THE CULT TO RELEASE “SONIC TEMPLE 30” ON SEPTEMBER 13TH

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, plus the label will reissue 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. (Full details and track listings are below.) Preorders are available here.

Originally released in 1989, Sonic Temple proved to be a pivotal moment for both the 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, vocalist 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,” he said. “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 U.S. alone and was certified platinum in 1990. It made it to No. 10 on the Billboard charts, and the aforementioned songs all remain rock-radio staples to this day.

The box set contains three pieces of 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 3000 pieces worldwide and contains 40 tracks, four of which were 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 also previously unreleased.

The five-CD set contains 53 tracks (including six 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 and 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 U.K. journalist James Brown.

The double LP is a re-vamped reissue of the original album. Now cut onto two pieces of black vinyl, the audio is improved and contains 16 tracks total, which comprise the original album plus six B-sides. It’s been out of print for over 20 years.

The digital version will replicate the CD-set but excludes the original album for a total of 43 tracks.

Box Set:3xLP

A1 Sun King 
A2 Fire Woman 
A3 American Horse 
A4 Edie (Ciao Baby) 

B1 Sweet Soul Sister 
B2 Soul Asylum 
B3 New York City 
B4 Automatic Blues 

C1 Soldier Blue 
C2 Wake Up Time For Freedom 
C3 Medicine Train (From the Edie (Ciao Baby) single) 
C4 The River (From the Sweet Soul Sister single) 

D1 Bleeding Heart Graffiti (from the Edie (Ciao Baby) single) 
D2 Messin’ Up The Blues (from the Fire Woman single) 
D3 Fire Woman (NYC Rock Mix) (from the Fire Woman CD EP) 
D4 Edie (Ciao Baby) (Acoustic) (From The Heart Of Soul CD single) 

E1 New York City (live) *previously unreleased) 
E2 Automatic Blues (live) *previously unreleased) 
E3 American Horse (live) (from the Sweet Soul Sister single) 
E4 Sun King (live) *previously unreleased 

F1 Soul Asylum (live) (from the Sweet Soul Sister single) 
F2 Sweet Soul Sister (live) (from the Sweet Soul Sister single) 
F3 Fire Woman (live) *previously unreleased

Cassette:

A1 Sonic Temple Radio Promo 
A2 New York City (demo) 
A3 American Horse (demo) 
A4 Sun King (demo) 
A5 Automatic Blues (demo) 
A6 Yes Man (demo) 
A7 Wake Up Time For Freedom (demo) 
A8 Citadel (demo) 
A9 The River (demo) 

B1 The Crystal Ocean (demo) 
B2 Cashmere (demo) 
B3 Edie (demo) 
B4 Bleeding Heart Revival (demo) 
B5 Star Child (demo) 
B6 Medicine Train (Rock Demo) 
B7 New York City (Rock Demo) 
B8 Fire (Rock Demo)

5-CD Set:

1-1 Sun King 
1-2 Fire Woman 
1-3 American Horse 
1-4 Edie (Ciao Baby) 
1-5 Sweet Soul Sister 
1-6 Soul Asylum 
1-7 New York City 
1-8 Automatic Blues 
1-9 Soldier Blue 
1-10 Wake Up Time For Freedom 

2-1 Sonic Temple Radio Promo 
2-2 Fire Woman (Edit) 
2-3 Messin’ Up The Blues (from the Fire Woman single) 
2-4 Medicine Train (From the Edie (Ciao Baby) single) 
2-5 Fire Woman (NYC Rock Mix) (from the Fire Woman CD EP) 
2-6 Edie (Ciao Baby) (Edit) 
2-7 Bleeding Heart Graffiti (from the Edie (Ciao Baby) CD EP) 
2-8 Sun King (Edit) 
2-9 Sweet Soul Sister (Edit) 
2-10 The River (From the Sweet Soul Sister single) 
2-11 Soldier Blue (Werman Extended Version) 
2-12 Fire Woman (LA Rock Mix) 
2-13 Sweet Soul Sister (Rock’s Mix) 
2-14 Edie (Ciao Baby) (Acoustic) (From The Heart Of Soul CD single) 

