The Cure | “Standing on a Beach” Singles Collection

One of the best post-punk compilations in existence has to be The Cure’s Standing on a Beach singles collection—especially the cassette edition which includes all the B-sides.

Standing on a Beach was released on May 6th, 1986, and has a tracklisting that spans the band’s career from 1978 to 1985, taking its title from the band’s first single “Killing An Arab”.

Watch all the promotional videos below:

What is your favorite single and/or b-side?

Track listing

Vinyl edition

Side A

• “Killing an Arab” (Robert Smith, Lol Tolhurst, Michael Dempsey) – 2:22
• “Boys Don’t Cry” (Dempsey, Smith, Tolhurst) – 2:35
• “Jumping Someone Else’s Train” (Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey) – 2:54
• “A Forest” (Smith, Tolhurst, Simon Gallup, Matthieu Hartley) – 4:53
• “Primary” (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 3:33
• “Charlotte Sometimes” (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 4:13
• “The Hanging Garden” (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 4:21

Side B

• “Let’s Go to Bed” (Smith, Tolhurst) – 3:33
• “The Walk” (Smith, Tolhurst) – 3:28
• “The Love Cats” (Smith) – 3:38
• “The Caterpillar” (Smith, Tolhurst) – 3:38
• “In Between Days” (Smith) – 2:56
• “Close to Me” (Smith) – 3:39

CD edition/Video

1. “Killing an Arab” (Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey) – 2:22
2. “10:15 Saturday Night” (Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey) – 3:37 (from Three Imaginary Boys, 1979)
3. “Boys Don’t Cry” (Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey) – 2:35
4. “Jumping Someone Else’s Train” (Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey) – 2:57
5. “A Forest” (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup, Hartley) – 4:53
6. “Play for Today” (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup, Hartley) – 3:42 (from Seventeen Seconds, 1980)
7. “Primary” (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 3:33
8. “Other Voices” (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 4:26 (from Faith, 1981)
9. “Charlotte Sometimes” (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 4:13
10. “The Hanging Garden” (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 4:21
11. “Let’s Go to Bed” (Smith, Tolhurst) – 3:33
12. “The Walk” (Smith, Tolhurst) – 3:28
13. “The Love Cats” (Smith) – 3:38
14. “The Caterpillar” (Smith, Tolhurst) – 3:38
15. “In Between Days” (Smith) – 2:56
16. “Close to Me” (Smith) – 3:39
17. “A Night Like This” (Smith) – 4:11 (from The Head on the Door, 1985)

Cassette edition

Side one – The singles

1. “Killing an Arab” (Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey) – 2:22
2. “Boys Don’t Cry” (Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey) – 2:35
3. “Jumping Someone Else’s Train” (Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey) – 2:54
4. “A Forest” (Smith) – 4:53
5. “Primary” (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 3:33
6. “Charlotte Sometimes” (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 4:13
7. “The Hanging Garden” (Smith, Tolhurst, Gallup) – 4:21
8. “Let’s Go to Bed” (Smith, Tolhurst) – 3:33
9. “The Walk” (Smith, Tolhurst) – 3:28
10. “The Lovecats” (Smith) – 3:38
11. “The Caterpillar” (Smith, Tolhurst) – 3:38
12. “In Between Days” (Smith) – 2:56
13. “Close to Me” (Smith) – 3:39

Side two – The b-sides

1. “I’m Cold” (Smith, Tolhurst, Dempsey) – 2:47 (from “Jumping Someone Else’s Train”)
2. “Another Journey By Train” (Smith, Gallup, Tolhurst, Hartley) – 3:04 (from “A Forest”)
3. “Descent” (Smith, Gallup, Tolhurst) – 3:07 (from “Primary”)
4. “Splintered in Her Head” (Smith, Gallup, Tolhurst) – 5:16 (from “Charlotte Sometimes”)
5. “Mr Pink Eyes” (Smith, Tolhurst) – 2:42 (from “The Love Cats”)
6. “Happy the Man” (Smith) – 2:45 (from “The Caterpillar”)
7. “Throw Your Foot” (Smith) – 3:33 (from “The Caterpillar”)
8. “The Exploding Boy” (Smith) – 2:52 (from “In Between Days”)
9. “A Few Hours After This” (Smith) – 2:26 (from “In Between Days”)
10. “A Man Inside My Mouth” (Smith) – 3:05 (from “Close to Me”/”Half an Octopuss”)
11. “Stop Dead” (Smith) – 4:02 (from “In Between Days”/”Close to Me”/”Half an Octopuss”)
12. “New Day” (Smith, Tolhurst) – 4:08 (from “Half an Octopuss”)