FEATURE: Welcome to New York: Why There Is a Definite Need for Another Show Like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

FEATURE:

 

 

Welcome to New York

Why There Is a Definite Need for Another Show Like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

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THERE is no denying….

IN THIS PHOTO: Rachel Brosnahan played the eponymous Mrs. Maisel in the Amazon series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which ran between 2017 and 2023/PHOTO CREDIT: We Are The Rhoads for Variety

the fact that, when it comes to the best T.V. comedies and the most stylish well-directed and ambitious, the U.S. leads the way. By miles! We in Britain can do some things well. Low-budget and interesting films now and then. Our theatre and music is incredible. However, when it comes to television, what we put out pales into insignificance compared to the best of the U.S. I find our comedies at best half-baked and average. No style or anything that approaches excellence. A few classics stick in the mind, though the modern crop is woefully overrated and inadequate. Far weaker than they should be. Nothing that stands in the mind or has any sort of sheen or visual appeal. Quite a few that are decidedly lo-fi and depressingly real (code: grubby or homemade). No air of fantasy or escape. The writing and performances inferior compared to that of our American cousins. The same with dramas too. Too many melodramatic series of formulaic ideas. Our very ‘best’ comedies of the past ten years are incredibly poor when it comes to what the U.S. has offered. If I had to compile a top ten of the best T.V. comedies of all time, it would have at least nine American shows in. One of the best and most well-produced and brilliantly-written and directed is The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Starting in the late-'50s and centring around Miriam ‘Midge’ Maisel, the lead lives on New York’s Upper West Side and soon discovers a talent for comedy. The series follows her into the world of comedy and she navigates her life as a wife and mother and her growing ambitions. Starring Rachel Brosnahan and with a wonderful supporting cast, it began in 2017 and its fifth and final season was aired in 2023. It was a huge shame when the series ended! Ending during the pandemic, the show gave so many of us comfort and uplift at a horrible time. Running at fifty-three episodes, it ended at the right moment. Even though there were some criticisms around the fantastical elements of the show or the frenetic and fast pace of the show; its issues with whitewashing and portrayal of Jewish people. Some highlight the style and visual feast over a perceived lack of punch and substance. Some have asked about the authenticity of the series.

Its creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino (who also created Gilmore Girls), blends some incredible pop culture references and this amazing palette. Beautifully directed with some stunning one-shot takes, choreography and sumptuously beautiful and evocative nostalgia, the writing is sharp, witty, full of humour and real moments of emotional hit. The final episode of the third season, where Midge is on the runway and is denied access to board a plane to go on tour in Europe with Shy Baldwin, is heartbreaking. The music throughout the series is wonderfully deployed and adds to the scenes. Rather than the music being background or wasted, it is beautifully selected and perfectly placed (my favourite music moment is this). Its makers, Amy and Daniel Sherman-Palladino, created an incredible series. Its final season was exquisite and, unlike so many popular series, ended wonderfully and did not disappoint. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel received huge critical acclaim. It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy in 2017 and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2018, with Sherman-Palladino receiving the awards for Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Writing at the latter ceremony. Rachel Brosnahan reflected on a perfect finale. It is such a shame that the series ended. There are some wonderful articles about the final season and what the show meant. Rachel Brosnahan has gone on to appear in some amazing films and shows, though her defining role might always be Mrs. Maisel. She made it her own!

Pairing with Alex Borstein (who played Susie Myerson, who runs the Gaslight Cafe and later becomes Midge's manager), there was this incredible chemistry and brilliance. The directing always wonderful and inventive. The 1950s and early-'60s aesthetic so vivid and sumptuous. The scripts packed with so many memorable moments! Though technically a comedy-drama, it is still sharper and funnier than almost anything that has followed it. A golden T.V. series that sort of signalled the end of something. I have not seen a series like it since. After watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, it made me aware of the wonder of Rachel Brosnahan. Someone who compelled me to write comedy and various projects. She runs Scrap Paper Pictures out of New York with Daniel Kahn. Fostering and developing ideas from female filmmakers from, as the name implies, scrap paper through to realisation, a huge dream is to write a comedy/comedy-drama where she is a part of it. One that is directed and maybe co-written by Amy Sherman-Palladino. That has a lot of the style and wonder of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel but set in a different time. Maybe the modern day or maybe the 1980s. Though set in New York. I have discussed and dissected an idea I have had that centres around Kate Bush’s The Ninth Wave. The second side of 1985’s Hounds of Love, it would be great to bring it to the small screen. Star Saoirse Ronan in a lead role and hear and see the songs from The Ninth Wave brought to life. Each given their own style and look. Greta Gerwig is someone else I would love to work with. I am inspired by incredible filmmakers like them. So blown away was I with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and how it still hits me when I rewatch it now, it has made me think about my own ideas. It also has left a gulf. There have been some amazing T.V. series made since 2023 – yes, most of them from the U.S.! -, but nothing has left an impression as big as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel! This remarkable, dizzying and unique series earned…

ITS place in T.V. history.

FEATURE: How to Be Visible: The Discord Around Kate Bush Being Present

FEATURE:

 

 

How to Be Visible

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 2005/PHOTO CREDIT: Trevor Leighton

The Discord Around Kate Bush Being Present

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ONE of the most interesting….

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in a promotional image for 2011’s 50 Words for Snow/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

discussions around Kate Bush relates to promotion and visibility. The early part of her career was defined by endless promotion. Bush having to be seen and heard as far and wide as possible. Maybe it was just what was expected of artists of the time. From her debut in 1978 through to at least 1989, Bush was engaged in an endless cycle of interviews and appearances. There was a danger of her being overexposed. The music was simply brilliant and Bush was a distinct and original artist. I have covered this before. How promotion pushed Bush. That she was not given much time and space. Whether EMI felt that she needed to engage with the press so much to stay relevant or whether they threw everything against the wall, one could not escape Kate Bush in the 1970s and 1980s. It took a long time for Bush to become a serious artist in the eyes of many. Seen as a novelty and something to parody for so many years, the conversation did slowly start to turn. Even today, there are sections of the media who lazily define Bush or see her as a recluse, weird singer or someone who sung one or two good songs. One can forgive the change in her promotional duties after 1993. I have covered that topic so I will not tread on that ground again. What I did want to discuss is the way in which Bush promoted her albums from 2005. She was present but not. Think about the sound of an album like 50 Words for Snow. It is not what you would call ‘popular music’. It did not fit into the scene of 2011. Any disappointment around the sound and impact of the album was faintly felt or suggested rather than overt. Those who knew Kate Bush understood that she was not trying to fit in. However, for the casual listener, Kate Bush must have felt alien. Not only was she an artist making music that was very different from anything around. She was also promoting her albums but not in the same way as her contemporaries.

I still think that there was this discussion that Bush was not present and a traditional artist. If others were on T.V. and doing live radio, one of the legends of music was  conducting a lot of interviews but her words were heard and read. Her face was not often seen. In fact, aside from a selection of promotional images, Bush was keeping private. This started in 2005. Aerial was a huge release. A new album after twelve years, it was difficult for Bush to step away but also be engaging. A modern music scene demanded a certain amount of exposure from an artist. However, what was clear is that Bush was not engaging with the music around her. Aerial is very much her own sound. If she was influencing artists such as Florence + The Machine and Bat for Lashes, there was not a reciprocity in terms of sound. Bush was not going to cite them or collaborate. I don’t think that will change. Bush’s collaborations through her last three albums have largely been with male artists. Artists who have been on the scene for a lot longer than women who highlight her as an inspiration. It is another topic that I might explore. Bush’s musical tastes and how she engaged with music when she is creating albums. One could say her influences are slow to progress. If Bush name-checked Gorillaz when promoting 50 Words for Snow, that does not mean she wanted to work with them. However, a recent report of her attending a London studio owned by Gorillaz’s Damon Albarn suggests that she may well feature on one of their future albums! I think that one of the most definitive and interesting changes from 1993 was the balance between working on the album sound and packaging versus promotion and singles.

If 1993’s The Red Shoes found singles released and Bush doing a lot of promotion – including her final T.V. interview -, Aerial beckoned in an artist who wanted to have her music heard rather than her face be seen. It was not her fault that promotion was so hectic and draining up until 1993. It was what the label and industry expected. That need for her to be relevant and discussed. By 2005, Bush was in a position where she could take more time and work in her own way. 1993 brought some negative reviews and feeling that her best work was behind her. As such, Bush calibrated her music so that it had real depth and endurance. Bigger projects that were less focused on singles and promotion that was done more on her terms. From 2005 onwards, the discussion around Kate Bush was much more respectful, healthier and music-focused. Bush would offer instructions and strict rules for journalists listening to her work before it was released to the public. It was almost a legal agreement. People swearing they would not breathe a word. That might sound like an artist who was strict and did not want to have her privacy invaded. Instead, this was someone who was placing much more importance in the music and how it was perceived. That is not to say Bush gave fewer interviews. She gave a lot of them. As the view and perception of her changed, Bush was not going to fall back into old practices. When 50 Words for Snow was released in 2011, there was far fewer of the nasty labels that were applied to Bush years previous. The feeling she was a strange recluse holed up somewhere. The eclectic and incredible promotional photos for that album were about setting a mood and tone. Beyond that, Bush very much kept things tight and controlled.

One can see that with Aerial. Some great promotional photos and some longer-form interviews. I think the music industry still expected artists to be doing the rounds in the twenty-first century. Pop shows and radio stations dragging in popular artists and drilling them with inane questions and making them engage with an audience like a celebrity. Bush, aged forty-seven when Aerial was released, was not going to lower herself to the often shallow promotional duties. By 2011, she was in her fifties and had a teenage son. She wanted to be heard and visible, though she very much wanted to achieve that in her control. Bush did put her full weight behind 50 Words for Snow and was as visible as ever. Though not in a way. Billboards were put up and her name was out there. There was a T.V. advert voiced by Stephen Fry (who collaborated with Bush on the title song). Bush still read reviews because she wanted to know what people think. However, she realised she had to be strong. She didn’t have worried. The reviews were hugely positive. That was the case in 2005. If she was nervous how she would be perceived after so long out of the spotlight, she was welcomed with open arms. After 2011, Bush was firmly back in business. Two albums that year – Director’s Cut was released that May -, the next phase of her career had begun. The impact of those albums lasted into 2012. Bush was nominated for a BRIT in 2012. In January 2012, her image adorned the front page of The Guardian. As Graeme Thomson writes in his biography, Under the Ivy: The Life and Music of Kate Bush, Bush was not immune from the tabloids. In January 2012, it was reported a stalker broke into Bush property after Christmas. He had flown from the U.S. with an engagement ring. Not actually finding Kate Bush he apparently left the property. He was in her Devon home for about ten minutes and, after breaking a window to get in, was arrested and deported back to the U.S.

IN THIS PHOTO: Halsey/PHOTO CREDIT: About-Face

That would have provided enough of a shock for Kate Bush to realise that, even if she was not the same artist as she was before – in terms of promotion and being visible everywhere –, she could not avoid the downsides of exposure and fame. Bush sold a home in Theale and bought a nine-bedroom property in Oxfordshire. That shift happened after the completion of 50 Words for Snow. 2011 seemed to signal the progression of a new act of her career that began in 2005. She was more engaged and alive to the possibility of new work and possibilities. Bush, as always, said how she hoped to work quicker. We could put to bed any notion Bush was gone and invisible! That there was this silence. Since 2011, although there has not been another album, she has slowly built up new potential. Earlier this year, she spoke with Emma Barnett for Today and dropped the biggest hint yet that another album is coming. In 2011, Bush had cleared a path. She had many new ideas. They have not yet transpired. Maybe a second volume of 50 Words for Snow?! In some ways, Bush is as busy and engaging as she was at the peak of her career. Though her voice is heard and her face is not seen. The last public photo of her is a decade old. That does not matter. Kate Bush is perfectly comfortable engaging with the media and fans but at a distance. She is very much present. As we look towards a new year, there is no telling what will come from Kate Bush! Looking around the media, apart from a few idiot rags who label her as a ‘recluse’ and have not done her homework, there is this sense of respect and stability. A whole new generation of artists paying tribute to her (including Halsey). Her influence very much strong and widespread. Embracing technology as a way to communicate but also remaining private and putting the focus on music and away from her private life – and onto charity in many cases -, maybe this is a new chapter. The previous chapter ended with 50 Words for Snow. This new one (that started over a decade ago) has been fruitful and varied. If Kate Bush does release a new album in the future, there will be no radical promotional changes. What will happen is that the discourse around her image and need for privacy will change. The realisation that Bush should and will not do what is expected of a modern artist. Having being in the industry for decade, she has won the right to be visible…in her own way. Bush has comprehensively proven that she is…

NORMAL rather than an enigma.

FEATURE: The Dreaming: The Desire to Track Down the Handwritten Lyrics for Kate Bush’s The Man with the Child in His Eyes

FEATURE:

 

 

The Dreaming

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

The Desire to Track Down the Handwritten Lyrics for Kate Bush’s The Man with the Child in His Eyes

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FOR my nine-hundredth….

Kate Bush feature, I am returning to a song that is in my thoughts. One that is part of a run of features around Kate Bush’s debut album, The Kick Inside. That was released in 1978. Composed of thirteen songs, two of them were recorded in 1975. Alongside The Saxophone Song, The Man with the Child in His Eyes was laid down at AIR studios. I am not going to get into the album again I promise. I will cover it in other features. Instead, I want to focus on this song from a particular (personal) angle. I have written about it before. How my most desirable Kate Bush memorabilia or piece of history is the handwritten lyrics for The Man with the Child in His Eyes. Bush wrote the song was she was only thirteen. One of her earliest songs, it is a remarkably mature and beautiful song. The lyrics were written in pink felt tip pen. Hot pink to be precise. Of course, in terms of purchases, there are some items that are accessible but maybe out of my range because of cost. Among them is the photobook, Cathy. These are very early photos of Kate Bush taken by her brother, John Carder Bush. I have seen copies selling for hundreds of pounds. In terms of those items not for sale that would be those dream to-own items, I would love stage plans and sketches from 1979’s The Tour of Life. Any plans too for 2014’s Before the Dawn. I have seen a few rare items on auction sites similar to this. Though I know there are intimate or personal notes and plans that have not made it onto the market. I would also really love to own video memorabilia. Items or clothing that were worn. To have that part of history. However, as my number one dream item would be those original lyrics to The Man with the Child in His Eyes, I will explain more why it is so important and desirable.

I am surprised Kate Bush let it go to auction. Well, I am not sure how its journey started. I will talk about the auction and the fact it was bought. Without repeating too much of another feature where I have discussed these lyrics. I know there will be handwritten lyrics and personal artefacts Bush has kept and will not let out of her sight. I am not sure why she was okay to let go the handwritten lyrics for The Man with the Child in His Eyes lyrics. The song celebrates fifty years next year. As it was recorded fifty years ago, it makes those lyrics even more precious. Bush stepping into AIR studios to record words for a song she wrote several years before. A then-sixteen-year-old backed by an orchestra recording a song she wrote when she was thirteen. It makes the hairs on your body stand on end thinking about it! There are some Kate Bush songs where you think about their creation and Bush writing them. How evocative the time and setting was. Songs from Hounds of Love. Bush surrounded by countryside or writing in Ireland during one of the happiest periods of her life. Her writing Wuthering Heights with a full moon in the sky with the window open one summer’s night. Bush hasn’t really discussed writing The Man with the Child in His Eyes. The fact it was written in pink felt tip pen. I often wonder if this was the final or first draft. Bush writing in pencil or pen but then making another copy in hot pink felt tip. Maybe she has the earliest version. However, Bush might not have had that much sentimentality about the song. She was a girl when it was written so might not feel it is important as some of the songs she wrote much later in life. I think about those lyrics a lot. How amazing it would be to own perhaps one of the most pieces of Kate Bush history! In the sense The Man with the Child in His Eyes was the second single. It reached number six in the U.K. and was performed during The Tour of Life.

On 9th December, 1978, Kate Bush performed live on U.S. T.V. for the first and only time, as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. The song itself is really interesting in the sense the single version differs from the album version. The single starts with the words “He’s here!” and laughter echoing. Many people prefer this version compared to the album version. There is no real truth that the songs lyrics are about David Gilmour. Bush’s mentor and good friend, people have speculated that the song might be about him. Whilst many assume that Bush’s former (and first) boyfriend Steve Blacknell is the man with the child in his eyes, Bush has said it is more general. About men and the fact they have this child-like wonder. When it came to songs of love, Bush never really applied a name or specific inspiration in terms of people. I genuinely believe Bush had nobody particular in mind when she was thirteen and was penning some of her finest words. The fact Bush has said in interview where she discussed The Man with the Child in His Eyes and mentioned how she was attracted to older men naturally led people to assume people like David Gilmour or Steve Blacknell were in her thoughts. I like to think that the man in the song was fictional and could apply to many people. Here we get some insight from Kate Bush about one of her greatest songs:

“The inspiration for ‘The Man With the Child in His Eyes’ was really just a particular thing that happened when I went to the piano. The piano just started speaking to me. It was a theory that I had had for a while that I just observed in most of the men that I know: the fact that they just are little boys inside and how wonderful it is that they manage to retain this magic. I, myself, am attracted to older men, I guess, but I think that’s the same with every female. I think it’s a very natural, basic instinct that you look continually for your father for the rest of your life, as do men continually look for their mother in the women that they meet. I don’t think we’re all aware of it, but I think it is basically true. You look for that security that the opposite sex in your parenthood gave you as a child.

Self Portrait, 1978”.

I am not sure when the lyrics reached him, but they did used to be in the ownership of Steve Blacknell. Bush’s first boyfriend (or first serious one), he put them on the music memorabilia website 991.com. It was definitely authentic. The lyrics written in hot pink felt tip pen with pink circles in place of the dots over the letter i. I can picture Bush writing those lyrics and the emotions running through her. How the lyrics pages were kept in great condition. I am not sure how faded they were when they were sold in 2010. I hope that they are being looked after. I would give anything to know who has them. If they did ever go back up for auction, you could imagine they would sell for thousands. Possibly into five digits! That would be out of my price range. I would love to own them. As one of my favourite Kate Bush songs from my favourite Kate Bush album, having this treasure would be incredible! A lot of Kate Bush-related items and memorabilia has been put on auction sites. Nothing as personal in my view. Not to judge Steve Blacknell, but if you did have these stunning words vividly written in pink felt tip by someone you used to be in a relationship with, why would you not frame them or keep them somewhere safe?! Selling them risks putting them in the hands of someone who might not recognise their value. I do not know who has them now but I think long and hard where they could be in the world. As I turn over and turn the light off. I wonder why Steve Blacknell would let those words go. Too painful to keep hold of or meaningless. Bush wrote them when she was thirteen. In 2010, The Man with the Child in His Eyes was nearly forty. That much time had passed. In 2010, when the news about the sale of the handwritten lyrics was made public, The Independent wrote the following:

“Fame creates an aura of association. The name Steve Blacknell means nothing to me and Kate Bush will leave most people under 40 blank but, if we say the first boyfriend of the musical predecessor of Florence Welch, we are in business. Blacknell is selling a teenage love letter from Bush, claiming that he is the subject of her song "The Man with the Child in His Eyes".

The eBay generation points out impatiently that Blacknell has a lousy sense of timing. Why didn't he flog the letter when Bush was famous?

The sale and the timing suggest two things. Blacknell could use some cash but is neither greedy nor vengeful. If anything, his crime is sentimentality. Aged 58, he has the glow of recall and the bittersweet awareness of the passage of time. When he met Kate Bush they did not know how their lives would turn out, which ambitions would be realised, which hopes dashed. We know that age improves the longterm memory and Blacknell's relationship with Bush may have been the most acute phase of his life”.

For my 900th Kate Bush feature, I wanted to return to a dream. A fantasy. Owning the handwritten lyrics for The Man with the Child in His Eyes. That torment that they might not even exist anymore. Whoever bought them in 2010 might have sold them on. The pages might be yellow and the lyrics faded. A sad sign of ageing. I think back to when Bush wrote the words and how fresh the ink was. A hot pink felt tip pen and this excitement of penning such gorgeous lines. How she decided to keep hold of them. Next year, it will be fifty years since Kate Bush recorded The Man with the Child in His Eyes. I hope someone writes about the song and shines a light on it. Right now, the handwritten lyrics are out there somewhere. I am not sure about any of her other songs and whether she kept any of the lyrics or they were sold on. We do know The Man with the Child in His Eyes is unique in the sense it made the news when it was sold. Those lyrics written by a thirteen-year-old who would be a worldwide name six years later. I have checked Google and auction sites and there is no news or updates regarding the lyrics. It almost makes me teary thinking how a blank piece of paper soon had these amazing and timeless words written by a girl! A song that would cause so much speculation and have this aura of mystery. How those pages (or page, I guess) remained in Bush’s possession for a while. I am not certain if someone else had them before Steve Blacknell. The fact he made the decision to sell them. Now they are owned by a Kate Bush fan. I am not sure who or where they are. I do think about it a lot. The one thing above all I would like to own. Wherever those lyrics are and whoever owns them, I just hope they take good care of them and realise…

HOW important they are.

FEATURE: The Digital Mixtape: Marking Thirty-Five Years of The Simpsons: The Musical Guests

FEATURE:

 

 

The Digital Mixtape

Marking Thirty-Five Years of The Simpsons: The Musical Guests

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ONE of the greatest and most important…

comedies of all time turns thirty-five on 17th December. Although the first episode of The Simpsons did not air in the U.K. until September 1990, the U.S. got the first episode a week before Christmas. Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire was an introduction to the Simpsons family for many. Although there had been shorts of The Tracy Ullman Show, this was a full-length episode. Hard to believe it is thirty-five years old! Since its debut, 776 episodes of the show have been broadcast. It is the longest-running American animated series, longest-running American sitcom, and the longest-running American scripted primetime television series, both in seasons and individual episodes. In addition to the great voice cast – the main cast are Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer -, there is this Simpson family. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. The other residents of Springfield. The incredible writing and the way the show has won its way into our hearts though the years. Although its look has changed vastly since 1989, at the core is that family of five. Plus Santa’s Little Helper and Snowball II. The first episode centred around Homer not getting a work Christmas bonus and the family having to use savings to get a tattoo removed from Bart’s arm. Desperate to raise money to buy presents, Homer and Bart go to toe dog track and are at their lowest. That is until a greyhound, Santa’s Little Helper is kicked out of the stadium and into the arms of Homer. Though not among the funniest episodes, it is one of the most memorable and important episodes of The Simpsons. Another big part of the show’s endurance is the guest stars. Many of them been musicians. Huge names like Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones have featured in the show. Because I run a music blog, I wanted to mark thirty-five years of The Simpsons by compiling a playlist of songs from some of the artists who have appeared in the show through the years. I will open and close with musical numbers from The Simpsons themselves! Here is a Digital Mixtape of thirty-five songs from thirty-five musical guests who have appeared on one of the greatest T.V. shows ever made. Sit back and enjoy…

A Simpsons-themed mixtape.

