FEATURE: Idiot Wind: Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks at Fifty

FEATURE:

 

 

Idiot Wind

Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks at Fifty

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I may only scratch the surface…

IN THIS PHOTO: Bob Dylan on stage in 1975/PHOTO CREDIT: Ray Stubblebine/AP/REX/Shutterstock

of this wonderful album but, as it turns fifty on 20th January, I wanted to spend some time with Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks. His fifteenth studio album, it was released by Columbia Records. Having begun recording at A & R studio in New York City in September 1974, Bob Dylan hastily re-recorded the material in December. That was shortly before Columbia were due to release Blood on the Tracks. Dylan re-recorded the album in Minneapolis. The final album features five tracks recorded in New York and five in Minneapolis. Even though Bob Dylan has denied the songs on Blood on the Tracks are autobiographical, it is hard to look beyond that. Songs about his estrangement from his wife, Sara. I want to start out with a feature from The Guardian. In 2018, they reviewed a new set, More Blood, More Tracks. It expanded on a classic album:

“On 16 September, 1974, Bob Dylan entered A&R recording studios in New York to begin work on his 15th studio album. He was 33 years old, his marriage was on the rocks and, despite a successful comeback tour that same year, his reputation rested solely on the epochal songs he had produced a decade previously. Having so defined the 1960s, Dylan had become an increasingly marginalised figure following his retreat to rural Woodstock at the close of the decade. The domestic normality he found there had precipitated a run of low-key, creatively unfocused albums that stretched from 1969’s Nashville Skyline to 1974’s Planet Waves. All that was about to change.

The making of the masterpiece that is Blood on the Tracks is as tangled a tale as any in Dylan’s long recording career. A version of the album was completed over four days in the studio in New York, the pace of Dylan’s impatient creativity confounding the hastily assembled band that had been recruited to flesh out his darkly reflective songs. Guitarist Eric Weissberg later recalled: “I got the distinct feeling Bob wasn’t concentrating, that he wasn’t interested in perfect takes. He’d been drinking a lot of wine, he was a little sloppy, but he insisted on moving forward, getting on to the next song without correcting obvious mistakes.” For the second day’s session, only one of the six musicians was retained, while two others were drafted in.

The finished album was scheduled for late December release. A record cover was printed, an advertising campaign finalised and test pressings dispatched to selected radio stations. A dissatisfied Dylan spent Christmas with his brother, David Zimmerman, his closest confidant. On hearing the finished record, David told him that it would fail commercially because the songs were too stark and stripped back to appeal to a mass audience. Rattled, Dylan derailed his triumphant return by insisting at the last minute that the album be withdrawn from the schedules.

Five of the 10 songs were then re-recorded in Sound 80 studio in Minneapolis over two days in the week after Christmas with a hastily assembled group of local musicians. The reworked album was rush-released on 20 January, 1975. Out of these messy and fraught circumstances, a masterpiece somehow emerged. Its gestation is mapped out in often revelatory detail on the imminent More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series Vol 14, a 6-CD deluxe box set released this week, in which the 10 original songs are augmented by every single outtake in chronological order from the 1974 recording sessions. A facsimile of one of the famous red notebooks adds to the allure of the expensive deluxe edition, while the less obsessive Dylan fan can make do with a pared-down version on single CD version and double vinyl formats.

The elaborately packaged album arrives on the back of the recent announcement by film director Luca Guadagnino that he is to follow up the mainstream success of Call Me By Your Name with an adaptation of Blood on the Tracks, which, he says, will be a “a multiyear story, set in the 70s, drawing on the album’s central themes”. Four decades after its release, Dylan’s most personal record continues to cast a spell.

As is the case for many Dylan devotees, Blood on the Tracks has been part of the soundtrack of my life since its release, as constant a presence as classic albums such as Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks, Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On? and Dylan’s previous masterpiece, 1966’s Blonde on Blonde. In the mid-90s, I came by a CD called Blood on the Tracks: The New York Sessions, an unofficial bootleg which had surfaced soon after the release of the original. It includes early, spartan recordings of songs including If You See Her, Say Hello and Idiot Wind. Over time, I have come to love them even more than the official versions, not least because, in their raw and still unfinished state, they sound even more intimate and revealing.

A case in point is his stark, acoustic reading of Idiot Wind, his most splenetic song since Positively 4th Street, which sounds even more intense than the more elaborate version on the 1975 original release. The contrast between the two reveals Dylan’s mercurial creativity at that time. Now comes news that the deluxe More Blood, More Tracks contains no fewer than nine versions of the song. (You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go unfolds over 12 separate takes.) This is manna from heaven for Dylan completists. For the rest of us, it provides intimate evidence of his often frenetic approach to recording and rewriting, capturing him in full flow at a pivotal moment on his creative journey. Lines, rhymes and even melodies change as Dylan searches for the shape and core meaning of each song in take after take. “It’s like you’re in the room...” elaborates producer Steve Berkowitz in the current issue of Uncut magazine. “It’s living history”.

I will finish with a couple of reviews for Blood on the Tracks. Before that, in 2020, Albumism marked Blood on the Tracks at forty-five. One of the all-time best albums, for those who have not investigated it yet, I would advise spending time with it. I think it ranks alongside the very best Bob Dylan albums:

“Like many of Bob Dylan’s albums, Blood On The Tracks has a complicated and involved history that greater musicologists than I have documented. A book, Simple Twist of Fate, was written about it, but the broad strokes of Dylan’s fifteenth studio album are reasonably well known.

Blood On The Tracks was Dylan’s first album back on his long-time home Columbia Records after releasing a pair of albums through Asylum. It was seen as his first and greatest comeback album that cemented him as an artist that could prosper in any era. At the time of its release, most believed it was his best album in close to a decade. And now, 45 years later, many say that it’s the best project that he ever recorded.

The relatively obscure details about the album have also been documented. How Dylan initially recorded the entire album over four chaotic days in New York City. How on the eve of the album’s release, with test copies of the vinyl pressed and artwork printed up, he decided to recall it and rerecord at least half of it (possibly at the suggestion of his brother). How he recorded the album in Minnesota using mostly unknown session musicians; the only credited musician for Blood On The Tracks is Eric Weissberg of “Dueling Banjos” fame. How he retooled the album’s sound and changed the lyrics on some of the songs in order to “soften” them. How he helped make the album lighter by changing the key everything would be played in.

Out of that mess, Blood On The Tracks in its “official” form was born, a timeless masterpiece of folk rock Americana. This makes it a difficult album to pay tribute to, because so much has been said and written about it in the past 45 years. Few other Dylan albums have gone through such extensive analysis. The angles and superlatives have all but run dry.

So I’ll just state my opinion, which is just that Blood On The Tracks is unquestionably great, high within the ranks of the best albums of all time. I’m not of the opinion that it’s Dylan’s best album, but I have it comfortably within the top five. That does indeed put it amongst the best albums ever released.

The album opens with “Tangled Up In Blue,” one of Dylan’s most beloved songs. It’s famous for the non-linearity of its narrative, which wasn’t a frequently used songwriting tool in the mid ’70s. Dylan’s approach to this unorthodox narrative structure was apparently influenced by artist Norman Raeben, who gave Dylan painting classes during 1974. The ’70s were a time when a folk rock god could say that his music was influenced by Anton Chekhov and Ukrainian painters and not sound pretentious.

“Tangled Up In Blue” remains one of Dylan’s surrealistic tours-de-force, filled with wistful memories of a woman with red hair and the time they spent together, including a still elusive tale of how they first met. Dylan has continued to change the lyrics to the song, performing many different versions of it over the years.

Blood On The Tracks is replete with strong narrative fare, creating vivid and fully realized characters through his lyrics. “Simple Twist Of Fate” documents what appears to be a one-night stand in a waterfall hotel. Dylan explores the thoughts of the man and woman, as she leaves to wander the docks soon after the night of passion has ended. He also makes inventive use of shifting the perspective of the song from first to third person, sometimes within the same verse.

Of course, the guts of Blood On The Tracks cover Dylan’s lamentations of love lost. On songs like “You’re A Big Girl,” “You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go,” and “If You See Her Say Hello,” he struggles to balance being the mature adult and learning to let go, all while being haunted by what could have been. “Meet Me In The Morning” is another largely underappreciated composition, a traditional Blues record that’s the only song on the album where the aforementioned Eric Weissberg appears.

Melancholy gives way to bile on “Idiot Wind,” the centerpiece of the album’s first side and Blood On The Tracks as a whole. At nearly eight minutes in length, it features Dylan railing against all manner of slights and perceptions, while leavening it with brief humorous asides. It’s a mash of over-the-top imagery and fury at his critics, musical or otherwise. It’s a subject matter that has been popular with Dylan since the days of “It Ain’t Me Babe.”

His anger is crystallized perfectly in the song’s second verse, as he rails, “People see me all the time / And they just can’t remember how to act / Their minds are filled with big ideas / Images and distorted facts.” He then segues into rage towards those who believe the criticisms that they read, sneering, “I couldn’t believe after all these years you didn’t know me any better than that.”

These words and other verses throughout the song only encouraged the idea that he was using the album to communicate bitterness towards his soon to be ex-wife. “Idiot Wind” is allegedly one of the songs that received the most extensive lyrical makeover, as some sections cut too close to the bone. Still, lyrics like “You hurt the ones that I love best / And cover up the truth with lies / One day you’ll be in the ditch / Flies buzzing around your eyes” are still pretty damn harsh.

“Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts” is Dylan at his most cinematic, an upbeat country ballad depicting the night in the life of bandits, a diamond baron, and cabaret performers in a town in the Old West. Structurally, the nearly nine-minute epic unfolds like a Larry McMurtry story, perfectly setting the scene and exploring the motivations of nearly everyone, except the enigmatic Jack of Hearts himself. Reportedly, there have been multiple attempts to turn the song into a film, but nothing has ever been made.

“Shelter From The Storm” features some of the album’s most arresting and beautiful imagery, as Dylan recounts his visions of the former love of his life providing him solace from the constant turmoil that life presents you. But like many of the songs on the album, unconditional love gives way to regret, as they lose sight of each other. Dylan sums up his feelings in the song’s second-to-last verse, singing, “Now there’s a wall between us / Something there’s been lost / I took too much for granted / I got my signals crossed.”

The album-ending “Buckets of Rain” is the only straight-ahead love song on Blood On The Tracks that doesn’t center on heartbreak. Playing his guitar and backed only by a bass, Dylan describes love in uncomplicated terms. He describes the effort it takes to find it amongst the misery of everyday life and the reality that comes from friends drifting apart. His lyrics are simple, yet pack a lot of depth and meaning, as he sings, “Friends will arrive, friends will disappear / If you want me honey baby, I’ll be here.”

Blood On The Tracks continues to be a source of fascination for Dylan fans and musical scholars. Columbia released More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series Vol. 14 (2018) as part of their continuing series of releasing outtakes and alternate takes of Dylan’s music. It was released as a single CD and six-CD boxset. The obsessives out there can use the six-CD set to piece together the “original” unreleased version of the album.

Blood On The Tracks could all be ruminations on the short stories of Chekhov or coded messages to the mother of his first child. Or it could be something else entirely. But whether or not it’s based on reality is immaterial. The album still has a power that hasn’t waned in the past four-and-a-half decades. Whether or not I personally ever thought of it like that, Blood On The Tracks stands as an unyielding monument to the permanent timelessness of heartache and pain”.

I am going to end with two reviews for Blood on the Tracks. Fifty years after its release, it is an album that still resonates and cuts deep. One of Dylan’s most poetic and revealing albums. The first review I want to include is from the BBC:

“Bob Dylan as an artist had a tough early 70s. By 1974 our Bob was in the strange position of being still regarded as the next Messiah while seeming bored with himself. This was, remember, the era of Planet Waves and Self Portrait – not his brightest moments - while his tour the previous year with the Band was also fairly iconoclastic. In the end two factors got Dylan back on (hem hem) track: painting and a very messy breakdown of his marriage.

In fact, one seemed to lead to the other. Dylan had spent two months in the spring of 1974, studying painting under Norman Raeben in New York. Afterwards he claimed: ‘It changed me. I went home after that and my wife never did understand me ever since that day’. While the album has a confessional sense of hurt Dylan’s always denied the connection but still admits that there’s a lot of pain on the album.

Initially sessions were held in familiar surroundings in New York. What’s more he was back with his old record company following an unsatisfactory sojourn with David Geffen’s Asylum label. Bob used Eric Weissberg’s band, Deliverance, to rush through the recording process and have the album finished in one week. In typical Bob form he showed scant regard for polish, leaving the sounds of his buttons and nails rattling against the guitar strings on many tracks. All was set for an Autumn release until, back in Minnesota, he played an acetate to his brother who suggested that it did need a more commercial sheen. Hastily assembling a cast of local musicians, Dylan re-recorded about half of the album and from these two halves this masterpiece was born.

From the opening track, “Tangled Up In Blue”, Dylan embarked on a whole new era in his work. Seemingly autobiographical, these tales of a lover relating a series of unrelated events all set in a mythical America used the impressionist method that he’d learned from Raeben: ‘I wanted to defy time, so that the story took place in the present and the past at the same time. When you look at a painting, you can see any part of it, or see all of it together. I wanted that song to be like a painting.‘ The same trick is pulled on the gorgeous “Simple Twist Of Fate.”

Over ten songs Dylan alludes to heartache, deception, angry name-calling and poignant regret and loneliness. While on the searing “Idiot Wind” he seems to have no mercy for his ex (‘It’s a wonder you can even feed yourself’ on “You’re A Big Girl Now” he pleads with her : ’I can change I SWEAR’. It’s different from his previous work because suddenly he’s singing about things that don’t pertain to youth anymore. Gone is the clever, sneering tone of the mid-60s or the haranguing of his protest years. It’s a world-weary, nostalgic and ultimately more poetic Dylan we hear, and that is what makes Blood… a timeless record”.

In 2016, Pitchfork explored Blood on the Track. Even though some feel it is quite caustic and sharp in places, it is actually a very warm and welcoming album. One of Bob Dylan’s most accessible albums. I first heard Blood on the Tracks when I was a child. It has lost none of its power decades later:

“Though the disintegration of Dylan’s marriage might easily be spotted in nearly every song on the album, there are also meditations on the ineffable passage of time (“Tangled Up in Blue”), a transitory love affair in the present tense (“You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go”) and media jackyldom and other bummers (“Idiot Wind”). For that matter, a full third of the LP’s second side is concerned with “Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts,” a nine-minute 16-verse ballad that bucks the album’s signature themes of time regained, implacable loves, and unnamed names. Though remaining convincingly jaunty throughout with a light melody that catches the details in forensic clarity, its drawn-out story is a chore to decipher. Unlike the ambient emotional narratives of the rest of the album, the linear ballad requires a full and present attention, a reminder of one of the ways that music consumption is different than reading. Reportedly once considered for a film adaptation, the screen may’ve suited its stage-directed characters better than folk-rock. Further separating it from the rest, the blood spilled on this particular track doesn’t seem to be Dylan’s own, detracting from the album’s bigger picture and only underscoring the unifying power of the other nine songs.

Drawing on a range of songwriting tricks (including an open “E” tuning that assures that very few will play Dylan like Dylan, either), Blood on the Tracks emphasizes a feeling of raw expression. Singing live in the studio (with the exception of the overdubbed “Meet Me in the Morning”), Dylan placed his usual focus on capturing in-the-moment performances. And though his reputation for studio and onstage spontaneity is well-deserved, Blood on the Tracks also presents songs that he had spent almost all of 1974 writing and reworking. Personal, perhaps, the songs easily transcend their would-be biographies. If Dylan’s attitudes towards his partners sometimes stand out as patronizing—“You’re a Big Girl Now” acting as an equally infantilizing bookend to 1966’s “Just Like a Woman”—they reveal more about the nature of hurt than anything useful about the songwriter.

One glimpse into the making of the album comes through the version that Dylan very nearly released, scrapping it at the last moment, after jackets and test pressings had already been made. Playing an advance copy at a family gathering in Minnesota in over the holidays, Dylan—at the behest of his brother—decided he wanted a brighter sound, less of a downer. Flexing his superstar muscle and anticipating Neil Young, Kanye West, and others, he had the album recalled, pulling together a band of local folkies in the days after Christmas 1974 to rerecord half of the songs. The New York acetate (most recently offered in 2015 for $12,000) is all late night atmospherics, mostly just Dylan and bassist Tony Brown, the sound of the former’s coat-buttons brushing against his guitar strings. Though tracks have come out via various box sets, bootlegs of the New York sessions—sourced warmly from the acetate—are every bit as magical as the final product, a classic all its own, minus a clunkier “Lily, Rosemary, the Jack of Hearts.”

In Minneapolis, Dylan brightened up the sound (changing keys on “Tangled Up in Blue,” striking a lighter keynote) and toned down some of the crueler lyrics (especially on “If You See Her, Say Hello”). If atmosphere was lost (and it was, especially without the pedal steel-drenched “You’re A Big Girl Now”), then accessibility was gained. Charting at #1 on its January 1975 release, Blood on the Tracks is arguably the last Dylan album on which a majority of the songs became standards of their own, part of the invisible canon shared at coffee houses, college campuses, or anywhere bright-eyed young pickers might congregate. In that way, it is also maybe Dylan’s last album of originals to qualify as “folk music” in both senses of the phrase: the popular genre defined by the presence of idioms and acoustic instruments, but also the great shared body of songs with lives and language that exist apart from their studio recordings and original performers. With the Byrds and many others achieving their own hits with his tunes and Dylan himself often circulating unrecorded work via folk music zines and songwriting demos, this had long been the expected fate of Dylan's songs.

Imagining Dylan as a simple songwriter, the template of Blood on the Tracks—sad boy with an acoustic guitar and a handful of chords—might seem basic, until one tries to replicate anything about it, or even just strum the songs at home. Blood on the Tracks lives alone in Dylan’s catalog, that open “E” tuning (which Dylan refused to explain to his musicians) often preventing the songs from sounding exactly right in the hands of others. It lives on in its own peculiar way. Dylan has seemed to keep “Tangled Up In Blue” in particular to himself, rewriting the song several times, both casually (playing fast and loose with the pronouns), and more formally, including a near-total rework released on 1984’s Real Live. One of the few older songs Dylan has performed consistently in recent years, even newer verses have emerged over the past half-decade. Nobody covers Dylan like Dylan either, apparently.

Though the albums on either side of Blood on the Tracks both made it to #1 and contained hints of the same songwriting territory, via Planet Waves’ “Going, Going, Gone” and *Desire’*s “Sara,” especially, they were only just hints. Some of Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks persona remained visible via the two legs of the Rolling Thunder Revue, but the original open tuning never returned, and Dylan would soon bury his vulnerability, too. The surrealism would resurface in full force for 1978’s Street-Legal, but the musical appeal didn’t. It took another few decades for Dylan even to return to the warm string-band sound of Blood on the Tracks, coming closest on his two 21st century albums of standards, Shadows in the Night and Fallen Angels. For a restless musician, it was a combination of factors that only came together once, locking together to transmit themselves through the years.

Even roughly 40 years later, Blood on the Tracks broadcasts hurt and longing so boldly it has become a stand-in, the type of shorthand a song licensor would deploy at the push of a button if it wasn’t so expensive and maybe too predictable. It manages a balance of old pain resolved and wounds so fresh they seem as if they might never heal, brutal personal assessment and doubt, unnecessary cruelties and real-time self-flagellation. While Blood on the Tracks can be a constant companion to listeners during periods of initial discovery, it (and Dylan’s whole catalog) has also become something to be lived with over a long period and put away for special occasions. Functioning like a literal album, the density of the passed time and pressed memories in “Tangled Up in Blue” grow richer with each passing year. As with the narratives of the songs themselves, Blood on the Tracks continues to absorb yesterday, today, and tomorrow, promising it can sustain new listeners as much as new meanings, should it ever have to be called back into service”.

