FEATURE:
A Gem from the Archives
Kate Bush’s Lionheart at Forty-Four: The Simply Unbelievable Wow
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AS I will say a lot going forward…
I am doing a load of anniversary features, as six of Kate Bush’s albums turn different ages this month. I will come onto albums like Before the Dawn and 50 Words for Snow. Today, I am coming back to Lionheart one final time. Her second studio album, it is forty-four on 13th November. Appearing only months after the debut, The Kick Inside, it reached number six in the U.K. Arguably the best song on the album, Wow was released as single on 9th March, 1979. It reached fourteen in the U.K. Lionheart is an interesting album. Its title was derived from the song, Oh England My Lionheart. It is not really an album about Englishness as such. Instead, and what makes it so interesting, is the fact that Bush managed to make it sound different to The Kick Inside. Slightly more adventurous and eccentric than The Kick Inside, Wow seems to be the most obvious single from the album. As Bush did not have a lot of time to write new songs for her second album, she had to return to the archives and work up songs that were written earlier and were overlooked for The Kick Inside. It is hard to believe that she already had Wow in her vault! Wow received mostly positive feedback. Some were not impressed with the lush production. Sounds were especially sexist and rude with their review, expressing the fact that people fancied Kate Bush and this was no reason to buy her music! I don’t think there is anything to criticise about Wow. Produced by Andrew Powell (who produced The Kick Inside) and assisted by Bush, it sounds wonderful!
I can imagine Kate Bush writing the song. Concerning the music business and showbusiness in general, she was always compelled by the stage, T.V. and film. There is humour, running through one of her best songs. I love the fact this song was maybe never going to see the light of day. Not seen as right for The Kick Inside, I assume Bush wanted to write new material and would never revisit songs previously written. Too good to be forgotten, Wow is a classic that, alone, makes Lionheart such a remarkable listen. Its ten tracks are all magnificent and varied. In future Lionheart features, I might discuss the album in general and how it came so soon after The Kick Inside. Here is what Kate Bush said about the magnificent Wow:
“I've really enjoyed recording 'Wow'. I'm very, very pleased with my vocal performance on that, because we did it a few times, and although it was all in tune and it was okay, there was just something missing. And we went back and did it again and it just happened, and I've really pleased with that, it was very satisfying. (Lionheart Promo Cassette, EMI Canada, 1978)
'Wow' is a song about the music business, not just rock music but show business in general, including acting and theatre. People say that the music business is about ripoffs, the rat race, competition, strain, people trying to cut you down, and so on, and though that's all there, there's also the magic. It was sparked off when I sat down to try and write a Pink Floyd song, something spacey; Though I'm not surprised no-one has picked that up, it's not really recognisable as that, in the same way as people haven't noticed that 'Kite' is a Bob Marley song, and 'Don't Push Your Foot On The Heartbrake' is a Patti Smith song. When I wrote it I didn't envisage performing it - the performance when it happened was an interpretation of the words I'd already written. I first made up the visuals in a hotel room in New Zealand, when I had half an hour to make up a routine and prepare for a TV show. I sat down and listened to the song through once, and the whirling seemed to fit the music. Those who were at the last concert of the tour at Hammersmith must have noticed a frogman appear through the dry ice it was one of the crew's many last night 'pranks' and was really amazing. I'd have liked to have had it in every show. (Kate Bush Club newsletter, Summer 1979)”.
I think that Wow should have charted higher. I know that Bush did quite a few vocal tracks for the song. She was looking for a perfect sound and, being in the studio with her, the musicians and crew must have been amazed by her commitment! A song that she knew would resonate and would make an impact, Wow is still played a lot today. Definitely one of her more popular songs, I am glad that it was not confined to the archives forever. I imagine it might have made an appearance as a possible B-side but, with EMI wanting a second album so soon after her debut, Bush had no choice but to dust off this remarkable song. I love the lyrics and how intriguing they are. I wonder who the ‘Emily’ is that Bush refers to in Wow’s first verse: “Emily.../We're all alone on the stage tonight./We've been told we're not afraid of you/We know all our lines so well, uh-huh/We've said them so many times: Time and time again/Line and line again”. Although there are clear nods to acting and the stage, it is quite brave that, this early in her career, Bush released a song that concerned how artists can be messed around and pushed relentlessly: “Ooh, yeah, you're amazing!/We think you are really cool/We'd give you a part, my love/But you'd have to play the fool”. It is such a fascinating song that is the third on Lionheart. I always wonder why it was not the opening song! That said, Symphony in Blue is a gorgeous opening track. In lieu of how Bush’s 1978 consumed her and how busy she was, you can almost look at the song as an artist recognising that the music industry is harsh and can set you up for a fall. Perhaps more concerning other artists, you get the sense Bush herself was already feeling a sense of strain and disenchantment by the end of 1978. As Lionheart is forty-four on 13th November, I wanted to highlight one of its standout tracks. A beautiful song that hypnotises the senses, it is amazing, wonderful and…
TRULY unbelievable!