A Letter to Elise

Single infobox
Name = A Letter to Elise


Artist = The Cure
from Album = Wish
Released = October, 1992
Format = 7", 12"
Recorded =
Genre = Rock
Length = 4:34
Label = Fiction Records
Producer = Robert Smith
David Allen
Reviews =
Last single = "Friday I'm in Love"
(1992)
This single = "A Letter to Elise"
(1992)
Next single = "Lost Wishes"
(1993)

A Letter to Elise is the third and final single taken from the album "Wish" from The Cure in 1992.

The b-side The Big Hand was planned as an A-Side single early in 1993 but the idea was scrapped, largely due to Boris Williams not wanting it to appear on the album but having no qualms about it appearing as a B-side (from KROQ radio interview with the band in 1992). "The Big Hand" is one of the few B-Sides to be played live, although very rarely. It was first played in 1991, performed a few times during the Wish Tour in 1992, then revived at a festival in 2007, and popped up, though rarely, during the band's 2007-2008 World Tour.

"A Letter to Elise" itself was revived by the band's new Smith/Gallup/Thompson/Cooper lineup in 2005 after being played sparingly, if ever, during the Smith/Gallup/Bamonte/Cooper/O'Donnell era. Like "The Big Hand", it was not played very often, and was usually a pleasant surprise to fans when it popped up in setlists.

Track listing

7" Single
#A Letter to Elise
#The Big Hand12" Single
#A Letter to Elise
#A Letter to Elise (Blue Mix)
#The Big Hand
#A Foolish Arrangement

A Promo features yet another longer unreleased mix, with phaser on Robert Smith's voice. An instrumental version on Cassette is also known to exist.

Personnel

*Robert Smith - bass, guitar, keyboard, vocals, 6 string bass
*Perry Bamonte - 6 string bass, guitar, keyboard
*Simon Gallup - bass, keyboard
*Porl Thompson - guitar
*Boris Williams - percussion, drums

Chart performances

* 2 US Modern Rock
* 28 UK

Covers

*Aaron Sprinkle covered this song on his Really Something EP.
*blink-182 covered this song for the "MTV Icon" show for The Cure.