cure Live Entreat Show Paris Bestival Live 2011 Compilations Boys Don't Cry Japanese Whispers Standing on a Beach/Staring at the Sea Galore Greatest Hits Join the Dots Remix albums Mixed Up Torn Down Mixes of a Lost World Extended plays The Peel Sessions Festival 2005 Hypnagogic States EP Video releases The Cure in Orange Trilogy Festival 2005 Tours The Cure: 'Reflections' Shows of a Lost World Related articles Discography Songs Band members Perfect as Cats: A Tribute to the Cure Babacar COGASM Fools Dance The Glove Levinhurst The Magazine Spies Presence Shelleyan Orphan Siouxsie and the Banshees Nocturne Hyæna Category

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Japanese Whispers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Whispers) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Whispers?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.