Hi you dear Charsimatic woman. I am one of those who have suggested this to you. In mid 80's this band was regarded for some critiscts to be a salvation and new era and beginning in rock music. This song was the first one I ever heard from them, and the next day I bought this 'Love' album and never regreted. They had in their presentation elements of the older Glam Rock era, but the sound is more like rock and with quite hard sounds and especially the tempo and the pace on this song. When this song starts to roll it has this animal drive on it. One of the only rock songs I have ever heard played at discoes and nightclubs...
By the way... when talking about some one's voice, could it be that the use of expression in your singing could give someting extra even when the range isn't that big. Because the feel and emotion on this song is thick as fog...
@@kenlowe-ca Yup, can confirm - This is where I came from, although I was a classic Rock before New Wave/Alternative. Saw them live in the late 80's and they were AWESOME!
Back in the day, if you found another person that also liked The Cult, your respect for that person's musical taste immediately bumped up a few notches. If you knew, you knew.
Lizzy seems to be lost for words and I understand : Ian is not a world singer and she reluctantly admits there's not a lot of range. Which is true IMO. In fact I've often seen Ian struggle with his voice on stage. I think the whole package makes up for the lack of range and in particular the guitar creates the atmosphere she can't quite put her finger on in this case.
@@slashertempo Two google searches would have helped you not make this mistake. As a matter of fact, go to The Cult's wikipedia page under the headline "Musical style" and you will see a quote where Astbury is comparing his band The Cult to U2 in 1985.
@@OUsniper1 I chose Twilight Zone over Radar Love, Free- All Right Now, Norman Greenbaum -Spirit In The Sky, The James Gang - Funk 49, The Spinners - The Rubberband Man, Most of AC/DC, Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gimme 3 Steps, BTO - Let It Ride toss in a couple from Queen, Ozzy and Led Zeppelin.
The Cult has always been criminally underrated... Ian Astburys voice is truly unique... I've had the pleasure of meeting him a few times... Cult fans LOVE to meet one and other cuz we all know how good it is.. This particular song sounds so good the louder you play it...
@@GardenDownSouthmy car the early 0’s. I found the best of cult lying on the road, somehow unscathed and this song became an anthem the moment I played it.
This entire album is packed with gems. "Hollowman", "Rain", "Revolution", "Nirvana"... this is their last effort in a more psychedelic overtone. After this album they veered heavily into hard rock. And though I like Love Removal Machine and such songs, to me they started to sound more generic.
THIS is a funking TUNE. Astbury's voice, lead, bass and the drums are ALL epic. It's just an epic tune, sooo right of its time. God love the 80's and all of us that became teens during them.
You hit the nail in the head with the "becoming a teen" thing. I've always said that being a teenager during the 80s was just Epic! I myself turned 13 in '81, graduated high school in '86, and turned 21 in '89. Doesn't get more "80s" that that!
The guitar work in this tune is absolutely badass and almost haunting. Love it, and huge thanks to Elizabeth for analyzing this song by The Cult. Now turn this up and rattle windows!
Yes it is... To get the sound ... you'd need a flanger, a phaser, and two digital delays I'd say set at about 400 and 800 - opposite so they kind of fight each other, a compressor? and sounds like hall reverb. I'm thinking for an amp head sounds like a Roland Jazz chorus plus maybe second signal sent to a tube amp for warmth? Into cabs with 12" Celestions. Seems the mic to the board is at edge of the cones the response is so clear yet slight dirty warm.
Also it's in D (home) but it's Mixolydian - so a minor 7th (flat 7). That's why the note phrasing and how the phrases are played tend to sound kind of mid-eastern.
Mine too 🥰 Always has been on my all time favourite list since I first heard it. Criminally underrated band - you listen to this awesome track, listen through the top tracks on Spotify and ... cry. Whatever happened to musical and songwriting talent like this mind blowing track? There are great bands out there - I ❤ Greta Van Fleet as Elizabeth does and a number of modern progressive rock bands like IQ, Jupiter Hollow, Andromida, Octavarium, The Mourning + rock folk bands like The Paper Kites and Thievery Corporation. None of these make the mainstream charts though,
Ian was born in England, but grew up in Hamilton Ontario Canada where he was exposed to Native culture, which he was rather obesessed with. That's where he got a lot of his musical inspiration and "dance moves". I think what really catapulted this song into iconic status is the balance between the lyrics, vocals, riff, instrumentals and percussion. The whole thing is balanced in a way that few songs ever are. Each element could be lifted as a whole out of this particular song and stand alone, strongly. Together they create and epic, unique sound.
It was actually his formative years that he spent here, less than 10 years. His mom was Canadian and they returned to England due to family illness, where he finished high school. The attraction to first nations had to do with his own roots. Extremely evident in Fire Woman.
@@Deetroiter Had the pleasure to see them live up close and personal in a 100 person venue once. Ian worked the crowd enough to make it sound like an arena :)
I was the bass player in a cover band some years ago, and this song was not only the band’s favourite but any audience we played to got on the floor and rocked out to it. Favourite from my college days, The Cult have been way too overlooked. Thanks Elizabeth.
The full (longer) version has an even more ethereal opening with him vocalizing a bunch before the song kicks in. He does it again during the middle. Recommend the full experience!
One of the best rock songs ever recorded. The shimmering production fits the guitar and vocals perfectly. This song filled plenty of dance floors back in the day. An alternative rock anthem.
Can we give some appreciation to the rhythem section for a minite. That bass line just DRIVES this song forward with the drums complimenting it. They set the stage for Ian and Billy to just soar.
