FEATURE:
You, It's You and Me…
PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush
The Unstoppable Popularity and Acclaim for Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)
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I did plan to put out…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush received the Editors Award at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards in the Palladium, London, on 30th November, 2014/PHOTO CREDIT: Alan Davidson/Rex/Shutterstock
a different Kate Bush feature today but, as this week has seen two bits of great news regarding her 1985 (and 2022) single, Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), I wanted to return to a song that I thought I had put to bed for a while. I want to start off with a bit of a disclaimer. I have said that radio stations fixate on this song at the expense at the rest of her catalogue. My position has not changed in that respect. Even if Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) has got new success and award nominations, I am happy because it is new attention to Bush as a whole, and it may well mean she appears in public to collect the awards. That would be great! Bush is no stranger to collecting awards. I think, if she did get a win, then the thought of her appearing on public stage for the first time in about a decade (I think 2014 is the most recent occurrence of her appearing at an award ceremony) would be magnificent! Also, as I will wrap up with, the more momentum and acclaim this classic track gets, that will make Bush realise that she has this whole new generation of fans with an appetite for her music. Will that get her into the studio to follow up 2011’s 50 Words for Snow? I have a few more thoughts, but let’s start with the news regarding Kate Bush being nominated for an Ivor Novella. The BBC explain more:
“Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill could win a prestigious songwriting award, a mere 38 years after it was released.
The singer's 1985 hit experienced a resurgence last summer after appearing in the Netflix show Stranger Things.
After exploding on TikTok, it went to number one in the UK charts, and gave Bush her first top 10 hit in the US.
It's now been shortlisted in the "most performed song" category at the Ivor Novello Awards, which celebrate outstanding writing and composition.
The track is up against several contemporary hits including As It Was by Harry Styles, Heat Waves by Glass Animals and two tracks by Ed Sheeran - Bad Habits and Shivers.
The award recognises the song that was played most often on TV and radio, and at concerts and DJ sets, over the last year. Sheeran's Bad Habits won the prize last year, and this is the first time any song has been nominated in two consecutive years.
Running Up That Hill was previously nominated for best contemporary song at the 1986 Ivor Novello Awards, but lost out to Tina Turner's We Don't Need Another Hero.
Bush has previously won two Ivor Novellos: Best lyric for The Man With The Child In His Eyes in 1979 and best song for Don't Give Up, a duet with Peter Gabriel, in 1987”.
If one award nomination for Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) was not enough, a second one has come along! In terms of a win, this might be a harder one to win, as she is up against Platinum Jubilee: Party at the Palace. This is where The Queen met Paddington. I think a level of sentimentality and association with the upcoming Coronation might mean this very British moment defeats the U.S. Netflix series, Stranger Things. It is a series that took Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) to number one in the U.K. and around the world. The Kate Bush News website highlights the tough competition Kate Bush is up against next month:
“The British Academy of Film and Television Arts, BAFTA, have revealed the nominations for the inaugural P&O Cruises Memorable Moment Award, which honours the impact of television in the UK and its power to entertain, inform and bring the nation together – looking back at key moments from 2022 that inspired and moved audiences at home. It includes a nomination for that momentous scene from Stranger Things that featured Kate’s Running Up That Hill and made the song the most massive worldwide hit of Kate’s career.
The six nominees are:
Derry Girls, Channel 4 – The Finale, the people of Northern Ireland vote overwhelmingly for peace
Heartstopper, Netflix – Nick and Charlie’s First Kiss
Platinum Jubilee: Party at the Palace, BBC One – Paddington Meets The Queen
Stranger Things, Netflix – Lucas, Dustin, and Steve rescue Max from the demonic Vecna by playing her favourite song – Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill
The Real Mo Farah, BBC One – Sir Mo Farah revealing he was illegally trafficked to the UK
The Traitors, BBC One – The Final Roundtable
Members of the public can vote for their P&O Cruises Memorable Moment online via bafta.org/moment. Voting will close at midday on May 2, 2023 and the winner will be announced at the BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises on May 14, 2023 on BBC One and iPlayer from 7pm”.
I still think that there is radio playlist reliance on one Kate Bush song. The more obsessed and narrow they become, the less opportunity there is for the rest of her catalogue to get noticed. I am conflicted in that sense, but I am very glad that any of her music is getting award nominated and talked about. Without Stranger Things, fewer people would be talking about Kate Bush. Even if she does not win either of the awards for Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), it will renew speculation as to whether she will bring us another album. If she does collect an award, it is a chance for those in attendance show their love and appreciation for her. With a book about Hounds of Love from Leah Kardos coming out as part of the 33 1/3 series, it will also shine a light on Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God). We may well see the song nominated for more honours throughout the year. I am very pleased that new fans are discovering her work - and it shows that there is no stopping this juggernaut! Of course, it will only worsen the issue of radio stations being single-minded, but that is the price that is being paid for continued recognition of a magnificent song and artist. Kate Bush produced the song too, and I think that people also need to highlight that. An inspirational human who received a lot of new love and focus last year, it seems like 2023 is another one where she dominates and proves why she deserves every honour she gets! It is always unpredictable being a Kate Bush fans. You never really know what news or development will come about! Given the double slice of awesome news we have received this week, it makes me wonder…
WHAT comes next.