"Arabian Knights" is a song by English post-punk band Siouxsie and the Banshees. The track was written by Siouxsie and the Banshees and co-produced with Nigel Gray. It was released in 1981 as the second and final single released from their fourth studio album, Juju.
Content and release
The first B-side, "Supernatural Thing", was originally recorded by Ben E. King, appearing on his 1975 album Supernatural. The other B-side, "Congo Conga",[1] was misspelled as "Conga Conga" on the U.S. edition of the 12".
"Arabian Knights" was released on 24 July 1981 by record label Polydor. The single peaked at number 32 on the UK Singles Chart in 1981.[2]Siouxsie later commented on the lyrics: "With 'Arabian Knights' it was quite a thrill to get the word 'orifices' on the radio".[3]
Music, reception and legacy
The Guardian retrospectively qualified "Arabian Knights" as a "pop marvel"[4] while AllMusic described it as "dreamy and gothy."[5]
Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins selected it in his playlist in December 2014 when he talked about some of his favourite music on BBC radio.[6]
Cover versions
Paul Roland covered "Arabian Knights" on his 1992 album Strychnine, and Icky Blossoms covered it in 2013.[7]
^Tilston, Lisa (11 November 1989). "Creature Comforts". Record Mirror.
^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.
