FEATURE:
Magic Again?
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz
Kate Bush’s December 1978 and January 1979
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THERE are quite a few…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz
features about Kate Bush coming in December. I am thinking about 1978. That was her first full year in the industry in terms of releases. Forty-five years ago, Bush would have been looking ahead of Christmas and a break. Spending time with her family and being as normal a twenty-year-old as possible. What was the reality then? What about the January too? After such a busy 1978, there would have been demand and desire for her to capitalise and keep going. How much of a rest did she get? I love looking at 1978, as it was her busiest year. In terms of expectation from EMI and what Bush might have wanted, I feel the hectic schedule of 1978 influenced her decision to tour in 1979 and, with it, assume more say and control. At the end of a frantic 1978, things did let off slightly. There was a little break for Christmas and that period, though she was back into the swing of things in January. I will come to this amazing website that lays out what Bush was doing in December 1978 and January 1979.
Even though singles like Wuthering Heights and The Man with the Child in His Eyes were not really embraced or played in the U.S., there was still intrigue and demand:
“December, 1978
Kate is off to promote in the U.S.A. for the release there of The Man With the Child in His Eyes.December 9, 1978
Most importantly, she performs two songs on the U.S. NBC-TV programme, Saturday Night Live. [This is the only live entertainment programme on U.S. television, and is the most influential programme for the pop music market, as well the most important American showcase for "alternative" music. Kate performs The Man With the Child in His Eyes, seated on a piano, to the accompaniment of veteran rock keyboardist Paul Shaffer; and Them Heavy People, in a raincoat and Fedora hat. Nothing remotely like it has ever been seen on American television before.]
She is invited by Eric Idle, who is host of that edition; and she is visited by Mick Jagger. Paul Simon drops in to watch her performance.
Kate does press and radio promotion and moves on to Canada for more of the same. She is known to have made no other North American television appearances during this trip, however.
Back in England the Kate Bush Club, the official fan club, is formed.
It was quite an important month in many ways. Forty-five years ago this December, Bush was established more of a footing in the U.S. Here, the fan club was set up. Confirmation that she was an artist with a lot of fans behind her! That brief stint in North America is interesting. That Monty Python (Bush was a fan of them and a friend, particularly with Terry Gilliam) connection and Eric Idle asking Kate Bush to perform. Aged twenty, she had already travelled so much and was getting used to the promotional trail. She had ticked off so much before Christmas. Coming back from the U.S., she would have been glad to get some rest in Kent with her family!
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1979 during The Tour of Life/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
Only a few days into 1979, there was a definite move away from promoting her first two albums, The Kick Inside and Lionheart, and starting something else. I like the fact the seeds for The Tour of Life were being planted – even if it was quite modest and conceptual. With a little break at the end of December, there was not much pause before Kate Bush was back in action:
January 6, 1979
Kate is voted Best New Artist of 1978 in the Record Mirror annual poll.
Kate is guest of honour at the San Remo Song Festival in Italy. This is screened in most of Europe, but not in the U.K.
Preparations for the live tour begin in earnest. Kate's own concept is to combine poetry, music, songs and dance in an entirely new way. Her dance ideas and training will be supervised by Antony Van Laast, of the London Contemporary Dance Company (who had appeared with Kate in the video for Hammer Horror). Kate will be backed by a seven-piece band, the core of which will be Paddy Bush (mandolin, backing vocals), Del Palmer (bass), and Brian Bath (rhythm guitar) of the KT Bush Band, supplemented by Alan Murphy (lead guitar), Kevin McAlea (keyboards, saxophone), Ben Barson (keyboards), and Preston Heyman (drums).
January 20, 1979
Kate appears on The Multi-Coloured Swap Shop on BBC TV, and is interviewed by Noel Edmonds and via a phone-in by the viewers”.
It was clear that December 1978 and January 1979 was about rounding and wrapping things up and clearing a path for new things. After going to the U.S. to do her only live T.V. appearance there, Bush was being celebrated in the U.K. with a new fanclub. A satisfying end to 1978 – even if the U.S. audience was not as large and important as elsewhere in the world -, there was some success and new plans in January 1979. Conceiving her tour and plotting ideas, one of my favourite event s in early Kate Bush timeline was her appearance on The Multi-Coloured Swap Shop. Bush had clearly established herself as an artist and was very much in demand. Some of her T.V. appearances were with stuffy interviewers, though most were quite fun and casual. She did appear on children’s shows and in that environment a few times. You might think she would be more teen-focused or an older audience, yet there was also this very important much younger demographic that was being included.
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz
One could write an entire book on Kate Bush’s 1978. It was so busy and varied, few other artists have had that sort of start! Even in December 1978, there was stuff going on and there was this push (brief as it was) in North America. It took a while for the U.S. particularly to really get behind Kate Bush. That said, I do love her appearance on Saturday Night Live. Starting 1979 with sketches of The Tour of Life and some further promotion, you get this crossover one can imagine would have been tiring for Bush. Soon enough, The Tour of Life would take shape and she could focus on that – even if there was still album promotion and singles did come out in 1979 (Wow came out in March). Forty-five years ago, this amazing artist was ending her first full professional year in music. Rather than have a period off or kick back, the always-prolific and creative Kate Bush was in an ambitious mindset early…
IN 1979.