Red Light (Siouxsie and the Banshees song) explained

Red Light
Artist:Siouxsie and the Banshees
Album:Kaleidoscope
Released:1 August 1980
Recorded:1980
Genre:New wave, electro-rock
Length:3:23
Label:Polydor
Composer:Siouxsie Sioux, Steven Severin
Lyricist:Steven Severin
Producer:Nigel Gray
Siouxsie and the Banshees

"Red Light" is a song by rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It is the ninth track from their 1980 album Kaleidoscope. It was co-produced with Nigel Gray.

Writing and recording

The song was demoed by Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin at Warner Chappell studios. It was then recorded as a trio, with Severin on synthesisers, Siouxsie on vocals and Budgie on drums.[1] The song featured the beat of "the Roland compu rhythm and a camera shutter motor rewind".[2] Budgie related: "I wanted the drums to fade in over the electronica beat and evoke a smoky club atmosphere".[3]

Although it was not released as the third single of Kaleidoscope, a promo video for the song was shot by Clive Richardson on the same day as the video for the single "Christine".[4]

Legacy

Santigold recorded an interpolation of the song on her track "My Superman" on her debut album Santogold. She stated: "I remember one of the first times I heard "Red Light" it was at a party, and I remember going up to the DJ and being like, "Who's this?". It was that good. I kind of stopped and was like ... wow".[5]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Johns, Brian . Entranced: The Siouxsie and the Banshees Story . 1989 . . 0-7119-1773-6 .
  2. https://archive.today/20210315233327/https://twitter.com/Tuwhit2Whoo/status/1289674779125899264 "Red Light - The beat of the Roland"
  3. https://archive.today/20210315234332/https://twitter.com/Tuwhit2Whoo/status/1289674890501435392 "I was influenced by"
  4. Book: Paytress, Mark . Siouxsie & the Banshees: The Authorised Biography . Sanctuary . 2003 . 1-86074-375-7 .
  5. "Icon: Siouxsie", The Fader Magazine, The Icon Issue 67, April/May 2010. Page 73