Siouxsie & the Banshees - Happy HouseI thought this track was from 1979 but trusty old Wikipedia informs me thatthis gem is 30 years old this year too, almost to the day.
Although Siouxsie & the Banshees had started off well with debut single Hong Kong Garden in 1978, these London punks had followed the almost 'novelty' hit with a couple of rather dark and dour albums, laying the foundations for goth and 'dark' music but too harsh for these ears still tuned into Abba and ELO.
A breath of fresh air then with Happy House which with it's catchy hooks and singalong lyrics striking the right balance between post-punk and (dare I say it) new-wave pop, tinged some deeper meaning. You had to dance and think at the same time.
The happy house (a pseudonym for the madhouse, of course) was originally about the group's fan club although turned out to be a snide comment on the emerging new Britain...well that's how I saw it anyway. "We've done no wrong, with our blinkers on" chants our Siouxsie as the youth danced along on TOTP.
So after a shaky start to the band's career Happy House opened the way for a solid track record for SATB throughout the 80s and into the 90s and which in some form or other continues to this day. Success with singles, albums and much critical acclaim has made Siouxsie and pals to be one of the most influential groups of the 20th century...and quite right too.
listen / watch here
get it on Best of or Kaleidoscope (1980)
Siouxsie Sioux . ....she's happy here.
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