FEATURE:
Collector's Cut: Show a Little Devotion
IMAGE COMPOSITE: Kate Bush News
Kate Bush: Collectables, Single and Album Covers, Signed Goods, Memorabilia Etc.
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I am going to go into a lot of detail…
about Kate Bush and the collectability and fascination of her work because, on 3rd December, Record Collector is putting out a magazine dedicated to her. A lot will be covered, including a re-examination of her albums - and a lot more besides. It promises to be a bonanza for fans!
“This latest RC special gives fans the definitive guide to collecting one of the most extraordinary musicians of our times with a comprehensive UK discography, in-depth guides to collectables and memorabilia, all of her studio albums revisited by some of RC’s finest writers, fans and musicians on what Kate means to them, unpublished photographs, an evocative piece on her remarkable live comeback, and so much more”.
I am going to tie together a couple of themes and features that I have worked on recently. November is a packed month when it comes to Kate Bush albums and their anniversaries. Not only are the studio albums The Red Shoes, Aerial, Lionheart, and 50 Words for Snow all a year older this month – the latter is nine in a matter of days -, but her series of remastered albums (when Bush re-released her albums remastered and included a set of lesser-heard tracks) is two; the live album of her 2014 residency, Before the Dawn, is also about to turn four – I have written about that album and will publish the feature on Wednesday.
IMAGE CREDIT: Kate Bush
In addition to great albums celebrating anniversaries, there have been (including the upcoming Record Collector edition) three magazines published where Kate Bush is a huge part – MOJO dedicated one of their Collectors’ Series to her; PROG marked forty years of her third album, Never for Ever, and featured stories behind the album and spotlighted Bush in a big way. I love all the attention her music has been getting recently, and there have been excited whispers from the community and fans that this intense burst of activity and celebration is prefacing an imminent album release. Of course, it is incredibly unlikely that the writers and editors of these magazines have some inside knowledge or, like animals that can predict when it is about to rain, they are sending this early warning! I think it is more likely that this year has been tough and this is a good uplift; Bush is more popular now than ever (I feel), so it is just a great year for magazines and column inches dedicated to her! Most of Bush’s studio albums have been released between August and November (inclusive), so it is unlikely she will put out an eleventh studio album this year or early next but, Bush being Bush, one can never tell when an album will arrive and what it will sound like! I am deviating, but I am looking forward to the upcoming Record Collector edition, as it will look at her 2014 residency, Before the Dawn, in addition to her collectable nature.
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during her Before the Dawn residency in 2014/PHOTO CREDIT: Noble and Bright/Rex Features
I am familiar with her albums and a lot of what will be in the magazine, but it is great that Before the Dawn will get some focus! If anyone was fortunate enough to catch one of her twenty-two dates from 26th August to 1st October, 2014 at the Eventim Apollo Hammersmith, they would have witnessed a once-in-a-generation event that very few would have anticipated! Having released a studio album, 50 Words for Snow, three years previous, a return to a big live commitment after thirty-five years (following 1979’s The Tour of Life) was unexpected. It was Bush embarking on a fresh and different challenge – after releasing two albums, including Director’s Cut, in 2011 – and giving flight to songs that have never been mounted for the stage – including the suite from Hounds of Love, The Ninth Wave, and Aerial’s second side/disc, A Sky of Honey, in all their glory and imaginative best! For those who were not fortunate enough to see Bush back in Hammersmith, the live album of Before the Dawn is available and, having listened to it several times, it is spine-tingling! Bush has her own shop for merchandise where you can buy some good stuff…but there is a link for merchandise from that Before the Dawn residency that is not working. As you can see from this page from Kate Bush News, there is some great and collectable merchandise that people would have been able to buy when attending the shows – including a ‘rescue tin’ (tied to The Ninth Wave and the story of a protagonist being lost at sea and rescued at the very end), and a badge set. Many of these items that people do own are being sold on eBay and other auction sites and the prices are quite high. Even though these items are small and easily produced, they mean so much to people who saw her live - and there are many fans of Bush who would snap these up!
IN THIS IMAGE: On The Stage Tonight... is an unofficial album release featuring the content of the original (official) Live at Hammersmith Odeon release. It was released in 2014
I wonder whether Record Collector will explore her live performances and what is available on vinyl because, to me, that is one of the most under-represented areas on the marketplace. Bush’s 1979 E.P., On Stage – containing four tracks recorded during The Tour of Life at the Hammersmith Odeon on 13th May, 1979 – is something everyone should own on vinyl. I know there are bootlegs and demo recordings on various sites, and even though they are not official releases, hearing Bush at a very early stage – many are recordings from as early as 1973 and before -, is fascinating! I can understand why people want to own any live or rare recordings, as Bush herself has not released too much officially. Many would like her T.V. performances on DVD or an album with a full set from The Tour of Life, or her Christmas special from 1979 on its own album. I want to mention various single and album covers but, in my view, I think a lot of contributors to the forthcoming Record Collector magazine will talk about those golden collectables. A quick search of eBay makes for alluring and exciting viewing! From a 1984 signed letter, to one from 1980, there is great value in simply having Bush’s handwriting! I know the lyrics to her single, The Man with the Child in His Eyes (The Kick Inside, 1978), were in the possession of her former boyfriend, Steve Blacknell (who it is said the song is about), and that song was written in felt tip pen - and, to every Bush fan, that would be one of the most-prized and demanded items! He auctioned them off in 2010, and it is a shame that he did not keep hold of them!