3-1 Medicine Train (demo) 
3-2 New York City (demo) 
3-3 American Horse (demo) 
3-4 Sun King (demo) 
3-5 Automatic Blues (demo) 
3-6 Yes Man (demo) 
3-7 Fire (demo) 
3-8 Wake Up Time For Freedom (demo) 
3-9 Citadel (demo) 
3-10 The River (demo) 

4-1 The Crystal Ocean (demo) 
4-2 Cashmere (demo) 
4-3 Edie (demo) 
4-4 Bleeding Heart Revival (demo) 
4-5 My Love (demo) 
4-6 Star Child (demo) 
4-7 Medicine Train (Rock Demo) 
4-8 New York City (Rock Demo) 
4-9 Fire (rock Demo) 
4-10 Spanish Gold (jam Demo) 

5-1 New York City (live) *previously unreleased) 
5-2 Automatic Blues (live) *previously unreleased) 
5-3 American Horse (live) (from the Sweet Soul Sister single) 
5-4 Sun King (live) *previously unreleased 
5-5 Soul Asylum (live) (from the Sweet Soul Sister single) 
5-6 Rain (live) *previously unreleased 
5-7 Sweet Soul Sister (live) (from the Sweet Soul Sister single) 
5-8 She Sells Sanctuary (live) *previously unreleased 
5-9 Fire Woman (live) *previously unreleased

Standard Double LP:

A1 Sun King 
A2 Fire Woman 
A3 American Horse 
A4 Edie (Ciao Baby) 

B1 Sweet Soul Sister 
B2 Soul Asylum 
B3 New York City 
B4 Automatic Blues 

C1 Soldier Blue 
C2 Wake Up Time For Freedom 
C3 Medicine Train (From the Edie (Ciao Baby) single) 
C4 The River (From the Sweet Soul Sister single) 

D1 Bleeding Heart Graffiti (from the Edie (Ciao Baby) CD EP) 
D2 Messin’ Up The Blues (from the Fire Woman single) 
D3 Fire Woman (NYC Rock Mix) (from the Fire Woman CD EP) 
D4 Edie (Ciao Baby) (Acoustic) (From The Heart Of Soul CD single)

Digital Album:

1  Sonic Temple Radio Promo 
2  Fire Woman (Edit) 
3  Messin’ Up The Blues (from the Fire Woman single) 
4  Medicine Train (From the Edie (Ciao Baby) single) 
5  Fire Woman (NYC Rock Mix) (from the Fire Woman CD EP) 
6  Edie (Ciao Baby) (Edit) 
7  Bleeding Heart Graffiti (from the Edie (Ciao Baby) CD EP) 
8  Sun King (Edit) 
9  Sweet Soul Sister (Edit) 
10 The River (From the Sweet Soul Sister single) 
11 Soldier Blue (Werman Extended Version) 
12 Fire Woman (LA Rock Mix) 
13 Sweet Soul Sister (Rock’s Mix) 
14 Edie (Ciao Baby) (Acoustic) (From The Heart Of Soul CD single) 
15 Medicine Train (demo) 
16 New York City (demo) 
17 American Horse (demo) 
18 Sun King (demo) 
19 Automatic Blues (demo) 
20 Yes Man (demo) 
21 Fire (demo) 
22 Wake Up Time For Freedom (demo) 
23 Citadel (demo) 
24 The River (demo) 
25 The Crystal Ocean (demo) 
26 Cashmere (demo) 
27 Edie (demo) 
28 Bleeding Heart Revival (demo) 
29 My Love (demo) 
30 Star Child (demo) 
31 Medicine Train (Rock Demo) 
32 New York City (Rock Demo) 
33 Fire (rock Demo) 
34 Spanish Gold (jam Demo) 
35 New York City (live) *previously unreleased) 
36 Automatic Blues (live) *previously unreleased) 
37 American Horse (live) (from the Sweet Soul Sister single) 
38 Sun King (live) *previously unreleased 
39 Soul Asylum (live) from the Sweet Soul Sister single) 
40 Rain (live) *previously unreleased 
41 Sweet Soul Sister (live) (from the Sweet Soul Sister single) 
42 She Sells Sanctuary (live) *previously unreleased 
43 Fire Woman (live) *previously unreleased