FEATURE:
Inside Kate Bush’s The Dreaming at Forty
Track Five: Leave It Open
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AS a premature celebration…
PHOTO CREDIT: Anton Corbijn
of The Dreaming ahead of its fortieth anniversary in September, I am going through each of the ten tracks. The reason for doing this is because they are all very different and excellent. Whereas one or two tracks from The Dreaming are played on the radio, the remainder are not. I am leaning, once more, on the Kate Bush Encyclopaedia when it comes to information about the stunning fifth track on The Dreaming, Leave It Open. I am going to get to looking at some of the lyrics and going deeper into the track. I especially like the bass work by Jimmy Bain, the percussion from Preston Heyman, and Kate Bush’s processed and exceptional vocals. There is a demo available that has the vocal less processed and more raw. It is interesting seeing the streaming figures for the ten tracks on The Dreaming. Sat in Your Lap, Suspended in Gaffa and The Dreaming have larger figures, but the rest of the tracks have between one and two million streams. There is almost this equal popularity between the seven. Behind All the Love, Leave It Open has the lowest number of streams. It is a phenomenal song that warrants more attention. Bush has spoken about Leave It Open and where it came from. The Kate Bush Encyclopaedia has sourced some interviews for us:
“Like cups, we are filled up and emptied with feelings, emotions - vessels breathing in, breathing out. This song is about being open and shut to stimuli at the right times. Often we have closed minds and open mouths when perhaps we should have open minds and shut mouths.
This was the first demo to be recorded, and we used a Revox and the few effects such as a guitar chorus pedal and an analogue delay system. We tried to give the track an Eastern flavour and the finished demo certainly had a distinctive mood.
There are lots of different vocal parts, each portraying a separate character and therefore each demanding an individual sound. When a lot of vocals are being used in contrast rather than "as one", more emphasis has to go on distinguishing between the different voices, especially if the vocals are coming from one person.
To help the separation we used the effects we had. When we mastered the track, a lot more electronic effects and different kinds of echoes were used, helping to place the vocals and give a greater sense of perspective. Every person who came into the studio was given the "end backing vocals test" to guess what is being sung at the end of the song.
"How many words is it?"
"Five."
"Does it begin with a 'W'?"
It is very difficult to guess, but it can be done, especially when you know what the song is about.
I would love to know your answers. (Kate Bush Club newsletter, October 1982)
'Leave It Open' is the idea of human beings being like cups - like receptive vessels. We open and shut ourselves at different times. It's very easy to let you ego go "nag nag nag" when you should shut it. Or when you're very narrow-minded and you should be open. Finally you should be able to control your levels of receptivity to a productive end. (Richard Cook, 'My Music Sophisticated? I'd Rather You Said That Than Turdlike!'. NME (UK), October 1982)”.
Like every track on The Dreaming, Leave It Open has some awesome lyrics. One of the greatest lyricists ever, so many of the words stand out. My favourite two verses/segments are: “Wide eyes would clean and dust/Things that decay, things that rust/(But now I've started learning how,)/I keep 'em shut./I keep 'em shut” and “I kept it in a cage/Watched it weeping, but I made it stay/(But now I've started learning how.)/I leave it open/I leave it open”. Quite trippy, psychedelic and weird, I love how this song is so far detached from Bush’s earliest work. Almost Progressive Rock in its tone and sound, it is another highlight from the album. Similar to Sat in Your Lap, in the sense that the percussion is high in the mix and one of the dominant sounds, it is a heavy track that I can imagine must have taken a while to record. Quite layered and detailed, it is amazing hearing the song. In terms of sequencing, it is perfectly placed. Coming after the lighter and springier Suspended in Gaffa, Leave It Open closes the first half. The Dreaming then opens the second half. If you have not heard the song, then go and listen to it now. It is a highlight from the brilliant The Dreaming. Leave It Open is mesmerising jewel from such a rich album. It is a magnificent song and…
A brilliant midway point.