The Cult "She Sells Sanctuary (Single & Video)"

"She Sells Sanctuary" is a song by the British rock band the Cult. It is from their 1985 album Love and was released as a single in May of that year, peaking at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart.

"She Sells Sanctuary" was 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 Billy Duffy, the iconic introduction effects were the result of the fact that all of the guitar effects pedals were on at the same time. The recording was edited to include the introduction with the effects, whereas earlier versions started the song more abruptly.

After its release in 1985, the single reached number 36 during a six-week run on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart in 1986. 

The band has released various versions of the song. Aside from the original 7" single, three other versions had been released around the same time on 12" formats: "The Long Version", "The Howling Mix" and "Assault on Sanctuary".

In 1993, several more mixes were released on two different CD singles, each called Sanctuary MCMXCIII (Volumes 1 & 2). 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.

• The song made several appearances in video games including Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on the in-game radio station "V-Rock", Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2, as well as a playable track in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and as downloadable content for Rock Band.
• It is featured in the Cameron Crowe film Singles (1992), although it is not included in the official soundtrack album.
• It is featured in the films Free Enterprise, Layer Cake, and That's My Boy.
• The Butch Vig mix appears in the soundtrack of the 1994 film With Honors.
• It is featured in the opening credits of the movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
• The song was featured in commercials for Nissan, Labatt's beer, the Ford Mustang and Fernet-Branca.
• In later seasons of the popular UK car program Top Gear, it has been used on numerous occasions.
• It is used as an intro for Radio Le Mans show "Midweek Motorsport", and during hourly updates for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Previously it was used as the theme to American Le Mans Series Radio Web broadcasts.
• On the medical drama series, Monroe, the song was heard in the fourth episode where Dr. Gabriel Monroe (James Nesbitt) and his best friend, Dr. Laurence Shepard (Tom Riley) are performing surgery.
• In February 2012, the song was mashed with Flo Rida's "Good Feeling" for Budweiser's 'Eternal Optimism' Super Bowl ad.
• Rotherham United FC use the song as their walk out music.
• Dana Loesch uses it as her theme song and bumper music before commercial breaks.

Track listing

Vinyl 7"

• A Side : She Sells Sanctuary
• B Side : No.13

Vinyl 12"

• A Side: She Sells Sanctuary (Long Version)
• B Side: The Snake, No.13
• A Side: She Sells Sanctuary (Howling Mix)
• B Side: Assault on Sanctuary

Sanctuary MCMXCIII CD1

1. She Sells Sanctuary (Original)
2. She Sells Sanctuary (Dog Star Rising) (Remix by Youth)
3. She Sells Sanctuary (Phlegmatic) (Remix by J.G. Thirwell)
4. She Sells Sanctuary (Flusteresqueish) (Remix by J.G. Thirwell)

Sanctuary MCMXCIII CD2

1. She Sells Sanctuary (Dog Star Radio) (Remix by Youth)
2. She Sells Sanctuary (Sundance) (Remix by Butch Vig)
3. She Sells Sanctuary (Slutnostic) (Remix by J.G. Thirwell)
4. She Sells Sanctuary (Lakeland Live 1992)