Their first single "Hong Kong Garden" reached the top ten in the UK in the summer of 1978. Their debut full-length The Scream (1978) is today considered as a classic. NME wrote in its review, "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... certainly, the traditional three-piece sound has never been used in a more unorthodox fashion with such stunning results." Indeed, "Switch" placed Siouxsie and the Banshees as pioneers of the post-punk movement.
Their sophomore Join Hands (1979), perhaps their darkest record, followed up. Guitarist McKay and drummer Morris had left the band shortly after its release. This change allowed Siouxsie the Banshees to play different music. They recruited drummer Budgie and the gifted John McGeoch, formerly of Magazine, who would play guitars on the three following records. McGeoch's work with Siouxsie the Banshees would later be praised by the likes of Radiohead and the Smiths.
Their third record Kaleidoscope (1980) released. Including tracks "Happy House" and "Christine", showed a brand new musical departure with liquid guitars and atmospheric synthesizers. This eclectic record was a success and it reached the top five in the national UK charts. One year later, fourth full-length Juju (1981), with the vibrant "Spellbound", was yet another success for the band.
The last session McGeoch recorded with Siouxsie and the Banshees was for the "Slowdive" single off the classic A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982). The British press greeted this fifth release enthusiastically. NME wrote on its review, "I promise. This music will take your breath away." McGeoch, worn out by the recording process of these songs, was hospitalized on his return from a promotional trip to Madrid, Spain. At the same era, Siouxsie and drummer Budgie formed the Creatures to record music more based on percussion.
In late 1982, McGeoch was replaced by famed Robert Smith, from the Cure. Smith became a full-time member between the years 1982 and 1984. He contributed to the classic live album, and later would be DVD, Nocturne (1983) and to the sixth studio album Hyaena (1984) as co-composer.
Guitarist John Valentine Carruthers, from band Clock DVA, replaced Smith in May, 1984. He played on the successful seventh full-length Tinderbox (1986), which included the first hit single of the band in the US, "Cities in Dust". The following covers album Through the Looking Glass (1987) with "This Wheel's on Fire", allowed the band to broaden up their sound.
Following a lengthy break, the rest of the band recruited another, new guitarist Jon Klein, from Specimen and the multi-instrumentalist Martin McCarrick to record ninth studio Peepshow (1988). The hit single "Peek-a-Boo" was considered as avant-garde for its abrasive sounds.
After the most impressive tour of their career, Siouxsie and the Banshees stopped for a while and then the Creatures reappeared with critically acclaimed sophomore Boomerang (1989). One of the most languorous songs from this record, "Killing Time", was covered live by Jeff Buckley a few years later.
In May 13th, 1991 Siouxsie the Banshees returned with the single "Kiss Them for Me", mixing the Beatles strings over a dance rhythm. This track peaked in the US singles charts at number 23, allowing them to reach a new audience. Melody Maker praised the last two studio albums by the band, Superstition (1991) and The Rapture (1995). The latter, partially produced by John Cale, included the swansong "Forever".
Morrissey later recorded a duet with Siouxsie titled "Interlude". This one, off-single was published under the banner of the two artists' names. After 20 years together, Siouxsie and the Banshees split in April, 1996. Siouxsie and Budgie thet announced that they would carry on recording as the Creatures. They released their third studio Anima Animus (1999) to critical acclaim.
The box set Downside Up (2004) was released, compiling 51 unreleased B-sides and the highly praised out-of-print The Thorn EP. Most of these numbers like, "Something Wicked (This Way Comes)" and "Red over White", are considered by fans as 'classics.' After carrying on recording as the Creatures, Siouxsie released her debut solo Mantaray (2007). The record was hailed by both Pitchfork and Mojo.
Influence on Other Artists
Siouxsie and the Banshees have influenced musicians worldwide across many genres.
The band had a strong impact on Trip Hop acts such as:
* Tricky covered "Tattoo" to open his second solo album Nearly God. Here's his version: Tattoo. The original version of "Tattoo" was recorded in 1983 and is available on the Banshees Downside Up box set.
* Massive Attack covered and sampled the music of Metal Postcard on their song "Superpredators (Metal Postcard)" for the movie soundtrack The Jackal.
Siouxsie and the Banshees also inspired the following artists :
* LCD Soundsystem covered "Slowdive" for the cd-single "Disco Infiltrator". Here's the original Slowdive and the LCD Soundsystem version Slowdive (XFM session)
* Jeff Buckley covered live a Siouxsie / The Creatures song called 'Killing Time' originally composed in 1989 on the album Boomerang. Here's the original Killing Time.
* Morrissey stated this in 'GQ' in 1994 : "None of them are as good as Siouxsie and the Banshees at full pelt. That's not dusty nostalgia, that's fact."
* The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr from The Smiths stated on the BBC radio 2 in february'2008 that he rated very high McGeoch for his work on Spellbound.
* Garbage singer Shirley Manson wrote in the foreword of the official Siouxsie and the Banshees biography in 2003 by Mojo magazine journalist Mark Paytress : "I learned how to sing listening to The Scream and Kaleidoscope."
* Radiohead bassist Colin Greenwood claims that while recording their song "There There", producer Nigel Godrich tried to get guitarist Jonny Greenwood to sound like the Banshees' John McGeoch.
* PJ Harvey selected in her top ten favourite albums of year 1999 : Anima Animus by The Creatures. aka Siouxsie.
*Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro also makes a parallel between his band and the Banshees in Siouxsie's official biography: "There are so many similar threads : melody, use of sound, attitude, sex-appeal. I always saw Jane's Addiction as the masculine Siouxsie and the Banshees."
*The Beta Band sampled the bridge of Painted Bird on their track Liquid Bird from the Heroes to Zeros album.
