Cut from the same cloth as U2, the Virgin Prunes were anything but a replica, to the the photograph U2 presented the Virgin Prunes were the negative, a dark cloud of invention against the dense fog of rock which hung thick in the late 70s.
In late 1982 the Virgin Prunes dived headfirst into a world of insanity, sculpting a vision of madness to enslave their new-found audience in ‘Hérésie’. The most adventurous band to rise out of the post-punk era struck gold very early on in their career, the Virgin Prunes are the anomaly in music, avant-garde, anti-commercial, hard to replicate and highly original.
To coincide with the debut album, “....If I Die, I Die”, the Virgin Prunes were commissioned by Yann Farcy to record an album for release through his label; L’Invitation Au Suicide, this dark work of experimental music would push the barrier of mainstream sound over a cliff with a celebration of disturbing gothic mastery.
The resulting album was to become ‘Hérésie’, a double ep set, one side a studio recording from their home at Windmill Lane Studios Dublin, Ireland, the other side a live recording taken from a performance at the Rex Club in Paris in June of that year.
Although primarily released and promoted for the French market the album found a much wider appeal originally as an import and towards the end of the nineties it finally found a release through Mute in the US and UK.
It is though an album of sublime anarchy and immense art, never replicated again by the band, a stretch too far into the abyss that it may have started to stare back at Gavin Friday and the rest of the Prunes.
The music contained within however is devastatingly good, interesting and surprisingly at times addictive, for example the track “Rhetoric” a mixture of Faust meets Bowie in a playground of weirdness;
“Spit into his eye,
Seeker Save His Soul.
Crawling in Pain”.
The music is not as powerful as on the debut and the standards recorded worked much better onstage with the visuals of Guggi and Friday bringing the theatrics to the music.
Here though, there is a low-point with the accordion driven “Down The Memory Lane” which is out of place slightly against others such as the sublimely macabre of “Loved One”;
“Sitting on the carpet
Playing with a gun”.
There is a train of thought that the extremity of the live shows did not translate to the studio, those slight touches of magic were lost which is why the second disc is so crucial here.
For the live recording the Prunes deprived themselves of sleep by some reports in a way to bring themselves to the point of madness or rather the right frame of mind to create a recording such as this, wether that is folklore or not this is the better side of the set by far as it pushes the audience and no doubt the listener to the brink of insanity.
The stage performance was always crucial to the Virgin Prunes, it was here that the creature finally sprang to life in a well-honed show, the influences of Joy Division, PiL and even Krautrock comes to the surface. With dolls heads and dead animals which would not look out of place at an Alice Cooper show, this though was in the name of art more so than shock.
The mastery of Dik Evans guitar work is critical in galvanizing their live sound against the thundering bass playing of Strongman (Trevor Rowan brother of second vocalist Guggi) which make the versions of “Pagan Lovesong” and “Theme For Thought” overtly raw and delivered with the intensity the band became famous for.
The “Walls Of Jericho” is blistering with Evan’s guitar chiming throughout, here Virgin Prunes cut-loose in full, sonic attack.
If there is anyone who is unfamiliar with the Virgin Prunes this is not the place to start, think of easing yourself in gently with one of there more accessible studio works, however, if you start to discover the Prunes this is where your journey will inevitably lead as this is a band hitting an abstract style of brilliance seldom seen within the modern music spectrum.
Kevin Burke.
On 16 March 1987, Siouxsie and the Banshees released their cover version of Iggy Pop's 'The Passenger', it was recorded for their 1987 all-cover-versions album Through the Looking Glass. The band revamped the song by adding brass arrangements. Released as the second single from that album, it peaked at number 41 in the UK singles charts.
Iggy Pop later praised their version and stated: "She sings it well and she threw a little note in when she sings it, that I wish I had thought of, it's kind of improved it [...]. Also the horn thing is good."
It was released as 7" and 12" vinyl by Polydor.
The Passenger - 7" - Tracklist
A. The Passenger 4:06
B. She's Cuckoo 4:16
The Passenger - 12 " - Tracklist
A. The Passenger (Llllloco-motion Mix) 8:00
B1. She's Cuckoo 4:15
B2. Something Blue 3:54
Today, 35 years ago, Siousxie And The Banshees released the single Swimming Horses!
Today, 35 years ago, Siousxie And The Banshees released the single Swimming Horses (16.03.1984) which was taken from the band's sixth studio album Hyaena. The song was co-written by Steven Severin and Robert Smith (The Cure)
The 7" B-side featured Let’s Go while the 12" version also feartured a third song called The Humming Wires.