On 20th January, the amazing Blood on the Tracks turns fifty. I wonder how Bob Dylan views the album now. Still one of his most acclaimed and celebrated, make sure that you spend some time with this masterpiece. It is personal and affecting but it is also inviting and layered. Songs that have stood the test of time. A genius songwriter at the peak of his powers. There are few stronger and more affecting albums than Bob Dylan’s…

FIFTEENTH studio album.

FEATURE: And Spend My Evenings with it Like a Friend: Kate Bush: A.I., Outtakes and Fresh Potential in 2025

FEATURE:

 

 

And Spend My Evenings with it Like a Friend

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1989/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

Kate Bush: A.I., Outtakes and Fresh Potential in 2025

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MY penultimate…

Kate Bush feature of 2024 looks to the future. I am going to be spending time discussing 1978, The Kick Inside and that period. For now, I want to assort a few different topics. That clash and contrast between the past and present. Recently, Kate Bush joined voices from artists calling for protection of their work from A.I. The Guardian reported on this:

“Kate Bush has called on ministers to protect artists from AI using their copyrighted works amid growing concerns from high-profile creatives and ongoing political uncertainty over how to handle the issue.

The reclusive singer-songwriter has joined the actors Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon, Rosario Dawson, Stephen Fry and Hugh Bonneville in signing a petition, now backed by over 36,000 creatives, which states the “unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted”.

Her intervention emerged after Sir Paul McCartney became the latest star to back calls for laws to stop mass copyright theft by generative AI companies, warning the technology “could just take over”.

Bush, who shot to fame with Wuthering Heights in 1978 but whose last album was released in 2011, gave a rare interview this year in which she said she was “very keen” to make a new album, saying: “I’ve got lots of ideas … it’s been a long time.”

The 66-year-old told the BBC: “I’m really looking forward to getting back into that creative space … Particularly [in] the last year, I’ve felt really ready to start doing something new.”

Amid growing hunger from tech companies for content on which to train their artificial intelligence algorithms, Peter Kyle, the secretary of state for science and technology, was expected to launch a consultation last month on a system that would require copyright holders to opt out of having their work mined to train AI algorithms. Kyle believes AI could be an engine of growth in the UK economy”.

The longer we await new music from Kate Bush, the greater the fear that someone will use A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) and try to replicate her work. They can write a Kate Bush song without her performing it. New words but manipulate her vocals. It is scary that we are in a position where artists can be exploited by A.I. No true Kate Bush fan would do that. However, as we have seen bands like Oasis and The Beatles subjected to A.I. replications of their music, it would be horrible to hear something like this happen to Kate Bush! She has always been at the forefront of technology but, as an artist and person, she favours natural sound. Analogue and vinyl. Rather than streaming and anything that is not warm and rich. A.I. really does seem to be the opposite of all of that. I really do hope that we never get a ‘new’ Kate Bush song from someone using A.I. I guess it puts a certain pressure on her to get ahead of this and release her own work.

That is not to say Kate Bush will never use A.I. herself. In terms of videos and helping to create visuals. It would never be part of recordings, but I wonder whether she will utilise it for any music videos. The thought does occur about artists like Kate Bush being subjected to the negative aspect of A.I. Not only when it comes to creating new recordings using her voice. Or her original music being used and manipulated by A.I. It is not only to protect Kate Bush. Other people involved in the recordings. I have already written about 2025 and what might be in store. I will write another feature as to what a possible eleventh studio album might sound like. Themes explored and what direction Kate Bush will head in. It does seem like we have seen the final push of archiving. Before talking about the possible end of retrospection and reissuing. I do wonder about 2025 and what will arrive. I have recently re-pitched the idea of Hounds of Love’s The Ninth Wave being adapted for the screen. Something Kate Bush wanted to do around the time Hounds of Love was released (in 1985), I do think it is a project that would intrigue her. People will say that she has already been approached by producers about this. But nobody knows Kate Bush or can speak for her. I always think this when people shoot down ideas. Assuming Bush would reject them or has already been asked. This year has seen Kate Bush’s music feature in trailers and T.V. shows. Including an appearance of Hounds of Love’s The Morning Fog in season three of The Bear, there have been nods to her incredible work. I do think that this will continue into 2025. Even though Bush is protective of her work and would not say ‘yes’ to everything, that is not to say she is going to deny everyone who comes her way! Will we see another one of her songs enjoy the same sort of exposure and revival as Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) did in 2022?! I would like it f another album got some focus. Not that we want people to use her music as a novelty or a sure-fire way to get some attention.

It would be good for Kate Bush when it comes to reaching new people. I think a big part of her reissuing her albums and putting so much effort into that is to attract both existing fans and a younger demographic. The fact that Emerald Fennell is adapting Wuthering Heights for the screen, does this mean that Kate Bush’s debut single will be in the film?! Whilst we do hope that A.I. and Kate Bush’s music do not mix in a bad way, it is always pleasing when filmmakers pay tribute to her. Not only does her music heighten particular scenes. It creates this attention and wave of curiosity that brings new people to that particular song. I have also pitched other Kate Bush-related projects. Like photographers John Carder Bush (her brother), Guido Harari and Gered Mankowitz discussing their time photographing Kate Bush. I know that there will be plenty of celebrations and discussions around her work next year. Possibly a new album. Have we seen the last of Kate Bush reissuing her albums? Will there ever be anything older but unheard brought to people? I don’t think that everything Bush has released on her albums is all that we have. In terms of archive takes and demos. Have they been erased? After 2014’s Before the Dawn and the 2016 live album from that residency, Bush began the first real reissuing of her albums. In 2018, Bush – assisted by James Guthrie - reissued her albums on vinyl and C.D. under her Fish People label. One important bit of retrospection and editing centred around 2005’s Aerial. With Rolf Harris providing vocals, they were taken out for new reissue. Bush’s son Bertie took on Harris’s parts.

Two C.D. and four vinyl boxsets were released (Remastered in Vinyl: I-IV). This was a chance to have her studio albums collected together. The Whole Story was included. Repackaged to include The Kick Inside through to The Dreaming, Hounds of Love to The Red Shoes (repackaged as a double album); Aerial to 50 Words for Snow. Thanks to Graeme Thomson and his book, Under the Ivy: The Life and Music of Kate Bush, for the information. A fourth boxset, The Other Sides, collected B-sides, remixes, non-album tracks and songs that appeared on soundtracks. It was one of the first cases of Bush’s releasing these lesser-known tracks. Dipping more into the archives and away from the well-known albums. One big reason why Bush initiated this first round of reissues is because she wanted ownership of her work. It was hard to find many of her albums on vinyl pre-2018. Now on Fish People, this was important to Kate Bush. Ensuring that her work was available again on physical formats. Bush spent so much time and energy overseeing the reissues. Many artists have their work reissued but do not get involved. Bush wanted to make sure that the sound and packaging was to her specifications and subject to her approval. In February 2023, Bush announced that Fish People was working with a new distribution partner, state51 Conspiracy. They would take over from Warner Music Group. They would reissue her work released from 1980 onwards. The entire catalogue in the U.S. It was a big moment. Given the new interest in her work in the U.S. – no doubt bolstered by Bush being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (2023) – her albums were rereleased to C.D. and vinyl in 2023. It was another round of reissuing that is likely going to be her last. The 2023 editions featured 2018 remastering by Kate Bush and James Guthrie. Alongside the studio album reissues, Bush also put out special editions for The Dreaming, Hounds of Love and 50 Words for Snow. Hounds of Love got extra special treatment. Some fans found it excessive and too pricey for their tastes. I think it was this final and definitive push to get her albums on physical formats under her own label.

If we think A.I. is something fake and designed to exploit and undercut artists and manipulate and steal their music. Physical formats seem to be the opposite of that. Albums that will not be copied or subjected to anything underhand. Bush realising that streaming was not viable for most artists. That most artists were not making any real money from it. When Bush performed Before the Dawn in 2014, she reinvestigated and mounted her work from 1985 onwards. No retrospection of the period before. I think Kate Bush genuinely only wants her albums to come out as they always were. Not expanding or adding anything. Many of her music heroes, with us and departed, have seen their legacy reshaped with outtakes, demos, live recordings and anything else that can be mined. Mainly designed to gain money for estates and labels, it does reshape how we see that artist. Prince and David Bowie are two examples of deceased artists who have had so much posthumous material released. No doubt Kate Bush has an archive and there are outtakes, demos and some unreleased songs that will never come out (such as the title track of 1980’s Never for Ever). Bush’s albums have not been distilled and there has been no major architecture or excavation. Instead, Bush has tweaked, tailored and repurposed her albums. Making sure her albums are available on vinyl. So, next year will be one with very little in the way of looking back. Bush is looking ahead. Now that she has mainstream acceptance and awareness in the U.S., there will be occasions where artists cover her work, T.V. shows and films use her work; there will be this new demand and desire. With every reissue and new step, Kate Bush is protecting and preserving her work. As intended. In her own vision. It takes me back to A.I. and this unauthorised use of artists’ work. Ensuring that we do not hear a horrible A.I. Kate Bush song that would be roundly condemned by Bush and her fans. New possibilities and horizons for 2025 now that Bush opened the possibilities of new material. It could be announced at any moment really. From GRAMMY nominations to her work being included on the screen, through to Bush releasing a video, Little Shrew (Snowflake), and raising funds for War Child, it has been…

>

A wonderful year.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Ella Isaacson

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

Ella Isaacson

_________

I am going to bring in….

a few interviews with the amazing Ella Isaacson. This is an artist that everyone needs to keep a close watch out for next year. Someone who is going to make huge steps. I am going to start off with some biography about an artist that you should know about and follow:

“Her solo project has garnered over 26 Million streams on Spotify and 40 million across platforms as well as a songwriter that has amassed over half a Billion streams now and a Billboard #1. Discovered upon a chance meeting abroad, Ella was taken under the wing of Norwegian Hitmakers Stargate, who played a pivotal role in developing her as an artist and honing her songwriting skills. Ella is a regular feature on Spotify's SALT Playlist and Apple Music's BREAKING POP. Ella has seen a bunch of viral tiktok success over various singles on her Artist project in the last few years including her latest "FMLYLM" with over 6 Million views on the platform.

In 2022, Ella's single Armageddon was a "Popular" Tiktok sound trending over 30 Million streams across UGC, while her 2023 release, "RUDE," has been played on 50+ US radio stations, earning support from notable radio figures like Ted Stryker at Alt 98.7, Jojo Wright from Kiis FM, and Maxwell on z100. Ella has collaborated on releases with artists like Illenium, Blasterjaxx, Zed's Ded, R3hab, Gallant, Deep Chills and BKAYE and has penned songs for Bryce Vine, Aespa, Xiumin from EXO and more”.

I am quite new to Ella Isaacson. She is an artist that I have just connected with and am loving her music. I am interested to see where she heads next year. With such a distinct sound and a clear talent, I am excited to see where she heads.

I want to start out with a 2021 interview from FLAUNT. Around the time Ella Isaacson released the incredible single, Out of My Head, it is interesting learning more about the New York-raised artist. I will move on to some 2024 interviews in a minute:

“Growing up, Ella fell in love with poetry first before discovering her own voice as a singer. In combining the two, suddenly she found solace in songwriting and recording songs… inspired by a wide range of influences from Avril Lavigne to Green Day to Billy Joel. First releasing music under another moniker, Ella spent some time overseas where she came to the realization of what it meant to be 100% authentically herself.

Ella describes her character in one word: time. “She’s a time traveler essentially, she's era driven,” she explains. “There’s a lot of inspiration both in the world she lives in and the music she writes, that’s all driven by time. Whether it’s on a thematic level of running out of time and the anxieties that come with life, then a visual level inspired by moves through time and different eras. Pull-on different things that way.”

What part of New York are you from?

A bit of a mixed batch, I grew up in Long Island and Manhattan.

What was a young Ella like growing up there?

For my younger life, I was very much in the suburbs. I was a kid who does what kids do when they’re bored in the suburbs. [laughs] They have too many things to overthink about and they write. I wrote poetry as a kid, I’d curl up in my room or find the backyard or grass. I’d write poetry, I was that kid.

At what point did poetry turn into music?

I was doing music for a while. I did classical training, I was singing as a kid. When I was 13, I realized “Wow, I should put these two things together.” I’d been writing poetry for a lot of years, I started really young. I was one of those strange kids who fell into that at 8 years old. I started to put it together. I had a cousin who was much older than me, who was a producer. I called him and said “Hey, I just wrote a song. Could you record it for me?” That day, my poetry went into full-on recording and I fell in love with it.

Who made you want to do music?

I was the child of much, much older siblings. I was 12+ years plus to my youngest sibling. You became a sponge at that point, my sister started singing. Because she sang, I’ve always had music around my house. My parents were music lovers. There’s tons of videos of me at the piano or grabbing a hairbrush to sing. It was in my world, I just took it and made it my own.

How would you describe your sound now?

[sighs] It’s grown a lot. The EP is definitely an acoustic pop driven sound. It’s called Chapters,  I don’t know why it took us so long. We wanted to encapsulate a lot of things in the title. We’ve been releasing Chapters along with the singles as they come out. I literally had a eureka moment the other day: “that is the most perfect name for the EP!” [laughs] Last second when we got there, because I couldn’t settle. I needed it to be exactly right. It really fits in with so many things. From a literary perspective, there’s a lot of influences on the project. Just the fact it talked about stages in your life. A lot of us are always growing but this new generation in your 20’s, you’re growing up in a different way than ever before. The opportunities and choices, it’s moving so fast that things are changing so much for every generation.

For me, that’s really where I felt so much of my growth has happened. I wanted to mark that and Chapters is the perfect representation on a lot of different levels. It’s been really amazing because we’re about time. Of course, things have always been organic. For the new project, in the last month we’ve almost made an album worth of material. Sometimes, inspiration hits. You finish one thing and already have the bulk of another. [laughs] That’s been really fun. The EP was a culmination of things I worked on before and during Covid. While the new project is really where I’m at right now. So much inspiration, so many things that happened and my personal evolution with the project as well. I’m really excited. When we speak of eras, we’re really inspired by main collaborators like Billy Joel, Elton John, Queen. Everything from time signatures to the way the guitars are played and arpeggiation. Really getting specific about the time period and bringing you something fresh and new with it. It’s been really exciting to experiment with that sound because I grew up on that being a New Yorker.

How does it feel to release “Out Of My Head”?

I’m feeling really good about it. One of my big places of inspiration has been Sweden. That song was literally made the first day when I worked in Sweden for the first time.

Have you always been vulnerable with your music?

It took a while, I’ll be honest. We all have vulnerability as children, then that goes away. When I wrote music at the start I struggled with that honesty for whatever reason, I don’t know if it’s being shy or the feeling of being watched, or if you grow to be less vulnerable because of life experiences, but it took a long time. The birth of the project this time was where I said “wow, I’m really writing about my life. Things I’m really experiencing on a day to day basis, everything’s rooted from me.” It changed my life and my art, it’s all growing pains.

What would you be doing if you weren’t doing music?

Oh god, I don’t know. I don’t think I have any other plans. [laughs] I’m so focused on music. If I wasn’t in music, because I’m so inspired by poetry and film, it’d definitely have to be something in those landscapes. I’m doing that now, it’s been really exciting to try out my hands in different things. I really love that process, it’s something I see myself doing.

What do you like to do for fun when you’re not recording?

I like fun experiences with friends or people I love. A great view, a great class, a great dinner. Something where I get to share that experience, see something really beautiful and have fun doing it.

One thing you want people to get from the Chapters EP?

I want them to see that everybody goes through these growing pains. We can really feel alone in that process, in our frustration. I really go there without shame in talking about it, I throw myself under the bus sometimes. [laughs] I really want fans to hear that and feel not alone. That’s why we listen to music, so we feel less alone”.

This year has seen Ella Isaacson release incredible singles like Cocaine Kisses and Penny Lane. Perhaps her finest music to date, it bodes well for next year. What will come from this sensational artist. I will love on to a recent interview from Lock Mag. I was especially interested reading Isaacson’s response to the question as how, as a female musician, she tackles obstacles:

“How do you express your personal experiences and identity through your music?

Earlier on I learned from songwriters who gave me a shot at the start, that a great songwriter is a great storyteller. Whether that’s telling stories from your experiences and those close to you, an aspirational story of the version of ourselves we wish we could be, or bringing the listener on a journey of a world we’re tapping into in that moment. I’ve touched on all these different approaches in my process. I think identity is something that happens over time and writing many songs and creating your world brick by brick.

Have you faced any challenges or obstacles as a female musician, and if so, how have you overcome them?

I have and as a really young girl when I started, I wasn’t as vocal as I should’ve been. I think I attempted to handle those challenges with grace and just walk away from where situations where I didn’t feel respected and really pay attention to my spidey senses when things felt off. I tried to dim my feminine side in ways and be extra professional, so as not to warrant any unwanted attention, which sucked that it was all on me to try to manage that rather than people knowing right from wrong or knowing that certain things are just simply “not okay” to say to a young, female artist.

I can’t say there weren’t moments and interactions that didn’t shock me or make me feel really hurt and at odds with the way people choose to operate.

Now, my approach is much more vocal and I think the industry has gotten much more aware of appropriate conduct. I think female musicians do get a lot more criticism and meanness directed at them than men from the business side, but I really hope we are in a growth spurt of change and I believe it truly is getting better.

Are there any particular themes or messages that you aim to convey through your music?

My songs cover various themes, but ultimately, I want people to walk away feeling confident, seen, empowered, sexy, and ready to grab life by the horns while embracing their true selves.

Can you talk about your creative process and how you go about writing and producing your music?

I like to start from scratch usually, with a great guitar lick or a sound or reference of some sort. My favorite is when I have a lyric idea I’ve been mulling over and bring it into the studio and then marry that with the production idea we create. I want both the lyrical content and the sonic world to hit both separately and together. I have worked all different ways and continue to challenge myself but a bulk of the music I make lately has started this way!

How do you hope your music will resonate with your audience, especially with other aspiring female musicians?

My point of view is through a very female forward lens and I don’t sensor myself very much because I want other females to feel the freedom to say and do what they want in life and not be limited by archaic societal norms and expectations, which frankly need a real update. I want my music and world to be a place for all people to feel free to express themselves and feel confident, seen, sexy, and empowered”.

I am going to end with a great interview from The Indie Grid. They heralded an artist who is a stellar addition to today’s Rock Pop landscape. I would urge anyone unfamiliar with Ella Isaacson to check out her music. She is going to be one of the essential voices of next year:

“Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?

It really varies, but I always love when I get a random burst of inspiration and start writing a bunch of poetry or even if I just have a line or phrase or a word or two, I’ll bring that into the studio and to my co-writers. I’ve also been in the lab just throwing ideas back-and-forth and the most amazing songs have also come out of that! 

How do you find inspiration for your music and lyrics?

In all different ways, sometimes it’s life and just getting out of my head and going and living it. Sometimes it’s listening to a bunch of music. And sometimes it’s hearing a word or phrase out in the world or on the radio. Honestly, a bunch of my best ideas come when I’m half asleep or when I’m in the shower. Listening to music and listening to new music even if it’s in a totally different world than what I make can be so inspiring.

Also listening to full albums, I feel like just really diving headfirst into those artists’ worlds for a project like that really brings me inspiration. 

What themes or messages do you hope listeners take away from your music?

