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Sonic Temple 30th Anniversary
ReleaseProduct
Sonic Temple 30th Anniversary
Artist
The Cult
Label
Beggars Banquet
Catalogue Number
BBQ2151DAX2
Release Date
April 10, 1989

2019 marks the 30th anniversary of The Cult’s seminal album SONIC TEMPLE. To celebrate the anniversary, Beggars Arkive will release THE CULT: SONIC TEMPLE 30 on September 13th. It will be released as a deluxe box set and a 5-CD set, and we are also reissuing Sonic Temple on Double LP, which has been out of print for over 20 years. The sets both contain limited-release demos in addition to previously unreleased tracks.

Originally released in 1989, Sonic Temple proved to be a pivotal moment for both band and the wider rock scene. Produced by the legendary Bob Rock, Sonic Temple had four chart-topping singles; “Fire Woman”, “Edie (Ciao Baby)”, “Sun King” and “Sweet Soul Sister”.

In a recent interview about the album, Ian Astbury explained how the band brought together hard rock and indie rock to create the unique, game-changing sounds on Sonic Temple. "We wanted to retain our core DNA as we went deeper into psych and hard rock influences. It was a complete immersion for me into art, film, music, poetry and literature, weaving those influences into what was to become Sonic Temple. The band was becoming more popular. We were in uncharted waters. Most of the bands we had come up with had split up or fallen off. We were accelerating. There was no real time to breathe. We were forming new allegiances and breaking the glass ceiling of ‘the indie outsider.’”

The album catapulted The Cult into superstar status and remains their most commercially successful release. It has sold over 1.5 million copies in the US alone, and was declared platinum in 1990. It made it to #10 on the Billboard charts, and the aforementioned songs all remain rock-radio staples to this day.

The BOX SET contains three pieces of blue vinyl and a cassette plus tour memorabilia and ephemera (replica of original laminate, backstage pass, original press releases, label copy and more). It’s numbered and limited to 3500 pieces worldwide and contains 40 tracks, four of which are previously unreleased. LP1+2 contain the album as originally released. LP3 contains Live At Wembley recorded by the BBC, and the included cassette contains limited-release demos. Four of the live tracks are previously unreleased.

The FIVE-CD SET contains 53 tracks (including 6 previously unreleased) with the original album on disc 1, alternate edits, mixes, extended versions and acoustic versions on disc 2, limited-release demos on discs 3 & 4 and Live at Wembley recorded by the BBC on disc 5. Six of the live tracks are previously unreleased. It is beautifully packaged in book form with rare photographs and interviews with the band by esteemed UK journalist James Brown.

Digital Tracklist

Disc 1

  1. 1 Sun King 6:09 Buy

    Sun King

  2. 2 Fire Woman 5:07 Buy

    Fire Woman

  3. 3 American Horse 5:19 Buy

    American Horse

  4. 4 Edie (Ciao Baby) 4:46 Buy

    Edie (Ciao Baby)

  5. 5 Sweet Soul Sister 5:08 Buy

    Sweet Soul Sister

  6. 6 Soul Asylum 7:26 Buy

    Soul Asylum

  7. 7 New York City 4:41 Buy

    New York City

  8. 8 Automatic Blues 3:51 Buy

    Automatic Blues

  9. 9 Soldier Blue 4:36 Buy

    Soldier Blue

  10. 10 Wake Up Time for Freedom 5:17 Buy

    Wake Up Time for Freedom

Disc 2

  1. 1 Sonic Temple Radio Promo 0:33 Buy

    Sonic Temple Radio Promo

  2. 2 Fire Woman (Edit) 4:01 Buy

    Fire Woman (Edit)

  3. 3 Messin' Up the Blues 5:17 Buy

    Messin' Up the Blues

  4. 4 Medicine Train 4:40 Buy

    Medicine Train

  5. 5 Fire Woman (NYC Rock Mix) 7:22 Buy

    Fire Woman (NYC Rock Mix)

  6. 6 Edie (Ciao Baby) (Edit) 4:02 Buy

    Edie (Ciao Baby) (Edit)

  7. 7 Bleeding Heart Graffiti 5:00 Buy

    Bleeding Heart Graffiti

  8. 8 Sun King (Edit) 4:01 Buy

    Sun King (Edit)

  9. 9 Sweet Soul Sister (Edit) 3:29 Buy

    Sweet Soul Sister (Edit)

  10. 10 The River 6:50 Buy

    The River

Disc 3

  1. 1 Medicine Train (Demo) 4:20 Buy

    Medicine Train (Demo)

  2. 2 New York City (Demo) 5:19 Buy

    New York City (Demo)

  3. 3 American Horse (Demo) 5:09 Buy

    American Horse (Demo)

  4. 4 Sun King (Demo) 5:33 Buy

    Sun King (Demo)

  5. 5 Automatic Blues (Demo) 4:53 Buy

    Automatic Blues (Demo)

  6. 6 Yes Man (Demo) 5:08 Buy

    Yes Man (Demo)

  7. 7 Fire (Demo) 6:04 Buy

    Fire (Demo)

  8. 8 Wake Up Time for Freedom (Demo) 4:58 Buy

    Wake Up Time for Freedom (Demo)

  9. 9 Citadel (Demo) 4:16 Buy

    Citadel (Demo)

  10. 10 The River (Demo) 6:52 Buy

    The River (Demo)

Disc 4

  1. 1 The Crystal Ocean (Demo) 5:10 Buy

    The Crystal Ocean (Demo)

  2. 2 Cashmere (Demo) 6:51 Buy

    Cashmere (Demo)

  3. 3 Edie (Ciao Baby) (Demo) 5:41 Buy

    Edie (Ciao Baby) (Demo)

  4. 4 Bleeding Heart Revival 5:17 Buy

    Bleeding Heart Revival

  5. 5 My Love (Demo) 3:59 Buy

    My Love (Demo)

  6. 6 Star Child (Demo) 3:39 Buy

    Star Child (Demo)

  7. 7 Medicine Train (Rock Demo) 4:33 Buy

    Medicine Train (Rock Demo)

  8. 8 New York City (Rock Demo) 5:00 Buy

    New York City (Rock Demo)

  9. 9 Fire (Woman) (Rock Demo) 5:13 Buy

    Fire (Woman) (Rock Demo)

  10. 10 Spanish Gold (Jam Demo) 5:52 Buy

    Spanish Gold (Jam Demo)

Disc 5

  1. 1 New York City (Live at Wembley 1989) 5:33 Buy

    New York City (Live at Wembley 1989)

  2. 2 Automatic Blues (Live at Wembley 1989) 3:59 Buy

    Automatic Blues (Live at Wembley 1989)

  3. 3 American Horse (Live at Wembley 1989) 7:19 Buy

    American Horse (Live at Wembley 1989)

  4. 4 Sun King (Live at Wembley 1989) 8:17 Buy

    Sun King (Live at Wembley 1989)

  5. 5 Soul Asylum (Live at Wembley 1989) 7:30 Buy

    Soul Asylum (Live at Wembley 1989)

  6. 6 Rain (Live at Wembley 1989) 4:47 Buy

    Rain (Live at Wembley 1989)

  7. 7 Sweet Soul Sister (Live at Wembley 1989) 5:42 Buy

    Sweet Soul Sister (Live at Wembley 1989)

  8. 8 She Sells Sanctuary (Live at Wembley 1989) 5:15 Buy

    She Sells Sanctuary (Live at Wembley 1989)

  9. 9 Fire Woman (Live at Wembley 1989) 8:21 Buy

    Fire Woman (Live at Wembley 1989)

Show All Tracks 53

The Cult

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