SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES – "THROW THEM TO THE LIONS [Edit]" (B-side 1984)
- 8 years ago
'THROW THEM TO THE LIONS' is the additional B-side track of SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES 12" vinyl 'DAZZLE' released on 25 May 1984 as the 2nd single off HYÆNA LP in the UK.
SEVERIN: "Written over Easter in response to one of those tiresome Charlton Heston biblical epics. [Note: the candidates more probably being 'The 10 Commandments' 1956 with Heston as Moses or 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' 1965 with Heston as John The Baptist]. Don’t ask me why, but it felt appropriate to add: a) an imagined Wilson Pickett style bass line, b) a back keyboard figure and c) some T. Rex "hey’s" [Note: inspired straightly by T.Rex’s 1972 single "Solid Gold Easy Action"]. It’s a collage thing! Murray Mitchell, our guitar roadie at the time, worked a really grotesque guitar howling sound for me, which was really fun to play."
Obviously the lyrics deal with Moses, Jesus and all the so-called 'martyrs' of early Christianity, because just how courageous is it to impose death on yourself, if you really and deeply believe that you’re going to a better place, like Paradise, afterwards? The final track is an excursion of pure unadulterated psychotic passion.
BILLY HOULSTON: "Siouxsie, Steven and Budgie once again met in The Garden studios (unaccompanied by a Cure committed Robert Smith) during Easter weekend (21 & 22 April 1984). It was Steven's initial suggestion, because he and Robert had worked together there as The Glove, hence he was already familiar with the surroundings and knew it was possible to work really fast there.
On Saturday, 21: At about 2 o'clock in the morning (and having already finished working on track 'I Promise'), it was always the groups intention to go straight into the studio and do the 2nd track there and then on the spot. They began with the drum sound and no sooner had they started when Murray Mitchell entered proclaiming the discovery of a videodrome guitar sound.
So on Take #1: Steven took possession of the instrument and its acquired sound and with Budgie on drums embarked on a videodrome thrash.
Then on Take #2: Budgie played another full drum-kit on top of the 1st take, accompanied by the indefinable guitar sound of Murray Mitchell (but one will have to listen carefully to hear this - it's only noticeable at the immediate beginning and end of the track).
On Sunday, 22: Steven played keyboards and Budgie acoustic bass, after which Steven added electric bass - by which time it was 8 o'clock in the morning, so what they hadn't finished had to be postponed until mixing day.
On the 3rd day (Wednesday, 25): Budgie added more percussion, Steven finished off the guitars on 'I Promise' and finally Siouxsie completed the vocals. Which meant only the mixing remained. Still it proved to be yet another mammoth session in the studio until 8 o'clock, yet again."
Never performed live.
[Note: fan-made video storyboarded, choreographed & directed by Dimitri Toumaras in 2013, https://vimeo.com/81608390 ]
SEVERIN: "Written over Easter in response to one of those tiresome Charlton Heston biblical epics. [Note: the candidates more probably being 'The 10 Commandments' 1956 with Heston as Moses or 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' 1965 with Heston as John The Baptist]. Don’t ask me why, but it felt appropriate to add: a) an imagined Wilson Pickett style bass line, b) a back keyboard figure and c) some T. Rex "hey’s" [Note: inspired straightly by T.Rex’s 1972 single "Solid Gold Easy Action"]. It’s a collage thing! Murray Mitchell, our guitar roadie at the time, worked a really grotesque guitar howling sound for me, which was really fun to play."
Obviously the lyrics deal with Moses, Jesus and all the so-called 'martyrs' of early Christianity, because just how courageous is it to impose death on yourself, if you really and deeply believe that you’re going to a better place, like Paradise, afterwards? The final track is an excursion of pure unadulterated psychotic passion.
BILLY HOULSTON: "Siouxsie, Steven and Budgie once again met in The Garden studios (unaccompanied by a Cure committed Robert Smith) during Easter weekend (21 & 22 April 1984). It was Steven's initial suggestion, because he and Robert had worked together there as The Glove, hence he was already familiar with the surroundings and knew it was possible to work really fast there.
On Saturday, 21: At about 2 o'clock in the morning (and having already finished working on track 'I Promise'), it was always the groups intention to go straight into the studio and do the 2nd track there and then on the spot. They began with the drum sound and no sooner had they started when Murray Mitchell entered proclaiming the discovery of a videodrome guitar sound.
So on Take #1: Steven took possession of the instrument and its acquired sound and with Budgie on drums embarked on a videodrome thrash.
Then on Take #2: Budgie played another full drum-kit on top of the 1st take, accompanied by the indefinable guitar sound of Murray Mitchell (but one will have to listen carefully to hear this - it's only noticeable at the immediate beginning and end of the track).
On Sunday, 22: Steven played keyboards and Budgie acoustic bass, after which Steven added electric bass - by which time it was 8 o'clock in the morning, so what they hadn't finished had to be postponed until mixing day.
On the 3rd day (Wednesday, 25): Budgie added more percussion, Steven finished off the guitars on 'I Promise' and finally Siouxsie completed the vocals. Which meant only the mixing remained. Still it proved to be yet another mammoth session in the studio until 8 o'clock, yet again."
Never performed live.
[Note: fan-made video storyboarded, choreographed & directed by Dimitri Toumaras in 2013, https://vimeo.com/81608390 ]
Recommended
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES – Siouxsie & Severin i/v ('Nightwatch' show, CBS USA TV, January 1986)
Costas
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES – Siouxsie i/v ('The New Music' show, MuchMusic Canadian TV, Aug 1991)
Costas