I would say my songs have all different themes, but at the end of the day I want people to walk away feeling confident, feeling seen, angsty if they need to be, sexy and ready just grab life by the horns and be their beautiful selves walking through it!

What challenges have you faced as an emerging artist in the music industry?

We could be here all day haha it’s complicated being an emerging artist but what I would say more than anything is that we’re in a period of so much opportunity and have so much power being put in our hands right now.  Every industry has its challenges, but we can now reach more fans directly than ever, so I really focus on that more than the challenges. My fans and the people that are excited about the music I make keep me going and motivated.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your musical journey so far?

There have been many, I always wanted to do something of value and impact in the space. I think the experience of putting out “FMLYLM” was really a turning point for me. I had teased it once on Tiktok and right away it went viral that day. I just felt so connected to the fans on the platform, seeing their support and excitement in real time, it really moved the needle on that song and was such a different kind of experience than my other records. 

We all come to the table with our own baggage and I have my fair share but to see all these people supporting me, really made me feel like, okay I’ve done something good. I’ve ticked a few things off my goals list songwriting for other artists, but on that song it just touched me in a different way.

How do you stay true to yourself and your artistry in a constantly evolving industry?

By doing the work on myself and paying attention to the person inside of me. The human who loves to embrace the spirit of change, but also needs to make time clear my mind and gain perspective. Often in the industry there are people around that will make you question your ideas, but your circle should have that “let’s make it happen” mentality. I make sure to place myself in environments and around my friends and creative crews, that help bring my crazy ideas to life with a spirit of positivity and excitement. 

What can fans expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or tours? Where do you see yourself and your music career in the next five years?

I’m really excited about getting out there and playing for my fans. I want to connect with them on a deeper level and share this music that has a classic rock feel but with a modern twist. I’ve been working on these songs that capture the real essence of rock, both old and new. That’s what’s really inspiring me right now and I want to bring back that raw energy, boldness, and honesty that made classic rock so timeless, but put my own spin on it. We’ll be building this dream together, one song at a time, one show at a time”.

Such an accomplished artist, I am glad that I cam across Ella Isaacson’s music. She is going to have a really successful 2025. Make sure that you follow her and chart her progress. I can feel and see big things in her future. This is a sensational artist that you…

NEED to know about.

____________

Follow Ella Isaacson

Official:

https://www.ellaisaacson.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ellaisaacson/

TikTok:

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

Twitter:

https://x.com/iamellaisaacson

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/69DKP6GuG0YiUc5K7tJ4an

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6U_mm7Wm6yyE8ufj2FwpcQ

FEATURE: Oh England My Lionheart: The Importance of Kate Bush’s Incredible Album Covers

FEATURE:

 

 

Oh England My Lionheart

The Importance of Kate Bush’s Incredible Album Covers

_________

WHEN we think about….

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in an outtake from the Lionheart shoot in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

Kate Bush’s album, there is the main focus on the music. As there should be. However, a great album cover gives us a window into what an album is about. The kind of sounds and stories that the listener can discover. Also, the strength of that central image. I recently published a feature that explored the cover of Bush’s 1978 debut album, The Kick Inside. With photographer Jay Myrdal taking the image of Kate Bush suspended from a giant kite, I would perhaps rank it lower than most of her other album covers. Lionheart was released in 1978. It is her second studio album. It corrects some of the issues with The Kick Inside. Bush, now, is the focus of the cover and not part of a large collage. Not shrunk or out of focus. Before getting to a few specific album covers, it is worth noting how they changed. Phases that occurred. There were multiple different covers for The Kick Inside depending on the country it was released in. Lionheart’s striking and intriguing cover was not replaced with a lot of variations. Bush very much at the core of her album covers until 1993. Her face very much the lure and main point of most of her album covers to that point. Definitely her image. 1993’s The Red Shoes was a pair of feet in red shoes. Whether it was the most appropriate image given the album title or Bush wanted to be less out of the spotlight, we saw less of Kate Bush for her following three albums. I would have thought Director’s Cut and 50 Words for Snow (both 2011) would have featured Bush at the front. One of the promotional photos from each album used as the cover. For the former, Bush holding aloft some film and inspecting it. For the latter, Bush dressed in fur (fake fur) and wrapped up warm against the elements. Both would have been more tangible and striking. However, I do feel that Kate Bush wanted her covers not to feature her. More concept and illustration rather than photography. From 2005, Bush featured less and less in her videos. To match her album covers, Bush’s visual representation was more imagined and artistic rather than personal and traditional. Many people love her latest three albums’ covers. They have a distinct aesthetic.

However, there are three or four album covers where she is the focus that stands in the mind and are more compelling than covers where Bush is not featured. Think about Lionheart’s cover where Bush is dressed in a lion costume and in an attic, sat in on chest with a glimmer of light coming through. The playfulness and connection to the title. Bush as a lion or lionhearted. Her brother John Carder Bush helped compose the set and shot. The photo taken by Gered Mankowitz. From further reading, that previous sentence might not be accurate. John Carder Bush came up with the concept, but it was Gered Mankowitz who controlled the shot and took the photo. Bush on a box/chest with a lion’s head on the floor beside her. Art direction and photography based on a design from Richard Gray. Bush said that we – her and Mankowitz/the crew – wanted to get across the vibe of a lion from within her. Her pose is playful but also lion-like. One gets an impression of an album that is curious, playful, strong, brave, maybe eclectic. I do think that you get some connection with the songs from the cover. Emotions and aspects of the ten tracks connecting in some way to the stunning Gered Mankowitz photo. Bush also revealed in an interview that her brother came up with this concept. That it was sort of comical. Lionheart can also connect to Richard of Lionheart (Richard I, known as Richard Cœur de Lion or Richard the Lionheart because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199). Steely, hard and dark, the cover was design to contrast impressions one might get of the word ‘Lionheart’. Bush wanted people not to quickly associate Lionheart with Richard I. Lionheart could mean ‘hero’. Bush sort of lamented the fact that word was used in so many songs. Lionheart remains one of the most fascinating Kate Bush covers.

Gered Mankowitz shot the cover at his studio and spent the day photographing Kate Bush. Mankowitz built the set and the shoot went on a long time. Bush’s natural curiosity, input, excitement and creative zeal meant that it was quite hard to get things settled. Taking a shot that was perfect. I could imagine Bush wanting to try different angles and wanting the light to be brighter or from a different perspective. Seemingly more involved in this cover shoot than for The Kick Inside – though Bush was quite involved but seems like an aside rather than the star -, once the cover shot was taken, there was a series of close-ups. The close-up shots of Bush’s hair looking red (or red-tinged) and the impression she was topless. The fact that we could not see any clothing in the shot. That slight allure. These shots could have been used as the cover but, instead, one of the shots was used on the back cover. Bush was aware that she needed to keep her photo in the paper and the publicity machine going. Bush also said how she acted up and played around because she didn’t want to have photos where she was miserable. Someone who knew that her image was going to be discussed, I think Bush being involved in photos like the one for Lionheart’s cover was an early glimpse of her visual aspirations. That would lead her to directing years later. Before wrapping up, I will look at the cover for The Dreaming and The Sensual World. I might reserve a separate feature for the cover of Hounds of Love, as it might be her most iconic and standout cover. More stunning and fascinating with every new album cover, the follow up from 1978’s Lionheart, 1980’s Never for Ever, has this wonderful and hugely imaginative illustration from Nick Price. This feature from 2023 argues that Never for Ever has the best album cover ever. The objects and visions that flow from under her dress. So many different meanings and levels:

“Album artwork serves as a portal into the soul of music. Acts like Kate Bush enrich this medium with vibrant colours, intriguing graphics, evocative imagery, and even thought-provoking text – it can hold the power to convey messages and themes that sometimes elude the music itself. Whether strolling through a record store or browsing online, the initial encounter often begins with the album cover.

In essence, this artistic facet offers a distinctive avenue for self-expression that transcends the boundaries of the album’s sonic landscapes. While an artist may assert their psychedelic inclinations through their music, there’s something uniquely resonant in the use of vivid hues and retro-futuristic visuals, coupled with imagery that frequently hints at multifaceted dimensions. This visual medium communicates more about the essence of a record than mere word of mouth ever could.

As a pioneer of theatrics and pyrotechnics, it comes as no surprise that the artwork for many of Kate Bush’s albums evoke that precise level of extraordinary: her debut album demonstrated this beautifully with its depiction of Bush holding onto a large dragon kite, gliding across a vast, all-seeing eye. Even Hounds of Love exhibits a profound sense of tensity with Bush’s voluminous hair and dramatic yet soft purple hues. However, the album that encapsulates her entire essence and arguably stands as one of the finest in the realm of music due to its profound relevance and unparalleled creativity is undoubtedly Never For Ever.

The initial two albums had established a distinctive sound that permeated every track, characterised by opulent orchestral arrangements complementing the live band’s presence. Never for Ever, however, diverges considerably in stylistic diversity, ranging from the direct and energetic ‘Violin’ to the nostalgic waltz of the chart-topping single ‘Army Dreamers’. Bush’s artistic inspirations from horror literature and cinema were once again prominently featured on this album, with songs like ‘The Infant Kiss’, which tells the story of a governess who grapples with adult emotions for her young male charge, possessed by the spirit of an adult man.

By extension, the cover art features a striking design that reflects the creative essence of the album and all of its messy yet stunning inclinations. Designed by British photographer and graphic designer Nick Price, who collaborated with Kate Bush on several of her album covers, the image depicts Bush in a surreal and ethereal tableau. Evoking an intriguing sense of mysticism and surrealism, various animals emerge underneath her dress, including a yellow-eyed owl, a black crow, and a pair of white doves.

This visual representation perfectly mirrors the album, both in terms of its sound and context. The artwork exudes a dreamy and otherworldly quality, aligning seamlessly with the album’s thematic explorations and diverse musical journeys. The project serves as the quintessential example of using music as a conduit for fantastical storytelling, illustrating the conflicting forces of good and evil that manifest within us and how these entities present themselves to the external world.

It’s an inevitable aspect of the human experience – the convergence of inner and outer worlds – and the cover’s depiction of the intricate and omnipresent nature of emotions and the darkness within is astounding. As Bush explained herself, the image represents “an intricate journey of our emotions: inside gets outside, as we flood people and things with our desires and problems. These black and white thoughts, these bats and doves, freeze-framed in flight, swoop into the album and out of your hi-fis. Then it’s for you to bring them to life”.

When coming up with the idea, Bush gave Price direction, but it was ultimately his choice to apply his vision following a simple instruction to convey light and dark themes. What he created firmly resonated with Bush’s inner world, echoing the artistic influences she held dear. One such influence was the Renaissance painter Pieter Breughal, whom she once said would be the artist she would most like to embody. Bush cited his ability to capture reality in a fantastical yet profoundly beautiful and elemental manner and found his depictions hauntingly evocative.

Another artist she admired was the late 1800s illustrator Arthur Rackham. The woman featured in his work, ‘Undine in the Wind’, bears a striking resemblance to the figure of Bush depicted on the cover of Never For Ever, right down to the detail of both figures standing on their toes. Price’s artwork also parallels the paintings of 15th and 16th-century artist Hieronymous Bosch, sharing similarities such as encompassing style, the use of colour, and the exploration of dreamlike and nightmarish subject matter.

Beyond the front cover illustration, the back continues its thematic thread, featuring Kate Bush in flight alongside ominous black vampire bats. The French picture sleeve for the ‘Breathing’ 7″ vinyl single also portrayed her as a bat. On side-A of the original vinyl release label, however, she is depicted as a graceful white swan, abstract concepts that were also featured in the music videos for ‘Delius’ and ‘Babooshka’”.

The two albums that come either side of Hounds of Love are 1982’s The Dreaming and 1989’s The Sensual World. They each have their own palette and emotional expression. Snapshots of Kate Bush at these distinct times. All three covers have Bush very much at the front. The cover for The Dreaming was shot by John Carder Bush. The image, Bush with a key in her mouth about to kiss Harry Houdini (played by Del Palmer with his back to camera), refers to the song, Houdini, and how Houdini’s wife Bess passes a key through a kiss so that the escapologist can use it to defy death. Classic Pop Mag publishes a feature in 2023 and mentioned the fantastic cover: “The Dreaming followed that September. It’s cover, taken by brother John Carder Bush at the family’s East Wickham farm home, depicted Bush as a glamorously-coiffured, Houndstooth-attired Mrs Houdini, passing her escapologist husband a key with a kiss. Sepia-tinted to look period, it was romantic but full of that crawling, Gothic ivy’s dark spaces, a scene redolent of Bush’s beloved painting, John Millais ‘A Huguenot’. That sense of fear, romance, history, fantasy and death. If Never for Ever seemed to be about this artist set free and unleashed with so many ideas and there was this fantastical element to the cover, there is something else going on with The Dreaming’s cover. Linking to one song rather than the entire album, I do feel that The Dreaming’s cover also extends beyond Houdini. Maybe this suggestion that Bush is herself trying to escape. If we think that her with a key in her mouth is solely about Houdini and her making sure he is safe, is there more to it? People have not really discussed the cover and different meanings. How it sums up The Dreaming and its emotional and visuals aspects. How one feels looking at the cover. Hounds of Love has this distinct vibe and meaning to me. The Dreaming pulls my mind in different directions. The same could be said of The Sensual World and its cover. Again shot by John Carder Bush, it is this beautiful image of Kate Bush with a flower in front of her mouth. On first glance, it is purely about romance and mystery. An alluring image that could link to sensuality and tease.

I do think that the flower by her mouth is as symbolic as the key in her mouth. If Bush wanted to conjure something nervy and anxious with The Dreaming, perhaps to represent how she was feeling or how this was a commercial gamble, maybe The Sensual World’s cover was Bush is new bloom. One of her most female and womanly albums; this new growth and purpose. It could also mean secrecy and keeping things in. We do not see her mouth. The fact that the flower is so large. Maybe to represent something obscuring her expression and true voice. The photo is in black-and-white, so there is this other possibility. Maybe a sense of mystery or a filmic nature. A dream or fantasy. Again, nobody really discusses the cover of The Sensual World. For The Dreaming and The Sensual World, I think the focal point is Bush’s mouth. There are similarities between the albums but contrasts too. A sense of maturity and elegance with The Sensual World. Romance and grace. I think this applies to the songs and gives a sense of what the album is about. New bloom and a new phase. Chaos, the unexpected and risk with The Dreaming. Even if the albums were only released seven years apart, Bush was in a very different place by 1989. I love all of her album covers, but feel that from Lionheart to The Sensual World inclusive is the finest period. The Kick Inside has its flaws and The Red Shoes is beautiful and visual impressive, but does not  have Kate Bush in it. Aerial, Director’s Cut and 50 Words for Snow more about illustration and art rather than being about the artist.

I would love for there to be a more forensic look at all the album covers. Photographers like Gered Mankowitz and John Carder Bush together with artist Nick Price. Maybe fans talking about the covers and which are their favourites. I have done a feature ranking the covers before. I might revisit that in the future. As I say, I will spotlight Hounds of Love’s cover closer to the album’s fortieth anniversary in September. Here, I wanted to spend a bit of time with a few of Kate Bush’s phenomenal album covers. I think each has their own canvas and palette. They summon up different visions and interpretations. If one thinks Never for Ever has no single theme or focus and The Dreaming distinctly does, I would argue against that. Lionheart has so many depths and angles. The Sensual World makes me wonder about what the flower symbolises and the decision to shoot in black-and-white. How Bush’s face disappeared from album covers after 1989. Why it was not at the front of her debut album cover. There is so much to unpick and discuss. So much care was taken to get the cover images right. To give them their own voices and personalities. People have their favourites and reasons why. You cannot deny the power and iconic Hounds of Love. However, The Sensual World and Lionheart are underrated. Never for Ever combines Kate Bush being on the cover but not. Whether you like the covers post-The Sensual World. Bush having more artistic say with the covers. Not wanting to include her. Maybe she felt her being on the cover was too definitive and not representative of the albums’ stories and colours. Interesting. Too under-discussed in my opinion, the album covers are endlessly fascinating and detailed. I would really love to know…

WHAT other people think.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Hana Giraldo

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Von Robinson

Hana Giraldo

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LOOKING around at the artists….

PHOTO CREDIT: Von Robinson

that we need to follow next year, there are definitely sparks of excitement. Artists that you should be looking at. One such artist is Hana Giraldo. I am going to spend time with her and her music. Bring in a few interviews. Some great insights from this year. I am starting out with an interview from Loop Mag. Rather than it specifically being about the music, I was interested in this piece as we get a look into her personal life and activism. An artist who wants to be a very positive influence in the world:

“After sitting in the makeup chair, Giraldo straps on a silver minidress and large hoop earrings that are reminiscent of a time when people went to clubs (you know, before every nightlife venue in Los Angeles closed to slow the spread of COVID-19). She tells stories about pre-pandemic nights out, like when she and her boyfriend, Kyle Massey, who starred on Disney Channel’s “Cory in the House,” met Justin Bieber.

“He’s a really good guy, he’s really sweet,” she says. “I think it was Kyle’s birthday, and I remember being in the club, and him just coming in and there were like, 80 security guards. … I just remember I’d never seen so much security. It’s nice too when you meet someone like that and they’re so humble.”

“Staying humble is my biggest thing because I hate it when people will act like they’re the shit”

Giraldo prides herself on similar attributes. “Staying humble is my biggest thing because I hate it when people will act like they’re the shit,” she says. “…Growing up with famous parents, I’ve always had a smaller ego because they taught me to be like that.”

Although she was raised in the spotlight—born a decade after her mother released classic hits like “Love Is A Battlefield” and “We Belong”—Giraldo wasn’t immune to things like bullying. When Giraldo was about 9 years old, her family moved from their Malibu home to Hana, Hawaii, an island she was named after, where she was constantly picked on. What she didn’t realize at the time was that the harsh words used by her peers were grooming her for a career in content creation.

“I don’t ever really dig too deep into the comment section, just because I’ve heard it all,” she says. “You tell me what’s bad about me, I’ve heard it all. It doesn’t really affect me how it would affect another person.”

When Giraldo’s family moved back to Los Angeles three years later, she remembers traveling with her mom on tour and having to find ways to entertain herself. Since this was before the smartphone era, she’d make videos using a Macbook Pro.

“I wouldn’t have anybody to hang out with, or I’d have my babysitters, so I’d have them dress up and I would shoot a video,” she says.

While these early skits weren’t Giraldo’s best work, she says today her highest performing videos are often the ones for which she has the lowest budgets and puts in the least amount of effort. “It’s very strange; it’s like the more you think about it, the more you get in your head,” she explains. “People just like to see what’s authentic, and what’s really going on”.

Another interview with Loop Mag, I was interested reading what Hana Giraldo had to say about her childhood. We get a glimpse into her past and future. How she unwinds and where she likes to hang. Also, what it is like being the daughter of a major artist who has so many fans around the world. It must have been an exciting and artistic household to grow up in:

“Hana Giraldo, daughter of pop queen Pat Benatar and songwriter and guitarist Neil Giraldo, is not to be trifled with. A victim of bullying herself, this fashion forward social media star says, “I thank God every day for putting me through that. Now I have the thickest skin in America! Just try to stop me…There’s not one thing that someone could say to me that would make me give up.” Hana began her social media career by styling Vine stars when she unknowingly moved into the Vine house on Hollywood and Vine in West Hollywood. Soon after, Hana was asked to be in these influencers’ videos and it’s been up, up, up since then, with currently over 500,000 followers on Instagram.

What was it like growing up with Pat Benatar as your mother?

HG: I guess my upbringing was different from the way most kids grow up. I learned the business very young. I traveled a lot. It was a blessing but it was normal for me. I didn’t know anything other than going to your mom’s shows every day or living on a tour bus.