This was always one of my absolute faves to play on bass in Rock Band 2 "This is great driving music" indeed, it was on the soundtrack to Gran Turismo 3 😁
One song from The Cult, I really think you'd appreciate is "Edie (Ciao Baby)." I know how you like strings and orchestra with rock and roll. That would be right up your alley. Also, checkout the story behind it. It is a really cool piece of work.
I remember many years ago when I was dating a girl named Edith. She normally went by Edie but I always called her Edith. Regardless, the song always reminds me of her. I introduced her to the song and she liked it, too, which is cool.
Saw these guys in Denver with Billy Idol just after they released Electric. 90% of the audience were there to see Idol, the ten percent of us who were there for the Cult were definitely loud enough to get their attention. After their set they came out and walked around the crowd shaking hands and saying hello to everyone. Truly a class act and I’m glad you featured them.
They played Liverpool University in 1982, they were called the Southern Death Cult then. They were the support for Bauhaus. A lot of people said they were better than Bauhaus, and Bauhaus were excellent
"Love" is their best album imo and one of the best albums of the 80s. Ian Astbury's (the lead singer) dad was in the Royal Air Force and for a period of time he got transferred to the USA. Ian was a kid and was really bullied at school because of his British accent. The only group that treat him well were the native American students. He developed a friendship with them, learned about their culture and since then he incorporated many elements of it in his music and style as a form of homage.
The whole album is like this. Psychedelic Goth-Rock Perfection. Never to be heard again because these guys changed their sound with EVERY record. BIG part of my teen years.
Check out their album “Electric Peace”. It was (some ) of the songs from Electric that had that trippy/goth sound of “Love”. Rick Rubin had them re-record all the songs to be more straight forward rock and how “Electric” was released as. The Manor Sessions albums also have a bunch of good tracks with various mixes of the songs.
Wow, this ages me! I actually saw all 3 iterations of this band. The Southern Death Cult, The Death Cult, and The Cult. I even saw Billy Duffy's (Guitarist) previous band, Theatre Of Hate!! Jeez, I'm old, lol.😂
Me to saw a lot when I was squating in Hackney all for a couple of quid at the most bumped into kirk a couple of weeks ago in Liverpool Street Station sat with his guitar had a great chat still looks the same such a great guy.
As a Native American kid inheriting his uncle's stereo and CD's after he ETS'd from the Air Force.... I will forever love The Cult. I was a kid born in '76 so I remember the 80's. Spiritwalker is my favorite song by The Cult🤘
Back in the day, late 70s to late 80s I loved the Brit music from bands like The Cult. The The, Adam Ant. Bill Bragg, and for a bit of goofy stuff Judge Dread...
Ian Astbury is a criminally underrated front man. He should be in any conversation of all time best lead singers. Also, this is the kind of music where you wish your volume went to 11.
Agreed! Unfortunately they just weren't as big over here as in England. I think they were just at the wrong time. They aren't Hair Metal which of course was huge here and they weren't Grunge/punk but somewhere in the middle and just kind of got lost in the shuffle in the U.S.
One of the absolute most underrated and under appreciated band of my generation. The Cult had a huge influence on so many musicians of that era. Really had crossover appeal to many genres. They are just splendid!
As an old guy who grew up on all this music, I have as much fun watching you discover it as I do with the analysis itself. This has been top of many of my playlists since I was young but I still learn more about the details as you break it down.
Back in the 80s, I DJ'd at a small club in Dallas that was a big SMU hangout and the place would go nuts when this came on. Such a great and unique sound.
I remember hearing "She sells sanctuary" on the radio in the 80's. Never got to hear what band it was, and forgot all about it. (This was after all pre-google, Shazaam and all them nifty things.) I just loved the energy! Then, about a year ago I stumbled over it while listening to an 80's playlist. Pure bliss!! 🥰
He's still playing it! What a sound! If you get a chance, listen to them playing this song for Howard Stern. It's on RUclips. Billy's Gretsch and Ian's voice are heavenly!
They drone the D note almost the entire time with a walking melody line on the G string. Very much like a lot of eastern music with drone notes. It gives it that exotic feel. This song is very fun to play - on bass, drums, and especially guitar!
I still remember a quote from Vernon Reid the guitar player from Living Color on The Cult. "They totally captured the stone and drag, the bombast, the power and glory of rock" I always thought that that was a great quote. I can't remember why I went in a room sometimes, but I remember that quote.
@@brianmiller1077 It's actually a form of mining where a heavy stone is repeatedly drug over a surface to wear it down. I think he was using it as a metaphor about the wear and tear of living the rock and roll life. I could be wrong :) What you said above makes a lot of sense as well. I found the video and CC showed stone and drag and it sounded like it as well.
This is one of those songs that brings me back to my Senior year of high school. I was listening to this album in early 1986. The music puts me right back in that space nearly 40 years later.
I made my DJ friend (many double shots may have been employed) play this in a pop/dance club. Explosive is a good word. Literally every woman was instantly on the dance floor and writhing like the thirst had showered on them. He stole my damn EP.
back in the analog Vinyl days when they actually mixed music by manually lining up the bpm and fading back and forth with two tracks as a teaser on what next is going to be played..Stark Club and other clubs in Shreveport La did this...
Hello Elizabeth. I've been a fan of your channel for quite a while, and I want to thank you. It is so wonderful to hear a vocal expert such as yourself understand and appreciate feeling more than strictly technical and physical vocal ability. Often, you bring up how an artist or vocalist creates an emotion or mood, and you understand that getting that across to an audience is more important than anything else in music. Because of this understanding, it is clear to me that you are a true artist yourself with a very open mind. You have the ability to see the artistry in every vocal style and / or music genre. Thank you for being so entertaining, joyfilled, and just a lover of the positive things in life. You truly are a treasure in the vast world of youtube.
