PICK ANY 3 FROM 30.....

Something came up on the i-pod shuffle the other day that got me thinking that it was perhaps the finest of the singles released by Siouxsie & the Banshees. Not more than 20 minutes later, another random single came on that made me think this was in fact their finest 45. All of which got me doing a wee bit of research...

Between 1978 and 1995, the band released 30 singles. Of these, all but three sold enough copies to gain a place in the UK Top 50. But they were never a band that had enormous hits – just two made the Top 10 and a further three went Top 20.

A further thirteen of their singles stalled in the middle sections of the charts (ie between positions 21 and 40) which at least got them regular name checks on Top Of The Pops. They were also a band who had an unfortunate knack of reaching #41 and then falling away – this happened to them on four occasions.

So a few more sales here and there could have seen history record them as one of the great singles bands in terms of sales rather than merely quality. Funnily enough, while I’ve often thought of myself as a fan, I don’t have all that many of their singles in the collection. Admittedly, a few went missing back in the mid 80s when I lost all of my collection of 7” singles in a misadventure, but while I’ve since then replaced many of these as the years have gone by, I’ve never been inclined to do so with the Banshees.

Partly this was to so with the singles being widely available on a couple of excellent ‘greatest hits’ type LPs, volume one of which was released as far back as 1981, but also because so few of the 45s had contained particularly memorable or essential b-sides. And it’s this lack of plastic in the cupboard that has led to them not being featured so often here at TVV over the past five and a bit years as they deserve.

So without any further ado, here in descending order are my three favourite S&tB singles:-

Number 3

mp3 : Siouxsie & The Banshees – Slowdive

From 1982. This was one of those pesky #41 hits. It’s the strings that do it for me. That and the it where Ms Sioux sings/moans ‘Oh My God’ in the most orgasmic of fashions. This was a song brilliantly covered many years later by LCD Soundsystem

mp3 : LCD Soundsystem – Slowdive

Number 2

mp3 : Siouxsie & The Banshees – Cities In Dust

From 1985. This got to #21. It’s the ability to dance in a non-gothic way does it for me. That and the memory of a brilliant live performance on Whistle Test with Ms Sioux confined to a chair after she had busted her knee while performing live.



I’ve a copy of the 12” version of this single in the cupboard and hence this extended version.  Goth goes Tears For Fears.......

mp3 : Siouxsie & The Banshees – Cities In Dust (Extended Eruption mix)

Number 1

mp3 : Siouxsie & The Banshees – Israel

From 1980. This was yet one of those pesky #41 hits. A song that wasn’t included on any of their studio LPs. It’s the ability to dance in a totally-gothic way does it for me. A single that takes me back to arguments in the common room at school about how punk and new-wave had great musicians and talent shouldn’t be measured alone on the basis of extended guitar or drum solos.

It wasn’t easy to get it down to three. I’ve left off Happy House, Hong Kong Garden, Kiss Them For Me and Spellbound when all were serious contenders.

So many great singles.....with the biggest shame being that it was cover versions – Dear Prudence in 1983 and This Wheel’s On Fire in 1987 – that give them two out of three of their highest chart placings.