FEATURE: “They Really Aren’t Me Anymore” Dissecting Kate Bush’s ZigZag Interviews with Kris Needs

FEATURE:

 

 

“They Really Aren’t Me Anymore”

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush at Studio Two in Abbey Road, London on 5th October, 1982/PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Rapport

Dissecting Kate Bush’s ZigZag Interviews with Kris Needs

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THERE are a few more features…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush at the 1980 British Rock and Pop Awards/PHOTO CREDIT: Mirrorpix/Getty Images

that will be inspired by words from a recent edition of PROG. I am taking from pages 36-39. I have sourced interviews from ZigZag before where Kate Bush was interviewed. To coincide with the release of her third studio album, Never for Ever, in 1980, Bush was approached by future PROG writer, Kris Needs. Although some convincing needed to take place, Bush agreed to three separate interviews, which occurred at various intervals during the height of her success. For the new PROG, Kris Needs looked back at his encounters with Kate Bush. I am diving in and picking up on some of the observations and quotes. ZigZag was launched in 1969. The magazine was more used to seeing Punk figures and a slightly edgier type of artist, perhaps. In 1980, Bush appeared on the cover. She needed to be convinced this was not a stitch-up. Bush was understandably wary about photographers and magazines. Earlier in her career, she had engaged in photoshoots where she was persuaded to do unwise things or appear a certain way. Exploited a bit. Journalists skewing her words and portraying her in a very harsh way. However, Kris Needs understood that Bush was as engaging, unique and as important as any artist. Someone who deserved better treatment than she was getting from the music papers of the day. The ice was broken soon enough. Needs did get the green light to interview her. On Monday, 8th September, 1980, Never for Ever was released. Needs was scheduled to interview Kate Bush after the Daily Express. It was the Friday afternoon after Never for Ever was released. It was a memorable day. When he got to EMI’s Manchester Square offices in London, staff were popping champagne bottles. Corks flying n doubt! Why?!

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush at EMI’s offices in Manchester Square, London on 15th June, 1980/PHOTO CREDIT: Brian Rasic/Getty Images

Well, Bush went to number one! It was the first time a female artist had gone to number one on the U.K. charts with an album that was not a compilation. A record-setting achievement for the then-twenty-two-year-old. Remarkable! Naturally, Bush would have been more at ease than if the album has charted a lot lower. Never any fear that would happen! In an “emerald green top” smiling, Kate Bush was perched on a sofa in a side room. No wonder she was so happy given that incredible album achievement! Needs commended Bush on a maturity beyond her twenty-one years (she was twenty-two in September, 1980; perhaps he meant she was twenty-one when she completed the album). She was talking in her beautiful and distinct South London accent. Chatting for ninety minutes, Bush joked at one point it was like “two psychiatrists talking!”. Kris Needs must have been used to a different type of artist. Nobody with the same blend of characteristics. He outlines her “…bewitching mix of down-to-earth honesty and humour, steely determination and wide-eyed sense of wonder at her success, including coming in at No.1”. Bush revealed how she could not be believe she was at number one. She had to pinch herself! Such an important step and evolution for her, she noted how her first two albums – 1978’s The Kick Inside and Lionheart – were so far away. “They’re really not me anymore” she noted. Perhaps one of the most memorable things she said. Was she unhappy with those albums or recognising how far she had come in a couple of years?! Putting distance between where she was in 1980 and that busy 1978.

As Kris Needs notes, Bush was not unappreciative towards The Kick Inside and that debut success. She felt vindicated that “an album she spent a year conceiving and recording was a success”. Bush knew how her career would go now and how she would work. She told Needs that “When you stereotype artists you always expect a certain kind of sound. As a person, I’m changing all the time and the first album is very much like a diary of me at the time: I was into a very high range. The same with the second album. I feel like this is perhaps why this one is like starting again. It’s like the first album on a new level. It’s very much under control”. That final word. I think it has a double meaning. Maybe Bush feeling more settled as an artist and her vocal is more honed and less dramatic. Also, as a producer on Never for Ever (with Jon Kelly), she had more say and control with regards her sound and vision. A coming-of-age album, Never for Ever followed the rushed Lionheart.  As with her previous albums, there were clashes with EMI regarding singles released. They wanted Babooshka released as the first single. Understandable as it is clearly a song that would be a commercial access. Babooshka was the second single released. Bush wanted Breathing. A more political, heavy and perhaps more extraordinary song, Kris Needs told Kate Bush it was her creative peak to that point. This pleased Bush, who smiled and said she was pleased to hear it. Bush felt that it was the best thing that she ever produced. Her instincts were right, as Breathing reached sixteen in the U.K. and boasts one of her most memorable videos (directed by Keith MacMillan (a.k.a. Keef). That was released on 14th April, 1980; Babooshka on 27th June, 1980 (where it reached number five in the U.K.).

When Kris Needs first spoke with Kate Bush, she was twenty-two. He recalled how, during the “marathon conversations”, it felt as though Bush was “thinking aloud or working something out as her creative muse swum with new possibilities and pivotal moves like deciding between making a new album or doing another tour”. As her studio experience grew the answer was invariably making music. Bush in a place where she was making music truer and more real to her. Needs recalled how Bush came across as strong and focused. More ballsy than many of the male artists he interviewed! Bush said how easy it was to drown and be buried unless you state your presence. “Everyone has to fight and there are different ways of fighting”. She noted how she is trying to state her presence and wanted to do things as a “one-woman basis”. Working better as a single entity and then getting feedback from others, she knew in 1980 how the rest of her career should play out. That she was better producing and working alone. She would solo produce her next album, 1982’s The Dreaming. Even if Never for Ever was a step towards a musically truer version of herself, Bush did offer a caveat or caution: “…but it’s nowhere near to what I actually want”. Kris Needs asked whether success had sort of got in the way or stopped Bush from progressing her music. She answered how she was not aware of success when she is in the studio. It is only during promotional rounds she is conscious of it. “But the real pressures of success, I think, are something that comes from the inside…”. She did not want any of success’s pressure to take her down and get too much. Bush rightly stated how success is something people put onto you. She was going to be strong and not use it as a  measure of something that defined her. Before moving on with the interview archives, PROG included a photo of the front and back of a sweatshirt that Kris Needs was given by Kate Bush. On the front was “It’s in the trees… It’s coming…”; the back has ‘Hounds of Love’ on it.

Kris Needs then moved to 1982’s The Dreaming. Producing solo with engineer Nick Launay engineering, percussion and a bigger drum sound was very much at the forefront. Tribal drums. The Fairlight CMI was experimenting with. A big decision why Bush built her own home studio for Hounds of Love was that huge studio bills were notched up when she recorded at Abbey Road, Townhouse and Advision. Given how Bush was not only producing solo but creating an album with more layers, sounds and experiments than Never for Ever, her routine was mainly work. Not sleeping as much as she should and with her diet taking a slide, the next time Kris Needs met her was very different to that initial meeting at Manchester Square where Bush was smiling widely. Now, as Needs writes, when he met Bush at the EMI offices, she was “less ebullient, somewhat drained and cautiously defiant about how the set would go down with fans”. Bush put her fans into two camps when explaining expectations around her fourth studio album. Those that knew her work understood how she does something different every time. She said that “a lot of people won’t like it”. If you were new to Kate Bush in 1982 or expecting an album with songs like Babooshka on them, then they were going to be in for a shock! That people wouldn’t understand. However, Bush stated how “the more I write the stuff, the less I worry about this stage, and the better it is”. Bush was conscious on second and third albums of what people would think. She would stop whilst writing a song and ponder that. Not so with The Dreaming. Bush was in a place where she wanted to be in 1982, so she would take the risk and potentially lose a few fans. Quite a brave risk for an artist who two years prior to The Dreaming came out had released a record-setting number one album.

Kris Needs was asked (by Bush) what he thought of the new album. He mentioned the new resonance in her voice, the “cinematic quality” and the “tiers of vocal overdubs”. Whilst giggling and absorbing Needs’s first impressions, she suddenly became animated. Proclaiming how this was the first album where she enjoyed listening to her voice. Maybe The Dreaming was a conscious effort to maybe make her voice grittier, deeper, more gravelled and masculine. Wanting to disassociate herself with that perception that she was squeaky-voiced and fairy-like. The Dreaming is an album with heavy percussion, dense layers and Bush taking her voice to new places. Hounds of Love, whilst not completely softening the palette, was a lighter and more accessible album. One with more nature and the open air. The Dreaming is quite dense, smoky and claustrophobic. Bush, in her words, put some balls into her voice. She had never written songs as long as the ones on The Dreaming. Bush was aware that a leap into experimentation and a whole new sound would cost fans. Making something that was more art than commercial music. The Dreaming entered the U.K. chart at number three and then dropped out of the chart. It sold 60,000 in comparison to The Kick Inside’s million-plus units. Quite a shift and gulf! After once more turning down an invitation to hit the road and tour with Fleetwood Mac, Bush spent three years working on her fifth studio album, Hounds of Love. That album would sell ten times more than The Dreaming in the first nine months of its release (Hounds of Love was released on 16th September, 1985). Kris Needs attended the premiere of Hounds of Love at the London Planetarium on 9th September, 1985 with his flatmate, Youth (Martin Glover). He played on Hounds of Love and his bass can be heard on The Big Sky.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush with Del Palmer at the London Planetarium on 9th September, 1985 during the premiere of Hounds of Love/PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Hogan/Getty Images

The third interview between Kris Needs and Kate Bush occurred before Bush appeared on The Old Grey Whistle Test on 8th October, 1985. Needs’s questions and interview was a lot less patronising than the one she was subjected to on The Old Grey Whistle Test! She was on the show talking about the single, Cloudbusting. Dressed in the same black jacket and lace blouse she would wear for the interview on The Old Grey Whistle Test, Bush gave longer answers to Kris Needs. Bush talked about Hounds of Love’s long gestation. It was the culmination and triumphant end to the first stage of her career. The stage that had been getting underway five years earlier when she first spoke with Kris Needs. Bush was not having to compromise or work with other producers. It meant that she could take more risks and work in her own way – and to her own timescales. She said that it could “seem like what you are doing is mad” How you need to be in control to get away with that sort of thing! Bush told how she didn’t have time to socialise because “Work just obsesses my life and everyone around be is dragged into it”. Whilst she liked the work and music, the exposure was perhaps not as welcome. She hated the idea of being this media-trained artist who grinned and announced an album was out! That vision of her on the side of a bus and everywhere. “I hate that! You have to laugh at it to survive”. Even though things were going well (Hounds of Love reached number one in the U.K.), Bush gave a thoughtful pause and said, “but it really is little me on the end, trying to keep up with it all”. In the new PROG recollection feature, Kris Needs ended the feature saying how after parting ways, he and Kate Bush swapped addresses and sent each other Christmas cards that year (1985). That Hounds of Love sweatshirt was dropped off by a motorbike courier. Very Kate Bush! Life took over and they lost touch. However, Kris Needs is happy that he spend some great time over five years with Bush. Someone who was this “beautifully driven and grounded artistic genius I spent those brief but magical afternoons with continued to stand her ground, see through her dreams and live happily ever after”. It is wonderful reading back those vivid memories and words from Kris Needs when he interviewed Kate Bush for ZigZag. From that happy first meeting when Bush’s Never for Ever hit number one to the more tired artist of 1982 when she had released The Dreaming; the final chat happened in 1985 when Kate Bush was at the…

PEAK of her powers.

FEATURE: This Woman’s Work – The 2024 Extended Mix: Reflecting on a Terrific and Busy Year for Kate Bush

FEATURE:

 

 

This Woman’s Work – The 2024 Extended Mix

 PHOTO COMPOSITE: The GRAMMY Awards

Reflecting on a Terrific and Busy Year for Kate Bush

_________

THE year is not yet through…

 PHOTO CREDIT: TFL

so we have not heard the last from Kate Bush in 2024 (follow Kate Bush on X and Instagram)! There is going to be the Christmas message coming very soon. If last year’s was a slightly downbeat yet realistic view of the modern world, I think this year is one that will have more sunshine and positivity. It is still a bleak world and there is violence around the world. Kate Bush is aware of that and recently released a video, Little Shrew (Snowflake), to raise money for War Child. I will come to that near the end of this feature. Nobody knew what 2024 would hold in store a year ago. Not that Kate Bush had been quiet and off the radar. After the reaction to Stranger Things featuring Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) and it hitting number one in 2022, there was residual attention and buzz from that. 2023 (that boasted album reissues) was quite a busy one when it came to Kate Bush, though this year has been even more eventful and exciting! Even though the start of the year had some tragedy. We lost Del Palmer in January. It was a tragedy that Kate Bush posted about. Last year has some clear highlights. Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) surpassed a billion streams on Spotify. Bush was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. On 20th April, Record Store Day 2024 took place. Kate Bush was announced Ambassador. She also donated a signed turntable to raise funds for War Child. Some incredible generosity from Bush. On 30th July, there was a lovely salute to Kate Bush from TFL. Bush responded to it. At the start of the year, Bush announced that an Illustrated Edition of 1982’s The Dreaming would be released. Thanks to Kate Bush News. You can purchase it here. A Polar Edition of 50 Words for Snow has been released. Bush spending time reissuing her albums and realising that a whole new generation are picking up her music. Bush reissued Hounds of Love and there was the amazing Baskerville Edition. It has been nominated for as GRAMMY. In fact, as I shall get to, that is not the only GRAMMY nod Bush received this year. In February, it was announced that Kate Bush would be releasing a 10” UV printed picture disc of Eat the Music. That came out on 20th April. Kate Bush News posted the news about the reissue:

“Kate has been announced as the official UK ambassador for this year’s Record Store Day, on 20th April! To mark this she will release a limited 10″ UV-printed picture disc of Eat The Music on the day. The BBC were first to break the news this morning with quotes from Kate’s statement. Since 2009 artists such as Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop, Jack White, Chuck D, Dave Grohl, Metallica, St. Vincent, Pearl Jam, Brandi Carlile and Taylor Swift have worn the annual “ceremonial sash” and used their high profiles to help promote the event online. The band, Paramore, have been named US ambassadors for the 2024 event. Find your local participating record store here.

Following on from her vinyl single releases to support independent stores on Record Store Day in previous years (Hounds of Love, Lake Tahoe and Running Up That Hill 2012 remix) on Saturday April 20th 2024 Kate will release a limited 10″ 3-track picture disc single of her joyous, Madagascan-infused 1993 song, Eat The Music, taken from The Red Shoes album. The 10″ disc features the cover art as a colour UV print on a side without grooves, with all three tracks on the other side, additionally including Lily and Big Stripey Lie, both also taken from The Red Shoes album.

The Eat The Music front disc artwork features the original single cover photo by John Carder Bush of Kate’s hands delving into the luscious fruit…”Split me open, with devotion, you put your hands in, and rip my heart out, eat the music….rip them to pieces, with sticky fingers…” The reverse side is white vinyl pressed with grooves playing the 3 tracks.

Kate’s statement in full:

What a huge honour to have been asked to be Ambassador for this year’s Record Store Day. It really is a great privilege.

Isn’t it great to see how the resurgence in vinyl has taken the Music Industry by complete surprise? It had decided to leave vinyl far behind, but it would seem that not everyone agrees! I love that!

I know there are many, many artists who are just as excited to see the audience turning the tide.

In the same way that some people like to read a book on Kindle but also want to have a book as a physical object, a lot of people like vinyl and streaming. Both have different appeals.

The added bonus of vinyl is that it encourages people to listen to albums. An art form that I’ve always thought can be treasured in a unique way.

An album on vinyl is a beautiful thing, given a strong identity by its large-scale artwork. There’s a much more personal connection with the artist and their work.

It’s been fun putting designs together for some of the previous RSDs. This year’s design echoes the cancelled release of ‘Eat the Music’ as the first single from the album, ‘The Red Shoes’.
The image was intended to be on the cover of the single bag and is now on the disc as a UV print.
The title, ‘Eat the Music’, is meant to be a playful nod to ‘If music be the food of love, play on,’ from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

Each year Record Store Day gathers more attention, more momentum, and attracts more people who cram into indie record stores all over the world to see what’s up. What’s new?
This year, I hope you have a fantastic time at this very important event, and that you get to celebrate music that’s been specially released for you.

Very best wises,

Kate”.

I am going to lean onto Kate Bush News for the updates and news from this year. There have been so many wonderful updates posted through the year. Included is the fact that a cassette of Hounds of Love on the set of Stranger Things as they were filming the fifth and final season earlier this year. Will Kate Bush feature again?! If you can donate to Kate Bush News, you should do so here. Not only did we get updates and news blasts. There were other events and interesting things. Bush’s brother John (Jay) turned eighty on 26th March. I am going to work my way to June. This is when Graeme Thomson reissued (bringing things up to date and reacting to updates and events of 2022 and a new lease of success and attention) Under the Ivy: The Life and Music of Kate Bush. Graeme Thomson also contributed to the April 2024 edition of Disco Pogo. Twelve pages of Kate Bush writing. I would advise people to pick up a copy as it is essential reading! Among the bright spots from this year, there have been some losses. As mentioned, Del Palmer died in January. Donald Sutherland (who appeared in the video for Cloudbusting) died in June. Kate Bush’s music was making its way into film and T.V. In July, The Morning Fog – from 1985’s Hounds of Love – was featured in an episode of The Bear. Placed prominently into an episode from season three, Kate Bush News spotted it. Kate Bush turned sixty-six on 30th July. Of course, there was so much love and affection for her. Lots of messages. Bush posted thanks to her website. On 26th August, we marked ten years since the first night of her residency, Before the Dawn, began. That opening date in Hammersmith was hugely anticipated and beckoned in celebrities and members of the public. Everyone mingling to see Bush take to the stage. Her first large-scale live undertaking since 1979’s The Tour of Life. It was a momentous live spectacle! The newspapers reacted in 2014. On 7th September, the Kate Bush Fan Podcast celebrated a decade of Before the Dawn.

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The amazing Kate Bush tribute act, Baby Bushka, were in the U.K. and Ireland. An Evening Without Kate Bush toured extensively and there are some great dates set for next year. Amazing performers bringing the music and magic of Kate Bush to people in their own distinct ways. Earlier in the year, Halsey released I Never Loved You. It was inspired by Kate Bush (Halsey spoke in 2022 about Kate Bush and why she decided to cover Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God). Taken from her acclaimed and astonishing The Great Impersonator, Halsey conceived it as a confessional concept album believing it would be her last project after being diagnosed with lupus and a T cell lymphoproliferative disorder. As part of the album’s promotion, Halsey replicated music photos where she impersonated artists who inspired her. Among them was Kate Bush. Rather than replicating an obvious photo, she instead copied the ‘blue gauze’ shot taken by Clive Arrowsmith in 1981:

“Already known for covering Running Up that Hill live back in June 2022, US singer Halsey has announced that the song “I Never Loved You” is inspired by Kate Bush. The singer also pays visual homage to Kate on social media with a photo shoot recreating the Clive Arrowsmith “blue gauze” photograph of Kate used for the cover of the January 1982 issue of Company Magazine.

The track is featured on Halsey’s upcoming new concept album, The Great Impersonator, which takes influence from many different artists and eras, thematically tied to artists who’ve influenced her. Halsey also sent a message to her subscribers upon the song’s release to detail the dark story behind it: “This song cuts deep….a woman lies ill-fated in an Emergency Room. She’s holding on with all her might, in hopes her lover will show to say goodbye. He arrives, too late and defensive. Who was driving the car that hit her?”.

In October, PROG included Kate Bush in their magazine. Specifically, they combined features and interviews around her debut album, The Kick Inside. There were some parts that focused on later periods of her career. I have taken from those pages and am sharing them in features that will be published between this month and February. It is a great edition that you should buy! On 16th October, The Sensual World turned thirty-five. Although there were very few anniversary features, I hope it turned people onto the album that did not know about it. You can buy it here.

In October, a trailer for The Legend of Ochi featured a remix of Kate Bush’s iconic song, Hounds of Love. Kate Bush News reacted to this wonderful happening:

“The new trailer for the movie The Legend of Ochi features a TOTEM remix version of Kate’s song Hounds of Love, and it sounds fantastic! Teases of the “hounds” vocalisations start as early as 15 seconds into the clip, but later Kate’s actual vocal from the 1985 single explodes onto the trailer soundtrack along with stirring drums and orchestration. TOTEM (Patrick Buchanan and David James Rosen) were also responsible for another memorable remix of Running Up That Hill for the Stranger Things TV series in 2022 – Kate has clearly been impressed by their work.

We think we can see why Kate would have been charmed by the film, it even stars one of the kids from Stranger Things! The Legend of Ochi is an upcoming American fantasy adventure film written and directed by Isaiah Saxon in his feature film debut. The film stars Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, Finn Wolfhard and Helena Zengel. It is scheduled to be released by A24 on February 28, 2025. We have no idea if the track will feature on the film soundtrack itself (by composer David Longstreth), but this is a brilliant use of Kate’s iconic track to promote this charming movie. The trailer music was also composed in conjunction with composer Ursine Vulpine (aka Frederick Lloyd).

On the film company A24’s site, the story is given thus: “In a remote northern village, a young girl, Yuri, is raised to never go outside after dark and to fear the reclusive forest creatures known as the ochi. When a baby ochi is left behind by its pack, she embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to reunite it with its family”.

