With ex- Clock DVA guitarist John Valentine Carruthers replacing Smith, the Banshees then reworked four numbers from their repertoire, augmented by a string section, for The Thorn EP. NME praised the project: “The power of a classical orchestra is the perfect foil for the band’s grindingly insistent sounds”. The new…
Read More
During 1983, the band members worked separately; Siouxsie and Budgie composed the first Creatures album, Feast , while Severin and Smith recorded as the Glove . Smith then insisted on documenting his time with the Banshees, so the group released a cover version of the Beatles ‘ ” Dear Prudence…
Read More
The Banshees followed in 1982 with the psychedelic A Kiss in the Dreamhouse . The record, featuring strings on several numbers, was an intentional contrast to their previous work, with Severin later describing it as a “sexy album”. The British press greeted it enthusiastically. Richard Cook finished his NME review…
Read More
During the 1981 accompanying tour, Siouxsie and Budgie secretly became a couple. At the same time, they debuted a drum-and-voice duo the Creatures , releasing their first EP , Wild Things .
For Juju (1981), the band took a different approach and practised the songs in concert first before recording them. Juju , according to Severin, became an unintentional concept album that “drew on darker elements”. Sounds hailed it as “intriguing, intense, brooding and powerfully atmospheric”. The album later peaked at number…
Read More
Budgie became a permanent member, and the band entered the studios to record the single ” Happy House ” with guitarist John McGeoch , then still a member of Magazine . Their third album, Kaleidoscope , released in 1980, saw the Banshees exploring new musical territories with the use of…
Read More
The Banshees’ second album, Join Hands , was released in 1979. In Melody Maker , Jon Savage described “Poppy Day” as “a short, powerful evocation of the Great War graveyards”, and Record Mirror described the whole record as a dangerous work that “should be heard”. The Banshees embarked on a…
Read More
The band released their debut album, The Scream , in November 1978. Nick Kent of NME said of the record: “Certainly, the traditional three-piece sound has never been used in a more unorthodox fashion with such stunning results”.
The band sold-out venues in London in early 1978, but still had problems getting the right recording contract that could give them “complete artistic control”. Polydor offered this guarantee and signed them in June. Their first single, ” Hong Kong Garden “, featuring a xylophone motif, reached the top 10…
Read More
The band intended to split up after the gig, but they were asked to play again. Over the next few months, Siouxsie and Severin recruited drummer Kenny Morris and guitarist Peter Fenton. After playing several gigs in early 1977, they realised that Fenton did not fit in because he was…
Read More