Them heavy people - Kate Bush

When Kate Bush released the On Stage EP, promotional singles were made for 'Them Heavy People', which was the lead track of the EP. This promotional single omits the two tracks on the B-side, and simply presents the two tracks from the A-side of the EP as this single's A and B-side.

The story could end there, but it is quite interesting how difficult it is to find a good copy of this single. Of course, it's a release from 1979 which makes it a bit antique, but it is amazing how many of these singles have been mutilated: the middle has often been dinked. People are still asking a lot of money for those mutilated copies, of course. So I was lucky to find a copy that was both cheap and intact. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7386
Found: Discogs.com, received 19 October 2024
Tracks: 'Them heavy people' / 'Don't push your foot on the heartbrake'

Eat the music - Kate Bush

Kate Bush seems to be in full Kraftwerk mode recently, re-releasing her music as if she isn't creating any new music anymore. (Well, who knows.) We've had the CD and vinyl box sets, then the coloured vinyl LP's and, a few months ago, overly expensive repackagings of the albums Hounds of Love and The Dreaming. And now this.

Record Store Day is always an opportunity to repackage music and sell it for steep prices. Last month Kate Bush released this beautiful product: a white vinyl 10" disc with three tracks on one side and the cover image printed on the other side. It has to be emphasized that the image is actually printed on the disc, and not, as usually with picture discs, pressed inside the disc. The effect is absolutely beautiful.
Unfortunately the disc features the 'remastered' versions of the tracks, which especially in the case of 'Big stripey lie' is an act of vandalism, because the track fades out instead of its original beautiful ending. I have to say that I'm slightly disappointed with Kate these recent years. But still, this EP is a 'nice to have'.

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 26 April 2024
Tracks: 'Eat the music', 'Lily', 'Big stripey lie'

Running up that hill - Kate Bush

It's always nice to buy a rare Kate Bush item, but buying an illegal item always feels less comfortable. In the case of this 12" single, it has to be established that this is certainly an illegal item. For one thing, it uses the catalogue number of the original US promotional 12" single from 1985. It hss an EMI logo and a His Master's Voice image, while all of Kate's releases are done by Fish People these days, and the disc features two remixes that almost certainly have never been approved by Kate. 

Still, it's a nice item to have, especially when one of the two remixes - the one by Orlando Voorn - is a really good one. My excuse is that I've already bought all of Kate's official releases anyway. Except those insanely expensive reissues of last year and this year, that is. She can't have it all.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: HHV.de website, received 2 April 2024
Tracks: 'Running up that hill (12" remix)' / 'Running up that hill (Orlando Voorn downtempo mix)', 'Running up that hill (Ashley Beedle edit)'

Be kind to my mistakes - Kate Bush

I am very thankful that I am not a bona fide Kate Bush collector. I mean, I do have all her albums and singles, but I don't need all the various pressings from countries all over the world. There are many variations, especially of those early albums, that would easily cost many thousands of euros to get them all these days. 

That said, there are a few items that are on my wish list. A perfect copy of the UK single of 'Wuthering Heights' is one, and this German promotional single is another. Fortunately, I finally got hold of a copy recently. It features two tracks from the soundtrack of the movie 'Castaway'. Kate Bush's song, 'Be kind to my mistakes', also appears on the B-side of her 1989 single 'This woman's work', but in a different version. This is the original - and longer! - version.

One down, one to go.

My collection: 7" single no. 7009
Found: Discogs.com, received 15 August 2023
Tracks: 'Be kind to my mistakes' (Kate Bush) / 'Chemistry' (Brian Eno)

Boosh - Whelan & Di Scala (Da Mode)

'Running Up That Hill' was a big hit last Summer as a result of the Netflix series 'Stranger Things', which featured the song quite prominently. It certainly did wonders for the exposure of Kate Bush to younger generations. Of course, most older people were already familiar with the singer and the song. 

Even in 2006, the song was picked up by a young duo. Dave Whelan and Mike Di Scala took it upon themselves to make a remix of 'Running Up That Hill'. They titled it 'Boosh' and released it on a one track 12" single (the other side remained blank). 

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 11 June 2022
Track: 'Boosh'

Here again - Mighty high

Few will have missed the resurgence of Kate Bush last year, because she went number 1 in several countries with 'Running Up That Hill', all because of a certain Netflix series. But Kate Bush has always been around, ever since she debuted with 'Wuthering Heights' in 1978 and the follow-up single 'The Man With The Child In His Eyes'. 

It is that latter song that has been remixed by Mighty High some time around 2010. I bought the 12" single, which was released unofficially, last year, but for some reason it didn't appear on this blog yet. As I am rectifying that, it's a good chance to listen to this interesting version of a classic song.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 11 June 2022
Tracks: 'Here again (vocal mix)' / 'Here again (dub mix)'

The man with the child in his eyes - Kate Bush

If the sleeve of this single looks unfamiliar to you, you might not be familiar with the phenomenon of 'different sleeves for different countries'. This copy of Kate Bush's 'The man with the child in his eyes' comes from Poland, and the record company Tonpress decided on a completely different sleeve design in comparison to its Western European colleagues.

