We have today confirmed that there will be 10,000 copies of Kate’s Eat The Music 10″ vinyl picture disc single available worldwide on this Saturday April 20th as part of Record Store Day – in other words, plenty available and remaining copies should be on sale through indie stores online from next Monday too. This is great news for those Kate Bush fans worried that all the copies would be snapped up and sold instantly by unscrupulous sellers on sites like Ebay or Discogs – only a small fraction of copies will.
To put this in perspective, previous limited RSD releases by Kate had allocations which ran from only 1,000-4,000 copies worldwide. So, while there is definitely a demand for these discs, and indie record stores have been very enthusiastic about them, enough have been pressed up to help every fan get one.
Therefore our advice is:
Don’t be tempted to pay inflated prices by opportunistic sellers on auction sites on Saturday!
Do visit and support your local independent record store on the day!
We will do our part by helping to share where copies are available to purchase on online indie record stores from 8pm Monday 22nd April (UK/Ireland time).
Many thanks to the folks at The state51 Conspiracy for updating me today, a great help to Kate’s fans!
Indie record stores have been previewing the disc on social media
Read more about Kate’s upcoming 10″ picture disc release of Eat The Music and her role as UK Record Store Day Ambassador here. Find your local participating record store here.
Now, who wouldn’t want this gracing their living room? War Child are once again delighted to be the official charity partner for Record Store DayUK. Alongside 13 exclusive vinyl releases, they are excited to also have an exclusive War Child x Rega Planar 3 turntable signed by Kate as well as a signed test pressing of her upcoming Record Store Day 2024 release Eat The Music. YOU CAN ENTER THE PRIZE DRAW HERE – note that the terms & conditions state “Open to UK entrants only (18+)“
Kate has worked with War Child many times in the past, most recently donating to War Child for each sale of her Boxes of Lost At Sea artworks. Read more about Kate’s upcoming 10″ picture disc release of Eat The Music and her role as Record Store Day Ambassador here.
By entering the prize draw, you are helping War Child UK. “At War Child we are driven by a single goal – ensuring a safe future for every child affected by war. We work in the hardest to reach places to support those who are hardest hit, to protect, educate and stand up for the rights of children, when they need us most.” YOU CAN ENTER THE WAR CHILD PRIZE DRAW HERE
Kate performs with Steve Harley (and Peter Gabriel) in aid of Bill Duffield 1979
Steve Harley, the frontman of the rock group Cockney Rebel, has died aged 73. The English singer and songwriter, best known for his 1975 song Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me), had been receiving treatment for cancer. He died at his Suffolk home on Sunday morning.
Two other members of Cockney Rebel, Stuart Elliott (drums) and Duncan Mackay (keyboards) would play on Kate’s albums. Near the end of her run of shows for the Lionheart Tour in 1979, Kate played a special concert May 12th at the Hammersmith Odeon in aid of Bill Duffield, her lighting engineer who tragically died after the first performance in Poole. Steve Harley was her special guest on the night along with Peter Gabriel, performing on versions of Them Heavy People, The ‘Woman’ With the Child in Her Eyes, Best Years of Our Lives, Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) and Let it Be. Always a staunch supporter of Kate’s work, Steve would report on his BBC Radio 2 shows when he’d hear any Kate news worth reporting, and was interviewed on several radio and television programmes for his impressions on Kate’s return to the live stage in 2014.
“Whoever you know him as, his heart exuded only core elements. Passion, kindness, generosity. And much more, in abundance,” his wife, Dorothy, and daughters Kerr and Greta wrote in a statement.
“The birdsong from his woodland that he loved so much was singing for him. His home has been filled with the sounds and laughter of his four grandchildren.”
Sending our condolences to Steve’s family and loved ones.
New data has revealed the most popular running songs in the US – and Kate’s Running Up That Hill ranks top. The research, conducted by casino sweepstake comparison site Casinos Sweeps, used Spotify’s Playlist Miner tool to determine the top songs included in 1,400 ‘jogging’ and ‘running’ related playlists that Americans turn to when they need encouragement to keep going.
Running Up That Hill is the most loved song by Americans to keep them moving, appearing 196 times. Since music has the power to trigger dopamine release, creating the right playlist can give that final push to lace up your trainers. I’m Good (Blue) by David Guetta ranks second as the next-best choice for keeping energy levels high with 136 (9.7%) placements in jogging and running-related playlists. In third with 124 mentions (8.9%) is The Weeknd’s Blinding Lights. Prada by Cassö claims the fourth spot, featured 91 times (6.5%). [Thanks to Collin Kelley for the info!]
