Siouxsie and the Banshees

Siouxsie and the Banshees
Siouxsie Sioux 1980 in Edinburgh
General information
Genre (s)	1976–1979: Punk , Post-Punk , Gothic Punk 1980–1983: Post-Punk , Gothic Rock 1984–1987: New Wave , 1988–1995: Alternative Rock
founding	1976
resolution	1996 2002 after a one-time comeback
Founding members
singing	Siouxsie Sioux
bass	Steven Severin
guitar	Marco Pirroni only one concert 20/09/1976
Drums	Sid Vicious only one concert 09/20/1976
Last occupation
singing	Siouxsie Sioux
bass	Steven Severin
guitar	Knox Chandler (1995, 2002)
Drums	Budgie (since 1979)
former members
guitar	John McKay (1977-1979)
guitar	Robert Smith (1979–1980, 1982–1984)
guitar	John McGeoch (1980–1982) † 2004
guitar	John Valentine Carruthers (1984-1987)
guitar	Jon Klein (1987-1995)
Drums	Kenny Morris (1977-1979)
Keyboard , cello , accordion	Martin McCarrick (1987-1996)

Siouxsie and the Banshees [ ˈsuːzi ænðə ˈbænʃiːz ] were a British rock band founded in London in 1976 . They are considered one of the most important bands of the post-punk and dark wave movement.

Although the band barely enjoyed commercial success outside of the UK, they achieved cult status . Many rock bands cited Siouxsie and the Banshees as a source of influence on their musical work.

history

founding

The singer Siouxsie Sioux (born May 27, 1957) and her long-time friend and fellow musician Steven Severin met in 1975 at a Roxy Music concert . From 1976 she belonged to the so-called Bromley Contingent , a group of fashion-conscious, loyal fans of the Sex Pistols in south London.

In December 1976, long before her first record deal, Siouxsie achieved some notoriety when she inspired host Bill Grundy to make a slippery remark during a Sex Pistols TV interview , after which guitarist Steve Jones verbally abused him. The Banshees made their first appearance on September 20, 1976 at London's 100 Club . In the original formation of the Banshees, Simon Ritchie played drums, who later played bass with the Sex Pistols under the name Sid Vicious . Marco Pirroni and Pete Fenton played guitar at the time. Later, John McKay on guitar and Kenny Morris on drums joined the band. Her formative musical influences at the time included The Velvet Underground , David Bowie and Can . The second part of the name of the band was inspired by the 1970 horror film Cry of the Banshee .

Siouxsie Sioux sparked controversy when she wore swastika symbols (including an armband) as costume jewelry. To curb criticism, the group released Metal Postcard (Mittageisen) on The Scream in 1978 . The song made reference to John Heartfield and was dedicated to him in the album's liner notes. In 1979 it was released as a single with an anti-Nazi photomontage by John Heartfield on the cover and a text translated into German.

The first years

The Banshees had to wait a long time for a record deal, after all radio DJ John Peel gave them a chance. In the spring of 1978 the album received consistently good reviews in the English press. However, the band failed to negotiate a record deal. At the latest after a Banshee fan launched a graffiti campaign to convince the city's major labels with the slogan Sign the Banshees: do it now . Then finally, after a few rejections, Polydor cleared the way for the band in June 1978. With the single Hong Kong Garden , the Banshees reached number 7 in the British charts in August. A little later the corresponding LP The Scream was submitted, in the style of post-punk . To this day, The Scream is considered a milestone in rock music among music critics .

There were repeated changes in the group, especially the position of guitarist was frequently filled. When the drummer Morris and the guitarist McKay left the band in 1979 after an argument during an autograph session in Edinburgh, Scotland, Robert Smith replaced the new guitarist, who at that time played with his band The Cure in the opening act. The new drummer was Budgie , who was part of the band until the breakup. Smith was eventually replaced by a new permanent guitarist: John McGeoch , who had previously played for Magazine .

Increasing popularity

Siouxsie at the band's concert in New York, November 1980

During this time, the sound of Siouxsie and the Banshees changed: the singles Happy House and Christine, as well as the album Kaleidoscope , which was released in early 1980, were more influenced by acoustic guitars and synthesizers . Kaleidoscope was more successful than The Scream and reached number 5 in the English charts. The single Happy House rose to number 17 in the singles charts.

