• Siouxsie Sioux
• Steven Severin
• Budgie
• John Carruthers

Tinderbox:

• The Sleeve Artwork was based around a photograph of a real tornado.  The photograph had already been used as the basis for Deep Purple's album Stormbringer.
• The title was one of the last things to be finalised.  The word Tinderbox had appeared in a lyric that Severin had written and was also chosen because everything seemed to happen either around situations or the effect of the weather.  Source:  Record Mirror 15/03/86.  "...when I was much younger...  I was attacked... sexually attacked...It's good that this sort of thing has become more talked about it means it's not so unusual anymore."  (Siouxsie)  Source:  Melody Maker 1989.
• Siouxsie wrote ALL the lyrics for the Tinderbox album.

Candyman:

• Inspiration/Influence/Band Comment:  
  SIOUXSIE: " 'Candyman’ was trying to put across the unspeakability of child abuse, and again, trying not to sensationalise it, just coming up with a very strong picture of a character that was sickly sweet and oozing repulsiveness.  The amount of people who’ve been abused is incredible, and it’s only lately that the subject’s been brought out into the open. The whole thing’s such a power trip, and you realise the victims must have been so in fear of saying anything - cos they’ve been told by the perpetrator that they’ll go to hell or something. " Source:  Melody Maker 17/10/92.
  CARRUTHERS: "Well, this is about child abusers. Certain people have suggested that it's also about drugs and drug-pushers, but it isn't really. Or at least it could be - Sioux's lyrics are always ambiguous. Even in Berlin where we were recording, we heard about the shocking rise in child abuse. If there's one thing Sioux really hates it's children being used against their will. It's a prime concern of hers." Source:  Melody Maker 1986.
  SIOUXSIE: "It's really to do with grown ups' abuse of children's trust, whether it's sexual or not, the innocence and dependency as well. I just find anything to do with that is repulsive. Pornography or people showing their boobs, that's another thing. I'm not going to be puritanical about any of that because that's all grown ups." Source:  Record Mirror 15/05/86.
• Recorded 06-14/05/85 at Hansa Studios, Berlin, overdubs 03-30/06/85 The Garden Studios, final mix 04/12/85 at Air Studios.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.
• Filmed promo video 11/02/86.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.
• Recorded for a BBC Session 28/01/86 at Maida Vale 5, aired 03/02/86.

The Sweetest Chill:

• Inspiration/Influence/Band Comment:  
  SIOUXSIE: "It touches on the death of a loved one, being touched by the chill of their presence..." Source:  NME 28/09/85.
  CARRUTHERS: "This is about a visitation from a lover's spirit who is already dead - someone who comes back from the grave and greets her as a lover. I don't think Sioux wrote it from personal experience, but you never know. Whenever she tries to write a love song it always comes out from a very different standpoint. It's not exactly Bonnie Tyler, though Sioux can do a great Bonnie impersonation. Source:  Melody Maker 1986.
• Recorded 14-23/05/85 at Hansa Studios, Berlin, overdubs 03-30/06/85 The Garden Studios, final mix 21/12/85 at Air Studios.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.
• Remixed for single release by Chris Kimsey but not issued.  Source:  The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.
• Live debut 10/04/85 St James Church, London.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue One and Two.

This Unrest:

• Inspiration/Influence/Band Comment:  
  SIOUXSIE: "The title is self explanatory. Not this unrest within society, but within oneself." Source:  NME 28/09/85.
  CARRUTHERS: "This is an extension of the nightmarish feeling you get when things are getting on top of you. It comes from a very "Night Shift"/"Jigsaw Feeling" feel. The music swirls like a dream - a score for "Nightmare On Elm Street". have you ever dreamt of being eaten alive?" Source:  Melody Maker 1986.
• Recorded 16-25/05/85 at Hansa Studios, Berlin, overdubs 03-30/06/85 The Garden Studios, final mix 16/12/85 at Air Studios.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.
• Used in a 1986 Greek commercial for women's tights!!!
• Live debut 10/04/85 St James Church, London.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue One and Two.

Cities In Dust:

• Inspiration/Influence/Band Comment:  
  SIOUXSIE: "Cities in Dust happened because it, (Pompeii), had a strong effect on me, seeing the remains of the petrified bodies still caught in time as a huge body print in the lava. The age was almost timeless, it’s such a vast amount of years but timeless as well." Source:  Villa Tempo Interview 19/04/86.
  SIOUXSIE: "This was our first trip to Pompeii, another amazing experience. Seeing a whole civilisation petrified in lava was like putting yourself in the place at the time, and imagining how it must have been to be there when it happened. I find it really easy to do that, to get ghost images of life continuing as it was. I often wonder if that’s what real hauntings are - your imagination and your senses bringing things back to life. That’s why you’d never be able to capture it on film." Source:  Melody Maker 17/10/92.
  SIOUXSIE: "It was whilst on tour in Italy and we were going south through to Toronto and the opportunity whilst travelling arose that we could go visit Pompeii so of course we went and I dunno, the impression was so powerful and like culminating in seeing the petrified bodies that had been left there 2000 years ago."  Source:  Villa Tempo Interview 19/04/86.
• Recorded 29/07-01/08/85 at Hansa Studios, Berlin, final mix 10-11/09/85 at Air Studios.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.
• Filmed promo video 27/09/85 at Fulham Studios.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.
• Covered by The Last Dance with Kelly Garret - Reflections In The Looking Glass.
• Covered by The Newlydeads.
• Was originally recorded for a b side for the proposed release of 'Party's Fall' as a single.
• The label for the 12" edition of 'Cities In Dust', is a print taken from a plate that was found when the ancient city of Pompeii was discovered, this caused some problems when some retail outlets refused to stock the offending item.  Source:  Smash Hits 06/86.
• The Sleeve Artwork was inspired by the artifacts unearthed during the discovery of Pompeii.
• Featured during the opening credits of the 2002 film 'Gypsy 83', but not on the soundtrack.

