The Kick Inside

First, some background - Having written songs since the age of 11, Kate Bush recorded demos with the assistance of her brothers, who were also musicians. A friend of theirs, Ricky Hopper, brought some of these tapes to various record companies in 1972, when Bush was 13. The tapes were passed over, but Hopper played them for his friend David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. Gilmour was immediately intrigued and went to meet with the Bush family and was impressed with Kate's talent for songwriting. He financed some better quality demos and while Pink Floyd were recording their album Wish You Were Here at Abbey Road studios, Gilmour played the tapes for record company executives. EMI Records was impressed and agreed to sign her, offering her an advance of £3,000.

Three years later, on this day in 1978, Kate Bush released her debut album, The Kick Inside.

Just 19 years old when it was released, Bush wrote and produced songs that were experimental and playful. Coming out on the heels of punk rock breaking out, Bush blends the angry youth feelings with lush arrangements and gorgeous piano. She freely sings about a sexual awakening and sensuality. I’ve often heard traces of Carole King in Bush’s music but back in the late 70s, Kate wasn’t having it. “That sort of stuff is sweet and lyrical,” Bush said of King in 1978, “but it doesn’t push it on you, and most male music—not all of it, but the good stuff—really lays it on you. It’s like an interrogation. It really puts you against the wall and that’s what I’d like my music to do. I’d like my music to intrude.”

The showstopper is of course “Wuthering Heights” - It is sung from the perspective of the Wuthering Heights character Catherine Earnshaw, pleading at Heathcliff's window to be allowed in. It quotes Catherine's dialogue, including the lyrics "I'm so cold", "let me in", and "bad dreams in the night". Bush recorded her vocals in one take and she pushed the record company hard to have it be the lead single.

Other favorites include “James and the Cold Gun” which mixes Carole King piano with a romping guitar/drum backing and the theatrical “Them Heavy People” with its reggae beat and reference to Russian philosopher George Gurdjieff. Bush was showing lyrically that she was well read and writing beyond her age for that time in popular music.

Bush’s career has spanned over 40 years and through some great albums and long hiatuses, fans have always been excited when she has new music. Her influence can be heard far and wide (Tori Amos, Regina Spektor just to name a couple) and her debut remains a must-own for its unique sound and boldness.