FEATURE:
There Is Thunder in Our Hearts
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during The Tour of Life in 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Sipa Press/Rex Features
a lot of Kate Bush features lately, it is her birthday today (30th July). I wanted to end a prolific run this month with a piece that lists 63 reasons – as Bush is 63 years old today – as to why we love the enduring and peerless legend. It has been inspired by a fabulous recent article by Ian Leslie. Back in December, he wrote about Paul McCartney; naming 64 reasons why we need to celebrate him. It is a fascinating read that everyone should spend some time with. I am doing a similar thing with Kate Bush (I actually emailed Leslie last week to see whether it would be okay to take guidance from his feature; he said it was absolutely fine). To mark the 63rd birthday of the iconic, enigmatic, original, peerless, supernatural, humble, funny, super-genius, compelling, hugely influential and decades-admired Bexleyheath-born Kate Bush, I have put together 63 reasons as to why she is so loved…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during filming The Line, The Cross and the Curve in 1993/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari
WORDS AND MUSIC
1. Kate Bush has been writing songs since she was a child. Her older brothers, Jay (born in 1944) and Paddy (born in 1952), were hugely influential. In this 1980 documentary (at 18:06), you can see Paddy and John alongside their parents and sister. If Paddy’s experience on the Folk scene and his utilisation and discovery of unusual instruments pricked Bush’s imagination and opened her eyes to the possibilities of music, it was her brother Jay who provided a different resource; one that Bush harnessed in her early songs and what we hear on The Kick Inside. As Graeme Thomson writes in the must-own biography, Under the Ivy: The Life & Music of Kate Bush: “Jay’s poetry indicated to the young Bush that expressing explicit desire was a legitimate artistic endeavour; certainly nothing to be ashamed of”.
2. There are bootlegs and recordings online of very early Kate Bush songs. Although a lot of the simple piano-and-vocal tracks have never made it onto albums - 1973’s Something Like a Song/In My Garden is among my favourites - it is eye-opening to discover how prolific Bush was at a young age (this article explores the ‘Cathy Demos’). Far surpassing her parents’ expectations and exceeding her father’s piano skills (he was a terrific sounding board and was always keen to hear his daughter’s (many) songs), Bush improved as a player and singer. By her own admission, she was not the best pianist and singer pre-The Kick Inside. Dedicated practice and devotion ensured that, by the time her debut album was released in February 1978, she was a female artist who could not be pigeonholed or easily compared to her peers. I have found studio session versions of tracks like Moving. In their as-yet-incomplete. It shows how her tracks were fleshed out and given new layers in the studio. The Kick Inside is my favourite ever album. I love how authoritative and mind-blowing Bush is through the record. This is what Laura Snapes wrote in a review of The Kick Inside for Pitchfork in 2019: “Women artists likening their work to their children is one culturally accepted way for them to discuss creativity; it implies a reassuring process of nurture. Another is as a bolt from the blue, a divine phenomenon which they just happened to catch and transmit to a deserving audience; no need for fear of a female genius here. But Bush’s debut, released when she was 19, says “Up yours” to all that. Even though she was not a phenomenal pianist pre-The Kick Inside, take away Bush’s lyrical, vocal and production gifts and I think she can be seen as an outstanding and inspiring pianist. Right through her career, Bush’s piano playing has so much feel and distinction. Even though Bush can’t really read music, she has composed her piano parts by intuition, feel and discovery. Take Lake Tahoe from 2011’s 50 Words for Snow. An outstanding performance so full of tenderness, decadence and emotion that is distinctly and comprehensively the work of a unique and accomplished pianist!
3. I will get to discussing Kate Bush’s ongoing influence. One reason as to why so many artists (and fans) adore her work is her incredible way she can blend the everyday with the fantastical and otherworldly! Not a songwriter to go down an ordinary and commercial route, Bush has always been a truly distinct scribe of note. A song that was recorded and never released on The Kick Inside, Scares Me Silly (But It Gets Me Going), is a track in real-time. Bush, as the artist, literally sings about the terror of recording a song (“Here in the studio/As they're turning down the lights/I lick my lips to start the first line/How can this girl be me?/"Oh, little thing, are you looking lost?"/The vertigo, the need to lose”)…
The Kick Inside is full of unique and fascinating lyrics. Perhaps her debut single, Wuthering Heights, is the classic example of how she wrote and sang unlike anyone else! Having caught the last ten minutes of a 1967 T.V. mini-series - she wrote it before reading the book in full - of the classic Emily Brontë (whom Bush shares a birthday with) novel, Bush wrote the number one track shortly before heading into AIR Studios in 1977 to work on her debut album. In 2020, The Guardian ranked the song at number-fourteen of the best U.K. number-one singles: “Written from the perspective of the ghost of Catherine Earnshaw, a young woman pleading with the brutal Heathcliff, whom she loves and hates, to let her soul into the house, the song is a gothic melodrama that builds until it is thick with intensity. It is a magnificent achievement, though the writing of it was seemingly painless. “Actually, it came quite easily,” Bush recalled later, telling the story of a single moonlit night at the piano. The vocal was said to have been recorded in a single take. Bush found out that she and Brontë shared a birthday, and the fates were aligned”.
4. Bush’s imaginative and hugely diverse songwriting has continued right through her career. From the vengeful bride in Never for Ever’s The Wedding List (which was inspired by François Truffaut's The Bride Wore Black), to the crime caper, There Goes a Tenner (from 1982’s The Dreaming); the divine suite, The Ninth Wave, from 1985’s masterpiece, Hounds of Love, to a tryst between a woman and a snowman that ends in a sorry puddle the following morning (Misty is from 2011’s 50 Words for Snow), Bush is, to me, one of the most distinct, interesting and compelling lyricists ever. Very few of her songs sound formulaic or commercial. Her writing is so much more character-filled, vivid, fresh and intelligent than other songwriters’ work. If some icons impress because they are a brilliant lyricist, composer, producer or singer…Kate Bush succeeds and exceeds in all areas! Similar to what Ian Leslie remarked about Paul McCartney (“McCartney has received far less attention, partly because he is generally uninterested in self-examination, or in being examined”), Bush was not using her lyrics and music to explore her psyche or act as diary entries. Whilst we do learn a little about her, I think a degree of separation and detachment (focusing more on characters and fantasy rather than the directly personal) makes her songs that much more interesting, open-for-interpretation and multifaceted.
5. Every Kate Bush fan has their favourite lyrics. In 2018, writers from The Guardian picked their favourite. Lanre Bakare selected lines from an underrated song on 1993’s The Red Shoes, You’re the One: “I’ve got everything I need/I’ve got petrol in the car/I’ve got some money with me/There’s just one problem/You’re the only one I want”. In another 2018 article, young songwriters were asked about Bush’s impact on them. This is what Anna Calvi said: “What’s really inspiring is the depth of character, the depth of the imagery, the depth of imagination and sound Kate Bush uses, the way she creates these worlds. She inhabits her songs better than anyone. It’s incredible how she can be at once extremely experimental and also create amazing pop music. The only other person I can think of that can do that is David Bowie” (her first book of lyrics, How to Be Invisible, is a must-read if you want a sense of how tattoo-worthy and beautiful her lyrics are. I have lyrics from two of her songs - The Kick Inside’s Moving and the title track - on each arm! Expanding on this point…Bush was one of the (if not the first) British female artist to write and perform all of her own songs. That is a massive reason to love and respect her. Perhaps this is one reason why the press did not know how to respond to her and react to this very idiosyncratic music?
IN THIS PHOTO: A promotional image for the 1980 single, Army Dreamers
6. Although not many of Bush’s deeper cuts have been covered, a lot of her songs have been tackled by a wide range of artists. Last year, Billboard named their ten best covers of Kate Bush songs. Adoring artists are keen to provide their take on their favourite Bush cuts. From Placebo’s version of Running Up That Hill, (Hounds of Love) to Anabelle’s recent take on Wuthering Heights (The Kick Inside), to Nerina Pallot’s live version of Moments of Pleasure (The Red Shoes), to Maxwell’s interpretation of This Woman’s Work (The Sensual World), her work holds so much power, relevance and significance for so many people. One of my big hopes is that artists tackle some of her deeper cuts. Whilst it is good that Bush’s songs are covered, there seems to be a big emphasis on the classics. Nothing wrong with this but, if one listens to her album tracks, there are so many tremendous and fascinating songs that would benefit from a fresh take and new angle!