The inexplicable 'magical mystical' feeling you're getting is the collab of Ian Astbury's voice and Billy Duffy's guitar riffs. The entire LOVE album is packed with mysticism, reminiscent of The Doors. Brother Wolf, Sister Moon & Black Angel (other than She Sells...) demostrate this vibe the most, imo. Thanks for digging into The Cult! LOVE is easily in my top 10 most liatened to albums. Cheers☮🖤🎶🎵
I mean she probaby is too young to have experienced the 80s so it's not that surprising she doesn't know all the good stuff from back then. I definitely love seeing her experience some of it 😊
I really appreciated your point about good singers not needing to have a big range. I just started singing karaoke a couple of years ago, right around the time I discovered your channel. I've always been self conscious of the fact that I DON'T have much of a vocal range so I stay in my lane and pick songs that are suited to my voice and just sing the hell out of them.
Someone here on YT once said: There is no Stereo on this Planet loud enough to play this song. Correct. When I listen to this Song the Neighbors do it too....
The Cult were so very different for their time they totally DEMANDED Respect ! I mean there was nothing like them back in the day ! I had to own anything and everything they put out ! Ian Asbury was MOST DEFINITELY one of the Absolute Underrated Singers of his time ! The Cult Kick All Ass on every stage they played !!! 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
It pleases me greatly to know there are so many other people who appreciate the greatness of this song, and this video in particular. It has everything. I never get tired of it. Great music, great vibe, great rhythm, great vocals. And possibly my fave all time riff! I had to good chance to see them warm up for Billy Idol back in the day. Was the 1st concert I saw with my now wife of 35 years. It's only drawback is it isn't LONGER!
I love that you have all the technical knowledge a musician could have but you understand that sometimes it's the emotional aspect of the song that matter's most!😊
Can't say that i particularly liked this song when it was first released but there is no song that drags me smiling back to the 80's than this. This is the very embodiment of the 80's and i absolutely love it
At that time we were pirate radios, which I actively worked on. Sometimes the radio got from record companies complete albums, but at New Year's every employee received an album, from The Cult, and this song is still my favorite rock song ever. I'm still active on radios and this song comes up regularly. Beautiful song with enormous drive. Thanks so much for analyzing this one, I knew you would like it. Also, another 12-string acoustic guitar, that rings brightly. Give it that extra oempf.
I’ve never tired of hearing this song. Loved it in the 80s and still celebrate when it is playing. Berlin was covering it last year on their tour and my goodness does Terri Nunn sing the hell out of it. ❤❤❤ and yes, that iconic guitar riff IS MAGICAL!
I always enjoy how Elizabeth is moved emotionally not just my the song/music, but how it is sang and constructed. To see her giggle over a certain phrase, pronunciation, beat, or note, is interesting. She is a true lover of music!
I saw the Cult, I saw you reviewing them. I clicked like. A lot of their songs had a kind of mystical, gypsy, hippy, Indian feel. It is difficult to describe. Analogue tones echoing through a canyon. I love it. A memorable moment for me listening to the cult was after a horrifying drought of 4 years, a huge storm rolled in and as the first giant drops fell to the ground, "Rain" was playing on the sound system. It was just a crazy coincidence that I will never forget and it was the moment the dead wasteland began returning to luscious beauty.
Thanks SO much for doing this one. Great to see someone fresh to it enjoy it so much in 2024 !😀 I first heard this when it came out, as a teenager in 1985. Loved it straight away. And you're right, there's something magical to it, that is so much more than the sum of its parts. It never, ever gets tired hearing it, just sets your mind ablaze with each listening. Superb, eternal song which reaches people, top notch stuff.
Lol... Dickinson is a trainspotter isn't he? I think Ian's had issues for a very long time sadly. Why they've had such a fractured band, yet strangely still going... Again.
I was a young thrash kid to the bone and my friend got me a ticket to see the cult and I was reborn that night..this song blew me away and still does to this day..long live the cult..
I'm glad you picked this song next! If you want to complete the Cult trilogy from this era, please check out the music video for "Love Removal Machine". You'll see the wild swings in their musical style and looks between She Sells Sanctuary and Fire Woman. And it's a great example of the big influence that each producer (Steve Brown, Rick Rubin, Bob Rock) had on the band's sound during this time.
This song is magic…this was part of a mix tape that my friends used to listen to. We called it “the Ritual” we used to sit in darkness and listen to the mix tape to start our weekend. It always put us in the correct state for a great time…so glad you found it magical as we did!
I remember the first time I heard this song!!! I was 17 and it took me to this place where I've never been before! The sound and his voice are magical!
When I listen to The Cult I just feel surrounded, or enveloped with in the music. Ian's Vocals pull you in, its like a trance almost. It is one of those bands that everything is so good and beautiful.
We had an issue with the end screen for this one, so those looking for the playlist, here you go! ruclips.net/p/PLmZdCa4JNg142oTProoWLsncpXvLF9L5-
Hey!! Please do “Northern lights” or “End of the line” by TNT! Tony Harnells voice is angelic!!
Hi you dear Charsimatic woman. I am one of those who have suggested this to you. In mid 80's this band was regarded for some critiscts to be a salvation and new era and beginning in rock music. This song was the first one I ever heard from them, and the next day I bought this 'Love' album and never regreted. They had in their presentation elements of the older Glam Rock era, but the sound is more like rock and with quite hard sounds and especially the tempo and the pace on this song. When this song starts to roll it has this animal drive on it. One of the only rock songs I have ever heard played at discoes and nightclubs...
By the way... when talking about some one's voice, could it be that the use of expression in your singing could give someting extra even when the range isn't that big. Because the feel and emotion on this song is thick as fog...
Like Curt Cobain probably wasn't the greatest male singer, but the frustration anger was very real in the way he expressed himself...
