FEATURE:
Kate Bush: The Tour of Life
The Sweetest Thank You Note
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THIS will be quite a short feature…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush with Tom Jones, after he presented with a South Bank Sky Arts Award for 50 Words for Snow in 2012
but a bit of a diversion. One that is very niche. In a previous feature, I wrote about Kate Bush’s kindness as a producer and artist. How she often gave gifts to those who she worked with. Men who were given a sweet note and a box of chocolates. Not sure what to make of it. Maybe misconstruing it as a romantic gesture, in fact it was Kate Bush displaying her legendary and natural kindness. Her thoughtfulness extended beyond that. She has never been someone who takes others for granted. Whether part of a crew for her 1979 tour or someone who is playing on one of her albums, Bush has this warmth and loyalty. She wants to know everyone’s name and does not look down on another person. There are occasions and what-ifs that I have not written about largely. One was Tony Visconti was almost considered as a potential producer for 1982’s The Dreaming, Maybe a co-producer. It would have been intriguing to hear that combination! I think the David Bowie connection fascinated Bush and she and Visconti would have hit it off. However, Bush had to kindly turn him down because she wanted to producer herself. Any time she had to turn someone down, she did so in the kindest and most polite way. Always putting the effort in to make sure they feel good. I am not sure exactly how far Bush’s generosity extends when it comes to gifts. I do know that she often gifted her musicians after albums were completed. This naturally kind artist who appreciated those around her, it is one of my favourite things about Kate Bush. How she had so much affection and appreciation for those who worked alongside her. As mentioned, if she couldn’t work with someone or had to reject an offer, she always did it in the nicest possible way! I guess it connects with her charity work and how she had donated so much of her time to incredible causes. This has continued to this day.
One reason I wanted to write this feature is because I am thinking about Bush engaging with fans and those who pay tribute to her. I may do a separate feature on this. The tribute acts and those emulating Kate Bush. There are a range of acts that pay tribute to Bush in their own way. You know how important that is to her. How her music is making an impact today. She would never have believed this. One of my dreams would be getting a letter from Kate Bush. I wonder if anyone has researched this. Whether it is a reply to fan mail or a letter of thanks Kate Bush has written, I would love all of these to be collected together. In a digital age, it is rare that an artist would reach out and write a thank you note. That is what happened in 2022. At a time when we were still in the grip of the pandemic, I know that Kate Bush’s music would have given strength and hope to so many people. Even though this was an electronic thank you, Kate Bush reached out to the Brisbane Pub Choir after they performed Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God). This report from The Guardian tells the story of how Bush connected with the Brisbane Pub Choir:
“Brisbane’s Pub Choir founder and director Astrid Jorgensen is used to getting fan mail about the mass amateur choir’s covers of hit songs – but when she was told on Thursday that Kate Bush had emailed about their rendition of Running Up That Hill, she had to call her morning run short and head straight home.
“My manager called me and said, you’ve got to get home, Kate Bush has emailed. I ran straight back – I was literally running up that hill,” she laughs.
“Dear Brisbane Pub Choir,” the message began. “I’ve been so busy that I’ve only just had the chance to watch you all singing RUTH. It’s utterly, utterly wonderful! I love it so much! Thank you everyone. You sing it really beautifully. I’m incredibly touched by your warmth and all your smiling faces. Thank you!”
It was signed: “With lots of love, Kate.”
“It is so wild,” says Jorgensen. “She is the biggest artist in the world right now, so to have her say she was moved by our performance, yeah, that is a peak.”
Pub Choir, a communal amateur choir which operates on the ethos that everyone can sing (especially after a pint or two), performed Running Up That Hill two weeks ago in Brisbane. Some 1,600 people gathered to sing the No 1 hit, which is back in music charts around the world thanks to its appearance in the latest season of Stranger Things”.
PHOTO CREDIT: TfL
It may seem like a minor thing. In the modern age, you do get artists thanking those for covering their music or doing something like that. They will often take to Instagram or another social media platform and send a video. However, it was really thoughtful and unexpected that Kate Bush connected with an Australian choir. How their performance made its way to her. The fact that she loved it and took the time to contact them. In a career where Bush has sent thankful letters and notes and shown such kindness and generosity, that thank you note – or email, technically – was one of the sweetest. Since then, so many people around the world have covered Kate Bush’s music. Whether it is an artist covering her song live or a tribute act or cabaret focusing on her sensational music, there is this wealth of love out there for her. In all corners of the world. Although it is impossible for Bush to see it all and reply to everyone, you know that everything means so much to her. The resurgence and new popularity for Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) in 2022 definitely opened up Kate Bush’s music to new audiences. Although a bit naïve, this reply to a fan letter from 1978 was a big deal. I guess the choice of photo to sign was a little misadvised, though Bush’s word and the time she took to reply to a fan showed she had this sense of appreciation from the start. Through the years, Bush has accepted honours and accolades and always given thanks. In 2012, when 50 Words for Snow was awarded at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards, she posted a message to her official website. The following year, when Bush was awarded a CBE, she thanked her fans again. Last year, when fans wished her a happy birthday and TFL honoured her, Bush sent her thanks. Again, taking the time to show her appreciation and gratitude! It is always amazing seeing this. A major artist who doesn’t need to do that, Kate Bush always takes time to show her thanks to people. That incredible thank you she sent to the Brisbane Pub Choir. Times when she sent actual thank you notes and bought people gifts. In a future feature, I will explore more those paying tribute to Kate Bush in their own way. Whether it is a The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever or someone covering her songs. For now, I wanted to be a bit more specific. One (of many) occasion where Kate Bush took time out to…
SHOW her thanks and gratitude.