FEATURE:
Tom Doyle’s Running Up That Hill: 50 Visions of Kate Bush
The Start of a Fresh Wave of Books About the Icon?
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I think I wrote about this…
PHOTO CREDIT: Mary Evans
a little while ago when it was announced but, as I am excited about a new book about Kate Bush arriving on 27th October, I wanted to feature it once more. Go and pre-order it if you have not done so already. Tom Doyle recently wrote the introduction to MOJO’s deep dive and spread about Bush’s 1985 album, Hounds of Love. Doyle interviewed Bush in 2005 when she released the 2005 double album, Aerial. This was her first album back since 1993’s The Red Shoes. A huge fan and supporter of her work, there are few better placed to write a fascinating book about the music icon. Of course, when Doyle was writing Running Up That Hill: 50 Visions of Kate Bush, he may not have known how significant and timely that title is. The song, a standout beauty from 1985’s Hounds of Love, is one he commented on in MOJO. This year, it appeared on Netflix’s Stranger Things and went to number one in the U.K. - in the process, setting records and earning Bush her first U.S. single top-five position! I wonder whether he had an inkling that this song would become her most-streamed by 2022. Whether it would almost define her now and be responsible for Bush earning a whole new legion of young fans. It is a remarkable turn of events. We did also not expect Bush to give an interview. Her first since 2016 (she did briefly react to the death of Lindsay Kemp in 2018), Woman’s Hour were lucky enough to hear Bush talk about Stranger Things, Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), ancient phones and…gardening! It was a delight.
If you are a new convert to Kate Bush or a life-long fan (or anywhere in-between), Tom Doyle’s book looks like it will be right up your street! Here is some detail and insight into a book that is going to be a must-buy for all lovers of Kate Bush:
“Kate Bush: the subject of murmured legend and one of the most ground-breaking, idiosyncratic musicians of the modern era.
Comprising fifty chapters or ‘visions’, Running Up That Hill: 50 Visions of Kate Bush is a multi-faceted biography of this famously elusive figure, viewing her life and work from fresh and illuminating angles. Featuring details from the author’s one-to-one conversations with Kate, as well as vignettes of her key songs, albums, videos, and concerts; this artful, candid and often brutally funny portrait introduces the reader to the refreshingly real Kate Bush.
Along the way, the narrative also includes vivid reconstructions of transformative moments in her career and insights from the friends and collaborators closest to Kate, including her photographer brother John Carder Bush and fellow artists David Gilmour, John Lydon and Youth. The book is a vibrant and comprehensive re-examination of Kate Bush and her many creative landmarks.
Tom Doyle is the author of three highly acclaimed books: The Glamour Chase: The Maverick Life of Billy Mackenzie; Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s; and Captain Fantastic: Elton John’s Stellar Trip Through The ’70s. As a journalist and interviewer, his work has appeared in Mojo, Billboard, Q, Sound On Sound, The Guardian and The Times. Over the years, he has profiled Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Elton John, U2, Madonna, Keith Richards, Yoko Ono and, of course, Kate Bush.
PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Rapport
Doyle said: “I’m super-chuffed to be joining the brilliant Pete Selby and the team at Nine Eight. Kate is an outstanding and complex artist, and so I feel that examining her work and career from 50 different angles will illuminate the girl who lived in her imagination, reluctantly became famous because of it, then had to deal with unwanted outside forces, before battling on and emerging triumphant, to become one of the most ground-breaking, idiosyncratic and singular music figures of our time.”
Pete Selby, publishing director of Nine Eight Books, said: “I have long been a great admirer of Tom’s writing. His ability to poke around under the metaphorical bonnet of his subjects and deliver fresh and insightful observations is second to none. Given the current global resurgence of interest in Kate Bush and having worked closely and sympathetically with her in the past, there is no one better placed to explore the life and work of one our greatest ever artists”.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jorgen Angel
The last couple of years have seen Kate Bush-related books released. Last year, Laura Shenton wrote books about The Kick Inside, and The Dreaming. The latter is especially significant as the album is forty on 13th September. She also has a visual history book that has not yet been given a set release date. We hope it is soon! Also, the brilliant Finding Kate was recently released. That is a quite a selection but, as Tom Doyle (and perhaps Laura Shenton) have new books coming out very soon, and Kate Bush has been put right back in the spotlight, might we see an explosion of new texts in 2023?! Her debut album, The Kick Inside, is forty-five in February. Even if there are no new announcements from Bush that might hint at future plans, there is so much love and excitement around right now. One might say that there has been more than enough Kate Bush books through the years. Whilst there are great photobooks like KATE: Inside the Rainbow, I think there is room for more. It is great reading about Bush’s influence and legacy being explored through books. I do hope that the next year sees more Bush books come onto the market.
In terms of options, more like Laura Shenton’s that explore individual albums. Hounds of Love, Never for Ever, Aerial and, maybe, The Sensual World could have their own books where we learn about the recording process, song-by-song breakdown and interviews from around the time. I have recently looked back at Before the Dawn, as that turns eight this month. A book specifically about the residency where we get photos, reviews, technical details and fan reaction would suffice. We may never get a DVD of Before the Dawn, so a big book would be awesome. I would also like to read more explorations of her career and how she has come to recognised as one of the most exceptional, innovative and popular artists ever. To be honest, there are so many avenues and angles. I have said in previous features how you would not just want any old book to be published. To exploit her recent attention and success. They would need to be lovingly written and from real fans. Maybe there are others in-the-works, but I have not heard whether there are going to be any fresh documentaries or podcasts. Bush is sixty-five next July, so one would imagine there may be a new biography or something to coincide with that. In any case, go and pre-order Tom Doyle’s Running Up That Hill: 50 Visions of Kate Bush, as it is bound to be…
A big success.