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush with Steve Blacknell/IMAGE CREDIT: Eli
Even a Taiwanese cassette version of my favourite album, The Kick Inside, makes for essential purchasing; a rare release and item that is really cool and will be worth quite a bit in years to come! Look at a site like this, and there are some great collectables that I was not aware of (a programme of a show that Bush dedicated to Bill Duffield (a lighting technician on The Tour of Life who died after the warm-up show in Poole in 1979) is something precious; a test pressing of Experiment IV (included on her 1986 greatest hits album, The Whole Story) is another great collectable! Of course, there will be items that various people have – from attending her gigs or following her music for years – that they do not want to auction off or get rid of. I think we get a very limited view of Bush’s music and career through the media and radio. Many of her songs are never played, and there aren’t too many features written about her not tied to an anniversary or special event. These collectables and rare items provide new details and pieces to the puzzle of her career! I think the main source of collectables and memorabilia comes in the form of the albums and various pressings. I came across an interesting article from Kate Bush News, where some great sites are mentioned that give fans access to collectables:
“I have to admit I’ve never been a must-have-everything collector of Kate’s stuff but recently I have been filling out some of the gaps in my Kate Bush vinyl collection. There’s something about owning those original artefacts from a particular time in Kate’s career that can be very satisfying. I had decided to limit my current renewed passion for collectible records to UK releases, but when you inevitably start to dig further…there’s a LOT of interesting stuff out there and it can get overwhelming. Luckily we have some great Kate Bush collector sites to help us out, even if we know that realistically we’ll never get our mitts on many of these treasures. Here are three sites, all from genuine fans, that come recommended…
IN THIS IMAGE: The cover of the Dutch C.D. single release of Rubberband Girl (The Red Shoes, 1993)/IMAGE CREDIT: Eli
Firstly, for years I’ve relied on an excellent site called “The Single File” by John Heislman which he has maintained since the 1990s. It focuses on Kate’s career as a singles artist and is bang up-to-date with the re-recorded Running Up That Hill from 2012. With neat navigation, effective use of national flag symbols and pictorial chronologies for all formats he takes the guess work out of what was released when and where. A brilliant site.
Next up, if you’re looking for a site that also takes in albums, books and all manner of memorabilia you simply have to take a look at the “World of Kate Bush” blog site. The site owner has been tireless in photographing and describing their impressive collection. This is collecting at its most serious, and a revealing pleasure to browse through for even a casual fan.
Since 1978, thanks to robust work by EMI Japan, Kate has been a noticeable presence in that territory. Some of the most expensive collectible Kate Bush items on the market today emanate from Japan and there is a LOT to discover. Luckily longtime fan Bart Lienard has put together “All We Ever Look For“, an exhaustive labour of love which lists just about every Japanese Kate Bush album, single, box set, video and book as well as a large array of magazine articles. Fascinating”.
Discogs is probably the best resource when it comes to Kate Bush and her discography, but there are great collectors sites like this where one is in danger of maxing their credit card because of all the goodies – I especially fancy the copy of Never for Ever signed by Bush with a ballpoint pen!
IMAGE CREDIT: Discogs
Given the number of singles and albums Kate Bush has released through her career, I think there is great interest and value when it comes to the different versions of covers and, if you want to be extra-exclusive, then early pressings are worth investment! There are two-hundred-and-thirty-eight versions of The Kick Inside through various formats and countries and, whilst my favourite is the Japanese cover with pink lettering and Bush in a pink leotard, there is a great Brazilian E.P. from that time, 4 Sucessos, that has a great photo and an interesting assortment of four much-loved songs from that album. Skipping a few years ahead, and the 1983 eponymous E.P. from Kate Bush released for North America is fascinating when you see all the different-coloured vinyl out there! I like all the different version of Lionheart and the 1980 Christmas single, December Will Be Magic Again, is not often seen or played; a great release to own! One top release I would recommend is the U.S. Aspects of the Sensual World from 1990, as you get Ken (from The Comic Strip Film G.L.C.) and a rare track, I’m Still Waiting. One can find some rare releases here; many of these have been released but are not available to buy – making them all the more valuable for those who own them and coveted for those who do not (myself included!). There are a lot of in official releases that are blocked from sale, but it is best to visit a site like Eli for those items that you can purchase – among all the items, I especially love the Polish release of The Man with the Child in His Eyes.
IMAGE CREDIT: Discogs
There are many more items and avenues I have not explored but, as you can see, there are some great collectables and rarities from one of the music world’s most influential figures! I recently mused how there should be a Kate Bush pop-up shop where, alongside her albums and merchandise, one can get some rarer stuff. Maybe a cassette vending machine with her albums there; some T-shirts available from various websites (that are then stocked in the shop) and, in one section, all these great collectables and memorabilia – including various album and single versions, signed goods, must-have items and all manner of Kate Bush gold! I look forward to seeing the Record Collector edition next month, as they will go into a lot more detail than me - and there will be listings of so many more collectable items and rarer editions that every Kate Bush fan should snap up! I do tend to think that people forget that there is a world of Kate Bush items that one would not see in record shops or even larger sites like Amazon. One of the guiltiest pleasures (and most expensive!) is looking at signed goods and rare pressings that go for hundreds and wondering whether we should just go a bit crazy and spend the money. Fortunately, I have not done that yet but, when the forthcoming Record Collector comes along, I can see myself being a few hundred quid lighter! Among my wish-list is some programmes or merchandise from The Tour of Life, a few editions of The Kick Inside and, if it exists, a signed copy of that album (non-personalised). There is so much more I want to buy, but I shall end things there. From U.S.-only releases, rare vinyl and manner of wonderful merchandise and collectables, dig deep enough and one will discover…
IMAGE CREDIT: Whyte’s
A beautiful world of delights!