| "Peek-a-Boo" | |||||
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| Single by Siouxsie & the Banshees from the album Peepshow |
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| B-side | "False Face", "Catwalk" | ||||
| Released | July 11, 1988 | ||||
| Format | 7" single, 12" single | ||||
| Recorded | 1988 | ||||
| Genre | Gothic Rock New Wave |
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| Label | Polydor (UK) Geffen (U.S.) |
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| Writer | Siouxsie & the Banshees Harry Warren Johnny Mercer |
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| Producer | Siouxsie & the Banshees | ||||
| Siouxsie & the Banshees singles chronology | |||||
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"Peek-a-Boo" is a song written, produced and recorded by English rock band Siouxsie & the Banshees. It was released in 1988 as the first single from the band's ninth studio album Peepshow. The song's unique instrumentation (mostly percussion and an accordion) is a result of the entire track being backmasked. The Banshees learned to play the song backwards and then, once recorded, the track was played back in reverse and Sioux sang her lyrics over it. "Peek-a-Boo" has become one of Siouxsie & the Banshees' most recognizable and popular singles and it also was the first time the band entered the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The song was very popular on alternative rock radio and received heavy play on MTV. "Peek-a-Boo" became Siouxsie & the Banshees' fifth top-twenty UK hit, peaking at number sixteen in the UK singles chart. In September 1988, Billboard magazine premiered a new Modern Rock Tracks chart which measures radio airplay on U.S. modern rock stations. "Peek-a-Boo" was the chart's first number-one song. A minor controversy ensued after the single's release as the lines to the chorus ("...Golly jeepers / Where'd you get those peepers? / Peepshow, creepshow / Where did you get those eyes?...") were found to be too similar to the lyrics in the 1938 song "Jeepers Creepers". To remedy the situation and to avoid legal action, Siouxsie & the Banshees gave co-songwriting credit on "Peek-a-Boo" to Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer, the creators of "Jeepers Creepers". Sir Mix-a-Lot used a sample of "Peek-a-Boo" in his song "The (Peek-a-Boo) Game" from his 1989 album Seminar.
Charts
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 16 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 53 |
| U.S. Modern Rock Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. Hot Dance Club Play | 14 |
| Preceded by n/a |
Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number one single September 10 1988 |
Succeeded by "Just Play Music!" by Big Audio Dynamite |
| Preceded by "Just Play Music!" by Big Audio Dynamite |
Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number one single September 24, 1988 |
Succeeded by "All That Money Wants" by The Psychedelic Furs |