In one of your videos, I heard you say that you were more of an introvert growing up.

HG: I grew up in Malibu until the fifth grade when we moved to Maui, Hawaii. I was badly bullied there. I didn’t want to make things harder on my family so I just didn’t say anything and I just stuck it out. I was always super nice, super happy, loved life. But I was badly bullied and I was alone. I always wanted to hide in my room. Being bullied takes a lot out of you. I internalized a lot. Before I was bullied, I was very outgoing. I really did have a positive mindset. I thank god everything day for putting me through that… now I have the thickest skin in America! Just try to stop me. 

You traveled a lot growing up. Do you still travel quite a bit? Where do you like to go? Anywhere you haven’t been that you would like to visit?

HG: I’ve been everywhere, except for Africa, Tokyo and Dubai. I want to go to Dubai. I love New York, Paris, Italy… I love the Cayman Islands and anywhere tropical. But I know the ambassador of the Cayman Islands so when I go there I’m with like Cayman Island royalty! On my 21st birthday, I got driven home from a Lil John concert by the ambassador of the Cayman Islands…Yeah my life’s a movie!

Does nightlife play a big roll in how you socialize?

HG: I’m very selective with who I choose to let in my life at this point. I started going out at a young age. I would go out with my sister when I was 16 or 18 years old. I went out to clubs so young. I still go out occasionally. Although, I don’t drink so it’s not fun being around really drunk people when you’re not drunk. The reason I go out is to network. I know all of the clubs in Los Angeles and all of the club owners. I am definitely involved in the nightlife scene.

What are your favorite clubs to go to?

HG: I love Delilah. I like Good Times at Davey Waynes. I like places where I can actually have a conversation and connect with people without screaming to get people’s attention over techno music. Growing up with famous parents I was always backstage so in crowded places, I am a little uncomfortable.

How does fashion play a role in your life?

HG: Fashion for me is everything. I can make something super cheap look expensive by accessorizing it correctly or putting it with the right jacket. I like to mix high-end brands with fast fashion. I love Balenciaga, Gucci, YSL, House of CB for a cheaper brand, but vintage is my shit. I don’t want to be seen in the same outfit as someone else. I would rather go to a vintage store and find something cool that is older. I make half of the stuff I wear. I will get vintage stuff and transform it into my own thing. My favorite store is Wasteland.

How would your fans describe you? What do you think they like about you?

HG: They would probably describe me as humble. I like to keep my fans in the loop. I never forget about them. I make it a big part of my journey to include them. The interaction between my fans and me has brought me where I am today. They would say I’m genuine, funny, fashionable, loyal, and a little crazy. My thoughts on genuineness are simply that it’s one thing to act like you’re the most successful person in the world. But in reality, the most successful person doesn’t have to act like the most successful person in the world.

So many young girls idolize Instagram stars and I just want my fans to realize that I’m not perfect. I don’t look like I do in my professional photo shoots all the time. I want people to go embrace who they are. First, find out who you are and work with it. I will never look like a Victoria’s Secret model. I’m not 5’10” but I’m okay with it because I’m me. With Facetune and all these crazy apps, kids are looking at this and thinking other people are perfect. It’s not healthy.

You are an advocate for victims of bullying. What are some of the things you are doing to help awareness of this issue? I think a lot of people think bullying is just something that happens to children. Do you think adults can be bullied?

HG: Absolutely. Now with Instagram and the Internet, it’s a whole other beast. It can happen to anyone. I went through a traumatizing bullying experience and had all these targets on me on this tiny island. Now I feel like I can help people. Fans will reach out to me and I will respond and that will make their day. My ultimate goal is to spread awareness. This issue is often swept under the rug. Bullying kills people and it needs to be stopped. I’ve been making videos about it lately.

Is there anything you’d like to tell your followers?

HG: Follow your dreams. Don’t let people stop you. Be positive and be whomever you want, you can achieve if you believe in yourself and your work enough. I’m always here. I answer DMs! There’s not one thing that someone could say to me that would make me give up”.

Prior to rounding things off, I want to highlight parts of an interview with XS Noise. A remarkable artist who I think will make some big steps next year and perform around the world, I do hope that Hana Giraldo gets to come to the U.K. at some point. She is someone I am new to but am compelled to follow:

“They say talent often runs in the family, for Hana Giraldo, that has undoubtedly proven to be true. As the daughter of iconic musicians Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, Hana has carved her path in the music world, earning herself millions of followers on social media and heaps of praise from fans and media outlets alike.

Her latest single “Reputation” plays like an anthem of self-acceptance and understanding, while showcasing how much she has developed and grown as an artist, and as an individual. Here, she shares what she hopes listeners take from the track, reveals how much and how her parents influence both her music and her life and looks ahead to the future and what she’d like her artistic legacy to be.

Tell me about your new single, “Reputation.” Is there a particular idea or story behind it?

“Reputation” is a playful, introspective look at how people perceive me and the labels they assign to me without really knowing who I am. It’s my way of giving listeners a deeper glimpse into my true self on my own terms. I like to take risks, and I believe that’s essential for an artist to thrive – not just by being authentic but by being unapologetically true to themselves. This song is a tongue-in-cheek way of doing that. I’m showing a side to my fans they haven’t seen before. It’s about taking control of my story and embracing who I am.

Your music blends several genres and styles, including rock, pop, and dance. Which artists and bands have most inspired you?

My biggest musical influences are my mom and dad, along with Rihanna and Lady Gaga. But it’s not just their music that inspires me – it’s what they stand for. They’ve all made significant marks through their artistry, standing up for women and empowering others to do the same. Their ability to blend genres while staying true to their message has deeply influenced how I approach my music. I aim to be as successful as my idols, and I truly hope the world sees that in my work, too.

Did either of your parents give you any advice when you decided to follow in their footsteps and carve out your path in the business?

When I decided to follow a path in music, my parents’ advice was both empowering and realistic. They always encouraged me to pursue my dreams wholeheartedly, reminding me that anything is possible if I stay committed. They’ve been a constant source of support, reinforcing the idea that I should never give up, no matter the challenges. They taught me that in this industry, there will always be people who love what you do and others who don’t – that’s just part of the journey. This perspective has helped me develop resilience and confidence, knowing their unwavering belief in me. They’ve always been there, not just as parents but as mentors. They encourage me to trust in my voice and to push forward because I can achieve anything with passion and determination.

How much of an honour for you to be chosen to cover Madonna’s “Burning Up” for International Women’s Month on Cover Nation?

Oh my gosh, I was absolutely floored when I got the opportunity to cover a Madonna song, especially for something as significant as International Women’s Month!! Madonna has always been one of my favourite artists and a huge inspiration to me. Her ability to blend theatrical music with powerful performances is something I find absolutely fascinating. As someone who loves performing, it was an incredible honor to pay tribute to an artist who has been my idol for so long. This opportunity meant the world to me.

You also co-wrote the song “LA Here I Come” from the film Dance Rivals. How did that experience come about, and is songwriting for film something you’d like to do more of?

Yeah, this was actually the first song I ever scored for a movie, and I owe a huge thanks to Andrew Lane and Kyle Massey for giving me that opportunity. They put me in a room that was totally new to me, but I love challenges and exploring new creative avenues so it was an exciting experience. I’m really honoured to have been a part of it, and it was such a fun exercise in expanding my skills. I’m definitely eager to do more in the future. Lady Gaga has always been one of my biggest influences – she’s a powerhouse as a singer, actress, and someone who scores films. If I’m on a path even remotely similar to hers, I’m all for it. Yes, I would be honoured to do more!

You’re also an ambassador for Boo 2 Bullying. Is bullying you’ve experienced yourself, and how important to you is it that you can use your platform and audience to support charities and organisations that stand up against it?

Yes, I was bullied for years, so becoming an ambassador for Boo 2 Bullying is incredibly meaningful to me. Using my platform to support charities and organizations that stand up against bullying is something I’m deeply passionate about. I’ve always wanted to help others, and whether it’s through my music, my voice, or my actions, I’m committed to making a difference. I know firsthand how tough it can be, and if I can use my experiences to help others navigate those difficult times, then I’m fulfilling a mission that’s very close to my heart.

Finally, you’re a considerable newcomer to the industry, so this might be a hard question for you to answer, but what’s your long-term goal as an artist? What do you want to have achieved years – perhaps decades – from now when you look back on your career? What do you want your artistic legacy to stand for and to say?

As an artist, my long-term goal is to create work that resonates deeply with people and stands the test of time. I want to be known for pushing boundaries and staying true to my vision, even when it’s challenging or unconventional. Decades from now, when I look back on my career, I hope to see a body of work that not only entertained but also inspired others to be bold, authentic, and unapologetically themselves. I want my artistic legacy to reflect a commitment to excellence, integrity, and the courage to take risks. Ultimately, I hope my journey will encourage future generations of artists to trust their instincts, stay passionate, and never be afraid to evolve”.

Next year is going to offer up a lot of wonderful artists to look out for. Those making their first moves. If you do not know about Hana Giraldo, go and follow her on social media. A really promising artist with a great sound, I do genuinely think next year is going to be a massive one for Giraldo. An artist who has a growing and loving fanbase. She is someone that you need to…

HAVE on your radar.

______________

Follow Hana Giraldo

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/hanagiraldo/

TikTok:

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

Twitter:

https://x.com/hanagiraldo

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4GHae3C65Td725v3sUH68g

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/c/HanaGiraldo

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/littlest.hans/

FEATURE: Ricky Don’t Lose That Number: Getting Kate Bush’s Music Into the World

FEATURE:

 

 

Ricky Don’t Lose That Number

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1972 aged fourteen/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

Getting Kate Bush’s Music Into the World

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I am not sure whether it happens….

IN THIS PHOTO: David Gilmour and Kate Bush performing together in 1987/PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Rapport/Getty Images

so much now in this digital age but, for many artists, getting their record deal relied on a lot of hauling demos tapes around. Handing them to D.J.s, clubs, promoters, agents, fellow artists and anyone else. Few were given a leg-up or a hugely easy ride. That is the case with Kate Bush. Even if she did not experience an arduous trek like so many artists, it was still not handed to her. Getting her music into the right hands in the 1970s was a matter of some luck, foresight and some family connections. Ricky Hopper was a man who made a big move. Even though David Gilmour was aware of Kate Bush before 1975, that year was a crucial one. You can see a detailed timeline here. Where Ricky Hopper had this great demo tape and passed it along to a man who would instantly take a shine to a teenage Kate Bush. Recognising true talent the minute he heard her! This article from 2023 gives us some background to that fateful moment back in ’75:

“By 15, she had amassed over 50 songs. With the help of her family, a self-made demo tape ended up in the hands of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, and the rest was history.

Ricky Hopper, a friend of the Bush family, passed her demo tape onto the Pink Floyd guitarist, who was immediately impressed. He was so impressed, in fact, that Gilmour himself paid for Bush to go and record a more professional track, leading to her being signed to EMI.

Just as Bush met Gilmour in 1975, Pink Floyd were working on their ninth studio album, Wish You Were Here.

During one of their album sessions, 15-year-old Kate Bush was invited along. “I was absolutely staggered,” Bush later wrote in a book celebrating the famous studio. Best known as the eponymous studio behind The Beatles album, artists including Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, The Zombies, and more have all recorded at the studio. To this day, Abbey Road remains a landmark, with acts like Nick Cave, Blur, Amy Winehouse, and Spice Girls adding their names to history over the last few decades.

To a teenage Kate Bush, the studio seemed like a dream: “I really thought I would never be able to record in a place like Abbey Road.”

I am going to talk more about Ricky Hopper. How he was key when it came to getting Kate Bush’s music to David Gilmour. And soon enough it would be shared with the world. Before that, this PROG article from last year discussed how David Gilmour saw that promise from the demo tape he was handed. It must have been a magical and unforgettable moment for the iconic musician:

“One afternoon in the mid-70s, David Gilmour of Pink Floyd decided to play one of the many demo tapes he received each week. This one had been given to him by Ricky Hopper, a friend of his and of the family of the artist. Although the quality of the recording was poor, Gilmour discerned something special within it.

“The songs were too idiosyncratic,” he remembered, talking to Jason Cowley of The New Statesman in 2005. “It was just Kate Bush, this little schoolgirl who was maybe 15, singing away over a piano. You needed decent ears to hear the potential, and I didn’t think there were many people with those working in record companies. Yet I was convinced from the beginning that this girl had remarkable talent.”

He got Bush into a studio and assisted in the recording of more demos, with Andrew Powell – a Cambridge friend who’d worked with Henry Cow, Cockney Rebel and The Alan Parsons Project – producing. Three songs, including The Man With The Child In His Eyes, were then presented to EMI. They weren’t averse to listening to anything recommended by Gilmour, who’d made them a few quid in his time.

They signed the young woman instantly. One of the great careers in British music history was about to burst into life. But not quite yet: EMI put Bush on a retainer with an advance for two years, feeling that if her music didn’t take off, she’d be too young to handle it. And if it did take off... she’d be too young to handle it”.

Gilmour too has said, “When I first met Kate she was this shy little schoolgirl, but very quickly you could see that she’d have arguments with producers if they didn’t do things the way she wanted them to.” The success of Wuthering Heights gave her the subsequent creative freedom that’s made her oeuvre what it is”.

I do love that period. Because this year is fifty years since David Gilmour received Kate Bush’s demo and the two headed to AIR studios that June to record professionally, it is important to mark that period. Such a magical moment. I wonder how both reflect on it now. Whether Ricky Hopper is known by Kate Bush fans. A key part of her history, it is great that he (Hopper) and Gilmour were connected. Kept that number close. I guess it was only a matter of time before Kate Bush and David Gilmour worked together. Bush hadn’t really experienced Pink Floyd in 1975. Her sitting in to hear Wish You Were Here being recorded was one of her first tastes of their music. In later years, she said how much she loves 1979’s The Wall and has named it one of her favourites. Some of her album tracks nod to Pink Floyd. The outro to The Saxophone Song (from 1978’s The Kick Inside, it was one of the songs recorded at AIR in 1975). Bits of Breathing (from 1980’s Never for Ever). I think quite a bit of Hounds of Love too. Anyway, Bush’s family knew that she was special. The transition from these earliest demo recordings and how David Gilmour came into her world. Before continuing, I want to bring in part of this article from Dreams of Orgonon that was published in 2018:

“Having a professionally recorded song makes our job much easier. What nuances are lost in the lo-fi recordings of, say, “Queen Eddie” or “Sunsi” are picked up in the clean sound of “Passing Through Air.” This is largely due to Cathy recording with professional equipment for the first time. She didn’t need it to shine before, of course—she’s simply honing her best work to date for a really, really important moment.

Artists rarely get a big break. A 15-year-old artist’s home demos getting picked up for professional recording was pretty much unheard of in the pre-Soundcloud age. For a young artist to be discovered by a musician coming off the back of releasing one of the bestselling albums of all time seems colossally unlikely. Yet this is an exaggeration—plenty of people had heard Cathy’s demos by this point, and she wasn’t the only artist David Gilmour had taken under his wing at the time. Coming off The Dark Side of the Moon’s massive success, Gilmour was nurturing about eight protégés, the luckiest of whom would hit #1 on the UK singles charts five years later. He’d found Kate via her brother Jay’s friend Ricky Hopper, who played Gilmour some tapes which struck him. Maybe it was the undercurrent of ethereal strangeness in Kate’s songs or her musical aptitude which struck him. After he’d worked on “The Great Gig in the Sky,” no wonder he was into this sort of thing”.

This passage - “What started as a "private thing between her piano and imagination", according to brother Jay, resulted in an ever-expanding songbook, copyrighted through self-addressed mail, captured on an Akai tape recorder. Plugger, Ricky Hopper, a Cambridge friend of Jay’s, circulated the tapes. Labels rejected them as "morbid, heavy and negative". But Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour immediately heard a "remarkable talent". He recorded her several times, alone at the piano, and in August 1973, with Unicorn’s rhythm section at his Essex home studio. ‘Future Army Dreamers’ B-side, ‘Passing Through Air’, comes from these sessions; doe-eyed, dreamy soft rock, remarkable for the barely 15-year-old Bush” – from a 2023 article explains how these beautiful-yet-lo-fi recordings mesmerised a musician who was used to working in professional studios. He noted the nuance and promise of these songs. I will end by coming back to Ricky Hopper. When Kate Bush was at Abbey Road during the recording of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, Gilmour knew she had something. At age fifteen, Bush’s repertoire expanded from thirty to fifty compositions. In 1999, when speaking with Q, Gilmour said: “I had her up to my studio and recorded some things (Passing Through Air and Maybe, with Peter Perrier and Pat Martin of Unicorn, a band he was A&Ring, on drums and bass). I decided that the way she sung and played piano, on its own, was not going to be very effective for convincing A&R men at record companies of her value”.

However, Gilmour bankrolled demos that provided a more expansive and panoramic view of her talent and potential. Starting from these sparse demos that has twinkles of future genius but were not quite big and varied as a set, Gilmour was confident enough that Kate Bush was worthy of a record deal. And so it transpired. Gilmour knew that one of Bush’s songs needed an orchestral backing. Producer Andrew Powell – who produced Kate Bush’s first two albums – was contacted and they, alongside an all-star cast including Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick, realised that in June 1975 at AIR with The Man with the Child in His Eyes. It wasn’t a first-time success when it came to Kate Bush’s demo tape. Earlier, in 1972, Hopper (who was close friends with Bush’s brother John/Jay) tried to circulate some demo tapes. It is amazing that he saw promise in her when she was so young (thirteen/fourteen). Maybe a footnote to some and unknown to most, we cannot forget Ricky Hopper and his role in getting Kate Bush’s music to the world! He persevered and used his connection with the music industry to get her music to David Gilmour. Someone Bush knew about only through Pink Floyd but not on a personal level, things changed. Things begin earlier than 1975. 1973 was a key year. As the Kate Bush Encyclopedia note, this was a year when the first glimpses of her brilliance were noticed by David Gilmour:

“In 1972 and 1973 Kate recorded several tapes of songs. Reports vary about the amount of songs that were recorded, but there must have been dozens. 20 to 30 of these demos were presented via Kate’s brother John Carder Bush‘s friend Ricky Hopper, first without success to record companies. Ricky Hopper then presented the songs to David Gilmour. Gilmour noticed her talent, but also the bad tape recorder quality. This led to one or more recording sessions with David Gilmour present, but with a better recorder. According to Kate: “Absolutely terrified and trembling like a leaf, I sat down and played for him.”

At Gilmour’s insistance, another recording session took place in the summer of 1973”.

Even if Kate Bush fans mark other events in her timeline as being more significant, there is no overstating how important someone like Ricky Hopper was. Making that introduction or at least being part of it. By 1975, Bush was in a position where she was given the money so that she could record at AIR studios and record songs that were far more polished and professional than those demo tapes. There was no turning back. I drift my mind back to 1975 and Ricky Hopper. If Bush was not truly aware of David Gilmour and Pink Floyd when she first met him – less Progressive/Contemporary Rock in her life as a teen perhaps -, she did at least know their name. She later heard The Dark Side of the Moon and realised how exceptional Pink Floyd and David Gilmour were! It was a marriage meant to be! From this child and young teen with an exceptional talent, her tapes then found their way into the hands of David Gilmour. It truly was…

A seismic event.

FEATURE: Lean Living: The Kate Bush Diet

FEATURE:

 

 

Lean Living

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in an outtake from 1985/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

The Kate Bush Diet

_________

ONE may not find it relevant….

