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.
www.siouxsie.com
https://siouxsieandthebanshees.backstreetmerch.com
Split in 2002
Faces
siouxsie and the banshees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My lovely foe
Mouth to mouth
Raining heaven's blows
Hand on heart
Tic tac toe
Under the stars
Naked as we flow
The bitter sweet
Commit your crime in your deadly time
Commit your crime in your deadly time
It's too divine
I want to bend
I want this bliss but something says I must resist
Another life
Another time
We're Siamese twins writhing intertwined
Face to face
No telling lies
The masks they slide to reveal a new disguise
You never can win
It's the state I'm in
This danger thrills and my conflict kills
They say follow your heart
Follow it through
But how can you
When you're split in two?
And you'll never know
You'll never know
One more kiss
Before we die
Face to face
And dream of flying
Who are you?
Who am I?
Wind in wings
Two angels falling
To die like this
With a last kiss
It's falsehood's flame
It's a crying shame
Face to face
The passions breathe
I hate to stay but then I hate to leave
And you'll never know
You'll never know
The song "Face to Face" by Siouxsie and the Banshees portrays a twisted and passionate love affair. The opening lines describe the intense nature of this relationship, where the two lovers are both foes and yet they can't resist each other. Throughout the lyrics, the lovers are depicted as being close to each other, with many physical descriptions such as "mouth to mouth", "cheek to cheek", and "hand on heart". However, there is a sense of danger to this relationship, with the line "commit your crime in your deadly time" suggesting that they are participating in something illicit. The singer also expresses a sense of conflict in the relationship, with her heart wanting to give in to the bliss of the moment, but her mind telling her to resist.
As the song continues, Siouxsie describes the lovers as being "Siamese twins writhing intertwined", emphasizing the intense connection they feel towards each other. The masks they wear in public slide off in each other's presence, revealing their true selves. The singer acknowledges that this relationship is ultimately unsustainable, as the conflict and danger will eventually lead to tragedy. In the final verse, the lovers share a last kiss before falling together, "to die like this with a last kiss".
Overall, "Face to Face" is a dark and intense portrayal of a love affair that is both addictive and dangerous. The use of physical descriptions throughout the lyrics emphasizes the physical and sexual nature of the relationship, while the conflict and danger signal that the relationship ultimately has no future.
Line by Line Meaning
Face to face
Intimate confrontation
My lovely foe
Beloved enemy
Mouth to mouth
Exchange of words
Raining heaven's blows
Fierce confrontation
Hand on heart
Being truthful
Tic tac toe
An internal conflict
Under the stars
In a romantic setting
Naked as we flow
Open, unfiltered communication
Cheek to cheek
Close proximity in a romantic way
The bitter sweet
The mixed emotions of the situation
Commit your crime in your deadly time
Take risks on your own terms
It's too divine
An irresistible temptation
I want to bend
Desire to give in to temptation
I want this bliss but something says I must resist
Internal conflict between yielding to temptation and resistance
Another life
Different circumstances
Another time
A different era or lifetime
We're Siamese twins writhing intertwined
Two people inseparable and deeply connected
No telling lies
Honesty is necessary
The masks they slide to reveal a new disguise
Hidden identities being uncovered
You never can win
There is no clear victory
It's the state I'm in
The current situation
This danger thrills and my conflict kills
The excitement of danger and the internal struggle it causes
They say follow your heart
Advice for making decisions
Follow it through
Stick to your choices
But how can you
An obstacle to following advice
When you're split in two?
When you have opposing desires
And you'll never know
The fear of never finding out
One more kiss
A final moment of intimacy
Before we die
Just before the end
And dream of flying
A longing for freedom
Who are you?
Questioning identity
Who am I?
Questioning one's own identity
Wind in wings
Feeling liberated
Two angels falling
Two people plummeting towards their inevitable end
To die like this
Death in the midst of passion
With a last kiss
A final moment of intimacy before death
It's falsehood's flame
The passion is not real
It's a crying shame
A regretful situation
The passions breathe
The intensity of emotions
I hate to stay but then I hate to leave
The internal conflict about ending things
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SUSAN BALLION, STEVEN SEVERIN, PETER EDWARD CLARKE, DANIEL ELFMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@charlessmith263
I love this "chillout" EDM song from the "Batman" movie saga.
Here are the lyrics for those who need to know the words......
NOTE: Danny Elfman actually did the “Penguin Motive” – the iconic 4-note passage of stepwise motion (notes D-Eb-D-C), and also the “Catwoman Motive” (notes Eb-D-Eb-D), in this song.
VERSE 1
Face to face – my lovely foe.
Mouth to mouth – raining heaven’s blows…
Hand on heart – tic-tac-toe;
Under the stars, naked as we flow –
Cheek to cheek – the bitter sweet (also known as “the pitch is swayed”)
Commit your crime…in your deadly time!
It’s too divine…I want to bend! (also known as “I want your bait!)
I want this bliss, but something says I must resist…..
VERSE 2
Another life, another time….
We’re siamese twins, writhing intertwined;
Face to face---no telling lies,
The masks they slide to reveal a new disguise!
You never can win (also known as “You’ll never get away”) – It’s the state I’m in.
This danger thrills, and my conflict kills (also known as “and my cold lip kills!”)
They say follow my heart….Follow it through….
But how can you…when you’re split in two…..
And you’ll never know…….And you’ll never know, and you’ll never know!!!....
(Rrrrrrrrugh……ahhhhhhhhhhh……Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrruuuuuuuuuuugggggggggggh!)
VERSE 3
One more kiss…before we die…..
Face to face…and dream of flying…
Who are you? Who am I?
Wind in wings (also known as “spread your wings”), two angels falling…….
To die like this…with one last kiss…
It’s falsehood’s flame (also known as “It lost its flame”) – it’s a cryin’ shame—
Face to face…the passions breathe (also known as “the passions breed”)
I hate to stay….But then I hate to leave…..
(And you’ll never know, And you’ll never know….you’ll never know….you’ll never know….you’ll never know, you’ll never know………..you’ll never know…..)
@sskoog
This public dance at the ball scene was amazing -- Pfeiffer's eyes fluttering toward the ceiling, glittering with madness, with Siouxsie's darkly Pharaonic music playing in background -- ranks up there alongside the Ra's al Ghul training sequence as the best scenes in Batman cinematic history. Batman Returns is an underrated masterpiece.
@arthurchallat8530
I was so happy to know that Burton asked Siouxsie And The Banshees to perform a song for this movie. One of my favorite film-maker likes such an amazing band 😍😍
@joshuwajimer
Mistletoe can be deadly of you eat it, but a kiss can be even deadlier...if you mean it
@CountTentacula
Does this mean we have to start fighting?
@THERobertL2000
@CountTentacula Let's go outside
@PowerHouser
BOOM
@Emily00Strange
It's 2022 and Batman Returns is still my favorite Batman movie. I love this version of Catwoman & The Peguin.
@DarthCipient
Best ever Batman movie.
@darkclaw3296
DarthCipient I was literally just about to post that. I f'n LOVE this one. It also doubles as my favorite XMas movie as well, hehe.
@marshanahrai97
+DarthCipient So true.