*Red Hot Chili Peppers covered Christine live at the V2001 festival. In 2002, their guitarist John Frusciante stated in an article featured on Total Guitar Magazine about Banshees guitarist John McGeoch : "He’s just a great guitar player, full stop. I wanted to listen to these people who weren’t just about technique but more about textures. People like John McGeoch. People who used good chords." also declaring that John McGeoch was an influence for the sound on the Red Hot Chili Peppers album By The Way.
*The Mars Volta covered Pulled to Bits (Live At The Royal Albert Hall) for the 'Wax Simulacra' single.
*Arcade Fire singer Win Butler suggested to the band Devotchka to cover the 1988 Siouxsie song : The Last Beat Of My Heart. One can listen to the Devothcka version on their Curse Your Little Heart ep.
* The Cure leader Robert Smith declared in 2003 in Mark Paytress's Siouxsie biography : "Siouxsie and The Banshees and Wire were the two bands I really admired. They meant something." He also pinpointed what the Join Hands tour brought him musically. "On stage that first night with the Banshees, I was Blown away by how powerful I felt playing that kind of music. It was so different to what we were doing with The Cure. Before that, I'd wanted us to be like The Buzzcocks or Elvis Costello, the punk Beatles. Being a Banshee really changed my attitude to what I was doing." He also talked about the band to Steve Sutherland in 1985 to describe "The Head On the Door" : "It reminds me of the Kaleidoscope album, the idea of having lots of different sounding things, different colors."
*U2 selected Christine for a compilation made for Mojo and The Edge presented an award to Siouxsie at a Mojo ceremony in 2005.
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Split in 2002
Obsession
Siouxsie and the Banshees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can you feel this beat it's an obsessive heart beat
Waiting to be joined with its obsession
I close my eyes but I can't sleep
The thin membrane can't veil
The branded picture of you
Again you baffle me pretending not to see, me
I broke into your room, I broke down in my room
Touched your belongings there, and left a lock of my hair
Another sign for you
You screamed into my face get the hell out of my place
Another sign for me? can you forgive me?
For not understanding your ways
You know sometimes you take it all too far
Then I remember it's a game between you and me
A divine test for us two
It's all in my imagination
Yes they even say that our mission, is only
My obsession
Do you hear this breath it's an oppressive breath
Suffocating in the poison of your obsession
Can you feel this beat it's a possessive beat
Your pulse stops in the claws of your obsession
Siouxsie and the Banshees's song "Obsession" is a haunting track that explores the theme of obsessive love. The opening lines of the song convey the sense of a breath that is obsessive, a heart that beats obsessively, and the desire for an obsession to be joined with the object of their desire. This sense of want is pervasive throughout the song as the singer continues to describe their experience of obsessive love.
The singer is unable to sleep and the image of their beloved is branded into their mind. The signs and signals around them seem to indicate that they should move on, but they are unable to let go. Their obsession manifests as breaking into their beloved's room and leaving a sign of themselves behind. The end result is instead of reconciliation with the object of their love, the situation worsens, with the beloved screaming at them to leave their place.
The song well conveys the torment that comes with such obsessive and possessive love. It shows the obsession gradually turning into possession, where the individual suffocates in the poison of their obsession. This is a stark warning against ignoring the boundaries of one's relationships and allowing one's desires to slip out of reasonable control.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you hear this breath it's an obsessive breath
The breath is a manifestation of the singer's obsession with the subject.
Can you feel this beat it's an obsessive heart beat
The singer's heart is emphasizing her obsession.
Waiting to be joined with its obsession
The heart is waiting to be connected with the source of its obsession.
I close my eyes but I can't sleep
The singer is unable to rest due to her fixation.
The thin membrane can't veil
The illusion that time will allow the singer to forget is not holding up.
The branded picture of you
The image of the subject is tattooed onto the singer's mind.
The signs and signals show, the traffic lights say go
The singer is picking up clues from the environment that suggest she should move on.
Again you baffle me pretending not to see, me
The subject is acting as if the singer is not present.
I broke into your room, I broke down in my room
The singer has broken into the subject's space and emotionally broken herself in the process.
Touched your belongings there, and left a lock of my hair
The singer is trying to mark her presence and establish a connection with the subject.
Another sign for you
The action is meant to give the subject another signal of the singer's feelings.
You screamed into my face get the hell out of my place
The subject is expressing anger and frustration towards the singer.
Another sign for me? can you forgive me?
The singer is questioning if this outburst is another sign of the subject's feelings towards her or if she has done something wrong.
For not understanding your ways
The singer acknowledges that she doesn't fully comprehend the subject's behavior but feels powerless to change her feelings.
You know sometimes you take it all too far
The singer is aware that her obsession may be excessive.
Then I remember it's a game between you and me
The singer tries to view the situation as a playful exchange between her and the object of her affection.
A divine test for us two
The singer believes that this obsessive infatuation is a trial placed before her by a higher power.
It's all in my imagination
The singer acknowledges that her obsession is purely in her mind.
Yes they even say that our mission, is only
Others might suggest that the singer's fixation serves a purpose or greater goal.
My obsession
The cause of the singer's distress is her fixation on a particular person.
Do you hear this breath it's an oppressive breath
The singer's breathing has intensified as her infatuation becomes oppressive.
Suffocating in the poison of your obsession
The singer feels smothered by her obsession and recognizes it as a toxic influence.
Can you feel this beat it's a possessive beat
The singer's heart has become possessive and controlling.
Your pulse stops in the claws of your obsession
The obsessive infatuation has a hold over the subject that is causing them distress.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: John Mcgeoch, Peter Clarke, Steven Bailey, Susan Ballion
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind