The Enigmatic Genius of Kate Bush and Her Legacy
As far as music legends go, few sparkle as uniquely and defiantly as Kate Bush. With her ethereal voice, literary lyrics, and relentless individuality, Bush carved a path that more often than not veered from the mainstream, whilst at the same time profoundly influencing it. Kate Bush is more than just a songwriter; she is a mythmaker, a poet, and a performance artist.
Born in 1958 in Kent, England, she was something of a musical prodigy. By the time she was a teenager, she had already caught the attention of Pink Floyd’s Dave Gilmour, who assisted her in producing a demo tape. It is remarkable to think that she was only 19 when, in 1978, she exploded onto the music scene with Wuthering Heights. ‘Heights’ was a haunting ode to Emily Brontë’s classic novel, published in 1847. It shot to No.1 in the UK, which incidentally made her the first female artist to reach that milestone with a self-penned song. Wuthering Heights remained at number one for four weeks in the UK in March 1978 – incidentally knocking Abba’s ‘Take A Chance On Me’ off the top spot. In all, it spent 14 weeks in the UK singles chart.
Wuthering Heights wasn’t just a hit, though, as Bush twirled across the screen in flowing chiffon, singing from the perspective of a ghost, what she gave us was bold, eccentric, and unprecedented. It was balletic, captivating and and took performance to a whole new level.
Kate Bush quickly earned a reputation as a creative force. Non-conformist and unbound by labels and expectations. You never knew what she would do next, but you knew you would like it!
Her albums –The Kick Inside, Lionheart, Never for Ever, The Dreaming, and the classic (in my opinion) Hounds of Love- demonstrated a restless imagination, drawing inspiration from literature, film, history, dreams, and the subconscious.
Talking of 1985’s Hounds of Love, with this album, she achieved both critical and commercial acclaim. The album’s first half contained tracks like the unforgettable Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) while the second half delivered a surreal concept piece, The Ninth Wave. This was art/pop at its finest.
As a side note, decades later, Running Up That Hill experienced a revival after being included in the Netflix show, Stranger Things. This introduced her work to a new generation and saw it topping the charts in 2022.
The Mystique
Part of Bush’s mystique lies in her somewhat reclusive behavior. Unlike most artists, she did not tour widely or make a lot of public appearances, preferring to present her work via intricate videos, which lent itself well to the MTV era. She toured once, in 1979. It was a relatively short tour with 24 dates in Britain and mainland Europe. The closest she came to me was Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, but I was only 17 at the time and just beginning my life as a music journalist. She claimed to find touring exhausting and preferred the controlled, creative environment of the studio.
Of course, as is the way, her absence only strengthened her status as an enigmatic legend, and when she returned to perform in 2014 with her Before The Dawn residency at the Eventim Apollo (formerly Hammersmith Apollo), all 22 dates sold out in minutes. These were her first live performances in 35 years, and close to 80,000 people attended from all over the world.
The Legacy
Kate Bush’s impact on modern music is immeasurable. Artists as diverse as Bjork, Tori Amos, and Florence Welch cite her as an influence. In an often male-dominated industry, Kate Bush carved out a space where the strange, the emotional, and the sometimes obscure could thrive. Her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023 was long overdue.
Ultimately, Kate Bush is a reminder of what happens when an artist is given the freedom to follow their instincts. She didn’t just break the mold, she ignored it completely – something that can also be said of rock icon
Recently, I have found myself revisiting Kate’s work, enticed back into her world by an Instagram post of all things. Talking of such things, in a time when algorithms dictate our choices and dominate the airwaves, the creative genius of Kate Bush is more needed than ever. Will she come back? I doubt it, but we can dream.
For those who would like to experience Kate in concert Kate Bush In Concert 1979
*loveher
Well, Lee. I'm definitely someone who loves her work, and not just because I'm a Poet.
I flew into London from Australia in January 1978, aged 17 and a half, on my way to find the world. "Punk Rules Okay!" was spray painted on the walls and London was a cold and gritty city but I turned on the radio and here was a voice from another universe singing of a love from beyond life and from outside of time.
In the Tube, wherever I looked, there were posters of Kate Bush in a pink leotard staring into my eyes and I was - of course - transfixed.
I was walking the sleet filled streets in a winter storm on my way to a night shift at my first job but in my head I was out on the wily windy moors and I was rolling and falling in green. I had left my first girlfriend behind in Australia to come to London and her name - of course - was Cathy.
By the end of the year I was in Australia again.
4 months later - her car wrapped around a tree on a long drive home after seeing me - Cathy was dead.
I played Wuthering Heights and each night I listened at my window.
Sometimes, I still do.
Best wishes
Dave