Today marks the 40th anniversary of the release of The Cure's second studio album 'Seventeen Seconds'. The album was recorded and mixed in just seven days on a budget of between £2,000 and £3,000. The band's lineup changed with the addition of bass guitarist Simon Gallup and keyboardist Matthieu Hartley. Robert Smith wrote the lyrics and music for most of the record at his parents' home, on a Hammond organ with a built-in tape recorder. The album was influenced by records such as Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake, Isle of Wight by Jimi Hendrix, Astral Weeks by Van Morrison and Low by David Bowie.