In 1981 Siouxsie and the Banshees recorded the album Juju , which is now considered a "classic" for the post-punk genre. Overall, the band played three of their best albums with McGeoch on guitar and was considered one of the best live bands of the time.

Influenced by the Beatles' Revolver and following the zeitgeist, the Banshees recorded a psychedelic album: A Kiss in the Dreamhouse . In 1982, under the influence of alcohol and valium, McGeoch played the wrong tune during a concert in Spain and was again replaced by Robert Smith. Smith stayed with the Banshees until 1984, but the chemistry between him and Siouxsie was not right, as he imitated Siouxsie's look and, in her opinion, did not contribute much musically, but only snuck through the studio giggling and mumbling during the recording of Hyæna . Smith left in 1984, but before that he released an album together with bassist Severin as The Glove . He was replaced by John Carruthers on the recommendation of the record company. In 1986 they released the album Tinderbox , from which the singles Cities in Dust and Candyman were released. Allmusic gave Tinderbox almost full marks. Carruthers, however, never really fitted into the band, and he also lacked the creativity he wanted. In 1987 he was replaced by Jon Klein . In addition, keyboardist Martin McCarrick was another member of the band who also played the cello and accordion. He had worked with the band before.

The first album of the now five-piece band was Peepshow in 1988 . Described by the band as their masterpiece, it ushered in a new musical direction, but without denying its roots. The first single Peek-a-Boo reached number 1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart of Billboard Magazine, the accompanying video clip received several awards and nominations. Also Peepshow received mostly great reviews.

Siouxsie and Budgie were married in 1991.

Excursion into pop music, recollection and the end of the band

Siouxsie and the Banshees moved into a more poppy style over the years and also became more successful in the charts. Although the old role models were still paid homage to, for example Iggy Pop with a version of his The Passenger , a certain softening of the once rebellious character of the banshees gradually set in. After all: Your cover version of the Beatles song Dear Prudence reached number 3 in the British charts in the fall of 1983. Siouxsie and the Banshees were also represented with a song on the soundtrack to the film Batman Returns and with the album Superstition produced by Stephen Hague in 1991, they were completely mainstream without denying themselves . It was a melancholy yet light pop record, but not all band members could be satisfied. Steven Severin liked Superstition , while Martin McCarrick lamented Stephen Hague's unspontaneous and technical way of working. However, Superstition was extremely successful in some countries, the first single Kiss them for me even reached the top 30 in the USA. During this time Siouxsie and the Banshees toured the USA as headliners of the first Lollapalooza Festival.

With the eleventh studio album The Rapture , which followed in 1995 , the return to old strengths was heralded. The album was again significantly more guitar-heavy and darker than its predecessor. In terms of content, too, the depths of the human soul were brought into focus. The band recorded the album at Siouxsie's instigation in the seclusion of the southern French chateau of Siouxsie and Budgie between Bordeaux and Toulouse. Siouxsie wanted the sound of The Rapture to sound rougher and more organic, as a kind of counter-design to the production of Superstition, which she felt was too clinical and sterile . When the album, which the band produced entirely on their own, was finished, the musicians began to doubt its completeness. So it happened that by chance you met John Cale , but couldn't add anything essential to the songs. After the album was released and before the tour, there was a break with Jon Klein, the longest-serving guitarist in the band. He was succeeded by Knox Chandler (ex- The Psychedelic Furs ), the first American in the band, who continues to work with Siouxsie and Budgie again and again.

In 1996 Siouxsie and the Banshees broke up because the chemistry within the band was no longer right. Siouxsie and Severin were more and more divided, Budgie complained about the lack of acceptance of his ideas on the part of Severin. In addition, the ancestral record company was bought by a multinational ( Universal Music Group ) and Siouxsie was struggling with health problems.

After a long break, Siouxsies and Budgies' side project The Creatures was revived as the main project, and the record label "Sioux Records" was founded.

In 2002 the band received an offer to perform at the Coachella Music & Arts Festival, whereupon the Banshees got together again and performed live in the USA, England and Japan. The band then broke up again and this time for good because the relationship between Siouxsie and Severin had meanwhile been too shattered. In the same year, an authorized biography of the Banshees appeared.

