So I usually stick with kinda obscure older 45s, but I couldn't resist covering this one. This 45 was the first bit of vinyl I ever purchased, when it came out in the late 80s. This must have been at the tail end of popular 45s, as this single was also released on CD. I remember this song was getting heavy play on MTV and I had to run out and buy it (that's right, music on MTV folks! Remember that?). Growing up near Chicago, the Waxtrax! label was a huge influence and the New wave/Industrial sounds they were releasing set the stage for falling in love with this single. With it's layered and effected horn samples and subtle vocal effects (a different mic for every line!), this song really did my head in. And I wasn't the only one, as this is one of Siouxie's biggest hits and her first foray into the US charts (#53 on th Billboard Top 100). Wow, that was over 20 years ago! Shit, I'm old.
This was a single of the "Peepshow" album, but you can grab the full MP3 of this song off of Amazon for a buck here: Peek-A-Boo
What can be said about Siouxsie Sioux that hasn't already been said? One of the most influential artists of the 80s, and true icon. Here's an random anecdote snatched from Wikipedia:
"Sioux's first gig was with her group Suzie and the Banshees, as an unrehearsed fill-in at the 100 Club Punk Festival organised by Malcolm McLaren in September 1976. The group did not know or play any songs; they improvised as Sioux recited poems and prayers she had memorized."
Siouxie Sioux has been shocking people awake since 1978's punky "Hong Kong Garden", and continues to tour today. I caught her at the first Lalapalloza, but to be honest that concert is a bit of a blur unfortunately. Here's to hoping I get another chance!
"None of them (modern bands) are as good as Siouxsie and the Banshees at full pelt. That's not dusty nostalgia, that's fact." - Morrissey
"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." - Robert Smith of The Cure
And now of course, the clip!
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