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush on the set of Eat the Music in 1993

to her music and career, but there is something to be said of any artist’s diet and how they live. In terms of how it affects their body and mind. How a bad diet can impact the music negatively and reduce productivity. How a better diet can be beneficial in that regards. I am interested in the diet of Kate Bush. There is this mix of healthiness and conscientiousness together with occasional excess. Moments where there was a slightly less healthy approach. Tricks she used to give her voice mucus and gravel. How vegetarianism played a big role. One big reason why she could take to the stage for 1979’s The Tour of Life and have such stamina. How key that diet was to her energy levels and mental wellbeing I think. Even if there have been times of unhealthy eating, Bush managed to overhaul this and return to her previous self. Rather than this being something a tabloid newspaper would print and then discuss her figure in a derogatory and misogynistic way, this is much more loving of course! I am writing about it because I can’t see anyone else that has. In terms of the food and drink that accompanied Bush through her career. I am going to drop in a clip of Bush with Delia Smith from early in her career. Where Bush talked about her vegetarianism and why she decided to stop eating meat as a child. Last year, I did discuss Kate Bush meeting Delia Smith. I am tempted to buy this on eBay, as I am going to reference this magazine cover from 1986. It is in Lean Living magazine and there is this wonderful photo of Kate Bush on the front I can’t seem to see anywhere else! It was another chance to read about Kate Bush talking about her vegetarianism. The magazine is about the meat-free lifestyle. Later in this feature I will talk about slightly less healthy habits and times.

However, when it comes to Kate Bush, she is someone who has had to have this healthy diet. Such a hardworking artist and dancer, her physicality was a big part of her music and videos. I will come to Lean Living soon. However, this article collates quotes and interviews where Kate Bush has spoken about her diet and vegetarianism:

“I asked if people were interested in Kate Bush quotes about Vegetarianism, and got an overwhelming response. So here's a bunch, they're from my 'Lectronic book Cloudbusting - Kate Bush In Her Own Words, which is available on the Genie computer network and in the Love-Hounds archives (the international Kate Bush Computer Network - rec.music.gaffa). It's pretty long so if you're not interested hit "N" now!

If vegetarians are against the killing of animals for food, why don't they object to them being killed for leather?

I think there are a lot of vegetarians who are against animals being killed to make leather, and they do go out of their way to wear rubber and plastic shoes and belts, but I think that there is a practical side to it, as well. Leather is very warm, and it's nice to look at, but it does require a lot of effort for most of us to make a different choice from the normal, and I find myself that I do wear quite a few leather shoes. Not that I consciously buy them because they're made of leather, but I do have a few, and I think it's something to do with the tradition of leather being used in clothing. But there's no excuse for the mass production of leather, and I think it comes down to effort and how far you really want to go. It's up to you in the long run.

You are a vegetarian and yet you wear fur coats. Why?

I don't wear fur coats. I haven't got one. I don't own one and I don't believe in wearing them - I may have occasionally been in photos with one, but it wouldn't have been mine. It would have been one that I'd borrowed because it was very cold; for instance in Switzerland, when I did the Abba special. [In fact, as far as I know, that was the only time Kate has ever been seen in a fur. - IED] But I don't believe in people wearing fur coats, I think it's very extravagant and again, I think people don't tend to associate the clothes with the animals they come from, especially the rare animals that some of the coats are made of. You can get incredibly good imitation ones now - I've seen ones that I thought were real fur and they weren't. They're really fantastic, and they cost less, too.

Do you follow vegetarian recipes from books, or do you make up your own?

I do follow recipes from books, but I find that normally I don't stick to them, especially if I haven't got all the ingredients, and I tend to substitute different vegetables. If I'm feeling really brave, occasionally I base a meal on a recipe and make the rest up. Cooking is quite a logical thing, really, and you soon learn the things that go together - what works and what doesn't.

You say in interviews that you don't eat meat because you don't believe in eating life. But you eat plants, and they are living things. Why?

I do eat plants, and I know they're living, and I'm fond of them, but I think you have to find your own level. I could live on pills, but I don't think it's very human to do that - that is something we dream of in the space age: food without texture or mass. I don't think plants mind being eaten, actually. I think they'd be really sad if no-one paid that much attention to them. I appreciate them very much for the things they give me. I'd be very sad if there weren't any vegetables, and normally it isn't the actual plant that's killed - it's the fruit or vegetable that's taken off. I think this is the purpose of plants, that they grow to be eaten. The only problem is that it has become a very mass-produced market, again, and that the really natural, unchemicalised environment doesn't really exist. Too many chemicals are used on plants, but while there is a demand for brightly coloured food in pretty packets, that's how it will carry on. But you can get fresh, organically grown vegetables. You can grow them yourselves, and if you look around and ask, you'll find that there are a few shops and some local farms that sell vegetables that have not been grown in chemically fertilised ground. (1980, KBC 5)

I just couldn't stand the idea of eating meat - and I really do think that it has made me calmer. (1982, Company)

People probably eat so much pre-packaged food because it's always so easy to get in shops, and they don't connect it with live animals. If they actually had to kill the animal themselves, they would probably have great difficulty in doing it. People who live and work with animals can be aware of what they are doing when they kill an animal. They realise that they're going to be eating it, rather than it being sent off to be sold in supermarkets. On some levels this seems to be all right, because it's on a one-to-one basis: you feed and look after the animal for a certain length of time and then it repays you by becoming your food. But it's the mass-production of living creatures just to be eaten, and the fact that people aren't really aware of what they're eating, that I don't like.

These days it seems more and more probable that fish are likely to contain pollution - which can't do you any good - as they have no choice but to eat all the muck that's in the water. But hopefully people's general awareness is getting much better, even down to buying a pint of milk: the fact that the calves are actually killed so that the milk doesn't go to them but to us can't really be right, and if you've seen a cow in a state of extreme distress because it can't understand why its calf isn't by it, it can make you think a lot.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush at East Wickham Farm appearing on an edition of Delia Smith’s Cookery Course in 1980/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

Working in London, I often have to go past meat markets, and when I see all those people working in there with blood all over them, and dead animals strung up from meat-hooks, just waiting to be devoured, it's like something out of a horror film. When I realised that, I didn't want to eat meat any more. I became more conscious about the things that I did eat. I think this helped me to learn more about food, because I had to start thinking what the nutritional value of something was, and I'm still learning about things I didn't think I could eat, which is really good. Just the discipline of not eating meat is a very good thing. It's like giving up anything you like - it hurts at first, but then you feel much better for it. I don't know whether it was just me, but when I first became a vegetarian I was really hungry a lot of the time, but I'm not now, and I wonder if that's because my stomach has adjusted. When you eat meat, you do tend to eat more than you need, and the body has to work a lot to break it all down.

It's interesting how the traveling that I've done reveals things about people's diets. In many European countries it's very hard to get something that hasn't got meat in it. There was one instance in Germany where I asked for a bowl of tomato soup and, having been assured that it contained just tomatoes, I tucked into it. But about halfway through the soup I could see all these lumps floating around at the bottom, and of course they were all meatballs. They just naturally do things like putting bacon and meatballs into vegetable soup, without even thinking about it. So many shops are meat-oriented: it's all sausages and pies, and the only other things you can really get are just potatoes and salads, when there is such an enormous variety of non-animal foods that can be eaten. Looking forward to a breakfast of toast and marmalade, and then getting a couple of slabs of cold meat and white bread pushed under your nose, isn't the way I like to start my day.

Japan seemed to be more vegetable-oriented. They take great pride in their vegetables, although they're greatly into fish, and this is causing them and the dolphins a lot of problems. I found Australia very meat-oriented, too, and this might have something to do with it being such a young country, and it's true that meat does give you a lot of energy. I suppose there was a time when a slab of bacon fat for breakfast might have been necessary for somebody working in a heavy manual job. But I've found that if I keep an eye on the sort of vegetarian food that I eat, I don't have any problems about dancing and singing on it.

It all comes down to looking more closely at the sort of food you are just used to having and saying to yourself, Do I really need to eat this, or is there something that will be better for me? The more people who get into good vegetarian food, the easier it will be for us. If I go into a restaurant with friends, and they settle down to a feast of meat and sauces and so on, I usually end up with salad and chips - which is OK, but that's about as far as most restaurants can go in the direction of vegetarian food. (1980, KBC 5)”.

I would love if anyone has a copy of Lean Living or could transcribe the piece or see what is in it! For Woman’s World, Bush wrote about her vegetarianism. That, in addition to her talking with Delia Smith, did project this image of an animal-conscious person. This ethical side. Whether it was a decision she made instantly as a child or there were artists she admired who were vegetarian (I can only think of Paul McCartney), it is commendable that she discussed it. It is clear that Kate Bush would occasionally use food and drink for effect in her music. To change her voice. This blog post discusses how she managed to get some rawness in her vocal for The Dreaming’s Houdini:

“The song is far from a stringent one. “Houdini” is fueled by anguished conniptions rather than melodic coherence. The verse initially sounds like “The Infant Kiss” or some other perfectly normal song with its piano balladry in Eb minor with a progression that finishes on a major tonic chord. It commences as a séance with mourners preparing to reach into the ether (“the tambourine jingle-jangles/the medium roams and rambles”). The refrain is the apex of Bush shrieks, culminating in a gravely, agonized “WITH YOUR LIFE/THE ONLY THING IN MY MIND/WE PULL YOU FROM THE WATER!” The result is hardly melodic — it’s willfully ugly, produced by Bush eating lots of chocolate and drinking milk to sabotage her own voice. Whether or not the experiment works, it doesn’t seem like Bush cares — she wants this to sound raw and ugly”.

Of course, like all people, Bush did like to indulge. I have heard her mention chocolate a few times. Even if the lyrics of Lionheart’s Coffee Homeground says, “Offer me a chocolate, No thank you, spoil my diet, know your game!” – more to do with her not being poisoned by it I suspect -, she has said in interviews how she will console herself with chocolate in the studio. That’s what Bush said to Phil Sutcliffe when he interviewed her for Q. I think Bush’s weight and body was described in very disrespectful tones by the media. She would snack and indulge in chocolate in the studio. It did mean she could be out of shape. However, as a comfort and consolation, it no doubt helped her a lot. Bush would often come into the studio with a big bar of milk chocolate. I know when she was producing Never for Ever (1980), there would be chocolate and tea in the studio. And something else. I will come to that later.

There were times when Bush was so busy working she couldn’t have the time to cook and eat a healthy diet. Hospitality was top of her mind when running a studio. She would offer tea and snacks to musicians and people in her team. However, I think about albums like The Dreaming (1982) where she would work all day and night. Subsiding off of takeaways and junk food, it showed that a balanced diet was essential to good mental health. A reason why she was exhausted and anxious after that album was recorded is because of her diet. She would overhaul her diet by 1983 and take up dance again before Hounds of Love was released in 1985. Think back to 1979 and The Tour of Life. Lots of hearty and tasty vegetarian food was brought in. It meant that Bush and her crew could fill up but had this healthy diet that gave them energy and nourishment. Something that she stuck with through her career. If fish did come into her diet later from time to time, Bush was not someone who gave up on her principles. She also knew how important healthy eating was for all aspects. Her body, mind and music. I would love to know more about the sort of tea, cakes and biscuits Kate Bush likes now. It would be interesting. I know people who have interviewed her and said that she would serve cake, biscuits and tea. I wonder what brands she likes! Tea played a big role in her career. She would often drink over a dozen cups a day. It did seen to be one of her main sources of fuel! Bush has also spoken about her love of Indian cuisine too. Kate Bush is someone who puts contrasts in her music. Polemics and huge range of emotions. Not someone who was one thing or another.

Though I see Kate Bush as someone who had a very healthy lifestyle and understood the benefits of healthy living, there was also this other side. She was and is not a big drinker. Cigarettes were a vice. She gave up smoking in the 2000s. Having taken up the habit as a child, I am surprised that it continued for so long. She managed to maintain a healthy diet and was very engaged in dancing but also smoked! I guess it was something pretty normal for artists of the time. Maybe now it would be more of a stigma or less healthy thing to talk about – even if modern artists like Charli xcx smoke and it is part of her image. I think that Bush did use cigarettes as a social lubricant. Maybe something that was more communal. There are photos online of Kate Bush having a smoke break. Whether that is in 1978 when she was at De Efteling Amusement Park, in 1993 whilst filming The Line, the Cross and the Curve or a 1993 interview from Q (that bizarrely touted her this bloke-chasing, cigarette-totting ladette!). In any case, we are glad that she has given up! Maybe it was also a way of helping with stress and anxiety. Whilst determinantal to her health and voice, she did suffer anxiety a lot through her career. Bush also partook in smoking weed. During The Kick Inside (1978), she would smoke it quite a bit. Maybe artists she admired like The Beatles compelled her. Maybe just something artists did more in the 1970s and 1980s. She would offer engineers and people in the studio weed when recording The Dreaming. Sometimes she would be chided and told that she had to put it away and focus! Again, whilst we can see this as a negative, it may have benefited her in some ways. Possibly not creatively but in terms of feeling relaxed in the studio. The late Donald Sutherland recalled a time when he was on the set of Cloudbusting (from Hounds of Love) with Kate Bush and approached her about smoking:

“During the video shoot, Sutherland also vividly remembered one funny moment he shared with Bush while on set.

“I remember being in the car and the hill and them taking me, taking Reich, away and looking back through the back window of the car and seeing her, seeing Reich’s son Peter, standing there,” said Sutherland. “And I remember the first morning on set seeing her coming out of her trailer smoking a joint and I cautioned her, saying she shouldn’t smoke that, it’d affect her work. And she looked at me for a second and said she hadn’t been straight for nine years, and I loved her”.

Kate Bush I think has also said she lives with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Of course, one might see signs of this in her working method. However, she probably also knew that she could fall into bad habits if she let her diet slip. Hard to correct. It is fascinating thinking about it. I love her discussing being vegetarian and how important that was to her. The fact she and chocolate were occasional studio collaborators. Whilst there were some unhealthier moments and times when junk food became a source of comfort - also around 1994 and 1995 -, Bush has always inspired me because of how she lived. How health and fitness were so important. As this amazing hostess, she also made sure her musicians were fed and looked after. When recording, her mother might provide the tea whilst her dad might nip out to collect takeaways for the gang. Even if she smoked her first cigarette aged nine, she knew how damaging it could be living with addictions. I would love if anyone could add anything or if they had a copy of Lean Living from 1986! As it is almost Christmas, I want to end with some words from Bush’s brother, Paddy. Sharing his thoughts in 1981 for the Kate Bush Club (KBC) he mused on what to get his sister for Christmas:

“It's December again, and how do you find me this chilly month? Well, I'm surrounded by my recent musical instrument projects: bagpipes, Indonesian mouth-harps, and a few ancient Egyptian temple instruments. There are little heaps of crumpled paper scattered over the whole of the floor, they are Christmas lists for Kate. What am I going to get her? I hear some of you shout something like Chocolate Elephants--come now, wouldn't that be a bit predictable? What a dilemma!

I could give her something really, really weird, like a reproduction of a sixteenth-century royal Viennese court tartold, but believe me, even something as crazy as that is still predictable for me. It's not as if it's easy. Kate as you know is a vegetarian so any presents like leather coats, pork chops, etc., are out. I can just see it now...rustle rustle "Ooh look! It's a..." rustle... "cabbage...Oh, thank you." You just can't give vegetarians vegetables for Christmas. The hours tick by, the piles of paper accumulate--maybe a vegetable rack, no she's got one, a carrot knife, a leek mulcher, or why not a turnip-condensing unit? Maybe a computer-aided marrow-stuffer, that might take a little too long to come from Switzerland, and it would sit around unused for months until marrows came back into season.

Hard, isn't it?

What about something to do with dancing? Some shoes, maybe... right...she doesn't wear them--says it doesn't feel natural. Maybe some mirrors--how can I get them down her chimney? Anyway, she's got mirrors when she dances with Gary and Stewart. Did you know that Gary and Stewart have their own dance group now--you must look out for them, they're called The Dance Theatre of London, and are doing shows all over the country and are getting lots of mentions in the press.

Did you see Kate on Desmond Morris's Friday Night and Saturday Morning? Wasn't she great? I could buy her a collection of his books, but as you can guess, she's already read them all. [Morris is a zoologist, and has written numerous books about the behaviour of cats, dogs and other animals.] I know you all think I'm joking, and I'm just making all this up, and what I'm really going to do is go out and buy some sophisticated electronic musical gadgetry like a Digital Real-Time Quantum On-Line H.A.R.P. Ballistic Sequential Processor, but like all these things, there is such a long waiting-list, and of course--she's already got one!

The hands on the clock creep round. I try playing the bagpipes for inspiration--soon the sound of broom handles and other heavy blunt household objects can be heard on the ceiling, floor and walls. I can hear voices crying things like "Are you strangling a cat or something?" and "I can't stand it...argh!" Ah me, it's tough trying to write Christmas lists. So this December the 25th, when you unwrap Santa's parcels to find that he has left you a new dumper-truck or a snake-charming kit, think of me as I try and wrap this giraffe in paper with "Noel Noel" written all over it--Kate likes giraffes and it fits down the chimney a real treat--well, almost. I tried earlier when she was out. Desmond said try the head first, but it isn't quite as easy as he said it would be. Nevertheless I think I have solved my problem of a Christmas surprise for her--just picture her face when she unwraps my lumpy, long, soot-covered parcel…”.

Taking things slightly away from music, I wanted to talk about the food and drink of Kate Bush. Someone whose diet was crucially linked to her productivity and wellbeing, there was a mix of healthiness and occasional indulgence. This ethical artist who would not eat life. Someone who also enjoyed chocolate and tea. The latter occasionally used to give her voice more spit. Smoking but not really drinking. Tea seems to be the defining element to me. Maybe quintessentially British, I imagine interviews overflowing with tea! Bush doing tea runs constantly! It does make me smile. This is a subject and thought that I may explore…

NEXT year.

FEATURE: The Digital Mixtape: Songs from Fantastic E.P.s of 2024

FEATURE:

 

 

The Digital Mixtape

IN THIS IMAGE: The cover for Emmy Meli’s Hello Stranger

Songs from Fantastic E.P.s of 2024

_________

WHILST many of us can name….

our favourite albums of the year and recognise the ones that have made a big impression, there are not many discussing E.P.s from this year. So many have been released. I wonder whether we view them as highly and as important as albums. A sort of middle ground between a single and an album, it is a great opportunity for artists to collect singles together or put out a project before a full-length release. I think that an E.P., whether it is four, five or more tracks, can be more consistent and tight than an album. More focused in a lot of ways. Rather than mark the very best E.P.s of this year, I have collected songs from some wonderful examples. I know that if I tried to rank the very best I will miss some obvious ones out! Instead, enjoy some cuts from some brilliant E.P.s that arrived this year. You may recognise a few of the artists, though many will be new to you. Here are songs from some…

IN THIS IMAGE: The cover of Little Simz’s Drop 7

AMAZING E.P.s.

FEATURE: One for the Record Collection! Essential January Releases

FEATURE:

 

 

One for the Record Collection!

IN THIS PHOTO: Ringo Starr 

Essential January Releases

_________

THE first month of a new year….

IN THIS PHOTO: Moonchild Sanelly/PHOTO CREDIT: Vicky Grout

I am looking ahead to January and the best albums out. There are some really great albums due, so I will highlight them here. Even though other months of the year will be busier, it is worth shining a light on what is out next month. The first great batch of albums for 2025. I am starting with 10th January. I would recommend people pre-order Franz Ferdinand’s The Human Fear. If you have not heard about the album, here is some more detail:

“Produced with Mark Ralph, who previously worked with them on their 2013 album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action, the album showcases Franz at their most immediate, upbeat and life-affirming, unashamedly going for the pop-jugular in classic Franz style. Recorded at AYR studios in Scotland, the 11-songs on The Human Fear all allude to some deep-set human fears and how overcoming and accepting these fears drives and defines our lives.