The post-banshees era

Siouxsie at the Saturday Night Fiber Festival in Madrid, July 2008

Budgie and Siouxsie lived together for a few years in France, between Toulouse and Bordeaux . The Creatures was also dissolved in 2004, and so Siouxsie is now devoting herself to her solo career, which began with the An Evening with ... Siouxsie tour in 2004. In the summer of 2006 she signed a contract with the W14 label (part of Universal Records), which is directed by John Williams, with whom Siouxsie had already worked at Polydor in the late 1980s. At the end of June 2007, Siouxsie surprisingly announced in a BBC2 radio interview the separation from Budgie, the two are now divorced.

The first solo album Mantaray was recorded with a completely new band after the separation from Budgie and released in September 2007. In terms of content, the singer processes current experiences and feelings after her long illness and separation / divorce in a poetic way. In terms of music, the course that was already taken with the concerts as part of the An Evening with ... Siouxsie Tour and the Siouxsie Dreamshow will be continued. It is a fusion of the dark, experimental sounds of the banshees and creatures with classical, jazz and big band influences as well as unusual arrangements.

In 2015, Siouxsie recorded the new title Love Crime for the TV series Hannibal . The track was released on iTunes in December , and Hannibal Season 3 - Volume 2 compilation album (cd & vinyl).

In 2018, eleven studio albums were reissued on 180 gram vinyl : The Scream (blue vinyl) (1978), Juju (1981), A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982), Superstition (2 X LP) (1991), Tinderbox ( 1986), Through the Looking Glass (1987), Join Hands (1979), Kaleidoscope (1980), Hyæna (1984), Peepshow (1988) and The Rapture (2 X LP) (1995).

Effects

The music of Siouxsie and the Banshees has an important place in the history of pop and rock music and has influenced several other bands . Siouxsie and the Banshees is said to have had a lasting influence on the development of post-punk , new wave , gothic rock , alternative rock and trip-hop . In particular, Joy Division , The Cure, The Smiths , Radiohead , PJ Harvey , and Slowdive named Siouxsie and the Banshees as sources of inspiration. The band's songs have been covered by Jeff Buckley , Tricky , Massive Attack , Red Hot Chili Peppers , LCD Soundsystem , and Faith No More , among others .

Discography

Albums

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)				Remarks
		DE	CH	UK	US
1978	The Scream	-	-	UK12 silver (11 weeks)UK	-
1979	Join hands	-	-	UK13 silver (5 weeks)UK	-
1980	Kaleidoscope	-	-	UK5 silver (6 weeks)UK	-
1981	Juju	-	-	UK7th silver (17 weeks)UK	-
1982	A kiss in the dreamhouse	-	-	UK11 silver (11 weeks)UK	-
1984	Hyæna	-	-	UK15 (6 weeks) UK	US157 (7 weeks) US
1986	Tinder box	-	-	UK13 (6 weeks) UK	US88 (15 weeks) US
1987	Through the Looking Glass	DE59 (1 week) DE	CH29 (1 week) CH	UK15th silver (8 weeks)UK	US188 (3 weeks) US
1988	Peep show	DE64 (1 week) DE	-	UK20th silver (5 weeks)UK	US68 (20 weeks) US
1991	Superstition	-	-	UK25 (4 weeks) UK	US65 (21 weeks) US
1995	The Rapture	-	-	UK33 (3 weeks) UK	US127 (2 weeks) US

gray hatching : no chart data available for this year

Live albums

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)				Remarks
		DE	CH	UK	US
1983	nocturne	-	-	UK29 silver (10 weeks)UK	-
2003	The 7 Year Itch	-	-	-	-

more publishments

• 2009: At the BBC (3 cds + 1 dvd box set)

Compilations

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)				Remarks
		DE	CH	UK	US
1981	Once Upon a Time: The Singles	-	-	UK21st gold (25 weeks)UK	-
1992	Twice Upon a Time: The Singles	-	-	UK26 (2 weeks) UK	-

gray hatching : no chart data available for this year

More compilations

• 2002: The Best of Siouxsie and the Banshees (UK:gold)
• 2004: Downside Up (B-sides & rarities box set)
• 2006: Voices on the Air: The Peel Sessions (1977-79, 1981+ 86)
• 2015: Spellbound: The Collection
• 2016: Classic Selection Album - volume 1 (6 cds box set)
• 2016: Classic Selection Album - volume 2 (6 cds box set)

EPs

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)				Remarks
		DE	CH	UK	US
1984	The Thorn	-	-	UK47 (3 weeks) UK	-
1987	The peel sessions	-	-	UK97 (1 week) UK	-

