As debut albums go, Soft Cell hits the ground running, on 27 November 1981 the duo of Marc Almond and Dave Ball had released the ground-breaking, synth-wave ‘Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret’, an album which gained a cult-following in its own right, at the same time defying the boundaries of taste in early nineteen-eighties.
This was an album strewn with the stench and sin of the nighttime jungle (Entertain Me), porn theaters (Seedy Films) and prostitution (Sex Dwarf), the single that should have been;
“Luring disco dollies
To a life of vice”.
What we have is an examination of the reality under the microscope of Almonds soulful delivery and Ball with his electronic wizardry.
In the midst of these themes was the classic track “Tainted Love” the song that gained them a number-one and introduced the world to them. This obscure Gloria Jones track was perfect to sculpt a creature with hit making material, however there is more to
‘Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret’ than one song and the downside of that massive hit was the over-shadowing of what Soft Cell had on offer.
The track “Bedsitter” was released in conjunction with the album, breaking the top-five single charts, this was a self-penned track, making all the more worthwhile and laced with the flamboyant-sleaze that was part of the band’s makeup.
The final track and final release “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” again broke the top-five, proving the talent of the duo not just for the electro-experimentation but as songwriters in their own right.
Bedsitter (Lyrics)
Sunday morning going slow
I'm talking to the radio
Clothes and records on teh floor
Memories of the night before
Out in clubland having fun
Now I'm hiding from the sun
Waiting for a visitor
But noone knows I'm here for sure.
Dancing
Laughing
Drinking
Loving
And now I'm alll alone in Bedsit land,
My only home
I think it's time to cook a meal
To fill the emptiness I feel
Spend my money going out
I've nothing left, I'm left without
Clean my teeth and comb my hair
Look for something new to wear
And start the nightlife over again
And kid myself I'm having fun.
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret (Original 1981 Track List)
1.”Frustration'
2.”Tainted Love'
3.”Seedy Films'
4.”Youth'
5.”Sex Dwarf'
6.”Entertain Me'
7.”Chips on My Shoulder'
8.”Bedsitter'
9.”Secret Life”
10.”Say Hello, Wave Goodbye”
[Kevin Burke, November 2018]
On 26 November 1982 Siouxsie and the Banshees released the double A-sided single 'Melt!' as the second single from their fifth studio album A Kiss in the Dreamhouse. It was released by Polydor Records and featured the song 'Il Est Né, Le Divin Enfant', a track which does not appear on the album.
The sensual lyrics of 'Melt!' compare an intense sexual interlude with a lover to dying. Its lyrics can also allude to a S&M encounter "...Handcuffed in lace, blood and sperm / Swimming in poison / Gasping in the fragrance / Sweat carves a screenplay / Of discipline and devotion..."
'Il est né, le divin Enfant' was an adaptation of a traditional French Christmas carol. This track was exclusive to this single, and remained unreleased on LP or CD for many years until the appearance of the Siouxsie and the Banshees box set Downside Up in 2004.
The single peaked at number 49 in the UK Singles Chart and was released as 7" and 12" single.
Melt! - Tracklist
Side A
A1. Melt!
A2. Il est né, le divin enfant"
Side B
B1. A Sleeping Rain
Melt! - lyrics
You are the melting men
You are the situation
There is no time to breathe
And yet one single breath
Leads to an insatiable desire
Of suicide... in sex
So many blazing orchids
Burning in your throat
Making you choke
Making you sigh
Sigh in tiny deaths
So Melt!
My lover, melt!
She said melt!
My lover, melt!
You are the melting men
And as you melt
You are beheaded
Handcuffed (in lace and blood and sperm)
Swimming in poison
Gasping in the fragrance
Sweat carves a screenplay
of discipline...and devotion
So Melt!
My lover, melt!
She said melt!
My lover, melt!
Can you see?
See into the back of a long, black car
Pulling away from the funeral of flowers
With my hand between your legs
Melting...
© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc
On 26th November 1991 Siousxie and the Banshees released the U.S. only single ‘Fear (of the Unknown)’. It was released as the second U.S. single from the band's 10th studio album, Superstition. As this single was not released in the UK it became the only Siouxsie and the Banshees single not to be issued in their homeland.
Although the original version of ‘Fear (of the Unknown)’, as it appears on the album, was already a more uptempo and dance-oriented track with a lot of percussion work by drummer Budgie, it was still drastically remixed by Junior Vasquez to accentuate its 4/4 rhythm and give it a more house touch. When included on the 1992 compilation album Twice Upon a Time: The Singles, the track was presented in yet another version, being the fourth track on this single release.
The song became the Banshees' biggest hit in the U.S. climbing to number 6 in the Hot Dance/Disco chart.
The cover art is an homage to James Stewart's dream sequence in Alfred Hitchcock's film Vertigo.
‘Fear (of the Unknown)’ Lyrics)
I get the feeling -- I'm not alone
I get the feeling -- it's someone I don't know
Do you ever have the strange sensation
When you're standing mighty tall
To jump from 17 floors and crash into freefall?