This week director/producer Ross Duffer (of the Duffer Brothers) has posted several new images on his Instagram account from the set of the Netflix TV show Stranger Things, currently filming its fifth and final season. Among them are shots of the actors Sadie Sink and Caleb McLaughlin who play the characters of Max and Lucas. He also draws attention in another photo to the cassette tape lying on the bedside locker in Max’s hospital room – Kate’s Hounds of Love. While the actress Sadie Sink is awake and smiling in the snap we are to understand that in the show she is in a coma due to the injuries she sustained in the dramatic finale of season 4 with the monstrous Vecna. Season 5 is expected to be released in 2025. The artwork shown is a slightly different Greek edition of the Hounds of Love cassette so we presume her kind pals in the town of Hawkins have replaced it for her!
Max and her original Kate Bush cassette – Stranger Things season 4 (2022)
As everyone knows, Kate’s Running Up That Hill featured extensively in season 4 of the show as the character of Max found salvation through the use of her favourite song. Consequently, in 2022 Kate had the biggest global smash hit single of her career! [our podcast recap of that ‘Summer of Kate’ is below] Does the photo from Ross Duffer signal more use of Kate’s music in the next season? Who knows…
Lucas holds Max’s hand in a new behind the scenes photo
Eat The Music 10″ picture disc front artwork and sticker
Kate has been announced as the official UK ambassador for this year’s Record Store Day, on 20th April! To mark this she will release a limited 10″ UV-printed picture disc of Eat The Music on the day. The BBC were first to break the news this morning with quotes from Kate’s statement. Since 2009 artists such as Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop, Jack White, Chuck D, Dave Grohl, Metallica, St. Vincent, Pearl Jam, Brandi Carlile and Taylor Swift have worn the annual “ceremonial sash” and used their high profiles to help promote the event online. The band, Paramore, have been named US ambassadors for the 2024 event. Find your local participating record store here.
Following on from her vinyl single releases to support independent stores on Record Store Day in previous years (Hounds of Love, Lake Tahoe and Running Up That Hill 2012 remix) on Saturday April 20th 2024 Kate will release a limited 10″ 3-track picture disc single of her joyous, Madagascan-infused 1993 song, Eat The Music, taken from The Red Shoes album. The 10″ disc features the cover art as a colour UV print on a side without grooves, with all three tracks on the other side, additionally including Lily and Big Stripey Lie, both also taken from The Red Shoes album.
The Eat The Music front disc artwork features the original single cover photo by John Carder Bush of Kate’s hands delving into the luscious fruit…”Split me open, with devotion, you put your hands in, and rip my heart out, eat the music….rip them to pieces, with sticky fingers…” The reverse side is white vinyl pressed with grooves playing the 3 tracks.
Kate’s statement in full:
What a huge honour to have been asked to be Ambassador for this year’s Record Store Day. It really is a great privilege.
Isn’t it great to see how the resurgence in vinyl has taken the Music Industry by complete surprise? It had decided to leave vinyl far behind, but it would seem that not everyone agrees! I love that!
I know there are many, many artists who are just as excited to see the audience turning the tide.
In the same way that some people like to read a book on Kindle but also want to have a book as a physical object, a lot of people like vinyl and streaming. Both have different appeals.
The added bonus of vinyl is that it encourages people to listen to albums. An art form that I’ve always thought can be treasured in a unique way.
An album on vinyl is a beautiful thing, given a strong identity by its large-scale artwork. There’s a much more personal connection with the artist and their work.
It’s been fun putting designs together for some of the previous RSDs. This year’s design echoes the cancelled release of ‘Eat the Music’ as the first single from the album, ‘The Red Shoes’. The image was intended to be on the cover of the single bag and is now on the disc as a UV print. The title, ‘Eat the Music’, is meant to be a playful nod to ‘If music be the food of love, play on,’ from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
Each year Record Store Day gathers more attention, more momentum, and attracts more people who cram into indie record stores all over the world to see what’s up. What’s new? This year, I hope you have a fantastic time at this very important event, and that you get to celebrate music that’s been specially released for you.
Very best wises,
kate
Eat The Music 10″ picture disc rear disc artwork with grooves and label
Kate has posted a clip of the disc being manufactured:
Columbia Records released Eat The Music as the lead single from The Red Shoes in the US, while EMI chose Rubberband Girl everywhere else in the world. Eat The Music was also released in The Netherlands and Australia, along with a handful of other countries. The single reached #10 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart.
SOOZ KEMPNER SINGS KATE BUSH AT THE RVT, LONDON – WITH SPECIAL GUEST MICHAEL MAYELL – Friday 15th March 2024 (Tickets)
Sooz Kempner is the brilliant stand up comedian, with sell out Edinburgh shows and a Doctor Who spin off, who has one of the best voices on the UK cabaret scene, AND who just happens to be a massive Kate Bush fan.
