The mysterious and ethereal. The independent and earthy.
The dancer in the red dress.
The queen of the Fish People.
Kate Bush began writing songs at the age of 11, eventually recording about 50 onto homemade demo tapes over the next several years. Copies of these tapes miraculously found their way to Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, who helped Bush professionally record three of the songs and assisted with getting her signed to EMI Records.
In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush became a cultural phenomenon in the UK with the release of her debut single, “Wuthering Heights.” She appeared on Top Of The Tops five times that year, and the two videos for “Wuthering Heights” — one of Kate dressed in white dancing in her own unique style on a black soundstage and one of her in a red dress dancing on Salisbury Plain — imprinted themselves on UK audiences.
The quirky novelty of the song, along with Kate Bush’s distinctive voice and dancing, could easily have caused people to dismiss her as a flash in the pan.
She turned out to be a force of nature.
Taking over production for her albums, in 1980 Bush became the first UK female solo artist to score a #1 album and became one of the most critically acclaimed artists of the 80s and 90s. Her devoted fans are known as Fish People and meet annually to wear red dresses and dance.
Take your shoes off and throw them in the lake. Something good is gonna happen. Here’s the least you need to know:
The Dreaming (1982) A dense sonic landscape. Bush takes over the production reins and turns the studio into a playground. Or a dark and tangled forest. Either way, rewards those willing to repeatedly take the journey. Also helpful to view the album as a collection of short stories rather than a novel.
Hounds Of Love (1985) This is the novel (well, two novellas — one per side). The sweet spot between art and pop, personal and universal. Distills everything Bush has learned over the previous seven years into a focused statement on the natural world, the spiritual world, and the world of the heart. Runnin’ up that hill — with no problems.
The Whole Story The best of her singles up through 1986. One of the small number of greatest hits albums that stands as a classic in its own right. Turns out it’s only the beginning of the Kate Bush story. [For some reason, not available on Spotify (or vinyl) with the rest of Bush’s albums. CD is still around, though.]
