Thirty five (35!) years ago this week, Siouxsie & The Banshees peaked at #59 in the UK singles chart with Song From The Edge Of The World, a standalone single that bridged the albums Tinderbox (1986) and Peepshow (1988). The single was also notable for debuting two new members, Martin McCarrick and Bristol's own Jon Klein.
The single entered the charts on 25th July at #69, by 1st August it climbed ten places, before falling to #63 the following week and disappearing altogether the week after that.
The week that Song From The Edge Of The World peaked, Los Lobos spent the first of two weeks at #1 with La Bamba. In fact, the chart was littered with cover versions: Under The Boardwalk by Bruce Willis (#6), Jive Talkin' by Boogie Box High (#7), Just Don't Want to Be Lonely by Freddie McGregor (#9) and A Little Boogie Woogie (In The Back Of My Mind) by Shakin' effing Stevens (covering Gary effing Glitter, of all people) (#12). In such esteemed company, perhaps little wonder that Siouxsie & The Banshees didn't chart higher.
I've read that the band, Siouxsie in particular, weren't happy with the finished record and it's consequently not a favourite. Whilst it's not in my Top 10, it's a good song and, commercially, deserved a better fate as a single. Fortunately, Peek-A-Boo would redress the balance twelve months later...
I don't think I've ever seen the video for Song From The Edge Of The World, so it was a delight to discover it on YouTube. Siouxsie has a dramatic new look that is a big step away from the Goth overtones that remained with Tinderbox and foreshadows her Peepshow style. She looks amazing, of course, even when she's swimming around the bottom of a swimming pool for the on-the-nose visualisation of the 'diving for pearls' lyric.
Forgotten all about this song, sounds pretty good to me
ReplyDeleteMe too, Adam. When I wrote this, I hadn't checked my previous post about seeing Siouxsie & The Banshees on their Peepshow tour in September 1988. I've gone back since and see that Song From The Edge Of The World had already been dropped. According to Setlist, it was played in 1986 and 1987 and then never again, which backs up how the band felt about it.
Delete