Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

I can't Believe This


IanHenry

Recommended Posts

I was watching a TV program about hit singles, over the weekend and they played Kate Bush's Wuthering Height's, saying that it wasn't a hit in the U.S because the radio stations over there wouldn't play it.

I know at the time Kate was considered an eccentric teenage English girl, but she really is a genius, and this was pretty radical stuff back in 1978!

http://youtu.be/-1pMMIe4hb4

Regards,

Ian

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest farnsbarns

I know the song, obviously, but ive never seen the video. That's the best thing I've seen in ages. Better than Monty Python! What is she up to?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, they wouldn't play it on radio here. Mrs and I introduced to her in our late teens I think before we were even engaged, saw her on Saturday Night Live during her very short, only tour over here. Have loved her madly ever since. Mrs too.

 

rct

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kate bush is unusual and a few of her albums have been ok but mostly I goth say she's pretty much a wacko her voice can be gorgeous but it usually is so weirded out it sound like somebody torturing a cat.

I was in my late teens when 'Wuthering Heights' was released. The first I knew of it was when this version was broadcast on TV;

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW3gKKiTvjs

 

I was wetting myself laughing for the first half-minute or so but then absolutely fell in love with both the song and Ms Bush.

 

She was interviewed by the music press quite a bit (as you can probably imagine). One interviewer described her face as having the appearance of "carved ivory with nary a nick". 34 years on I still love that quote.

She had been writing songs since she was still at primary school. It was reported that she owes a great deal to a certain Mr. David Gilmour who helped her find a record company which wasn't put off by her rather eccentric style.

 

Incidentally I think the 'outro' work is one of the most tastefully executed bits of six-string-stuff from that period.

 

P.

 

EDIT : Intrigued, I've just Wiki'd her and here's the relevant passage re: D.G.;

 

"During this time (mid-70s) her family produced a demo tape with over 50 of her compositions, which was turned down by record labels. David Gilmour of Pink Floyd received the demo from Ricky Hopper, a mutual friend of Gilmour and the Bush family. Impressed with what he heard, Gilmour helped the sixteen-year-old Bush get a more professional-sounding demo tape recorded that would be more saleable to the record companies. Three tracks in total were recorded and paid for by Gilmour......The tape was sent to EMI executive Terry Slater. Slater was impressed by the tape and signed her."

 

Also in the Wiki entry it states that the 'White Dress' video was for the UK and the 'Red Dress' clip was for the USA which means somehow ITV (Independent TeleVision company) showed the 'wrong' version when I first saw it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was in my late teens when 'Wuthering Heights' was released. The first I knew of it was when this version was broadcast on TV;

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW3gKKiTvjs

 

I was wetting myself laughing for the first half-minute or so but then absolutely fell in love with both the song and Ms Bush.

 

She was interviewed by the music press quite a bit (as you can probably imagine). One interviewer described her face as having the appearance of "carved ivory with nary a nick". 34 years on I still love that quote.

She had been writing songs since she was still at primary school. It was reported that she owes a great deal to a certain Mr. David Gilmour who helped her find a record company which wasn't put off by her rather eccentric style.

 

Incidentally I think the 'outro' work is one of the most tastefully executed bits of six-string-stuff from that period.

 

P.

 

EDIT : Intrigued, I've just Wiki'd her and here's the relevant passage re: D.G.;

 

"During this time (mid-70s) her family produced a demo tape with over 50 of her compositions, which was turned down by record labels. David Gilmour of Pink Floyd received the demo from Ricky Hopper, a mutual friend of Gilmour and the Bush family. Impressed with what he heard, Gilmour helped the sixteen-year-old Bush get a more professional-sounding demo tape recorded that would be more saleable to the record companies. Three tracks in total were recorded and paid for by Gilmour......The tape was sent to EMI executive Terry Slater. Slater was impressed by the tape and signed her."

 

Also in the Wiki entry it states that the 'White Dress' video was for the UK and the 'Red Dress' clip was for the USA which means somehow ITV (Independent TeleVision company) showed the 'wrong' version when I first saw it!

 

Sounds like Roxy Music. Kate is a beautiful woman. Nice to hear about David Gilmour helping a young artist to get started in the business He seems, from my limited perspective, like a good guy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of my Fav kate songs...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pllRW9wETzw

Not to take away from Kate (stunning, and quite talented though obviously a bit eccentric), but in this video, was the first time I've noticed how much Keifer Sutherland looks like his Father in his younger days.

 

To keep the content at least semi guitar related, Keifer has a 59 Les Paul among his sizable guitar collection.

 

Now, back to Kate... I'll bet she's still gorgeous, is she still recording?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now, back to Kate... I'll bet she's still gorgeous, is she still recording?

