September 7, 2025: Reader Tips

Reader Tips 37 Comments

From 1985, here is The Cult performing She Sells Sanctuary. Given the holes in my musical knowledge, I would appreciate anyone sharing personal tales of your connection with this song, which I sense is kind of famous in its day.

Your best tips are always appreciated!

37 Replies to “September 7, 2025: Reader Tips”

  1. I recall this as the Cult’s first hit. They had emerged in England out of the original goth scene in London and the English southeast. They began as teenage goth goofs called Southern Death Cult, and got a bit more professional as they grew up. I gather this was quite a hit in England, and it was picked up by the hip station in Toronto almost at once. I’m not sure if it counted as Canadian content, but the singer, although an Englishman, had spent his high school years in Hamilton. He may have known the guys in Teenage Head, but I’m not sure. They went on to an impressive career, but it basically started here.

    1. What a great Band.
      Totally awesome in concert, hard guitars, and drums.
      I saw them at Skybowl, and CNE Grandstand. Ian Astbury was an awesome front man.
      Unique voice,that fit the sound like a cock in a school teacher

      1. Yes, they really could play. The story I heard was that after this song was a hit, their label figured they could crack the American market and brought the band to New York for sessions with their then new golden boy producer, Rick Rubin.

        Rubin had arranged to meet the band for the first time in the studio, fully set up and ready to go for the first session. He came in, introduced himself, and then said, “Now I know you guys have been big in England, and I’ve worked with bands before who have been big in England, and they were really nice guys but they couldn’t play. So I what I need to know right now is, can you guys actually play?”

        The band were fresh off the plane, quite unused to New York manners, and Astbury got a bit miffed. He turns to he boys, says, “Lads, the gentleman here wants to know if we can play”, and they launched into “Love Removal Machine”, which had they had recently written and had just started playing in their set. They played it through, and Astbury turned to Rubin and said, “Well, can we play?” And Rubin said, “Yes, you can play. And we can use that.” He had made sure the tapes were rolling first. The record is in fact that first take live off the floor, with a little tidying up done later.

    2. Yes! CFNY played this and other Cult songs like Love Removal Machine. Chris Sheppard played this both on air and at RPM constantly.

      Great memories, thanks!

    2. “Joe Biden has decided to build his presidential library in Delaware and has tapped a group of former aides, friends and political allies to begin the heavy lift of fundraising and finding a site for the museum…”

      There are over 20 EPA Superfund sites in Delaware.
      Any one of them would be appropriate.

    1. That’s a nice bus.
      It’s definitely a step up from the short bus they rode in school.

    1. And it’s happening faster than Carney whipping out what’s left of our RCAF F18’s to prove what a man he is. Or something?

  7. Kind of big in its day, um, ya, kind of. And on the radio to this day!
    Big rotation on MuchMusic. Saw them at Hamilton Place, early 1986. Ian Astbury gave a shoutout to Westdale high school where he’d gone.
    The album Love did well, but their move to California and a change in look to a more metal-like vibe and sound made them suoerstats for a while starting 1987.

    1. That article doesn’t make any sense, the few numbers there are don’t add up. But, it may be due to the subject matter rather than the writer. I suspect politics rather than economics to be the cause, economics is just the grim reaper of reality.

      1. As I read their financial statements they were counting the carbon tax collected as revenue. Their revenue was down (no explanation) and expenses were up (no explanation). Plus financing charges were up (probably higher interest rates, or more borrowing). Return on equity was -21% (E-gads).

        “The $45 million decrease in total revenue was mainly attributable to a $51 million decrease in Saskatchewan electricity sales. SaskPower paused the collection of the federal carbon charge rate rider from customers on April 1, 2025, as mandated by the Government of Saskatchewan. This decrease was slightly offset by higher other revenue and export sales. Other revenue increased $4 million due to higher customer contributions, partially offset by lower carbon dioxide (CO2) sales. Export sales increased $2 million due to higher sales volumes to the Midwest Independent System Operator and the Southwest Power Pool.”

        “The $83 million increase in total expense was mainly attributable to higher operating, maintenance and
        administration (OM&A) expense. OM&A expense increased $33 million as a result of increased maintenance at our generation facilities due to the timing of overhaul activities. In addition, fuel and purchased power costs increased by $25 million primarily as a result of the federal carbon tax rate increasing to $95/tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), effective January 1, 2025. Lastly, capital-related expenses — depreciation and amortization, finance charges, taxes and other expenses — increased a combined total of $25 million. This increase was due to higher depreciation expense as a result of new capital additions as well as higher interest on long-term borrowings and decommissioning provisions; higher corporate capital tax; higher losses on asset retirements; and lower interest income.”

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