FEATURE:
An Instrumental Sibling
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate and Paddy Bush alongside Peter Gabriel/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
Kate and Paddy Bush
__________
THIS will be quite a short feature…
as I have discussed Kate Bush and the relationship with her brothers. Her two brothers brought different things into her life. Music connects all three, though John Carder Bush (her oldest brother), photographed his sister since she was a toddler. He was a teenager when his young sister was born. Paddy Bush, who was born in 1952 (Kate was born in 1958), provides something different. Before giving my thoughts on that, here is some biography about Paddy Bush from the Kate Bush Encyclopaedia:
“Paddy Bush was born on 9 December 1952. He is an English musician, instrument maker, music critic, producer and artist. He is also the older brother of Kate. His best-known works are his collaborations with her on all of her studio albums up to the 2005 release Aerial. He wrote many contributions to the Kate Bush Club newsletter during the 1980's. Bush often plays standard instruments such as the guitar, mandolin, and harmonica, along with more exotic and unusual instruments, such as the balalaika, sitar, koto, and digeridoo. Bush is the sole European musician who has mastered playing - and making of - the Marovany, a traditional Malagasy instrument related to the Valiha. He undertook a number of extensive trips to Madagascar for filming and radio recording purposes. On one of these, Bush presented the widely screened television documentary 'Like A God When He Plays' which also features popular Malagasy musician Justin Vali. Bush was an original member of the KT Bush Band. In 1993, Bush collaborated with Colin Lloyd-Tucker to form the band Bushtucker”.
People talk about Bush’s music and what a sensational innovator she is. This is true, though I think the ongoing influence from Paddy was a big reason why she unearthed so many unusual sounds and took big leaps. In the Bush household, the aspiring songwriter was exposed to English and Irish sounds (her mother was Irish). There was a lot of different music played, though one feels that Bush’s exploration of bands like Pink Floyd and artists like David Bowie would have come from her peers and self-discovery. Her parents might have helped open her eyes to acts like Frank Zappa, though one feels that this was another discovery by Bush herself. Whilst one hears elements of the more esoteric, experimental and diverse in her music, I think that didn’t really happen until Never for Ever – there are flashes and sparks on her second album, Lionheart. Paddy Bush became a regular player and big contributor on her albums since 1978’s Lionheart. He did appear on the debut, The Kick Inside (he played mandolin on Oh to Be in Love and delivered some backing vocals). I will drop in the documentary that was broadcast around Bush’s The Tour of Life in 1979 (see below). Paddy Bush can be seen (as he was part of the musicians on the tour) talking about his sister and introducing the interviewer to unusual instruments. Although Kate Bush was pretty curious and bonded with technology and unconventional instruments herself, Paddy was especially left-field. Among the instruments Paddy Bush played on Lionheart, one hears strumento de porco (psaltery), mandocello and pan flute.
There are English Folk elements combined with the more international and unorthodox. They sound brilliant and add new layers to the songs he appears on. I might do another feature that expands upon the childhood days for Kate Bush and her brothers’ impact. Having Paddy in the fold took her music to new levels. I love the backing vocals Paddy provided to songs such as Them Heavy People (The Kick Inside), harmony vocals on Lionheart, and the incredible backing vocals on Never for Ever (including the track, All We Ever Look For). There are two elements to Paddy Bush’s impact. His backing vocals provided new characters and richness to various songs. From his backing on Never for Ever’s Army Dreamers, to Hounds of Love’s Cloudbusting, one could hear the sibling bond. A lot of artists bring their siblings into their work, through one can hear so much of Paddy Bush through the catalogue of his young sister. In fact, one can hear him on 2011’s Director’s Cut. He did not appear on the most-recent album, 50 Words for Snow – the first studio album where he does not get a credit. That said, he was a part of the 2014 residency, Before the Dawn (credited as helicopter pilot (Waking the Witch), harmonic vocals, fujare). I wonder, if Bush releases another album, her brother will be part of it. It is amazing to think that, for over forty years, the two have been such an integral and essential part of the music!
Have a look through Kate Bush’s discography on Wikipedia or Discogs and read the list of vocal performances from Paddy Bush. There was this obvious love and trust between the two. I think that Paddy learned a lot from his sister by working with her for so many years – he has produced music of his own; one gets the sense that we hear more from him in the future. One of the problems with The Kick Inside is the fact that Bush did not have too many of her first-choice musicians on the album. Having been part of the KT Bush Band, she would have wanted Brian Bath and Del Palmer in the fold. They first appeared on Lionheart, though having Paddy in the studio on The Kick Inside would have given her confidence and that support – that said, the musicians she played with were very warm and professional. In addition to recording material at or near her childhood house of East Wickham Farm, having her brother alongside her from the beginning would have been very comforting! Rather than it being a case of the star throwing her brother a bone, Paddy’s invaluable importance and knowledge bled into the music of his sister. Think about the instruments one hears on 1980’s Never for Ever. One hears balalaika, sitar, koto, strumento de porco (psaltery), harmonica, musical saw, banshee and mandolin.
Perhaps less prolific and expansive on The Dreaming (as the Fairlight CMI played a bigger role), he still throws in sticks, mandolins, strings and bullroarer! There are a lot of gorgeous Irish instruments (no doubt inspired by her mother and Bush being exposed to Irish folk as a child), but there is also the didgeridoo. The Australian instrument was played by Rolf Harris on The Dreaming, through I think Paddy played a part in introducing it into the studio (Bush wanted to play the instrument, though Aboriginal law prevents women from playing a didgeridoo). Paddy Bush did play didgeridoo on Hounds of Love’s The Big Sky but, in addition to a few other instruments, he played violins and fujara. I have already written about the range of instruments on Bush’s albums, though I have not singled Paddy out before. Each Bush album has a different sonic texture and palette. She is the reason for that, though I feel her brother’s constant discovery of new sounds and his suggestions pricked his sister’s ears. On 1989’s The Sensual World, he wields whip (swished fishing rod), valiha and backing and tupan (among other things). Alongside some great vocals on 1993’s The Red Shoes, Paddy supplied valiha, singing bowls, fujara, musical bow, whistle and mandola. I think one reason why Paddy’s eclectic influence diminished from 2005’s Aerial was the nature of Bush’s music and the fact that there was a relatively simplicity.
There are gorgeous orchestrations through the double album, though there are a lot of more conventional instruments. Rolf Harris (unfortunately) played didgeridoo on the album, whilst Paddy did some backing vocals on the single, King of the Mountain. By Director’s Cut, he was given more to do with some mandola, flute, whistle and backing vocals. 50 Words for Snow is Bush’s most pared-down album, I think. There is percussion and guitars; the piano rules – hence the reason we do not hear Paddy on the album. Maybe, on a new album, she will continue down that road, although one imagines Paddy will feature on another Bush recording before her career is through! I was digging through the archives to see whether Paddy has spoken in detail about his sister and vice versa. I cannot find anything too detailed, though one cannot deny or ignore the influence of Paddy, not only on his sister, but her musical expansiveness and passionate curiosity for new sounds and worlds. Would she has visited Bulgaria and recruited the Trio Bulgarka were it not for Paddy Bush?! I think the wildness and wind of some of The Ninth Wave’s (from Hounds of Love) tracks was because of Paddy. He is such an important part of Kate Bush’s story and success. Let’s hope that the siblings…
WORK together again.