On 24th October, we got this tantalising-if-confusing update that we did not know would lead to the biggest Kate Bush event of 2024! A new Radio Edit of Snowflake (which originally featured on 2011’s 50 Words for Snow) was available in New Zealand. It seemed slightly random! It was available on iTunes there. The following day, the song became available on Spotify in the U.K. and Ireland (and other territories). The same day, we were treated to something huge. Kate Bush News gave us all the details:

“Wonderful, wonderful news this morning! Kate has given an interview to Emma Barnett on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme (listen back to it here) to announce the launch of a new short film she has written and directed to raise money for children affected by war. She also talks about her plans to make a new album. The black-and-white, four-minute animation, called Little Shrew, is set to a shorter edit of her 2011 track Snowflake and aims to raise money and awareness for the charity War Child. (be sure to read the story of Little Shrew on Kate’s official site)

Little Shrew is released on Kate’s official website today. It is free to watch, but Kate encourages viewers to support organisations helping children in conflict. Kate says: “I would like to ask that if you watch the animation, please make a donation to War Child, or to another charity that aids children in war.” War Child are accepting donations at their site here. The short film, which Kate worked with illustrator Jim Kay to create, was partly inspired by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. “I started working on it a couple of years ago, it was not long after the Ukrainian war broke out, and I think it was such a shock for all of us,” Kate explained.

“It’s been such a long period of peace we’d all been living through. And I just felt I wanted to make a little animation that would feature, originally, a little girl. It was really the idea of children caught up in war. I wanted to draw attention to how horrific it is for children.

“And so I came up with this idea for a storyboard and felt that, actually, people would be more empathetic towards a creature rather than a human. So I came up with the idea of it being a little shrew.” Reflecting on the impact of conflict on children, Kate said: “I think war is horrific for everyone, particularly civilians, because they’re so vulnerable in these situations. But for a child, it’s unimaginable how frightening it must be for them.”

Kate added: “I think we’ve all been through very difficult times. These are dark times that we’re living in and I think, to a certain extent, everyone is just worn out….We went through the pandemic, that was a huge shock, and I think we felt that, once that was over, that we would be able to get on with some kind of normal life…But in fact it just seems to be going from one situation to another, and more wars seem to be breaking out all the time.” The Guardian newspaper in the UK have already given Kate’s animated film a five star review “…this devastating film will make you weep at war’s violence against children.” Also, concept artist on the Little Shrew animation, Jim Kay, writes about working with Kate over on his official site.

War Child are accepting donations at their site here

About her next album, Kate adds that she is “very keen” to start working on new music. She said there are “lots of ideas” she wants to pursue, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I’m really looking forward to getting back into that creative space, it’s been a long time.” BBC report”.

Following the video and the introduction of Little Shrew, Bush added some new merchandise to her store. Alongside the Little Shrew T-shirt are Snowflake Christmas cards. Two great books about Kate Bush were released/reissued this year. One was Leah Kardos’s 33 1/3 book for Hounds of Love. That came out last month. This is a book that you need to own (you can pre-order a signed copy here):

“This book charts the emergence of Kate Bush in the early-to-mid-1980s as a courageous experimentalist, a singularly expressive recording artist and a visionary music producer. Hounds Of Love invites you to not only listen, but to cross the boundaries of sensory experience into the realms of imagination and possibility. Side A spawned four Top 40 hit singles in the UK, ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)’, ‘Cloudbusting’, ‘Hounds of Love’ and ‘The Big Sky’, some of the best loved and most enduring compositions in the Bush catalogue. On side B, a hallucinatory seven-part song cycle called The Ninth Wave breaks away from the pop conventions of the era, leaning into strange and vivid production techniques that plunge the listener into the psychological centre of a near-death experience. Poised and accessible, yet still experimental and complex, with Hounds Of Love Bush mastered the art of her studio-based songcraft, finally achieving full control of her creative process. When it came out in 1985, she was only 27 years old. Track-by-track commentaries focus on the experience of the album from the listener’s point of view, drawing attention to the art and craft of Bush’s songwriting and sound design. It considers the vast impact and influence that Hounds Of Love has had on music cultures and creative practices through the years, underlining the artist’s importance as a barrier-smashing, template-defying, business-smart, record-breaking, never-compromising role model for artists everywhere”.

Back in June, Graeme Thomson’s Under the Ivy: The Life and Music of Kate Bush was reissued for 2024. Go and order it here. This was before Bush dropped the Little Shrew (Snowflake) video and suggested new music was coming (will we see the book reissued again if Bush releases an eleventh studio album?!). However, in his final chapter from the 2024 edition, Thomson reacted to all the recent news and developments. How Kate Bush is still so relevant and visible. An artist making a huge impact in so many ways:

“The critically acclaimed definitive biography of Kate Bush, revised and updated for 2024, with a new foreword by Sinéad Gleeson.

Detailing everything from Bush’s upbringing to her early exposition of talent, to her subsequent evolution into a stunningly creative and endlessly fascinating visual and musical artist, Under The Ivy is the story of one woman's life in music. Written with great detail, accuracy and admiration for her work, this is in equal parts an in-depth biography and an immersive analysis of Kate Bush's art.

Focusing on her unique working methods, her studio techniques, her timeless albums and inescapable influence, Under The Ivy is an eminently readable and insightful exploration of one of the world's most unique and gifted artists. The text has been updated to include coverage of Bush’s return to the top of the charts in 2022 following the extraordinary resurgence of ‘Running Up That Hill.’ An eye-opening journey of discovery for anyone unfamiliar with the breadth of Bush’s work, Under The Ivy also rewards the long-term fan with new insights and fresh analysis.

“The best music biography in perhaps the past decade” The Irish Times

“Superb.... A compelling examination of an artist in a constant state of becoming” Mojo

"Penetrating textual study potently combining interviews and research" The Beat

"Excellent... expertly unravelling her contradictions and motivations" Record Collector

"I’ve never met Kate Bush. But on occasion we may have shared the same dream about the afterlife of Elvis Presley – a fact I learnt while reading this wonderful book. She’s beguiling and eccentric and in thrall to a singular vision. She’s also smart in not dispelling her mystery. Over the years she has come to occupy a unique place in the British psyche. She’s now part national treasure, and part pop Athena with her devoted acolytes. Under The Ivy is respectful, but it gets us pretty close to the temple. This is the perfect book for aficionados or even the merely curious" Paddy McAloon (Prefab Sprout)

"Graeme is a fantastic biographer, warm and wise. He brings Kate’s interior and exterior lives to life, in vivid colours, in this wonderful book" Jude Rogers, author of The Sound of Being Human

"Peers deep into the weeds of this extraordinary woman’s work. Under The Ivy brilliantly fleshes out the stories behind the Bushcraft, without reducing any of her music’s enduring magic" Rob Young, author of Electric Eden and All Gates Open: The Story of Can

"Written in prose that from time to time seems linked umbilically to the very same ‘otherworld’ from which Kate Bush’s art manifests, Graeme Thomson’s style of storytelling penetrates the surrounding truths and myths. In doing so he presents us with the rarest of things: a portrait of Kate Bush incarnate" Jim Kerr (Simple Minds)

"There is no shortage of books written about Kate, but when Under The Ivy first appeared it felt like the definitive text. Probing, exhaustively researched, with a huge attention to detail, it was immersive and engaging. Graeme Thomson is clearly an admirer of the work, but avoids any hagiography" Sinéad Gleeson, author of Constellations and Hagstone

"An absolute joy for the Kate Bush fan, indeed any music fan, delving deeply and passionately into the world of one of our most important and cherished artists. A fascinating and richly rewarding read, this book explores in exquisite detail a truly unique vision and uncompromising approach in what has been the creation of some of the most incredible and intoxicating music ever recorded" Emma Pollock

"This is writing about music, and one of the key songwriters and performers of her or any time, that demands to be read not only by fans and connoisseurs, but by anyone interested in art and those who make it" Laura Barnett, author of The Versions of Us and Greatest Hits

"It’s such a well written and detailed book.... satisfyingly in depth and revealing and just as its title suggests a door to a secret garden, we get unseen glimpses of a private life and the connections of that world to one of the most influential and important artists of my life time. Absorbing, revealing and immersive" Kathryn Williams, singer-songwriter and author of The Ormering Tide

"Highly praised, comprehensively researched" Classic Rock

"Thomson is a perceptive critic and frames Bush's talent sympathetically, viewing her as a storyteller and 'a determinedly concealed individual'" 8/10 Uncut”.

Alongside all the Kate Bush activity and news have been great episodes of the Kate Bush Fan Podcast. One of the best was from 27th November. Alan Skidmore featured. Darrell from Bush Telegraph talked with Skidmore, who was the saxophonist on Kate’s 1975 track, The Saxophone Song (it appeared on her 1978 debut album, The Kick Inside). Kate Bush’s video for Little Shrew (Snowflake) was a winner at the World Film Festival in Cannes. Also, last month, we heard that Kate Bush had been nominated for two GRAMMYs. It was another huge bit of news in a busy and exciting year. Kate Bush News provided all the details:

“At a time when we’re already buzzing at Kate’s confirmation that she is working on ideas for a new album, it has been announced that Kate and her son Albert McIntosh have been nominated as art directors in two categories in next year’s 67th Grammy Awards in the USA. Her 2023 illustrated vinyl release of Hounds of Love, The Baskerville Edition is nominated for Best Recording Package, while The Boxes of Lost at Sea art pieces (also editions of Hounds of Love) have been nominated for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package. You can read more about these releases on our original news item here. Congratulations to Kate and Albert and team! We are sure you must be delighted by this. Winners will be announced on the day of the Grammy ceremony in Los Angeles on February 2nd 2025.

The Grammy Awards, established in 1958, are awarded annually by The Recording Academy of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry. They were originally called the Gramophone Awards, as the trophy depicts a gilded gramophone. There are a whopping 94 categories covering not just every genre of music but also for the likes of record packages, historical recordings, production, engineering, composition and arrangement. Most of these less glitzy Grammy trophies are presented in a pre-telecast “Premiere Ceremony” in the afternoon before the Grammy Awards telecast, a live show dominated by the most popular “general field” pop categories. Previously Kate was nominated three times for a Grammy; in 1988 for Best Concept Music Video (The Whole Story), in 1991 for Best Alternative Music Album (The Sensual World) and in 1996 for Best Music Film (The Line, the Cross and the Curve).

Significantly, in terms of Kate’s profile and status in the USA, these are Kate’s first Grammy nominations in nearly 30 years, with Forbes magazine musing that “clearly Recording Academy voters seem interested in recognizing her work and her talent.” This follows Kate’s biggest chart success ever in the USA in 2022 with Running Up That Hill and her induction last year into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Forbes also notes that while Kate faces tough competition in the two fields, “she should be considered a serious contender for one, if not both awards. She is one of many artists who have never won a Grammy whose legacy has grown throughout the years.”

The Baskerville Edition of Hounds of Love, adorned with artwork by Timorous Beasties, was notable for its innovation for being the first ever vinyl record to have a solar powered LED light specially developed and built for the project by Kate and her team. The circuitboard was exclusively designed for the package so it would fit into the standard thickness of the gatefold sleeve. The release was accompanied by a special Cloudbusting-themed short film written and directed by Kate. Read more about the Grammy for Best Recording Package on Wikipedia here”.

I would also recommend people check out this Kate Bush Fan Podcast episode from Seán. Recently, UNCUT published a new edition that featured a ‘lost’ Kate Bush interview from 2011, where Andy Gill spoke with the icon about her then-new album, 50 Words for Snow. Kate Bush shared her excitement that The Baskerville Edition has been nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Recording Package. The GRAMMY ceremony takes place on 2nd February at the Crypto Arena in Los Angeles. Kate Bush will not attend, though if she wins, she is sure to post an update to her website. It will be wonderful if she did win a GRAMMY! She has been nominated multiple times but never won one. We have a few more days of this year to go, so there may be other updates coming before her Christmas post. It has been a very exciting and busy one for Kate Bush. So many different events and bits of news. A special shout-out to some great people on social media like kate bush’s aquarius moon and FishPoeple Kate Bush for their dedication and posts! With potential new music coming soon and with Bush very much active and in people’s thoughts, this year has been incredible! Thanks to sites like Kate Bush News for keeping us abreast. To the journalists and tribute acts. To authors like Graeme Thomson and Leah Kardos. They have helped to keep Kate Bush very much at the forefront! It is going to be amazing seeing what Kate Bush news there is…

IN store next year.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Nia Smith

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Delali Ayivi

Nia Smith

_________

ONE of the brightest…

talents in the current music scene, Nia Smith is someone who should be on everyone’s radar. The South London artist mixes Soul and Neo-Soul into a wonderful and distinct blend. I think that next year will be a huge one for her. I am going to end with a review of her debut E.P., Give Up the Fear. I want to start off with an interview from Vogue. Speaking with her in the summer, they heralded Nia Smith’s rise as the new sound of Soul:

“It’s a cloudy Friday morning when singer-songwriter Nia Smith cycles to our interview at a Brixton bakery. “I will happily go out for half an hour and just Lime-bike,” says the south Londoner, wearing a crisp black shirt over billowing jeans as she sits down with a hot chocolate. It’s her way of unwinding from an increasingly hectic schedule. This past summer has seen Smith, still only 21, support SZA at BST Hyde Park and perform at London’s All Points East festival. We’re meeting a couple of days after her British Vogue shoot – her first ever. “I hate to be in front of the camera,” she says, grimacing, “but it was a good day!” Now she is gearing up for the long-awaited release of her debut EP this winter (despite fever-pitch buzz in the music industry, at the time of writing its title is still top secret). “It’s nice that people will be able to type my name [into Google] and have actual recorded music come up, rather than just my TikTok account,” she says, with a smile.

On her debut track, “Give up the Fear”, Smith’s vocals shine, bringing to mind early Adele, to say nothing of Amy Winehouse and Raye (all fellow Brit School alumni), while “Personal” – her second single – is the kind of groovy earworm any R&B artist would be glad to have in their early discography. Yet before finding music – the trombone was her unlikely starter instrument – Smith wanted to be a firefighter (“I’m scared of everything so I don’t know where that came from”). Growing up she was “probably a bit mischievous” but puts it down to being the middle child in a family of brothers, and she still lives just down the road from her family. “When my dad went out to work I would steal his iPod and memorise the lyrics to all the songs,” she says, laughing as she recalls plugging herself into Aretha, Tina, Nina… Smith was inadvertently coached by the greats. If things keep going her way, she could be on track to be one”.

I will move on to an interview from Rolling Stone. With such a distinct and special voice, this is an artist that is going to have a phenomenal 2025. I am new to her music but have been instantly hooked. If you have not discovered Nia Smith yet then you really need to check her out. Go and follow her on social media. A sensational young musician with a huge future ahead:

“It’s early morning in New York when Nia Smith appears on a zoom call, hours before preparation begins for her debut show in the Big Apple. Her debut EP isn’t even out at this point, but her prodigious talents have already landed her a support slot in the US with Elmiene, whose blend of neo-soul and more classic sounds have allowed him to sell out shows across the globe.

Like Elmiene, Smith deals in classic soul stylings, but the inclusion of her own musical upbringing allows it to take on a kaleidoscopic edge. The title track of her newly released EP Give Up The Fear is a heartfelt ode to the importance of being care free, while ‘Personal’ takes on a subtle dancehall edge – which led to a fresh version of the song with Popcaan.

Now, she’s on the cusp of becoming a truly important voice within UK music. You can read our whole Q&A with Nia Smith below.

You’re in in New York, how have the shows been supporting Elmiene?

They’ve been really good! I love New York, so it’s been really good. I mean, we only landed yesterday and I’ve never performed here so I’m excited.

We’re here to talk about your EP Give Up The Fear. What does this first body of work say about you as an artist?

I wanted to have a nice introduction to me, the different layers across five songs and I didn’t want to be boxed in too soon, so I feel like it represents the chapters of my life and the stories from it.

What are they? What personal side are you putting across?

Well I think ‘Give Up The Fear’ reflects a degree of self belief and ‘Don’t Cry’ reflects why I just want to live my best life as a single queen. There’s a song called ‘Reckless Soul’ too which reflects how I just had to be there for myself when I didn’t like life and ‘Personal’ is the best song on the EP in my opinion.

Why is it the best song?

I grew up listening to a lot of reggae and I think with the others you can’t tell how much reggae means to me. Obviously it’s not a reggae song, but it’s infused with reggae drums and parts like the bass line so it’s nice to have that in a song and let people know a bit more about my heritage.

You told us earlier this year about stealing your dad’s iPod as a kid to listen to different music. How did that shape you and what did you listen to growing up?

Well I didn’t really appreciate reggae as a kid because the baseline would rattle my bedroom! But stuff like Michael Jackson, Nina Simone, Tina Turner, James Brown, all the big voices. My dad played a lot of Amy Winehouse and Adele too.

What did you like about those artists?

Amy, Aretha and Adele were just proper stand out voices. But Amy had that rhythm, she had it all and she was definitely my favourite from that iPod selection.

What’s the one thing you want people to take away from this EP?

I kinda want people to find a piece of themselves in it. All the music is honest and the more honest you are, the more people can relate. I’m sure there’s people who have gone through every story in that EP. People can find truth in it. But if you want to dance, just listen to ‘Personal’!

And what’s next for Nia Smith?

I just want to play more live shows, man and make more music. Maybe another EP, but music where I can elevate the sound. Keep it in the same world, but deliver the next story and next part of Nia Smith”.

There are a couple of other interviews I want to source from before coming to a review of Give Up the Fear. It is one of the best and most important E.P.s of the year. Wonderland. included Nia Smith in their New Noise feature. Someone who is going to be included in a lot of ‘Ones to Watch in 2025’ pieces:

“Who have been your main inspirations—both musically and personally? 

My main writing influences is my life and what’s around me but Amy and Lauryn defo inspire the music I make.

How has your upbringing and your cultural background shaped your artistry and creative outlook? 

My Caribbean heritage, growing up on a lot of reggae and has defo influenced my melody and cadence choices. I’m a proud south Londoner from Brixton which I defo like to portray in my creative.

Congratulations on your debut EP! How are you feeling about the release? Talk us through the creative process of the EP? What were the biggest challenges you experienced? 

Feeling good about the release. Finishing the EP with Jimmy (Napes) was a lot of fun. We had a full band in and it was a real collaborative process. The biggest challenge was knowing when something was finished which is why I decided to keep some of the demo vocals, which I love.

What are you trying to convey across the project, lyrically and thematically?

“Give Up The Fear” is about letting go and finding your inner child. That space where you create stuff without overthinking. I want people to find a piece of themselves within the songs. It’s a lil time capsule of my life. New era pending! 

You’ve supported some massive names already this year, from Tems to SZA to Jordan Rakei. What have those experiences taught you? How did those achievements feel? 

Feels great. I just like being on stage. It’s nice to have artists I love want to share their space with me. It’s nice seeing the room come together by the end of the set too.

Describe for us your essence as a live performer? What can we expect from an Nia Smith show?

It’s all about the voice. From a Nia Smith show you can expect the mic to be ON lol. Maybe a lil boogie during “Personal” and a great cover at some point. 

What else have you got coming up, this year and beyond? 

My EP is came out on the 8th so I’m now working on the new stuff, hopefully an elevated sound. some cheeky live show appearances and more shows etc”.

The final interview I want to mention is from The Line of Best Fit. Highlighting Nia Smith as an artist on the rise, this is someone I cannot recommend highly enough! Such a stunning voice and amazing songwriter. Someone who will put British Soul back at the forefront. A deep and interesting interview, I want to include quite a sizeable chunk of it as we get to learn a lot about a wonderful talent:

“Every line was pretty much a joke,” says Smith of her reggae-imbued second single. “It was about getting rid of that bad energy; we don’t have to be besties – we can be civil. Sometimes people make it seem like you have to be friends with everyone, but I don’t think it’s personal if you’re not my sort of person.”

Sometimes, there is a need to simply get a job done and, despite her young 20-years-of-age, Smith is not about time wasting. The Brixton native recalls times where she has walked into a studio to take care of business and been frustrated by the vibe.

“With the music industry, sometimes it feels like high school – there’s this clique over here, a clique over there” Smith adds. “Authenticity is really big to me; if it’s not that, I really struggle in situations. But I’ve made some really good friends in music.”

So far, these ‘good friends in music’ have certainly been of the covetable kind, most recently with dancehall icon Popcaan signing up to appear on the remix of “Personal”, which drops today. When Smith got the call, she couldn’t believe it. “My party song is ‘Clarks’, so he was on my main list of people I wanted.” Smith was adamant that, if it wasn’t an artist from her list, she didn’t want to release a remix – though she needn’t have worried about the end result. “It came back and it [was] great – he is great. I feel like it added some more grit. I met him at Unruly Fest [held for the first time in London this July] and he’s just a vibe.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Brennan Bucannan

Both “Personal” and Smith’s upcoming debut EP, were produced by Grammy-winner and Sam Smith collaborator Jimmy Napes – an artist who Smith admired in her younger years. All of her musical connections have “naturally come about”: she has been working with producer Dom Valentino “out of his bedroom” since she was “16 and he was 23”; likewise Ed Thomas, who has co-written for artists including Jayda G, Amaarae and Nia Archives.

As such, Smith was keen to see if her dream trio could work together to manifest a sound that encapsulated her smorgasbord of influences – from Lauryn Hill, Little Simz and Amy Winehouse to Chronixx and Bob Marley. “I feel like they all really appreciate reggae – not as much as me! – and R&B and soul and pop, and all those worlds infused into one. It was a perfect collision,” she says. “I got what I wanted from that.”

Smith’s passion for music has been a lifelong endeavour spurred by a family of music lovers. Her grandfather possesses what she describes as a “crazy” music collection, something her father emulated digitally with the iPod she would steal to sing along to “all the great voices” such as Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Tina Turner, James Brown, Michael Jackson. Her uncle is a producer, while Romeo from So Solid Crew is her father’s cousin. The first CD Smith’s mother bought for her was Rihanna’s single, ‘Rude Boy’, something she considers as making sense in hindsight, given she was accustomed to “waking up to dub bass from reggae shaking my room like crazy.”