7. One reason why Bush’s music is so rich and nuanced is the way she incorporates a world of different instruments into the blend. The strumento de porco lends something exotic and intriguing to Lionheart’s Kashka from Baghdad; her (then) new-found adoption of the Fairlight CMI can be heard on, among other tracks, Never for Ever’s Babooshka (ref: the sound of breaking glass); Irish instruments such as the uilleann pipes appear on tracks like Jig of Life and Hello Earth (Hounds of Love). They are also on The Sensual World and Never Be Mine (The Sensual World). I really like Paddy Bush’s bullroarer on The Dreaming’s title track, Dónal Lunny’s bouzouki on The Sensual World’s eponymous cut, and Eligio Quinteiro’s wonderful and beautiful renaissance guitar on Aerial’s Bertie. The list is too numerous and vast…suffice it say Bush’s sonic world is as important and diverse as her lyrics! In 2020, I wrote about Bush’s broad sound palette and how she moved away from the piano and voice post-The Kick Inside - and gone on to expand her compositional horizons.
A CAST OF THOUSANDS
8. When The Kick Inside came out, many in the media lampooned and mocked Bush’s high-pitched vocals (later, the sketch show, Not the Nine O’Clock News, parodied her; perhaps taking shot at the nature of her lyrics rather than the vocals). Bush was written off by some in the early days because of her vocals and the fact she belived in ghosts, ESP and the spiritual. To me, they are one of her greatest weapons! Bush created cast of characters through her albums. Whether it is the simple-yet-jaw-dropping vocals on Lionheart’s Symphony in Blue, or the extraordinary effect on The Dreaming’s Pull Out the Pin, so much of Bush’s impact and legacy derives from her phenomenally broad vocal gifts!
9. I love how she could pretty much make it through a forty-plus-year career without bringing too many other singers to the front. Whilst Bush has had other vocalists on her songs and collaborated with everyone from Prince (on The Red Shoes’ Why Should I Love You?) and Stephen Fry (on 50 Words for Snow’s title track), it is Bush’s voice that creates the finest moments. From adopting accents (an Irish one on Army Dreamers), an Australian one on The Dreaming’s title track, or the cockney/mockney of There Goes a Tenner, Bush embodies characters, worlds and landscapes in a manner few other artists have. In fact, on every studio album, there are at least three moments where the vocal takes you aback: The Kick Inside (Bush’s echoed backing lines on Moving from 2:20; the wonderful high rasp at 2:34 on Kite; 0:53-0:59 on The Kick Inside where Bush sings “This kicking here inside/Makes me leave you behind…”); Lionheart (2:01 on Wow where Bush sings “He just holds his breath”; her backing vocals from 0:53 on Full House; the clipped and slightly theatrical delivery of “You slipped some on the side/Into my glass of wine” on Coffee Homeground between 0:16-0:21) - and so on and so on. Whether it is a straight backing line, a wordless vocal like Never for Ever’s Night Scented Stock, the tour de force of fear, anxiety and madness on The Dreaming’s Get Out of My House, the childlike screams at the end of Hounds of Love’s The Big Sky, the quiver in her voice at 0:54 on The Sensual World’s The Fog, or the echoed calls between 4:40-4:46 (“Slooshy sloshy slooshy sloshy/Get that dirty shirty clean…” has a little bit of David Bowie about it) on Aerial’s Mrs. Bartolozzi, there is astonishing encyclopaedia of characters, tones, intonations, techniques, shades, colours and phrasing that, in my humble view, makes Bush one of the most dexterous and astonishingly diverse vocalists of all-time. I would put her right up there with Paul McCartney!
10. On the subject of David Bowie. The late icon was one of Kate Bush’s musical idols. She saw his last performance as Ziggy Stardust in 1973 - what it must have been like for someone so young (she was fourteen) to see a piece of musical history unfold! Although Bush did not take on new personas and guises quite like Bowie, I feel his influence through her work. In this 2016 NME article, we discover how important Bowie was to her. That idea of taking her voice to strange places and going beyond the conventional is something I associate with Bowie. Given the fact that Bush’s listened to the likes of Captain Beefheart, Roxy Music, Elton John (to me, her 1991 cover of his track, Rocket Man, is one of her best covers), The Beatles (she covered Come Together, She’s Leaving Home and The Long and Winding Road) and Steely Dan does not mean that she replicated these artists. She took elements from various influences and translated them into her work. Bush was not afraid to push her voice when the song called for it. That sort of growled and mucus-y vocal we hear on my favourite song of hers, Houdini (from The Dreaming), was partly achieved by drinking milk and eating chocolate – she did it to get a rougher and more gravelled tone (something singers are advised not to do).
HER ONGOING INFLUENCE
11. Whilst I was going to leave this until later, it is worth noting how Bush’s music is seemingly as popular today as ever. This year alone has seen Laura Shenton’s in-depth looks at The Dreaming and The Kick Inside; a soon-to-be-released book, Finding Kate, will “celebrate in visuals & words the genius of Kate and her music”; Max Browne’s Three Nights in Hammersmith: Kate Bush onstage in 1979 is also out; John Carder Bush’s photobook, KATE: Inside the Rainbow, was also reprinted and is available to buy - and something you definitely need to get on! I may have missed out or two, but there have also been a great track-by-track book from Bill Thomas; another from John Van der Kiste.
12. It is not only books that have been dedicated to Kate Bush’s magic and brilliance. MOJO and Record Collector devoted some column inches to her recently. Prog Magazine got in the act and marked forty years of Never for Ever last year. They cleared a lot of space to the album; discussing its creation and special place in history. Even though we have not heard any music from Bush for a while, there is this ongoing love and fascination with her work. These books and magazines will introduce something wonderful to those who are, perhaps, unaware of Bush’s genius.
13. Kate Bush’s work continues to reach people through vinyl and streaming. Whether fans are keen to own her majestic music on vinyl or listen to her music on Spotify, new generations are discovering Bush. Not only does it means that the songs will endure; artists coming through are finding Kate Bush and are being moved, touched and compelled because of her. One can tell that Kate Bush will still being heard and talked about decades/centuries from now. That is a very wonderful thought and realisation to hold onto.
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush performing the track, The Big Sky, on the Peter’s Pop Show in Germany in November 1985
14. One can detect Bush’s influence in modern-day artists such as St. Vincent, Rufus Wainwright and Georgia. You can add to the list Charli XCX, legends like k.d lang, Bat for Lashes, Fiona Apple, Solange, Florence Welch, Adele and Annie Lennox. If Bush herself was motivated and inspired by other musicians, her music has resonated with a range of artists. In 2018, Margaret Talbot wrote a brilliant and deep feature for The New Yorker regarding Kate Bush’s incandescent and enduring power: “Certainly, she’s had her share of respect and even adoration. Prince, Peter Gabriel, and Elton John collaborated on songs with her, and she has inspired younger talents; Tori Amos, Björk, Joanna Newsom, St. Vincent, Perfume Genius, and Mitski are all heirs”. It is not hard to see why so many artists are influenced by Bush. She has dictated and directed her career to benefit and serve the music, rather than chase fame, promote ego or earn money. Bush has said how there is always a sense of dissatisfaction with everything she has done (ref: from 17:13 in this interview). The fact that she released Director’s Cut - reworking of tracks from 1989’s The Sensual World and 1993’s The Red Shoes - shows she wants to ‘correct mistakes’…or at least make sure that her music is as good as it can be. It also shows how important music is and the enormous amount of work she puts into everything she does.
15. Last year, the New York-based author, writer and journalist Brianna Holt wrote a wonderful feature for COMPLEX regarding the fact that, although Bush has ‘disappeared’, her influence is everywhere: “She is highly praised by her peers, too. Big-time artists like St. Vincent and Adele have publicly expressed how Bush’s music influenced their own work. Prince noted her as his favorite lady. Even Tupac was a Kate Bush fan. Big Boi, a longtime stan of “Running up That Hill,” shared that he would listen to the song everyday on his bike ride to and from school. During a phone call earlier this month he told us, “I fell in love with her songwriting and how her songs would tell stories. It was deep. From there she became one of my two favorite artists." The connection he formed to Bush's music grew so deep that he spent a week in England trying to pin her down while he was in town for press meetings”. It is interesting to note that, whilst many American critics have never truly got behind Bush and her music has not fared as well there as here in the U.K., a lot of artists, writers and figures from the U.S. are ensuring that Bush’s genius and importance is recognised there (Holt included). Although Bush never wanted to crack the U.S., she appeared at Tower Records, New York a couple of times. Bush was offered a support slot through the U.S. on the Rumours tour with Fleetwood Mac in 1978, but she declined. As we discover in a quote from Graeme Thomson’s Under the Ivy: The Life & Music of Kate Bush: “I must say it’s never really worried me that I’ve not been big in America”. Despite this slight shrug, there are some great American promotional interviews from 1985 (this one with J.J. Jackson is among my favourites).
