FEATURE:
Director’s Cuts
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in an outtake from the Lionheart (1978) cover shoot/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz/COVER CONCEPT: John Carder Bush
Is There Material in the Kate Bush Vault Yet to See the Light of Day?
___________
MAYBE that question sounds…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in a shot from the Director’s Cut (2011) session/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush
a bit accusatory, but I do wonder whether, at a time when there are a lot of big artists holding back album releases, there is material in the archives that fans would eat up! Normally, when a big album anniversary comes along, an artist will put out a remastered version with some outtakes or demo versions. I am not sure whether any scheduled anniversary releases this year will go ahead. I know Radiohead’s Kid A turns twenty later in the year, but they have their website/public library which gives one access to so many cool videos, interviews and other Radiohead bits. I have written about the delectable, Kate Bush and the fact that two of her albums have big anniversaries this year: Never for Ever turns forty in September; Hounds of Love is thirty-five in the same month. Both albums are hugely important, and I know there are fans out there who would love to hear some demo versions. If one looks online, you can see some early outtakes and outtakes/footage from her Tour of Life in 1979 (and here). I know there are some demos in various different states, and some early versions can be accessed. I found a Babooshka (from Never for Ever) demo, whilst there are some rare treats I have not seen before. Bush is an artist who does not look back that often, but she did release The Other Sides in 2018 - which combined B-sides and cover versions.
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush (and hounds) in an outtake from the Hounds of Love cover shoot in 1985/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush
It is a wonderful collection, and a rare chance for people to own these songs. This Woman's Work: Anthology 1978–1990, released in 1990, included some tracks not available on her studio albums to that point, and one has to wonder what else remains. Some will say that releasing every half-formed idea and scrap is creatively worthless, and there is a reason these tracks remain hidden. I know Kate Bush spends a lot of time putting albums together, and so many of these well-loved songs would have gone through multiple takes. Hounds of Love’s The Big Sky was a completely different song at the start to the end! Although Kate Bush herself claims not to be a perfectionist, many of her songs would have gone through so many different takes until she was happy. If there was ever an artist who will have a lot of different versions of songs in the archive, then it is Kate Bush! Maybe there will be some anniversary releases in September of Never for Ever and Hounds of Love but, as things are unsure right now, maybe any plans will be on hold – the same goes for any whisper of an eleventh studio album. I think what is online in terms of demos and outtakes is interesting, and there are so many songs that catch your ear and draw you in. The sound quality is not overly-great, so it would be interesting if these intriguing and important recordings were brought out on vinyl or C.D.
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush and Michael Hervieu in a still from the video shoot of Running Up That Hill, 1985/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush/VIDEO DIRECTOR: David Garfath
Some might claim a release like this would only appeal to the die-hard Kate Bush fans, but I think it is a terrific way to draw in new support; let people know that she is much more than the singles one hears on the radio – her legacy tends to be compacted to about four of five well-known songs. Bush is an album artist who wants people to hear complete works, rather than people skipping tracks. As much as I love her studio works, I am interested hearing where the songs started life! Maybe we do not need to hear demos and outtakes from all of her albums, but there is that fascination regarding what is left; what we might not have heard and would be wonderful to experience! In the same way as one got a new appreciation for The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles (‘The White Album’) and Abbey Road when remastered editions were released with demos and rarities in 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively to mark their fiftieth anniversaries, I would love to see a new edition of Never for Ever, The Dreaming, Hounds of Love, or Aerial with some extras; maybe some early versions and outtakes that would add something extra-magical. There was an unofficial album release of rarities in 2000, and, although I would love to buy a record of demos across her career, I believe some demos of early songs were made available to the public via bootleg releases in 1982:
“In 1972 and 1973 Kate recorded several tapes of songs. Reports vary about the amount of songs that were recorded, but there must have been dozens. 20 to 30 of these songs were presented via Kate's brother John Carder Bush's friend Ricky Hopper, first without success to record companies.
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1993/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari
Ricky Hopper then presented the songs to David Gilmour. Gilmour noticed her talent, but also the bad tape recorder quality. This led to one or more recording sessions with David Gilmour present, but with a better recorder. According to Kate: "Absolutely terrified and trembling like a leaf, I sat down and played for him."
At Gilmour's insistance, another recording session took place in the summer of 1973, at Gilmour's farm with two band members from Unicorn: drummer Peter Perrier and bassist Pat Martin, and Dave Gilmour on electric guitar. According to Gilmour, ca. 10-20 songs were recorded. This tape definitely made it to EMI Records. One of the songs recorded during this session was Passing Through Air, which ended up on the B-side of the single Army Dreamers in 1980.
Then, in June 1975, David Gilmour booked a professional studio (AIR London), brought Andrew Powell to arrange and produce the songs and hired top musicians to back Kate. They recorded The Man With The Child In His Eyes, Saxophone Song and Maybe. This tape finally was Kate's breakthrough at EMI. The first two songs from this session appeared on The Kick Inside. With the three demo songs in hand, a recording deal is much discussed between Kate, her family, Gilmour and EMI. In July 1976 it finally comes together: Kate gets £3000 from EMI Records and a further £500 to finance her for a year of personal en professional development.
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush captured by Guido Harari
During that year, Kate makes two further demo tapes. It is believed that from these dates many tracks were eventually released into the public via a radio broadcast in 1982 and various 'bootleg' singles and albums”.
I guess we do not see as much bootlegging as we used to and, if Bush is putting out material in the future, she might want to focus on the new. At a time when there is a bit of delay and re-shifting, I think an unexpected release of demos and rarities would be a great idea. I think other artists, either online or physical releases, will put out some of their lesser-heard back catalogue whilst we wait to get back to normal. Every time I hear a Kate Bush album, you just know the songs have gone through a lot of change; Bush searching for that perfect take – not all of the songs, but a lot of them. Perhaps she would feel uneasy putting out material that is not album-worthy or ‘finished’. It is a hard one to debate, but I just know there is magic and some awesome version of her studio tracks that so many would welcome. Let’s hope, as I keep saying, there is something new from Kate Bush in the future, as it would be a shame to think 2011’s 50 Words for Snow is her final studio album. A treasure trove (or single album) of some Kate Bush gold-dust would be…
PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz
SUCH a thrill.