"Spellbound" is a song by English gothic post-punk band Siouxsie and the Banshees. The group wrote it and co-produced it with Nigel Gray. It was released in 1981 by record label Polydor as the first single from the band's fourth studio album, Juju.
Prior to recording the song, the band toured the UK in February of 1981 to premiere new material composed with guitarist John McGeoch. When reviewing this era, Barney Hoskyns of NME described "Spellbound" as a "glorious electric storm," further adding, "Siouxsie and the Banshees are one of the great British bands of all time".[4]
The 12" extended version of the song appeared on the 2006 remastered version of Juju.
Reception and legacy
In their contemporary review, Melody Maker praised the single, calling it "exhilarating".[8]The Guardian retrospectively hailed it as a "pop marvel".[9]
In 2006, Mojo honoured McGeoch by rating him in their list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" for his work on "Spellbound".[10]Johnny Marr of the Smiths stated on BBC Radio 2 in February 2008 that he rated guitarist John McGeoch highly for his work on "Spellbound": "It's so clever. He's got this really good picky thing going on which is very un-rock'n'roll, and this actual tune he's playing is really quite mysterious".[11]
^Hewitt, Paulo (23 May 1981). ""Spellbound" review". Melody Maker.
^Petridis, Alex (21 November 2007). "Artists Beginning with S | Music | The Guardian". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 March 2015. Pop marvels such as Spellbound and Arabian Knights were poised, peerless exercises in magic realism that you could dance to.
^Mitchell, Pete. "Spellbound : The Story Of John McGeoch" on YouTube BBC Radio 2's Pete Mitchell talks to Howard Devoto, Siouxsie Sioux and Johnny Marr among others, as he shines a light on the life of this unsung guitar hero. February 2008.
