"Playground Twist" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Siouxsie and the Banshees | ||||
from the album Join Hands | ||||
B-side | "Pulled to Bits" | |||
Released | 29 June 1979 | |||
Recorded | 1978 | |||
Genre | Post-punk | |||
Length | 3:00 | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Songwriter(s) | Susan Ballion, Kenny Morris, John McKay and Steven Severin | |||
Producer(s) | Nils Stevenson, Mike Stavrou | |||
Siouxsie and the Banshees singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Playground Twist" on YouTube |
"Playground Twist" is a song by English post-punk band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released in 1979 as the sole single from the band's second album, Join Hands (1979).
The track was produced by the band's manager Nils Stevenson and Mike Stavrou, a recording engineer on T. Rex's final album, Dandy in the Underworld (1977)
NME's Roy Carr hailed the single and wrote: "If Ingmar Bergman produced records, they might sound like this. The listener is immediately engulfed in a maelstrom of whirling sound punctuated by the ominous tolling of church bells, phased guitars, thundering percussion, a surreal alto sax and the wail of Siouxsie's voice. It demands to be played repeatedly at the threshold-of-pain volume to elicit its full nightmarish quality". [1]
The music video for "Playground Twist" shows the band performing on an indoor climbing frame with several children running from one end to another, climbing on the surrounding equipment, and even a few of them mimicking the saxophone solo with plastic toy instruments. At the end of the video, the children run toward Siouxsie and playfully pull her to the floor as she lip syncs the final word "drown", and the final shot shows them laughing and carrying on with her. [2]
Released on 24 June 1979, the single became Siouxsie and the Banshees' third top 40 hit, entering into the UK Singles Chart at No.47 on 1 July 1979, [3] and peaking at No. 28 on 15 July in the UK Singles Chart. [4] The band performed the song live on Top of the Pops . [5]
A live-version of the B-side, "Pulled to Bits", was included on the 1983 Nocturne live album and DVD. "Pulled to Bits" was covered by the Mars Volta in 2007 for their single "Wax Simulacra".
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".
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 featured performances recorded at two shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London, on 30 September and 1 October 1983, featuring Robert Smith on guitar.
The Creatures were an English band formed in 1981 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and drummer Budgie of the group Siouxsie and the Banshees. The Creatures released their first EP Wild Things in 1981. They recorded four studio albums: Feast in 1983, Boomerang in 1989, Anima Animus in 1999 and Hái! in 2003.
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.
The Scream is the debut studio album by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released on 13 November 1978 by Polydor Records. The album is considered a landmark recording: its innovative combination of angular guitar with a bass-led rhythm and machine-like drums played mostly on toms, made it a pioneering work of the post-punk genre.
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.
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".
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."
The discography of Siouxsie and the Banshees, an English rock band, consists of eleven studio albums, three live albums, four compilation albums, one extended play (EP), and thirty singles. This list does not include material recorded by band members with the Creatures or the Glove, or solo work by Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin.
"Hong Kong Garden" is a song by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released as the band's debut single on 18 August 1978 by Polydor Records. The single reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart.
"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.
"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.
"Cities in Dust" is a song by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees from their seventh studio album, Tinderbox (1986). It was released on 18 October 1985 as the album's lead single.
"Peek-a-Boo" is a song by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released in 1988 as the first single from the band's ninth studio album, Peepshow. Melody Maker described the song as "a brightly unexpected mixture of black steel and pop disturbance" and qualified its genre as "thirties hip hop". "Peek-a-Boo" was rated "Single of the Week" in both Sounds and NME. Sounds wrote that it was a "brave move", "playful and mysterious". NME described it as "Oriental marching band hip hop" with "catchy accordion." They then said : "If this nation was served by anything approaching a decent pop radio station, "Peek A Boo" would be a huge hit."
"The Last Beat of My Heart" is a song written, produced and recorded by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released in late 1988 as the third and final single from the band's ninth studio album, Peepshow. In 2021, Spin rated it in their list of "the 50 best alt-rock love songs", for its "slow-climbing swell of accordion and muted tom-tom thump", qualifying it as a "perfect marriage of words and atmosphere".
"Shadowtime" is a song written and recorded by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees and produced by Stephen Hague. It was released in 1991 as the second single from the band's 10th studio album, Superstition.
"Fear " is a U.S.-only single written and recorded by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees and produced by Stephen Hague. It was released in late 1991 as the second U.S. single from the band's 10th studio album, Superstition. It didn't get any domestic release in the UK and was the only Siouxsie and the Banshees single not to be issued in their home country.
"Face to Face" is a song recorded by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was composed by the group along with Danny Elfman and was produced by Stephen Hague. The track was featured in the 1992 film Batman Returns and is included on its soundtrack. Film director Tim Burton asked the band to compose the main song of the movie. The track later appeared on the band 1992's compilation album Twice Upon a Time - The Singles and was remastered in 2002 for The Best of Siouxsie and the Banshees. Upon its release in July 1992, the song entered the singles chart in the UK and in Europe.
"O Baby" is a song written and recorded by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was produced by John Cale and released as the first single from the band's 11th studio album, The Rapture. Melody Maker wrote : "O Baby is the wonderful prelude to Rapture" and it is "deliciously pop".
"Stargazer" is a song written, produced and recorded by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released as the second single from the band's 11th studio album The Rapture.