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A Quietus Interview

A Long Term Effect: Tim Pope On Four Decades Of Work With The Cure
Ned Raggett , July 8th, 2019 06:47

Our man in San Francisco Ned Raggett chats with Pope about his forthcoming Cure concert film Anniversary as well as more unusual anecdotes about his many music videos for them than you can shake a stick at. Or is that a sock?

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'Wrong Number'

"[Reeves Gabrels] didn't even tell me [this song was a cowrite between him and Smith] when we shot the video. I didn't know that until years later, actually. I told him, 'Shit, Reeves, I love that song.' In a way, by that point, I think people were less interested in what we were doing. You have to understand, I had pissed off to Hollywood and had a horrendous experience with a certain Mr. Weinstein making a movie I wasn't too pleased about. So I'd been away for a few years and then they invited me back to do this video, and I remember the band all saying, 'Thank God you're back.' It was great fun too. My favourite memory of this is to do with the longer version. There was an actor I cast as this weird guy that has heads all over his jacket. He looked a bit like Laurence Olivier on LSD. I had all this ash and dust in the studio, and I pushed Robert in to start dancing with this guy, and the look of terror on Robert's face just makes me laugh every time. I turned the music up loud and just screamed at Robert, 'Get in! Get in!' And he did it, bless him. But watch the video knowing that story; it is hilarious."