16. There are other articles that name modern-day artists influenced and inspired by Kate Bush. It is not only about the music and how that connects with others. I feel a lot of people assume Bush’s influence on other artists comes from the unusualness of some of her songs or her acrobatic vocals. There are so many layers and aspects of her career that have infused and compelled artists, producers and creative around the world! The full extent of her extraordinary and unique gift, alas, is for another day - when I can pay full tribute to her enormous impact…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in a still from the Babooshka video
THE DOMESTIC AND DIVINE
17. The blend of the ordinary and the deified is part of Bush’s huge charm and sense of mystery. Many people think of Bush as a quintessentially English artist (she is half-Irish; her late mother, Hannah, hailed from Waterford). Whether it is conducting interview from her home or inviting musicians into the studio, Bush is charm personified! Her incredible, graceful hospitality and warmth, in fact, is legendary! Whilst her tea-making skills have not always been top-notch, those who have met and worked with her can attest to how she is on hand to provide tea, snacks and a warm smile. She is a perfect host. Someone who is down to earth and humble. One is meeting this iconic artist who is scarily-talented yet, in the flesh, we have a woman who is so kind, relatable and grounded. How many other artists of Bush’s stature can we say that about?! Whilst Bush does allow people into her home, she tries to keep her private life separate. Rarely mentioning her former partner (and current engineer/right-hand man) Del Palmer in interviews pre-1993, and not going into detail about her relationship with Dan McIntosh after that-now, it shows that Bush likes to keep her private life and loves to herself - another huge reason to respect her!
18. Alongside this, Bush possesses this ability to make people feel comfortable and at ease. She has no airs and graces when it comes to interviews. She is funny, warm and charming. Whether one sees an interview from 1980 for Canadian T.V. or a 2016 interview with BBC Radio 6 Music’s Matt Everitt, one would not think you were listening to one of the most famous and popular artists ever. When Bush spoke with BBC Radio 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne in 2011 to promote 50 Words for Snow (an interview that, sadly, is not on YouTube from what I can see), she said that a film she particular liked was Source Code - a pretty decent 2011 action-thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Laverne highlighted the film contained explosions; Bush responded in a chuckling manner to suggest that this was among the film’s charms! One of my favourite examples of Bush being both humble and a great interview subject is when she spoke with Delia Smith in 1979/1980 about her (Bush’s) vegetarianism. One is powerless and lost in her words in her presence! That incredible speaking voice, whilst deeper now than it was years ago, is full of sweetness, cheekiness, warmth and something utterly charming. Bush is such a fascinating person to listen to; someone who is deeply intelligent and compelling. I have been made to think and consider the world is different ways after listening to a Kate Bush interview!
19. After 1993’s The Red Shoes, Bush stepped away from the limelight - until she returned with the 2005 double album, Aerial. Tabloids speculated as to what was wrong. Was she reclusive? Was it drugs or a breakdown? (A book was even written about the wait for news and music from Kate Bush). In fact, aside from taking a breather after one of the hardest professional years of her life, Bush was starting a family. Her son, Albert (Bertie) was born in 1998. In a 2005 interview from The Guardian (which I am going to source from again later), we got a sense of these new-found domestic responsibilities: “Danny McIntosh find yourselves "completely shattered for a couple of years". You move house and spend months doing it up. You convert the garage into a studio, but being a full-time mother who chooses not to employ a nanny or housekeeper, it's hard to find time to actually work in there”. Bush is a terrific and fierce mother. One can see her son, Bertie, going on to achieve so many good things thanks to the love he is provided. Bertie can be heard on Aerial (on a 2018 remastered edition; replacing parts originally performed by Rolf Harris), Director’s Cut and 50 Words for Snow. He was also part of the cast for 2014’s Before the Dawn - and it seems like he may develop into a talented and successful actor or musician.
20. Despite the fact Kate Bush is definitely not a recluse - and she is someone who wants privacy and has never courted fame -, there is this sense of the grand and extravagant about her. A sense of the deified and heightened among the ordinary and humble. Having lived in mansions and enjoyed living comfortably off of her wealth (as you would!), Bush flew Jimmy Murakami from London to Cornwall when he directed the video for Aerial’s single, King of the Mountain. Rather than making him get the train or sending a driver, there is something very rock star and cool about sending a helicopter! Just another reason why we love Kate Bush. It makes me wish I was in her inner-circle and could benefit from the dichotomy of the minor and homely coupled with those big and bold moves.
21. One of my favourite stories from Bush is how she asked the Queen for her autograph at a 2005 Buckingham Palace reception: “I made a complete arsehole of myself” she later confessed. Even though she is the Queen, you wouldn’t pass on the chance to give an autograph to Kate Bush…would you?! Maybe, as Bush has been so generous to her fans’ requests (in 1978, a young fan called David wrote to EMI and asked if he could be sent the lyrics to Wuthering Heights; Bush sweetly obliged) through the years, she might have felt asking the Queen for an autograph was no big deal!
22. In today’s music climate, artists stay connected via social media. That has never been the case with Bush. It is not often one sees tweets from her official Twitter page. Bush creates this sense of mystery and refreshing nature by her lack of online activity (when she spoke with Mark Radcliffe in 2011 to promote Director’s Cut, she was asked (at 38:55) whether she tweets or is on social media - she said it not something she is interested in. On suspects that social media holds no real appeal or importance for Bush to this day. I don’t think she has much involvement with her official Twitter site and what is posted to be perfectly frank. Whilst she respects and loves her fans, Bush does not feel the need to have daily posts and updates on her pages. It means that, when/if another album comes along, we will get a tweet with the date the album is being released and maybe the first (and only) single being linked. That is refreshing in an age where there is a flood of information and snippets from artists! I guess Bush is in a position where she can do that. The lack of online presence means that we can take more away from her music. It holds greater power and relevance. That said, she (or, more likely, someone looking after her social media account - sorry overly-excited fans who thought Bush herself was tweeting out) did wish HMV a happy 100th birthday last week! This tweet arrived over two years after the previous tweet - which promoted some to joke that she needs to calm down on excessive tweeting!
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush performing Them Heavy People in 1979
IN OTHER BUSINESS…
23. Kate Bush has not released a studio album since 2011’s 50 Words for Snow, though there is no shortage of news and Bush-related things. The Kate Bush News website keeps us abreast. The fan podcast takes songs and events from Bush’s career and dissect them. There is American Kate Bush podcast series that is also worth subscribing to. Around the world, you are never too far from Kate Bush’s music and career being covered and lauded. It is testament to the passion and dedication fans have for her!
24. Most of us have a list of our favourite singers. There would be no doubt of one fact: they are all human. That is not, happily, the case with Ms. Bush. In 1996, some unusual ‘vocalists’ were mentioned. BBC Radio 2 asked her who her favourite singer was. She said it was the blackbird; her second-favourite was the thrush. It seemed inevitable that, on her next album somewhere, birdsong would feature. 2005’s Aerial does indeed incorporate and weave birdsong through its second disc, A Sky of Honey (Prelude welcomes us in with some beautiful and soothing birdsong).
25. Like Ian Leslie remarked in his fascinating piece regarding Paul McCartney, one has to look at how long Bush has been writing music for. At sixty-three, it is almost fifty years since The Kick Inside’s The Man with the Child in His Eyes was written! Not only is it scary that she wrote that aged thirteen. All these years later, we are still playing that song! Her music is still bring picked apart and discovered. Despite long gaps between albums, it is not like we are short of treasure and fresh discoveries. One only need search on sites like YouTube and you will find a song you didn’t know existed. They are songs that provoke different reactions and visions. Whether it is the beauty and relative simplicity of tracks on her first couple of albums, or the more experimental and wide-reaching tracks later in her career, there are few songwriters as rich and eclectic as Kate Bush.