Ever since their beginnings, throwing illegal parties in condemned Glasgow buildings, Franz Ferdinand have been defined by a fresh, unfading, forward-facing outlook, a transgressive art-school perspective, but with a love of a big song and The Human Fear undoubtedly continues in this tradition; distinct yet new, musically, and creatively it’s a record eager to push forward. Pretty much all written before they hit the studio, the idea was to have a songbook ready before they started recording and once in the studio it was all quickly executed - a lot of it recorded live with the band in the room and many of the vocals on the album being the original takes.

The first studio album to feature members Audrey Tait and Dino Bardot, the record also sees Julian Corrie step forward to collaborate with Alex Kapranos and Bob Hardy on song writing and creative duties.

A band for whom the aesthetic and style is almost as important as the sound, as ever the importance of this is reflected in the cover artwork which was inspired by Hungarian artist Dóra Maurer’s self-portrait 7 Twists - Maurer’s work appealed because it does exactly what they want from their music: a striking immediacy that is impossible to ignore, but with a depth and vulnerability that bears many returns and satisfactory repetition. Maybe this is a set of songs about fear, maybe this is a set of bangers from an era-defining band continuing their unquestionably living legacy. Is that something to be afraid of?”.

Another great album out on 10th January is Moonchild Sanelly’s Full Moon. A tremendous artist who everyone should know about, this is going to be an album that you will want to pre-order. I am a fan of Moonchild Sanelly, so I am excited to hear what is coming. An artist who should be commanding big stages, Full Moon is going to offer up plenty of treats. Although there are not a lot of details available about the album, Rough Trade have put together a little bit of information regarding Full Moon:

“New album from the South African musician and creative visionary, known for her vibrant, inimitable style and affirming lyricism.  Full Moon is a collection of 12 songs which displays Sanelly's unique sonic fingerprint, joyous attitude, distinctive vocals and genre-bending hits.

Recorded in multiple locations while on the road, Full Moon is an introspective yet kinetic display of her versatility. "I can make any genre, I have fun creating music because I'm not limited," she says. Its club-ready beats oscillate between electronic, afro-punk, edgy-pop, kwaito, and hip-hop sensibilities”.

There are a lot of artists moving from genres like Pop into Country. The legendary Ringo Starr is the latest example. His new album, Look Up, is one that is going to be fascinating. Featuring some excellent guest artists, I think this is going to be one of the best albums of next year. Even though many might associate Starr with The Beatles, he is a brilliant solo artist. I would urge people to pre-order this upcoming album:

“Throughout his career, Ringo Starr has received nine Grammy® Awards and has twice been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - first as a Beatle and then as solo artist. Now, he releases a brand-new country music album, Look Up, produced and co-written by T Bone Burnett. This stunning collection features 11 original songs, recorded this year in Nashville and Los Angeles.

1. Breathless (featuring Billy Strings)

2. Look Up (featuring Molly Tuttle)

3. Time On My Hands

4. Never Let Me Go (featuring Billy Strings)

5. I Live For Your Love (featuring Molly Tuttle)

6. Come Back (featuring Lucius)

7. Can You Hear Me Call (featuring Molly Tuttle)

8. Rosetta (featuring Billy Strings and Larkin Poe)

9. You Want Some

10. String Theory (featuring Molly Tuttle and Larkin Poe)

11. Thankful (featuring Alison Krauss)”.

From a megastar and one of the best-known artists ever to someone who might not be on your radar, Sophie Jamieson’s I still want to share is out on 17th January. An album that is definitely worth pre-ordering, I am going to check it out. An artist with an interesting biography (“Sophie Jamieson doesn’t shy away from discomfort, or life’s ugly truths. The subjects of her songwriting are put to unflinching examination, often revealing aspects of the human character that most would rather turn away from. Need, desperation and anger simmer through her songs, but are balanced by an unsentimental acceptance of life’s painful contradictions. All of this is carried by a deep, raw voice which pivots from wobbling vulnerability to soaring, pent-up longing unleashed. On stage, Sophie digs deep into the darkest corners of the human spirit. Her performances are inescapably intimate and intense, earning her supports for the likes of Father John Misty, Ezra Furman and Marika Hackman to name a few. Her debut album, “Choosing” received widespread critical acclaim for its candid examination of the self-destructive urge, with high praise from the likes of Uncut, Mojo and The Financial Times”), do go and investigate this album:

“Co-produced by Guy Massey (Spiritualised, The Divine Comedy, Kylie) and Sophie Jamieson, I still want to share is an album exploring the push and pull, merry-go-round nature of anxious attachment and how it weaves, cuts and steals through familial and romantic relationships.

Throughout the record is a perpetual longing to belong, a yearning to learn how to love and let go, and a continual missing of the mark. Each song clings tightly to the possibility of home, but never arrives there. The album was recorded in North London between Guy's studio and Konk Studios, with string arrangements from Josephine Stephenson (Daughter, Ex:Re, Lisa Hannigan) and drums from Ed Riman (Hilang Child)”.

The final album from 17th January I want to highlight is The Weather Station’s Humanhoon. Once more, there is not a lot of detail about this album out there. However, go and listen to music from the band. They are well worth investing in. Humanblood is an album shaping up to be very special. One that I will definitely be keeping an eye out for:

“The Weather Station returns with new album, Humanhood, following up 2021's Critically acclaimed album, Ignorance, and its companion piece, How is it That I Should Look at the Stars. In the fall of 2023, Tamara Lindeman gathered six musicians at Canterbury Music Company, where she had recorded Ignorance and How Is It That I Should Look at the Stars. Several of these players - drummer Kieran Adams, keyboardist Ben Boye, percussionist Phillippe Melanson, reed-and-wind specialist Karen Ng, and bassist Ben Whiteley - had worked together but never in this specific arrangement or context. Much of Humanhood is a riveting and real document of what it means to be lost, to be hamstrung by confusion, unease, and grief for a period so long you begin to wonder if there is an end”.

There are four albums from 24th January that I want to cover off. The first is  Anna B Savage’s You and i are Earth. This is an album that I am very keen to hear. An artist I have been following for a long time now, go and pre-order this album. A tremendous artist that everybody should listen to:

“Linking music and literature, building a bridge between the written and the sung–only the greats have managed to do this in the past. Leonard Cohen, Scott Walker, and Patti Smith were just some of the shining stars that Anna B Savage orientated herself towards as a teenager. Born on the anniversary of Bach’s death, the young musician spent her birthday every year in the Green Room of the Royal Albert Hall watching her parents perform compositions by the grand master. That shaped her. Today, thanks to albums such as her debut, A Common Turn (2021), and the incredibly sensual art-pop opus in|FLUX (2023), the singer-songwriter is one of the truly exceptional talents on the British independent scene. In her music, otherworldly vocals nestle up against chamber orchestral compositions, delicate arrangements rise up and blow away, and the musician’s highly eclectic sound grows song by song into an experience that lingers for days and weeks. Potentially life-changing. A sense of rootedness is at the heart of Anna B Savage’s third record You and I are Earth, a record that is as much about healing as it is an unbowed sense of curiosity, and, more simply, “a love letter to a man and to Ireland.” Following on from her critically acclaimed records A Common Turn and in|FLUX, You and I are Earth manages to convey a sense of intimacy, while also being open-ended. Gentleness is as radiant a touchstone on the record as earthiness, something that Savage attributes to the place she finds herself at present, both geographically and emotionally. And quite literally the record bears witness to a particular piece of earth-Ireland, and Savage’s relationship to it as her new home. That process is brilliantly rendered on Agnes, a complicated piece of work featuring AnnaMieke that turns on tropes of duality and transformation. It mirrors an unsettling experience that Savage had through meditation, which ultimately ended in an immersive, beautiful feeling, “I felt like I was part of the earth, completely connected to the mycelium network, felt like I was where I was meant to be.”In many ways, that experience framed the album’s artwork, a photograph taken in some woodlands in Co. Sligo, with Savage looking up at the trees, their fractals reflected in her eyes, mirroring something she had felt in her meditation, bringing us back full circle, and to that sense that we are essentially in unison, or at least striving to be, that “you and I are earth”.

With one of the most striking covers from all the albums I will recommend, FKA twigs’ EUSEXUA is looking very promising. The new album from an iconic modern artist, this is another that is going to be among the best-reviewed of the year. There may be some who have not heard of FKA twigs. I would recommend people check this album out. It is going to be tremendous:

“FKA twigs releases her highly-anticipated third studio album, EUSEXUA via Young Recordings. Eusexua is a state of being. A feeling of momentary transcendence often evoked by art, music, sex, and unity. Eusexua can be followed by a state of bliss and feelings of limitless possibility. Also used to refer to: ‘The pinnacle of Human Experience’. It is united through any moment in which we are fully embodying ourselves, present in the moment, disconnected from technology, synthesized with those around us. It was moments of Eusexua that birthed EUSEXUA the album, as twigs cites her late nights in the underground techno scene of Prague”.

Before moving on, it is worth providing some background about EUSEXUA. I have been a fan of FKA twigs since she released her debut album, LP1, in 2014. Her new album is sure to sit alongside the very best of 2025:

“Twigs first began teasing the album in January 2024 through a string of posts on her Discord. Having relocated to Prague "a couple summers" prior to work on The Crow (2024), she fell in love with techno; while she explained that the album would not consist of that genre but would bear its "spirit", and she described it as "deep but not sad". She further revealed that she had teamed up with electronic duo Two Shell who helped her craft the era from scratch after 85 of her demos were leaked in October 2023. In an interview with British Vogue in March 2024, she explained the meaning behind the word "eusexua", saying that she came up with it to describe the "sensation of being so euphoric" that one could "transcend human form”.

The penultimate album from 24th January that I want to bring to your attention is from Larkin Poe. Bloom is an album that I would definitely suggest people pre-order. A fantastic duo that have a distinct sound. A new album that is going to be one you’ll not want to miss out on:

“Larkin Poe’s new album Bloom sees the dynamic sister duo venturing further along on their evolving musical journey with a collection of songs that resonate with introspection, authenticity, and a profound connection to their roots in American music. Produced and largely co-written by Megan, Rebecca, and Tyler Bryant, the album marks a significant evolution for Larkin Poe, reflecting a synergy that extends beyond mere musical partnership. Already hailed for the sincerity of their songcraft, the Lovell sisters now place an even greater spotlight on their gift for storytelling, delving deep into personal narratives with universal themes of self-acceptance and individuality against a backdrop of contemporary blues and rock influences. With their distinctive blend of masterful instrumentation and soulful harmonies, each track unfolds like a chapter, with lyrics that wind deeper and deeper towards the heart of Larkin Poe”.

Before moving on to 31st January and a few great albums out that week, the final one from 24th January I am spotlighting is Mogwai’s The Bad Fire. A wonderful album looms from the band. One that you should pre-order and add to your collection:

“Mogwai’s The Bad Fire was recorded at Chem19 studios in Scotland with American Grammy Award winning producer John Congleton (St Vincent, Angel Olsen, John Grant) joining the band in the studio for their eleventh album. A Scottish colloquialism for Hell, The Bad Fire draws inspiration from a series of tough personal moments that the band found themselves in following on from their chart-topping tenth album, As The Love Continues. All vinyl comes packaged in a gatefold sleeve, with MP3 download code and etching. The photo booklet in the box sets includes a series of photographs taken by producer and Chem19 studio owner Paul Savage (Belle and Sebastian, Mogwai, Arab Strap ) during the band's recording sessions”.

I think I will round off with two more albums. The penultimate album I want to recommend is Lilly Hiatt’s Forever. Go and pre-order an album that should be on your radar. This may be another artist you do not know about, though the album will definitely blow you away:

“Forever was a record that was written and recorded one track at a time with my husband Coley. After scrapping about 20 songs or so I had written the last few years, I wanted to get to the heart of things. I had a great talk with a friend on the phone and she mentioned she just wasn’t sure where I’d been. I realized I wasn’t really certain of that either. It’d been a foggy few years after 2020, and the pieces seemed to just be starting to be picked up. I had fallen in love, gotten married, had a dog, a house…things I had always dreamed of. But it took my quite some time to accept them as my life. For a bit, I felt like an outsider watching myself stumble though everything, and was constantly critiquing myself, to the point where I could hardly leave the house for a bit. But then I realized my life was passing me by, and the love I was living in required presence to accept. I started to do the little things you have to do to just show up for people: listen, grow, change, write….get outside of my own problems. Time is flying, and I want to be here for it all rather than lost in my thoughts all the time. My love is forever. When I was a kid I used to say to my mom and dad “I love you forever and always” then neurotically changed it to “I love you forever and always and it’s true and I mean it”…because I wanted to make sure they knew how much I wasn’t messing around! I still feel that way when I say “I love you” to anyone and hope it comes across on this record. Love y’all forever!”.

The final album I am recommending is from one of the all-time best bands. Manic Street Preachers’ Critical Thinking is out on 31st January. Go and add this album to your collection. A great album to end the month with. Here is where you can pre-order it:

“The Manic Street Preachers return with their most urgent album in years. This is a record of opposites colliding - of dialectics trying to find a path of resolution. While the music has an effervescence and an elegiac uplift, most of the words deal with the cold analysis of the self, the exception being the three lyrics by James (Dean Bradfield) which look for and hopefully find answers in people, their memories, language and beliefs”.

There are other albums out in January that you can pre-order. It is a busy year. Though there will be more choice from February onwards, there are some gems from January that you will want to own. I have selected a few that are well worth pre-ordering. It goes to show that 2025 will get off to…

A strong start.

FEATURE: The Charmers Under Me: Compiling and Considering Kate Bush’s Influences and Musical Heroes

FEATURE:

 

 

The Charmers Under Me

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1980

Compiling and Considering Kate Bush’s Influences and Musical Heroes

_________

I have nodded to this before….

IN THIS PHOTO: David Bowie in 1973/PHOTO CREDIT: Masayoshi Sukita

but I have been thinking how a playlist does exist of Kate Bush’s influence. Both artists Bush grew up listening to, those she was name-checking in interviews through her career and collaborations through her career. Including cover versions and albums other than her own she appeared on. My mind casts back to a very young Kate Bush. Catherine actually. When she was a girl and young teen. Maybe not adorning the walls of her 1960s/1970s bedroom wall at East Wickham Farm with Pop stars of the day, there would have been a few posters I am sure. In an artistic household, there would have been more books and albums than posters and anything other teenagers would have had. As a girl, Bush was listening to her parents’ music and anything her brothers were introducing her to. Unknown or under the radar artists that were all important building blocks. Songs that Bush would have enjoyed but were not necessarily important in terms of her own music. The sonic and instrumental elements would definitely have inspired her yet, lyrically, it is hard really to think of other artists who Bush might have channelled. Maybe musical heroes like Elton John and David Bowie. Bush was at the final Ziggy Stardust gig at the Hammersmith Odeon on 3rd July, 1973. That gig was twenty-seven days before her fifteenth birthday. There was something in that performance and the gravity of the night that compelled Bush. That drove her to the stage six years later for The Tour of Life. Not only that, but David Bowie’s different personas and being able to keep the music non-personal yet compelling would have spoken to her. She would have imbibed a lot of poetry from her brother Jay. Folk music and Irish sounds. Bowie was a big draw for her. The theatrical nature of his work and his incredible stagecraft. Elton John, perhaps her biggest idol – who she duetted with for 2011’s 50 Words for Snow – fostered her love and exploration of the piano. Again, a wonderful stage performer, he and David Bowie charted different musical courses. Maybe John showed that a successful Pop artist could play piano. An instrument not necessarily in fashion or spotlighted in the 1970s, Bush was listening to Elton John from the 1960s. At a period in music when bands and guitars were probably more prominent.

Bush was also listening to artists like Roy Harper, Captain Beefheart and The Beatles. Think about her brief stint with the KT Bush Band in 1977. Just before she was ready to step into AIR studios to begin recording The Kick Inside from July 1977, Bush was in a band that toured pubs and clubs mostly around London. A chance to provide stage experience and also help with her performance skills, which would be utilised in her music videos, it was a chance for punters to hear some of the songs and artists who were important to Bush. One song, Nutbush City Limits (there was talk of renaming it Kate Bush City Limits, but this was quickly abandoned!), was part of the set. A 1973 song by Ike & Tina Turner, it seems that this year was important to Bush. Bowie’s retirement from the stage – which was obviously not true – and music speaking to her in a big way when she was fourteen and fifteen. The Beatles’ Come Together was also played. Released on 1969’s Abbey Road, it was one of the earlier influences that appeared in the set of the KT Bush Band. One song that I was not aware that was part of their set was by Steely Dan. Called Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me), it was their debut studio album, Can’t Buy a Thrill. That album was released in 1972. That time period (a year or so) once more making an impact. Elton John released two of his best albums in 1973 – including Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player -, though he was not worked into her live sets as far as I know. However, it is clear that he was a big inspiration.

There are interviews, especially early ones, where Bush discussed her influences. In fact, whilst researching, I have found a playlist of Kate Bush’s influences. Pink Floyd and Nick Drake sitting alongside Peter Gabriel and Roxy Music. Frank Zappa and Devo are other artists that spoke to Bush when she was younger. Not too many female influences. Although some might cite Joni Mitchell, I am not sure whether Bush was listening to Blue (1971) or Ladies of the Canyon (1970). I do think that we need a compilation or more playlists where there is a wide spread of Kate Bush’s musical influences. This feature from March highlighted an interview from 1980, where Bush spend some time talking about albums that mean a lot to her. The Beatles featuring. She covered several of their songs at various moments in her early career. Albums like 1967’s Magical Mystery Tour and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Bush revealed some more of her favourite albums. The Eagles’ One of These Nights was in there. That album was released in 1975 (when Bush was sixteen). Pink Floyd’s The Wall and Steely Dan’s Gaucho was also discussed. I will end with a playlist of songs from ger favourite albums, some she covered with the KT Bush Band, plus some other artists and albums that have influenced her.

“Another personal choice is The Eagles’ One of These Nights. “I played it to death when studying with Lindsay Kemp, and it reminds me of him,” she said, honouring the teacher who taught her to dance. When she received her first record label advance, she spent some of it in classes with Kemp, a famed modern dance teacher who also instructed David Bowie. Clearly feeling a kind of kinship with the artist, she also picks out his own Young Americans.

One of her choices also reminds her of even earlier years as it soundtracked her childhood home. Bush picked A.L. Lloyd and Eran MacColl’s Blow Boys Blow, writing, “I was brought up with this album.” The fact that Bush was raised on a diet of shanties and traditional folk makes so much sense when considering tracks like ‘Jig Of Life’.

There are a fair few left-field yet traditional or cultural sounds on Bush’s list. She also chooses albums from The TV National Iranian Chamber Orchestra and German double bass player Eberhard Weber. Showing exactly where her interest in global sounds comes from, her eclectic musical engagement came to fruition across her records.

But she also loves the big names. She picked out Stevie Wonder’s The Secret Life Of Plants as a more soulful choice, deeming it a “modern symphony”. The Beatles naturally make an appearance as she picked out Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Her reasoning is simple as she stated, “It’s an album of excellent songs.” Somewhat bridging the gap between her classic rock tastes and her more unusual choices, she discussed her love for Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart, the resident weird guys of the 1960s and ‘70s. As both artists pushed the sounds of the era to wilder places than their peers, the two figures make total sense as firm favourites of Bush’s.

