FEATURE:
Lines, Crosses, and Curves…
Musing About Kate Bush Possibilities for 2023
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I am thinking ahead…
PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari
to 30th July, as that is the sixty-fifth birthday of Kate Bush. I was planning on doing a series of celebrations but, as I think Bush herself would not want that sort of fuss, maybe something a bit more toned-down! Closer to the time, I will start a run of features. I might also do a podcast about Lionheart. Her second studio album, it was released in November 1978. That might be a fitting tribute. It will be exciting building up to 30th July and seeing how the world reacts. Last year was an unexpectedly busy one when it came to Kate Bush and her music. In addition to articles and books (including Tom Doyle’s excellent Running Up That Hill: 50 Visions of Kate Bush), there was a lot of love for her online. Rather than me repeating myself about what I predict will happen this year, there are a few possibilities and hopes that I hope will come to be realised. We have just celebrated the forty-fifth anniversary of her debut album, The Kick Inside (on 17th February), and there are one or two big anniversaries this year. Naturally, fans around the world hope that this year is one where Bush will announce some new music. You never know what might happen, but I think we could hear something around summer sort of time. That would be amazing to read! Apart from that, of course there will be cover versions and the usual array of magazine features – and there is a new Hounds of Love 33 1/3 book coming later this year too.
I wanted to both reintroduce a few ideas and subjects I have covered before, but sort of muse on what could come to light or what is missing from the market. You never know what could be announced, which is why it is always exciting being a Kate Bush fan. In the same way that I am going to scale down any ideas for Bush’s sixty-fifth birthday, she herself would not really embrace a full-on blitz of books and projects. Rather than cashing in on her recent success and fresh resurgence, what we will see are lovingly assembled and researched books. I always bemoan the lack of Kate Bush podcasts, but I think we will see more this year. Not that it is being marked by a big anniversary but, as, on 2nd April, it will be forty-four years since Bush embarked on The Tour of Life, that warrants attention. That was the warm-up gig to her only tour. In terms of artefacts and mentions about it, you do not get a lot. There are three things and releases that I think should come to light. A release relating to The Tour of Life is one. Whilst there has been physical release for 2014’s Before the Dawn – Bush’s twenty-two-date residency in Hammersmith – and there is memorabilia available online, there is very little concerning The Tour of Life. Apart from the On Stage E.P. – four tracks taken from the tour, the E.P. was co-produced alongside Jon Kelly -, there isn’t a great deal. I know that Bush herself has said she loved the tour, and it was a great deal of fun (if tiring). There are so many people who do not know about it. A podcast covering it would be a good starting point for many. Perhaps speaking with people who were there back in 1979, taking a deep dive into the tour and its impact would be fascinating.
Although a podcast would be easy enough and great, the audio and visuals of The Tour of Life are sort of in bits and would benefit from being remastered and combined. I have written about this before but, as I think this year is one where more people know about Bush’s music, this iconic and hugely important tour needs to come to physical formats. There are some remastered videos of Bush performing during The Tour of Life, but nothing official. There is a Nationwide documentary that looks at the preparation and aftermath of the gigs, but either a Blu-Ray/DVD release of a full set and that documentary, or maybe a YouTube video or new documentary where we get remastered footage from several dates on the tour, and that is then cut with with parts of the Nationwide feature. It would kind of be a new Kate Bush documentary, but one that is specifically about The Tour of Life. It would be fascinating to see that come to life. It would need to be agreed between EMI and Kate Bush, but the Tour of Life is one of the only major parts of her career without an official album or release. We have the studio albums, a greatest hits collection (The Whole Story), plus a few other things. A full set from The Tour of Life, with cassette and C.D. options – vinyl would be the main attraction of course -, together with some linear notes/photos would be more than fair. I am not sure why there has not been a release, as Bush would support it and has fond recollections of The Tour of Life.
