FEATURE:
I Know You Have a Lot of Strength Left
The Desire for Kate Bush’s Catalogue to Be Explored More on T.V. and Film
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IT is always great…
when a Kate Bush track is used in T.V. or film. In 2022, Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) was used in Stranger Things. Rather than it being the pure and unaltered version from 1985’s Hounds of Love, it was a sort of remixed or dramatised version. A blend between the original recording and something a little different. On 25th April, The Legend of Ochi releases in the U.S. The trailer features a sort of remixed and dramatized version of Hounds of Love. I guess you could call it a remix. It is interesting what they are doing. I am not sure that The Legend of Ochi impact will be the same as that from Stranger Things. However, it will lead to a spike in streaming figures for Hounds of Love. There will be more YouTube views of the video. The Hounds of Love album will also get more streams because of it. U.S. productions using Kate Bush’s music means there is going to be more attention in the county. A nation that has always been slightly detached and behind in terms of embracing her music, it is a time when there is momentum and respect for Kate Bush in the U.S. In fact, the U.S. is doing more with her music than anyone in the U.K. I think. I can’t really think of any big productions here that feature her music. When it was announced that Emerald Fennell was adapting Wuthering Heights for the screens, there was interest around that and whether Kate Bush’s iconic debut single of the same name would be used. I wrote a feature about that a while back. Photos have emerged showing Margot Robbie playing Catherine Earnshaw. It looks like it is going to be a pretty traditional version of the novel rather than a modern update. Published in December 1847, Wuthering Heights is Emily Brontë’s only novel. It will be interesting seeing what this new adaptation consists of.
I guess the fact it is not a more modern telling might rule out Kate Bush’s song being used. Perhaps a bit meta or on the nose. However, I don’t think there has been a case of anything from The Kick Inside being used in a film or T.V. show. It seems like a perfect song to use. To have its moment. Rather than manufacture something or it being contrived, Wuthering Heights is a song that would be wonderful on the screen. Maybe the song being played whilst a scene or chaos or disorder is unfolding. A meet cute that sees the two people play out the choreography of the song whilst they are sat down and see each other across the room. I don’t think there is enough awareness of Kate Bush’s work. I do like that Hounds of Love is getting exposure. Though it tends to be the one album that people know. It is this easy go-to. Maybe filmmakers thinking it is going to be the most accessible and instantly familiar choice. I do think that other Kate Bush albums suffer because of this. I know This Woman’s Work has been used on T.V. shows and films. She’s Having a Baby in 1988 and The Mother in 2023 are two examples. That song is from 1989’s The Sensual World. Maybe that song has been overused. Are filmmakers going for easy options and not digging deep enough? Thinking about albums like The Kick Inside, Never for Ever and The Dreaming. Songs from those albums that would be perfect for so many different types of productions. Aerial having more than its share of songs that could score something beautiful on the small or big screen.
It is no slight against filmmakers who naturally go for Hounds of Love. It is her best-known album in the U.S. and the one most associate her with. However, as Kate Bush is willing to have her music used for the right projects, I don’t think she is going to be too restrictive in terms of which albums are featured. It is a shame that there is this narrowness. It mirrors what is happening in wider culture. Maybe people streaming Hounds of Love or the big songs and not going beyond that. I do worry that there will be more and more homogenisation when it comes to song choices. Hounds of Love being mined heavily. This Woman’s Work too easy for many to resist. There is nothing wrong with that. However, think about her rich body of work. Entire albums that have never been on the screen. I will end with a playlist of songs that I think could feature on a T.V. show or film. Ones that have that flexible nature. I do hope that Wuthering Heights features soon. Maybe the Emerald Fennell film is not going to use the song. It would be awesome if it was, though I feel it may seem a bit weird or out of place if the adaptation is pretty faithful and serious. Even so, the fact remains that there is this whole world of Kate Bush music that has not received proper exposure. Bush would not want people to exploit her music and it for it to be used everywhere. I know she must get so many offers and requests. More recent inclusion of her music is being used in particular types of shows and films. The Legend of Ochi is Fantasy/Sci-Fi. Stranger Things mixes Horror and Sci-Fi. The Mother is an Action film I guess. There is a mixture of intensity and fantasy. Romantic comedies and other genres not being represented that much. I do wonder how Kate Bush decides which songs get used and who to say ‘yes’ to. The more we discuss her albums and full catalogue and not just stick with the obvious, the more that will see a wider range of Kate Bush music used on the screen. However, it is great that The Legend of Ochi features Hounds of Love. That it is a remixed version. Giving the iconic song a bit of a modern twist. Any time her music is used on screen that should be celebrated. It will bring more people to her work. Let’s hope that filmmakers turn to Kate Bush’s magnificent work…
FOR years to come.