Essential 10: The Psychedelic Furs

This edition of The Essential 10, our quickfire introduction to a wide range of my favourite artists, features The Psychedelic Furs; an act that has so far managed eight albums over a career that spanned 1977 to 1991, and then again since 2000 to now.

I have trawled the entire catalogue to come up with ten of my favourite tracks by them, including a few surprises (although, if you don’t know much about them, they may all be surprises).

The Psychedelic Furs first came into my life in the mid 1980s with their re-working of Pretty In Pink for the John Hughes movie of the same name; but they fully became a part of my discography a few years later when their first compilation, All Of This And Nothing came out in 1988.

1. India: what a way to open their account. The first song on the first (eponymously titled) record builds slowly, then Vince Ely pounds an incessant rhythm, before the guitars slice through it and we get the first listen of Richard Butler's twenty-a-day gravelly voice. (audio only, so you get the full effect of that build up)

2. Forever Now: the title track of the third album. With several departures they were down to a four-piece, and even that was questionable given drummer Vince Ely's commitment. They switched producers from Steve Lillywhite to Todd Rundgren for this one. While Ely did leave soon after this, his interaction with Tim Butler's bass lines are really rocking and propel the song along nicely. (audio only - with Butler at his offhand, sneery best)

3. Shine: this led off sixth album Book Of Days and was a welcome return for Ely into the fold. John Ashton's guitars chime and soar, and this lifts what might be a plodding tune into something glorious. (audio only)

4. All That Money Wants: a standalone single that was included in that 1988 compilation All Of This And Nothing. This was the one that really got me hooked into the band, with its catchy, flange-heavy guitar riff courtesy of Ashton, a tight rhythm section and strings that lift it further. (official music video)

5. Mr Jones: always a favourite of mine, this is from the second record, Talk Talk Talk. It's almost a catchy pop tune, if it weren't for the slightly discordant guitars and sax. (a more than passable fan video of a more than decent live performance from Dublin in June 2025 - it's just missing that sax)

6. Until She Comes: one of the standouts from seventh album World Outside, which saw something of a minor commercial renaissance, with it making number one on the US Modern Rock charts. This is a beautiful, airy song full of power provided by acoustic guitar, which is nicely augmented by a lush keyboard arrangement. (official music video)

7. All Of This And Nothing: another stand out track from Talk Talk Talk. This is one of their songs that allows plenty of space to build a bit of darkness and tension. Staccato drum fills and lone bass counterpoints overlaid with squalls of guitar and some dispassionate vocals from Butler. (audio only - a great, and even sparser, version from a BBC Radio version in 1981)

8. I Don't Mine: Book Of Days was a truly underrated album that seemed to fall between the cracks, and yet it was full of moody, swirling tracks - just like this one which finishes the record off. The song throbs and pulses, Ashton's guitar layers up to deliver a sonic wave, and Butler's vocals sound almost urgent. (audio only)

9. Highwire Days: this one is representing album number four, Mirror Moves. Pop producer Keith Forsey was at the helm, and a lot of the rough edges were polished off (Ghost In You and Heaven are also on this album). Despite perhaps not being as well received because of this polish, it cemented their growing commercial success, especially in the US - Robert Smith (in 1985) ranked it in his top five, so it can't be so bad. This atmospheric song provided the record with a suitably epic ending. (a decent live version from Philadelphia in 2019 - but perhaps a little too much brass for some)

10. Pretty In Pink: this is the original 1981 version from Talk Talk Talk. The Molly Ringwald / Jon Cryer movie got its name from the song (apparently at Ringwald's behest, as she was a big fan of the band); they re-recorded it for that, but the first version is preferable (for me), as it is a little rawer and lo-fi. The musical arrangement is great, Butler's voice is just raspy enough, the hooks reach out and grab you; definitely one of the classics of the early 80s. (the original official video)