Before moving to an idea around two studio albums from Bush that celebrate big anniversaries later in the year, I keep coming back to the idea of photos. This is a big thing for me when it comes to Kate Bush. Nothing has come in recently, and I think there is a whole archive of wonderful photos that could come to light. Cherished volumes like John Carder Bush’s Kate: Inside the Rainbow show that there isa affection and demand for photos. As I have also written about, I am not sure whether it is easy to collate press photos (from official shoots and interviews) from through the years. I would love to see more photos of Bush by Gered Mankowitz. He took a lot of fabulous images of Bush in 1978 and 1979. Guido Harari sort of took up the baton from there, and there are two large and more expensive coffee table books from them both. I think something similar to Kate: Inside the Rainbow that is more affordable and maybe combines great images of her through the years would be welcomed. Maybe bringing in addition or unseen photos from John Carder Bush, it could be a chronological book. Maybe bringing in interview snippets, information about her studio albums and other information, there is a whole world of Kate Bush imagery that would look beautiful in a new book. Again, I don’t think that this is something that she would object to. Maybe in collaboration with John Carder Bush, Guido Harari, and Gered Mankowitz, there could be this celebration and salute of an icon. If it were possible to have some press photo and images from The Tour of Life and Before the Dawn, then that would provide a brilliant and wonderful compendium for established fans and new alike.
PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush
Two of Kate Bush’s studio albums have big anniversaries this year. Both are in November. The Red Shoes turns thirty, whilst Lionheart will be forty-five. Both are underappreciated albums. Whilst we will not see anniversary reissues, there should be something around the anniversaries. When it comes to Lionheart, there are interviews and music videos. I do hope that magazines and websites take some time out to mark an album that is very strong and does not get the attention and respect it deserves. There have not been many (if any) podcasts exploring the album. Whilst albums such as Hounds of Love and The Kick Inside will get articles written about them, there has been precious little when it comes to Lionheart. Bush’s second studio album, it was a little rushed. Even so, at only ten tracks, there is no real wastage. Some of her best songs can be found on this album – including the newly-written Symphony in Blue and one of the singles, Wow -, so I do think that there is a need to highlight this album. Again, podcasts could come about, but I do hope a magazine dedicates some pages to the making of Lionheart and shining new light on it. It did then lead to The Tour of Life, where all of its tracks were performed live. In fact, an alternate title for the tour was The Lionheart Tour. Perhaps tying in something to do with Lionheart and The Tour of Life could happen. It would be nice to think.
In terms of albums that do not get a great deal of focus, The Red Shoes is right up there. Similarly to Lionheart, the 1993 album has plenty of great tracks. Whilst I do not consider it to be as strong as Lionheart, it does have some magnificent work on it. Rubberband Girl, Eat the Music, Moments of Pleasure, and Lily alone are enough to confirm that it is well worth a lot of love! I would love to see something come about in November for its thirtieth anniversary. Again, there will be no reissue or anything like that but, as I have said for a long time, there are not many remastered videos. Rubberband Girl, Eat the Music and Moments of Pleasure have great videos. HD versions of them would be awesome. Also, and also turning thirty later this year (13th November) is the short film, The Line, the Cross and the Curve. This short film, directed and written by Bush (she also starred) was maligned. Bush herself put distance from the short, but I think it has some fabulous moments. Perhaps a remaster of that too would welcome it to new fans and, in the process, shine new light on its better moments. Magazine articles definitely need to come for The Red Shoes, as this was the last studio album by Bush before a twelve-year hiatus. It was a fascinating period!
PHOTO CREDIT: John Stoddart
There is the possibility to put together some great articles, podcasts and events to mark some key Kate Bush albums and occasions. Of course, there is no telling what else could be coming this year in terms of commemorations and acknowledgements. I still think that there should be something to do with The Tour of Life, as it is a monumental and hugely important part of her career that has not really been explored or revised since 1979. A lot of people do not even know about it. With photobooks of her the subject of real fascination, they illuminate a beguiling and multi-layered artist. I know there are so many images out there that are striking and complex that could sit together beautifully. I have been thinking about this because of the occasion of her sixty-fifth birthday on 30th July. It has got me thinking about how there should be something in the world before then. In a previous feature, I suggested the idea of a tribute album. Rather than flood the market with a Kate Bush swell of things, something like a Tour of Life release or a podcast about Lionheart would fulfil a need. Not only would be it be beneficial for established and older fans of Kate Bush. It would also be revelatory and beneficial…
FOR the younger generations.