KATE BUSH: YOUR FAVOURITE MUSIC VIDEOS
Saw her for the first time years ago on SNL. Eric Idle was the host I believe, but she performed The Man With a Child In His Eyes and I’ve followed her ever since. I was always disappointed that she has a fear of touring and the opportunity to see her live was slim. I did catch a performance on PBS once with David Gilmour and she was extraordinary. Glad to see their is someone else besides myself who adores her.
“Rubberband Girl”:
I like Experiment 4 and The Big Sky. Cloudbusting is sad.
Cloudbusting is the one I like best.
Love Kate Bush, her videos? Well, they are unique and enjoyable for that. Anyway, keeping things movie related;
“Experiment IV” is an underrated Kate Bush single. Do you know it was banned from “Top Of The Pops” for being too violent? Insert your own joke here. The video is absolutely great.
“Cloudbusting” is wonderful, like a short film set to continuous music. The subject matter of the song twigged my interest in Wilhelm Reich, leading me to track down a copy of “Listen, Little Man!” which I read in one sitting, and I’m not normally one for reading books from cover to cover (I’m trying to do that a little more this year). That’s what comes from going to the cinema every week.
I believe “Hammer Horror” is underrated both as song and video. Again, one of those minimalist video creations that far outshines most of what is paraded on the television nowadays. I don’t believe Kate Bush gets enough credit for being the true pioneer of the music video as something more than an excuse to get your song on television. Somone like Michael Jackson simply had the luxury of working with bigger budgets and had a musical style that was flagrantly commercial. I take nothing away from John Landis and his “Thriller” video, but several years before, Kate Bush was raising the level and redefining what a music video could be.
I wouldn’t count on Kate Bush touring again anytime soon, if ever. In fact, I admire Kate for refusing to tour. It’s refreshing to know that playing her music in front of a live audience is something she doesn’t take lightly. For Kate, it’s not about “take the money and run”. With just one tour, she forever reshaped the theatrical rock show, her legacy is safe and these pop singers on MTV these days can’t hold a candle to her magnificence.
There is a really good documentary on The Hounds Of Love playing on Pitchfork right now. It will only run for a few days though.
http://pitchfork.com/tv/
Kate Bush is also the cover lady for the current issue of “Uncut” Magazine (make certain you also get the free compact disc, not related to Kate Bush, stuck to the cover, but it will probably be behind the counter when you purchase the magazine). The cover article is about the 25 year anniversary of “Hounds of Love”.
Hounds of Love is one of my favorite albums.
“Of course they were made for the small screen, yet I really believe her video clips would look wonderful transposed to 35mm film and played inside a movie theatre.”
I was lucky enough to see The Line, the Cross & the Curve on the big screen.
It is amusing to see all these photos from KB’s youth. She is AARP eligible and doesn’t look like a sex kitten anymore…
Running Up That Hill
Great thread, thanks for the Pitchfork link, Strawdog. I love the video of her performing on SNL on top of the piano, I think it’s on Netflix instant viewing, can’t remember which episode (an older one, of course.)
Oh, I think Kate Bush has aged wonderfully. I actually find it reassuring that Kate Bush HAS aged. As a youngster, she was mature beyond her years, both physically and artistically. She’s always had a very “worldly” look about her. I think you could say, physically, she’s grown into some of the songs, if that makes sense (“Army Dreamers”, “Babooshka”…they just seem like lyrics that were meant to be performed from an older woman’s perspective, but I do love the fact Kate has this theatrical mindset where she can play characters and that allows her to tackle a wide array of subjects in her music).
Anyway, since you asked…Kate Bush circa 2005.
Then and now…(1978 and 2005)
H.A.:
You’re extremely fortunate to have experienced “The Line, The Cross &The Curve” at the cinema. It even seems difficult to track down on video. During the “Under Review” documentary the film is mentioned and footage is shown from it. Of course, the dilemma is simple: how is a 44 minute film commercially viable? How many people will shell out regular admission for a film that is barely feature length? Maybe this is something a film society could programme…anyway, I believe Kate herself thought the film was really a bit silly.
Now that I think about it, I’m going to ask the programmers of the Melbourne International Film Festival if they can track down “The Line…” for 2011.
