Yahoo! Finance (11.10.02)

First "Best Of" Album From Siouxsie & The Banshees Spans the Legendary Group's Entire Career

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 11, 2002--In October 1976, Siouxsie and the Banshees took the stage at London's 100 Club Punk Festival. Siouxsie, Steven Severin, Sid Vicious and Marco Perroni played a legendary version of "The Lord's Prayer." At the time, the band and the audience had no idea of the success that was to follow from this impromptu and inspired appearance. It took a further two years (after Vicious and Perroni exited), and the infamous "Sign The Banshees" campaign (fans attacked every record label door with graffiti) before Polydor put their debut album "The Scream" on the shelves, preceded by the Top 10 U.K. debut single "Hong Kong Garden." The Banshees had arrived.

"The Best Of Siouxsie & The Banshees" (Geffen/UME), released November 12, 2002, spans an amazing 20-year career which included 13 U.K. Top 30 singles, 11 studio albums, and worldwide success until their break-up in 1995. "The Best Of Siouxsie & The Banshees" is offered in both a 15-selection single-CD and in a limited edition double-CD which adds a bonus disc of the 12" versions of "Spellbound," "Song From The Edge Of The World" (Columbus Mix), "The Killing Jar" (Lepidopteristic Mix), "Cities In Dust" (Eruption Mix), "Face To Face" (Catatonic Mix), "Dazzle" (Glamour Mix), "Kiss Them For Me" (Kathak #2 Mix -- previously unavailable) and "Peek-A-Boo" (Silver Dollar Mix).

Listening to this selection of singles in their newly digitally remastered form is a reminder of how Siouxsie & The Banshees could never be categorized. Some say they were punk, but ultimately Siouxsie & The Banshees never fit anyone else's conception. The Banshees' sound is and always was a unique one, from the early classics to the highly innovative and contagious "Peek-A-Boo" and beyond. Once Budgie arrived from The Slits as drummer (and stayed forever) and Magazine's John McGeoch joined as guitarist in 1980 (after guitarist John McKay and drummer Kenny Morris split), The Banshees had found new direction with "Happy House" and "Christine."

"The Best Of Siouxsie & The Banshees" illustrates how their music is as relevant today as it was throughout their career. "Christine" (the Red Hot Chili Peppers recently covered it live and announced it as the U.K. national anthem), "Dear Prudence" and "Kiss Them For Me" (their only U.S. Top 40 hit) and anthems like "Cities In Dust" demonstrate how Siouxsie & The Banshees stuck to their own ideals and sounds. Both editions of "The Best Of Siouxsie & The Banshees" also feature the original versions of "Face To Face," "Spellbound," "Israel," "Arabian Knights," "The Killing Jar," "This Wheel's On Fire" and "Dizzy," a previously unreleased 1997 track and the last recording made by the Banshees, nearly 20 years after "The Scream."

Note: Both Budgie and Steven Severin are available for limited interviews

CONTACT: Universal

Sujata Murthy, 310/865-7812 (Press Contact)

Todd Nakamine, 310/865-7797 (Press Contact)

Elliot Kendall, 310/865-9852 (Radio Contact)