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She Sells Sanctuary

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"She Sells Sanctuary"
Single by the Cult
from the album Love
B-side
  • "No. 13"
  • "The Snake"
Released17 May 1985 (1985-05-17)[1]
Genre
Length
  • 4:23
  • 6:58 (long version)
LabelBeggars Banquet
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Steve Brown
The Cult singles chronology
"Ressurection Joe"
(1984) 		"She Sells Sanctuary"
(1985) 		"Rain"
(1985)
Official audio
"She Sells Sanctuary" on YouTube
1993 remix cover
"Sanctuary MCMXCIII"
Audio sample
An excerpt from "She Sells Sanctuary".

"She Sells Sanctuary" is a song by British rock band the Cult. It is from their second studio album, Love (1985), and was released as a single on 13 May 1985, peaking at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart in July of the same year. In March 2023, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) awarded the song a platinum certification for sales and streams of over 600,000.[5] In January 1993, the song was re-released as "Sanctuary MCMXCIII" and experienced chart success once more, matching its original peak on the UK Singles Chart and entering the top 10 in New Zealand.

One of the earliest songs written for what would become the Love album, "She Sells Sanctuary" was first performed during the Dreamtime tour in the fall of 1984, and would become the last song to be recorded with the Cult's longtime drummer, Nigel Preston, who was fired from the band shortly after its release. According to Cult guitarist Billy Duffy, the iconic introduction effects were the result of all the guitar effects pedals being on at the same time. The recording was edited to include the introduction with the effects, whereas earlier versions started the song more abruptly. Duffy says he found a violin bow lying around the studio and started playing the guitar with it "like Jimmy Page" to amuse singer Ian Astbury, hit every effects pedal he had "to make it sound weirder", and then played the middle section of the song. "And we decided to start the song with that mystical sound. If I hadn't found that violin bow laying around, we wouldn't have gone there," said Duffy.[6]

Release

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After its release in 1985, the single reached number 36 during a six-week run on the US Billboard Hot Dance/Disco Club Play chart in early 1986.[7] The band has released various versions of the song. Aside from the original 7-inch single, three other versions had been released around the same time on 12-inch formats: "The Long Version", "The Howling Mix" and "Assault on Sanctuary".

On 18 January 1993, several more mixes were released on two different CD singles and a 12-inch single, titled "Sanctuary MCMXCIII".[8] The "Sundance" remix was remixed by Butch Vig who previously had produced Nirvana's Nevermind album. The "Dog Star Rising" remix was remixed by Youth who produced the Cult's eighth album, Born into This. In 2009, two more previously unreleased versions, a demo and the "Olympic Rough Mix" were included in a 4-disc box set of the Omnibus edition of Love.

Reception

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John Leland at Spin described it as "one of those inane pieces of pomp pop that—through no fault of the band's — transcends its formidable pretensions to become a whomping dance record. The drums drive the thing, but the crucial sound is guitar — lots of it. Electric, acoustic, distorted, echoey, all chasing a snappy riff. Dopey is dopey, but sometimes, with the right sound, you can get away with it."[9]

Track listings

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Original version

[edit]

7-inch single[10]

A. "She Sells Sanctuary"
B. "No.13"

UK 12-inch single[11]

A1. "She Sells Sanctuary" (long version)
B1. "The Snake"
B2. "No.13"

"Sanctuary MCMXCIII"

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Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[27] 2× Platinum 160,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[5] Platinum 600,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Usage in media

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The song opens the 2004 film 'Layer Cake' also in the 2002 video games Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on the fictional in-game radio station V-Rock.

References

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  1. ^ "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 11 May 1985. p. 18. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  2. ^ Spracklen, Karl; Spracklen, Beverley (2018). The Evolution of Goth Culture: The Origins and Deeds of the New Goths. Emerald Group Publishing. p. 63. ISBN 978-1-78714-677-8.
  3. ^ Masley, Ed (28 September 2019). "Here's your guide to the best fall concerts in Phoenix". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  4. ^ Gerard, Chris (7 April 2021). "The 100 Best Alternative Singles of the 1980s: 60 - 41". PopMatters. p. 4. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b "British single certifications – Cult – She Sells Sanctuary". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  6. ^ DeMarco, Johnny (14 August 2006). "Billy Duffy of the Cult: Rockin' with Roland & BOSS" (PDF). Roland Insider.
  7. ^ a b "The Cult Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  8. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 16 January 1993. p. 21.
  9. ^ John Leland (March 1986). "Singles". Spin. No. 11. p. 37.
  10. ^ She Sells Sanctuary (UK 7-inch vinyl sleeve). The Cult. Beggars Banquet Records. 1985. BEG 135.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ She Sells Sanctuary (UK 12-inch vinyl sleeve). The Cult. Beggars Banquet Records. 1985. BEG 135T.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ Sanctuary MCMXCIII (UK CD1 liner notes). The Cult. Beggars Banquet Records. 1993. BEG 263 CD1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ Sanctuary MCMXCIII (UK CD2 liner notes). The Cult. Beggars Banquet Records. 1993. BEG 263 CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ^ Sanctuary MCMXCIII (UK 12-inch single sleeve). The Cult. Beggars Banquet Records. 1993. BEG 263 T.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ^ Sanctuary MCMXCIII (Australian CD single liner notes). The Cult. Beggars Banquet Records. 1993. BEGCD 263, 7243 8 91045 2 3.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ Sanctuary MCMXCIII (Australian cassette single sleeve). The Cult. Beggars Banquet Records. 1993. BEGC263, 7243891049 4 3.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7803." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  18. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 2, no. 31. 5 August 1985. p. 8. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  19. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – She Sells Sanctuary". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  20. ^ "The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  21. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  22. ^ "The Cult Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  23. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  24. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 7. 13 February 1993. p. 19. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  25. ^ "The Cult – Sanctuary MCMXCIII". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  26. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  27. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Cult – She Sells Sanctuary". Music Canada. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
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