Upon release Siousxie explained to British music magazine Melody Maker what events inspired her to write this song:
“This song is based on a programme I saw about a female version of Amnesty, called 'Les Sentinelles'. They rescue women who are trapped in certain religious climates in the Middle East, religions that view any kind of pre-marital sexual aspersion as punishable by death – either by the hand of the eldest brother in the family, or by public stoning. And there was this instance of a woman whose daughter had developed a tumour, and, of course, gossip abounded that she was pregnant. The doctor who removed the tumour allowed her to take it back to the village to prove that, no, it wasn't a baby – but they wouldn't believe her. The woman knew her daughter would have to be stoned to death so she poisoned her, out of kindness, to save her from a worse fate. Now this organization has all these escape routes for women like her, mainly through the elder brother who pretends to have killed them. But once they've been saved, they can never go back. So the song starts, "Kinder than with poison..." I also used the imagery of "He gives birth to swimming horses", from the fact that male sea horses give birth to the children, so they're the only species that have a maternal feel for the young. It was, I suppose, an abstract way of linking it all together without being sensationalist. I remember just being really moved by that programme, and wanting to get the sorrow out of me.“
Swimming Horses - Lyrics
Falling in your, falling in your arms
Fish on a line, learns to live on dry land
Thrown back again to drown
Kinder with poison
Than pushed down a well - or a face burnt to hell
Feel the cruel stones breaking her bones
Dead before born
Words fall in ruins - but no sound
She's dying of your shame - she maimed by your paw
He gives birth to swimming horses
Fish on a line, walking on dry land
But, back in the water to drown we drown
Floating in sky
He gives birth to swimming horses
Take a ride on the tide with the assassin at your side
The weightlessness under water -- forgets in slow motion
And washes pointless tortures
He gives birth to swimming horses
Floating in sky like fishes can fly through your arms
Songwriters: Robert Smith / Siouxsie Sioux / Steven Severin
Formed in August 1991 by Simon Treen, Neil Ash, Simon Manning and Pete Finemore and taking their name from a song by The March Violets, The Stun debuted at ‘The Crypt’, Hastings shortly after recording their first demo tape 'Elegance'. Later appearing in Mick Mercer's second Gothic Rock book which boosted their popularity and gained them some much needed publicity.
After recording ‘Elegance’ Treen left the band and the group moved towards the use of a drum machine.
The band supported the popular goth rock bands Nosferatu & Rosetta Stone on their UK tours and released demo tapes 'Choices', 'Monochrome I' and 'Monochrome II' using the profits to release a self financed 12” single, 'Hollow'. The group secured a recording contract with Cleopatra Records and in 1994 released their first album “Tourniquets of Love's Desire”.
After a break of 17 years, Children on Stun played a surprise sell-out reunion gig at the O2 Academy2 in London on 15th May 2015 and announced the band would be reforming to write new material.
On the 4th of July 2015 Simon Manning sadly passed away in his sleep.
After their tragic loss the band played two charity events for heart disease research in memory of Simon, both held on his birthday. Long term friend and Simon's previous band-mate, Stuart Harper, filled in on guitar. A signed limited edition CD ‘ Dancing with Mr Punch’ is released and the following year ‘This Sideshow Burlesque’ to further raise funds. Following Stuart's departure from the band, Gordon Young (Dream Disciples, Seraphin Twin), stepped in to play guitar.
Today the group is signed to the label ‘Armalyte Industries’, home of Cubanate, Chris Connelly [RevCo, Ministry].
Their brand new EP Echoes is released today 15th March 2019. A series of live dates have been announced to coincide, including the legendary 100 Club in London with Nosferatu.
Echoes Tour
Leeds 16/3 @ Carpe Noctum with Nosferatu & Momento Mori
London 17/3 @ 100 Club with Nosferatu
Berlin 23/3 @ Dark Spring Festival
Edinburgh 20/4 @ Bannermans with Berlin Black
Nottingham 21/4 @ Chameleon Arts Cafe with Glass House museum & Rain children
We have 5 copies of Echoes to give away amonst our readers! Go here to enter the raffle competition!
Today, 35 years ago, Depeche Mode performed People Are People on German TV.
On 14 March 1984 the English synth pop band Depeche Mode presented their brand new single ‘People Are People’ which was only released two days before (12 March 1984) on the German Top-pop TV show Flashlights.
Six weeks later the single reached the first place in the German single charts and stayed on this number one position for 3 weeks. In West Germany, it was used as the theme to West German TV's coverage of the 1984 Olympics, alluding to East Germany's participation in the Soviet-led boycott of the games.
The single was taken from the album ‘Some Great Reward’ which made it to the 3rd position in the German pop album charts. The album also became gold record with over 150,000 copies sold.
It also became their first hit-single in the US where the single would eventually peak at no. 13. In the UK, the single reached number 4, which was at the time the band's highest singles chart position in their homeland.
In 2011 the song was included on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of the "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll"
People are People (Lyrics)
People are people so why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully
So we're different colours
And we're different creeds
And different people have different needs
It's obvious you hate me
Though I've done nothing wrong
I never even met you
So what could I have done
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
People are people so why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully
Help me understand
Now you're punching and you're kicking
And you're shouting at me
I'm relying on your common decency
So far it hasn't surfaced
But I'm sure it exists
It just takes a while to travel
From your head to your fist
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
Songwriter: Martin Gore
© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