Singles

year	Title album	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)				Remarks
		DE	CH	UK	US
1978	Hong Kong Garden	-	-	UK7th silver (10 weeks)UK	-
1979	The Staircase (Mystery)	-	-	UK24 (8 weeks) UK	-
	Playground twist join hands	-	-	UK28 (6 weeks) UK	-
	Lunch	-	-	UK47 (3 weeks) UK	-	German version of Metal Postcard (Mittageisen) from the album The Scream
1980	Happy House Kaleidoscope	-	-	UK17 (8 weeks) UK	-
	Christine Kaleidoscope	-	-	UK22 (8 weeks) UK	-
	Israel	-	-	UK41 (8 weeks) UK	-
1981	Spellbound Juju	-	-	UK22 (8 weeks) UK	-
	Arabian Knights Juju	-	-	UK32 (7 weeks) UK	-
1982	Fireworks	-	-	UK22 (6 weeks) UK	-
	Slow dive A Kiss in the Dreamhouse	-	-	UK41 (4 weeks) UK	-
	Melt! / Il Est Né Le Divin Enfant A Kiss in the Dreamhouse	-	-	UK49 (7 weeks) UK	-	Double A single
1983	Dear Prudence	-	-	UK3 silver (8 weeks)UK	-
1984	Swimming Horses Hyæna	-	-	UK28 (4 weeks) UK	-
	Dazzle Hyæna	-	-	UK33 (3 weeks) UK	-
1985	Cities in Dust Tinderbox	-	-	UK21 (7 weeks) UK	-
1986	Candyman Tinderbox	-	-	UK34 (5 weeks) UK	-
1987	This Wheel's on Fire Through the Looking Glass	-	-	UK14 (6 weeks) UK	-
	The Passenger Through the Looking Glass	-	-	UK41 (6 weeks) UK	-
	Song from the Edge of the World	-	-	UK59 (3 weeks) UK	-
1988	Peek-a-Boo peep show	-	-	UK16 (6 weeks) UK	US53 (14 weeks) US
	The Killing Jar Peepshow	-	-	UK41 (3 weeks) UK	-
	The Last Beat of My Heart Peepshow	-	-	UK44 (2 weeks) UK	-
1991	Kiss Them for Me Superstition	-	-	UK32 (4 weeks) UK	US23 (13 weeks) US
	Shadowtime Superstition	-	-	UK57 (1 week) UK	-
	Fear (of the Unknown) Superstition	-	-	-	-	Released as a single only in the US
1992	Face to Face Batman Returns OST	-	-	UK21 (4 weeks) UK	-
1995	O baby the rapture	-	-	UK34 (3 weeks) UK	-
1995	Stargazer The Rapture	-	-	UK64 (1 week) UK	-

more publishments

Video albums

Siouxsie and the Banshees

• 2003: The Seven Year Itch (live) London 2002 tour'reunion
• 2003: The Best of (DVD Videos with 2 Audio CDs)
• 2006: Nocturne (live) London 1983 with Robert Smith (guitar)
• 2009: At the BBC (Live DVD with 3 audio CDs)

Siouxsie Sioux

• 2005: Dreamshow (live), London 2004 with Millenia Ensemble Orchestra (partly songs by Siouxsie and the Banshees, mostly pieces by The Creatures)
• 2009: Finale: The Last Mantaray and More Show (live), London 2008

