search user
Advert
Advert

Siouxsie and the Banshees - This Wheel's On Fire

Music Video | 1987
ArtistSiouxsie and the Banshees
SongThis Wheel's On Fire
AlbumThrough the Looking Glass
DirectorClive Richardson
IntroNo
OutroNo
Sound MixStereo
Technical Specificationscolour - format unknown

Wiki

Synopsis

Siouxsie Sioux takes the role of a glamorous, ominous wanderer traveling through the countryside in a horse-drawn carriage. As the carriage races along muddy tracks, she encounters and collects vulnerable-looking young men, while the band appears in stylized studio sequences. Large wheels, crystal-ball imagery, colored ribbons, and layered superimpositions give the video a dreamlike, slightly sinister atmosphere. The constant movement reflects the song's apocalyptic momentum, turning the landscape into a theatrical journey that feels both adventurous and dangerously out of control.

Factoids & Trivia

  • The video was filmed from November 10-13, 1986, in the Berkshire countryside and at Griphouse Studios in Greenford.
  • The carriage was reportedly the same one used in the classic Hammer Horror Dracula films.
  • The two horses pulling the carriage were named Dumpty and Cornet. Their names were etched into the run-out groove of the 7-inch single.
  • The original concept centered on a circus, with wheels transforming into circus tents. The idea was abandoned in favor of a video built around speed, motion, and the sensation of being out of control.
  • The studio sequences include Siouxsie draped over a large crystal-ball-like object, with the silhouette of a turning wagon wheel superimposed over her.
  • A sequence featuring colored ribbons swirling over the carriage and horses was created through superimposition.
  • "This Wheel's On Fire" is a cover of the song written by Bob Dylan and Rick Danko. Siouxsie later said the band nearly rejected it after she learned Dylan had written it.
  • Siouxsie viewed her version as a tribute to Julie Driscoll, whose 1968 recording had made a strong impression on her.
  • The song appeared on the 1987 covers album Through the Looking Glass and reached No. 14 on the UK Singles Chart.
  • The video was later included on the band's The Best Of Siouxsie and the Banshees: Sound & Vision DVD.
Siouxsie and the Banshees - This Wheel's On Fire thumbnail
"Music::Music Videos"
Currently playing

Actions

Update

More Music Videos

New

Classics

Tell us what you like, or dislike:

(Optional) Leave your email to let us contact you to follow up on your feedback. Your email address will be kept private.

Leave feedback!  X