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz
26. I think a lot of people forget that she is also a producer. All ten of her studio albums to date contains material written solely by her (I think a small snippet of When You Wish Upon a Star on Lionheart’s In Search of Peter Pan and some classic lines from James Joyce’s Ulysses - on Flower of the Mountain from 2011’s Director’s Cut - does not count as co-writes!). Assisting with production (alongside Andrew Powell) on Lionheart and co-producing on Never for Ever with Jon Kelly, Bush has sole produced her albums since then. Her studio expertise, intuition and the way she can coax the finest and most memorable performances from her musicians is one reason why she is such a great producer. Also, her albums rarely repeat themselves. They are original and like fresh canvases. When recording The Kick Inside, Bush would stay in the studio when mixes were being made; she absorbed everything going down around her…
It was clear she wanted to, even then, assume more control and be more than the singer. That desire to not only create the songs but to shape them and see all the layers and parts come together was instilled so early. Even though her first solo production, The Dreaming, is dense, experimental and took a lot out of her (her father, a doctor, prescribed her bedrest after a diagnosis of nervous exhaustion soon after), the album is still a masterpiece of variegated textures and worlds. Hounds of Love, a warm and less anxious listen, is Bush at her most content and happy – even if some of the songs did take a while to coalesce (The Big Sky, my favourite tracks from the album, was a bit of a difficult child). When I interviewed The Anchoress earlier in the year, she discussed her affection for Kate Bush as a producer: “I didn’t properly get into Kate Bush until I was university - although I vaguely knew ‘Wuthering Heights’, as most people do. As I delved into her catalogue, the thing that struck me the most was how uncredited she has gone as a really experimental and innovative producer. She’s hugely important to me for that alone, as the example of an artist in control of her vision”.
27. Hounds of Love is rightly seen as her masterpiece and career apex. Her/her team’s brief Twitter emergence from hibernation came because of Hounds of Love. HMV, as they turned 100, reissued a series of albums as part of their Centenary Editions. Over thirty-five years on from its release, Hounds of Love is still beguiling and like nothing else. With its first side containing singles and more accessible songs (Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) for example), its second side, The Ninth Wave, is what a lot of people hold dearest. Almost a concept album in itself, the seven-song suite tells of a woman adrift in the ocean – presumingly having been lost overboard or stranded. Each song is so different in terms of its sound and feel…yet Bush manages to weave the tracks together seamlessly. Testament to her enormous talents as a songwriter and producer. Bush thinking more like a film director than an artist. From the heartbreaking plea for sleep and safety on And Dream of Sheep to the terrifying scuttle and eeriness of Waking the Witch, it is almost symphonic in its scale and accomplishment! This interview Bush conducted with Richard Skinner finds her explaining songs and providing more detail regarding Hounds of Love and The Ninth Wave.
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in a promotional image for 1986’s The Whole Story/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush
28. Similar to Hounds of Love, Bush’s debut single, Wuthering Heights, has a legacy of its own. It surprises me that so few media sources have named the song as one of the best debut singles ever - when one can clearly hear and see that it is! Think about how utterly out of nowhere it sounds; the colossal impact it has today. In July, there is an annual The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever. Around the world, fans converge and recreate the dance choreography to that single. Considering the impact of the song, small wonder so many people pay their respects every year. Choregraphed originally by Robin Kovac (a dance tutor that Bush worked with early in her career), the sight of fans donning a red dress (Bush wore a red dress for the U.S. video and a white one for the U.K. version) shows how special and iconic the song is. Even in 2021, one cannot compare Wuthering Heights to anything else! It was a bolt out of the blue at a time – 1978 – when Punk and New Wave were more popular and widespread. The single got to number-one after word of mouth, requests on radio stations and Bush performing on Top of the Pops. It announced her as a truly unique artist. How many other songwriters would release a debut single as strange and uncommercial (on paper at least) as Wuthering Heights?! EMI wanted the more conventional James and the Cold Gun; Bush argued against that and felt that Wuthering Heights was more indicative of her as a songwriter and where she was headed - a fresher and less obvious introduction to the world. After she was proven right, few would argue with her again! Videos like this and this provide more depth and detail about a remarkable song.
29. On the subject of Wuthering Heights, her videos are almost as memorable as the songs themselves! Dance is a big part of that. Bush was inspired by Gurdjieff's Fourth Way. As Dreams of Orgonon write about Them Heavy People (released as a single in Japan, it is a song where Gurdjieff is name-checked): “Gurdjieff’s teachings are compatible with Bush’s aesthetic here: they unify the body with the mind, keeping both alive and in a constant dialogue with each other”. Bush loved music videos and was fascinated by film and T.V. Rather than produce these ordinary Pop videos, there is so much story and the cinematic. Babooshka’s video sees Bush in two roles: the veiled wife who is demure-yet-seductive in black. The chorus presents Bush as this sword-wielding figure who stops you in your tracks! It is a remarkable and unforgettable video. Every single presented Bush and her directors a chance to bring songs to life in a very fresh and new way. Bush started directing her own videos by the time of Hounds of Love. The title track (released in February 1986) was her first video as director. I think Bush is an underrated and under-explored director. Though she would have got quite a bit of assistance to start, she puts her own stamp and feel to the videos. Among the other videos Bush directed was The Big Sky (Hounds of Love), Love and Anger (The Sensual World) and Experiment IV (The Whole Story).
30. Aside from the hour-long BBC’s documentary of 2014, there has not really been a career-spanning and in-depth documentary since then. That said, the BBC production does join fans, those she worked with Kate Bush and fellow musicians. Across the hour, everyone from David Gilmour (who helped get her signed and is credited with ‘discovering’ her), Tori Amos, Elton John, Del Palmer (her engineer and former partner) and St. Vincent celebrate a legend. There are so many tiny and interesting details that could add new elements and shine lights in new direction. Whether it is her in a Japanese Seiko advert from 1978 (she appeared in a song contest in the country) or providing instrumentals for a series of Fruitopia commercials in 1994; some excellent revelations in a 1993 show, to more on Bush’s musical influences, there is so much more to be spotlighted and augmented.
31. One can also justifiably call Bush a style icon. Through her career, she has created so many different looks (this 2017 video examines Bush as a twentieth-century style icon). Nothing was fake or aimed at getting media coverage and attention. I will talk more about photoshoots and different outfits/costumes that Bush wore. As this GUM feature tells, right from the start of her career, she was standing out in terms of her fashion and look: “At a time when fashion tended overwhelmingly towards the forward-looking, the shiny, futuristic fabrics, the business-influenced party power-dressing, the big skirts and sleeves and hair and a vision of the future from the 50s, Bush took a softer, more nostalgic, more quietly theatrical view; borrowing from Pre-Raphaelite painting, Japanese art history and textiles, and the culture of mine and contemporary dance from which she rose, Bush’s look – like her sound – operated in its own imaginative sphere”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during a filmed section for 2014’s Before the Dawn at the Hammersmith Apollo. She was performing the Hounds of Love song, And Dream of Sheep - it was filmed over the course of three days whilst Bush was floating in a water tank at Pinewood Studios/PHOTO CREDIT: Trevor Leighton
THE LIVE PERFORMER
32. One cannot discuss Kate Bush and her importance without mentioning live performance. Although she performed a fair few times for T.V. (here is her first-ever T.V. live appearance), her staged/larger productions were few and two: 1979’s The Tour of Life and 2014’s Before the Dawn residency. The former is a groundbreaking phenomenon (this 2020 article provides a lot of explosion, examination and timeline). The year after releasing two studio albums - The Kick Inside and the hugely underrated Lionheart -, Bush undertook a live commitment like nothing else she had ever attempted! With dance, mime, theatre, poetry and the most extraordinary sets and performances, it is one of the most important tours ever. Looking at a 1979 Nationwide documentary, it was quite an undertaking making sure everything came together. Bush, whilst not running everything, definitely had quite a big say in most aspects (I love a moment where she is discussing some aesthetic choices whilst casually smoking a cigarette!). Bush wanted to exude more control and creative say after feeling part of the machine to an extent whilst recording her albums - one reason why she took a much larger production role for 1980’s Never for Ever. Though she was busy rehearsing choreography and tightening her band into shape, Bush was also choosing fabrics, designs and making sure everything was to her liking. As this article from The Guardian tells, some of the reviews were hugely glowing: “As the tour rolled out around the UK the reviews were euphoric: Melody Maker called the Birmingham show "the most magnificent spectacle ever encountered in the world of rock", and most critics broadly concurred”.
