FEATURE:
I'm the Replacement for Your Part
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Kate Bush: The Horror Collection
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I have written about…
IMAGE CREDIT: iniminiemoo
Kate Bush and her fascination with suspense and horror. Rather than retread, I wanted to take a slightly different approach. This is going to be the final feature in a run around the inclusion of Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) being included in the Netflix series, Stranger Things. Earning much huge chart success and records, she has been thrust firmly back into the spotlight because of it! Although her Hounds of Love superhit is not horror-themed, it was used prominently in a series that has a darker, scarier tone. I have raised it before, but I think that there will be people looking around and thinking which Kate Bush songs could feature next. She is not going to throw open the doors and grant permission to anyone wanting to use her music in film or T.V. Whereas most would assume that Bush’s music is best used in romantic comedy, I think her catalogue is ideally suited to series and films that are more psychological or have a shadowy vibe. Apart from obvious songs that have yet to be used for suspense and horror films – I am thinking about Hammer Horror (Lionheart) and Get Out of My House (The Dreaming) – there are other songs on Hounds of Love people do not think about. But, like Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), it would resonate with a wider audience. Mother Stands for Comfort, Under Ice, Waking the Witch and Watching You Without Me are songs that would perfectly elevate and score remarkable scenes. Another great song that is long-overdue a feature in a horror or psychological drama is Experiment IV (a single from her 1986 greatest hits album, The Whole Story). Thinking about it, most of Hounds of Love, nearly every track from the album could be used in some form or other in a psychological drama or horror.
Whereas a lot of people will focus solely on Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) and that song is going to get a lot of covers and new coverage, there are a load of Kate Bush songs that, if she is willing, could be used in similar series to Stranger Things. From The Kick Inside’s title track and Wuthering Heights, through to Lily from The Red Shoes, there are songs of Kate Bush that would earn new merit and focus. Not to suggest that now Stranger Things has created history for Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) everyone should jump in! I have seen people on Twitter highlight a selection of Kate Bush songs that are either not well-known and played or they are definitely prime for some screen time. What the Stranger Things experience has proven is that Bush’s music, regardless of tone, theme and sound, has the potential to mesmerise if paired with the right actors and visuals. If exposure on big series and films is a way for the new generation to find her and others to be reminded how brilliant she is, then it would be a good thing to have more Bush music on the screen. Although Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) has not been officially re-released as a single, it has topped charts and earned Bush records. An artist who has been a chart success since the 1970s, ample proof that love and support for her music spans the generations.
The innate cinematic and filmic resonance of Bush’s music has been evident since her debut single, Wuthering Heights. Though inspired by the Emily Brontë novel, it was a T.V. adaptation that influenced Bush to write the song. Get Out of My House was compelled by Bush reading the Stephen King novel, The Shining - and yet it has not been used in a film of that sort. There are so many missed opportunities and gaps. It is about moderation. Rather than flooding Bush with requests to use her music for anything – which could lead her to reject everything -, series and films are going to be written with her music in mind. Some classic, underrated and deeper cuts would prove as potent and popular as Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) on Stranger Things. I shall not write about the subject again, as I have others in mind. Looking ahead to the rest of this year and the future, I believe we will see Kate Bush feature more on the screen. She was involved quite intently on ensuring that Stranger Things’ use of Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) was just right. If further requests come through and she is keen, she will also be quite involved again. Maybe this new love and attention of her older music will translate to new music perhaps. For now, it is nice to recognise the ever-awesome and genius Kate Bush as the…
QUEEN of the screen.