Slowdive (song) explained

Slowdive
Cover:	Siouxsie Slowdive.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Siouxsie and the Banshees
Album:	A Kiss in the Dreamhouse
B-Side:	"Cannibal Roses" "Obsession II"
Released:	1 October 1982
Recorded:	1982
Length:	3:42
Label:	Polydor
Producer:	Siouxsie and the Banshees
Prev Title:	Fireworks
Prev Year:	1982
Next Title:	Melt!
Next Year:	1982

"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

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 Guardians 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

"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

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

7" single

12" single

Personnel

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

Notes and References

1. Web site: A Kiss in the Dreamhouse – Siouxsie and the Banshees . Cleary . David . . 1 March 2015.
2. Web site: Slowdive – Siouxsie and the Banshees. Mason . Stewart . . 7 July 2015.
3. News: Simpson . Dave . 29 October 2014 . Siouxsie and the Banshees: 10 of the best . The Guardian . London . 15 November 2016 .
4. Sheffield. Rob. September 27, 2022. 100 Best Songs of 1982. September 9, 2023. Rolling Stone.
5. Web site: Siouxsie & the Banshees [uk charts] ]. . 29 April 2013.
6. Web site: Eisenhardt . Asa . WTSH interviews with Neil Halstead and Simon Scoot of Slowdive . When the sun hits . 1 August 2014 . 1 July 2015.
7. Web site: Strutt . Slowdive interview . Pennyblackmusic.co.uk . 24 February 2014 . 1 July 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150722122452/https://pennyblackmusic.co.uk/MagSitePages/Article/7344/Slowdive-Interview . 22 July 2015 . dead.
8. Web site: 15 February 2005. Juliette Licks it. 30 November 2011. NME. 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..
9. Web site: Doran. John. 5 January 2016. Disco Infiltrated: An Early LCD Soundsystem Interview. 5 January 2016. The Quietus. After a jaw dropping set that ended on a cover of Siouxsie and the Banshees’ ‘Slowdive’..