Aged 14, Smith began to teach herself guitar but struggled to play other people’s songs – or perform at all. Instead, she found a canny workaround: “I was like, if I make my own songs, then no one’s gonna know how bad I’m playing it – because they don’t know the song. I found singing songs to people always scary,” she explains. “I would play the songs to my parents and then run back upstairs. I remember writing a song about my mum asking me to do dishes and I didn’t want to. It sounded like a heartbreak song – it was so dumb.”

A stint at the BRIT school studying musical theatre and, later, East London Arts & Music studying music instilled Smith with “hustle and drive”, a conviction to make things happen for herself; it was not long before she began booking any gig she could find. A southbank music festival? Sure. Lambeth Country Show at Brockwell Park? Smith was there – even if no one was in the audience. She found it gave her a buzz “just to live a little – all of that was so quick.”

Community is vital to Smith, an aspect of her growing whirlwind that brings her back to herself. This evening, for example, she is going bowling with friends – an opportunity to reclaim some time for herself after a busy day shooting and being grilled for this feature. Her friends make an appearance in the video for “Personal” because Smith feels “like it’s hard to create that sort of vibe with strangers.”

The acceleration of her momentum is documented between music videos: her debut, “Give Up The Fear” has Smith cycling through the night in black and white; meanwhile, “Personal” sees her level up, cruising around in a vintage convertible during the London summertime. Being in motion helps take the self-conscious pressure away, especially when it comes to expressing herself (“It’s going to be on YouTube forever”, after all) and it is clear that Smith finds it as hard to be static as she finds it necessary to cultivate the need to plough forwards in her career.

The sentiment anchors “Give Up The Fear”, a debut at striking odds with its follow-up single, “Personal”. A vulnerable piece of vintage R&B tinged with soul, the track’s brushed drums and lamentable keys give room for Smith’s incomparable bassy vocal to breathe. “The pain won’t stop until you give it up. Your heart is blocked until you give it up,” she intones. “I don’t wanna live like that.” For a first outing it is remarkably ruminatory, and Smith saw it more as an artistic statement than a play at the numbers game.

“It was the best introduction because of what it was about – giving up fear, letting go, and just creating the stuff you want to create,” she explains. “It was all about my high standards, overthinking everything I was making. I’m a crazy overthinker.” Smith recalls watching her ten-year-old brother create books and drawings for the fun of it and doing the same at his age. Now, with social media, the temptation to compare is always there, and fearless creativity becomes lost as the years tick by. “I had all this weight on my shoulders about how to write a song, which I’ve been doing all this time; why am I now thinking about it so deeply? It was about the pain of that, and letting it go.”

For all her bravado, Smith is not without a thread of self-doubt, and despite such achievements this propensity for perfectionist tendencies and high expectations of self meant her confidence ebbed and flowed. She had ideas of being a “teenage popstar” in part due to the success of artists like Billie Eilish, thinking “if I’m not a teenager when I’m doing this, I’ve failed; now, she realises “it’s really not that deep. When I turned 20, I was like ‘my teenage popstar dream is over’ – but it hadn’t even started yet. As long as I’m making music, I’m happy.”

However, such dreams were abruptly thrown into trepidation when Smith lost her voice last November. Two months later, it still hadn’t returned, and a consultation quickly informed her she was in need of surgery. It was a scary reinforcement that the gifts that let her pursue lofty dreams carried the risk of being finite. “My single [was] supposed to drop in a couple of weeks. I’d just moved out, so was living alone. All this change is happening. I learned some lessons from it.

“At the end of the day, we’re not built to sing,” Smith continues. “If I want to still sing when I’m 30, I’ve got to look after it now.” Back then she says she would “YOLO life – go out, scream, have fun with my friends;” now, she warms up and cools down, a drink and a late night is rare, as well as oily food. “Life’s more boring now ‘cause I think about everything; it’s just a part of a regime. It’s quite long and tedious.”

Whether it be grand or incremental, Smith’s eyes have always been set on the end goal, the bigger picture, but a sense of balance is also important. From “Give Up The Fear” to “Personal”, the progression from childhood to adulthood – and easing into one’s sense of self – is bolstered by finding your community, a chosen family. Currently, she is acknowledging the need to prioritise experiences, and living to fuel the work. “I have my current crew that I work with; some of them are taking breaks to live life, which I need to do as well. You can’t write if you’re not pouring from anything”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ciesay

I am going to end with this review for Give Up the Fear. It is one of the very best E.P.s of the year. I am excited to see what next year has in store for Nia Smith. A wonderful artist that, whilst new to me, is firmly in my mind. She has that impact on everyone who hears her music:

“Her voice can do impressive runs and hold onto notes like artists such as Beyonce or Mary J Blige. Her previously released singles “Give Up The Fear,” “Little Red Car” and “Personal,” which are on the EP were a smash hit and helped grow her online fandom. At just 20 years old, she has achieved more success than many artists ever dreamt of. This new EP marks the beginning of her career.

The first single “Little Red Car,” is a slow R&B infused pop song. It feels like an echoey dream-like sequence of chord progressions that bubble up into a beautiful melodic chorus. From the beginning of the song, it feels like we are just hearing a slow ballad. As we begin to hear more pop beats and a smooth bass tone, we’re invited to hear more of Smith’s vocal range abilities.

The song, which was co-written by Smith, blossoms into this beautifully written heartfelt hymn. “You set my soul on fire. Going way too fast in your little red car.” The words are simple but feel gut-wrenching when Smith sings to you. She’s exhuming so much passion and power behind her voice.

Even when she’s more laid back during each verse, she tells you this euphonious story from a female perspective in a relationship. A woman who’s aware that she is too deep in love with someone and feels overwhelmed by the encompassing emotions. Smith takes you along this journey and shows you the emotions she feels in each moment.

The second single “Give Up the Fear” is a sweet rhythmic battle cry to people struggling to overcome their problems.  “The pain won’t stop till you let it go. You don’t believe it cause it said so. The pain won’t stop until you let it go. The more you know the less you know” are the lyrics of the song. Daunting and intrusive, they make you feel like you’ve been cracked open and exposed. It makes you reflect on the deeper underlying insecurities you’ve been holding onto.

Smith’s writing is always an attempt to find a deeper truth within us. Why do we hold onto these fears of the future that haven’t yet occurred? Is there something holding me back from becoming my better self? The self-doubt and cries for help are what Smith is singing to.

The laid-back beats and reggae-like harmonies make it a lighter, heartfelt tune. Smith is a master at creating raw emotional vulnerability. Each song lays a path for listeners to delve deeper into themselves and connect with themselves.

Photograph of Smith smiling and posing holding up a magazine article of her interview and picture. Photo by Instagram account: Delali Ayivi.

The third single “Reckless Soul” is a pure but simple, heavenly ballad. It’s airy and light but affects you emotionally at the core. The crisp sounds make a beautiful flow over the lyrics. Smith sings simply: “Take me where you go. A place only I know. And I will hold you close. And I’ll save your reckless soul.”

Smith’s unique isolated vocals play alongside the guitar, without any background noise. Once she builds up the hymn, she leaves without singing any words and the song continues with the sound of an electric guitar. Smith sings from her heart and has perfect composition in her music.

Nothing feels out of place or overdone. Despite only having one EP, she has proven that she has a diverse range and ability to shift from different genres effortlessly.

The fifth and last single “Don’t Cry” from Smith’s EP is one of the most popular. During an interview with Rolling Stone UK, Smith said that “Don’t Cry reflects why I just want to live my best life as a single queen.” The upbeat rhythmic hymn calls for women to not make any devotion to men and live their best life.

Rather than come off as petty and resentful, Smith reflects on the beautiful possibilities that come with being single and being happy. “Don’t cry, oh yea. I’m good on my own, never promised devotion. My eyes are bored of emotion, don’t Cry” sings Smith. The lyrics tell single women everywhere that being single is a happy and harmonious thing to celebrate and not to look back in bad faith.

Smith’s vocals capture the song’s vulnerability, while the jazzy background beats drum up a momentous catchy tune and make you bop your head. It’s a simple but powerful message for women seeking relief from break ups or bad relationships.

Smith is one of the latest rising stars who is creating her own path in the music industry despite the oversaturation of pop music. She has character, lyrical talent, musical composition and a unique voice.

This EP is a great introduction to the young promising singer and a beautiful list of R&B hits you’ll never stop singing. If you would like to listen to Smith, you can check her out on YouTube, Apple Music, and Sound Cloud”.

An amazing artist who has such an enormous talent, everyone needs to hear Nia Smith. She is someone I have recently found but has been on the music press’s radar for a while now. Next year is going to be a really successful one for her. If you are new to Nia Smith then you need to make sure that she is in your mind. An artist who is going to…

DEFINE 2025.

__________

Follow Nia Smith

 Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/niasmithy

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@niasmithyyy

Twitter:

https://x.com/niasmithy

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/50MUpOKyCZMtBcYlBQP260

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6-ue5KMo12pIkTAh_yPh2A

FEATURE: Spotlight: KATSEYE

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

KATSEYE

_________

FOR this Spotlight…

I want to spend time with the amazing KATSEYE. They are a girl group based in Los Angeles, California. KATSEYE is composed of six members: Sophia, Manon, Daniela, Lara, Megan, and Yoonchae. With members from the Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland, and the United States, the sextet is described as a global girl group. KATSEYE formed in 2023 through the reality show, Dream Academy. Their debut E.P., SIS (Soft Is Strong), was released in August. I will end with a review for that E.P. Before that, I am going to get to some interviews with the K-Pop group. I want to start out with an interview from NME:

“Grinding in the practice room day in, day out also made it clear to the girls that they were on the right path, regardless of where they would finish in the competition. “I really figured out that this is really what I want to do,” 21-year-old Manon shares. “Even through the hard times in the programme, it was always super worth it. I had so much fun – and still do – and was really set in my decision of becoming an artist.”

Leon will help develop KATSEYE’s artistry on the creative side, taking the K-pop scene’s lead and playing a much more hands-on role than creative directors in the Western music industry might. “Whether it’s if the girls can paint their nails this colour or what’s the music video for their launch, I’m involved in every single aspect of it,” he explains. “We’re working very closely together and really trying to hone in on each of their individual styles and cultures and trying to embrace those things while unifying them as a group.”

Unlike Sophia and Yoonchae, the rest of the group weren’t big K-pop fans before they auditioned for Dream Academy. Since being accepted, their bandmates have been teaching them about the scene – something they’ve been taking new inspiration from as they move towards their debut. “K-pop feels like Western music, but just elevated because of how perfect everything is, how fine-tuned the dancing is,” muses 18-year-old Lara. “I feel like that is really gonna be taken into KATSEYE as we merge the Western and K-pop elements. It’s going to be very grand and elevated – and something non-K-pop fans can enjoy.”

“We’ve been training for two years and doing hardcore dancing and training our vocals, and we’re just gonna mash those two together and make something different and something new,” 19-year-old Daniela smiles. “It’s going to be really, really cool.”

During the mission stage of Dream Academy, KATSEYE and their fellow competitors got the chance to see the other side of their inspiration IRL when they headed to Seoul to train. There, they got to rehearse at HYBE, met LE SSERAFIM and had their own fan meeting. “I feel like we all got to take away so much from being there and actually being in the facilities over there with other trainees,” Manon says.

“Seeing the dedication and determination from the peers around us was really, really cool to see,” Megan agrees. For Yoonchae, the trip was particularly special. “Going back to my home country, it was very meaningful to be with these girls and train together,” she says softly. “But I do wish we had more time – I wanted to take them around my favourite spots in Korea!”

Although the Dream Academy process and the resulting group have and continue to take inspiration from the Korean music scene, for Leon, there was also an element of going against the K-pop grain. “I used it as something to push against and say, ‘Okay, well, I see what they’re doing, but how do we make it different? How do we bring something new and fresh from that perspective?’ I want KATSEYE to be part of the history and the future of Western culture – but through the eyes of a global sensibility. We don’t need to reference anything; we can create something from scratch.”

The key to KATSEYE isn’t just K-pop, then, but the melting pot of backgrounds and cultures that each member brings to the group. Alongside Filipina Sophia and Korean Yoonchae, Daniela and Megan were both born in the US but have Venezuelan-Cuban and Singaporean-Chinese heritage, respectively. Manon, too, is Swiss-Ghanaian, while Lara is Indian-American. “We’re all representing a different culture and we’re all very, very passionate about representing where we’re from,” the latter explains. “It’s just so important to tie in elements of our culture into our music, the fashion, the styling – all of it.”

Although the members of the new girl group are young and are just getting a taste of being in the spotlight, they’re aware of the responsibilities they hold as representatives of where they come from. “Sophia is the first Filipino person under HYBE, Manon is the first Black girl, I’m the first brown girl,” Lara continues. “It’s never been done before and we’re very underrepresented so I think there are a lot of eyes on us. It’s so important that we constantly talk about our culture and make it very evident that we’re proud of where we’re from. We want young people growing up to be as proud as we are to be from where we are.”

“We want to let them know that anything is possible – it doesn’t have to be a girl group,” Sophia adds. “If you want to be an astronaut, you just go for it. Doing this confidently is what I feel is gonna make us as inspirational as we can be as artists.”

Being a part of a global girl group means more to KATSEYE than its members hailing from different parts of the planet. It also means sisterhood and the power of music. “It shows that no matter where you come from, music is a way to connect,” Sophia says. “I love K-pop and I barely understand Korean, but it just makes you feel a certain way. No matter where you’re from, anybody can enjoy it and anybody can feel something from it”.

If you do not know about KATSEYE, I would recommend hearing their music on Spotify and reading interviews with the group. They are an incredible six-piece that are primed for big success next year. I will move on to an interview from DAZED from earlier in the year. Every interview reveals fresh layers about the group. I think that they are primed for global domination:

“In mid-September, when KATSEYE – Daniela, Lara, Manon, Yoonchae, Sophia, and Megan (absent from this interview due to injury) – stepped onto a tiny stage set in a multi-storey Manila shopping mall, they were shocked. There were fans, rows deep, crammed against the railings on each floor. “I thought it was going to be the first floor, maybe some people on the second, but the mall turned into a stadium,” says Sophia, the group’s Filipino member. “Growing up, I’d shop there with my mom and grandmother. There wasn’t a single moment of silence. When we tried to talk, they’d start chanting our names. It was crazy.”

In a heady and triumphant year for women in pop, with a welcome avalanche of earworm choruses, viral dances, memes and outfits, record-breaking festival crowds and tours, KATSEYE’s “Touch”, with its sweet stammer of a chorus and an easily replicated finger dance, made its viral mark after its release in late July, blowing up across TikTok.

It was a pivotal, vital moment for the band. A month earlier, they’d released their first track, the catchy and confident “Debut”, seven months (an eternity in the pop-sphere) after being formed via the survival show The Debut: Dream Academy. The brainchild of a partnership between American label Geffen and K-pop mega-corporation HYBE, its executives undertook an expensive risk: no non-K-pop, performance-led pop group had made a dent in the US charts in years. The Debut: Dream Academy would eschew a regular format by airing on only social media and in short form, focusing more on dancing and vocal skills and less on spotlighting big personalities. And though based in Los Angeles, the group was to be multi-national (KATSEYE’s members are Ghanaian-Swiss-Italian, Filipino, Korean, Indian-American, Cuban-American and Chinese-Singaporean-American).

“Debut” deeply divided audiences, many of whom were global K-pop fans who brutally critiqued the labels’ still unfurling creative and marketing strategies. KATSEYE, with hindsight, are equal parts pragmatic and staunch: “That’s always the risk with a song, you never know how they’ll [the public] receive it. We saw a tremendous amount of love for ‘Debut’ so that was amazing for us,” says Manon, and Lara agrees: “Everything was put out for a reason. Everything was very thought through. ‘Debut’ was my fave song off the album, I was like, ‘This is gonna be the one!’ and then it ends up not being the one, and that’s OK.”

But with “Touch”, the group knew something magic was happening when, Daniela says, “Every single scroll through our FYP was just people singing or dancing to it. We were like, ‘Wow, this song is actually doing really well’. It’s really cool to see so many people liking our music.” Sophia adds: “It was even on random videos, like cooking videos, that was crazy. Or influencers I'd been following for a long time, seeing them doing our dance, I was like, ‘Oh, you know our song?!’”

KATSEYE are back Stateside following their successful mini promo tour through South Korea, Japan and the Philippines where they met fans, made TV appearances, did interviews and performances. Onstage, they look powerful, with long limbs and glossy hair moving in flawless, graceful unison. Offstage, KATSEYE, who are all aged between 16 and 22, are joyfully chaotic and loud – in their livestreams and socials they play music, sing, dance, do make-up, show off their pets, often in a bedroom or a studio setting. They do this interview from a nondescript, brightly lit room where they listen carefully and sometimes talk excitedly over one another. They are charming, self-aware and funny. Out in the other world of the internet, the wave of love for “Touch” is seemingly unending.

A version featuring Yeonjun of idol group Tomorrow x Together racked up over 2.4 million Spotify streams in under a week in early October. The original version sailed past 100 million Spotify streams two days after we spoke. “I think when we see the number of streams, that’s when it hits us and we’re like, oh yeah, it’s real,” says Daniela. Manon adds: “We still have days where we’re unsure if this is really happening because, honestly, it’s so surreal. We debuted four months ago and we’re still getting used to it.” Their Spotify monthly unique listeners stand at nearly 12 million. Lara smiles: “The monthlies are really crazy. They’re what sent me.”

The track’s sticking power was amplified by an eight-part Netflix docuseries (Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE), which followed the survival show’s original 20 trainees (whittled down from a staggering 120,000 applicants), and their debut EP, SIS (Soft Is Strong), both released in August. Manon likens making the record to a “collaboration”. “We’re all still very new so we trusted the label a lot,” she says. “They asked us for our stories – I think ‘My Way’ is a beautiful song that really reflects our journeys - that’s how a lot of the songs were formed.”

I saw [vulnerability] as a weakness. Dream Academy was awesome but also so mentally hard. Now we’re in the public [eye], we’re learning how much we can share and what we’re comfortable sharing ... But we also want to show people who we actually are, not just the fine-tuned version

Its overarching message is that it takes strength to be openly vulnerable – “Being vulnerable is super important, it helps us connect with our fans,” says Daniela – but, Lara adds, as a project “SIS was like an experiment. You know what I mean? The EP has a lot of cohesion, but each song has its own vibe. It was us testing the waters, figuring out what our fans wanted and what people would respond to.”

“Each of us has a story,” says Sophia. “Vulnerability is really hard for me as a person. It actually takes a lot more energy than you think, that’s the message I connected with the most in our music. It’s easier for me to put on a front. Us as artists, and as women, especially with that whole journey we went through, a lot of the times you just had to keep it together. Sometimes when people would ask, ‘Are you doing good, what do you need’?, you’d be like, it’s all fine. But that vulnerability, I think we were able to find in each other. We’ve said this a lot, we really only had each other that whole time, so we learned to open up and made each other comfortable [with the process].”

KATSEYE’s positioning as a global pop group trained via K-pop’s gruelling and exacting idol system places them between the clean-cut Korean idol and the West’s grittier, earthier pop stars. So far, they lean more towards the former. They follow K-pop’s marketing strategy of having a prolific TikTok presence (Chartmetric, the platform which tracks artist data across streaming and social sites, ranks them as having ‘explosive growth’), they consistently cross-pollinate their fandom with a variety of other artists and influencers, and use HYBE’s bespoke social platform, WeVerse, to chat with fans.

The middle ground isn’t always the easiest turf on which to stand. Whereas the K-pop methodology is to cultivate deep parasocial relationships – resulting in frequent power tussles between fandoms and entertainment agencies, and the unchecked, ongoing rise of sasaengs (obsessive/stalker fans) – more Western pop artists, women, in particular, are explicitly laying firm boundaries around their time, privacy, and personal space”.

There are a couple of other interviews I want to get to before a review of SIS (Soft Is Strong). It is a wonderful E.P. that everyone needs to listen to. I am moving on to an interview from ELLE. It is clear with every interview that there is this strong connection and chemistry. I think they are primed for a long career together:

“What do you love most about being a "Global Girl Group"?

Sophia: What I cherish most about being a "Global Girl Group" is our ability to connect with a diverse range of people from various backgrounds. Hailing from all corners of the globe, we aspire for our music to resonate with those who see themselves in us. Each of our songs reflects a piece of who we are, and we hope our EYEKONs can find their own stories within our sound and the messages we convey.

What was the most challenging yet fulfilling part of your experience in the Popstar Academy: KATSEYE ?

Megan: The most challenging aspect of the entire experience was undoubtedly keeping everything under wraps for nearly two years. It was incredibly difficult not to share what I was working on with anyone. However, witnessing it all come together and finally being able to unveil it to the world made all that waiting worthwhile. It was a tough journey, but the reward was immense, especially once we entered the competition and I secured my place in the group!

What was the transition like from rehearsing in LA to staging performances in South Korea?

Daniela: Rehearsing in LA provided us with a solid foundation, allowing us to perfect our routines, but performing in South Korea was an entirely different experience. The energy and excitement there were palpable, and it was truly incredible to witness our hard work come to life on stage. The entire experience has been immensely rewarding, and we've gained so much knowledge along the way.

Was the K-pop training/development process what you expected?

Megan: The K-pop training system is undoubtedly challenging, but it truly demonstrates that hard work pays off. During our trainee days, we endured intense sessions focused on singing, dancing, performance, and more, which honed our skills across the board. One of the greatest advantages of this rigorous training is its attention to detail, ensuring that we were polished and prepared for anything by the time we debuted. It’s a demanding process, but that level of dedication has been instrumental in helping us realise our full potential.

What is a genre you would love to try?

Manon: I would one day love to experiment with neo soul or soul in general. I’m also very into bedroom pop.

If you could collaborate with anyone on a song, who would it be, what would the song be called and why?

Lara: A collaboration with LISA, Rosalía, and Pharrell would be an absolute dream come true for me. These artists are incredibly inspiring, and everything they touch seems to turn to gold! I also think teaming up with LE SSERAFIM would be so, so cool. Their track "Pierrot" has been on repeat for me, and I recently discovered it’s called "Sad Clown." I even remixed it with "Touch" during a Weverse Live and sent it to Yunjin!

How was your first fan event with EYEKONS?

Yoonchae: It was really special. I was a bit nervous, but seeing everyone’s support made me so happy and thankful. I could feel a real connection with our fans right away. It’s a moment I’ll always remember.

