I Hated You, I Loved You Too

It's hard to place a finger on the right words to describe the ethereal Kate Bush. She's a vivacious fairy of sorts who just so happened to grace us mortals with her exquisite falsetto and theatrical expressions. She grew up loving music with the influence of her brothers and started writing songs at the age of 12, by 16 she had a home recorded demo of about 50 pieces of music which were sent out to labels only to be rejected, until they found the hands of Mr. David Gilmour from "The Pink Floyd" of course! He took a liking to the young girl with the most peculiar voice and payed for a proper demo to be recorded in order to get her noticed. EMI was impressed with her tape and signed her to the label. 

For someone so incredibly young Kate displayed a maturity and depth that isn't easy to find. Her lyrics were so whimsical yet profound, she was an old soul and had a way of setting a song on fire. She worked with Lindsay Kemp (Former miming instructor for David Bowie) and learned the art of interpretive dance. She figured out how to express emotion with her body just as much with her sound. I love watching Kate's old music videos because even though they may be simple she utilized every piece of her being to come up with a poignant song visually and musically... a good example of this is Wuthering Heights based upon the book... 

Out on the wiley, windy moors

We'd roll and fall in green

You had a temper like my jealousy

Too hot, too greedy

How could you leave me

When I needed to possess you?

I hated you, I loved you, too.

Earning respect wasn't easy for Kate, being a pretty girl she had to prove herself as an artist and was known for her persistence in getting a say in her work. She found it freeing when she cut ties with her label and went off to produce her 1982 record The Dreaming. She was able to experiment and try new techniques without the hand of the record company constricting her perimeters. This was her best work in my opinion, it's off the wall, emotional and unique. Songs like Houdini are so striking and artistic... She has a way of blending different moods seamlessly to create a dynamic story. 

One of my most favorite Kate collaborations was on Peter Gabriel's song Don't Give Up based on the depression era, it's a beautiful song of hope and Kate's airy voice is just the right accompaniment to Peter's lofty verses.

Something so delicate and beautiful is her ballad The Man With The Child In His Eyes It's a lovely representation of Kate's angelic vocals, even for those who may not take a liking to her uncommon voice, I feel most could appreciate this track. It's hard to believe she wrote this song at age 13! It was her second single with the EMI label.

Kate Bush has always been eccentric and kept true to herself no matter what the critics said, this made her that much more beautiful. She ultimately retreated and left music alone for personal reasons including the death of her mother and to raise her son Bertie. She did come back into the limelight around 12 years later and has released a few records and singles... One of those being Deeper Understanding in 2011. It's captivating and truly Kate... 


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