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Tattoo (Siouxsie and the Banshees song)

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"Tattoo"
Song by Siouxsie and the Banshees
from the album Downside Up (compilation)
Released23 September 1983
Recorded1983
GenrePost-punk, proto-trip hop[1]
LabelPolydor
Songwriter(s)Siouxsie Sioux, Steven Severin, Budgie
Producer(s)Mike Hedges, Siouxsie and the Banshees

"Tattoo" is a song written and recorded by Siouxsie and the Banshees in 1983. Its proto-trip-hop arrangements and production predated the trip-hop genre that would appear in the mid-1990s.

Release

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The song was first released as the B-side of the "Dear Prudence" single in 1983.[2] It was included on two compilations: 2004's Downside Up and 2015's Spellbound : The Collection.

Music and recording

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"Tattoo" was composed and performed as a three-piece by singer Siouxsie Sioux, bassist Steven Severin and drummer Budgie.[2] During this era, the band experimented other ways of recording and orchestration when they were in the studio to record extra-tracks for their singles.[2] For "Tattoo", producer Mike Hedges made them use the mixing desk as an instrument.[2]

Legacy

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"Tattoo" is considered to be a proto trip hop track which helped Tricky to shape his style.[1] This track is often cited as inspirational in the development of the trip hop genre.[1] "Tattoo" was covered by Tricky in 1996 as the opening number of his second album, Nearly God.[3] It was also covered by Jay Jay Johanson in 2022.[4]

NME retrospectively reviewed it as "spellbinding" in 2009 when reviewing Downside Up.[5]

In 2024, "Tattoo" was included on the vinyl compilation titled FIP Trip Hop - made by FIP and Radio France - about the trip hop genre, its roots and its history.[6]

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Valli and Pascal Bertin. "Portishead - Dummy in "Pop, Etc". radio France Inter. Radio show broadcast on 31 October 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2016. archived from the original on 17 July 2018
  2. ^ a b c d e f Paytress, Mark. "Siouxsie and the Banshees - Downside Up [liner notes- Boxset]". Universal – 982 182-3. 2004
  3. ^ "cover me". moon-palace.de. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
  4. ^ Roulleau, Denis (March 2022). "Icon - Tribute to Siouxsie and the Banshees [review]". Rolling Stone (French edition) (140).
  5. ^ "30 Killer B-Side And Rarities Albums You Might've Missed". NME. 23 January 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2015
  6. ^ "FIP Trip Hop". Radiofrance.com. Retrieved 2024-09-22.