1978: Hong Kong Garden
The argument's been made somewhere (I don't remember where) that this is the single that started Post-Punk.
I'd have to agree. Musically, it diverges from the London punk bands that had come out over the two years before. The video for it is really low quality in terms of today, but the clash of lo-fi effects in terms of fitting the music, is very spot on.
When I play this song in a club, I just feel heavenly for some reason. I thought it was wild when Sopia Coppola had this in her movie on Marie Antoinette, but the dancing choreographed to it was really well done. It has a simple rhythm and beat and yet high energy. The guitars are the driving force that moves the song forward, the bass and drum work to give it a near perfect pogo from the initial "Chopsticks" like intro. Sioux's staccato singing during versus is keeping with drums with sensual "oh"s filling in like the coming orgasm of guitar and gong splash.
In terms of what was to come, this song suggests the controversial side of punk/post-punk/goth. It has drawn criticisms of racism with it's stereotypes of Asians, but the Banshees have answered to this.
SIOUXSIE: "I’ll never forget, there was a Chinese restaurant in Chislehurst called 'The Hong Kong Garden'. Me and my friend were really upset that we used to go there and like, occasionally when the skinheads would turn up it would really turn really ugly. These gits were just go in on mass and just terrorise these Chinese people who were working there. We’d try and say ‘Leave them alone’, you know. It was a kind of tribute." Source: Punk Top Ten Interview 08/06/01.
SIOUXSIE: "I remember wishing that I could be like Emma Peel from The Avengers and kick all the skinheads' heads in, because they used to mercilessly torment these people for being foreigners. It made me feel so helpless, hopeless and ill." Source: Uncut 01/05.
The B-Side, Voices (On the Air) is a haunting clash of feedback and effects. It was re-recorded in 1984 for the The Thorn EP and included on the Downside Up collection of B-Sides and rarities.
1 comment:
I don't often see anyone comment or mention this one. Always adored the Banshees, and am among the fortunate to own the gatefold 7" of this one.
The B-side, like so many Banshees B's, is a dark treat. Sadly it did not make it onto the US 7".
Thanks for sharing.
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