Kate Bush News

Ryan Tubridy hosts the main morning national radio programme on Irish RTE Radio 1 and, having recently discovered and been impressed by Kate’s work on the 1996 track Mná na hÉireann from the Common Ground (Voices of Modern Irish Music) project he asked musician and producer Donal Lunny on air to discuss it. Kate sang the song in the Irish language, and we discovered today for the first time that she actually attended the track recording in the RTE Studios in Dublin with the orchestra present, with Kate singing along with them before refining her final vocal later back in her own studios in England with Del Palmer. You can hear today’s interview below.

Following the rebuilding of this site, the links on the HomeGround Audio Archive pages for 1978 and 1980 have now been restored, and a new page for 1979, the year of Kate’s first live shows, has now been added. The available years in the archive can be accessed at the Archive Index page.

LATER – New page for 1981 now added.

We have to continue to caution about the audio quality of some of this early material. When, in the late 70s and early 80s. we started gathering what would become this archive, we were collecting tapes which were umpteenth generation copies of material originally recorded (most likely) by balancing a microphone against a decidedly low-fi medium wave radio or analogue TV. These are precious survivals of material that has not (yet) appeared in a better format.

Andy Samberg‘s successful new time-loop comedy, Palm Springs, feature’s Kate’s Cloudbusting on the soundtrack in a pivotal scene toward the end of the film. The film is released on US streaming site, Hulu. The Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor both starred in and produced the new film, and had a hand in selecting the music for its soundtrack.

He says on the Pandora Stories podcast: “When we were making this movie we definitely wanted there to be a specific musical vibe to the soundtrack, we agreed that we wanted it to be something that was catchy and hooky but not necessarily modern stuff we loved… not stuff from the present day. And also songs that are classics, but not necessarily the ones you’ve heard too many times already.”

About Cloudbusting, he says it was “one of the best songs ever made…I love Kate Bush… I had this vision of this moment and this song and it sort of all coming together and it just made me feel very emotional and happy and made my brain tingle.” Samberg was determined that the song would make it into the film – so he delivered a personal plea to Kate after it had already been written into the script.

I wrote a letter to Kate Bush. I don’t know if she read it. If she did and this gets back to her somehow: ‘Thank you, Kate, so much. You’re a genius!’

If she never read it, all the same, I’m just so thrilled and happy that we got to put it in the movie. It elevates the moment so much. The moment in the movie was really designed for the song.

Andy Samberg

In an interview with Consequence of Sound, Samberg remarks: “It’s miraculous that we cleared it.”

It’s the 30th of July, which means it is the day fans flood social media with birthday messages for a woman who’s music means the world to them. Wishing you a fantastic day, Kate, filled with happiness and surrounded by your loved ones! xxx

We were delighted to see that French musician Pone has had a lovely message from Kate this week. Read about the remarkable “Kate and Me” album in our news story here. Pone, real name Guilhem Gallart, has composed an instrumental beat album, “Kate and Me“, as an ode to Kate Bush – each of the songs contain samples from one or more recordings Kate has made, interwoven with beats and rap vocals. Guilhem lives with motor neurone disease (also known as ALS) and, as he cannot move his body, he uses eye-tracking technology to compose and build his intricate compositions on a computer screen. He writes on his Facebook page: “je viens juste de recevoir le mail le plus incroyable de ma vie”

Dear Guilhem,

I’ve only just become aware of your album, ‘Kate and Me’. I listened to it tonight and it blew me away. It’s very difficult to put into words how moved I am by this work and how great my admiration is for you.

The challenges you have overcome in order to accomplish this creation are simply astounding. You absolutely have my blessing if you want to release this album in order to raise money for your charity. Wishing you every success with all your projects.

With very best wishes.

Kate Bush