Do you have any rituals before you go on stage?

Daniela: Totally! Before going on stage, I have a few go-to rituals. I do a quick warm-up to get my energy up and clear my head. I also blast a couple of my favourite songs to get pumped. Plus, take a moment to chill and set my intention for the show. These little things help me feel grounded and ready to go.

PHOTO CREDIT: HYBE AMERICA

If you had to categorise each KATSEYE member according to the "very cutesy, very demure, very mindful" trend, who would fit into each category and why?

Lara: Cutesy ... Yoonchae, Dani, because they are both so cute and my babies even tho Dani is older than me she’s still my baby. Demure ... I'm going to say myself, Manon because we're both calm. Mindful ... Sophia and Megan cuz i feel like they are both very mindful people and are always looking out for everything.

Who is most likely to ...

Sophia: Most likely to go viral would be Manon, without a doubt—she’d definitely start some kind of trend!

Most likely to have their own talk show: Yoonchae and I; we chat so much together, and I think it would be such fun to have a show with her.

Most likely to become a fashion icon: Definitely Lara or Megan; they both have impeccable taste and an incredible eye for fashion that I could never match.

Class Clown: That would be either Megan or me since we always love to play off each other’s jokes and keep the laughter going.

Life of the Party and the funniest: Dani! She’s a ball of energy and has her own unique sense of humour.

What are your favourite activities to do when you’re not in the studio?

Megan: My favourite activities outside the studio are going to the beach with friends and sometimes taking dance classes!”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Morgan Maher

Before getting to an interview from NME, I want to drop in a feature from Interview Magazine from earlier this month. Even though these are early days for KATSEYE, they have the talent and determination to be among the most popular and influential K-Pop groups. I am not sure whether they are purely K-Pop or Pop. However you class the group, they have a clear future and distinct sound:

“Morgan hands Yoonchae, Katseye’s youngest member, a vintage camcorder and gives her instructions on how to film herself, and she takes to this ancient technology like a duck to water. Katseye’s debut EP, SIS (Soft Is Strong), a fivesong, 12-minute run of postmodern Destiny’s Child and Pussycat Doll–style bops, captures that once-in-a-career moment when a new group’s spirit has yet to be polished into oblivion. In Pop Star Academy, you’ll see them endure a kind of emotional and physical pain foreign to most teenagers. I gobbled up Netflix’s (unfortunately dark) Cheer and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making The Team, and while Pop Star Academy—and before it, Hybe’s Weverse competition show The Debut: Dream Academy, through which Katseye’s members were chosen—follows that same formula, it goes down easier when it’s set to the music of Robyn and Ariana instead of boomer pop-country or schizophrenic Floridian cheerleader music.

“Sing ‘Teenage Dream’!” Morgan says to the girls, who are crammed into the photographer’s Volvo convertible—the kind of car a sensible, dreaming teenager from Maryland might seek out. Megan asks the other Katseye girls to act like LAX hired them to welcome visitors—their version of a Hawaiian lei ceremony but with sounds more screeching than soothing. This’s the easy part. As the girls break for lunch (Mediterranean mezze from Atwater Village’s Dune), they assemble at a long table—cafeteria seating at Euphoria High— while their managers, PR, and legal guardians tap and scroll their way through lunch. Daniela throws her red hoodie over the AirPods Max to disassociate a bit before returning to hair and makeup, while Manon lies on the ground outside, hoping to soak up a few more hits of sunshine before the summer is over.

It’s hard not to compare a new contending pop star group to the existing competition. Blackpink is defragmenting its stars to start projects of their own, and I assume the same for BTS. But Katseye are still small fish in a deep pond. Like so many girl groups before them, they’re singing, dancing, touring, and recording while simultaneously auditioning to be pulled up for a solo career, to be the next Jennie, Lisa, Nicole, or Beyoncé—the final frontier. For now, though, it’s pure sisterhood”.

I will finish off with a review from NME. They provided their take on the debut E.P. from the magnificent KATSEYE. A group that should be on everyone’s radar as we head into 2025. A group that are going to be taking to massive stages around the world:

“Back in 2022, thousands of girls across the globe shared one dream – for a spot in HYBE and Geffen Records’ latest project: an unprecedented girl group that would bridge the West and K-pop. Fast forward two years, and after three months of competing in the YouTube reality series The Debut: Dream Academy, Daniela, Lara, Megan, Yoonchae, Sophia and Manon would emerge as the final line-up of the new girl group KATSEYE.

There’s an unmistakable bond between the members, the kind that transcends borders despite each coming from diverse cultural backgrounds – including the US, Switzerland, the Philippines and South Korea. After all, these were bonds forged through sweat and grit as they survived mission after mission that emulated the notoriously laborious K-idol training structure. Alongside them were 14 other contestants, handpicked from a pool of more than 120,000 hopefuls.

It is precisely from this shared sisterhood that ‘SIS (Soft Is Strong)’ finds its core. As one listens through the EP, its peculiar name starts unravelling itself. From getting over a crush melodramatically in ‘Touch’ – a dreamy dance-pop salute to independence that’s tinged with drum ’n’ bass influences – to brashly singing “Even if I mess it all up and make a million mistakes / At least I can say that I did it my way” on the emotive ballad, ‘My Way’, KATSEYE navigate the complexity of girlhood and all its ups and downs while staying soft in a hard world.

“Ohh We-ee-ee ain’t flexin’ babe we do what we do,” the group boldly declare in their aptly named debut single, ‘Debut’. Beginning their journey in discovering that strength comes in more forms than one, this high-energy pop anthem balances its exciting chorus with sing-talk verses that ooze attitude. Though the slick production manages to capture KATSEYE’s self-assurance despite being newcomers, it falls short as a fully realised arrival of the group – though, follow-up single ‘Touch’ more than makes up for it. 

The shimmery, plucky intro of ‘I’m Pretty’ – the EP’s fourth track and standout – immediately transports us back to pop staples from the late-2000s. “Just when I think it’s too much I dry my tears with makeup / Things I could do with this brush, you’d never know that I hurt,” they sing full of emotion, as the group’s vocal prowess starts to shine through. “But I’m pretty (pretty) pretty (pretty) / Pretty sure that I’m still breathing,” KATSEYE affirm they are stronger than they think with effortless harmonies that masterfully glide through the airy instrumental.

Juxtaposing their hesitation to break free from a cycle of overthinking with an instrumental that dials up the ‘dance’ in dance-pop to an eleven, ‘Tonight I Might’ acts as the perfect closing for the EP. “Do all of the shit I know I didn’t do when I was a kid / Get high on life for somebody’s kiss, Tonight I might,” decide the girls as they playfully let go of their inhibitions, bouncing off a gleeful electronic dance beat that perfectly conjures the image of the end credit scene from a coming-of-age movie – especially during the explosive final chorus.

KATSEYE come out of the gate swinging with ‘SIS (Soft Is Strong)’, a surprisingly cohesive release that largely captures the group’s enormous potential. However, with none of the songs crossing three minutes – in fact, only two barely reach two-and-a-half minutes – it’s hard to shake off the itch you get when a song ends a little bit too early or the feeling that it was just one final chorus away from perfection. Still, this EP proves that they’ve got all the makings of the next big girl group, embellished with the polish and glitter of K-pop”.

I recently discussed how there is a dearth of girl groups and not a big scene like there used to be. Perhaps London-based FLO are the leaders at the moment. There are not too many like them. Perhaps one needs to look to K-Pop to find the best groups. However, KATSEYE combine K-Pop with other genres to create something new. They are going to be massive. With the stunning SIS (Soft Is Strong) out in the world, KATSEYE have produced…

SOMETHING fresh and exciting.

__________

Follow KATSEYE

PHOTO CREDIT: Alvaro Beamud Cortés for V Magazine

Official:

https://www.katseye.world/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/katseyeworld

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@katseyeworld

Twitter:

https://x.com/katseyeworld

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3c0gDdb9lhnHGFtP4prQpn

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA61H4fWOMHikLcUFKyQUog

FEATURE: Kate Bush: The Tour of Life: Vanilla Swarm: Dissecting a ‘Lost’ 2011 Interview

FEATURE:

 

Kate Bush: The Tour of Life

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush photographed in 2005 (this image appears on the front of the latest edition of UNCUT, which features a ‘lost’ 2011 interview with Kate Bush)/PHOTO CREDIT: Trevor Leighton

Vanilla Swarm: Dissecting a ‘Lost’ 2011 Interview

_________

EVEN if I have quoted…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in a promotional image for 2011’s 50 Words for Snow/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

parts of this interview in other features before, a new publication of the full interview transcript reveals fresh layers and fascinating quotes. Thanks to UNCUT. The late Andy Gill (who died in 2019) interviewed Kate Bush in 2011 for 50 Words for Snow. I am not going to quote everything, but there are some highlights that I want to explore. If you can buy the magazine then please do. 50 Words for Snow is back in focus, as the Polar Edition is out and would make an ideal Christmas present. Kate Bush’s most recent album remains underrated in my view. We need to appreciate its brilliance and explore interviews with Kate Bush from the time. The full version of the interview between Kate Bush and Andy Gill is fascinating. You would not necessarily be compelled by the UNCUT cover (and a photo from 2005 and not 2011). The quote from Bush, “I never wanted to be famous”, is something that she has said a lot through the years. It is not exactly an exclusive or a tantalising snatch that will compel you to buy a copy. Instead, if you delve deeper into the interview, there are plenty of more original and compelling quotes! The first interesting exchange is when Bush discussed working with Stephen Fry. He provides narration/words on 50 Words for Snow’s title track (as Professor Joseph Yupik). Gill asked Bush if she needed to give Fry much instruction and coaching. She (rightly) responded that Stephen Fry is not someone you really need to give instruction to! He brought his own gravitas and authority to the song. Bush (as producer) knew it was a case of focusing and homing in on the tone of his delivery. The softer he said the fifty words for snow, “the more beautiful they became”. Bush loves the softness and atmosphere of snow. The silence. She noted how snow “puts this great muffler around everything”.

I do love learning more about the recording of the title track. Bush had an initial run of alternate words for snow. Rather than coming out with phrases, she invented words instead. She had quite a few building up in her mind. Some that would come to the front of her brain at random times. However, she was still working on some of the words a few minutes before Stephen Fry arrived! Rather than the title song being recorded in one go, there were sections. Fry listing down those fifty words for snow and Bush interjection with encouraging lines (such as “Let me hear your 50 words for snow!”). After being asked about what it was like working with Elton John (he duets with Bush on Snowed in at Wheeler Street), where she reveals “He was always a big hero of mine when I was younger and started writing songs”, Andy Gill asked Bush about her unorthodox approach to song theme and subject. Wondering why she had a liking for “abstruse fictional strategies” such as fairytales, myths and time-spanning, Bush sort of confirmed that a straight narrative bored her. She stated how she is ”sort of attracted to things being a little quirky”. The imaginative and almost child-like wonder you get through 50 Words for Snow ties back to Bush’s 1978 debut album, The Kick Inside, and further back. Bush has always been inspired by filmmakers, authors, philosophers and less traditional sources. Beyond love and the mundane. She told UNCUT how she had trolls when she was a child. When she was a little girl, she had this enormous imagination and did not have time for imaginary friends. She had too much going on. One of the most startling revelations from the 2011 interview is when Bush almost burned her house down! She had an outdoor party with her trolls and constructed a bonfire on the windowsill. Her parents’ alarm meant that the young Bush never did that again!

The conversation moved to Michael Powell. Part of Powell and Pressburger filmmaking partnership of Michael Powell (1905–1990) and Emeric Pressburger (1902–1988), they inspired Bush for her 1993 album, The Red Shoes (referencing the Powell and Pressburger film of the same name that was released in 1948). Powell wanted Bush to compose music for one of his film. They met in New York in 1989. He is referenced in the song, Moments of Pleasure, which was a single from 1993’s The Red Shoes. Andy Gill asked how inspirational Michael Powell is to her. Bush said how much she admired him and was sad he was ostracised from the film industry after the release of Peeping Tom. Gill noted how he was rescued by American directors like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. Bush discussed how the English have been pretty nasty to their own through history. Where creative spirits have left England and been embraced by America. Only later for critics and people here to sort of say they were alright all along. Sort of trying to walk back their venom and harshness. Andy Gill highlighted Charlie Chaplin as a classic example. Bush then recalled a speech by Elizabeth Taylor and how, when she collected an award, she was surprised as she thought you (critics/the film industry) didn’t like her. Bush recognised how the English have a kind side to them but also we have this side that “doesn’t like success”. There is more to that exchange and conversation point so, if you can get a copy of the new UNCUT, it makes for incredible reading! Before coming to the first interval and diversion, Bush was asked by Andy Gill whether she was bored of Pop. Someone who always had an affinity for World music, Bush noted how Pop songs like The Tracks of My Tears (by The Miracles) are so beautiful and genius. You can get some brilliant Pop moments but some trite ones too. Bush reminded us how she pushed away from conventional Pop from 1982’s The Dreaming onwards. How The Ninth Wave (the second side from 1985’s Hounds of Love) and Aerial (2005) took that even further. 50 Words for Snow was an example of that. Bush stretching these songs into a different territory. Longer songs that can open up and move through different stages.

Before coming back to 50 Words for Snow and more of that full 2011 interview between Kate Bush and Andy Gill, UNCUT have also published words with two people who have very distinct roles in Kate Bush’s life. Paul Simmons (founder of the Timorous Beasties studio) collaborated with Bush for 2014’s Before the Dawn. He worked on the programme and since has designed the logo for Bush’s label, Fish People. He has also created new covers for the Illustrated Editions of The Dreaming, Hounds of Love and 50 Words for Snow. As Simmons’ studio is better known for designing wallpapers, that was the way in. Bush knew about Timorous Beasties’ wallpaper and loved it. She said she couldn’t afford it. Simmons wondered if this was true. In fact, Bush said there was this huge wardrobe on the wall so it didn’t make sense (to buy the wallpaper). Bush initially wanted something more akin to the Timorous Beasties wallpaper for Before the Dawn but they realised that nobody would go to gigs to buy roils of wallpaper! It then transitioned into the ticket, lithograph and programme. Paul Simmons said that, when you work with Kate Bush, you need to be prepared for that – “it’s about having the initial idea and not worrying too much about where it goes from there”. For the 50 Words for Snow reissue, it started with the idea of a yeti eating rhododendrons. Snowflakes and hares were also considered before the final idea. Simmons clarified that it isn’t the case Bush didn’t like working with him. It was more about her not liking a particular idea. How Bush can only make a decision when she sees the physical thing. When designing the Fish People logo, Simmons started drawing lots of fish and Bush responding to his emails. One example of her feedback was, “Oh that squid’s eye is a bit too squinty, can you change that?”. How meticulous and involved she is. Bush doesn’t do nine-to-five, and emails are usually a quicker way of doing things. She would respond at night or over the weekends. A nice insight and behind-the-scenes from a great artist who has created some enduring recent images.

UNCUT spoke with the man behind the illustrations used for the recent Illustrated Editions. They also spoke with the man behind the typography, Jonathan Barnbrook. Someone who worked with artists such as David Bowie, he got a call from Paul Simmons regarding Bush’s plans for a new project. His initial commission was to produce the typography for the Fish People logo. Barnbrook created a fantastical story for each idea. Hidden in Bush’s website is one of the stories that they (Barnbrook and Bush) wrote about the typography. When it came to the reissues, Barnbrook highlighted how Bush is very clear about what she wants. She wanted to put the albums in a more modern context. Typography that was a good fit. Jonathan Barnbrook had to find the right lettering. Something that was “sympathetic with the design and the voice of the artist”. When it came to 50 Words for Snow, Barnbrook recalled seeing a book showing Canadian Inuit lettering. There is a puzzle to the lettering. The playfulness was also important. Bush loves handwriting, so Barnbrook’s handwriting is on the back of the Hounds of Love reissue. Someone else’s is used for The Dreaming. So many different versions were created, because Bush wanted to get it right. The communication with her was direct and clear. Bush knowing what she likes and does not. Exciting and quite rare. Bush chose state51 to manufacture the new reissues. They are quite small and boutique. Something that appealed to Kate Bush. Jonathan Barnbrook noted how Bush even works with the printers. Someone who liaises with people at all levels! Barnbrook also stated how David Bowie and Kate Bush both have this sense of clarity and collaboration. They want ideas from others but are very sure about their vision: “They release the journey is quite important rather than just focusing on the destination”.

I will have another interval later. Let’s go back to that 2011 Andy Gill interview. I love how Gill told Bush her melodies have become more diffuse lately. How she is more likely to be appreciated by an ECM aficionado these days. Bush took that as a compliment! That reference is to ECM Records. Bush loved that comparison as one of her favourite artists, Eberhard Weber – who played on Hounds of Love and featured on Pi from Aerial –, was on that label and released one of her favourite albums, Pendulum. Andy Gill asked Bush why she decided to have playbacks for 50 Words for Snow. She wanted to keep music safe and pure. How there is this movement through culture making music more disposable. The irony was that, for people like him (a journalist), you have to hear it in “some poor-quality form”, or go to some environment that “isn’t conducive to listening”. Bush was frustrated by the way she spends a lot of time making an album sound as good possible, only for people to hear it in download-form or something that is inferior. I can imagine her viewpoint on technology and whether it is detrimental to the album listening experience has heightened. Maybe another reason for the Illustrated Editions of some of her albums. She also cited how people bootleg films and it the opposite of enjoying it in its finished, best form that you can see at a cinema. Whilst agreeing that the digitalisation of music was a bad thing, Bush also stated how it is “still such a  time of transition for us all, on a planetary level”. Like other great transitions through history, you have this bumpy start and then it settles. Bush keenly noted how it is another case of an old structure dying and a new one starting. That was thirteen years ago. I wonder how she feels about the music economy now and how we digest and experience albums. One question I have always wanted to ask Kate Bush – in a hypothetical interview setting – is whether she has considered Classical composition. Andy Gill asked her. Someone I could see scoring films and creating these beautiful wordless songs, she provided an interesting answer.

She had never considered herself to be a Classical composer. If the seven songs on 50 Words for Snow sound almost Classical in their scope and ambition at times, Bush said she tries to emulate Classical music in her work. Bush cannot orchestrate, though she give directions and instructions. Maybe the lack of vocals in Classical music means Bush has never considered it. Bush said, although she is not Classical-minded, 50 Words for Snow has Classical elements.  She remarked how she has heard operas and pieces featuring trained voices. Quite unnatural in her view. I still hold hope Bush will compose a score for a film or T.V. series one day! Bush was also asked about Director’s Cut in the interview. An album released in May 2011, she was questioned why she wanted to approach her older work. One big reason was that she got to work with drummer Steve Gadd. Rather than Director’s Cut being an old album or something cobbled from the past – the album is Bush re-recording and reworking songs from 1989’s The Sensual World and 1993’s The Red Shoes -, she views it as a single piece. Songs reimagined as a modern-day Kate Bush. Andy Gill observed how childhood is a big part of her work. A recurring theme. Bush answered that in many ways she feels people are always stuck in that age between five and eight – and that we just pretend to be grow-ups. “I think that our essence is there in a much more powerful way when we’re children and we’re lucky enough to be treated reasonably well, and can hang on to what we are…”. Bush said how she was lucky enough to have a stable and good childhood. That idea of having that childlike spirit comes with caution: you have to be wary of people. If you have a spirit of trust then that is important. Interesting how there is so much child-like imagination and curiosity through 50 Words for Snow. Bush was asked how motherhood (her son Albert was born in 1998) changed her working approach. Creating in small bursts and having to adapt. Bertie was still quite a young child (thirteen) when 50 Words for Snow was being finished.

One more interval before the final bits of that deep and ‘lost’ interview between Kate Bush and Andy Gill from 2011. Within the interview is a chat with Gayle Martin. The executive producer of Inkubus Animation Studios, she was responsible for bringing to life the Little Shrew (Snowflake) video. Released to raise money and awareness for War Child, Inkubus Animation Studios worked with illustrator Jim Kay’s drawings. Bush directed and wrote the video. Gayle Martin said how Bush is a true workaholic. Finding the studio through a friend of hers, Bush was determined that her vision was followed almost to the letter. Someone who knew what she wanted to see! Martin noted how Bush came up with a “100 per cent idiot-proof concept about war and a fragile creature caught up in something that’s out of our hands”. Bush did not want the Shrew to be Disneyfied and fake. Working with one animator, Nicolette Van Gendt – who did the Felix adverts -, there was this small and dedicated crew. Gayle Martin did a lot of Zoom calls with Bush. Although Bush came into the studio a few times, most of the interaction was online. A line animation was sent to Bush, who would add notes and revisions were made. She would sometimes send emails at three in the morning. Going through every frame and making notes and adding details, Martin and her team wondered if anyone would notice such small issues. However, when looking at the revised animation, they saw what Bush had seen at three in the morning! No doubt working all night on it, it shows she has the same drive and puts in the same hours she did for an album like The Dreaming back in 1982! Bush was very supportive and complementary. Her notes on everything were definitely thorough. Working as part of a team of six, Gayle Martin has kept in touch with Bush and had dinner with here recently. Commenting on how Bush’s positive nature and assertiveness is an effective mix, Martin ended by saying she sent Bush a message saying that she never thought she would say this, but she would miss her notes. Bush responded: “Well I don’t!”.

Let’s get back to the interview and finish off. On the theme of motherhood, Kate Bush told Andy Gill how being a mother has been hugely positive regarding her work. How it feed s creativity. She found it interesting when being at nursery with Bertie and noticing how the girls were much more independent and the boys more fragile. How the girls were independent and strong-willed and how the boys were more unhappy about that sense of independence. Bush said how “you look at things in a different way from feeling protective and wanting to nurture – it’s very interesting”. Andy Gill then talked about boys on a dancefloor trying to pluck up the courage to dance with a girl; thinking how the girls “have the whip hand, emotionally”. Bush countered by saying that girls are much more assertive these days. She explained how she never wanted to be famous and wanted to spend less time promoting and more time in the studios. How she loved working on visual pieces and how she came to prefer standing behind the camera. Bush got a real buzz from that. Gill asked Bush about her career arc. How she has become less visible over time. It is hard for her, as she wants to make interesting work. How she wants to promote the work and not herself. However, Bush needs to be out there talking about the music. Do so without being a “celebrity” or “personality”. So much of today’s music promotion is about personality and that celebrity aspect. Can modern artists exist in the same way as Kate Bush? So many really should!