Fire Woman was better!
The Cult was a band that goths, rockers and even metal heads liked - they crossed genre boundaries. Fantastic band.
As a metal head, can confirm this is true.
Add New Wave Depeche Mode Cure New Order Talking Heads fans.
@@kenlowe-ca Yup, can confirm - This is where I came from, although I was a classic Rock before New Wave/Alternative. Saw them live in the late 80's and they were AWESOME!
"The Cult is a band that goths, rockers and even metal heads like - they cross genre boundaries. Fantastic band."
There - fixed that for you ;)
@@kenlowe-ca Yep, we were there too!
Back in the day, if you found another person that also liked The Cult, your respect for that person's musical taste immediately bumped up a few notches. If you knew, you knew.
Truth.
Good way to put it.
for real
magical rockers will always deliver the goods they rock it the right way hard and loud every time 😂
Absolutely
if they don't play She Sells Sanctuary at my funeral I'm not going
I'll go & let you know afterward.
Hahaha
Xx
Love that 😂😂
I agree ❤
When I listen to the Cult, so do my neighbors.
The houses on the corners do too, both corners.
It's nice that they listen to good music, it'd be upsetting otherwise 😏✌️
The Cult, Max Webster/Kim Mitchell and The Tragically Hip. If I'm rockin to those, so is the neighbourhood.
So do mine
😂
I'm tellin' ya man, "Sweet Soul Sister" by this band "ABSOLUTELY" rocks...
that's a total different style, totally agree. Good suggestion!
agreed bruv, i suggested this in the fire woman analysis vid a few weeks back
Rise could be a better choice from a vocal point of view. Yet Love Removal Machine beats SSS. ;)
That’s an understatement!
@@hadeseye2297 new school-ish cult, rise is great, 'Painted on my heart' is also another good choice =3
One of the best intros ever!!.....Loved it in 1985, still loving it 39yrs later.....
Same here 🙂
Hell yeah !! Graduated in 85’ and agree 💯 Still on the playlist.
Nearly 40 years later, this song still brings down the house live
Sure does. Saw them last year? Maybe the year before.
OMG its been 40 yrs! makes me feel ancient lol. This band needed to get so much more airplay in the day...incredible live band for sure!
Saw them in 1990 at the Fox theater in Atlanta. Their drummer for that tour went on to become the drummer for Guns and Roses, I think.
Always brought down "the pav" in my college days. The whole place pogoing ...
The sound of my youth!! Love Removal Machine is also epic
Exactly
That one is my favorite
The entire Electric album is 🔥
Always reminds me of elegant dresses, complicated eye makeup, and dancing in dark goth clubs in my teens. Good times!
Yes! I think I like Love Removal Machine even more than this one. Such a cool groove.
I'm a metal head and in college this dude asked me if I heard The Cult and told me I had to listen to this album. Been a fan ever since.
Ah well, if it passes the 'Metal Head test' it must be good. LOL!!!!!!
Singers and guitar players get the spotlight but what drives this song is the bass player and the drummer and they are hammering it
The Cult underutilized Jamie on bass for the Love album (and thereafter) sadly. Before Love, Jamie’s bass was more melodic and sound defining.
Stingray… always driving.
Right in that pocket
You nailed it!
Lizzy seems to be lost for words and I understand : Ian is not a world singer and she reluctantly admits there's not a lot of range. Which is true IMO. In fact I've often seen Ian struggle with his voice on stage. I think the whole package makes up for the lack of range and in particular the guitar creates the atmosphere she can't quite put her finger on in this case.
One of the greatest things ever recorded. She Sells Sanctuary is a masterpiece from start to finish.
Absolutely 💯
Indeed.
This!
Agreed. Too bad they didn't have it in them to repeat that success.
The 12 inch single is superb. Almost as great - Live at the Ritz version.
The Cult is like AC/DC and The Cure had a love child. They rocked. And their music is so emotionally transcendent.
with this song i think its bit U2 and Billy Idol .
Great tune
yes! Perfect. Especially in the next album - love removal machine. I also agree there is a big U2 influence on the guitar
@@brentsnavely424 This was way before U2 was any kind of a thing
@@slashertempo Two google searches would have helped you not make this mistake.
As a matter of fact, go to The Cult's wikipedia page under the headline "Musical style" and you will see a quote where Astbury is comparing his band The Cult to U2 in 1985.
@@WordAte neat.
This is just one of those songs, that you can enjoy/love without thinking about why.
It is the gift of MUSIC. It is one of my top 5 driving songs.
This one, and Radar Love by Golden Earring are a couple of my fav driving songs ...
Yep - it's a fairly simple song, but everything about it just works perfectly.
you can enjoy and love any song without thinking about why. you either feel it or you dont. people like to make music more complicated than it is.
Driving song, yes!
@@OUsniper1 I chose Twilight Zone over Radar Love, Free- All Right Now, Norman Greenbaum -Spirit In The Sky, The James Gang - Funk 49, The Spinners - The Rubberband Man, Most of AC/DC, Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gimme 3 Steps, BTO - Let It Ride toss in a couple from Queen, Ozzy and Led Zeppelin.
Even as a hardore metalhead, I've always loved the Cult. Such an electrifying band.
True. And "Electric" was even an alblum name ;)
I've seen them open for Metallica
Me too, in 1989 And Justice For All tour! I skipped graduation for the show and then shipped out to bootcamp a week later lol
Yes! Loved this from the 80s as a student. Only about the music and loved them 👍👍
Me too😊🤘
The Cult has always been criminally underrated... Ian Astburys voice is truly unique... I've had the pleasure of meeting him a few times... Cult fans LOVE to meet one and other cuz we all know how good it is.. This particular song sounds so good the louder you play it...
playing this on a great sound system as loud as possible, I feel the same way
@@GardenDownSouthmy car the early 0’s. I found the best of cult lying on the road, somehow unscathed and this song became an anthem the moment I played it.
