The Creatures
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The Creatures are the 'side project' band consisting of Siouxsie Sioux (vocals) and her husband since 1992 'Budgie' (real name Peter Clarke) (drums and percussion), both members of Siouxsie and the Banshees. During recording for the Banshees album "Juju", the song "But Not Them" was written and eventually was not included on the album as Siouxsie and Budgie decided to form "The Creatures" and wrote four more songs.
They released their first EP as The Creatures ("Wild Things") in 1981, introducing a much more primitive and drum-driven Banshees sound. The erotic sleeve art featuring Siouxsie and Budgie half naked under shower (which was inspired by scenes from the movie "Psycho") caused some controversy. Another shoot featured Siouxsie naked under many flowers and shalow water, inspired by a John Millais painting "Ophelia". The title track was a reworking of a hit by The Troggs. Songs such as "So Unreal" and "Mad Eyed Screamer" drew inspiration from the novel "The Stepford Wives" by Ira Levin and local characters met in Hyde Park, respectively. The EP reached a decent #24 on the UK singles chart.
In 1983, between the release of the Banshees album "A Kiss In The Dreamhouse" and their live album "Nocturne", The Creatures recorded and released their first full length album "Feast" (#17 UK album chart). Recorded in Hawaii (they decided upon this location by randomly placing a pin on a map of the world) and featuring The Lamalani Hula Academy Hawaiian Chanters on some tracks. The song title "Inoa 'Ole" is Hawaiian for "No Name". "Ice House" was inspired by an obscure television play. "Dancing On Glass" is based on an Indian musical (sounds of broken glass created by Siouxsie and Budgie dancing on broken mirrors with tough shoes on). The non-LP singles "Miss the Girl" (which took it's inspiration from the book "Crash" by J.G Ballard and had an unofficially banned promo video with a set designed by The Creatures themselves) and "Right Now" (originally by Mel Torme) were also released around this time and reached #21 and #14 (making it the highest charting Creatures single) respectively on the UK singles chart.
After numerous Banshees projects (the albums "Nocturne", "Hyaena", "Tinderbox", "Through The Looking Glass" and "Peepshow"), The Creatures decided to record their next album "Boomerang" in a stone barn in Jerez, Andalucia, Spain. It didn't chart on the UK album chart however it did reach #197 on the Billboard 200, though it is critically acclaimed and widely regarded as Siouxsie and Budgie's crowning achievement as The Creatures. The single "Standing There" (about the different types of abuse from men directed mainly towards women) reached #54 on the UK singles chart, while "Fury Eyes" (about the novel "In The Eyes Of Mr. Fury" by Phillip Ridley) didn't chart. The album featured a wide range of musicians to help give it an immensely exotic feel.
Siouxsie explains the song "Manchild" here: "Its a story based in Columbia before the drugs cartel, it's about a small child caught up in a feud, this vendetta between his village and another rival village. In a minor way it is all about drug trafficking, but ends with the stronger village wiping out the whole male population of the other village until there was just one boy left called Nelsito. It was understood that he would live till he was at least 18 before he was assassinated, but he was shot on the way to school."
While Budgie comments on "Willow": "It's kind of about how my mother died as it was a black area and I hadn't realised what had happened until I saw my brother. He told me what went on with the family and I never really knew until a year afterwards, and I wrote it down directly after that". "Fruitman" was in fact a local they encoutered during recording. "Simoom" means "dry wind" in Arabic and was written about the Salman Rushdie affair.
A year after Siouxsie and the Banshees disbanded in 1996, the long-time out-of-print "Wild Things" EP and "Feast" album were re-released through the compilation "A Bestiary Of The Creatures" along with all B-side tracks from the era, which pleased fans greatly.
Early in 1999, The Creatures released their first studio album in just under a decade "Anima Animus" (which means "The Man Inside The Woman, The Woman Inside The Man"). Its cold and hard electronica sound was a slight departure from "Boomerang"'s very organic atmosphere, and pleased as many as it upset. It reached a very modest #79 on the UK album chart. The "Eraser Cut" (an anagram of The Creatures) EP faired less than moderately well. Exclusive fan club live albums "Zulu" and "Sequins In The Sun" were released around this time and quickly went out of print, as did singles "Sad Cunt", "2nd Floor", "Exterminating Angel", "Say" (a tribute to The Associates lead singer Billy MacKenzie who committed suicide in early 1997), "Prettiest Thing" (which has a similar theme to that of the album title) as well as a special single of live material.
The song "Another Planet" was discovered on the soundtrack to the movie "Lost In Space" and was then radically reworked. "Don't Go To Sleep Without Me" was included on the soundtrack to "The Blair Witch Project". The Creatures collaborated with Marc Almond on the song "Threat Of Love", available on his album "Open All Night".
Late 1999 saw the remix album "Hybrids" which featured remixes of tracks from "Anima Animus" and the "Eraser Cut" EP, reworked by: Howie B, Paul Thomas, John Roome, Doug Hart & Paul Freegood, Ollie Brown & Sam Britton, The Black Dog, Tony Justice & Danny Endemic, Jon & Helena Marsh, Jonn Jo Key, Tom Stephan and A1 People. It did not chart. Neither did the two-track single "Take Mine" or the live single "Murdering Mouth" released in June and September 2000. A compilation of unreleased "Anima Animus"-era tracks was released as "U.S Retrace" 2000 to happy fans. "Rocket Ship" and "Red Wrapping Paper" were released to fan club members in 2001.
Siouxsie and Budgie returned with a full-length album "Hai!" in 2003, reaching #153 on the UK album chart. Recording began less than 24 hours after the Banshees had completed their reunion tour "Seven Year Itch", when Budgie got to fulfill a lifelong ambition to work with Leonard Eto, the basis of the album being a spontaneous drum duet between the two. The cover photo is called "The Shinto Bride" by Kimiko Yoshida. It was recorded in Japan, yet the music does not really reflect this, except with titles like "Godzilla!" and "Imagoro" (Japanese for "About This Time"). Critics reviews have been generally favourable. It was re-released over the next years in special forms. An album of the instrumentals was also made available.
A semi-successful single "Godzilla!" was promoted quite well and earned a respectable #53 on the UK singles chart. "Attack Of the Super Vixens" (inspired by Russ Meyer's film "Super Vixens") was released during the tour for the album, and the song was eventually included in "Hai!" re-releases. Also in 2003, Siouxsie was a guest vocalist on the Basement Jaxx track "Cish Cash" (vocals recorded without any meetings).