literature

• Mike West: Siouxsie and the Banshees . Babylon Books, 1982, ISBN 0-907188-14-1 .
• Ray Stevenson: Siouxsie and the Banshees Photo Book . Omnibus Press, 1983, ISBN 0-7119-0301-8 .
• Brian Johns: Entranced: The Siouxsie and the Banshees Story . Omnibus Press, 1989, ISBN 0-7119-1773-6 .
• Vanni Neri: Siouxsie and the Banshees: The Strawberry Girl . Stampa Alternativa, 2002, ISBN 88-7226-731-5 .
• Mark Paytress: Siouxsie and the Banshees: The Authorized Biography . Sanctuary, 2003, ISBN 1-86074-375-7 .
• Samantha Bennett: Siouxsie and the Banshees' Peepshow , ( 33 1/3 ). Bloomsbury Publishing. 2018. ISBN 1-50132-186-2 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Steven Severin revealed this in an interview with The Bob magazine in December 1981
2. ↑ Dave Thompson , Kirsten Borchardt (transl.): Shadow World: Heroes and Legends of Gothic Rock . Hannibal, 2004, ISBN 3-85445-236-5 , pp. 58 .
3. ↑ YMark Paytress (2003). Siouxsie and the Banshees: The Authorized Biography. Sanctuary Publishing
4. ↑ UK Charts Archive
5. ↑ Nick Kent, The Scream , NME, August 26, 1978, "The band sounds like some unique hybrid of the Velvet Underground mated with much of the ingenuity of Tago Mago era Can, if any parallel can be drawn. The album will finally levitate the Banshees beyond formerly binding stereotypes, placing them in the 'new music' boundaries of a select few. "
6. ↑ "100 Greatest Debut Albums" [ The Scream number 43]. Uncut . August 2006
7. ↑ Robert Dimery. "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". Cassell Illustrated . 2005
8. ^ "Kaleidoscope" Uk albums chart chartarchive.org
9. ^ "Happy House" single charts chartarchive.org
10. ↑ Tim DiGravina. Juju Siouxsie and the Banshees review . Allmusic .
11. ^ Julian Marszalek: Siouxsie A kiss in the Dreamhouse review . The Quietus . 10-05-2009.
12. ^ David Cleary. "Tinderbox review" . Allmusic .
13. ^ Mark Copper. "Peepshow review". Q magazine . October 1988. (5 stars out of 5).
14. ↑ Tony Fletcher. "Peepshow review". Spin magazine . November 1988. pp. 92 f.
15. ↑ Siouxsie - Love Crime (Amuse-Bouche Version) " . Withguitars.com. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
16. ↑ Siouxsie and the Banshees Vinyls 2018 . Rough trade. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
17. ↑ The Scream Blue Vinyl indie . Normanrecords. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
18. ^ The Rapture double vinyl Siouxsie and the Banshees . Rough trade. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
19. ↑ Interview "Playlist - Peter Hook's“ Field recordings ”" . Q magazine. 23/04/2013.
20. ↑ Rob Fitzpatrick. The Cure Robert Smith interview, The Word (magazine), August 2012.
    James Oldham, "Bad Medicine" [Interview Robert Smith The Cure], Uncut (magazine), February 2000.
21. ↑ Simon, Goddard. "Mozzipedia: the encyclopedia of Morrissey and the Smiths [entry Siouxsie]". Ebury press. 2012.
    "Johnny Marr on working with Twitter Q&A" . NME . 19-09-2014.
22. ^ "10 Bullet Points From The Thom Yorke Interview with Marc Baron" . thelmagazine.com . 22/07/2013
23. ↑ Steve Appleford: Checking In With ... PJ Harvey In a New York State of Mind ( en ) Los Angeles Times. October 29, 2000. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved on May 10, 2016.
24. ↑ Austin Trunick: Slowdive Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell on the bands that inspired them . Undertheradar ". June – July 2014; accessed June 15, 2015.
25. ↑ Jeff Buckley "Killing Time" (Siouxsie / the Creatures cover) Buckley's version of "Killing Time" performed at the radio WFMU Studios, East Orange, NJ, November 10, 1992.
    JeffBuckley-fr.net ( Memento October 12, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) list of songs covered by Jeff Buckley including "Killing Time" composed by Siouxsie for The Creatures.
26. ^ "Cover Me" ( Memento from March 16, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) moon-palace.de, Tricky "Tattoo" (Siouxsie and the Banshees cover)
27. ↑ "Inflightdata.com" ( Memento from July 13, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Massive Attack sings Metal Postcard from Siouxsie (cd The Jackal (1997). Metal Postcard (1978) - LP The Scream )
28. ↑ "Saunalahti.fi" (Red Hot Chilli Peppers'site) ( Memento of 20 July 2011 at the Internet Archive ). setlist V2001 festival Red Hot Chilli Peppers, "Christine" (Siouxsie and the banshees cover)
29. ^ "Introns 2006" ( Memento of September 28, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) jacksonfreepress.com . LCD sound system sings Slowdive from Siouxsie. Slowdive (1982) - LP A Kiss In The Dreamhouse
30. ↑ Faith No More - Switch (Siouxsie cover) - Melbourne 2010 . youtube. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
31. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Chart sources: DE AT UK US
32. ↑ ^{a b c d} Music Sales Awards: UK

Web links

• Siouxsie and the Banshees
• Siouxsie and the Banshees at Discogs (English)