33. Speaking of The Tour of Life, the synonymous head-mic/wireless mic that a lot of artists have used through the years - including Madonna most famously (ref: The Blond Ambition World Tour of 1990) - can be traced back to Bush. Unable to use a traditional microphone (ref: 14:58 in this Nationwide documentary) and perform complex routines at the same time, a solution was formulated. Initially using a boom arm with a very small microphone attached, what Bush uses through the tour is the prototype of a design that allowed artists greater freedom and flexibility. That alone should make her a g-damn legend!
34. Taking things back a few years…one might have been lucky enough to have seen the KT Bush Band perform around pubs and small venues in London - their final gig (one where the audience were not too bothered) was in Brighton). With Vic King on drums, Del Palmer on bass, Brian Bath on guitar and Bush up front, their brief reign between April and June 1977 was a memorable one. Although Brian Bath did most of the on-stage talking (as Bush was shy and not a natural lead at that point), the band built a stellar reputation. Not many pub bands of the 1970s had a female lead. That vocal twist, combined with the tight performances and great routines (James and the Cold Gun was a showpiece and highlight from the set) impressed punters and the bosses at EMI. They wanted Bush to get some live experience before heading into AIR Studios to record her debut album. It didn’t take too long until EMI called Bush into the studio - feeling she was ready and more than eager to get some songs recorded. Whilst The Tour of Life was a far bigger and different beast to her KT Bush Band sets, no doubt this earlier experience helped when it came to T.V. performances - and it added an extra physicality and confidence to her writing and recording. What it would have been like to have seen a then-unknown Kate Bush performing at a small pub would be mind-blowing all these years later!
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush performing at the Falkoner Teateret in Copenhagen, Denmark on The Tour of Life in April 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Jorgen Angel
35. Between 26th August and 1st October, 2014, Kate Bush made an unexpected return to the stage over twenty-two dates in Hammersmith. Unsurprisingly, the reviews were hugely positive. The dates sold out…and she was treated to rapturous applause and love from the crowd! Writer and broadcaster Pete Paphides was lucky enough to witness Before the Dawn. Here are his final thoughts on the night he saw Kate Bush seduce and stun everyone in attendance: “But, like the beaming 56 year-old mother singing, “The sun’s coming out”, that too dissipates into memory. And, after another 19 performances, what will happen? In another 35 years, Kate Bush will be 91. Even if she’s still here, we might not be. Perhaps that’s why tonight, she gave us everything she had. And somehow, either in spite or because of that, we still didn’t want to let her go”. Me (being a massive bell-end) missed out on booking a ticket. From every account and review, it was an artist - who, by her own admission, was so nervous every night - showing she had lost none of her imagination, gravitas and live wonder. I think I may have missed the Kate Bush live boat! Bush being so nervous about returning to the stage goes to show she knew how big the occasion was - and how she wanted to give her paying fans her absolute best (which she assuredly did!)…
Caitlin Moran (who selected Wuthering Heights as one of her Desert Island Discs in 2017), writing for The Times, also provided her thoughts on the live return of Kate Bush in a passionate piece: “In A Sea of Honey’s long day, nothing particularly remarkable happens, just as nothing really remarkable happens in Ulysses. The sun comes up, and “the sky is filled with birds”, and the Moon rises, and the protagonists swim in the sea, at night. But some people are just more alive than others, all eyes and mouth, and overloading senses – and that’s what Joyce was, and that’s what Kate Bush is. They appear in your life to remind you that to watch a sunrise is to watch a burning star, and that pollen is sperm, and summer is fleeting, and everything on Earth is so unlikely – so improbable – that we might as well live somewhere where Kate Bush can end a concert by turning into a one-winged bird and flying out into the auditorium, as 4,000 people roar for her return. So what is it that you know, as you stagger out into Hammersmith – rattled, high and newborn again? This: that you have patiently waited 35 years to be reminded that you are alive”.
36. Among Bush’s other extended live performances was her Christmas Special of December 1979. It is a set of album tracks performed ‘live’ (she pre/re-recorded them before the performance and mimed them when taping). Whilst it is not as spellbinding and essential as The Tour of Life, Peter Gabriel makes a few appearances. A friend of hers, Gabriel was the man who introduced Bush to the Fairlight CMI. Bush has provided vocals to several Gabriel songs (including 1986’s heart-stopper, Don’t Give Up). On the Christmas show, he and Bush performed a spinetingling rendition of the Roy Harper song, Another Day.
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush behind the scenes during her 1979 BBC Christmas Special
TAKING FROM BOOKS, FILMS, T.V. AND BEYOND
37. One would not be shocked to discover that Bush took a lot of inspiration from books, films and T.V. Living in a household at a time when the television was becoming more common (though the Bush family were middle-class; not every household had the luxury in the 1950s and 1960s), the eager and young songwriter ate up so much. Among literary sources of inspiration was Stephen King’s The Shining. It inspired a song from The Dreaming, Get Out of My House. It is hard to say what the song would have sounded like if she had drawn influence from the 1980 Stanley Kubrick-directed film rather than the book. As it is, Bush takes us into a demonic, haunted house that is full of madness and horror. At such a busy and stressful time in her career - as she was immersed in production of The Dreaming and juggling so much without much of a breather or healthy diet -, one can read some of the lyrics and apply them to her possible mindset at the time: “This house is as old as I am (Slamming)/This house knows all I have done/(Slamming)/They come with their weather hanging 'round them (Slamming)/But can't knock my door down (Slamming)”.
38. Bush was a big horror fan. You can hear gothic and horror elements in several of her songs. The 1957 horror film, Night of the Demon, is especially important. As the Kate Bush Encyclopaedia observe: “Kate has said this is one of her favourite films, and it has influenced her on at least two occasions: the song Hounds of Love begins with a quote from a line spoken in the film by Maurice Denham, and somewhat more obliquely, the film The Line The Cross And The Curve borrows the idea that the possession of a small slip of paper with mystic symbols can confer great power, as well as borrowing several images and set pieces”.
39. Hammer Horror (from Lionheart), obviously, was a reference to Hammer Films - the British film production company founded in 1934. Bush was offered acting roles through her career. Maybe directors saw her videos and felt that she would be perfect on screen. Whether her love of film and T.V. would have transitioned into a successful acting career, we will never know - it is a great ‘what-if’ whether she would have done it like Madonna and mixed music with acting - though, for every Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) there was a Shanghai Surprise (1986). Bush was offered a lead role in the 1986 film, Castaway. She declined (perhaps, in no small part, because she didn’t fancy getting intimate with Oliver Reed; Amanda Donohoe was cast-away instead). Bush made her acting debut in the 1990 television film, Les Dogs, for The Comic Strip Presents…
40. With regards to literary inspiration, Bush had intended to use Molly Bloom's soliloquy in The Sensual World’s title track. From the James Joyce classic, Ulysses, she eventually got permission to use it when she re-recorded the track (and renamed it Flower of the Mountain). One suspects that it was in the public domain by then - the novel was published back in 1920. However, it was the scratching of a years-long itch that resulted in one of the highlights from the Director’s Cut album.
41. Although I have not mentioned all of the literary, film and T.V. fountains of influence (this DAZED article of 2016 provides more illustration regarding the way Bush adapted what she saw on film and T.V. into her own music: “Whenever I base something on a book or film I don’t take a direct copy. I’ll put it through my personal experiences, and in some cases it becomes a very strange mixture of complete fiction and very, very personal fears within me”) that made their way into Bush’s work, one of the most notable appeared in Hounds of Love’s Cloudbusting. Taking inspiration from the 1973 Peter Reich memoir, A Book of Dreams, the song is about the very close relationship between psychiatrist and philosopher Wilhelm Reich and his young son, Peter. In the song’s filmic and phenomenal video directed by Julian Doyle, Bush plays the young Peter. None other than Donald Sutherland played Wilhelm! It was a case of film and literature combining. It was rare at that point (1985) to have big celebrities appear in music videos (did Bush invent the celebrity cameo?!). Bush was a big fan of Sutherland and his films. The video was filmed at the Vale of White Horse in Oxfordshire; the hill where the cloudbusting machine is positioned is on Dragon Hill, directly below the Uffington White Horse. Owing to difficulties on obtaining a work visa for at short notice, Sutherland offered to work on the video for free. This article provides more details and story behind one of Kate Bush’s most-popular and striking videos.