This and 'Rain', absolute bangers!
Yep... I asked for RAIN a xouple weeks ago... the SHE SELLS... will do the trick big time !!
Rain is great but so are Fire Woman, Sweet Soul Sister, and of course Edie (Ciao Baby) is totally amazing
@@digitalbath263 And let's not forget Wildflower!
This entire album is packed with gems. "Hollowman", "Rain", "Revolution", "Nirvana"... this is their last effort in a more psychedelic overtone. After this album they veered heavily into hard rock. And though I like Love Removal Machine and such songs, to me they started to sound more generic.
@@FrozenCariocas you got it right. Dreamtime and Love are their absolute best !!
The Cult... no genre can contain them. They are their own, and their sound is ageless and timeless. Still sounds fresh
THIS is a funking TUNE. Astbury's voice, lead, bass and the drums are ALL epic. It's just an epic tune, sooo right of its time. God love the 80's and all of us that became teens during them.
You hit the nail in the head with the "becoming a teen" thing. I've always said that being a teenager during the 80s was just Epic! I myself turned 13 in '81, graduated high school in '86, and turned 21 in '89. Doesn't get more "80s" that that!
The guitar work in this tune is absolutely badass and almost haunting. Love it, and huge thanks to Elizabeth for analyzing this song by The Cult.
Now turn this up and rattle windows!
Billy Duffy baby!!
Yes it is...
To get the sound ... you'd need a flanger, a phaser, and two digital delays I'd say set at about 400 and 800 - opposite so they kind of fight each other, a compressor? and sounds like hall reverb. I'm thinking for an amp head sounds like a Roland Jazz chorus plus maybe second signal sent to a tube amp for warmth? Into cabs with 12" Celestions. Seems the mic to the board is at edge of the cones the response is so clear yet slight dirty warm.
Also it's in D (home) but it's Mixolydian - so a minor 7th (flat 7). That's why the note phrasing and how the phrases are played tend to sound kind of mid-eastern.
@@tommack9395What, no chorus?😅
@@flyballhdeg9775 Yep, just D C G over and over for the most part...
My favorite The Cult song, without question. I have never gotten tired of this, even when I occasionally put it on repeat.
sitting down lap full of stuff still dancing in my chair.
Agreed: been listening to these gents since I was 17.
Never gets old: repeat it always
Mine too 🥰 Always has been on my all time favourite list since I first heard it. Criminally underrated band - you listen to this awesome track, listen through the top tracks on Spotify and ... cry. Whatever happened to musical and songwriting talent like this mind blowing track? There are great bands out there - I ❤ Greta Van Fleet as Elizabeth does and a number of modern progressive rock bands like IQ, Jupiter Hollow, Andromida, Octavarium, The Mourning + rock folk bands like The Paper Kites and Thievery Corporation. None of these make the mainstream charts though,
Ian was born in England, but grew up in Hamilton Ontario Canada where he was exposed to Native culture, which he was rather obesessed with. That's where he got a lot of his musical inspiration and "dance moves".
I think what really catapulted this song into iconic status is the balance between the lyrics, vocals, riff, instrumentals and percussion. The whole thing is balanced in a way that few songs ever are. Each element could be lifted as a whole out of this particular song and stand alone, strongly. Together they create and epic, unique sound.
The producer, the late Steve Brown, deserves some credit here too.
That explains so much.
It was actually his formative years that he spent here, less than 10 years. His mom was Canadian and they returned to England due to family illness, where he finished high school. The attraction to first nations had to do with his own roots. Extremely evident in Fire Woman.
Ian Astbury is a prime example of a singer who knows his vocal range and how to use his voice fully within that range.
He’s definitely a fantastic front man. Not only his singing and unique voice, but he has the stage presence and actions to captivate the crowd.
@@Deetroiter Had the pleasure to see them live up close and personal in a 100 person venue once. Ian worked the crowd enough to make it sound like an arena :)
At the time Ian's voice was bringing some soul back into rock that had been missing for a while.
Absolutely. Just saw them again in October. Still amazing.
I was the bass player in a cover band some years ago, and this song was not only the band’s favourite but any audience we played to got on the floor and rocked out to it. Favourite from my college days, The Cult have been way too overlooked. Thanks Elizabeth.
The full (longer) version has an even more ethereal opening with him vocalizing a bunch before the song kicks in. He does it again during the middle. Recommend the full experience!
I love that version
Where can we find this magical, longer version??
Pretty please???
Just search for she sells sanctuary long version.
@@petercibulskis Extended Club mix.
The LIVE version, when they were the musical guest on Saturday Night Live!
Check it out.
One of the best rock songs ever recorded. The shimmering production fits the guitar and vocals perfectly. This song filled plenty of dance floors back in the day. An alternative rock anthem.
Hearing the mixed version of this song at NRG in Houston back in the late 80s was about as good as it got.
@@dseitsinger I was hearing it a lot in the goth-rock clubs in San Francisco.
The drum sound in this song is spectacular. The cleanest drums ever recorded.
I loved Big Pig for same reason!! Different genre entirely but that beat just came in 😮
Can we give some appreciation to the rhythem section for a minite.
That bass line just DRIVES this song forward with the drums complimenting it. They set the stage for Ian and Billy to just soar.
🎉❤ I love playing Cult tunes in the various bands I’m in or have been. Power…
Sometimes a simple bass line is exactly what the song needs.
This was always one of my absolute faves to play on bass in Rock Band 2
"This is great driving music" indeed, it was on the soundtrack to Gran Turismo 3 😁
his tone is killer, and he's locked in tight. great bass line.
