peachy

my “country music is good actually, you guys are just listening to men” playlist featuring the works of: 

songs to make a texas man cry (aka the playlist that would get jensen to put out a restraining order on me)

If you read the titles all together it makes a poem about a gay cowboy struggling with internalized homophobia until ms. shania twain teaches him to be out, proud, and slutty <3

Siouxsie And The Banshees, “Dear Prudence” (1983)

in which Robert Smith, exhausted and on hiatus from The Cure, takes a break by joining his favorite band, and has such a good time that he insists that they make a video to document his time with them.

And so they set off to Venice, to film without the required permits, leading to footage that includes bassist Steven Severin being escorted from one location by the local polizia.

Mostly, though, this is a time machine trip to then-state-of-the-art video effects applied to an unscripted romp through an exotic location. Fans of new wave, goth, The Beatles, early MTV, and Italy will find much to enjoy here, as will of course anyone wondering what Siouxsie was like at her most commercial – although she was as surprised as anyone that it climbed to #3 on the British charts, the band’s highest placement.

And it really is a fun video! Our boy Robert is never far from the middle of things, and indeed spends most of the video tucked immediately behind Siouxsie and her gloriously lush axillary hair. 

This isn’t the greatest image. It’s a nearly 40 year old clip with a lot of fast edits, and even though there are quite a few shots of Robert in this video, and a LOT of shots of Siouxsie’s underarms, this was one of the few where I could get them both in the frame. 

I’m especially fond of the font choice for the labels: New Century GOTH-ic.

I’m also letting you know in advance that I’m blocking anyone who disrespects Siouxsie’s armpit hair in notes or tags on this post. Do not test me. #underam hair rights

After the song became a hit, Siouxsie was invited to perform on the Christmas/New Year’s edition of Top of the Pops. Once more with Robert in tow (on the right, in shades, not even pretending to play the chords properly in this mimed performance), Siouxsie makes black leather the ultimate holiday fashion statement in a dramatic high-necked, backless leather dress. 

I don’t meant to trivialize Siouxsie or this performance by talking about fashion or body hair, but this was the 80s, on mainstream television. This stuff mattered to them, and to us. Turn it up!

DAMN’ MAC !