If you have seen Sooz perform at Sunday Cabaret or one of the Kate themed charity shows at The RVT, you will have heard her stunning versions of songs such as Running Up That Hill, This Woman’s Work and Moments of Pleasure, plus her hilarious versions of Kate singing other people’s songs. NOW, in conjunction with HomeGround and KateBushNews.com, we are bringing you a whole show of Sooz singing Kate, plus she will be joined by the brilliant Michael Mayell, (formerly of the band Cloudbusting) on piano. This show will of course include some of Kate’s biggest hits, but also some real fan favourites, album tracks, b sides… it’s going to be a night for all Kate fans, whether you have loved her since Wuthering Heights or were introduced to her music by Stranger Things. (Tickets)
Kate fan Jeremy Unruh with the first copy of The Kick Inside coloured vinyl we’ve seen
Finally! Yes, of the ten gorgeous new coloured vinyl indie store editions of Kate’s albums this one has taken the longest to perfect and get out there! The Kick Inside on Mango Chutney translucent vinyl is finally being shipped to the US and to fans who ordered it on import elsewhere. Pictured is a beaming fan in France, our friend Jeremy Unruh, who scored the FIRST copy we’ve seen photographed out in the wild! Well done, Jeremy (and well done Jeremy’s husband, our friend Tristan!) – you both now have the full set. Delighted for you guys – enjoy (yes, we’re a little jealous here).
Beautiful! As promised, Kate will continue to release this series of illustrated vinyl editions of her albums, following Hounds of Love (Baskerville Edition), with The Dreaming (Escapologist Edition). As before, this features illustrations by Timorous Beasties, this time the front cover depicting the padlock (and a new ladybird friend!) for which escapologist Harry Houdini’s wife secretly passed the key from her mouth – as famously depicted by Kate and Del on the cover of the original album. Spot a KT symbol?
The Dreaming (Escapologist Edition) rear cover
The rear cover emulates the ivy and lyric quote from the original album sleeve, with some elegant dragonflies among the leaves. The inner sleeve depicts Harry’s successful escape. The album is issued on a single black vinyl disc with the 2018 remastered audio. The sleeve is banded by an obi strip with the album title. It is available for pre-order from Kate’s site and is shipped in late January, in time for Valentine’s Day, Feb 14th.
When we were recording The Dreaming album, I mentioned to my friend, Kevin McAlea, that I’d written a song for the album about Houdini.
Kevin then told me how Houdini’s wife used to pass a key to her husband with a kiss, just before he went on to perform one of his miraculous escapes. It was such a powerful image, I had to write it into the song …
… Then I thought how great it’d be as the front cover of the album, revealing the key in her mouth just before the kiss.
This new Edition tells in its own way, another version of the story –
A story that sets him free …
‘With a kiss, I’d pass the key’
Kate
Kate’s online store has four new items of merchandise which incorporate the new Escapologist Edition illustrated designs – a white t-shirt including back print, a bandana, a padlock enamel pin badge and a ceramic tile with wooden stand.
This latest Ultimate Record Collection bookazine reviews and ranks the 500 Greatest Albums of the 1980s, as voted for by Uncut Magazine’s team of experts. While all four of Kate’s 1980s albums make the list, we think everyone can guess which one was honoured with the No.1 spot in this top 500! A great way to remember so much wonderful music from that brilliant decade, the magazine is available to order online here.
As we all come to terms with the loss of Del Palmer, here at katebushnews.com we’ve been discussing ways to remember and celebrate his life with you. We will be putting a podcast episode together, but one idea was to share some excerpts about Del from the pages of HomeGround Magazine. So, just as we shared the 40th anniversary special with you online in 2022 as a free PDF file download, we have put together this special issue of HomeGround which we hope manages to touch just a little on what made Del the incredible man that he was – but we know it only scratches the surface. Del passed away at home on Friday 5th January, surrounded by his family.
Krys, Peter, Dave and Seán have all written about Del for this memorial issue and you will find articles, photos and memories covering his life and career in music, including the indispensable interview with him that was conducted by HomeGround in 2007, not long after the release of the Aerial album. We hope that you find some comfort and happy memories in remembering Del this way, and that this helps to reflect the enormous outpouring of sadness and sympathy from you all around the world since the sad news was announced.
How do I get my copy of HomeGround’s Del Palmer memorial issue?
Option 2) View online. You can read this special issue of HomeGround on any browser/device below as a flipbook. This is quite handy and we think you’ll only have to click away one pesky ad before reading. NB: We recommend that you view it FULLSCREEN. To open in Fullscreen click on the three dots on the top menu and select the Fullscreen option from the dropdown. You may need to close one brief advertisement when the magazine first opens. For iPads/tablets or phones it may be better to use this direct link to view the magazine online. Rotating your device from portrait to landscape orientation will display the magazine in the recommended two page spread.
