Siouxsie & The Banshees

Career Overview

 * 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.
 * John 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



 * 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
 * 26 July 1978: Hong Kong Garden (7") Polydor
 * 02 August 1978: Hong Kong Garden (7") Polydor
 * 15 August 1978: Hong Kong Garden (7") Polydor
 * 16 August 1978: Voices (b/w 7" - Hong Kong Garden) Polydor 2059 052
 * 17 August 1978: Hong Kong Garden (7") Polydor
 * 18 August 1978: Hong Kong Garden (7") Polydor
 * 21 August 1978: Voices (b-side of 7" Hong Kong Garden) Polydor
 * 22 August 1978: Hong Kong Garden (7") Polydor
 * 24 October 1978: 'Mirage (LP-The Scream)' (Polydor)
 * 25 August 1978: Voices (single – Hong Kong Garden b-side) Polydor
 * 28 August 1978: Hong Kong Garden (7") Polydor
 * 06 September 1978: Hong Kong Garden (single) Polydor
 * 03 October 1978: Pure / Jigsaw Feeling / Overground / Carcass / Helter Skelter / Mirage / Metal Postcard (Mittageisen) / Nicotine Stain / Suburban Relapse /Switch (LP – The Scream) Polydor (whole of band's debut album played)
 * 12 October 1978: Suburban Relapse (LP – The Scream) Polydor
 * 12 October 1978: Switch (LP – The Scream) Polydor
 * 27 October 1978: Mirage (LP – The Scream) Polydor
 * 31 October 1978: Carcass (LP – The Scream) Polydor
 * 01 November 1978: Helter Skelter (LP – The Scream) Polydor
 * 08 November 1978: Suburban Relapse (LP - The Scream) Polydor
 * 10 November 1978: Overground (album - The Scream) Polydor POLD 5009
 * 10 November 1978: Jigsaw Feeling (album - The Scream) Polydor POLD 5009
 * 10 November 1978: Mirage (album - The Scream) Polydor POLD 5009
 * 13 November 1978: Mirage (album - The Scream) Polydor POLD 5009
 * 21 November 1978: Pure (LP - The Scream) Polydor
 * 21 November 1978: Jigsaw Feeling (LP - The Scream) Polydor
 * 29 November 1978: Carcass (album - The Scream) Polydor POLD 5009
 * 26 December 1978: Metal Postcard (Mittageisen) (LP - The Scream) Polydor
 * 26 December 1978: Jigsaw Feeling (LP – The Scream) Polydor
 * 26 December 1978: Mirage (LP – The Scream) Polydor
 * 26 December 1978: Switch (LP – The Scream) Polydor
 * 27 December 1978: Overground (LP – The Scream) Polydor
 * 27 December 1978: Helter Skelter (LP – The Scream) Polydor
 * 28 December 1978: 'Hong Kong Garden (7 inch)' (Polydor)


 * 1979
 * 07 March 1979: Jigsaw Feeling (LP - The Scream) Polydor
 * 15 March 1979: The Staircase (Mystery) (7") Polydor played twice
 * 19 March 1979: The Staircase (Mystery) / 20th Century Boy (7") Polydor
 * 26 March 1979: The Staircase (Mystery) (7") Polydor
 * 02 April 1979: 20th Century Boy (b/w 'The Staircase (Mystery)') (7") Polydor
 * 05 April 1979: The Staircase (Mystery) (7") Polydor
 * 12 April 1979: The Staircase (Mystery) (7") Polydor
 * 19 April 1979: The Staircase (Mystery) (7") Polydor
 * 11 June 1979: Love In A Void (German single) Polydor
 * 12 June 1979: Mittageisen (single) Polydor
 * 18 June 1979: Playground Twist (single) Polydor
 * 27 June 1979: Playground Twist (single) Polydor
 * 28 June 1979: Playground Twist (single) Polydor
 * 18 July 1979: Playground Twist (single) Polydor
 * 19 July 1979: Love In A Void (German single) Polydor
 * 29 August 1979: Poppy Day / Regal Zone / Placebo Effect Icon / Premature Burial / Playground Twist / Mother – Oh Mein Papa / The Lord’s Prayer (LP - Join Hands) (whole of the band's second album was played during the show)
 * 03 September 1979: Icon (LP - Join Hands) Polydor
 * 11 September 1979: Premature Burial (LP - Join Hands) Polydor (mentions that Siouxsie & The Banshees have sort of split up (or at least the rhythm section has left the band).)
 * 13 September 1979: Icon (LP - Join Hands) Polydor
 * 25 September 1979: Poppy Day (LP – Join Hands) Polydor
 * 27 September 1979: Love In A Void (single) Polydor
 * 04 October 1979: Regal Zone (LP - Join Hands) Polydor
 * 16 October 1979: Mittageisen (single) Polydor
 * 03 December 1979: Mittageisen (single) Polydor