Wow!!! This is the absolute best forum i have found yet!!! Hounds of love is my favorite of her albums. My favorite video would have to be Cloudbusting because it is directed by Terry Gilliam, has Donald Sutherland in it and Kate Bush has amazing hair. For dancing i would choose either Wuthering Heights video and Running up that Hill. I heard that after signing to her first record label she spent a year spending all of her time and there money on dance classes.
Just wanted to say that I LOVE Kate Bush.. A lot of her videos are kinda cheesy because they’re from the 80’s, but she’s awesome.
Nothing is cheesy about music videos featuring the musical world’s version of Great Kate (the cinema version is Katharine Hepburn), but I’m glad you love her music videos and compositions, Zyria. Music videos are actually cheesier in the 21st century than they were in the 1980s. A lot of the macho posturing (from men and women) in today’s clips is laughable. Not a single music video that I’ve seen in the past decade has surpassed Kate Bush at her best. Video directors would do well to learn from the art of making a minimalist music video—just ask Keith MacMillan…
One woman, one gigantic bass,one set, two costumes. Brillaince.
Brilliance…certainly moreso than my typing!
I love that Wuthering Heights video
Two versions of the “Wuthering Heights” music video: the original “red dress” version (at least the “original” one to me) and the “white dress” version. Both are timeless and gorgeous examples of how less can be more in music videos. Anyone who hasn’t explored Kate Bush’s music owes it to himself/herself to do so.
@ Mark
which song has a lyric that says something like she doesn’t want to spend time reading it or spend time watching it but she just wants to know what it is about?
Always been a fan of Kate Bush, but strangely I’ve really not seen her videos! From what I’ve heard, they’re really a little world of their own.
Kate Bush also has some of the greatest album cover artwork…
Pure class. The current batch of female “popstars” do not even rate next to Great Kate (Say, that rhymes!). That’s because Kate isn’t a popstar, she’s a proper recording artist.
(Youtube malfunction! See below.)
@Robert
I believe you’re thinking of Sat in Your Lap.
I want to be a scholar
but I really can’t be bothered
Great song, great video. Actually, I think this may be my favorite, I don’t know why. Crazy dancing! Dunces on skates! I know Hounds of Love is supposed to be her masterpiece, but I like The Dreaming more.
I agree — The Dreaming MUCH more interesting than Hounds of Love.
Savannah, I was going to say “Sat In Your Lap”, but the words from Robert are way off, although the basic sentiment is there.
Nobody else would make this song because nobody else is the legendary Kate Bush.
!!
Yes that’s it – been driving me crazy trying to remember.
Thnx
MARK IS SUSPENDED IN GAFFA
Some of you folks could really impress the hell out of me by confessing your imperishable adoration for Kate Bush, singer-songwriter known for “Wuthering Heights”, “Babooshka” and many other modern classic compositions. Seriously, I hugged the last person who told me she fancies Kate Bush. One of the most impressive aspects of Kate’s artistic brilliance is her collection of music videos. Of course they were made for the small screen, yet I really believe her video clips would look wonderful transposed to 35mm film and played inside a movie theatre.
I saw a screening of the “Kate Bush: Under Review” documentary at the Melbourne International Film Festival 2008 and both times was annoyed by obnoxious patrons who laughed derisively at certain moments from Kate Bush clips. Philistines! So what are your favourite Kate clips? I really love “Cloudbusting”, not only because it accompanies one of my favourite Kate Bush songs, but also due to the concept of having Donald Sutherland appear as Wilhelm Reich. It’s also one of the few Kate clips where the singer really plays a character, and she doesn’t lip-synch to the lyrics in the video: Kate the singer and the character she plays are totally separate.
“The Dreaming” is another extraordinary filmclip, one you could tell was made on a very low budget, yet the imagination and otherworldliness of the visuals make it special. I’m amazed at how much money and time is squandered on today’s music videos when Kate Bush proved that less could be more. Especially the clips she did with Keith ‘Keef’ MacMillan, they seem to have such a minimalist quality. People shall remember the dramatic video for “Babooshka” long after whatever are the top five videos this week have been sent into MTV oblivion. And when you look at Kate’s ability for mime and dance, you start to realise (if you haven’t already) how woefully untalented 99 percent of pop chart chanteuses are in the 21st century.