I ordered this single especially because of this different sleeve. I've been aware of it for years, but singles like this command unusually high prices. Fortunately, this particular copy was not as ridiculously priced.

Interestingly, the same photograph was used on the sleeve of the Yugoslavian pressing of the accompanying album, 'The Kick Inside'. 

My collection: 7" single no. 6819
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 December 2022
Tracks: 'The man with the child in his eyes' / 'Moving'

Wuthering heights / The man with the child in his eyes - Kate Bush

There's not much to write about Kate Bush that hasn't already been written a thousand times. She is undoubtedly one of the most talented women to have appeared on the music scene in the last century and her music is likely to last for decades to come.

Old Gold was quick to realize this when they released this double A-sided single featuring her first two hit singles in 1983, just five years after they were originally released. 'Wuthering heights' and 'The man with the child in his eyes' appear on this disc in their original single versions, which for the latter is quite unique, as that version has rarely appeared on a physical format since.

My collection: 7" single no. 6154
Found: Discogs.com, received August 9, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Wuthering heights' / 'The man with the child in his eyes'

Running up that hill - Kate Bush / Some people - Belouis Some

There's not much to be said about Kate Bush's 'Running up that hill' that hasn't already been said. It's the first of four remarkable singles from a remarkable album - some would say her creative peak (although the previous album 'The dreaming' and 2005's 'Aerial' are not to be missed either!). The single reached number 31 in Italy, and for this Italian promo it was paired with a track by Belouis Some.

Belouis Some's 'Some people' was a hit in Italy, reaching number 34, just one place below its chart peak in the UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 6109
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 1, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Running up that hill' (Kate Bush) / 'Some people' (Belouis Some)

Babooshka - Kate Bush / Dammelo - Bianca Berg

Two women on this single: one is a woman who has produced excellent music since 1978, the other has only ever released one single. They ended up on this Italian promotional single, because Bianca Berg's 'Dammelo' was released around the same time as Kate Bush's 'Babooshka'.

After the release of 'Dammelo', Bianca Berg faded back into anonymity, and today it's impossible to find information about this Italian singer with her thin voice. Kate Bush, on the other hand, is still going strong. There are even some rumours that there might be a new album in the works for the next decade.

My collection: 7" single no. 5994
Found: Discogs.com, received January 29, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Babooshka' (Kate Bush) / 'Dammelo' (Bianca Berg)

Hammer horror - Kate Bush / Una serata in rima - Marras

Another odd pairing on this Italian promo single: Kate Bush and Italian singer Piero Marras. And since Kate Bush is a familiar name on this blog, here is some information about that Italian guy.

He started his musical career in Nuoro, playing in local bands like Jollymen and I Granchi. In 1967 he moved to Cagliari and joined the Nobles, immediately after he founded the Yamaha and later in 1971, he will be a singer keyboardist with the 2001 Group, which is part of the Italian progressive rock scene. The band releases three singles and one album, after which Marras went solo in 1974. 
An initial period of songs in Italian with three LPs released for EMI, was followed by a period of songs in Sardinian with the records Abbardente, Funtanafrisca and Tumbu. Their contents refer to characters and atmospheres of Sardinian culture. In 2000 he was invited to participate in the Christmas Concert in the Vatican before John Paul II.

My collection: 7" single no. 6107
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 1, 2019
Cost:  5 euro
Tracks: 'Hammer horror' (Kate Bush) / 'Una serata in rima' (Marras)

Sat in your lap - Kate Bush / Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes

The unlikely pairing of Kate Bush and Kim Carnes is something that can only happen in Italy. For years they released promotional 7" singles with two (potential) hits on them. I recently acquired quite a few of them.

Whether these singles became a hit in Italy is unknown: although the web offers mountains of information, I have yet to find a good source for Italian singles charts data from the past. Suggestions welcome in the comments, of course...

My collection: 7" single no. 6108
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 1, 2019
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Sat in your lap' (Kate Bush) / 'Bette Davis eyes' (Kim Carnes)

My computer - Prince feat. Kate Bush

In November 1996, Prince released 'Emancipation', a massive three disc set of 36 songs. The single 'Betcha by golly wow', a cover of the Stylistics song, was the album's only big hit, but there were a few more interesting tracks on the album.

One of them was 'My computer', a song that was a collaboration with Kate Bush. Its lyrics examined the burgeoning online dating scene and its implications on how romantic relationships can develop in the internet age. What's interesting is that Kate can hardly be heard on this track. Some reports say that she sings backing vocals from 0'29 onwards, but who can tell? Still, this single, released with the October 2019 issue of the German magazine Musikexpress, belongs in my collection.

My collection: 7" single no. 6164
Found: Musikexpress (Germany), received September 18, 2019
Cost: 10 euro
Tracks: 'My computer' / 'Shhh (x-cerpt)'

Still dream - Beyond

Also known as 'Kate Bush Goes Trance', this track by Beyond was released on a promotional single-sided 12" single in 1999. It features samples of the track 'Cloudbusting'. Kate didn't give the makers permission to use the sample, and so the track remained unreleased commercially.