One song from The Cult, I really think you'd appreciate is "Edie (Ciao Baby)." I know how you like strings and orchestra with rock and roll. That would be right up your alley. Also, checkout the story behind it. It is a really cool piece of work.
Great song and album.
This is the one I'm waiting for
I agree one hundred 💯
I remember many years ago when I was dating a girl named Edith. She normally went by Edie but I always called her Edith. Regardless, the song always reminds me of her. I introduced her to the song and she liked it, too, which is cool.
@@jimmyboy131 that's cool. My mom's name was Edith, and she went by Edie.
One of THE greatest songs…EVER!
Saw these guys in Denver with Billy Idol just after they released Electric. 90% of the audience were there to see Idol, the ten percent of us who were there for the Cult were definitely loud enough to get their attention. After their set they came out and walked around the crowd shaking hands and saying hello to everyone. Truly a class act and I’m glad you featured them.
I saw them twice on that tour. I went in as a Billy Idol and left as a Cult fan. The love affair has lasted 37 years and more than 30 shows
I saw that same show in Houston. We went for The Cult. 👊
I took my sister to that tour a.i.c.pavillion in Chicago she went for Idol and I was all about the cult..
They played Liverpool University in 1982, they were called the Southern Death Cult then. They were the support for Bauhaus. A lot of people said they were better than Bauhaus, and Bauhaus were excellent
"Love" is their best album imo and one of the best albums of the 80s.
Ian Astbury's (the lead singer) dad was in the Royal Air Force and for a period of time he got transferred to the USA. Ian was a kid and was really bullied at school because of his British accent. The only group that treat him well were the native American students. He developed a friendship with them, learned about their culture and since then he incorporated many elements of it in his music and style as a form of homage.
he emigrated to Canada at age 11
It was Canada, not the States
Canada
Wild Hearted son....
I stand corrected, it was Canada. Which is kinda cool, because I live in Vancouver. Thanks, everyone.
We must also pause to give credit to Ian for having the shiniest hair of the era. Great hair. ❤
The whole album is like this. Psychedelic Goth-Rock Perfection. Never to be heard again because these guys changed their sound with EVERY record. BIG part of my teen years.
Psychedelic Goth-Rock Perfection-YES
Check out their album “Electric Peace”. It was (some ) of the songs from Electric that had that trippy/goth sound of “Love”. Rick Rubin had them re-record all the songs to be more straight forward rock and how “Electric” was released as. The Manor Sessions albums also have a bunch of good tracks with various mixes of the songs.
That album and Floodland by Sisters of Mercy are an awesome one two punch.
@@steveclark5206 Very interesting. I do love ELECTRIC for what it is but i certainly would want to hear those songs.
I'm reminded of Echo and the Bunnymen. I could imagine Ian giving The Killing Moon a shot.
Wow, this ages me! I actually saw all 3 iterations of this band. The Southern Death Cult, The Death Cult, and The Cult. I even saw Billy Duffy's (Guitarist) previous band, Theatre Of Hate!! Jeez, I'm old, lol.😂
I saw them supporting Bauhaus when they were Southern Death Cult. It was a looong time ago....
Came here to say the same thing! The Southern Death Cult days were really special!
Y, me too!
Me to saw a lot when I was squating in Hackney all for a couple of quid at the most bumped into kirk a couple of weeks ago in Liverpool Street Station sat with his guitar had a great chat still looks the same such a great guy.
“I don’t know what makes that, I just know that it sounds awesome” - yep that’s the Cult
I only discovered The Cult a few months ago, but I listen to them everyday now. I’m obsessed.
Welcome to The Cult Club. Hehehe
never too late
when i was a kid i listened to them on the school bus. luckily the ride was like 30 minutes.
Never to late
You are the only reactor that can spend five minutes on the first 45 seconds of the song and we are all here for it!! Love The Cult!!!
She Sells Sanctuary became my favorite song the first time I heard it in 1985, and it's still my favorite song 40 years later.
One of my all time favourites. This’ll be a goodie.
As a Native American kid inheriting his uncle's stereo and CD's after he ETS'd from the Air Force.... I will forever love The Cult. I was a kid born in '76 so I remember the 80's. Spiritwalker is my favorite song by The Cult🤘
Very nice remembrance.
Horse Nation is another great one from that era.
Also born in '76, but in the UK. My first ever vinyl was The Cult (vinyl I bought, rather than my parents)
Th guitar intro effect is partly from delay
Back in the day, late 70s to late 80s I loved the Brit music from bands like The Cult. The The, Adam Ant. Bill Bragg, and for a bit of goofy stuff Judge Dread...
That opening guitar riff gets me every time. It's like 'psst, hey you, get ready for something amazing'...
Few songs can stand the test of time like this one…an all-time classic that never gets old/tired!
Ian Astbury is a criminally underrated front man. He should be in any conversation of all time best lead singers.
Also, this is the kind of music where you wish your volume went to 11.
And there are few guys as cool and Billy with his white Falcon.
The Cult are underrated full stop. Electric amd Sonic Temple are absolutely stellar hard rock albums
But mine does go to 11. It's one more!
@@trulyunoriginal Sonic Temple really is one of the great rock n roll albums
Agreed! Unfortunately they just weren't as big over here as in England. I think they were just at the wrong time. They aren't Hair Metal which of course was huge here and they weren't Grunge/punk but somewhere in the middle and just kind of got lost in the shuffle in the U.S.
This is one of the best productions ever put down , it still sounds incredible ,
One of the absolute most underrated and under appreciated band of my generation.
The Cult had a huge influence on so many musicians of that era. Really had crossover appeal to many genres.