Cannons:

• Inspiration/Influence/Band Comment: 
  SIOUXSIE: " 'Cannon': "It was inspired by seeing a book programme about T. S. Eliot. I think it was. And it touched upon this freak weather period in the 20's, when it was either incredibly hot and oppressive or ridiculously cold when it shouldn't have been. Apparently, in desperation about what to do a cannon was shot into this oppressive sky every night in the hope of bursting a rain cloud. The image of this deserted town, with someone having to stay behind to fire the cannon, stuck with me." Source:  NME 28/09/8.
  CARRUTHERS: "In Spanish medieval times, if it hadn't rained and the crops were suffering then they pointed a cannon into the sky in the hope of bursting the clouds." Bang! Source:  Melody Maker 1986.
• Recorded 26/05/85 at Hansa Studios, Berlin, overdubs 03-30/06/85 The Garden Studios, final mix 14/12/85 at Air Studios.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.
• Recorded for a BBC Session 28/01/86 at Maida Vale 5, aired 03/02/86.
• Live debut 21/11/84 Studio 54, Barcelona.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue One and Two.

Party's Fall:

• Inspiration/Influence/Band Comment:  
  SIOUXSIE: "It's a slightly sad story about people dressing up all day to go out at nights. And that's all they do... The parties spoil perhaps when you get too old to do it." Source:  NME 28/09/85.
  CARRUTHERS: "This is about people who go to thousands of parties and talk to everyone and lave the party and fine they haven't a friend in the world. In London there's a while vacuous circus of meeting pop stars and film stars and then departing and feeling sorry for yourself. We're never sorry for wankers". Source:  Melody Maker 1986.
• Recorded 07-17/05/85 at Hansa Studios, Berlin, overdubs 03-30/06/85 The Garden Studios, final mix 12/12/85 at Air Studios.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.
• Intended for release as a single but not issued.  Source:  The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.
• Live debut 10/04/85 St James Church, London.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue One and Two.

92°:

• Inspiration/Influence/Band Comment: 
  SIOUXSIE: "That was sparked off by a short story I read where crimes would escalate when the temperature reached 92 degrees. It's about the rising panic of the people who know what's going to happen as the temperature rises towards that number. I mentioned it to Steve, who'd seen some alien from outer space film, in which, right at the end, a sheriff says: 'Yeah, just about at this temperature everybody goes crazy'." Source:  NME 28/09/85.
  CARRUTHERS: "It's very near to blood temperature - the temperature of murder. The crime rate in America goes up by 200 per cent everytime the weather hits that figure. We've always been fascinated by scraps of information like that. People go apeshit at that temperature - any hotter and it's too uncomfortable to kill anyone!" Source:  Melody Maker 1986.
• Recorded 08-23/05/85 at Hansa Studios, Berlin, overdubs 03-30/06/85 The Garden Studios, final mix 06/12/85 at Air Studios.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.
• The dialogue used at the beginning is sampled from the Sci Fi film It Came From Outer Space, a film based loosely on the short story 'The Foghorn' by Ray Bradbury.

Lands End:

• Inspiration/Influence/Band Comment: 
  CARRUTHERS: "There's a funny story here. We were in Berlin recording this track when, half way through, the Lands End tragedy happened. The lyrics don't really correspond to that - it's more a lover's leap for eternity." Source:  Melody Maker 1986.
• Recorded 22-24/05/85 at Hansa Studios, Berlin, overdubs 03-30/06/85 The Garden Studios, final mix 17/12/85 at Air Studios.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.
• Recorded for a BBC Session 28/01/86 at Maida Vale 5, aired 03/02/86.

Starcrossed Lovers:

• Recorded 27-29/05/85 at Hansa Studios, Berlin.
• Unreleased song from the Tinderbox sessions.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.

An Execution:

• Inspiration/Influence/Band Comment: 
  Based on the 'myth' of Countess Bathory.  "She (Siouxsie) was reading this book about Countess Bathory, called 'Was Dracula A Woman?' or something.  She used to bath in the blood of virgins in the vain hope it would keep you young.  (Carruthers)  Source:  Zigzag 12/85.
• Recorded 31/07/85 at Matrix Studios.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.

The Quarterdrawing:

• Recorded 30/08/85 at Matrix Studios, final mix Eel Pie 2 Studios 03/09/85.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.

Lullaby:

• Inspiration/Influence/Band Comment: 
  King Ludwig II, the 'mad king' of Bavaria.  Source:  Downside Up liner notes.
• Recorded 29-30/05/85 at Hansa Studios, Berlin, overdubs 03-30/06/85 The Garden Studios, final mix 10-12/01/86.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.

Umbrella:

• Final mix 19-20/01/86.  Source: The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.

Unreleased:

• Tinderbox (rumoured title).
• Twister (rumoured title).
• The Quarterdrawing (rumoured title).
• Star Crossed Lovers.  Source:  The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.

Argentina:

• Siouxsie & The Banshees were the first group to play in Argentina after the Falklands war had ended.

Dislocated Knee:

• 24/10/85.  Midway through performing Christine at the Hammersmith Odeon, Siouxsie misjudged her footing and dislocated her knee.  When the plaster was eventually removed the cast was the first prize in a Radio 1 competition for the person who wrote the best poem about the accident.  Source:  The File, Phase Four, Issue Three.

Nightmares In Wax:

• On 11/11/85 a waxwork Siouxsie went on display in the main foyer of London's Virgin Megastore alongside those of Hendrix, Lennon and Jagger.  Source:  Q 11/88.