 

She is, and she is. 50 Words For Snow last year, Mrs has certainly not complained about it and neither have I. Aerial from mid 2000s, some of the images that record brings are absolutely classic Kate.

 

rct

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not to take away from Kate (stunning, and quite talented though obviously a bit eccentric), but in this video, was the first time I've noticed how much Keifer Sutherland looks like his Father in his younger days.

 

To keep the content at least semi guitar related, Keifer has a 59 Les Paul among his sizable guitar collection.

 

Now, back to Kate... I'll bet she's still gorgeous, is she still recording?

 

In fact it IS Donald Sutherland in the video. The song is inspired by the life and work of Wilhelm Reich who invented something called the 'orgone accumulator' (the rain machine in the video) and was eventually imprisoned in the U.S.A., and died in gaol - think it was in the late 60s or early 70s. A sad and scandalous story and worth googling.

This song is one of KB's very finest and original compositions (and I'm not even a fan); who else would think of, let alone write, a song about such a subject from the point of view of the inventor's son (she is impersonating a boy here) and get a major Hollywood star to appear in the promo?

Many rock musicians/stars are entertainers - of course, they have to be. KB is an artist. She does not tour as at the end of her massive, EMI-backed debut tour in the 80s, one of the crew was killed in a tragic backstage accident.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

She does not tour as at the end of her massive, EMI-backed debut tour in the 80s, one of the crew was killed in a tragic backstage accident.

 

It was only 6 weeks in Spring of 1979. I don't know how much EMI had to do with it by then, she was her own company by that time, EMI would have had to negotiate with her to get her to tour as her. Massive maybe, she danced and stuff, pioneered headset mics, had a magician and everything. She had a hand in almost every aspect of it. Don't know about the death, never heard of that until today. She didn't tour anymore because it was just too much work to get the songs across to people who invariably got them all wrong, that's what I remember from back then.

 

rct

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kate only did one tour (apparently she was dissatisfied with the quality of live music because she's a perfectionist), but one of those concerts' was filmed. If you ever get the chance to see that film, it really is brilliant.

Yes Kate is as mad as a box of frogs, but she is a genius and you can't help but love her!

 

Regards,

Ian.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was only 6 weeks in Spring of 1979. I don't know how much EMI had to do with it by then, she was her own company by that time, EMI would have had to negotiate with her to get her to tour as her. Massive maybe, she danced and stuff, pioneered headset mics, had a magician and everything. She had a hand in almost every aspect of it. Don't know about the death, never heard of that until today. She didn't tour anymore because it was just too much work to get the songs across to people who invariably got them all wrong, that's what I remember from back then.

 

rct

 

 

Kate only did one tour (apparently she was dissatisfied with the quality of live music because she's a perfectionist), but one of those concerts' was filmed. If you ever get the chance to see that film, it really is brilliant.

Yes Kate is as mad as a box of frogs, but she is a genius and you can't help but love her!

 

Regards,

Ian.

 

Yes that's it - I should have said 'one of the reasons she does not tour....' apologies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The first time I heard this song it was performed by Pat Benatar on her 1980 Crimes of Passion album. I didn't know that Kate had written and recorded it previously, so Pat's version was the first to get my attention. I think she and her band did a fantastic job covering it. Hats off to Kate of course for a fine piece, and unique voice as well.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAVxv2PoRjI&feature=related

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The first time that I heard Kate Bush,I fell in love with her incredible and unique voice,but when I first saw her that really clinched it,she was beauty personified.Although she didn't make it big in the U.S. several of her songs made it big here in Canada such as Wuthering Heights,Babushka,The Man With The Child In His Eyes and her duet with Peter Gabriel-Don't Give Up On Love.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kate's not unheard of in the US the album the Red Shoes in the early 90's? was very popular and made it into the top 30 on US album charts it was a well done and well received album. But then she took a 12 year break from recording music so it's not surprising a lot of young people especially don't know or appreciate her. Her version of "Don't look Back" with with Peter Gabriel is probably one of the greatest duo's ever done on a record and the best version of a great and amazing song by Peter so she's know by some of us at least but she's still crazy! [thumbup]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kate's not unheard of in the US the album the Red Shoes in the early 90's? was very popular and made it into the top 30 on US album charts it was a well done and well received album. But then she took a 12 year break from recording music so it's not surprising a lot of young people especially don't know or appreciate her. Her version of "Don't look Back" with with Peter Gabriel is probably one of the greatest duo's ever done on a record and the best version of a great and amazing song by Peter so she's know by some of us at least but she's still crazy! [thumbup]

 

Story's abound about Kate's strange ways, for example there was one about record company executives being invited around to her house during her 12 year hiatus, they thinking that they were going to get some new material, only to be invited into her kitchen and given tea & cakes, then leaving empty handed. Kate seems to live in a weird, wacky but wonderful world!

 

Ian.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...