The Siouxsie and the Banshees song inspired by Alfred Hitchcock
Rarely has an album left such a profound mark as the 1981 Siouxsie and the Banshees release Juju. It stands as a cornerstone of the band’s career and undeniably deserves recognition as one of the decade’s finest offerings. Among the treasures embedded in this album, ‘Spellbound’ encapsulates the essence of the band at that juncture: dark, enchanting, and utterly captivating.
The album’s introductory track brims with the whimsy and allure that distinguished the group’s narrative songwriting, elevating it beyond the ordinary. However, beneath this veneer lies some of Siouxsie and The Banshees’ most exquisite melodies. The psychedelic guitars strive to transport the listener to an altered state, while the tribal drumming, helmed by Siouxsie Sioux, the shaman, ultimately seals your destiny.
In contrast to the band’s previous studio creation, Kaleidoscope, the path they embarked on for Juju naturally resulted in darker songs that had matured while they were on the road. Bassist Steven Severin highlighted the album’s cohesion, explaining that it was diligently rehearsed and performed to achieve a unified sound.
While Kaleidoscope explored a variety of musical elements, Juju focused on a single theme. Severin emphasised that it unintentionally became a kind of concept album with darker undertones and an almost narrative quality to its songs. The African statue adorning the album cover, discovered at the Horniman Museum in Forest Hill, also served as a significant source of inspiration for much of the album’s imagery.
‘Spellbound’ was released as the first single from Juju and became something of a ‘sleeper hit’, initially peaking at number 22 on the UK charts. The lyrics are enigmatic and poetic, contributing to the album’s overall mysterious and alluring aura. The song is ultimately a prime example of the band’s ability to create a unique blend of post-punk, gothic rock, and new wave, which made them influential figures in the alternative music scene at the time.
Contributing to its enigmatic appeal, its title is actually inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s 1945 psychological thriller of the same name, which follows the story of an amnesia patient who’s accused of murder. Hitchcock’s Spellbound is known for its exploration of psychoanalysis and dream interpretation and features a dream sequence designed by Salvador Dalí, which has been cited as one of the most memorable moments in Hitchcock’s career.
Sioux generally found a huge amount of inspiration in cinema during her creative process, borrowing various aspects from different genres and concepts to craft Juju‘s perfect world. Speaking in 2014, she explained: “There was obviously something pleasing about that kind of subject matter. What I found exciting was bringing subjects that were respectable in film, art, and literature into the pop field, where we could warp it a bit. I suppose we were trying to invent our own niche.”
Above all, ‘Spellbound’ played a pivotal role in shaping the band’s distinct identity, seamlessly blending elements of horror and music to craft a theatrically exquisite experience, all while avoiding any sense of contrivance or insincerity.