Kate Bush’s favourite albums of all time:

• Frank Zappa – Over-Nite Sensation

• A.L. Lloyd and Eran MacColl – Blow Boys Blow

• The Eagles – One of These Nights

• David Bowie – Young Americans

• The Beatles – Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

• Eberhard Weber – Fluid Rustle

• Captain Beefheart – Blue Jeans and Moonbeams

• Stevie Wonder – The Secret Life of Plants

• Pink Floyd – The Wall

• The TV National Iranian Chamber Orchestra – Treasures of the Baroque Era”.

I would love to have heard Bush sing songs from albums like Gaucho. Maybe Glamour Profession. It seems like One of These Nights’ title track would be perfect for her. A Bush rendition of The Wall’s Mother. Perhaps something from Captain Beefheart. I have a dim memory that Bush might have sung some David Bowie at some point. Maybe Young Americans?! Even though she did cover a fair few of The Beatles’ songs, I would have love to hear her take on Magical Mystery Tour’s I Am the Walrus or Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’s Fixing a Hole. She did cover She’s Leaving Home when visiting Japan in 1978. Also, there is this other side. Artists Bush worked with who she was a fan of. The Trio Bulgarka (who appeared on 1989’s The Sensual World and 1993’s The Red Shoes), Peter Gabriel (she featured on three of his songs), Roy Harper (he appeared on her Breathing; she retuned the favour for 1980’s The Unknown Soldier), Big Country and Elton John (she covered Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long, Long Time) for a tribute album to Elton John and Bernie Taupin in the 1990s). Backtracking to Kate Bush and Steely Dan. She did actually mention Peg (from 1977’s Aja) as a standout of theirs. I keep thinking about all these artists and how, from the 1960s through to the 1980s, they made an impression on Kate Bush. Those childhood and teenage loves. Artists she was discovering and loving when she was making her own music. You can bring it up to date and artists she has mentioned in later interviews. Gorillaz in 2005. Elton John and Leon Russell in 2011. I might do another feature of the artists influenced by Kate Bush. Updating a feature I wrote a while ago. I would love to know if there are other artists who were important to Bush that I have not mentioned. I have included many (though not all) in…

katebushnews.com · Radio 1 Paul Gambaccini Kate's Favourite rock and pop 31st December 1980

A comprehensive mixtape.

FEATURE: Chart Dreams to Interesting Nightmares: Kate Bush’s Move From Pop and Into New Sonic Territories

FEATURE:

 

 

Chart Dreams to Interesting Nightmares

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during a photoshoot for 1989’s The Sensual World/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harrai

Kate Bush’s Move From Pop and Into New Sonic Territories

_________

ONE of the most interesting….

PHOTO CREDIT: Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy

topics of discussion around Kate Bush’s music is her move away from more conventional and commercial Pop to something that pushes beyond the fringes. One could say that Kate Bush has never been conventional or commercial. Consider her debut single, Wuthering Heights, and how strange that still sounds. Since it was released in 1978, nothing like it has come along. However, there are distinct periods of her career where she has released singles that are designed to get chart traction. That are more radio-accessible and less divisive. One can listen to Kate Bush’s debut album, The Kick Inside, and see that as a distinct period that ended by the time of 1982’s The Dreaming. Her first three albums, whilst distinct and varied, had songs on them that could be considered relatable. Not too out-there. Perhaps never a traditional ‘Pop’ artist, there was this sense that these songs could be released as singles and be successful. Albums, at the very least, which have a distinct palette. Think about a lot of the love songs on The Kick Inside.Also, tracks like Them Heavy People. Tracks of Lionheart such as Kashka from Baghdad, Wow and Fullhouse. Cuts on 1980’s Never for Ever like Delius (Song of Summer), All We Ever Look For, The Wedding List or Babooshka. These songs are like nothing that was released at the time. However, in spite of a lack of cliché love lyrics and Pop dynamics, these tracks do seem to be of a similar kin. You can draw lines between them. Not as heavy or haunted as some of her other songs. How would one class Kate Bush’s music? At least her early albums? Not commercial Pop like you got in the 1970s and 1980s, there was a degree of relatability to her lyrics and compositions. Shorter songs that could theoretically be played on radio.

Even when she stepped more outside of Pop and experimented more for The Dreaming in 1982’s, the songs were not too long and there were at least one or two on the album that had similarities with her earlier material. I feel tracks such as There Goes a Tenner and Suspended in Gaffa have an air of familiarity. Kate Bush songs but with a slightly different edge and sound. That was the first album where she knew that she could not be a normal Pop artist. Writing songs and producing albums that were want EMI wanted or what the public expected. Bush was always able to release music that was evolving but she did not need to pay homage and acknowledge the scene around her. She had influences and artists she loved, though working with those artists or sounding like them was not high on her agenda. By 2011’s 50 Words for Snow, her most recent album, Bush acknowledged that she was pushing away from Pop and did not want to be considers a Pop artist. There was always this tussle between staying true to herself and making music that was genuine but also needing to connect with her fans and the public. An interesting tussle and development occurred between 1982 and 1985. Two terrific albums that sounds completely different. The former saw the release of Kate Bush’s fourth studio album, The Dreaming. I think it was Bush consciously trying to explore the depth and possibilities of music. Embracing the Fairlight CMI. A move from Pop’s conventionality. It did yield a terrific album that she produced solo. However, given some unhappiness from EMI and low-charting singles, Hounds of Love could not see her follow what she did before. However, though it is still an experimental, ambitious and a profoundly unconventional album – The Ninth Wave, the second side of the album, it a song-suite that is almost an album in itself -, there were songs on the first side that moved slightly more towards traditional Pop. Perhaps Art Pop. 1989’s The Sensual World and 1993’s The Red Shoes were terrific albums but did seem to move away from The Dreaming - and, with it, possibly take Bush back more into ‘accessible’ territory. However, from 2005’s Aerial onwards, she has moved again further from Pop or being easy to predict.

It is no coincidence that Bush seems happier as an artist when she is not bound by chart positions or creating singles. Hounds of Love was a hugely happy time for her, though I do not see that album as ‘mainstream’ or Pop-focused as, say, Never for Ever or even The Sensual World. It leads me back towards the question as to whether Kate Bush was ever a Pop artist or someone who was always outside of that restrictive realm but did move further towards something outside and experimental at various points in her career. She has always been popular, yet that has never been at the expense of brilliance and vision. I want to move on to a few articles that frame Kate Bush as this distinct and pioneering artist. One who has influenced scores of other artists because she was able to mix something accessible or familiar but completely fresh and original. In 2020, this feature saluted Bush as one of the most revered and influential Pop artists ever:

“By 1980 and Never For Ever, her third album, Kate had broken away by setting up her own publishing and management company and producing her own material. This determination to do it her own way rewarded Kate with her first chart-topping album and big hits in ‘Babooshka’ and ‘Army Dreamers’. With her work blending imaginative themes and dramatic promotional interpretation, Kate’s commercial fortunes were consistent and her artistic reputation was soaring. She guested on Peter Gabriel’s hit ‘Games Without Frontiers’ and was continuing to win further industry awards, including another Ivor Novello Award.

It was business as usual when the stopgap single ‘Sat In Your Lap’, released in July 1981 and preceding its parent album by more than a year, got to No.11. But when The Dreaming finally hit the shops amid an exploding new pop scene dominated by The Human League and Duran Duran, the 10 songs struggled to find much of an audience and the set became Kate’s lowest-selling to date, with three of its four singles failing to even trouble the UK Top 40.

1989’s The Sensual World lacked the commercial clout of its predecessor, but contained the well-regarded title track and, perhaps, Kate’s most tender ballad, ‘This Woman’s Work’, which first featured in the cult 80s movie She’s Having A Baby. The era was also characterised by another brief run of more consistent activity with a contribution to an Elton John and Bernie Taupin tribute album that was swiftly culled for a single. Her cover of ‘Rocket Man’ made UK No.12 and was named “best cover ever” in a national newspaper poll, 16 years later. She also made an appearance in a TV play by The Comic Strip team and produced a track for singer and harpist Alan Stivell”.

Someone who never wanted to me famous or live a celebrity life, Bush’s music has always been defined by this desire not to be ordinary. To fit in or sound like artists around her whose agenda and ambitious were less concerned with musical excellence and progression, and more to do with getting them name out there and being ‘celebrated’. Earlier this year, PROG wrote how the less we see of Kate Bush, the more we need and want to know. Since that feature was published, Bush has conducted a new interview (in October) where she has opened up the possibility of an eleventh studio album:

“While the marketing men and mainstream media were far from subtle in their slavering celebration of Bush’s obvious sexual appeal, she was already proving to be more enigmatic and far smarter than the mindless pop star they clearly hoped to pin her as. When The Man With... won her an Ivor Novello Award and she swiftly followed The Kick Inside with second album Lionheart, the critical acclaim grew.

“EMI really had no idea,” says Carder Bush. “It was run by salesmen who saw her as part of an assembly line – they had obviously never studied her lyrics! So once Kate became a success, they barged in with sexy photo shoots, offers of Las Vegas residencies and Bond themes. She said ‘no’ to all of them because it was the brain and not the body that was Kate’s real quality.”

Ultimately though, Bush’s reclusive tendencies would be the making of her. As chart music went through a period dominated by glossy pop that was all veneer and little content, Kate Bush’s outsider status worked to her advantage.

A string of albums throughout the 80s went to Nos. 1, 3 and 1 respectively – Never For Ever (1980), The Dreaming (1982) and Hounds Of Love (1985).

No one song was easy to pin down, with Bush’s music drawing on murder ballads, the childhood wonder of nursery rhymes, her part-Celtic genealogy, the mythology of a lost Albion favoured by some prog and pastoral folk singers, the ethereal end of goth, the organic tones of early music, digital synth pop and emerging sequencing technologies.

Hounds Of Love alone spawned yhree classic singles – Running Up That Hill, Cloudbusting and the tumultuous, dramatically-heightened title track – and further reiterated her prog tendencies by devoting the entire second side of the album to a an experimental opera, The Ninth Wave, whose name came from a Tennyson poem. She also helped define the 1980s whilst being unlike anything else in that era: her skill was not to experiment in the live arena but by embracing emerging technologies in the studio .

“For three or four years it was a rollercoaster for Kate,” says Carder Bush (Joh, her brother). “She was being sent all over the world, and fortunately she had stockpiled a lot of songs. But when that stockpile ran out she was expected to come up with an album, then promote it, go on TV, all within a year. Well, the type of artist Kate is meant that just couldn’t work. That’s why each album has taken longer and longer to come to maturity.”

Today Bush may not be so obviously viewed as a practitioner of prog rock – not at first glance anyway. Yet her career history and collaborations are inextricably tied in with prog and her ever-evolving output has much more common with the genre than the pop world in which she first found herself operating.

In fact, Kate Bush is prog’s first pop star and pop’s first prog star. And one who is always capable of delivering nothing less than the unexpected”.

I am going to end with a feature from 2014. This was released alongside a score of other features to coincide with her returning to the stage for her Before the Dawn residency. This queen of Art Pop always defied the critics. Perhaps the more that they derided or lampooned her, the more her music stepped away from the core of Pop. I don’t think that she ever compromised or made an album that was what was expected. However, one can say that various albums/career points saw her move towards the fringes. 2005’s Aerial and 2011’s 50 Words for Snow show Bush no longer wants to be seen as a ‘Pop’ artist. Just an artist:

“As words and as music, none of these scream "hit single". Yet all but one of them were. It's therefore hardly surprising that Bush's name gets reeled out, with varying degrees of appropriateness, as the ancestor for any new female artist trying to merge glamour, conceptualism, innovation and autonomy: recent examples include Grimes, Julia Holter and FKA Twigs. Yet, strange as it seems now, Bush was not always impregnably cool. In fact, despite her massive record sales and mainstream fame, she was not afforded much respect by critics or hip listeners in the late 1970s.

Despite being as young or younger than, say, the Slits, Bush seemed Old Wave: she belonged with the generation of musicians who had emerged during the 1960s ("boring old farts", as the punk press called them). Some of these BOFs were indeed her mentors, friends, and collaborators: David Gilmour, Peter Gabriel and Roy Harper. Growing up, her sensibility was shaped by her older brothers, in particular the musical tastes and spiritual interests of Jay, 13 years her senior and a true 60s cat.

Punk often sneered at "art" as airy-fairy, bourgeois self-indulgence, but its ranks were full of art-school graduates and this artiness blossomed with the sound, design and stage presentation of bands such as Wire and Talking Heads. Yet Bush's music seemed the wrong kind of "arty": ornate rather than angular, overly decorative and decorous. It was the sort of musically accomplished, well-arranged, album-oriented art-pop that EMI had been comfortable with since the Beatles and had pursued with Pink Floyd, Cockney Rebel and Queen. They signed Bush expressly as the first major British female exponent of this genteel genre.

And that's where Bush was situated on her first two albums, The Kick Inside and Lionheart: somewhere at the crossroads of singer-songwriter pop, the lighter side of prog, and the highbrow end of glam. Like Bowie, she studied mime with Lindsay Kemp, took classes in dance, and made a series of striking, inventive videos. EMI's Bob Mercer hailed Bush as "a completely audio-visual artist" and spoke of the company's intention to break her in America through television rather than radio (this, several years before MTV even existed). Her one and only tour was a theatrical mega-production in the rigidly choreographed tradition of Diamond Dogs, all dancers and costume changes and no-expense-spared staging. Reviewing one of the 1979 concerts for NME, Charles Shaar Murray typified the general rock press attitude towards Bush at that point, scornfully describing the show as a throw-back to "all the unpleasant aspects of David Bowie in the Mainman era.... [Bowie manager/Mainman boss] Tony DeFries would've loved you seven years ago, Kate, and seven years ago maybe I would've too. But these days I'm past the stage of admiring people desperate to dazzle and bemuse, and I wish you were past the stage of trying those tricks yourself." Spectacle, in the immediate years after punk, was considered a narcissistic star trip, fundamentally non-egalitarian.

Of the ethereal-girl artists emerging in the mid-80s, Elizabeth Fraser was the most clearly indebted – indeed, the frou-frou side of Cocteau Twins could be traced to a single song on Never For Ever, Delius (Song of Summer). Björk's starburst of vocal euphoria likewise owed much to Bush. Enya, formerly of Clannad, followed in Bush's footsteps in her explorations of synths and sampling, as well as taking vocal multi-tracking to the dizzy limit.

The 90s saw the arrival of Tori Amos, whose piano-driven confessionals blatantly drew on Bush's ornate early sound. But there were less obvious inheritors, too. Touring their first album, Suede liked to air Wuthering Heights immediately before going onstage: Brett Anderson placed Bush in his personal trinity of utterly English ancestors, alongside Bowie and Morrissey. Esoteric-industrial duo Coil hailed Bush as "a very powerful witch", possibly knowing about – or simply sensing – the Bush family's shared enchantment with the ideas of Gurdjieff who, among other things, explored the magical effects of particular musical chords. Closeted fans started to emerge from the unlikeliest places: Johnny Rotten, for instance, gushed about the "beauty beyond belief" of Bush's music.

Still, it's hard to think of an artist with such an amazing body of work who has produced such a small collection of quotable remarks. (Her only rival in this regard might be Prince.) Here, to close, is one she gave me that's not bad as a encapsulation of the spirit of Kate Bush and her Never Never Pop.

"That's what all art's about – a sense of moving away from boundaries that you can't – in real-life. Like a dancer is always trying to fly, really - to do something that's just not possible. But you try to do as much as you can within those physical boundaries. All art is like that: a form of exploration, of making up stories. Writing, film, sculpture, music: it's all make-believe, really”.

One of the most distinctive aspects of Kate Bush’s music is how it cannot be easily labelled or attached to genres. Never truly commercial or conventional, there were waves of sonic change. Albums that had more clear singles. Perhaps an effort to keep her in the public mindset whilst also pushing her music forward. However, in later years, Bush is releasing albums as single pieces. Not concerned with singles or radio play necessarily, Bush definitely wants her fans to experience albums fully. Not to say that her music is inaccessible or outsider. Its greatest gift is that it is like nothing else around it and not concerned with ‘fitting in’. However, the songs resonate and stand up to repeated listens. Less concerned with Pop’s structures and rules, Bush’s lack of being ‘cool’ or even following artists she has inspired gives her music extra depth and credibility. From 1978’s Wuthering Heights to 2011’s Misty, the divine Kate Bush has very much…

BEEN iimpossible to define.

FEATURE: 1 Problem: A New Level of Misogyny and Disrespectful for Women Through Hip-Hop

FEATURE:

 

 

1 Problem

IN THIS PHOTO: Jay-Z has been accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000. He has called for the lawsuit to be thrown out

A New Level of Misogyny and Disrespectful for Women Through Hip-Hop

_________

THERE has always been a huge issues….

IN THIS PHOTO: Diddy

with misogyny which has run through the marrow of Hip-Hop for decades. It is one of the last genres where there is this rife and unrelenting sense of disrespect for women. I don’t think that it has massively changed through the years. Small improvements from decades past, though very few of the men in Hip-Hop boost women or mention them in their music. Positive, empowering and respectful narratives about women. You get collaborations happening but, when you look at a lot of the lyrics of modern Hip-Hop, there is still this misogyny that is never going to shift. I don’t think the genres will ever radically change so that its men are respectful of women. I know other women in Hip-Hop can be demeaning and aggressive towards other women, though it is almost solely women in Hip-Hop who are platforming and highlighting women. Alongside misogyny is something ever darker and more disturbing. Men in the genre being accused of sexual assault. How that is slow to change. Also, when men are accusing of sexual abuse, their attitudes towards the women making the accusation are also hugely disrespectful and disgusting! When you look at Hip-Hop’s men, especially those in the mainstream who have been around for decades, there is this complete lack of positivity of basic respect for women. So many abusing through their music of reducing women to their bodies. Vulgarity and aggression. I am mentioning this because Jay-Z has been accused of rape. Alongside abuser Diddy, Jay-Z has been accused of raping a thirteen-year-old. Although it is has come to light that the victim’s story has some inconsistencies, there is no reason ever to not believe her. The attitude displayed by Jay-Z towards the allegations and victim are at best dismissive and, in reality, disgusting. Someone who has power and privilege trying to write it off.

This is not a one-off. Over the past few years, there has been a slew of men in Hip-Hop accused of sexual assault, rape and violence towards women. Nobody can say that this problem is on the brink of being resolved. So far from that are we now, it is depressingly commonplace to read a story of women coming forward about being assaulted and abused by a male Hip-Hop artist/someone in the industry. The Guardian reported on Jay-Z’s reaction to being accused of rape. How it is systematic of the Hip-Hop scene:

“Jay-Z himself isn’t a newcomer to rumours about inappropriate relationships with minors. For years, speculation about the timelines and natures of his relationships with Foxy Brown, Aaliyah and eventually Beyoncé (all of whom are significantly younger than Jay-Z and were teenagers when they met him) have put him in the category of, at the very least, “Questionable Man”.

That’s why it was even more appalling to watch the typically measured, always calculated rap mogul release a statement that was condescending, un-self-aware and smacked of the smug overconfidence of someone who has operated with god-like status for so long that they don’t know what the rules even are, let alone that they have to follow them.

For starters, Jay-Z “implored” the plaintiff to file a criminal suit, “not a civil one!!” – a nonsense request when we know just how hard it is to secure a criminal conviction in a case like this, and just how useful the civil courts have been in awarding judgments in favor of victims of old crimes.

He’s also filed a motion to deny the plaintiff’s request for anonymity, asking that either her identity be disclosed or the case be dismissed. This demand that she out herself isn’t some attempt to level the playing field in the court of public opinion like he’s suggesting – it’s a way to force her into opening herself up to scrutiny, a move that is especially diabolical considering how the world treats women who stand up to abusers. And Jay-Z of all people should know: he was instrumental in helping Megan Thee Stallion navigate the hell she went up against after being shot by Tory Lanez.