Happy New Year to all our site visitors, our podcast listeners, and to Kate Bush fans everywhere. You are all wonderful and we are so grateful to have had you visit us. 2024 is a brand new year for our beautiful, one and only, planet – the fact that you listen to, embrace and share powerful music like that of Kate’s and other incredible artists has already made next year SO much better. You are amazing. Thank you for making things better. Continue to enjoy and share all the good things in 2024.
Kate has posted a very thoughtful and reflective Christmas message on her official site, attempting to find the Christmas spirit in a troubled world! Lovely to hear from her, as always. Happy Christmas, Kate!
I hope you’re all looking forward to Christmas – just around the corner now. I wasn’t much looking forward to it, but in the last few days, I really am.
I was very excited to see the positive feedback about the reissues and the redesign of the website. It’s been a lot of work, but when you see such lovely comments, it all makes it worthwhile. It really does. Thank you so much.
What a year it’s been. I’d always hoped that the human race would become more spiritual, gentle creatures as we moved into the future but it has proved to be the absolute antithesis. The world is at war while the planet burns…. What is going on?
I‘m among a group of friends who don’t watch the news any more. It now seems to be a global trend. Of course we want to stay informed but sometimes elements of the visual reporting feel horrifically voyeuristic.
I’ve tried to write this piece three times so far, looking for something positive to focus on, but that’s been hard to find.
I stand in awe of running water. Especially hot, running water. It is a miracle. You turn on the tap and hot, clean water gushes out of the tap. A miracle! Yes, but then I think about the people caught in the many wars that are raging right now and at the very heart of these are the children caught up in the wars. They don’t always have clean water and they really need a miracle. Christmas is a time for little children: a time of wonder and the promise of magic… looking towards a new year, to a future.
It makes me feel so lucky that we can celebrate Christmas in the way we do, but also so sad. The effect of war on all people is massive, but on children…
It’s so incredibly important that charities like War Child, UNICEF and the NSPCC are there to support and help children. Their incredible work might be more important than it’s ever been when the modern world seems to make few concessions for children at the hands of evil created by adults.
I hope you all have a really wonderful Christmas, with the promise of magic, and let’s all pray for a year ahead that brings us some opportunities to talk about happy things.
Lavish “bookazines” dedicated to prestige music artists have become part of the print publishing landscape and Kate has been featured on a good many at this point. Still, you will never find me complaining if there’s a well-written Kate Bush primer on the newsagent shelves waiting to inform and delight the casual KB-dabbler and seasoned fan alike. Mojo Magazine‘s newest series has previously showcased David Bowie, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones.
And they’ve just managed to get Kate Bush Essentials out before Christmas, PRE-ORDER IT HERE. I was involved in a bit of fact-checking with the editorial team at Mojo for this edition – something I’m always happy to do to try to avoid those niggling factual errors creeping in! Some great new writing in here, including from Tom Doyle who wrote that wonderful 50 Visions of Kate Bush book that was released last year.
From the blurb:
MOJO The Collectors’ Series: Kate Bush Essentials
“MOJO’s definitive guide to Kate Bush’s albums, songs, videos and books.
When Kate Bush was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November 2023, singer and super-fan St Vincent posed a question: “How could someone be this genius and pure and completely free?”
While that’s a question that only Bush herself can truly answer, MOJO’s Kate Bush Essentials sheds new, revelatory light on the artist’s almost preternatural gifts as a singer, songwriter and producer.
Written by our team of Kate Bush experts, this deluxe 132-page bookazine guides fans through every one of her releases, song by song, from Wuthering Heights in 1978 to last year’s chart-topping reissue of Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God). We also celebrate her pioneering promotional videos, rare live appearances and the best in Bush literature. As a special treat, there’s also a ‘lost’ interview from 1989, in which the singer talks at length about her life and work, beginning with her new album at the time, The Sensual World.
Beautifully illustrated with sleeve artwork and rare and iconic photographs, Kate Bush Essentials is a must-have for all music fans and makes the perfect gift for the festive season.”
An excellent new article in the latest edition of Record Collector magazine by Neil Hussey reassesses Kate’s wonderful second album, Lionheart, on its 45th anniversary and explores how it was recorded, nicely tying in with Darrell’s recent Kate Bush Fan Podcast chat with the producer of that record, Andrew Powell.
For many – including some of Bush’s own fans – Lionheart is a relatively minor work, a rather hastily-conceived follow-up to her striking, incandescent debut. Yet Lionheart is a finely-crafted, strikingly original record, too harshly judged. It’s a record replete with moments of warm sensuality, quiet intimacy, bold lyrical ideas and grandiose musical statements – the kind of record you just couldn’t imagine anyone else making.
Neil Hussey, Record Collector Magazine
This issue is in shops in the UK and Ireland or order online here. Also included in this issue is a free 2024 calendar which has a very delightful December page for Kate Bush fans! Thanks to Paul Thomas for the photos.
