Slowdive (song)
| "Slowdive" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Siouxsie and the Banshees | ||||
| from the album A Kiss in the Dreamhouse | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | 1 October 1982 | |||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:42 | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Susan Ballion, Peter Edward Clarke, John McGeoch and Steven Severin | |||
| Producer(s) | Siouxsie and the Banshees | |||
| Siouxsie and the Banshees singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Slowdive" on YouTube | ||||
"Slowdive" is a song by English post-punk band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released in 1982 by record label Polydor as the first single from the band's fifth studio album, A Kiss in the Dreamhouse.
Music
[edit]The song (and the album) was representative of Siouxsie and the Banshees' more elaborate and experimental musical direction at the time. The overtones of the song were accentuated by a string section, including violins and a cello. AllMusic later described "Slowdive" as "a violin-colored dance beat number" with "a catchy melodic hook".[1][2] The Guardian's music critic Dave Simpson deemed it one of the band's very best recordings, noting that it "sounds like the lid being slowly released on a pressure cooker, as the band emerge from the black and flit from suspense to sensuality. They change course again musically, too, switching from brooding rock to psychedelic pop".[3] Rolling Stone noted the influence of German rock in the drums beats: "Siouxsie hits the dance floor in "Slowdive", tapping into the krautrock power groove of bands like Can".[4]
Release
[edit]"Slowdive" was released on 1 October 1982 by record label Polydor. The song just missed becoming a top 40 hit, peaking at number 41 in the UK Singles Chart.[5]
The song's release on 12" vinyl included an extended version (which would be released on the expanded, remastered edition of A Kiss in the Dreamhouse in 2009) and an instrumental version of the third track on Dreamhouse, "Obsession", titled "Obsession II".
Legacy
[edit]The title of the song inspired the name of the band Slowdive in the early 1990s, as later confirmed by the latter's members in interviews.[6][7]
"Slowdive" was covered by LCD Soundsystem in January 2005 for an XFM radio session and was also released as the B-side of their "Disco Infiltrator" single. “Slowdive” was a consistent part of LCD Soundsystem's live set in 2005, serving as the show closer.[8][9]
Track listing
[edit]- 7" single
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Slowdive" | 3:42 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cannibal Roses" | 4:30 |
- 12" single
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Slowdive (Extended)" | 5:45 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Obsession II" | 3:53 |
| 2. | "Cannibal Roses" | 4:30 |
Personnel
[edit]- Siouxsie and the Banshees
- Siouxsie Sioux – vocals
- Steven Severin – six-string bass guitar
- John McGeoch – guitar
- Budgie – drums, percussion, harmonica
- Additional personnel
- Anne Stephenson – violin
- Virginia Hewes – violin
References
[edit]- ^ Cleary, David. "A Kiss in the Dreamhouse – Siouxsie and the Banshees". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- ^ Mason, Stewart. "Slowdive – Siouxsie and the Banshees". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
- ^ Simpson, Dave (29 October 2014). "Siouxsie and the Banshees: 10 of the best". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- ^ Sheffield, Rob (27 September 2022). "100 Best Songs of 1982". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ^ "Siouxsie & the Banshees [uk charts]". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
- ^ Eisenhardt, Asa (1 August 2014). "WTSH interviews with Neil Halstead and Simon Scoot of Slowdive". When the sun hits. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ Strutt (24 February 2014). "Slowdive interview". Pennyblackmusic.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ "Juliette Licks it". NME. 15 February 2005. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
LCD Soundsystem tore through a set which opened with 'Beat Connection' and included 'Daft Punk Is Playing At My House' as well as a cover of 'Jump Into The Fire' by Nilsson and 'Slowdive' by Siouxsie and The Banshees.
- ^ Doran, John (5 January 2016). "Disco Infiltrated: An Early LCD Soundsystem Interview". The Quietus. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
After a jaw dropping set that ended on a cover of Siouxsie and the Banshees' 'Slowdive'.
