Israel (Siouxsie and the Banshees song)

Last updated

"Israel"
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Israel.png
Single by Siouxsie and the Banshees
B-side "Red Over White"
Released28 November 1980 (1980-11-28)
Recorded1980
Genre Post-punk
Length4:54
Label Polydor
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Nigel Gray
  • Siouxsie and the Banshees
Siouxsie and the Banshees singles chronology
"Christine"
(1980)		"Israel"
(1980)		"Spellbound"
(1981)
Music video
"Israel" on YouTube

"Israel" is a song by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released as a stand-alone single in 1980 by Polydor Records.

Contents

While touring in Europe in autumn 1980, the band wanted to write a Christmas song to be released on time for December of that year. They composed it on the road, which was quite unusual for them. It was the first time that Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin composed a single with guitarist John McGeoch and drummer Budgie. [1]

The song was co-produced by Nigel Gray: it prominently featured a 30 singer Welsh choir on backing vocals. [2] It soon became a classic of their repertoire and was regularly performed during encores at each of their tours.

The song was a favourite of several artists including Air's composer Jean-Benoît Dunckel who selected as one of his 10 all-time favourite songs, [3] and the band Ride who selected it as a song of their intro tape on tour. [4] Producer Howie B. (a frequent collaborator of Björk and Tricky in the 1990s) included it in a list of songs, representing the music he listened to when he grew up in Glasgow. [5]

Release

"Israel" was released as a stand-alone single in between the albums Kaleidoscope (1980) and Juju (1981) on 28 November 1980 by record label Polydor. It peaked at No. 41 on the UK Singles Chart. [6] It was the band's first single to be also released on a 12-inch although the track lengths on both sides of the 12-inch edition were the same as on the 7-inch.

Although it reached No. 73 on the US National Disco Action Top 100 chart as an import, [7] "Israel" did not appear on a Siouxsie and the Banshees album until the release of the Once Upon a Time/The Singles compilation the following year, although some copies of the US release of Juju on PVC Records included a free copy of this single.

The song was remastered in 2002 for the compilation CD The Best of Siouxsie and the Banshees and was also featured as a bonus track on the 2006 Kaleidoscope reissue.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Siouxsie Sioux, Steven Severin, John McGeoch and Peter Clarke. All tracks produced by Nigel Gray and Siouxsie and the Banshees.

7-inch and 12-inch single [8] [9]
No.TitleLength
1."Israel"4:54
2."Red Over White"4:31

Charts

Chart (1980)Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC) [6] 41
Billboard US Hot Dance/Disco [7] 73

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siouxsie and the Banshees</span> English rock band

Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. Q magazine included John McKay's guitar playing on "Hong Kong Garden" in their list of "100 Greatest Guitar Tracks Ever", while Mojo rated guitarist John McGeoch in their list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" for his work on "Spellbound". The Times called the group "one of the most audacious and uncompromising musical adventurers of the post-punk era".

<i>Nocturne</i> (Siouxsie and the Banshees album) 1983 live album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Nocturne is a live double album and video by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released on 25 November 1983 by Polydor Records. Co-produced by Mike Hedges, Nocturne features performances recorded at two shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London, on 30 September and 1 October 1983, featuring Robert Smith on guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John McGeoch</span> British musician

John Alexander McGeoch was a Scottish musician and songwriter. He is best known as the guitarist of the rock bands Magazine (1977-1980) and Siouxsie and the Banshees (1980-1982).

<i>Once Upon a Time/The Singles</i> 1981 greatest hits album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Once Upon a Time/The Singles is Siouxsie and the Banshees's 1981 compilation album featuring the band's UK single releases to date. The album featured several songs that had been released as singles yet had not appeared on any of the Banshees' four albums. Once Upon a Time/The Singles spent twenty six weeks in the UK albums chart. The sleeve was designed by Stylorouge.

<i>Join Hands</i> 1979 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Join Hands is the second studio album by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released in September 1979 by the record label Polydor. Upon its release, it was praised by the British press, including Melody Maker, Sounds, NME and Record Mirror.

<i>Kaleidoscope</i> (Siouxsie and the Banshees album) 1980 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Kaleidoscope is the third studio album by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released in 1980 by record label Polydor. With the departure of John McKay and Kenny Morris and their replacement by two new musicians, Budgie on drums and John McGeoch on guitars, the band changed their musical direction and offered an album containing a wide variety of colors. "It was almost a different band", said Siouxsie.

<i>Juju</i> (Siouxsie and the Banshees album) 1981 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Juju is the fourth studio album by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was recorded at Surrey Sound studio with Nigel Gray as co-producer, and was released on 19 June 1981 by record label Polydor. Two singles were released from Juju: "Spellbound" and "Arabian Knights".