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in a promotional image for 2011’s Director’s Cut/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

So over-exposed are some artists, things are less about the music and more about branding, imagery and things outside of music. Bush said how she liked making videos and doing things one way. Now, the way she approaches it is to write concepts and envisage something filmic. Like she did with Deeper Understanding (the single released from Director’s Cut, it originally featured on The Sensual World). Bush explained how she did not appear in the video as it would have been “rubbish” – “because I can’t act!”. Bush observed how she was working on something for the new album (50 Words for Snow) but everything is expensive. Unlike film, where you have a big budget because you get returns from film-goers, music is not like that. How actually a smaller budget can be good and not an obstacle. How it can lead to more interesting work. I would advise people to donate to War Child and also read Kate Bush’s words about making the Little Shrew (Snowflake) video. Also, if you can get a copy of the Polar Edition of 50 Words for Snow. It was fascinating reading the full-length interview between Andy Gill and Kate Bush from 2011. Go and get the new copy of UNCUT. It is another nod to an artist who has had a busy year indeed. I guess there will be more magazine features in 2025. Hopefully some other unseen interviews. Some great revelations, insights and observations from Kate Bush. Some excellent questions from Andy Gill. It gives new light and layers to the…

EXTRAORDINARY 50 Words for Snow.

FEATURE: You’ve Sold Us “a Dud” Kate Bush: The Star That Almost Got Away

FEATURE:

 

 

You’ve Sold Us “a Dud”

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in London in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: George Wilkes/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Kate Bush: The Star That Almost Got Away

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IF you have heard…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

Kate Bush’s phenomenal debut album, The Kick Inside, you would imagine that this appeared after full faith from the record label, EMI. It is my favourite album ever and I will always love it. I am writing features around the album as it is coming up for its forty-seventh anniversary. We mark that on 17th February. I will explore it from different sides. Going even further back and discussing the demos and earlier songs from Kate Bush. There was this transition period between Kate Bush signing her record deal and heading into the studio. In 1975, there was this stipulation that she would be an artist for EMI but would need a couple of years to have real-world experience and focus on education and other things. By 1977, Kate Bush was determined to get into the studio. Impatient to prove herself. Someone who you imagine had always dreamed of making an album, Bush knew what she wanted. However, there was almost this moment when EMI got cold feet. Knowing that Bush was definitely distinct and unique. Outside of playing with the KT Bush Band, Bush had enrolled herself into dance classes at Covent Garden. Bush came to Bob Mercer’s office and performed in front of him. Going straight to the label and putting songs in front of them. Many think that it was a case of her having all these songs and she just strolled into the studio and put the chosen thirteen on The Kick Inside, that was not how it worked. In the first case, there was this enormous pile of songs that were cut right down. Producer Andrew Powell listening to a lot of Bush’s early songs and narrowing it down. However, there still needed to be the demos stage. Getting a taste of the songs before they were recorded for the album.

Perhaps it is good that the power of a talent Kate Bush overcame label hesitation. EMI were definitely not completely on board when they heard demos. These demos took place at studios like De Wolfe and Lane Lea in Soho. Rather than EMI giving an emphatic thumbs-up and green-lighting Bush, there was this feeling that she was not up to much. David Gilmour was the one who helped get Bush a record deal and put up the money for her to record professionally. When she stepped into AIR studios in June 1975, Gilmour was the one who made it happen. In 1977, EMI gave some negative feedback to him. They felt that he had sold them “a dud”. I am not sure what they were expecting or what specific songs they heard. However, if you look at decisions EMI were making around the album, they were really not attuned to Kate Bush and how good her music was. Not seeing the potential in Wuthering Heights as a single and preferring James and the Cold Gun. Kate Bush’s tenacity winning the day. Maybe the extraordinarily hot summer of 1976 had done damage to the decision-making portion of Bob Mercer’s brain! David Gilmour, in a 1987 radio interview, recalled how Mercer felt he had sold this dud. Conned them into making one song sound really good. Perhaps they were referring to The Man with the Child in His Eyes. One of a few songs recorded at AIR studios in June 1975. Thinking that all the other songs were substandard, it was a tense situation. They were bereft. Feeling that nothing was going write and this promising star was not quite what they envisaged. It was just a case of matching her with the right producer. Andrew Powell produced Bush in June 1975 and was reunited with her in July 1977. Gilmour always knew Bush was talented and was angry EMI felt Bush was a one-song wonder. With Jon Kelly – who would co-produce Never for Ever (1980) with Kate Bush – at the desk engineering, it was a lot smoother going forward.

The song list was whittled down to a smaller amount. Days before heading into the studio to record her debut, Bush arrived at Andrew Powell’s flat and played him Wuthering Heights. EMI almost made a huge mistake when they felt Kate Bush was a dud. Perhaps with no other artists like her and comparisons, it is almost forgivable they ere a bit nervous. However, the fact that The Kick Inside had no set or restricted budget showed they had faith in her after all. With producer Andrew Powell bringing in some experienced studio players, they and Kate Bush bonded immediately. Bush was always offering tea and bringing the sort of kindness and domesticity from her family into the studio. The more experienced musicians were aware of Kate Bush’s gifts. On one occasion, drummer Stuart Elliott yelled at the other musicians to stop playing because he wanted them to properly hear Bush’s sensitive and beautiful lyrics. Bush inhabited so many characters and was recording songs like nothing else around them. Going on to be a hugely popular album that was among the bestsellers of 1978, it takes me back to those demos recordings and Bob Mercer frustrated at an overrated artist. He did click and fall in line soon enough, though it is hard to believe he was dissatisfied or regretful. Maybe it was the professionalism and experience of Andrew Powell that brought everything into focus. It is amazing that Bush developed so quickly. Even though she was signed a long time before recording began for The Kick Inside, there was that brief bump when the demos were recorded. How magic came when Bush and her musicians started worked in July 1977. EMI quickly understanding what a special artist they had and how consistent she was. Thanks once again to a recent edition of PROG for details and information that have gone into this feature. As they note, once Bush’s debut album sold so well and she was an instant success, there truly was…

NO looking back.

FEATURE: 2024: Year of the Queens: The Continued Dominance of Women in Music

FEATURE:

 

 

2024: Year of the Queens

IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Eilish photographed for Vogue November 2024/PHOTO CREDIT: Mikael Jansson

The Continued Dominance of Women in Music

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IT seems that…

PHOTO CREDIT: Ahmed ツ/Pexels

every year brings about this shift and obvious change. Where once men were the critical favourites and the best song/album of the year lists were dominated by male artists, that has changed in recent years. In fact, the past five to ten years has seen this change. Even if this has happened, I still feel that misogyny and sexism within the industry is slow to change. I am thrilled that this year has been another one dominated by women. Even though single and album rankings are subjective, there is a consensus that the best of the best has come from women. This feature from The Guardian lists the best songs of 2024. The top five are from women. Some big-hitting queens getting some kudos. Few can deny that there is something shifting. The dominance of women is not instantly being reflected in terms of festival headline opportunities and playlists. I say this every year. I don’t think we are in a position when women’s quality and brilliance is being rewarded. I don’t know what needs to happen for that to change. If you think about the best singles of the year, even if they are by mainstream artists for the most part, the rest of the best has a lot of female artists in contention. Again, think about a feature like this. If there are male artists in the high positions of the singles/song rankings, it is mostly women who are higher in the mix. That is also mirrored in album rankings. Consider this one from Billboard. Also, this one from Rolling Stone recognises the dominance of women and the fact 2024 has been another one where women have been producing the best music. Most of the top ten of NME’s list see women taking charge. Of course, other sites put male artists higher up. MOJO had Jack White’s NO NAME at the number one spot. However, looking at all the rankings and counting the women included in the top ten/twenty and they are in the commanding position. As we see more rankings coming out, it is going to emphasis the brilliant women who have defined music this year. From Pop elite Charli xcx, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan through to newer acts, this year has been made so brilliant and reliably strong by women! There are a smattering of features that highlight artists to look out for in 2025. Again, women are very much dominating things. I don’t think that this is a spell that will end. A period where women are on top and that will change. I predict that women are going to be the industry standard for many years to come.

It has been fascinating seeing this shift. I don’t think it was a case of the past few years seeing women rise to the challenge. I always think women have been making the best music but have not been given the recognition and opportunities they deserve. Also, how will this change the industry going forward? I think we have to acknowledge that women are the absolute best of the best. In terms of the music and even live music. Most of the most captivating live sets and tours are from female artists. In 2025, we need to be aware of the gulf between the music being put out by women and the way they are treated by the industry. Earlier this year, reports came out that outlines how there is still massive discrimination and sexism. I don’t think that has radically changed since then. There has been small changes and steps forward, yet women are still undervalued and subjected to abuse and fewer opportunities. Festivals, the major ones at least, are still slow to balance their bills and book headline acts. With so many women in music facing discrimination, next year needs to be one for huge and lasting change. Understanding that sexism, discrimination and misogyny in music is still very much present and a massive problem. Sexism is rife through the industry. I wonder what it will take for things to improve. After such a fantastic year for music, where women have been high in the mix, this needs to lead to change. How they need to be respected. More than that, they need to feel safe and seen.

It is hard to see reports and testimony from women who say how hard it is for them. I understand that a lot of the best albums/songs you see ranked are from major artists. However, if you think about this year in music and look at it more widely, women from all layers and levels have been contributing. Will this lead to changes in terms of discrimination? How about festivals and where women are placed on bills? I would like to think things will instantly tip in their favour next year. However, in reality, it will take years. The industry need to be accountable and do better! Also, when I listen to radio stations, women are still very much an afterthought for many. What is obvious this year is how it has been another phenomenal one for women. They have been at the forefront. I think next year will see this emphasised even more. There are not many articles out there saluting women and given them props. I hope that this also changes. Whilst they do not want special treatment or to be seen as charity cases in a sense, I don’t think it would be that. Instead, it shines a light on the importance of women through music. How they need to properly valued. Many would argue that things are a lot better. I don’t think that they are. Things are still massively skewed towards men. There is still a huge issue with misogyny and sexism. Women will back that up. As will research. Also, when you think about all they give to music, why should they still have to be seen as inferior? It leaves me to salute the women of music. For all the tremendous work they have put out this year. It is going to be really exciting to see what queens of the industry give us...

NEXT year.

FEATURE: I Just Took a Trip on My Love for Him: The Beauty and Orchestration on The Man with the Child in His Eyes

FEATURE:

 

 

I  Just Took a Trip on My Love for Him

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in Tokyo in June 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Koh Hasebe (Shinko Music/Getty Images)

The Beauty and Orchestration on The Man with the Child in His Eyes

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ONCE more…

I am turning to the pages from a recent edition of PROG. It went deep with Kate Bush’s debut album, The Kick Inside. Released in 1978 when Bush was nineteen, we get insights and perspectives on an incredible introduction. For this feature, I want to highlight one of the standout songs from The Kick Inside. The Man with the Child in His Eyes was the second U.K. single from the album. It reached six in the U.K. and three in Ireland. Bush wrote the song when she was thirteen and it was recorded in June 1975 when she was sixteen. An astonishingly mature and accomplished song, I am going to go into more depth about it for a future feature. Prior to dissecting some words from PROG, here is Kate Bush discussing the story behind one of her most loved songs:

“The inspiration for ‘The Man With the Child in His Eyes’ was really just a particular thing that happened when I went to the piano. The piano just started speaking to me. It was a theory that I had had for a while that I just observed in most of the men that I know: the fact that they just are little boys inside and how wonderful it is that they manage to retain this magic. I, myself, am attracted to older men, I guess, but I think that’s the same with every female. I think it’s a very natural, basic instinct that you look continually for your father for the rest of your life, as do men continually look for their mother in the women that they meet. I don’t think we’re all aware of it, but I think it is basically true. You look for that security that the opposite sex in your parenthood gave you as a child.

Self Portrait, 1978”.

Producer Andrew Powell spoke with PROG about his experiences producing The Kick Inside. I am really interesting reading what Powell thinks of Kate Bush now. His recollections from 1977 when her debut album was being recorded. He notes how Bush’s lyrical and melody work is incredibly sophisticated. Considering The Man with the Child in His Eyes was written when she was a schoolgirl. How Bush knew what she wanted from production. Many might think that Kate Bush was this inexperienced artist who was very young and was being guided by men in the studio and did not have too much say. Even though she did not produce The Kick Inside, she was very present and involved. Intuitive when it came to her music and what she wanted it to sound like. Bush pushed for The Man with the Child in His Eyes to be the second single. I think EMI were pushing more for Them Heavy People (which was released in Japan under the title Rolling the Ball and reached number three there). Not about The Man with the Child in His Eyes, but Andrew Powell recalled how she came in the studio for the first day of a session and played the first track to the band and personnel. They were all mesmerised. She had this instant and profound impact. When it came to The Man with the Child in His Eyes, Bush spoke with Andrew Powell about some of her influences. She was very keen to have a lovely and affecting orchestral part on the track. One of the most potent and memorable aspects of the song is the strings. In June 1975, Bush recorded at AIR Studios – situated above the crossroads by Oxford Street and Regent Street, London – and one of the songs laid down was The Man with the Child in His Eyes. David Gilmour put up the money for everything and was mentoring Kate Bush. Making sure she got a professional recording and this early exposure to a studio. The version of The Man with the Child in His Eyes on The Kick Inside is what was recorded in June 1975.

Geoff Emerick was a big factor when it came to the orchestration on The Man with the Child in His Eyes. Perhaps best know for his engineering work with The Beatles, he did a wonderful job with the rhythm section and orchestra. I know Bush was nervous being backed by strings; it was this big occasion for a teenager. Something she had not done before, she rose to the occasion and delivered a spine-tingling vocal! Powell remembers how they did one or two sessions. He had a day between them to write the orchestral parts and do some overdubs. Bush did her part in one take it was all recorded live. You do get this feeling when listening to the track that you are in the studio with her. It is such an intimate and evocative performance. Bush was not phased working with someone as reputable and legendary as Geoff Emerick. In July (1975), David Gilmour took Bush’s tape to a listening session at Abbey Road with EMI’s General Manager, Bob Mercer. Even though Mercer was rightly impressed with such a determined, precocious and original talent, he was also a little wary of having such a young (potentially vulnerable) artist launch a career at that point. He did offer a deal: £3,000 and a four-year contract. The caveat – and thanks to PROG for their words; of which I am almost quoting verbatim – was that Bush would continue her studies and gain real-world experience for two years.

That took her to June/July 1977, which is just before Bush stepped back into AIR Studios to begin recording the remaining eleven tracks on The Kick Inside (the album has thirteen tracks; The Saxophone Song was also recorded in June 1975 alongside The Man with the Child in His Eyes). I did not know that Mercer recommended Pink Floyd manager Steve O’Rourke to the Bush family, paid for piano lessons so she could refine her technique and, crucially, accompanied her to see a performance by Lindsay Kemp (who enjoyed a long friendship and creative partnership with Bush), who inspired and taught David Bowie. I am going to explore more of the PROG issue, because there is a lot of great detail about Kate Bush in 1977. Her performing with the KT Bush Band. A look at the very hot summer of 1976, where Bush would stay up to the early hours and play piano and sing – to the annoyance of one or two of the neighbours (as she kept her window open and her voice carried down the street). I wanted to spotlight The Man with the Child in His Eyes and the orchestration. The beauty of the song. Andrew Powell’s recollections all these years later. Such a remarkable song that still sounds utterly entrancing and overwhelming to this day. Did she know in 1975, when she stepped into AIR studios, that this song would take on a new life?! It would have been brilliant without orchestration, though it is the strings that really add something. They compliment her voice and piano. Such a gorgeous song that still moves me every time I listen to it. When I think about The Man with the Child in His Eyes, I imagine Kate Bush in a studio performing backed by an orchestra, one wonderful day…

IN June 1975.

FEATURE: From East Wickham Farm to the Far East: Inside the Cover Shoot for Kate Bush’s Debut Album, The Kick Inside

FEATURE:

 

 

From East Wickham Farm to the Far East

Inside the Cover Shoot for Kate Bush’s Debut Album, The Kick Inside

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THIS is this the first time…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in an outtake from The Kick Inside’s cover shoot showing the metal bar and ropes that were constructed for the shot

I will dip into a recent edition of PROG that features on its cover the central image from Kate Bush’s debut studio album, The Kick Inside. Even if many consider the cover to be less impactful than future albums, one cannot deny it is intriguing and eye-catching. I shall come to a section in that PROG edition where we dive inside The Kick Inside. Words from the man who was responsible for photographing Kate Bush for the cover of The Kick Inside. To me, a debut album from Kate Bush should have her front and centre. Her face very much visible. Also, I wonder why there are suggestions of Asia and the Far East in the cover. Sure, Kate Bush did visit Japan in June 1978. She had an audience there, yet there is little within her debut that suggests relations and correlation with Asia. A dragon image on a kite. Bush hanging from some bars. It is definitely an alluring and unique image. I wonder how many people discuss the cover for The Kick Inside when they think of the album. One can objectively say there are finer covers on Never for Ever (1980), The Dreaming (1982), Hounds of Love (1985) and even 1978’s Lionheart. Standout because they either feature Bush in this image that reflects something within the album or on a theme. Maybe because there is this composition that tells you what the album is about. If you think about the album cover of The Kick Inside, does it really indicate what it on the album in terms of themes and sounds?! Perhaps the kite is a direct reference to a song from the album called Kite. There is a fierceness, confidence and sense of command on the album cover. The suggestion Bush is hanging from a kite from far above. This warrior or strong women commanding the sky.

I am going to highlight an article from page thirty of PROG where photographer Jay Myrdal discusses working with Kate Bush. It is interesting that there is another Jay in Bush’s life. Her brother John shortens his name to Jay. He was also photographing his sister in 1978, so it is cool she had two Jays working with her! Although Jay Myrdal’s association with Bush was temporary. Though it would have been a treasured time. If you think about Kate Bush’s other album covers, when it came to shots of her, it was mainly her brother photographing. Even if Gered Mankowitz photographed the cover for Lionheart, John Carder Bush took the cover shots for The Dreaming, Hounds of Love and The Sensual World. Never for Ever features artwork from Nick Price. You know the background of these talents. Jay Myrdal’s background is interesting to say the least! He arrived in England from the U.S. army in 1965. Always wanting to be a photographer, he started to make money in 1968 where he was taking shots of naked women for men’s magazines of the day. By 1977/1978, Myrdal was transitioning into advertising. The cover shoot for The Kick Inside in 1977 (I am not sure of the exact date but, as the album was released on 17th February, 1978, I assume the cover was shot a little while before that) was an interesting time. Despite Myrdal’s background, the cover for The Kick Inside is very tasteful and restrained. Despite Bush sort of being buried a bit, I think the composition and design is good. Rather than Myrdal’s kite photographer being centre right, it would have been better focusing in on that image and making it much more central. The cover compromises Jay Myrdal’s photo right of centre. Flashes of red and black on a cover that is mostly orange and yellow. A big eye on the left-hand side of the cover that reaches to the centre. On the top-right is ‘Kate Bush’ and ‘The Kick Inside’ in a font that suggests Asian influence. I do like the colours of the album but I contest Myrdal’s photo concept should have been given more weight and prominence.

IN THIS IMAGE: Del Palmer’s original concept sketches for his flying man kite illustration

It does seem like this slightly random pairing. Jay Myrdal was recommended by EMI art director Steve Ridgeway. Myrdal was sent a tape of Bush’s music before the shoot. Whilst he feels it is accomplished, he did also feel it was shrill. A case of an American being very slow to connect. The country in general took so long to ‘get’ Kate Bush! Whilst it is a bit insulting he was not keen on her music but got to photograph her, he did at least get some inspiration and feel from the music when it came to his concept. As Bush was relatively unknown and a teenager, there were no real expectations when it came to cover. No other albums to reference. Jay Myrdal’s studio was in Paddington, London, and he got a visit from Kate’s father Robert the day before the cover shoot. Dr. Bush constructed a small kite using sticks and paper to give an impression of what was required for the cover photo concept. Jay Myrdal working off a rudimentary and lo-tech model and imagining something bigger and more real. The initial kite concept art by her then-boyfriend Del Palmer. I never knew that the giant eye on the album cover was a reference to Pinocchio where Jiminy Cricket floated pasted a giant whale’s eye (looking for a swallowed friend). Bush referenced Pinocchio at other times in her career. The Dreaming’s Get Out of My House nods to it when Bush and Paul Hardiman donkey-bray (or ‘Eeyore’). It is a reference to Pinocchio (from the 1940 Disney film of the same name) and Lampwick being turned into a donkeys. Myrdal told EMI he was shooting the photo on a black background but didn’t know the final image would be a yellow/red backdrop. As such, Bush’s legs look a bit dirty.

 IN THIS IMAGE: A still from Walt Disney’s Pinocchio (1940)

When it came to the day of the shoot, Bush was very hands-on. Polaroids were taken. Bush was taken into makeup and gold paint was applied to her skin. Very involved with the cover shoot and its look, it showed how keen she was to be involved with the entire album process. A very visual artist, Bush was then posed hanging from a silver bar in front of one of the black struts on the kite. It was easy for the EMI art department to comp out the bar so that it would not be visible and look like Bush was hanging from one of the black struts. When the shoot was done, Jay Myrdal went to his next job. Thought quite a quick process, it does seem like fantastic experience. I would be really interesting knowing about other album covers and what the creative process was. What it was like putting everything together! Jay Myrdal told PROG how Kate Bush visited his studio a few other times. One when she was visiting Syco Systems – which was across the road on London Mews – with an eager and excited eye on their synthesisers. Later, she would acquire a Fairlight CMI. The seeds and fascination planted years earlier. Bush also picked up the kite on another visit. Myrdal knows that the cover for The Kick Inside is striking and has a lot of fans. He still feels the comping issues are too obvious. To him at least. Not as perfect as he’d hoped. However, the fact that he was charged with photographing Kate Bush for her debut album is a huge honour that cannot be erased! We can note how The Kick Inside has appeared quite high in some best albums cover features. That is not lost on him. Jay Myrdal not knowing at the time how big Kate Bush would become. He is proud to have been a small part of her career. Because The Kick Inside is my favourite album ever means I am really interested in the cover and details about it. Even though various other covers were used for international versions of The Kick Inside (including a Gered Mankowitz photo for the U.S. cover where Bush is in blue jeans and has this great expression on her face). You can see it in this feature from 2018 that celebrated the iconic kite cover for The Kick Inside. If you are a fan of the Jay Myrdal photo and eye/kite combination on The Kick Inside or you prefer international versions, you cannot deny that the U.K. cover…

IS timeless.

