Something good - Utah Saints

On the one hand, it is of course a stroke of genius to sample a Kate Bush vocal for a single, because all people with good taste will appreciate anything incorporating Kate's vocals. On the other hand, is Kate Bush's delicate music suitable for this kind of techno house stuff? I always had doubts about this - and I still do.

'Something good' by the Utah Saints utilises a sample of Kate Bush's 'Cloudbusting' to make a whole new track. And it is a 'track', not a 'song', unfortunately. The single peaked at number 4 in the UK and Ireland and number 10 in Australia. The track was recently remixed and re-released as 'Something Good 08'. In that version, it made the Dutch Top 40, peaking at number 34.

My collection: 7" single no. 1669
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, June 20, 1992
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Something good' / 'Trance atlantic flight'

No self control - Peter Gabriel

If you think Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush worked together for the first time in 1986 when they recorded 'Don't give up', you wouldn't be alone in thinking that. But in reality, they got together as early as 1979, when Kate Bush recorded a television special for UK television. They sang 'Another day' together, and Gabriel performed 'Here comes the flood' solo in this special.

In 1980, Peter Gabriel recorded his third solo album. Kate Bush provided backing vocals on the tracks 'Games without frontiers' and 'No self control'. It might be a coincidence, but both tracks were released as a single in 1980. Being a Kate Bush fan, I had to have these singles, so I was very glad when I found a reasonably good copy of 'No self control' in 1995.

My collection: 7" single no. 2341
Found: Record Exchange, London, June 26, 1995
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'No self control' / 'Lead a normal life'
Download: Album 'Peter Gabriel [3]', including both tracks

On Stage EP - Kate Bush

Kate Bush fans don't have an easy life. Unlike fans of U2, Coldplay, Madonna and whatever else is popular these days, they don't get a chance to see her play live... ever! When people complain about the fact that they haven't seen their idol in concert for, oh, two years, I can always say that I've had to wait for my turn since, well, 1979.

That's when this ep was released, a souvenir of a unique tour, the only one that Kate Bush ever did. I was eight when Kate did this, so basically, I never had a chance to see her live. At the time there was some criticism that this ep wasn't live as well: apparently Kate had overdubbed some vocals and edited one of the songs. I denied this vigorously, but had to acknowledge my mistake later. Indeed, Kate had 'worked' on these tracks. It's still a lovely souvenir, though.

My collection: 7" single no. 34

Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1979

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'Them heavy people', 'Don't push your foot on the heartbrake' / 'James and the cold gun', 'L'amour looks something like you'

Download: Album 'This woman's work vol. 2', including all four tracks

Hammer horror - Kate Bush

This is it: the first Kate Bush single I ever bought. All through 1978 I was captivated by Kate Bush. I've heard it many times in my life: hearing 'Wuthering Heights' is, for most people, a life-changing experience. Since I was only 7 years old at the time, my memory is hazy about this, but the fact that I bought this single in the autumn of 1978 is a testament to the fact that she stuck in my mind. I must have paid full price for it, and that was the first time I ever did that.

But it was worth it. 'Hammer horror' is an exciting piece of music and the sleeve, as you can see, carried a very beautiful picture of ms. Bush.

'Hammer horror' and the B-side, 'Coffee Homeground' were both taken from the album 'Lionheart', that would be released quickly after this.

My collection: 7" single no. 19
Found: Wouters, Den Haag, 1978
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Hammer horror' / 'Coffee Homeground'
Download: Album 'Lionheart', including both tracks