Category: Books & Magazines

David Sheasby sends in his report on Kate’s inclusion in the new book from Q magazine: “I’ve just been to my local newsagent and found a special limited-edition ‘Collectors Special’ glossy paperback by ‘Q‘ magazine called “The 100 Best Record Covers of All Time”, which features Never for Ever on pages 110-111. The article includes a photograph of the Never For Ever front cover, some extracted artwork (black bat, butterfly on bleeding rose…) and a summary of the various scary creatures issuing from Kate as she stands on the hill.

Nick Price, the artist, is quoted as saying, “She gave me a specific brief. Light and dark creatures coming out from under her skirt. I think the meaning is unequivocal, but I did ask her at the time. She just gave a big grin.” Elsewhere Kate has commented on the mixture of optimism (as personified by her white swan appearance on the record label) and despair (represented by the Kate as black bat) which is part of music and the creative process. On a different level entirely, it was therefore amusing to read of her dilemma when choosing a name for the album, after the artwork had been completed: “We had to be careful,” she says. “My skirt was blowing about but there couldn’t be anything about wind in the title or that would make the album one big fart.” (big thanks to David, also thanks to Orla Murphy)

More millenium polls: In the current edition of the UK gay lifestyle magazine Attitude, a poll voted for by their readers places Kate at No.2 in the best female singer of the millennium category (she was placed above Annie Lennox, Maria Callas or Ella Fitzgerald). First place was taken by Madonna. In the best album category Kate doesn’t make the top 5, but is one of the 4 listed that were “also in the running”. (the winner there was Madonna’s ”Like A Prayer”). (thanks to Jon Bishop)

The latest issue of Q magazine (issue 161, February 2000) features “The Greatest Rock N’ Roll Photographs Ever: Twenty-five pictures. Twenty-five icons and epiphanies. Proof positive that sometimes 1/100th of a second can tell you everything about an artist you could ever wish to know.” Gered Mankowitz talks about the featured Kate session in Soho 1978 (12 different black & white photos from the famous shoot accompany the article):

“EMI asked me to come in and see the video for Wuthering Heights. It was the first time I’d heard it. Love it or hate it, you’re going to want to hear it again because you can’t believe your ears, so we needed a picture where you can’t believe your eyes. The video had a tremendous dance presence and she was incredibly beautiful, so I proposed a simple picture using dancers’ workout gear.  I think she was 17- very sweet, very serious about her music, lovely to work with. She was in complete control. EMI loved the images so much that they devised a campaign that included putting them on the front of buses. The impact was extraordinary. Buses were delayed because people were running around to the front to catch an eyeful.” (posted by Angela on rec.music.gaffa)

The new edition of Q magazine once again compiles a reader based survey, this time compiling the list of “The 100 Greatest Stars of the 20th Century”. Kate is placed at number 33, with Q commenting; “Venus in leg-warmers. Having made her sparkling arrival as a 19-year-old in 1977, Kate Bush retired from live performances after one tour and has released albums sparingly. The goggle-eyed, hello-flowers, hello-trees dance routines and paint-peeling trill made her a soft target for critics, but a subtle refining of her art and growing older has resulted in a sophisticated artist, extraordinarily successful but still shrouded in mystery. What is she like? Where does she go? Is it OK to fancy her rotten? The world still wants to know”. One voter (Jonathan Reynolds, Liverpool) summed Kate up by saying: “Imagination, romanticism and not giving a toss.” John Lennon topped this particular poll, but Kate proved a more popular choice than the likes of Jim Morrison, Prince and Eric Clapton.

As with last year’s “100 best albums ever” poll, this months Q magazine features it’s reader’s 100 greatest eversingles. Kate shows very strongly at no.32 with Wuthering Heights and gets featured on the front cover with a host of other stars. Also in this issue The Kick Inside is featured in a selection of the best 10 “Diva” albums.

I’ve been asked to recommend to Kate fans a book by Bradley Smith, “The Billboard Guide to Progressive Music” which was released early last year and has received much praise for its intelligent discussion of various artist’s work, including Kate’s.

The UK music magazine MOJO, has a huge feature in its October edition in which 175 singers have voted for the 100 greatest singers of all time. Kate is listed at No. 81, and receives a very favourable write-up. Voters included Mike Scott, Elizabeth Fraser, Paula Cole and Ben E. King. Aretha Franklin topped the poll. The writer of Kate’s section included You’re The One from the Red Shoes album as an example of a vocally “sublime moment” from Kate. Mike Scott, (Waterboys frontman) who covered Kate’s song Why Should I Love You in 1997 describes Kate as; “Exquisite, original, unique, passionate, fearless”

In the new Q Magazine (Sept. 1998) they list the “50 records that sound like sex”. At 49 is Kate’s The Sensual World. Also in the same magazine, Hounds Of Love is listed as one of the dozen essential UK albums of the Eighties.