FEATURE: Kate Bush: The Tour of Life: Why Did the Icon Dismiss Her Earliest Work?

FEATURE:

 

Kate Bush: The Tour of Life

IN THIS PHOOT: Kate Bush in 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

Why Did the Icon Dismiss Her Earliest Work?

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AS I am spending some time…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in December 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Alamy

looking at Kate Bush’s first couple of albums…or more specifically her dazzling debut, The Kick Inside (1978), I was thinking about her attitude towards her earliest work. I know a lot of artists sort of distance themselves from their early work. Feeling that it is not representative of them. I wonder if Kate Bush has softened her position when it comes to her first album or two. In fact, I feel she has suggested her first three or four albums are not up to her best. She embraces 1985’s Hounds of Love and I guess there is that sense of respect for The Dreaming (1982). If she was worn out at the time and pushed herself hard for that album, I feel she is kinder towards it than she is her debut and remarkable follow-up. I suppose the press image and perception didn’t help. Kate Bush often ridiculed and belittled. Maybe by pushing away her early albums, it is partly because of things attached to the promotion. How she worked so hard and often had to face sexist, misogynist and disrespectful interviewers. It was a hard time in many ways. Perhaps she was looking objectively and could see how her music evolved. Maybe not in control as much when it came to the process and production. Less of the driving force. It wasn’t really until Hounds of Love when she found that perfect balance. Truly happy making an album. I don’t think that she has anything to be sorry about in terms of the material! The Kick Inside is my favourite album ever. I think that her demos pre-The Kick Inside are phenomenal. I also really love Lionheart and Never for Ever. Some of the best music of her entire career. Think about how fame had engulfed Bush’s life. Andrew Powell – who produced The Kick Inside and Lionheart – said how Bush would offer to do a sandwich run when people in the studio were hungry. She offered to go out but had to be accompanied by someone as she would get mobbed!

That would have been quite a deflating and scary thought. Also, ‘assisting’ Andrew Powell with production on Lionheart. She wanted more say and credit, so I can appreciate how Bush has this difficult relationship with her first couple of albums especially. It was a very busy time for Kate Bush in 1978. If she had been given more distance and time, would she feel differently about her first two albums?! Maybe it was unavoidable. Wuthering Heights’ chart success meant that there was instant demand for a follow-up to The Kick Inside. Most artists would release an album a year or so after their debut. Bush put out her second studio album nine months after her debut. In between all of this was promotion around the world. One can view her opinions towards each of her first two albums differently. The Kick Inside was a happy recording and she had plenty of choices for songs. Perhaps not being able to produce or input as much as she hoped led to some disappointment. Wanting to be more of the architect and guiding voice. She maybe saw herself as the singer whereas others, especially Andrew Powell, called the shots. For Lionheart, it was all rushed. With time to only write four or so new songs, she had to include songs on Lionheart that were not deemed right for The Kick Inside. Bush almost forgot she wrote the masterpiece, Symphony in Blue. The opening song on Lionheart, she remember the title but was not sure what she was thinking when she wrote it. This kind of brushing off of a wonderful song! Similarly, Bush dismissed Oh England My Lionheart. In some interviews she did say it was her favourite on the album bur she soon came to almost resent it. Feeling it was embarrassing or a weak track.

Bush was always hankering to produce. She didn’t like being produced by someone else. She picked up enough of what happened in studios from two albums to have the confidence to produce Never for Ever, which she did alongside Jon Kelly. 1980 was a fresh start. Her third studio album arrived just over nine months into the new decade. Even so, and with more control over the output, Bush has not really spoken much about Never for Ever. Perhaps she felt it was her best album at the time. Less rushed and with time to include new songs, it did seem like a new chapter. By all accounts, life in the studio with Kate Bush was a very happy and familial one for Never for Ever. It reached number one in the U.K. and spawned successful singles like Babooshka. However, one gets the feeling Bush was still not happy. Still finding her voice. The bridge between her first two albums and their defined sound and the more experimental and confident sound of her fourth and fifth albums. Her third album was neither a compromise or misstep. Maybe Bush did feel that she was still evolving and was not quite where she needed to be. The fact that she has dismissed Lionheart and had some unhappy retrospective comments about The Kick Inside should have been corrected with Never for Ever. However, was she truly satisfied until Hounds of Love arrived?! Bush dismissed the early part of her career as light and bland, lacking that edginess of her Punk contemporaries. If she was a true original of the late-1970s and early-1980s, perhaps she felt like she was undervalued or not being taken seriously. The Dreaming was a tougher and darker album but it took too much out of Bush. Hounds of Love has quite a masculine energy with a lot of percussive punch. However, it seemed to be the album where everything coalesced for Bush. Sounding future-looking yet contemporary, she produced music that had edge as well as beauty. Producing solo and seeing her album soar the charts around the world, did she really feel her career started in 1985 rather than peaking?!

It is not to say Kate Bush dislikes her third and fourth albums and feels her first two are worth writing off or not representative of who she would become. I think it is unfair to write off The Kick Inside and Lionheart as light or lesser to what was being released around it. Yet, Bush has not given much retrospective nod to these albums. 2011’s Director’s Cut took songs from 1989’s The Sensual World and 1993’s The Red Shoes. Even if her first couple of albums were covered during 1979’s The Tour of Life, Bush didn’t include any songs from those albums for 2014’s Before the Dawn. Never for Ever and The Dreaming unrepresented either. Bush taking songs from Hounds of Love forward. It is such a shame that two entire studio albums are largely untouched when it comes to live work. Bush has reissued her studio albums more than once. She wants people to appreciate The Kick Inside, hear Lionheart and buy Never for Ever and The Dreaming. If Bush ever does archive again and unearths and performs once more, is there any chance her earliest albums will feature?! It seems unlikely. I don’t know if she wants to think back to 1978. One can understand it was a while ago and she has moved on, though I think it runs deeper than that. Her attitudes towards the music impacted by the lack of control over the albums and the way she was promoting endlessly. How the media perceived her and how Bush was unable to commit to writing many new songs for her second album. For that reason, I do feel that fans should give love to her first four albums. Particularly 1978’s The Kick Inside and Lionheart. They are tremendous albums that I hope do get some spotlight in the future! Maybe live work is a long shot, yet one hopes songs from the albums appear in films and on T.V. That Bush is asked about the album and has fonder memories. That she no longer sees them as inessential or throwaway. Far from it. Her earliest work is perhaps her most revealing and interesting. An artist growing but already fully-formed. This icon should never…

SELL herself short!

FEATURE: T.V. (Almost Killed the Radio Star): Kate Bush Alone on the Stage Tonight

FEATURE:

 

 

T.V. (Almost Killed the Radio Star)

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

Kate Bush Alone on the Stage Tonight

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FOR the final run of Kate Bush features…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush on Saturday Night Live. on 9th December, 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

in 2024, I want to take things back to the start. Looking around her debut album, The Kick Inside, and various aspects of that time. 1978 and what she was doing then. Thinking about The Kick Inside and especially the debut single, Wuthering Heights, there is so much to discuss. Kate Bush’s first T.V. appearances focused on that song. There was so much demand and allure. A song like no other, it is understandable networks and T.V. shows would want to bring Kate Bush to the screen. Her first U.K T.V. appearance was almost her last. In the sense it was a disaster. This radio star at that point – or someone most people knew from the radio – was on Top of the Pops. This was a big moment for her. With her debut single climbing the charts and it very much being this song destined for something huge (it reached number one), there would have been excitement around Bush appearing on Top of the Pops. She would have seen artists she loved like David Bowie and Elton John on the show and dreamed of one day being there herself. Whilst she would have loved to have performed with her group, the K.T. Bush Band, that was not to be. If she wanted people like Del Palmer and Paddy Bush to be on the stage or nearby for moral and musical support, the rules of Top of the Pops meant she could not perform with a band as a solo artist. She had to be backed by the BBC orchestra. Not exactly suitable for Wuthering Heights, she took to the stage for that debut U.K. T.V. appearance with fear and annoyance. Not being able to perform with her players, she had to get through what should have been a highlight with almost clenched teeth. The nineteen-year-old was a true professional even then and gamely completed the performance. It would have been exciting and memorable for those watching, though it was a moment to forget for Kate Bush.

<

Someone who was a very visual artist and wanted her songs to be brought to life, she would have hoped for a smoother transition from radio to T.V. Her first T.V. appearance came before Top of the Pops when she performed in Germany. Playing her debut single, she was backed by scenery that included a volcano. That misreading of what Yorkshire looked like and how to backdrop a song set to Emily Brontë’s debut novel, together with the Top of the Pops fiasco, was her jumping into the deep end and being left to flounder! However, things did get better. At the very least, Bush and EMI knew that she was someone who could command the stage and camera. I will cover this more when discussing Wuthering Heights for other features. The first video version, with Kate Bush in the red dress, was destined for the U.S. market and was shot in Salisbury. The second, shot in a studio and directed by Keith MacMillan (Keef), was shot one Monday afternoon, edited in the evening and ready for Top of the Pops the next day. Ammunition that showed Bush was a truly engaging screen presence, even if she was not given fair opportunity for her debut outing on Top of the Pops. MacMillan’s video was shown on Top of the Pops on 2nd March, 1978. The single was at number five then and hit number one the following week – where it stayed for a month. I am getting a lot of guidance from Tom Doyle’s excellent Kate Bush biography, Running Up That Hill: 50 Visions of Kate Bush. He notes how Bush appearing on the BBC’s Tonight on 16th March was a big step. Speaking with Denis Tuohy, Bush was treated to an interview that was not too intrusive or misinformed. Asked whether she expected Wuthering Heights to be such a success, she did hope it would be but possibly not to the speed and degree that it actually did. The early T.V. slots showed how she was viewed by the media. Interviewers like Gay Byrne, who interviewed Bush for The Late Late Show, almost belittling and condescending. Not really sure how to handle a young and successful female artist. Almost talking to her like she was a girl and not a woman!

These T.V. appearances could have left Kate Bush cold and wary of appearing again. The first year with this prodigious artist, EMI sent her all around the world. After trips to Germany and Ireland, she was in Japan in June 1978. Appearing at the Seventh Tokyo Music Festival, Bush came joint-second in the contest (which was won by Al Green). Moving was released in Japan and was a number one there. She was nervous singing in front of a crowd of over 11,000. It was a strange trip where Bush was sent to sell her music to an audience who probably did not understand most of what she was singing! Bush recorded two commercials for Seiko. She was on Sound of S, where she performed a few Beatles numbers – including The Long and Winding Road -, and then there was this sort of odd finale. I will go more into this. I was interested to think about the T.V. appearances of 1978. One of her biggest early-career moments came when Bush appeared on Saturday Night Live in the U.S. Mick Jagger and David Bowie were at the rehearsals to pay fair due and salute to Kate Bush. On a primetime show (presented then by Eric Idle), Bush did get some much-needed exposure in America. However, she had this feeling she was spending so much time in studios and on T.V. She wanted to promote her albums a little bit but be in the studio and work on albums. Instead, EMI drove her promotion so hard she was still promoting The Kick Inside when she was looking ahead to her second studio album, Lionheart (released on 10th November, 1978). The T.V. appearances of 1978 taught Bush a few things. She did enjoy some of it, though there were some bad experiences and she was travelling far and wide. Bush wanted to gain control of her career. A big part of this was her videos and the visual side of things.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in Japan in June 1978

I might isolate this particular T.V. appearance for another feature. However, after an insanely busy 1978, there were some interesting highlights from 1979. On 20th January, Bush appeared on Multi-Coloured Swap Shop and chatted with Noel Edmonds. I have written about this before but felt compelled to return. Kate Bush’s appearance was one of the few from the show’s history that has survived. After a gruelling first professional year where she was still learning the T.V. ropes and was being pushed and pulled between studios, she seemed a lot more relaxed on Multi-Coloured Swap Shop. Even if she was (largely) all smiles there, I don’t think Bush ever truly enjoyed T.V. in the early years. There did seem to be this dizzying tour of various countries and stations. Following a strange trip to Japan and travelling to the U.S. and further beyond, she did need a bit of a break after releasing two studio albums. Of course, in 1979, she was planting the seeds and planning The Tour of Life. A move that took her away from album promotion and a focus on live work. It is fascinating looking back on those early T.V. spots. When she was first on Top of the Pops and must have felt mortified when she had performed Wuthering Heights. From there, it was around the world to capitalise on the success of that single and The Kick Inside. Showing more confidence from 1979 onwards, Bush was aware that she was spending too much time away from the studio. That others were dictating her moves and career. That would change from 1979 and even more so in 1980, when she co-produced her third studio album, Never for Ever. She could have collapsed or buckled after such media and T.V. scrutiny and fascination. She didn’t. Instead, she focused on the future and a day when she could have more say in her own work. When that day finally came, Bush would not turn back or repeat patterns, even though some T.V. appearances were quite fraught and regrettable. Those early T.V. appearances could have killed the radio star. Far from it! Her professionalism and tenacity proved that there was nobody quite…

LIKE Kate Bush.

FEATURE: The Digital Mixtape: A Christmas Mix

FEATURE:

 

 

The Digital Mixtape

PHOTO CREDIT: Jonathan Borba/Pexels

A Christmas Mix

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FOR this Digital Mixtape…

PHOTO CREDIT: George Dolgikh/Pexels

I have put together an assortment of Christmas classics and some newer tracks. Rather than focusing on alternative Christmas songs, this is all about the positives. With some newer Christmas songs sitting alongside the standards, this is a playlist that can score any party or Christmas gathering. We are close to the big day, so many people would have heard most of these songs already. I apologise for any repetition or overexposure. However, as we are all looking ahead to a peaceful Christmas, it is good to fall on those reliable songs that we all know and love. There are a few newer Christmas songs in the mix. To go alongside all of the other Christmas playlists out there, enjoy the treats and presents that are on offer in the Digital Mixtape below. If you are not already there yet, it is sure to get you…

 PHOTO CREDIT: George Dolgikh/Pexels

IN the Christmas mood!

FEATURE: Groovelines: Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas?

FEATURE:

 

 

Groovelines

Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas?

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THERE we are not many Christmas songs…

IN THIS PHOTO: The recording of Do They Know It’s Christmas? in 1984/PHOTO CREDIT: Brian Aris/Band Aid

that are divisive in terms of the lyrics. Most stick quite close to the formulaic and traditional. The imagery is pretty standard and relatable. However, in 1984, a charity single was released that was vastly different to anything that was released before. Rather than focusing its attention on images of presents, snow and family, Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? turned its attention to the famine in Africa. Written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, it was designed to raise money for the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. Band Aid was a supergroup consisting of popular British and Irish musical acts. It Do They Know It’s Christmas? was recorded in a single day at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, London, in November 1984. Released on 7th December, 1984, it went to number one in the U.K. and stayed at that position for five weeks. Selling a million copies in its first week, it was the biggest-selling U.K. singles of all time to that point. The single raised £8 million for Ethiopia within a year. All of this is commendable and to be applauded. Where does it rank in terms of the great Christmas songs? Most people would not include it in their top ten. Maybe because it is not as traditional and heart-warming as other Christmas songs, it has not caught on like other Christmas tracks. If the lyrics about those dying in famine unaware it was Christmas and unable to enjoy the time like those more fortunate were bellowed back in 1984, in years since, the lyrics are seen as more problematic. The imagery painted in the song causing offence and division. A new documentary is available on the BBC iPlayer that takes us inside the making of Do They Know It’s Christmas? Even if the single had noble intentions and the celebrities who sang on it were genuinely affected by images of famine in Ethiopia, maybe it was an odd choice of a Christmas song. Children in Africa knew about Christmas and were not shut off from the outside world. Perhaps the song has not aged too well. A new mix of the song has united those who were on the 1984 version and has cut them together with artists who appeared on previous versions. Before coming to an article about that, this is what Melody Maker said about Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? when it was originally released: "Inevitably, after such massive publicity, the record itself is something of an anti-climax, even though Geldof's sense of universal melodrama is perfectly suited to this kind of epic musical manifesto. Midge Ure's large-screen production and the emotional vocal deliveries of the various celebrities matches the demonstrative sweep of Geldof's lyric, which veers occasionally toward an uncomfortably generalised sentimentality which threatens to turn righteous pleading into pompous indignation. On the other hand, I'm sure it's impossible to write flippantly about something as fundamentally dreadful as the Ethiopia famine”.

Whereas most Christmas songs are judged in terms of whether they are as good as other Christmas songs, when it comes to Do They Know It’s Christmas?, the question is different. Is it doing more good than bad? Such is the weight of the track in terms of its meaning and lyrics, it has this complex history and legacy. The Guardian published a feature recently that explored some of the more damaging stereotypes the song perpetuated in 1984:

“Four decades on, however, is Band Aid doing harm as well as good? That was the suggestion of a statement made this week by Ed Sheeran, who sang on the version of the single released in 2014 and whose voice has been used in the new remix, along with other vocalists from across the decades.

He had not been asked permission, said Sheeran on Instagram, and would have declined if he had. Instead, he shared a post by the musician Fuse ODG, a longtime Band Aid critic, who argues such initiatives “perpetuate damaging stereotypes that stifle Africa’s economic growth, tourism and investment, ultimately … destroying its dignity, pride and identity”.

For all Band Aid’s popularity over the years, there are many in the development sector who share this view. Critics point to problematic lyrics – yes, they do know it is Christmas in Ethiopia, one of the oldest Christian communities in the world – and images of nameless, helpless victims.

The problem is “Africa always [being] portrayed as a place where children are perpetually in peril,” said Haseeb Shabbir, an associate professor at the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at City St George’s, University of London. “Africa is [shown as] a barren civilisation in constant need of salvation, while it is portrayed as the moral obligation of essentially white donors to save a group of people who lack agency to resolve their own problems.”

Meanwhile, he said, “many initiatives from African people themselves go under the radar. Nobody hears about them in this country, [but] it’s those changes which are the bulk of what is taking place in Africa.”

Band Aid is far from alone in this, in Shabbir’s view – Comic Relief, which was inspired by it, has come in for similar criticism. “But the problem with Band Aid is that its message is so amplified and celebrated.” It is certainly remarkably enduring – alongside the countless radio plays and millions of streams of the original single each year, even Band Aid 30 a decade ago went to No 1 in 69 countries.

The international development sector has changed a lot in four decades, said Lena Bheeroo, head of anti-racism and equity at Bond, an umbrella body for development organisations, moving away from “images of poverty, disease, conflict and children who are malnourished with flies on them”, and the use of wording that reinforces recipients’ powerlessness.

“Band Aid was set up in a time where [using this imagery] was deemed the right thing to be doing. But we’re not any longer in 1984, we are in 2024, and the conversations around what it means to [work in this area] have changed.”

These are not new criticisms, as Geldof hit back tartly this week to the Conversation: “The same argument has been made many times over the years and elicits the same wearisome response.” Band Aid has made concessions to changing times in the past – the 2014 single had substantially changed lyrics, most strikingly changing Bono’s original line “Well tonight, thank God it’s them instead of you” to “ell tonight, we’re reaching out and touching you.” Emeli Sandé, who sang on that track, later apologised for it, however, saying other edits she made had not been included”.

Because there is a 2024 Mix of the Band Aid single, it is back in the spotlight. Although the new release has not been as big chart success, many are discussing Do They Know It’s Christmas? in a new light. Debating its intentions and whether the lyrics are offensive or not. It is a shame, as the single did raise millions and saved lives. However, as it will be played a lot through this month, it is worth exploring Do They Know It’s Christmas? Ed Sheeran, who was part of the 2014 version and has been spliced into the 2024 mix, has objected to being included in the new single because of the lyrics. For Billboard, Bob Geldof reflected on Band Aid’s smash at forty:

“That’s not us; that’s just people doing it…all out of this little pop song we made 40 years ago,” Geldof says. “And I thought, ‘Well, we should preface this year by bringing out the record,’ but instead of doing it again with this generation of (performers), why not take the three generations that made it happen and bang ’em on one single.”

“Do They Know It’s Christmas? (2024 Ultimate Mix)” — which debuted on Nov. 25 and will be released commercially on Friday, Nov. 29 — does just that, with Trevor Horn, who co-produced the original version with Midge Ure of Ultravox, mashing together performances from that and sequels recorded to commemorate the 20th anniversary in 2004 and the 30th during 2014. Accompanied by a new Oliver Murray-directed video fusing footage from all three (as well as the late David Bowie’s introduction for the original and footage from Michael Buerk’s BBC News report from October of 1984 that inspired Geldof to launch the project), the “2024 Ultimate Mix” offers a panoply of pop icons, primarily British but also Irish and American, blended into yet another interpretation of the song.

“I was very hands-off and, like (Geldof), gobsmacked at this opus (Horn) managed to come up with,” says Ure, who co-wrote the U.K. chart-topping song with Geldof four decades ago (the original also reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100). “It’s very clever. I can hear elements of the original recordings in there. It’s a bit of a miracle that he managed to pull together things that were recorded at different tempos, different speeds, maybe different pitches and integrate them into one track where you get vocalists who maybe weren’t born when the original was done harmonizing or singing alongside some of the original vocalists. It’s a bit of a masterpiece, I think.”

Geldof is equally effusive about the record — which, among other juxtapositions, features U2’s Bono’s parts (and footage) from all three recordings. “It is so beautiful, this production, properly beautiful,” he says. “It’s so moving.” But he adds that Horn balked a bit when Geldof first presented him with the “Ultimate Mix” idea.

