Hong Kong Garden was on Rusty Egan's Playlist at the Blitz Club in London's Covent Garden in 1979, along with other unlikely floor fillers such as Throbbing Gristle, Magazine and Cabaret Voltaire , all on 7 inch only with not a remix in sight! This pioneering mixture certainly expanded the definition of material considered suitable for the dancefloor. Also worth noting that when Polydor finally signed Siouxsie and the Banshees in 1978, they had already been rejected by 7 labels including EMI, RCA, Chrysalis and CBS. Female fronted bands were still a novelty at the time, with marketing departments much more comfortable signing punk bands who could be promoted as all male streetgangs in the mould of The Clash.
Apparently, someone went around spray-painting “Sign Siouxsie and the Banshees” on the buildings of all the major labels, just before Polydor finally said yes 😁.
This week’s mixtape moves between the different subgenres that were around at the time. When I first started curating the list, I expected it would take a lot of effort to make it all fit, but it came together surprisingly easily. Another reminder that the genre boundaries weren’t as rigid as we’re sometimes told.
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Paul. Enjoy your weekend!
Completely unknown to me, so it's been very interesting to read their story, and your story with their music. I love artists who defy genre categories. Nice work, Pe!
Thanks, Andy! If you’re into Spellbound, it’s definitely worth exploring more of their catalogue, the best-of and singles collections are a great place to start. Appreciate you reading, sharing, and chiming in. Have a wonderful weekend
Such a great song and a fantastic band and frontwoman. I didn’t have many of their albums but I’ve never heard a track by them that I didn’t like. So influential for so many artists from the 80s all the way through this century. I actually think they’re quite underrated given their legacy.
Absolutely, Mark, I agree. They’re probably just as important as The Clash, even if they don’t always get the same level of recognition. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts. Have a great Sunday!
I knew Hong Kong Garden as it was often on the radio but it wasn't till I was holidaying in Devon as a 12yr old that the Banshees really became a thing as the waltzer at the campsite fair constantly played Happy House and Christine. I was hooked. The guitar sound was of another world and this was cemented on the release of Israel a few months later, the precursor of JuJu. Spellbound was and still is the greatest post punk guitar riff of all time. McGeoch truly was a genius. The Banshees stalled musically without out him, though they did have some fantastic moments, consistently they never produced the same heights.
Couldn’t agree more, John. It wasn’t until I started researching this week’s episode that I fully grasped just how important McGeoch was. As you pointed out, the fact they never quite reached the same creative heights after he left says it all. I always loved Spellbound and Arabian Knights, but never connected much with the rest of Juju, the whole Goth scene kind of passed me by. But listening to the full album again for this piece made me realise just how many standout tracks are on it, and how much of that is down to McGeoch’s incredible guitar work. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, John. Enjoy your Sunday!
Hong Kong Garden was on Rusty Egan's Playlist at the Blitz Club in London's Covent Garden in 1979, along with other unlikely floor fillers such as Throbbing Gristle, Magazine and Cabaret Voltaire , all on 7 inch only with not a remix in sight! This pioneering mixture certainly expanded the definition of material considered suitable for the dancefloor. Also worth noting that when Polydor finally signed Siouxsie and the Banshees in 1978, they had already been rejected by 7 labels including EMI, RCA, Chrysalis and CBS. Female fronted bands were still a novelty at the time, with marketing departments much more comfortable signing punk bands who could be promoted as all male streetgangs in the mould of The Clash.
Apparently, someone went around spray-painting “Sign Siouxsie and the Banshees” on the buildings of all the major labels, just before Polydor finally said yes 😁.
This week’s mixtape moves between the different subgenres that were around at the time. When I first started curating the list, I expected it would take a lot of effort to make it all fit, but it came together surprisingly easily. Another reminder that the genre boundaries weren’t as rigid as we’re sometimes told.
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Paul. Enjoy your weekend!
Completely unknown to me, so it's been very interesting to read their story, and your story with their music. I love artists who defy genre categories. Nice work, Pe!
Thanks, Andy! If you’re into Spellbound, it’s definitely worth exploring more of their catalogue, the best-of and singles collections are a great place to start. Appreciate you reading, sharing, and chiming in. Have a wonderful weekend
Such a great song and a fantastic band and frontwoman. I didn’t have many of their albums but I’ve never heard a track by them that I didn’t like. So influential for so many artists from the 80s all the way through this century. I actually think they’re quite underrated given their legacy.
Absolutely, Mark, I agree. They’re probably just as important as The Clash, even if they don’t always get the same level of recognition. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts. Have a great Sunday!
I knew Hong Kong Garden as it was often on the radio but it wasn't till I was holidaying in Devon as a 12yr old that the Banshees really became a thing as the waltzer at the campsite fair constantly played Happy House and Christine. I was hooked. The guitar sound was of another world and this was cemented on the release of Israel a few months later, the precursor of JuJu. Spellbound was and still is the greatest post punk guitar riff of all time. McGeoch truly was a genius. The Banshees stalled musically without out him, though they did have some fantastic moments, consistently they never produced the same heights.
Couldn’t agree more, John. It wasn’t until I started researching this week’s episode that I fully grasped just how important McGeoch was. As you pointed out, the fact they never quite reached the same creative heights after he left says it all. I always loved Spellbound and Arabian Knights, but never connected much with the rest of Juju, the whole Goth scene kind of passed me by. But listening to the full album again for this piece made me realise just how many standout tracks are on it, and how much of that is down to McGeoch’s incredible guitar work. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, John. Enjoy your Sunday!