FEATURE:
In That Paris Night…
A Kate Bush Tour Bootleg, and a Stunning Rarity I Would Love to Own
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I am scouring the pages of…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978
a recent Classic Pop Collector’s Edition relating to Kate Bush. There are a few other features I am going to write relating to things written in the magazine. It makes for a fascinating read! For existing Bush fans, there is always something to learn. It is a useful keepsake that can be used for reference for a long time to go. For those new to her, there is so much information in there that will open your eyes and mind. Right near the end, there is a section called Kate on Vinyl. This is for those who wants something must-own or rarer to add to their collection. I have the studio albums of hers that I want on vinyl. I also have the 2016 live recording of Before the Dawn (2014). I am always looking about for Kate Bush vinyl that is unusual or sought-after. There were two picks from Classic Pop’s list that caught my eye. The first combines the two singles she released in Japan. It is called Them Heavy People & Moving. Many might not know that Bush released singles only for the Japanese market. This was something she did right up to and including The Dreaming in 1982 (that was paused until The Red Shoes in 1993, then she would only release one single per album after that). That act of marketing different singles for different countries.
With Moving released first in Japan, and then Them Heavy People, this is two great tracks from Bush’s 1978 debut album, The Kick Inside. In terms of a release, this is quite a rarity. In fact, this is the one that started off The Kick Inside campaign. As Classic Pop wrote in their feature: “Toshiba EMI issued Kate Bush’s first two singles, Them Heavy People and Moving, as a DJ-only double-pack, and the sleeve – as was standard for Japan at the time – was adorned by an advert, in this case for Seiko watches”. The magazine goes on to say that many copies were hand-delivered to D.J.s and media at the Tokyo Music Festival of 1978, where Bush was performing live. A copy did sell on eBay for £700 back in 2006. I can see a Japanese white label promotion for Them Heavy People on eBay, but not that double-single release. It may be a case of so few are in existence that it is very hard to see one listed at all. If anyone has a lead, I would be interested to know more. It is both alluring and infuriating when you learn about these rarities and know, deep down, the chances of tracking them down are rarer than the items themselves!
I would love to own it, as it is from The Kick Inside – my favourite album -, and it is documentation of Kate Bush launching her music in a huge music territory. Rather than hitting the U.S., she establishes this presence in Japan. With some slightly awkward interviews, that rare Seiko advert (she would not give her music and name to advertising until the ‘90s when she composed music for a series of Fruitopia adverts), that festival performance and some promotional photos, there were two successful singles and a top-forty album position. Bush would have some success in Japan with her follow-up album, Lionheart, yet there would be no Japan-only singles after that. A tough market to keep on top of, the fact that she would have to travel back and forth for promotion made it unviable. In any case, she did get these special releases. As I have said, the Japanese version of The Kick Inside is my favourite, as it features a stunning pink leotard photo by Gered Mankowitz that should have been in consideration for the U.K. cover. One of the rarest 7” releases featuring Kate Bush, I do wonder how many copies of Them Heavy People & Moving exist. Also, what condition might they be in?! I guess it is quite a long-shot hoping that eBay or another site might list another copy, but I have checked on Discogs too and I cannot see anything.
The second vinyl pick from Classic Pop that alerted my attention is the Paris, France 1979 L.P. A recording from Paris during The Tour of Life in 1979, it was released by Reformation and (supposedly) the Fan Club of Taiwan. As Classic Pop write, this L.P. is “a mythical concert bootleg. It was recorded at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées on 6 May 1979 during the Lionheart (The Tour of Life) tour and has 11 songs, though seven are from The Kick Inside with just two from Lionheart”. The two from that album are In the Warm Room and Full House. There are also two songs that would feature on 1980’s Never for Ever. This bootleg only existed and was passed about during the 1980s and ‘90s, as MP3 meant that audience recordings had their day. The sound quality on this bootleg is meant to be legendary and way above the standard you would expect. It would be fascinating to hear this as, apart from the official On Stage EP (co-produced by Kate Bush and Jon Kelly, it features four songs) that was released in promotion of the 1979 tour, there is not a great deal of audio to get from The Tour of Life. The video from the tour online is not of the best quality, and I don’t think there is a full show available on vinyl or cassette.
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during the Tour of Life in Hammersmith in May 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Max Browne
I am going to wrap up in a second. I am someone who does not own anything rare relating to Kate Bush. As I wrote in a recent feature, there are rarities and collectibles that cost a fair penny that would be great to have for preservation and prosperity. As much as I would love to own the handwritten lyrics for The Man with the Child in His Eyes (that a teenage Bush wrote in hot pink felt tip), having recordings like Paris, France 1979 and that Japanese promotional, Them Heavy People & Moving, would be something else. Even though Kate Bush is so popular, known and adored, there is still a sense of the rare and mythologised. In terms of official releases, they are readily available from her official store and other sites. There is this whole other world of bootlegs, promotional releases, rarities, early pressings and other stuff that is treasure for fans! I know a few of her studio albums have different covers depending on which country they were released in, and they can go for quite a bit of money now. I was engrossed by the Japanese two-track 7” because of its rarity and the fact that it was a part of Bush’s early career not that many people are aware of. The weird and brief promotion and success she had in Japan. That bootlegged gig in France from 1979 seems quite elicit, but it one of very few examples of a set from The Tour of Life being available on vinyl. To own that would be amazing! It is unlikely that I will be lucky to find either of those prized releases coming up on eBay or another site, but it is true that you…
NEVER know what might come about.