“I said, ‘Trevor, you’re good. Can you take these thousands of people and bang ’em together?’ And he said, ‘No, I can’t, f–k off!'” Geldof recalls. “And I said, ‘There must be…’ ‘How can I possibly do it? Everybody’s singing the same words. They’re at different tempos. They’re different keys.’ I said, ‘Ehhh — you can do it!’ (laughs) He said, ‘I’m going to have to repeat the lines.’ I said repeat the lines! Who cares! Just get on with it!’ And he put together the voices, conceivably the greatest voices in British rock, together almost perfectly. It actually is in the producer’s art a work of genius. It really is one of the great records — I truly believe that. It’s nothing to do with our song, or Band Aid. I just went, ‘Omigod!’

“So billions of dollars of debt relief for the poorest people in the world came from this small song, (written) one damp October afternoon. The common thread is this tune. That’s the thing that alerts everyone, drives through constantly, coming out again with a different idea each time.”

British artist Peter Blake, 93, who designed the 1984 single cover for “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” returned to create a new image for the “Ultimate Mix.”

Forty years later Geldof and Ure have slightly divergent views of the song they’re both justifiably proud of. “I’ve decided it is a pretty good tune this year,” Geldof says. “Y’know, I remember when about three in the morning (in 1984) I said, ‘Leave it, that’ll do.’ We kept going ’til five, and ‘that’ll do’ was where we were at. And it did; ‘It’ll do,’ and it did.”

Ure, meanwhile, views “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” as “not that good. Both Bob and I have done better. If you forget who’s singing it, it sounds like an Ultravox track. I think it stands up better as a recording than a song. As an event, as a production, as a record, it excelled. It did more than any of us ever expected.”

That the song, and Band Aid, continues to thrive after four decades goes far beyond the intended one-off, what Geldof calls a “crap little Christmas song.”

“It was meant to be a six-month project spending the seven, eight million pounds it generated,” remembers Ure, who also serves as a Band Aid trustee. “Of course, within that six-month period it grew from a record into suddenly putting together Live Aid…and compounded by the fact that nobody thought for one nano second that if you make a Christmas record it might just get played every year. We could only focus on the Christmas of ’84 going into ’85; if we could get it to No. 1 over the Christmas period, great. But we never saw life beyond that. The last 39 years has proved that wrong.”

No good deed goes unpunished, of course — or free of controversy, which Band Aid and “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” have faced over the years, and recently. Most notably Ed Sheeran publicly said he would not have allowed his performance from the 2014 recording to be used, saying that “my understanding of the narrative associated with this has changed” — specifically citing the Ghanian-English artist Fuse ODG’s contention that the song “perpetuates damaging stereotypes” about Africa. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has dismissed the effort as “well-meaning at the time” but lamented that it’s “frustrating to see our nation’s ancient history, culture, diversity and beauty reduced to doom and gloom.” He also contends that Band Aid “has not evolved with the times (and) might end up doing more harm than good”.

I am going to finish with an article from the New Statesman. With a new documentary about the making of Do They Know It’s Christmas? on the BBC iPlayer, it is worth remembering what it was like for those alive in 1984. Around to witness a single that had such a host of famous voices on it. Nothing like this had come about. In terms of the news coverage and the amount it raised. It was a phenomenon! Only in years since was the song dissected and the lyrics questioned to the degree that they have been. At the time, there was so much focus on raising money and getting the messages out to the public. Whether you consider it a Christmas classic or a song that is problematic in the modern age, you cannot deny that it did make a big difference:

“The documentary isn’t retrospective – all the footage was filmed on the day, much of it unseen until now – and perhaps this accounts, in part, for its unexpected ghostliness. The feeling is of old family cine film, fetched down from the attic. But it also had to do with the sad fact that many of those in it are dead: Paula Yates, Geldof’s then wife; Annabel Giles, Midge Ure’s then girlfriend; Rick Parfitt, of Status Quo; and George Michael. The general mood is shy. Boy George says all of them were always slagging each other off in the press – and yet, they’d never met in person before. Simon Le Bon sits next to Bono, and it’s like the sixth form, the uncool kid laughing far too hard at the cooler kid’s jokes.

Putting aside the song’s agonising lyrics – all that crass stuff about snow in Africa: 40 years on, and it’s in danger of being cancelled – you’ll be struck by Band Aid’s want of an effective diversity and inclusion programme. Kool & the Gang are the only black guys; the only girls allowed are Bananarama, and Jody Watley of Shalimar. Talent, though, is not a prerequisite, and I suppose in that sense the time was in its own peculiar way highly meritocratic (again, I give you Hadley). We get to hear voices raw and unrehearsed, unaccompanied by guitars or even synthesisers. George Michael nails it, of course, and Boy George, when he can stop with the double entendres, is okay. But Bono, Paul Young and Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17 are pretty awful and – how young they look! – must report after class to Mrs Quaver the music mistress for extra coaching.

On the day, however, the coaching is left to Geldof, Horn and Ure. “More expression!” says Geldof. “It’s slightly flat,” says Ure. Horn conducts the mass singalong at the song’s end in a manner that suggests he’s long since given up, his hands moving in time to the crowd, rather than the other way round.

It’s funny, but as a teenager, I thought Band Aid comprised dozens of people. Now, though, I understand what a small group Geldof had managed to gather, the kingpins (Bowie, Mercury, McCartney et al) either otherwise engaged, or far too trepidatious/sensible to consider putting their voices next to Foghorn Hadley’s. Bam, bam, ba-bam, ba-ba-bam! What was once such a big deal – oh, the mad excitement Band Aid brought to my generation – now dematerialises in a cloud of smoke to the sound of Phil Collins’ (admittedly excellent) drumming”.

Band Aid II re-recorded the song in 1989. Since, there has been Band Aid 20, 30 and the new 40 version. It has seen a host of artists lend their voices to a song whose messages have not changed. If the lyrics can be seen as offensive or misguided, the issue around quality remains. Diminishing returns in terms of the subsequent versions. Wealthy artists maybe paying lip service or jumping on a bandwagon. There is a lot to discuss and unpack. We still listen to Do They Know It’s Christmas? today. Although there is still famine across Africa, the landscape across Ethiopia has changed since the 1980s. Is the Band Aid single too problematic? Bob Geldof and Midge Ure have put distance between them and the song in years since its release. Claiming the song was secondary and it was about fundraising. Geldof highlighting how millions of lives were changed, but also claiming that he was not hugely proud of it. Ure having even less love towards the song. Critics claiming that Do They Know It’s Christmas? has a western-centric viewpoint. A song that has these condescending stereotypical descriptions of Africa, others see it as a Christmas classic. Whatever your viewpoint on Do They Know It’s Christmas? focuses on the lyrics and the politics of the song or how it compares to other Christmas songs, one cannot deny that Band Aid did a lot of good in 1984. As the single has been remixed this year, there are new eyes and ears on…

THIS divisive Christmas standard.

FEATURE: The ‘White’ in The White Stripes: Meg White at Fifty: Her Best Beats

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The ‘White’ in The White Stripes

Meg White at Fifty: Her Best Beats

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AS we are heading towards Christmas…

PHOTO CREDIT: Patrick Pantano

there is not a lot of music news of anything happening in the world of music. Not huge, anyway. There are a few significant birthdays of amazing musicians. One such example is Meg White’s fiftieth birthday on 10th December. The literal ‘White’ in the duo, The White Stripes (she and Jack White were married before they released their debut album (they divorced in 2000); Jack White’s real name is John Anthony Gillis), they released their eponymous debut in 1999. Until they split in 2011, they enjoyed this incredible career. This D.I.Y.-sounding aesthetic. Quite lo-fi and comprised of vocals, guitar and drum, they adopted a uniform of wearing red, white and black. The number three playing a big role. If some felt Meg White’s drumming was basic and child-like, they overlook how skilled and powerful she was! Her child-like abandon was one of her great strengths. She is an incredible percussionist whose beats and energy defined the best songs of The White Stripes! To mark her upcoming fiftieth birthday, I have combined some of her best performance from the discography of The White Stripes. One of the best drummers in my view, she has faced criticism because of her style. Jack White came to her defence. There was this ignorance and misogyny around her. If you listen to The White Stripes, it is clear how Meg White was instrumental when it came to evolving and defining their sound! An incredible drummer who I hope has not retired and will feature on other albums, this is a birthday salute…

TO the amazing Meg White.

FEATURE: My Broken Hearts, My Fabulous Dance: Reacting to the Success of Little Shrew (Snowflake) at the World Film Festival

FEATURE:

 

 

My Broken Hearts, My Fabulous Dance

Reacting to the Success of Little Shrew (Snowflake) at the World Film Festival

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JUST when you think…

LITTLE SHREW ANIMATION: Nicolette Van Gendt/CONCEPT ARTWORK: Jim Kay

we were done with Kate Bush news for 2024, something else pops up! In October, Bush revealed a video for Little Shrew (Snowflake). When it was teased online, we were initially not sure what it was. Originally, we got a post to say that the song had a new radio edit. No real feeling it was going to have this video or greater cause. It was unusual that this particular song, the opening track from 50 Words for Snow, was highlighted for special attention. Although great that Snowflake (as it was called on the album) got a radio edit, what did it mean?! I said it at the time, but it did feel like it was going to be a song used on a Christmas advert. That would have been okay. On 25th October, the truth was revealed. An interview between Kate Bush and Emma Barnett was shared. Speaking on the Today programme, Bush spoke about this new video. With a little shrew at its heart, people were stunned when they saw it. Navigating this war-torn setting, we follow the shrew as it tries to makes its way out. Directed and written by Kate Bush and boasting some stunning animation (Little Shrew animation by Nicolette Van Gendt; Hope and drone animation by James Gifford; concept artwork by Jim Kay), the Little Shrew gets out of this bombed-out city in order to find Hope. It is an emotional and stunning video that lasts just over four minutes. Bush has directed videos before, though this is something different. For 2011’s 50 Words for Snow, Kate Bush directed and wrote the video for Eider Falls at Lake Tahoe. She worked in animated and was familiar with the form, so it was not a big surprise that Little Shrew (Snowflake) is a success and looks so good. Brilliantly directed and written, one of the biggest aims is to raise money for War Child. Bush discussed this with Emma Barnett. How there has been war after war and the news is so bleak. Rather than merely write a post about it and get people to donate to War Child, Bush was affected by images in the news – especially children displaced and affected by the violence in Ukraine – and put this video together. Whereas the original Snowflake was written for her son, Bertie, to showcase his voice, the lyrics and sound fits perfectly in this new setting.

HOPE AND DRONE ANIMATION: James Gifford/CONCEPT ARTWORK: Jim Kay

The lyrics really taking on a new life and shining in a new light. Reviews for Little Shrew (Snowflake) were huge. Whereas not all of Bush’s videos have won such acclaim – the video for Deeper Understanding, from 2011’s Director’s Cut, was savaged by some -, here everything was spot on. I wrote recently how Bush has been GRAMMY-nominated. Although minor categories, two of the Hounds of Love reissues have been nominated in different categories. If Bush wins a GRAMMY, it will be the first time. Five-times nominated, it will be another huge honour for her. Before then, Bush has been honoured at the World Film Festival in Cannes, winning multiple awards - including Best Animation Film, Best Cause-Driven Film & Best Female Director Short Film. I was not sure she was nominated and I didn’t actually have that festival on my radar. When Kate Bush News posted about it yesterday, it was met with joy from fans. A huge achievement for Kate Bush. Not only has she raised funds for a charity helping war-affected children; there is also this wonderful video that has affected so many people. I wonder whether Kate Bush will post to her website about the award wins. It is clear that her video has had this profound effect. So timely and powerful:

“This exceptional work has been celebrated at the World Film Festival in Cannes on November 27, winning multiple awards including Best Animation Film, Best Cause-Driven Film & Best Female Director Short Film. Festival founder Karolina Bomba lauded Bush's "creative genius and unwavering commitment," highlighting the film's ability to "illuminate the plight of countless children trapped in the throes of war."

Bomba further emphasized the film's profound impact: "The world is reeling from the horrific realities of war. We must open our eyes to the devastating effects it has on innocent children caught in the crossfire. Little Shrew transcends the boundaries of a music video, evolving into a heart-wrenching cry for peace, a stark reminder of shattered innocence, and a resounding call for empathy. Through this captivating piece of art, Kate Bush compels us to acknowledge the suffering of children in warzones and inspires action in support of War Child UK. It is an honor to join her in this pursuit of peace and justice through the Festival. Together, let's amplify the voices of these children and contribute to a world imbued with greater justice and peace. Remember the Future!”.

Given this award success, it does make me wonder whether Bush will direct more videos. I have actually written about this in another feature. Wondering what Bush’s future music videos will look like. It does seem that animation, whilst time-consuming, is a medium that she feels comfortable in. It allows for huge scenes, imaginative visuals and things you cannot get from a live action video. Bush posted to her website about the conception process and bringing the video to life:

“The original track runs for over seven minutes, but as animations take a long time to make, it made a lot of sense to shorten it to three or four minutes. I was concerned that the song might lose something by being edited so intensely but actually it’s held up pretty well.

I knew I wanted the featured character to be a child caught up in war, so I made a very rough, off the cuff story board.

Although I’d initially thought to make the character a human child – a little girl – I settled on the idea of a Caucasian pygmy shrew (Ukrainian shrew): a tiny, fragile little creature. I felt that people might have more empathy for a vulnerable little animal than a human…

This little shrew would take a journey on a moonlit, winter’s night through a war-torn city, initially unaware of what was going on around her in this land of the giants. She can sense that she’s being called by a kind of spiritual presence… HOPE.

She starts to search for HOPE. Sometimes hope is all there is to hang on to”. 

It is wonderful that Little Shrew (Snowflake) has been honoured by the World Film Festival in Cannes. Bush winning an award for her direction. It will bring even more attention to the video which in turn will help raise even more funds for War Child. It does raise some interesting possibilities.

CONCEPT ARTWORK: Jim Kay

Going forward, even more attention will be brought to Kate Bush. With every bit of news like her award wins, it opens up her work to those who might not have discovered her. I had to react to the Cannes award wins, as it adds extra weight to the song. To that brilliant and unforgettable video for Little Shrew (Snowflake). Bush awarded a director prize. Highlighting what a brilliant director she is. People seeking out her videos and how the ones she directed really stand out. I think that Bush is underrated as a visual thinker and director. Someone who has a real gift for cinema and putting unique stories on the screen. Also, any Kate Bush news means new eyes and ears head her way. It gives extra incentive for her to release new music (when she spoke with Emma Barnett, Bush revealed that possibility was on her mind). I think that Bush is going to direct more videos. It will be interesting seeing what she has in mind and what form they take. More than anything, we also get concrete proof of how charity and humanity is huge in Kate Bush’s heart. She has been raising funds and awareness for charities for decades now. I will wrap up there. As we look ahead to 2025, there is no telling what we will get from Kate Bush. This year has been a very busy one in terms of updates and projects. Album reissues and news. This latest bit of new is very special and significant. Honours to an incredible filmmaker and iconic artist who has spent so long making sure that this animated video (for Little Shrew (Snowflake) makes an impact. How her initial storyboards and concepts were turned into something epic and spine-tinging. The Little Shrew searching for Hope. This powerful video has made a big difference already and will continue to do so. It just goes to show that, although Bush has not released new music for thirteen years, she is always relevant and never out of sight. So many Kate Bush fans will be excited to see what comes…

NEXT year.

FEATURE: Kate Bush: The Tour of Life: The Mystery and Transience of Sex and Passion Through Her Music

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Kate Bush: The Tour of Life

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Brian Aris

The Mystery and Transience of Sex and Passion Through Her Music

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FOR this feature…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Jill Furmanovsky

the eight-hundred-and-ninetieth I have published about Kate Bush, I wanted to zero in on a passage and thought that was shared by Graeme Thomson in his biography, Under the Ivy: The Life and Music of Kate Bush. I know I do mention this book a lot and have been  given plenty of information and inspiration for features. I am returning to it again and I will definitely continue to do so going forward. I have discussed Bush’s lyrics and their depth. I have approached them from different angles. Now, and related to the forty-seventh anniversary of The Kick Inside on 17th February, I am thinking back to the start. How Bush describes passion and love in different ways. How it can be mysterious, ephemeral but also intense and temporary. But also have this sense of mystique. Thomson’s observations about Misty, which appears on 2011’s 50 Words for Snow, led me to think about the way in which Bush writes about sex and passion. How it can be this powerful force that enlivens, emboldens and is universal. However, there is also this other aspect. The transient nature of it. How Misty has this sense of ridicule, as it is about a woman who has a night of passion with a snowman, and darkness.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush visualising Misty from 2011’s 50 Words for Snow

Maybe a taboo coupling, though I always think Bush used the snowman as a metaphor. How there is this passion that is gone by the morning. The fleeting nature of sex. The sense of loss too. How there is blood on the hand. Is it menstruation blood or from death? Or is it insignificant? Thomson comments how Misty concerns the mystery of love. The power of fantasy. The woman’s (or Bush) love has melted by the morning. It was a theory that I was compelled to stretch. How the words, “I turn off the light” link to The Man with the Child in His Eyes. In that song, which features on her The Kick Inside (her 1978 debut), Bush sings “I realise he's there/When I turn the light off and turn over”. I don’t think it was an unintentional link to her debut album. So many have highlighted how Bush returned to The Kick Inside through the importance of the piano. There are similarities in terms of the lyrics and sound. Love and passion quite prominent. If Bush was singing about philosophers, mysticism and inhabiting the ghost of Catherine Earnshaw (from Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights) on The Kick Inside, she was singing about a haunted lake (Lake Tahoe) and the mystery of a Yeti. How we want to hunt for this mystery and put it in a box. How there is beauty to the mystery and we should leave it alone. If it is less explicitly about love and passion, I do feel Bush was also alluding to something more grounded in the everyday. It is interesting how Bush has addressed and represented the fleeting nature of love and passion through the years.

Think about The Man with the Child in His Eyes. This very young woman has this mysterious stranger. This talked-about love that might be “lost on some horizon” or is out to sea. If Bush has said the song is about how men have this child-like wonder and keep that within themselves, I think of the song as very sensual but also mysterious. Something fictional perhaps. If the first lines suggest a physicality and closeness, it does seem that Bush is referring to falling asleep and seeing this man in her dreams: “I hear him, before I go to sleep/And focus on the day that's been/I realise he's there/When I turn the light off and turn over”. Even if Bush has been pretty direct and natural when talking about passion, one of the most interesting aspects is how she entwines the mystical, transient and almost fictional around sex and passion. The Kick Inside is a great example. L’Amour Looks Something Like You’s first verse has that combination of yearning but this transient, passing nature. How there is attraction and pull but it is temporary or somehow fleeting: “You came out of the night/Wearing a mask in white colour/My eyes were shining/On the wine, and your aura/All in order, we move into the boudoir/But too soon the morning has resumed”. The Wedding List, from 1980’s Never for Ever, is about a bride who seeks revenge after her groom is killed at the altar. Whilst an extreme example, it is another case of love being snatched away. How the unpredictable can end love. You can look at Hounds of Love’s title track as another extreme example. How Bush is running away from love. This fear that the hounds (love) will catch you and cause harm.

Bush has never shied away from discussing sex and passion. Many songs where she has been very bold and uncomplicated when representing her desires or fears. There is another side. Where she highlights love and passion as being something out of reach, temporary or mystical. Think about the sexuality and passion through Aerial’s Mrs. Bartolozzi. Images of clothes entwined in the washing machine. Through a song about domesticity, there are fantastical elements. This woman’s mind wandering and almost imagining this sexual encounter between clothes. The water splashing. When the cycle stops, so does the romance. Rather than focusing on whether Bush feels love is largely transient and mysterious, I think it is probably worth reframing things. How she tackles the complexities and realities of love. How love can be lost. Whether it is the loss of a young son sent to war in Army Dreamers or Misty’s fantastical and unusual hero melting in the sheets, I am fascinated by how Bush tackles love and loss. Rather than it being depressing and downbeat, there is something deeper and more positive. There is a mystery and magic in so many of her songs. How she can perfectly illustrate the wonder and physicality of sex without any restrictions or needless embarrassment. Someone very confident and honest. Most artists would only have this one side or dynamic. The way Bush writes and expresses herself. How passion and love can be lost so quick. How the real and imaginary are close bedfellows. The way she can write about something universal that has a unique storytelling palette. No other writer matches Bush when it comes to highlighting the mystery of love, the transient nature of sex and he power of fantasy. Something that runs right through Bush’s catalogue. Graeme Thomson’s comments about Misty did get me thinking deeply about Kate Bush’s work and how she writes about sex and love.

How it is very much present on Kate Bush’s debut album from 1978 and her latest album from thirty-three years later. Bush was derided or at least mocked when she wrote about sex in a romantic fiction sort of way on The Kick Inside. One or two lyrics that were a little below her best (images of boudoirs and stockings falling!). Some feel that some of the songs of love on The Sensual World and The Red Shoes are more routine. A little dull. Not to say that Bush is unmemorable when being very honest about the loss or love or the thrill of sex. In fact, she can be majestic and peerless! However, I think she is at her very best when she marries fantasy and the relatable. When she is close to the ecstasy of passion or the fulfilment of desire but it is taken away. When there is this mystery and lingering sense of loss when it comes to love. Someone will put it into words a lot better than me. I have not really seen it expanded on though I would really like to. Such an intriguing subject. By all means, Bush was in largely stable and happy relationships. She was with Del Palmer for well over a decade, and she did not get her heart broken much. Some could say she is writing from a fictional or less personal lens. What makes Kate Bush’s songs about passion and love so compelling is that she taps into something we all feel. Whether it is the vulnerability and temporary nature of love or the way it can chase us and we need to stand up to it, it is a reason why her music is so enduring and discussed. In a 2022 BBC feature, Bush’s “mystical songs” were celebrated. One passage particularly caught my eye: “In interviews she is lovely, if deftly evasive, unable or unwilling to put into words why and how she makes music of such magical intensity. The more that she denies that there is any mystery to unravel, the more fascinating she becomes. She told me that she loves it when listeners mishear or misread her songs as long as they take something positive from the experience: "Whether you've understood what the artist felt is basically irrelevant. It's how it makes you feel”. When Kate Bush graces us with new music, no doubt she will put love, romance and sex in the mix. Its romance, fragility and mystery. It will be compelling reading Kate Bush’s…

NEXT chapter.