FEATURE:
The King Is Dead, Long Live the Queen
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush circa 1980
Kate Bush and Her Backing Vocals on Other Artists’ Songs
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I have sort of mentioned this before…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush with Peter Gabriel in 1980 at The Townhouse in London/PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Gabriel
but Kate Bush is not just known for her great lead vocals. Her own music is brilliant, but she has appeared on other artists’ songs. I was compelled to write this, as I saw a recent Top of the Pops show that featured Go West’s song, The King Is Dead. Released in 1987, it is an otherwise pleasant and unremarkable song elevated by Kate Bush’s distinct and striking vocal. While recording the song in Denmark, Go West felt it would benefit from the addition of backing vocals reminiscent of Bush's style. Their guitarist Alan Murphy, who had worked with Bush in the past, offered to contact her. Bush agreed to provide vocals, but rather than travel to Denmark due to her fear of flying, she recorded her part in her home studio. I can understand why Go West felt that their song would benefit from Kate Bush appearing on it. I am trying to think what the earliest examples are of Bush appearing on other artists’ music. I think the one that comes to mind is Peter Gabriel. Bush was on the songs, No Self Control and Games Without Frontiers. That was in 1980, in a year when Bush released her third studio album, Never for Ever. Bush would later appear on Don’t Give Up from his 1986 album, So. That was more of a duet.
I imagine she would have got so many different requests for backing vocals and collaborating with other artists. As one of the most distinct artists and phenomenal singers, she brought something incredible and unmatched on the songs she was a backing vocalist on. I love what she does with The King Is Dead. It is a powerful and beautiful vocal performance. Although her French vocal on Games Without Frontiers are quite brief (in terms of word count), it is the perfect injection of her vocal magic! On No Self Control, she provides this breathy rush; quite sparse and subtle vocals, never really stealing too much focus, but definitely adding something astonishing to the Peter Gabriel songs. There was this thing in the earliest days of Bush’s career where people had misconceptions about Bush and her voice. They labelled her as kooky or high-pitched, so maybe some artists avoided working with her because they thought they would get a very singular vocal. In actuality, she was a remarkably versatile singer from the start. The songs she does appear on in the earliest years showcase that. A lot of her guests features happened in the 1980s. In 1986, she appeared on Big Country’s track, The Seer. Taking from the album of the same name, she worked with lead singer and lyricist Stuart Adamson. It is again, akin to a duet, but an occasion where Bush is not the lead artist. Prince appeared on Bush’s 1993 album, The Red Shoes, on the track, Why Should I Love You? Bush featured on Prince’s My Computer. Like so many songs that she appeared on, she recorded from her home studio (due to time commitments and her fear of flying). That was on his 1996 album, Emancipation. Every backing vocal Bush has provided during her career has been different and added so much to the song!
I love the fact Bush has reciprocated vocals. Some artists have appeared on her tracks, so she then appears on them. You get this happening today, but it is great Bush found time to work with other artists, as she rarely has much free time. One case is when she provided backing vocals on Roy Harper’s You (The Game Part II). Taken from his 1980 album, The Unknown Soldier, Harper can be heard providing backing on Breathing. That song was from Bush’s 1980 album, Never for Ever. 1980 was a year when Bush was featured on at least three other songs that were not hers. Her career is definitely not over and, as I have written before, there is rumour that she is going to feature on a song from Big Boi. That has been doing the rounds for a bit, but I would not be surprised if a song from him with Bush’s voice in the mix appears at some point. She is remarkably memorable singing lead and doing her own songs, though she can bring something unique to other artists’ tracks. In 1992, she featured on Sam Lowry's 1st Dream/Brazil (providing vocals with Michael Kamen and The National Philharmonic Orchestra of London); in 1993 she featured on Alan Stivell’s album, Again (on the track, Kimiad). I would be interested to know if there are other songs she has provided background vocals to that I have missed. Whichever artist she works with, her vocals are always perfect and leave their mark. They most certainly…
ALWAYS makes an impression.