<i>A Kiss in the Dreamhouse</i> 1982 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

A Kiss in the Dreamhouse is the fifth studio album by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released on 5 November 1982 by Polydor Records. The record marked a change of musical direction, as the group used strings for the first time and experimented in the studio. Guitarist John McGeoch played more instruments, including recorder and piano. For Julian Marszalek of The Quietus, the release proved the Banshees to be "one of the great British psychedelic bands."

<i>Tinderbox</i> (Siouxsie and the Banshees album) 1986 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Tinderbox is the seventh studio album by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released on 21 April 1986 by Wonderland and Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and by Geffen Records in the United States. It was the band's first full-length effort recorded with then-new guitarist John Valentine Carruthers; Carruthers had previously only added a few parts on the 1984 EP The Thorn. The first recording sessions for the album took place at Hansa by the Wall in Berlin in May 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hong Kong Garden (song)</span> 1978 single by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"Hong Kong Garden" is the debut single of English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released as a single on 18 August 1978 by Polydor Records, reaching number 7 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Staircase (Mystery)</span> 1979 single by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"The Staircase (Mystery)" is a song by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released as a stand-alone single on 23 March 1979 by Polydor Records. The track was written by Siouxsie Sioux, John McKay, Steven Severin and Kenny Morris, and was produced by Nils Stevenson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mittageisen</span> 1979 single by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"Mittageisen" is a song by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It originally appeared on the band's 1978 debut album The Scream as "Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)"; the track was re-recorded in 1979, this time with the lyrics sung in German, and released as a single in West Germany with "Love in a Void" on the b-side. That September the song was given a UK release by record label Polydor as a double A-side single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Happy House</span> 1980 single by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"Happy House" is a song written by Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin and recorded by their band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released as a single in March 1980 by record label Polydor, then later included on the band's third album, Kaleidoscope. "Happy House" was the group's first record made with guitarist John McGeoch and drummer Budgie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christine (Siouxsie and the Banshees song)</span> 1980 single by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"Christine" is a song by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, written by Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin. It was released in 1980 by Polydor as the second single from the then-unreleased third album, Kaleidoscope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spellbound (Siouxsie and the Banshees song)</span> 1981 single by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"Spellbound" is a song by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was written by the group and co-produced with Nigel Gray. It was released in 1981 by record label Polydor as the first single from the band's fourth studio album, Juju.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slowdive (song)</span> 1982 single by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"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.

<i>The Thorn</i> (EP) 1984 EP by Siouxsie and the Banshees

The Thorn is an EP recorded by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released in late 1984 by Polydor and remastered in 2004 to be included on the Downside Up box set.

<i>Wild Things</i> (EP) 1981 EP by The Creatures

Wild Things is the first release by British duo the Creatures. It was issued on 25 September 1981 by Polydor Records as two 7" single records in a "double-album" style card cover, and is usually referred to as an EP. It peaked on the UK Singles Chart at No. 24, and the pair performed "Mad Eyed Screamer" on Top of the Pops. The EP was entirely remastered in 1997 and reissued as part of the A Bestiary Of CD compilation - which was also released on Spotify.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love in a Void (song)</span> 1979 song by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"Love In a Void" is a song by the English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, written by singer Siouxsie Sioux, bassist Steven Severin, drummer Kenny Morris and guitarist Peter Fenton. Originally included as the b-side to the 1979 single "Mittageisen" in West Germany, it was later released as a double A-side single in September of the same year. It was also included on the band's 1981 ten track UK Gold certified compilation album Once Upon a Time: The Singles, and on the CD reissue of the album Join Hands.

References

  1. ↑ Paytress, Mark (2003). Siouxsie & the Banshees: The Authorised Biography. Sanctuary. ISBN   1-86074-375-7.
  2. ↑ Houston, Billy (1980), The File, Phase One, The File [official fanzine]
  3. ↑ "JDB Ma Compile La Sélection DE Darkel (Jean-Benoît DunckeL de AIR) [His all-time favourite playlist]". Les Inrockuptibles . September 2006. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  4. ↑ "Ride - Venue Music - May 2015 UK Tour". Soundcloud.com. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "Clash DJ Mix - Howie B"I hope you enjoy the trip..."". Clashmusic. 4 October 2014. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Chart History Siouxsie & The Banshees Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  8. ↑ "Israel" (UK 7-inch single). Siouxsie and the Banshees. Polydor Records. 1980. POSP 205.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ↑ "Israel" (UK 12-inch single). Siouxsie and the Banshees. Polydor Records. 1980. POSPX 205.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.