But then fear takes control -- fear of the unknown
Imagines two complete strangers
Who suspect they were meant to be
Both in need of love and affection
Yet their suspicions prevent something heavenly
Fear takes control -- fear of the unknown
Aware of what will hurt you
You're prepared to remain this way
So sad yet safe with your afflictions
Afraid to start a brand new day
We all get the strangest feeling
When we're standing mighty tall
To jump from 17 floors and crash into freefall
But then fear carries all -- fear of the unknown
Fear takes its toll -- fear of the unknown
Aware of what will hurt you
You're prepared to remain this way
So sad yet safe with your afflictions
Afraid to start a brand new day
Fear (Of The Unknown) 12" vinyl track listing
- "Fear (Of The Unknown) (CHR Mix)"°
- "Fear (Of The Unknown) (House Of Fear Extended Mix)"°
- "Fear (Of The Unknown) (LP Version)"°
- "Fear (Of The Unknown) (Vertigo Mix)"°
- "Fear (Of The Unknown) (Urban Fear Mix)"°
- "Spiral Twist"
The entrance to the The Banshees garden of eden is held within the live recording “Nocturne”.
Released on the 25th of November-1983, this set acted as a makeshift ‘greatest hits’ although the sound and the performances are astounding that it transcends any best of label. For fans of Siouxsie And The Banshees this is perhaps their finest and most treasured moment, for newcomers do not be put off by the ‘Live’ tag, the quality is beyond compare to most other live-albums recorded then and perhaps still today.
A recording of two shows in London’s Royal Albert Hall captured the band at the height of their powers while on support of the sublime “A Kiss In The Dreamhouse”, with the added dimension of The Cure’s Robert Smith who stood in to handle guitar-duties for the tour, it is his feedback-screeches that invade the sound with whips of white-noise.
The performance was a milestone in eighties-music, the band work as a cohesive unit throughout as the conjuring of Siouxsie Sioux drags the passion from punk with all the dark-cool of goth. The hypnotic-beats created by Budgie and the layers of bass runs by Steve Severin cemented the foundations of what could only be described as emotional voodoo, ensnaring the listener as much as it had the audience.
There is tension mixed with drama and paranoia, “Eve White/Eve Black” highlights the psychological spell Siouxsie Sioux can manifest with howls and cries from the abyss into the ether, whereas the inclusion of two Beatles covers in the thundering “Helter Skelter” and the mesmerizing “Dear Prudence” showcases the influences which had crept into the bands sound.
A presence of demonic spirituality gathers in the versions here of “Paradise Place” and “Spellbound”, the more honed sound of punk seems to be eradicated and replaced with a dark sophistication of despair all the time though it is executed with brilliance, this is Siouxsie And The Banshees captured beautifully in their natural habitat, the stage.
“It hurts
There's a pain in my head
I wish it would stop
But it never stops”.
Original 1983 Track List;
Israel
Dear Prudence
Paradise Place
Melt!
Cascade
Pulled to Bits
Night Shift
Sin in My Heart
Slowdive
Painted Bird
Happy House
Switch
Spellbound
Helter Skelter
Eve White / Eve Black
Voodoo Dolly
[KB]
On November the 24th 1978, Gary Numan had his first slice of stardom with the release of his first album, not a solo effort but his band at the time Tubeway Army, their album was the catalyst to everything Numan would do as a solo artist.
This album important for many reasons but the most important is because it was the hybrid of Punk and Electronic Sounds, it was transitional for Numan as his change in style between early singles such as the punk inspired “Bombers” and what would happen after on the electro-based “Replicas”.
By all accounts this transition was by accident, the album “Tubeway Army” was set to be a purely hard-rock sounding affair however, a Minimoog synthesizer in the studio lead Numan to experiment with the compositions and instead of purely guitar sounds he began to give an experimental quality to the album.
The blending of guitar and keyboards mesh wonderfully well throughout, the dark and at times dystopian-style lyrics show a darker side to Numan, this is cyber-punk, the themes incorporate elements of death, science-fiction, the isolation in loneliness and flirtations with the question of sexuality.
This was far removed from the star he would become, though the lyrics would never be bettered, “Everyday I Die” and the sublime “Shadow In Vain” showcase the talent on offer;
“Stagger down main street
A knife in my side
And I fall to the gutter In tears but with pride
And me I'm feeling okay”.
The tracks themselves became some of the strongest in the repertoire of Gary Numan, these range from the standout “Listen to the Sirens', through to “Friends' and 'Jo the Waiter' though still used today they are solid constructions and still stand the test of time.
Tubeway Army:
Gary Numan – guitars, lead vocals, keyboards
Paul Gardiner – bass guitar, backing vocals
Jess Lidyard – drums
Track listing;
'Listen to the Sirens'
'My Shadow in Vain'
'The Life Machine'
'Friends'
'Something's in the House'
'Everyday I Die'
'Steel and You'
'My Love Is a Liquid'
'Are You Real?'
'The Dream Police'
'Jo the Waiter'
'Zero Bars (Mr. Smith)'
[Kevin Burke]