They are just splendid!
As an old guy who grew up on all this music, I have as much fun watching you discover it as I do with the analysis itself. This has been top of many of my playlists since I was young but I still learn more about the details as you break it down.
I first heard them when I was in my early thirties and man, was immediately hooked!
Back in the 80s, I DJ'd at a small club in Dallas that was a big SMU hangout and the place would go nuts when this came on. Such a great and unique sound.
I remember hearing "She sells sanctuary" on the radio in the 80's. Never got to hear what band it was, and forgot all about it. (This was after all pre-google, Shazaam and all them nifty things.) I just loved the energy! Then, about a year ago I stumbled over it while listening to an 80's playlist. Pure bliss!! 🥰
Biily Duffy with his Gretsch White Falcon. An iconic rock image
He's been posting on Fridays....fan faves on his Gretsch🖤
Indeed it is! Although, I must admit that my mind goes to the dude from Bow Wow Wow in the I Want Candy video.
@@melrupinski88 Or Brian Setzer from The Stray Cats
and the JC 120 and regular everyday Boss pedals. greatness
You can never quite play this song loud enough!! It's simply awesome....
I appreciate your take on the Cult. Ian was ahead of his time vocally and lyrically. Thank God for the 80's🎉🎉🎉
This is a wonderful piece of work, the voice, atmosphere and the great band here is EVERYTHING. I love at 68 years old
I was in college during the 80's, and when this song came on, the dance floor always filled immediately.
It was still having that effect in the early 2000s goth/rock/metal clubs when I was in college.
"I'm sure in her you'll find a sanctuary. And the world turns around, and the world drags me down" Love those lines and this man's amazing pipes.
Billy Duffy + Gretsch White Falcon = PERFECTION
He's still playing it! What a sound! If you get a chance, listen to them playing this song for Howard Stern. It's on RUclips. Billy's Gretsch and Ian's voice are heavenly!
@@Scottie_Swhich they now make a signature edition in his honour
@@mradriankool Not surprised. I mean...listen to that thing. It's a beast!
Falcon Fridays!!!
Malcom Young and a gretsch white falcon could also be perfection or a gretsch firebird..
Sound + Visuals + Style = Elizabeth will luuuv it
Suggestion : The Cult "Rain"
They drone the D note almost the entire time with a walking melody line on the G string. Very much like a lot of eastern music with drone notes. It gives it that exotic feel. This song is very fun to play - on bass, drums, and especially guitar!
FINALLY!!! great song from a great band 👍 plus Ian has the moves
I think of Ian's look and moves as a combination of Pirate, Steven Tyler and Riverdance!
This song is almost pure vibe. You get all the way to the end before you realize nothing 'happens'. 😄
Love this song, but it’s easy to play. Brilliant writing.
Britain's most underrated band . They deserve more credit than they ever got
“Simultaneously ethereal and epic.”
EXACTLY!
I still remember a quote from Vernon Reid the guitar player from Living Color on The Cult. "They totally captured the stone and drag, the bombast, the power and glory of rock" I always thought that that was a great quote. I can't remember why I went in a room sometimes, but I remember that quote.
I would guess he said "Sturm and Drang", German for "Storm and Stress"
@@brianmiller1077 Huh? Maybe. I'll have to see if I can find the video where he says it. Interesting.
@@ogfail1867 It's a literary term. What does Stone and Drag mean?
@@brianmiller1077 It's actually a form of mining where a heavy stone is repeatedly drug over a surface to wear it down. I think he was using it as a metaphor about the wear and tear of living the rock and roll life. I could be wrong :)
What you said above makes a lot of sense as well. I found the video and CC showed stone and drag and it sounded like it as well.
Living Colour, there's a band i would like to here her break down. Maybe Solace of You, or Love Rears Up
Still gives me goosebumps.
This is one of those songs that brings me back to my Senior year of high school. I was listening to this album in early 1986. The music puts me right back in that space nearly 40 years later.
I did a video about Firewoman a few weeks back on Rumble talking about a high school dance in 87. Such a great memory.
I've heard DJs tell stories of playing this song.
They'd get the crowd to fever pitch, then play this and watch the place explode
I made my DJ friend (many double shots may have been employed) play this in a pop/dance club. Explosive is a good word. Literally every woman was instantly on the dance floor and writhing like the thirst had showered on them. He stole my damn EP.
Yup!!!
back in the analog Vinyl days when they actually mixed music by manually lining up the bpm and fading back and forth with two tracks as a teaser on what next is going to be played..Stark Club and other clubs in Shreveport La did this...
Hello Elizabeth. I've been a fan of your channel for quite a while, and I want to thank you. It is so wonderful to hear a vocal expert such as yourself understand and appreciate feeling more than strictly technical and physical vocal ability. Often, you bring up how an artist or vocalist creates an emotion or mood, and you understand that getting that across to an audience is more important than anything else in music. Because of this understanding, it is clear to me that you are a true artist yourself with a very open mind. You have the ability to see the artistry in every vocal style and / or music genre. Thank you for being so entertaining, joyfilled, and just a lover of the positive things in life. You truly are a treasure in the vast world of youtube.
The inexplicable 'magical mystical' feeling you're getting is the collab of Ian Astbury's voice and Billy Duffy's guitar riffs. The entire LOVE album is packed with mysticism, reminiscent of The Doors.
Brother Wolf, Sister Moon & Black Angel (other than She Sells...) demostrate this vibe the most, imo.
Thanks for digging into The Cult! LOVE is easily in my top 10 most liatened to albums.
Cheers☮🖤🎶🎵
I am always amazed at what Elizabeth HAS not heard.
IKR 😂
I thought the same thing for a bit, but She’s pretty young and from an opera/classical background.
