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1118full-siouxsie-and-the-banshees

Punk/goth four piece formed in 1976: Siouxsie Sioux (nee Susan Ballion) (vocals) and Steve Severin (bass) were the constant members of an aggregation that in its best-remembered line-up included John McKay (guitar) and Kenny Morris (drums). Siouxsie had been one of the hangers-on present during the Sex Pistols interview with Bill Grundy. The Banshees changed musical direction in the early 80s after recruiting Budgie (drums) and one guitarist was the Cure's Robert Smith. Siouxsie's spiky hairdo and black make-up fixed the image of what a gothic band should be years ahead of its time, and album and single releases proved equally successful.

Peel was instrumental in kick-starting their career after John Walters had seen them supported by the Fall at the Greyhound in Croydon. He gave them a session prior to their even having a contract, played their debut release, Hong Kong Garden, at the top of his show every night for a week, and shamelessly plugged their first two LPs. Inevitably, he tired of their material, stating a clear dislike for their cover of the Beatles' Dear Prudence, and said on Peeling Back The Years in 1987 that "the stuff the Banshees do now doesn't please me as much as the first things they did...I think the Banshees have become, not exactly predictable, but at the same time, you've got a pretty good idea of what it's going to sound like."

Siouxsie sat in as guest presenter on the Peel show on 20 October 2004, when Peel was on holiday in Peru.

Sessions

Five sessions. All are available on Voices On The Air - The Peel Sessions and At The BBC (Polydor).

1. Recorded 1977-11-29. First broadcast 05 December 1977. Repeated 21 December 1977, 09 January 1978, 06 February 1978, 01 May 1978, 26 July 1978, 26 May 1980, 18 February 1981, 09 February 1982.

  • Love In A Void / Mirage / Metal / Suburban Relapse

2. Recorded 1978-02-06. First broadcast 23 February 1978. Repeated 13 March 1978, 01 May 1978, 12 June 1978, 26 July 1978, 07 September 1978, 01 January 1979.

  • Hong Kong Garden / Overground / Carcass / Helter Skelter

3. Recorded 1979-04-09. First broadcast 16 April 1979. Repeated 02 July 1979, 27 December 1979.

  • Placebo Effect / Playground Twist / Regal Zone / Poppy Day

4. Recorded 1981-02-10. First broadcast 18 February 1981. Repeated 09 March 1981, 21 April 1981, 29 December 1981.

  • Halloween / Voodoo Doll / But Not Them / Into The Light

5. Recorded 1986-01-28. First broadcast 03 February 1986. Repeated 18 February 1986, 26 February 1986, 05 May 1986.

  • Candy Man / Cannons / Lands End

Festive 50 Entries

Siouxsie_&_the_Banshees_-_Hong_Kong_Garden_(1978)

Siouxsie & the Banshees - Hong Kong Garden (1978)

'Hong Kong Garden' performed live on 'Revolver' in 1978

1978 Festive Fifty
  • Hong Kong Garden #22
  • Helter Skelter #34
  • Overground #38
  • Switch #41
  • Mirage #42
  • Jigsaw Feeling #43
  • Metal Postcard #50
1979 Festive Fifty
  • Love In A Void #21
  • Icon #35
  • Switch #38
  • Jigsaw Feeling #42
  • Playground Twist #44
  • Helter Skelter #46
  • Hong Kong Garden #48
1980 Festive Fifty
  • Jigsaw Feeling #37
  • Switch #44
  • Icon #45
  • Hong Kong Garden #47
  • Love In A Void #51
1981 Festive Fifty
  • Jigsaw Feeling #35
  • Israel #37
  • Icon #40
  • Switch #49
1982 Festive Fifty
(all-time)
  • Israel AT#15
  • Jigsaw Feeling AT#39
  • Switch AT#42
  • Icon AT#45
  • Hong Kong Garden AT#46
(annual)
  • Fireworks #16
  • Slowdive #23
  • Melt #49
1983 Festive Fifty
  • Dear Prudence #20

Featured in shows

1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1986
1987
1988
1989
  • 13 February 1989: Overground (12" - The Peel Sessions (The Second Session)) Strange Fruit
1991
  • 15 June 1991: Fear (of the Unknown) (LP - Superstition) Polydor
  • 14 July 1991: Helter Skelter (12" EP - Peel Session) Strange Fruit
1992
2002
2004
Other

External Links

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