Kate Bush HHV Records 39 Items

Hit Writer and Record Holder

The English musician Kate Bush is considered an exceptional artist in the pop world of the 70s and 80s. She predominantly produces her innovatively complex works herself and infuses her unconventional vision into every aspect of her work. This dedication is evident in hit songs such as Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), The Man with the Child in His Eyes, and Babooshka, as well as a series of successful albums, making her one of the most significant women in 20th-century pop music. Catherine Bush was born in London in 1958 and developed a passion for songwriting at a young age. Her family distributed her demos nationwide to labels, initially without success. A glimmer of hope emerged in the mid-70s when Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour heard one of her tapes and invited the then 16-year-old to the studio: EMI caught wind of the situation and signed the young Bush. Her first single, Wuthering Heights, was released in early 1978, becoming an instant number-one hit – Bush’s unique vocal performance and theatricality set new milestones in the otherwise tired pop landscape of the late 70s. Kate’s first hit also set a record, as it marked the first time in the UK that a woman reached the top of the charts with a self-written song. A worthy start for an extraordinary career.

Cabaret and Drum Machines

With her debut album, The Kick Inside, the young artist continued her unconventional pop explorations: the material on the album could be traced back to her early years, as she played in her own distinctive way, incorporating unusual costumes and choreographies, establishing herself as an audiovisual artist. The success of her second album, Lionheart, in the same year fell short of expectations, leading EMI to send her on tour in 1979—her first and only tour for a long time, featuring cabaret elements, costume changes, and dances. However, she also developed an interest in atmospheric synthesizer sounds and drum machines, experimenting with new methods. In 1980, she released her first number-one album, Never for Ever. Two years later, with The Dreaming, she independently produced an album for the first time, relying even more on unorthodox instrumentation and experimental sound elements. Despite criticism for being “inaccessible,” the album reached number 3 on the charts, securing a place in the hearts of future pop legends like Björk. By the mid-80s, she was already known as an unstoppable force in the rock business, effortlessly reinventing herself with each record.

An Artist at Her Own Pace

In 1985, she demonstrated her ability to write hits alongside experimental works with the A-side of her album Hounds of Love, featuring the single Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), one of her greatest successes. The B-side was crafted as a conceptual suite, making the whole album a fascinating mix often hailed as her definitive masterpiece. With her album The Sensual World, she finally achieved the long-awaited success in the US market, selling half a million copies, with much of the lyrics marked by her own dark humor. After the release of The Red Shoes in 1993 and the accompanying short film The Line, the Cross and the Curve, the newly minted mother moved to the countryside, leaving her fans in suspense for a whole 12 years. Her eagerly anticipated double album, Aerial, was released in 2005, showcasing the singer in a monumental mood, and in 2011, she collaborated with none other than Elton John on her album 50 Words for Snow. Live performances also saw a resurgence: after decades of distance from anything resembling a tour, she played a series of spectacular shows in London in 2014. However, it’s not just in the live arena where Kate Bush has reshaped British pop music – it is through her timeless songs that still captivate us today.