I mean she probaby is too young to have experienced the 80s so it's not that surprising she doesn't know all the good stuff from back then. I definitely love seeing her experience some of it 😊
...especially since her boyfriend is a metal head.
@@normansawatzky4778 Her husband, but yeah... Kurt seems so cool! 🤘
I really appreciated your point about good singers not needing to have a big range. I just started singing karaoke a couple of years ago, right around the time I discovered your channel. I've always been self conscious of the fact that I DON'T have much of a vocal range so I stay in my lane and pick songs that are suited to my voice and just sing the hell out of them.
Someone here on YT once said: There is no Stereo on this Planet loud enough to play this song. Correct. When I listen to this Song the Neighbors do it too....
One of my favourite rock songs of all time!
Glad she covered this.
I'm SO happy you indulged us, breaking down one of my all time favorites!
The Cult were so very different for their time they totally DEMANDED Respect ! I mean there was nothing like them back in the day ! I had to own anything and everything they put out ! Ian Asbury was MOST DEFINITELY one of the Absolute Underrated Singers of his time ! The Cult Kick All Ass on every stage they played !!! 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
One of those songs that I crank up no matter what volume I'm at.
It pleases me greatly to know there are so many other people who appreciate the greatness of this song, and this video in particular. It has everything. I never get tired of it. Great music, great vibe, great rhythm, great vocals. And possibly my fave all time riff! I had to good chance to see them warm up for Billy Idol back in the day. Was the 1st concert I saw with my now wife of 35 years. It's only drawback is it isn't LONGER!
This song in the car, volume up, windows down...can’t go wrong.. 😎😍
I love that you have all the technical knowledge a musician could have but you understand that sometimes it's the emotional aspect of the song that matter's most!😊
Can't say that i particularly liked this song when it was first released but there is no song that drags me smiling back to the 80's than this. This is the very embodiment of the 80's and i absolutely love it
The Cult is one of those early post-punk bands that seemed to transcend genres. They're just so GOOD at what they did.
At that time we were pirate radios, which I actively worked on. Sometimes the radio got from record companies complete albums, but at New Year's every employee received an album, from The Cult, and this song is still my favorite rock song ever. I'm still active on radios and this song comes up regularly. Beautiful song with enormous drive. Thanks so much for analyzing this one, I knew you would like it. Also, another 12-string acoustic guitar, that rings brightly. Give it that extra oempf.
I’ve never tired of hearing this song. Loved it in the 80s and still celebrate when it is playing. Berlin was covering it last year on their tour and my goodness does Terri Nunn sing the hell out of it. ❤❤❤ and yes, that iconic guitar riff IS MAGICAL!
"Edie (Caio Baby)" should be your next Cult track!
Your reactions and insights are pure gold, thank you.
I always enjoy how Elizabeth is moved emotionally not just my the song/music, but how it is sang and constructed.
To see her giggle over a certain phrase, pronunciation, beat, or note, is interesting.
She is a true lover of music!
Quite possibly my fav song of all time, never gets old.
I saw the Cult, I saw you reviewing them. I clicked like.
A lot of their songs had a kind of mystical, gypsy, hippy, Indian feel. It is difficult to describe. Analogue tones echoing through a canyon. I love it.
A memorable moment for me listening to the cult was after a horrifying drought of 4 years, a huge storm rolled in and as the first giant drops fell to the ground, "Rain" was playing on the sound system. It was just a crazy coincidence that I will never forget and it was the moment the dead wasteland began returning to luscious beauty.
Thanks SO much for doing this one. Great to see someone fresh to it enjoy it so much in 2024 !😀
I first heard this when it came out, as a teenager in 1985. Loved it straight away.
And you're right, there's something magical to it, that is so much more than the sum of its parts.
It never, ever gets tired hearing it, just sets your mind ablaze with each listening. Superb, eternal song which reaches people, top notch stuff.
I love this song. Lots of energy. I first heard this in the early 90s on adverts for football here in the UK. Just gets stuck in your head
I absolutely LOVE this song, I'm glad you covered it!!
Also, GOD, do i miss the 80s and 90s.
I met Ian Astbury and Bruce Dickinson on the same night in 1997 in Detroit. Bruce was the nicest guy imaginable. Ian was...out there.
Lol... Dickinson is a trainspotter isn't he?
I think Ian's had issues for a very long time sadly. Why they've had such a fractured band, yet strangely still going... Again.
I was a young thrash kid to the bone and my friend got me a ticket to see the cult and I was reborn that night..this song blew me away and still does to this day..long live the cult..
Delay and Chorus + Reverb on the semi acoustic guitar in the intro give that ethereal sound. ❤
BD uses a Flanger as well.
@@albumgatefold Rotary speaker.
I'm glad you picked this song next! If you want to complete the Cult trilogy from this era, please check out the music video for "Love Removal Machine".
You'll see the wild swings in their musical style and looks between She Sells Sanctuary and Fire Woman. And it's a great example of the big influence that each producer (Steve Brown, Rick Rubin, Bob Rock) had on the band's sound during this time.
This song is magic…this was part of a mix tape that my friends used to listen to. We called it “the Ritual” we used to sit in darkness and listen to the mix tape to start our weekend. It always put us in the correct state for a great time…so glad you found it magical as we did!
I reckon that, collectively, I've easily spent at least three complete weeks of my life dancing to this song.
100% It's absolutely incredible.
Oh hell yeah! Great song to wrap up the week with! 🤘
I remember the first time I heard this song!!! I was 17 and it took me to this place where I've never been before! The sound and his voice are magical!
When I listen to The Cult I just feel surrounded, or enveloped with in the music. Ian's Vocals pull you in, its like a trance almost. It is one of those bands that everything is so good and beautiful.