42. One lesser-known influence from film (that inspired Kate Bush) can be heard on The Sensual World track, Between a Man and a Woman. The Godfather provided a spark for Bush. In their recent feature, Far Out Magazine dropped in a archive quote from Bush regarding that film/song: “The whole thing really came from a line in The Godfather, during some family argument, when Marlon Brando says, ‘Don’t interfere, it’s between a man and a woman.’ It’s exploring the idea of trying to keep a relationship together, how outside forces can break into it.” Bush was actually a little incorrect in this description as it was actually Mama Corleone who said those famous lines”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush captured in December 1980/PHOTO CREDIT: Patrick Lichfield
THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ‘SUBJECT’
43. Part of the reason why Bush is seen as a style icon is because of her photoshoots. Her brother, Jay, photographed his sister when she was very young. We can see many of these photos in Cathy. One can also get KATE: Inside the Rainbow to see photos he took of her from childhood right through to 2011. I think some of the confidence we see in shoots with other photographers comes from her brother. She would have been made to feel comfortable and relaxed by his love and nurturing. There are so many reasons as to why Bush is an engrossing photographic subject. Her face can say so much without a smile; her smile has a language all of its own. Her physicality leads to this amazing shots - though she is equally potent and beguiling when motionless. A sheer, undeniable and incredible beauty, both inside and out, has resulted in some of the most eye-catching and memorable photos of any musician ever.
44. A photographer who got to work with Kate Bush a lot was Guido Harari. One can buy a collection of his photos that were taken between 1982 and 1993. In the introduction of an 2016 interview conducted with Harari, we learn how extensive his work with Bush extended: “Italian photographer Guido Harari first photographed Kate Bush just after 1982’s The Dreaming was released and went on to take the official promotional shots for both Hounds of Love (1985) and The Sensual World (1989). He was then trusted enough to be invited by Kate to take (largely unseen) ‘reportage’ shots on the set of her 1993 film The Line, The Cross and The Curve”. Bush radiates and provides so many beautiful moments in those photos. She worked well with many photographers; one can detect and feel something very special and trusting when it comes to Harari. It is hard to pick a favourite from that time. My particular pick is one of Bush bouncing on a trampoline when making The Line, The Cross and The Curve.
45. I forgot to mention The Line, the Cross and the Curve when I was talking about acting. Released in 1993, it co-starred Miranda Richardson and choreographer Lindsay Kemp (he was a major influence on Bush, and his production, Flowers, was a game-changer; she dedicated the opening track on The Kick Inside, Moving, to him). Her short film did not win too many great reviews. Bush starred, wrote and directed the film. Looking back at it now, and it is far stronger than many give it credit for. There are some fantastic scenes and moments. Whilst Bush’s acting does not compare to that of Richardson’s, the short film is another wonderful addition to her catalogue - even if Bush herself was not especially full of confidence. At this point, she had not done anything as ambitious. It took to 2014 until Hounds of Love’s The Ninth Wave was physically realised in the form of the Before the Dawn set – I think Bush had plans to make a short film of The Ninth Wave earlier in her career but, because of one thing or another, it never happened.
IN THIS PHOTO: A young Kate Bush shot by her brother, John Carder Bush
46. Another respected and wonderful photographer Bush worked with was Gered Mankowitz. The iconic English photographer collaborated with Bush in 1978 and 1979. His book, WOW!, is a stunning collection of the photos he took of her during this time. Whilst he was due to shoot the cover for the Wuthering Heights single - though we can see his fine work on Lionheart, as he shot the cover. One of the greatest tragedies is how Mankowitz’s photos for the Wuthering Heights session was never used (fortunately, we do a photo of his as the cover for the U.S. release of The Kick Inside). He set up a shoot at Great Windmill Street in January 1978. He loved the song and wanted to do something that represented Bush’s love of dance. Woollen socks and leotards were worn by Bush. One infamous shot, the ‘nipple’ shot, was used on promotional posters on buses; it was seen by a good many people. Seeing as Mankowitz’s took a series of shots in that first session, it is a shame that this uncropped image was shared and criticised. Bush’s family were not too happy with a photo that felt was sexualising the young artist. It is unfortunate that it was discarded because, as Graeme Thomson mentions in Under the Ivy: The Life & Music of Kate Bush: “(the photo) remains genuinely iconic, revealing a stunning mixture of animal instinct and great intellect; the potential for the unleashing of great energy, but also classical repose. And, yes, it was sexy, but anyone who ended up lingering longer over her chest than her face was missing half the fun”…
Luckily, as I mentioned, Mankowitz shot the fabulous cover for the Lionheart album – it is, in my view, one of her finest covers. In an interview with The Big Issue from 2014, Mankowitz recalled his experiences of working alongside Bush: “She could just look at the camera you would melt. You sense that she was really special and felt Wuthering Heights was going to be a big hit and I know that EMI was going to really get behind it. What nobody knew was how huge she would be and how important. I had worked with a lot of people who had become incredibly successful for one reason or another – The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, who had that same charisma and presence as Kate, as did Annie Lennox and Suzi Quattro. What you recognise is talent and charisma but that doesn’t necessarily turn into longevity. We know you’re going to move from one single, one album to the next and hope that the artist and everything in their support structure around them is going to remain intact and supportive, and that the artist will build a fan base that is solid enough to support them. The one thing that was very clear was here was a very individual and unique special artist. There’s always terrible pressure on people especially if your first record is a huge hit. I don’t think that any of her records have been as big as Wuthering Heights but she’s big enough, talented enough and clever enough not to be overwhelmed by the success”.
47. Not many of Bush’s photographs were what one could call ‘conventional’ or ‘ordinary’. One of my favourite unusual shots/compositions is of Bush with a stuffed crocodile in a parking garage in 1979. Taken by Dutch photographer Claude Vanheye, it is definitely one of the most unusual and smile-inducing photos of her! It showcases Bush’s distinct sense of humour - and the fact that she was no ordinary artist who was going to pout and pose like so many of her peers did.
48. Whilst Max Browne has released a book containing his photos he took during Bush’s The Tour of Life, there is not a book available of the photos taken during Before the Dawn in 2014. One can never rule it out. Photos from Before the Dawn are amazing. Bush looks sensational and in control. The sets look so amazing and awe-inspiring! I think that, were a book published, it would provide some insight (alongside the live album) into a rare and hugely important moment in Bush’s career. One that many of her fans missed out on - this is me just eating a lot of very sour grapes!
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1989
AN IDOL FOR PEOPLES AND COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD
49. Bush has said in interviews before (around the time of 50 Words for Snow in 2011) how the music industry is/was in terrible shape. Part of this comment, I suspect, related to how hard it is for artists to get noticed and how little they are paid - a seeming lack of money because of digital resources. Although there is now motion in place to completely overhaul streaming platforms to make things fairer for all, Bush was among those who signed a letter (from the Musicians’ Union) to Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking for change regarding streaming economy. It goes to show that she is aware of the bad state and situation now; she is looking out for other artists. Not to say that her signature alone has led to action. Bush definitely lent the movement some heavyweight clout. Politicians are now determined to see change to the current system; aiming to put more money in artists’ pockets.
50. There are many ways Kate Bush has influenced other artists. With so many facets and layers to her personality, art and music, it is inevitable that she has resonated with musicians across the spectrum. In this 2018 AnOther feature, British artist Little Boots revealed what Kate Bush means to her: “Kate Bush is probably the artist to have influenced me the most: she really was the complete package and an artist so clearly in creative control from such an early age,” British singer-songwriter Little Boots tells me. “From pioneering the use of the Fairlight CMI synthesiser [on The Dreaming and Hounds of Love] to inventing live pop shows as we know them [with 1978’s The Tour of Life], she really was a true creative visionary and you can feel the thread of her personality running through every element of what she does. When I discovered her in my teens, I found this whole artist-world that I could dive into and immerse myself in. It just felt so special and necessary and I think that’s what inspires true fandom in her listeners”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1982
51. Another group Bush has touched and empowered is the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community. This goes for fans and artists. Staying with AnOther. They elaborated on this in their 2018 piece: “Though Bush is to our knowledge a heterosexual woman (she married guitarist Dan McIntosh in 1992, and their son Bertie was born in 1998), her otherness has always felt empowering to fans from across the gender and sexuality spectrum. On 23 November, a Kate Bush celebration night will take place at one of London’s most historic LGBTQ venues, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. Inspired by a one-off flashmob organised by British performance artist Shambush in 2013, “The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever” has grown to become an annual event where people in over 30 cities unite to celebrate Bush’s most famous song and video. “There’s something liberating about spinning with abandon dressed in a flowing red gown in a field, and I think that resonates on some profound level with her audience,” Belinda Burton, who organises the Sydney event, tells me. “I’ve heard people say time and time again that they would kick aside their lounge room furniture and spin to Wuthering Heights whenever it came on. For other people, they see it as a ‘reclaiming’ of their personal power from past relationship traumas. In an increasingly grey and punitive world, you could even say it’s an act of defiance. I know it’s an overused word these days, but there’s an authenticity to Kate Bush that’s inspirational. And I think that’s her legacy, really”.
