Happy House – Siouxsie And The Banshees (1980)

Description

Additional information about this Siouxsie And The Banshees vinyl art.

Siouxsie And The Banshees – The Artist/s

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. Initially associated with the punk scene, the band rapidly evolved to create “a form of post-punk discord full of daring rhythmic and sonic experimentation”. Their debut album The Scream was released in 1978 to widespread critical acclaim. In 1980, they changed their musical direction and became “almost a different band” with Kaleidoscope, which peaked at number 5 in the UK Albums Chart. With Juju (1981) which also reached the top 10, they became an influence on the emerging gothic scene. During their career, Siouxsie and the Banshees released 11 studio albums and 30 singles. The band experienced several line-up changes, with Siouxsie and Severin being the only constant members. They disbanded in 1996, with Siouxsie and drummer Budgie continuing to record music as the Creatures, a second band they had formed in the early 1980s. In 2004, Siouxsie began a solo career.

Happy House – The Song

‘Happy House’  is a song by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. The song was written by Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin and was released in 1980 by record label Polydor as the first single from the band’s third album, Kaleidoscope. “Happy House” and the Kaleidoscope album marked a change in musical direction for Siouxsie and the Banshees due to the arrival of two new musicians: drummer Budgie, previously of the Slits, and guitarist John McGeoch, previously of Magazine. Lyrically Happy House is a cynical song about families being happy in a house. A promotional video was released to supportive song set in a studio “cartoon house” made to look “fun and happy”, reflecting the sarcastic lyrics. Siouxsie explores the house, dressed in a Harlequin outfit while the band supports her, playing their instruments in the living room. Despite the very distinctive guitar riff (played by McGeoch) that is arguably the centrepiece of the song, McGeoch does not feature in the video. Instead Siouxsie occasionally mimics playing the riff with a ukulele, with Severin on bass and Budgie on drums playing along in the background.

The Framed Window – The Shape

This record has been cut into a framed window of four panes of glass as represented on the records picture sleeve. The Harlequin background option is inspired by the black and white harlequin costume Siouxsie Sioux wore in the music video. A window is an opening in a wall, door, roof or vehicle that allows the passage of light, sound, and sometimes air. Many glazed windows may be opened, to allow ventilation, or closed, to exclude inclement weather.

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