Originally issued as a standalone single in 1979, ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ soon became the title track of the US edition of The Cure’s debut album Three Imaginary Boys, and one of the band’s most enduring songs. In 1986, Robert Smith revisited the track, re-recording the vocal and reshaping the backing into a sharper, more immediate version that went on to gain wide international recognition.

Despite its prominence at the time, this 1986 version existed in an odd limbo: created to spotlight the band’s singles era, yet sitting apart from the original album recording. Now officially titled ‘Boys Don’t Cry (86 Mix)’, it stands as a distinct moment in the band’s catalogue, capturing the transition from their stark early sound to the broader reach that followed.

The release also brings together the era’s accompanying B-sides — ‘Plastic Passion’, ‘Pillbox Tales’ and ‘Do The Hansa’ — all newly remastered by Matt Colton, presenting the material with renewed detail and focus.