I bought this 12" a few months ago and didn't yet include it into this blog. It's high time that I do, because it is an interesting take on a classic song. The vinyl could have been cleaner, but I never know what life these discs have had before they enter into my collection...

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received March 27, 2019
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Still dream'

Wuthering heights / The man with the child in his eyes - Kate Bush

There's been a lot of attention for Kate Bush these last few months, on the occasion of her 'Remastered' box sets. Re-releases of Kate Bush music have been very scarce - between 1978 and now there has even only been one official compilation album.

Which is why this 'Old gold' single is a bit of a rarity too. It presents Kate's first two hits on one single. It was released in 1983, while EMI also released the 7" singles box set 'The Single File'. Interestingly, this single features the single version of 'The man with the child in his eyes', which has never been released on any Kate Bush CD until now (although it does appear on a compilation CD of love songs somewhere...).

My collection: 7" single no. 6004
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, March 2, 2019
Cost: 3,5 euro
Tracks: 'Wuthering heights' / 'The man with the child in his eyes'

Don't give up - Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush / Big time - Peter Gabriel

During the past year I have 'sanitized' my collection of Kate Bush singles. The ones I had - and which were featured on this blog - were often damaged and/or in damaged sleeves. As a Kate Bush fan, that wouldn't do, so I have bought new copies of most of them by now. There's still a handful missing, but I am almost satisfied that I have good UK, Dutch and German copies of those singles now (and even a few French ones!).

While looking for the last few, I found this American single, featuring 'Don't give up', the famous duet with Peter Gabriel, backed with Gabriel's 'Big time'. It is a re-released 'oldies' single in the 'Back to back hits' series. No-one knows when this single was released, apparently. I couldn't resist buying this little gem.

My collection: 7" single no. 6003
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, March 2, 2019
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Don't give up' (Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush) / 'Big time' (Peter Gabriel)

Them heavy people - Kate Bush

Nothing beats the beauty of Japanese singles. If they weren't so damn expensive, I would buy much more of them. The attention to detail on these things is astonishing and they often have different sleeves. Sometimes even different tracks! This single of Kate Bush features the album version of 'Them heavy people', instead of the live version that was released in Europe over a year later. Both tracks on this single were taken 'from her mysterious album', as it says on the cover. Which is a bit funny.

Despite being 40 years old, this single still plays like it is new and that's what I love most about this single. When I spend a bit much on a single I want it to sound good, and this one does. It's all part of my effort to buy more Kate Bush singles, a special part of my collection because Kate Bush is one of my all time favourite artists.

My collection: 7" single no. 5941
Found: eBay, received September 16, 2018
Cost: 14 euro
Tracks: 'Them heavy people' / 'The man with the child in his eyes'

Strange phenomena - Kate Bush

I guess I didn't really need this 7" single by Kate Bush, but the fact that 'Strange phenomena' was never released as a single in other territories and the fact that this single came all the way from Argentina made it a bit of an irresistable purchase at last year's record fair in Utrecht. The fact that the EMI record company sleeve is in pretty good shape was another good argument to lose money for.

This single plays at 33rpm, which I guess is normal in South America - because I also have a few Brazilian singles (from other artists, mind you) that are 33rpm too. The B-side of this single is 'Wow', which of course was a single for Kate in other parts of the world.

My collection: 7" single no. 5882
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 11, 2017
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Strange phenomena' / 'Wow'

Some edited highlights from her new album 'Never for ever' - Kate Bush

I have very few flexi discs in my collection, because usually they are not very interesting and/or very hard to play. But since Kate Bush is one of my biggest idols, I've always wanted to get my hand on this particular promotional flexi disc. I finally managed to find a copy in August when I bought the - also extremely rare - promotional CD-single of Kate Bush's 'Cloudbusting' from an American seller.

This flexi features extracts from three album tracks, 'Delius', 'Blow Away' and 'Egypt'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5857
Found: Discogs.com, August 2017
Cost: $5
Tracks: Some edited highlights from her new album 'Never for ever'

Swell - Salt Tank

A little sigh comes over my lips every time I hear about new work by Tori Amos these days. As far as I'm concerned, she did her best work in the Nineties and then for some reason the fire went out and she started doing rehashes of her old work or uninspired semi-classical ditties. I would do anything for concert tickets back in the Nineties, whereas now I simply do not care.

Back in the Nineties, many exciting things happened. Not only did Tori release her quintessential albums 'Little Earthquakes', 'Under the pink' and 'From the choirgirl hotel', but she also worked with remixers like BT for more dance-oriented tracks. This remix by Salt Tank was another interesting one: 'Eugina' features her vocals, although in this case it was a random sample. This 12" single set was part of a bigger order online, and I bought it for old times sake. I have to say these tracks puzzle me and I'm not sure if I'll play them a lot.

Who do you hear in the tracks 'Eden' and 'Orinoco', on the other hand? Well, it's Kate Bush. And she is still the Goddess she's always been of course.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 2016
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Eden' / 'Flammable' // 'Eugina (Pacific rage)', 'Orinoco' / 'Origin of species', 'Astral'