52. It seems axiomatic to say Bush has inspired other because she is nice, humble and loving. She has so much compassion for other peoples and groups. Bush has said how people fascinate her - this shows in her songs. Bush’s sheer fascination with people has certainly influenced so many of her best and most memorable moments. I guess one cannot apply too many of Bush’s songs to herself - in the sense that many are semi-autobiographical or about other people. From her flights of fancy and literary references, to the way she can write about lust and desire, through to her incredible photos, interviews and song…millions around the world have had their lives changed because of Kate Bush! I myself have been strengthened and found hope through her music and the sheer charm she radiates from her interviews.
53. One artist who has been helped and (literally) kept alive by Bush is one of her heroes, Elton John. This 2014 article from Irish Examiner reveals more: “Speaking in 'The Kate Bush Story: Running Up That Hill' - an upcoming new BBC documentary - he said: "This was one record that saved my life. That record helped me get sober ... So she played a big part in my rebirth. That record helped me so much. I never told her that but it did". We are lucky for both Kate Bush and Elton John being among us still!
CHARITY AND KINDNESS
54. Kindness and benevolence is a Kate Bush hallmark. I think that, were it not for music, she would have been a doctor, a psychologist or a vet (she did consider one or more of those careers at a young age). People might argue musicians are not as important and valuable as nurses and teachers. This may be true in one sense…though one cannot underestimate how powerful and important music is; how songs can connect with people; how artists can reach those in need and speak to so many others (even though that artist does not know them). When Bush was awarded a CBE in 2013, she dedicated the honour to her family and musical collaborators.
55. In 2018, when she reissued her studio albums and brought out a Remastered series, a pop-up shop was established in London, selling merchandise and vinyl. It was set up to raise money for Crisis: a charity that means an awful lot to Bush. She was thrilled with the total raised: “I am delighted to announce that the total amount raised for CRISIS is £61,000. £50,000 was given to CRISIS before the Christmas period and they’ll be receiving the remaining amount very soon. Thank you to all of you again for your fantastic support for a charity that really is making a huge difference. It’s got to be so tough being homeless at any time of year but especially during these winter months. Thank you for being such kind and caring people. I’m deeply moved by your generosity. Happy New Year. I hope it’s a great one for you. Kate”.
56. Earlier this year, I wrote a feature about Bush’s charitable nature. I must mention one thing from the piece: “Kate has donated six newly signed items to a cancer charity auction. She has signed one each of the Remastered in Vinyl box sets plus a copy of the How To Be Invisible book and a 50 Words for Snow CD. There’s also a Red Shoes promo box that has been donated by an ex EMI Marketing Director and a copy of the 2011 50 Words for Snow vinyl. Cabaret vs Cancer is a small independent charity that works to raise money to support people living with the effects of cancer, especially children who have lost someone. Our very own Dave Cross has been an ambassador for the charity for two years now and has put together this, their first music charity auction. The auction also includes very special signed items from Kylie Minogue and Kim Wilde, plus other items from Elton John, U2, Steps, Iron Maiden and lots more. The auction is live now and will be open until Sunday 25th April – you can start bidding here! Well done, Dave, fantastic work on this!”.
57. Last Christmas, our icon wished her fans well. She also commended the frontline workers who were helping those out during the pandemic: “Hi everyone, There’s very little that hasn’t already been said about 2020... I just hope you’ve managed to cope and to stay safe through all the ins and outs of lockdown. Without the key workers on the front line, this year would’ve been so very different. A huge thank you to them, especially those working in the health services. Wishing you all the best possible Christmas in such difficult circumstances and hoping there's a much happier and brighter year ahead. Kate”. Got to love her, haven't you?!
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 2005/PHOTO CREDIT: Trevor Leighton
A COUPLE OF MEMORABLE INTERVIEWS
58. There are a couple of memorable interviews that I want to quote from. This incredible website chronicles Bush print/radio interviews through the years. Special mention goes to one of my favourite Kate Bush interviews. Despite a fairly odd and sensationalist quote - words Bush did not actually say - on the cover of Q in 1993, I do really love Stuart Maconie’s interview with her. One of Bush’s defining characteristics is how she can easily bond and be playful with those interviewers (as we can in this interview when Mark Radcliffe spoke with her about Director’s Cut in 2011, or how she interacts with the children in the studio when interviewed on Razzamatazz in 1981). There is the odd interview that is quite unprofessional or chaotic. The 1985 interview with the programme Night Flight that Bush undertook as part of a promotional junket in the U.S. is an infamous example! Bush always deals with them with great grace and composure. The Sunday London Times’ 1993 interview is an example of how not to speak with a major star. It is quite a weird example. Even though the premise and transcript is strange, it shows how Bush can react supremely to a car crash: “I should begin by telling you I didn't like it when that nasty EMI guard searched my purse out in the hall. I don't appreciate that kind of treatment, I don't!/[The guard points out that he had found several copies of Kate's unreleased album missing from the stack in the hall, and that he would appreciate it if the lady would allow him to search her bag. Ms. Iley blusters incoherently at this request, then with a furtive, evil look around her, changes the subject, while the guard continues to watch her:]/Somebody tol' me you were, like, a "shy megalomaniac." Zat true?/[Kate laughs, replies good-naturedly:] "Oh, yes! Yes, I like that description."/[Smugly, with a nasty leer]: Personally I've always thought shy was just another name for awkward, and megalomaniac just meant spoilt!/[Shocked by this unexpected and gratuitous rudeness from a total stranger, Kate smiles politely, says nothing.]/Someone tol' me you'd actually got (hic!) conceited enough to make a film ["The Line, The Cross, The Curve"]! Tell me it's not true, Katey, eh?
Remember what a self-absorbed, worthless piece of garbage "Magical Mystery Tour" was, will you? Heh, heh, heh!/"Well, it is something like Magical Mystery Tour, but it's not like that at all. It's not finished yet, and I hate talking about anything until it's there. It's like talking to you about the album if you haven't heard the tracks…Completely ridiculous.”/[Because Ms. Iley had failed to show up for the scheduled listening session to which she, with various other journalists, had been invited, Kate had gone to the trouble of having five of the songs played again for Ms. Iley at her later convenience, and had patiently rescheduled this interview twice to meet Ms. Iley's repeated, unexplained postponements. Kate is now under the misapprehension that Ms. Iley had at last heard the five tracks. In fact, however, Ms. Iley had passed out in an alcoholic fog shortly into the opening song, and consequently now has no memory of hearing any of the new music, which explains her next question:]/So, Kate, what was going on in your pretty little head when you were writing "Minutes to Treasure"?/"Moments of Pleasure'?/Whatever. Some kind of lovesong, or what? Silly title, though, ain't it? [Here Ms. Iley belches resonantly.]/"Er, it's just a very personal song. It's to show just how precious life is and all those little moments that people give you. And that's how people stay alive, through your memories of them".
PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari
59. To counteract and contrast, I want to bring in a nice, more conventional and less ‘turbulent’ example. An interview I have quoted a few times is a 2005 interview from The Guardian (though it was originally published for MOJO). Twelve years after Bush followed up The Red Shoes with the remarkable Aerial, many were keen to speak with her. Not only to ask about the album; enquiring where she has been for all that time was also high up the agenda! I want to highlight sections that made me smile: “If there is perhaps less mystery to Kate Bush than we might have expected, her music remains reassuringly the same ecstatic alchemy of the humdrum and otherworldly. Recalling the hello-clouds wonder of The Big Sky from 1985's Hounds of Love or the frank paean to menstruation that is Strange Phenomena from her debut, The Kick Inside, Aerial finds Bush marvelling in the magic of the everyday: the wind animating a skirt hanging on a clothes line, the trace of footprints leading into the sea, the indecipherable codes of birdsong/But the one track on Aerial that best bridges the divide between Bush's domestic and creative existences is the haunting piano ballad Mrs Bartolozzi, in which a housewife character drifts off into a nostalgic reverie while watching clothes entwining in her washer-dryer. It's also the one track set to polarise opinion among listeners, with its eerie, unhinged chorus of "washing machine ... washing machine". Bush acknowledges as much/"A couple of people who heard it early on," she says, dipping a spoon into her avocado, "they either really liked it or they found it very uncomfortable. I liked the idea of it being a very small subject. Clothes are such a strong part of who a human being is. Y'know, skin cells, the smell. Somebody thought that maybe there'd been this murder going on, I thought that was great. I love the ambiguity”/The shiver-inducing stand-out track on Aerial, however, comes at the end of the first disc. A Coral Room is a piano-and-vocal ballad that Bush admits she first considered to be too personal for release, dealing as it does with the death of her mother, a matter that she didn't address at the time in any of the songs on The Red Shoes./"No, no I didn't," she says…
"I mean, how would you address it? I think it's a long time before you can go anywhere near it because it hurts too much. I've read a couple of things that I was sort of close to having a nervous breakdown. But I don't think I was. I was very, very tired. It was a really difficult time."/Kate Bush begins to tidy up the plates and cups and get ready for Bertie's arrival home from school with his dad. Before I go, however, there is one last Bush myth to bust. Apparently, when she attended a music industry reception at Buckingham Palace this year, she asked the Queen for her autograph. Is that true? Instantly a grin spreads across the face of the Most Elusive Woman in Rock. "Yes, I did!" she exclaims, only half-embarrassedly. "I made a complete arsehole of myself. I'm ashamed to say that when I told Bertie that I was going to meet the Queen, he said, 'Mummy, no, you're not, you've got it wrong' and I said, 'But I am!' So rather stupidly I thought I'd get her to sign my programme. She was very sweet/"The thing is I would do anything for Bertie and making an arsehole of myself in front of a whole roomful of people and the Queen, I mean ... But I don't have a very good track record with royalty. My dress fell off in front of Prince Charles at the Prince's Trust, so I'm just living up to my reputation".
PHOTO CREDIT: Fotex/REX
2021 AND THE FUTURE…
60. I shall use the final four points to cover ‘anything else’ – though I know there is so much I have still not mentioned or examined! Bush has been nominated for and won multiple awards though her career. Although she has not been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (this year, she was nominated but did not get enough public votes for further consideration), she has not gone short of gongs! In 2001, Bush won the Q Classic Songwriter Award (her opening line “Oohh, I've just cum!”, caught some by surprise!). In 2012, at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards, 50 Words for Snow won Best Album. Bush turned up to accept the award.
61. Kate Bush has broken more than one record as an artist. Wuthering Heights’ chart-topping success meant she was the first female artist to have an entirely self-penned number-one song in the U.K. In 1980, Never for Ever earned Bush another record: the first album by a British female solo artist to top the U.K. album chart, as well as being the first album by any female solo artist to enter the chart at number one. These are honours not to be underestimated or overlooked!
62. Despite the fact Bush has been cast in a disparaging or piss-take light by some in the media, I hope that this has been reappropriated. It is a sad that some still see her as an airy-fairy artist or someone that is ripe for parody or ridicule! The serious and hugely successful body of work she has given the world makes her immune to such low remarks and opinions. Whether it is The Guardian ranking her singles in 2018, or Dig! exploring her twenty best songs; FAR OUT deciding which of her albums are best, or NME and BBC America doing likewise, it is clear there is great debate and interest. Let us hope that, in years to come, some of the stuffier or more dismissive critics come around. I feel the same way about Bush’s perception/achievement/legacy as Ian Leslie does about Paul McCartney (in his feature): “His achievement is immense, historic, and will be remembered for centuries if anything will. Yet there are people, at least here in Britain, who talk about Paul McCartney the way they might a light entertainment celebrity who once hosted a game show”. For those who underrate or dismiss Bush need to realise how important she is, and how her music will last for centuries. Bush’s robust humour and good nature wins out and prevails against any digs. I forgot to mention this point in the ‘charity’ section. In 1986, Bush performed a brilliant Comic Relief duet with comedy legend, Rowan Atkinson. Do Bears...? is Bush taking the comedy reigns and delivering something funny and cheeky! A woman of many different coasts and colours.
63. What comes next, then?! Through the years, Bush has collaborated with a fair few artists (from her brief-but-brilliant appearances on Peter Gabriel’s Games Without Frontiers and No Self Control (from 1980’s Melt/Peter Gabriel III), plus the spellbinding duet, Don’t Give Up (from 1986’s So); some reciprocal backing vocals on Prince’s My Computer (it is from his 1996 album, Emancipation; he featured on Bush’s track, Why Should I Love You?, from 1993’s The Red Shoes); exquisite and lively backing vocals on Big Country’s The Seer (from the 1986 album of the same name), and some gorgeous and evocative backing vocals on Roy Harper’s You (The Game Part III)) (a track from his 1980 album, The Unknown Soldier). She always makes a big impression whoever she collaborates with! It is amazing how she can fit into another artist’s mould and sound so assured and mesmeric - perhaps it shouldn’t be such a surprise! Bush super-fan Big Boi (OutKast) has teased a possible collaboration between he and Bush as part of a joint album that he is putting out with Sleepy Brown. Almost ten years since Bush released 50 Words for Snow, might a ‘return from the wilderness’ be on another artist’s song? Bush is definitely out there and not ruled by predictability and time schedules. One can never predict what she will do next…
As the Kate Bush News website reported recently, she has written a sweet thank-you note to the author Michael Stewart: “Michael has just published a new book, Walking the Invisible, dedicating it to Kate, which Grazia magazine has described as “an imaginative and elegant trek through the landscape of the Brontës.” Having sent a copy of the book to Kate he was delighted last month to receive a hand written note from her, saying in a tweet: “It’s not every day you get a letter from Kate Bush!”. We are not sure whether there is an album from Bush in the future, or if she has any plans. Her unpredictability and ‘unique pace’ (she has often said how she regrets the long gaps between albums) means she could release music at any time. When she does release an album, it is always worth the wait. Her work is so singular and impactful. Annie Laleski, writing for Salon in 2018, observed the following: “Listening back to Bush's catalog today, its slow-blossoming elegance stands out. Unlike many artists, she never felt drawn to drastic reinvention; each record builds on the one before it, adding new instruments and sound sources or unraveling experimental ideas as if she's picking at a sweater snag. Classical and theatrical, without being fussy or formal, Bush is a model of singular creative genius”…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during 2014’s Before the Dawn residency/PHOTO CREDIT: Gavin Bush
On the day of her 63rd birthday, I wanted to list 63 reasons why the people of the world love and idolise Kate Bush. If you have not been won over, then go and listen to her music for a bit and spend time with her interviews from throughout her career (I just have to include this one from when Bush was in Swap Shop in 1979). To be honest, there are hundreds of reasons more why people love Kate Bush – that would have taken me quite a while to write! The BBC dubbed Bush a living legend in 2014; AnOther investigated the roots of Bush’s iconic status back in 2018; SUBCULTURED. highlighted a timeless legend the same year; udisocvermusic. extolled her genius last year; the Independent were compelled to spotlight the forty-plus years of fascination we have with Kate Bush; the Observer, in 2016, argued that Bush was underrated and overlooked - I wrote a similar feature in 2019. I mentioned how Bush is both deified and reassuringly one of us in her kindness and lack of ego. Another contrast comes in the fact she is celebrated and, arguably, more talked-about now than at any other point - one only need to check social media on a daily basis or look at how her music is used on TikTok to show how people around the world have so much admiration for her. Kate Bush, though, is also underrated, misunderstood and undervalued by some. Such is the complexity and originality of this beloved songwriter, people will be dissecting her music and lionising and proffering her impact for as long as good music compels eager minds. Bush was asked by FADER in 2016 whether she finds it frustrating that people assume her songs are confessional. I think the last part of her answer is why so many of us adore her: because we feel something: “I'm really very happy if people can connect at all to anything I do. I don't really mind if people mishear lyrics or misunderstand what the story is. I think that's what you have to let go of when you send it out in the world. I'm sure with a lot of paintings, people don't understand what the painter originally meant, and I don't really think that matters. I just think if you feel something, that's really the ideal goal. If that happens, then I'm really happy”.
After such a long essay (thanks if you have stuck with it until the very end), It is left to me to sign off. I, and all other Kate Bush fans around the globe, wish a very loving, enthusiastic, compassionate, thankful and heartfelt happy birthday to…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in a promotional photo for 2011’s Director’s Cut/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush
AN ageless icon!