But the rapper’s hostile approach to the accusations doesn’t end with his accuser. He is also suing her attorney, Tony Buzbee, whom he accuses of extortion. Buzbee has responded, accusing Jay-Z of “orchestrating a conspiracy of harassment” against him and his legal colleagues in an attempt to intimidate and silence his client.

When it comes to public response, much of it has been predictably asinine and filled with rap legend apologia. Some Black men on social media dusted off the Bill Cosby defence playbook, gleeful to be able to call the allegations “proof” of a conspiracy to bring down one of their own.

“My biggest problem in all of this is the clown show that sexual assaults have become,” said radio presenter Ebro Darden, hedging his defence of Jay-Z as a protection of the gravity of sexual assault. “I don’t know why so many people want to see Jay-Z get torn down. It’s disgusting. People love a tear-down of somebody successful … I would say in all this [that] it still takes me back to how upsetting it is that sexual assault is a game.”

All this is to be expected: Jay-Z is arguably the most powerful man in hip-hop and our misogynistic, celebrity-obsessed culture demands that he have staunch defenders in a moment like this. What I think is more interesting are the ways that Jay-Z has situated himself within the white American establishment – his relationship with the National Football League (NFL), in particular – and what role that will play as this story continues to unfold. For his part, Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, said in a perfunctory statement on Wednesday that the league was aware of the allegations and Jay-Z’s “really strong response” to them, and that their “relationship is not changing”.

Hip-Hop is not isolated in regards to misogyny. It is as bad now as ever. When you look online and how women are viewed and discussed, you do get this sense that we are heading backwards. To some dark days. The latest case of a powerful figure in Hip-Hop being accused of rape shows that there is a huge issue in the genre. The way a lot of male artists perceive women. Thinking they are beyond punishment and can do what they like. Like women are objects and are inferior to men. I do hope that the woman who has come forward to accuse Jay-Z finds justice. Hopefully it would send a clear message that men cannot get away with this sort of thing. Sadly, it is likely that the case will be thrown out or the victim will be paid off. After the dust has settled – not that it could ever! – there needs to be this spotlight on Hip-Hop. How it is still this genre overrunning with misogyny and controversy. How women in the genre are treated and still have to fight to be heard. It is a really sorry state of affairs. Women attacked and abused and there being little in the way of hope. In terms of seeing a light. It is especially terrible when high-profile men are accused and you know they will escape consequences because of who they are. As I said, the Jay-Z case is likely to be tossed out. His attitude towards the allegations is horrible! Next year has to be one for genuine change in the music industry. Where misogyny is tackled and addressed. It is especially severe in Hip-Hop. We need to be in a place (very soon) where…

WOMEN feel safe and heard.

FEATURE: The Digital Mixtape: Eddie Vedder at Sixty

FEATURE:

 

 

The Digital Mixtape

Eddie Vedder at Sixty

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ON 23rd December….

IN THIS PHOTO: Pearl Jam

one of music’s true greats turns sixty. Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder is a true legend who deserves saluting. Because of that, I am going to end this feature with a playlist featuring some of the best Pearl Jam songs and deeper cuts. Some Eddie Vedder solo material too. Prior to that, AllMusic provide a detailed biography of the wonder Vedder:

“As the singer for Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder cemented his place as one of modern rock's best-known frontmen, riding the band's early success as Seattle grunge icons into a remarkably consistent and varied career. His low, rugged vocals, introspective lyrics, and dynamic presence made him one of the 1990s' most influential frontmen and he used his celebrity to promote issues like environmental activism and women's rights. As Pearl Jam's success continued into the 21st century, Vedder also branched out into occasional solo work, contributing to a number of films including his acclaimed soundtrack to 2007's Into the Wild. After his 2011 solo acoustic release, Ukulele Songs, he spent much of the following decade devoted to Pearl Jam, becoming a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer in the process. In 2022, Vedder released Earthling, his first solo album devoted to rock & roll.

Born Edward Louis Severson III in Evanston, Illinois Vedder was raised by his mother Karen Vedder and stepfather Peter Mueller. Unaware of his biological father's existence, he used Mueller as his surname until his late teens; he later found out his real father had died and eventually took his mother's maiden name as his own. The family's relocation to San Diego in the mid-'70s ushered in Vedder's two primary passions: music and surfing. He learned to play the guitar which, along with his surfboard, helped sustain him through a difficult period that ultimately saw him drop out of high school. After earning his GED back in Chicago, Vedder returned to San Diego in the mid-'80s, where he worked odd jobs, recorded songs, and played in bands like Indian Style and Bad Radio.

In 1990, friend and former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons gave Vedder a demo tape from some Seattle friends seeking a new lead singer. Vedder's powerful voice and thoughtful lyrics earned him an invitation to Seattle to meet Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, whose most recent band, Mother Love Bone, had just folded following the death of its lead singer, Andrew Wood. In fact, they were recording a tribute album to Wood called Temple of the Dog and invited Vedder to contribute vocals on several songs alongside Soundgarden's Chris Cornell. Upon its April 1991 release, "Hunger Strike," a duet with Cornell, marked Vedder's first featured vocal appearance on record and became Temple of the Dog's breakout single, introducing the newcomer to fans ahead of Pearl Jam's own debut later that August.

Anchored by Vedder's distinctive baritone growl and the band's battery of dark, chugging riffs, Ten catapulted Pearl Jam into the mainstream and became one of the best-selling albums of the decade. It preceded the release of Nirvana's watershed album Nevermind by one month, and the massive success of both bands assured that Vedder and Kurt Cobain would become the public faces of the early-'90s grunge movement. While both singers struggled under the weight of this role, Vedder managed to parlay the group's early success into a long and lasting career, while Cobain sadly succumbed to his demons in 1994. Pearl Jam spent the middle part of the decade at the top of their game, notching three consecutive number one albums, building a devoted fan base, and earning a reputation for doing things their own way; their legendary David and Goliath-like battle with Ticketmaster over inflated concert prices earned them plenty of goodwill from frustrated concertgoers. For his part, Vedder used his elevated platform to support a number of causes from abortion rights and gun control to environmentalism and liberal politics. He also dabbled in extracurricular collaborations, singing with a range of artists from famed qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to the Ramones.

At the dawn of the new millennium, Pearl Jam were fast becoming a rock institution, touring relentlessly and satiating fans with scads of official bootleg releases of their live shows. Parallel to artistically satisfying releases like 2002's Riot Act and 2006's Pearl Jam, Vedder made occasional forays into solo work, contributing songs to films like Sean Penn's I Am Sam (2001), the documentary Body of War (2007), and the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There. An ongoing friendship with Sean Penn led Vedder to compose music for Penn's 2007 film Into the Wild, the soundtrack of which became Vedder's first official solo release. In 2011, he offered up a second solo outing in the acoustic Ukulele Songs, which he supported with a tour of smaller, more intimate venues. He also continued to guest on songs by other artists including R.E.M., Neil Finn, and Glen Hansard. Meanwhile, Pearl Jam aged gracefully into middle age, releasing 2013's low-key Lightning Bolt and a 2017 live double-LP recorded at historic Wrigley Field, home of Vedder's beloved Chicago Cubs. They were also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. That same year he appeared performing under his birth name, Edward Louis Severson, during an episode of Twin Peaks' long-awaited third season. Along with Pearl Jam's 11th studio album, Gigaton, 2020 brought the Vedder solo EP, Matter of Time. The following year, he resumed his ongoing collaboration with Sean Penn, contributing heavily to the soundtrack of his film Flag Day. He also teamed up with Bruce Springsteen and Tom Morello for a cover of AC/DC's classic "Highway to Hell."

During May of 2021, Vedder visited the Beverly Hills studio of producer Andrew Watt in order to rehearse for a benefit concert. The singer and producer unexpectedly started collaborating on new material, songs that became the seeds of Earthling, the 2022 solo album from Vedder. Earthling found Vedder working in collaboration not only with Watt and Red Hot Chili Pepper drummer Chad Smith, but with Elton John, Ringo Starr, Benmont Tench and Stevie Wonder on a diverse, colorful album”.

The music world celebrates Eddie Vedder’s sixtieth birthday on 23rd December. An artist that I have been a fan of since childhood, I have compiled a mixtape of the finest Pearl Jam cuts, lesser-known songs and some great solo material. A couple of days before Christmas, we have a reason to cheer, as one of the all-time great band leaders…

TURNS sixty.

FEATURE: A Primadonna in Red Shoes: Why a Kate Bush Exhibition Is Long Overdue

FEATURE:

 

 

A Primadonna in Red Shoes

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush photographed in London, 1989/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

Why a Kate Bush Exhibition Is Long Overdue

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I might have covered this off….

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush signing copies of The Dreaming in London on 14th September, 1982/PHOTO CREDIT: Pete Still

a year or two ago but, in any case, it is worth revising and updating. I recently posted a feature where I theorised how marvellous it would be to have photographers Guido Harari, Gered Mankowitz and John Carder Bush get together to discuss and dissect photos of Kate Bush they have taken through the years. I posted it to social media and Guido Harari said it would be a great idea and hopes it will happen. It would be wonderful to see! There has not been, to my knowledge, a photo exhibition for Kate Bush. There have been photobooks from the three photographers I have mentioned but I am not sure whether they have opened a gallery for people to see. In any case, there has not been a larger exhibition in London with images of Kate Bush from her childhood through to 2011. She may see it as exposing (not pun intended!) or too personal. However, as these photos have been shared, seen and many are available online, so having the public pay to see them should not cause a moral or personal crisis or conundrum. Whether it would purely be photographic or fashion-based I am not sure. I have been thinking about the various iconic looks from Kate Bush through the years and how artists like David Bowie have been the subject of exhibitions. This exhibition at the V&A. Album artwork, photographs and memorabilia. I would love to see an exhibition that included some Kate Bush fashion. The problem might be that the original garments are not available. From photoshoots through to public appearances, Kate Bush has sported some incredible looks. Whether it is the more down-to-earth fashion she wore at East Wickham Farm (her family home) and in 1978 or some of the more elegant or stylish photoshoots from that time, she kept consistently fashionable, innovative and relatable through the years. Her videos and their aesthetics are hugely important too.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush washing up at her family's home in East Wickham on 26th September, 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Moorhouse/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

One of my favourite moments of Kate Bush fashion is when she was signing copies of The Dreaming in London on 14th September, 1982. You can buy a replica of that T-shirt here. I am not sure which year of her career is the standout in terms of fashion. Many would have their own opinions. I personally love 1978 and 1989. Photos taken by photographers like Gered Mankowitz and Guido Harari. Some incredible photos like with Claude Vanheye. His 1979 photo session with Kate Bush was scheduled for thirty minutes, but she sent away her entourage and stayed for six hours, with props like a fake dolphin and dresses by Fong Leng. Bush staying fashionable and distinct during the 1980s. A decade not perhaps known for its reputable and cool fashion! Even if at times her music seemed out of step with the times, too dense and lacking commercial prowess, the same could not said of Bush’s style and designs. From what she wore through to album covers and promotional images, this is an artist who has not been discussed enough in terms of her fashion and design abilities. Not only recording the music but collaborating with photographers to create these timeless images. It is one of those gaps in the Kate Bush cannon that I think could be filled and should. Kate Bush is now more than ever receptive to a new generation and open to the idea of new music and possibilities. She has reissued her own albums so I don’t feel she would veto the idea of an exhibition. Maybe at the South Bank Centre. It would be amazing to have this retrospective. Not only to show what an icon Bush is but to showcase her amazing videos and covers. Right up to date with the sketches for the Little Shrew (Snowflake) video.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during the Tour of Life in Hammersmith, May 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Max Browne

Costumes worn during 1979’s The Tour of Life. Set designs and memorabilia from 2014’s Before the Dawn. Her album covers dissected and explored. Photoshoots around the album and this interactive aspect to the exhibition. Like with David Bowie, Prince or other artists who have had their clothing and music displayed for the public, it would be incredible. To be fair, Kate Bush has been covered when it comes to portraying her as a fashion icon. Articles like this from Sloane Street that tells us how to get the Kate Bush look. There is this feature that discussed the various periods of her careers and the colour palettes and aesthetics of her looks. How they changed through the years. This article highlights seven iconic Kate Bush looks, including her performing in Amsterdam in 1979 for The Tour of Life. With seventeen costume changes, there are many stunning fashion choices to spotlight. I wonder whether Kate Bush photographed with Claude Vanheye when she performed in Amsterdam during the tour. Check out this feature that gives us some iconic Kate Bush looks. Most from her early career. People tend to ignore the wonderful photos and outfits from 1989’s The Sensual World right through to 2011’s 50 Words for Snow. There are a couple of Vogue features dedicated to Kate Bush’s best looks. One here and another. Whilst there are articles that focus on her changing and always-amazing fashion choices, nothing has been mounted in a gallery or museum. That is just the tip of the iceberg! In terms of the visual side of Kate Bush, very little has been done. You feel this has to change. In 2022, DAZED celebrated Kate Bush returning to the charts after the Stranger Things effect. They heralded a ‘bizarro style icon’ whose eclectic looks through the years have had a lasting influence and legacy:

“Nearly 40 years after it was first released, Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” has become the hottest song of the summer. Playing a prominent role in the dark new series of Stranger Things, the offbeat ballad has become a global hit, as endless streams by a new generation of Bush fans propelled it to the top of the UK charts. First appearing on Bush’s 1985 album Hounds of Love, the track is a rallying cry for extreme empathy that explores what could be achieved if two lovers swapped places to understand one another better – themes which feel just as timely and pertinent as they did back then.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during the cover shoot for 1985’s Hounds of Love/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

Despite her fame, Kate Bush has managed that rare thing as a mainstream musician – retaining a cult-like aura that still makes listeners feel like insiders sharing a secret. To those in the know, this appreciation extends far beyond the music. A great foreshadower of the slick pop package expected today, Bush’s work has always been led by an understanding that a great singer uses all her available tools. From taking lessons with David Bowie’s dance teacher Lindsay Kemp to devising music videos that cover every genre from sci-fi to macabre fairytale, Bush’s vision was, and is, multi-faceted. Clothes have played an integral part in this creative odyssey, cementing Bush as an idiosyncratic fashion icon in the process.

Here, we look back at the way the musician has utilised fashion throughout her career, and her subsequent influence on the way we dress.

KATE’S KEY LOOKS

Let’s reverse to the beginning. Bush burst into the limelight in 1978 with her debut album The Kick Inside. She was just 19. The lead single “Wuthering Heights” remains one of her best known to this day, its high-pitched, broken-hearted register still a favourite among brave karaoke-goers. Two separate music videos released to accompany the Emily Brontë-inspired track featured Bush fluttering around a field and a stage in flowing gowns: one red, one white. Often, this is the Kate Bush we still imagine, all big hair and ethereal seventies regalia.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Claude Vanheye

Away from her videos, Bush was frequently pictured wearing rustic knits, silk blouses, waistcoats, colourful tights, thigh high-boots, and a further succession of diaphanous dresses. Her style suggested not only hippyish ease but a particularly English kind of eclecticism: all thin fabrics and big woolly socks. She wasn’t afraid of high fashion drama either. A series of photos of her taken in the late ‘70s by Claude Vanheye see her in various jewel-coloured Fong Leng pieces, with one ritzy yellow number worn to walk a leashed crocodile.

The needs of dance also influenced Bush’s love of glittery bodysuits and tight lycra – all the better to move in. Her 1979 show The Tour of Life was a heavily costumed affair, featuring outfits including a magician’s top hat and tails, a veil, wings, leotards, and WWII army attire. Always ahead of the game, she was also the first singer to perform with a wireless microphone headset, her stage sound engineer Martin Fisher devising it from a coat hanger.

During those early years, Bush was prodigious. The Kick Inside and Lionheart were both released in 1978, Never Forever came in 1980 (featuring a brilliant futuristic look complete with chainmail bikini for “Babooshka”), and The Dreaming in 1982. The latter, which marked her most experimental work to date, received lukewarm reception but has since been recognised as a classic. Bush then stormed back onto the charts in 1985 with Hounds of Love.

Forever a shapeshifter, across the course of the album’s music videos and shoots Bush fashioned herself into a small boy complete with knitted jerkin for “Cloudbusting”, an overcoat-clad dancer for “Hounds of Love”, and an Ophelia-style figure in a life jacket framed by flowers for the album’s B-side telling the story of a slowly drowning woman. For “Running Up That Hill” she opted for grey leotards and hakama – draped Japanese trousers – ideal for the video’s soft purple light as she and fellow dancer Michael Hervieu (dressed identically) grappled together in a series of motions that rolled between intimacy and distance.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in a promotional photo for the 1981 single., Sat in Your Lap

A LASTING INFLUENCE

To some degree, it’s hard to write about Kate Bush’s ‘style’, because so much of it exists in service to her music. Take her 1993 album The Red Shoes. There it’s all about the scarlet ballet slippers, used to reference Powell & Pressberger’s 1948 film of the same name – itself nodding to Hans Christian Andersen’s gruesome tale of a girl cursed to dance forever. For Bush, clothing is both kinetic and character-forming. It frees or accentuates the body. It allows the wearer to play role after role. Often, her vision has extended beyond the merely human. In her promotional images you can find her dressed as both a bat and a lion.

This exhilarating malleability has made the singer a firm favourite in the fashion world. Designers including Kim Jones, Phoebe Philo, Clare Waight Keller, Alexander McQueen, Hussein Chalayan, Luella Bartley, and Craig Green have lined up to declare their love for the grand witch-queen of pop. The latter recently described his first encounter with her work aged 13 to AnOther, saying “I was spending a lot of time alone in my bedroom, working, and I started listening to her over and over… I love that she can find music in anything – from mother-and-son love, to pigeons and snowflakes.”

There is a narrative that exists in the fashion world – that of the slightly awkward kid who spends their adolescence sketching in their room and grows up to create clothing that fulfils their hunger for beauty and fantasy. No wonder Bush appeals to that cohort. It’s one of the reasons why she’s so beloved. Yes, there’s the emotional precision of her lyrics and the expansive reach of her sounds. Yes, there’s that fantastic willingness to be intelligent and daring and strange. But there’s also an implicit suggestion about the galloping power of the imagination, particularly when combined with an outsider-ish sensibility that leaves you dreaming about literary ghosts or the merits of the mathematical symbol Pi.

That’s why her fashion choices are so memorable too. It’s not just their ethereality or eccentricity, but the stories they tell. Designers love to throw around vague statements about creativity, but in someone like Kate Bush you see the full force of an active, searching mind – and an understanding of what the dressing up box can do. Really, it’s a very simple fashion philosophy. To become someone new, all you need is a costume change”.

Now more than ever, Kate Bush is reaching people. Not only would an exhibition emphasise her incredible fashion and role as a genuine style icon. It would also make people more aware of her music. Going deeper. Whether it is Kate Bush in a T-shirt signing The Dreaming in 1982, wearing red shoes in 1993 for the film, The Line, the Cross and the Curve, or some amazing shots with Trevor Leighton in 2005, this is someone who is always pioneering and distinct! Next year, there is definite opportunity for some new celebration of Kate Bush. An exhibition would bring in fans from all over the world. Making it multimedia, interactive and truly career-spanning. I hope that one day this idea…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in a promotional photo for Eat the Music in 1993

WILL become a reality.

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 (published (in 2024); I have published over forty more since then), 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. Comprised 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 in June. 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 March 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 thirty-five. 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. In June, 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.