 * 1980
 * 18 February 1980: Happy House (single) Polydor
 * 25 February 1980: Drop Dead/Celebration (b-side 'Happy House') Polydor
 * 26 February 1980: Happy House (single) Polydor
 * 28 February 1980: Drop Dead/Celebration (7" - Happy House) Polydor POSP 117
 * 28 February 1980: Happy House (single) Polydor
 * 10 March 1980: Happy House (single) Polydor
 * 11 March 1980: Drop Dead / Celebration (7” - Happy House) Polydor
 * 13 March 1980: Happy House (single) Polydor
 * 18 March 1980: Happy House (single) Polydor
 * 14 April 1980: Icon (LP - Join Hands) Polydor
 * 19 May 1980: Christine (7 inch) Polydor
 * 19 May 1980: Eve White / Eve Black (b/w single - Christine) Polydor 2059 249
 * 20 May 1980: Christine (7”) Polydor
 * 22 May 1980: Christine (7") Polydor
 * 29 May 1980: Christine (7”) Polydor
 * 05 June 1980: Eve White / Eve Black (7” – Christine) Polydor
 * 24 June 1980: Christine (7”) Polydor (Paul Gambaccini sits in)
 * 21 July 1980: Paradise Place (album - Kaleidoscope) Polydor 2442 177
 * 21 July 1980: Lunar Camel (album - Kaleidoscope) Polydor 2442 177
 * 13 August 1980: Skin (LP - Kaleidoscope) Polydor
 * 18 August 1980: Red Light (LP - Kaleidoscope) Polydor
 * 25 September 1980: Switch (LP - The Scream) Polydor
 * 12 November 1980: Israel (single) Polydor POSP(X) 205
 * 17 November 1980: Israel (single) Polydor POSP(X) 205
 * 25 November 1980: Israel (single) Polydor POSP(X) 205
 * 01 December 1980: Israel (single) Polydor POSP(X) 205
 * 09 December 1980: Israel (single) Polydor POSP(X) 205
 * 22 December 1980: 'Hong Kong Garden (7 inch)' (Polydor) FF #47 / 'Icon (LP-Join Hands)' (Polydor) FF #45 / 'Switch (LP-The Scream)' (Polydor) FF #44


 * 1981
 * 19 January 1981: Jigsaw Feeling (album - The Scream) Polydor POLD 5009
 * 28 January 1981: Suburban Relapse (album - The Scream) Polydor POLD 5009
 * 11 May 1981: Spellbound (Single) Polydor
 * 12 May 1981: Spellbound (Single) Polydor
 * 14 July 1981: Supernatural Thing (12" - Arabian Nights) Polydor POSPX 309
 * 15 July 1981: Conga Conga (12" - Arabian Nights) Polydor POSPX 309
 * 23 July 1981: Nightshift
 * 04 August 1981: Monitor (album - Juju) Polydor POLS 1034
 * 13 August 1981: SIn In My Heart (album - Juju) Polydor POLS 1034
 * 15 December 1981: The Staircase (Mystery) (7") Polydor


 * 1982
 * 02 January 1982: Israel
 * 11 February 1982 : Switch (LP-The Scream) Polydor
 * 15 March 1982: Monitor (album - Juju) Polydor POLS 1034
 * 18 May 1982: Fireworks (7") Polydor POSP 450
 * 08 November 1982: Cascade (album - A Kiss In The Dreamhouse) Polydor POLD 5064
 * 25 November 1982: Melt
 * 09 December 1982: Hong Kong Garden


 * 1983
 * 15 December 1983: (John quotes from a review in City Limits to explain as best he can to a listener why he hasn't played anything from Siouxsie And The Banshees's latest album - "Listening to Nocturne is like realising you've grown apart from a friend.")
 * 28 December 1983: 'Dear Prudence (7 inch)' (Wonderland)


 * 1984
 * 17 May 1984: Dazzle (7") Wonderland SHE 7
 * 09 July 1984 or 10 July 1984: Pointing Bone (album - Hyaena) Wonderland SHE HP1
 * 10 October 1984 (VPRO): Voices (7" - The Thorn) Wonderland


 * 1986
 * 25 February 1986: 'Candyman (7 inch)' (Wonderland)


 * 1988
 * 19 September 1988: The Last Beat Of My Heart (LP - Peepshow) Polydor
 * 28 September 1988: Burn-Up (LP - Peepshow) Polydor
 * 05 October 1988: Overground


 * 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
 * 12 January 1992: Love In A Void (Peel Session) (LP - Winters Of Discontent) Strange Fruit
 * 26 September 1992: Follow the Sun (b/w - 12" Spellbound) Polydor


 * 2002
 * 14 May 2002: Overground (LP – The Scream) Polydor
 * 17 July 2002: Happy House (single) Polydor


 * 2004
 * 28 December 2004 (Rob Da Bank): 'Overground (CD-The Scream)' (Polydor)


 * Other
 * Keeping It Peel: 'Hong Kong Garden' (Peel session)