"I suppose I do think I go out of my way to be a very normal person, and I just find it frustrating that people think that I'm some kind of weirdo reclusive that never comes out into the world."
Born 30 July 1958, Kate Bush CBE is one of the most loved female British singer-songwriters that ever lived. She is also an accomplished pianist, dancer, record producer and film director. And my heroine.
Kate started writing songs at a young age. By the time she was 16, Dave Gilmour funded professional recordings of three songs from over 500 demos to give to EMI and the rest is history. One of those songs, 'The Man With The Child In His Eyes' was written when Kate was just 13 and the original Gilmour recording featured on her debut album 'The Kick Inside'.
Made 'Commander Of The British Empire' in 2013, Kate Bush is an award winning record breaker. She was the first British female singer songwriter to have a number 1 hit with a self written song, which was of course 'Wuthering Heights' in 1978. She was then the first British female artist to have an album enter the charts at number 1, the beautiful third album 'Never For Ever'.
But this week, she has broken some other records. With 'Running Up That Hill' entering the UK charts at number 1 yesterday (Friday 17 June), after it receiving tremendous recognition when featured on the Netflix series 'Stranger Things', Kate is the oldest female artist to have a number 1 single. 'Running Up That Hill' also breaks the record for taking the longest to reach number 1, 37 years in fact! And finally, Kate Bush is the only British female artist to have top 20 hits across six decades, which is just incredible.
This music and picture quiz helps celebrate her talent and her legacy. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed putting it together.
Round 1. Facts About Kate
Kate, with her mother Hannah and brothers Paddy and John Bush.
1. True or False. Hannah Bush was the inspiration for much of the Irish music which features so prominently in her music?
Kate with family friend and her champion Dave Gilmour
2. Which prog rock band was Dave Gilmour guitarist and singer with?
Kate's friend and dance teacher, Lindsey Kemp
3. Lindsey Kemp said that the first time he realised Kate was a recording artist was when she shoved a copy of which album (her first) under his door?
'Tour Of Life', 1979
4. What is Kate credited with inventing to allow her to perform freely throughout her stage show?
5. Which TV chef did Kate discuss vegetarianism with in 1980?
6. Which DJ and comedian 'interviewed' Kate on his show in 1979?
7. Which TV channel did Kate help launch in 1984?
8. With which comedian did Kate perform 'Do Bears' in the 1986 'Comic Relief' telethon?
9. In 1996, Kate sculpted a bronze statue called 'Strange Fruit', which was among items auctioned for the 'Warchild Charity'. The orchid was a celebration of which iconic blues singer?
CBE, 2013
10. True or False. Kate embarrassed herself at the palace when she asked HM Queen for an autograph for her son Bertie?
Song break
'Wuthering Heights', 1978 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk-4lXLM34g
11. Which TV comedian and presenter performed this song in the 'Comic Relief Show' in 2011?
Here 'he' is ...
Clue. He co-presents 'Great British Bake Off' with Matt Lucas ...
FACTOID> Kate Bush shares her birth date with Emily Bronte.
Round 2. Greatest Hits
12. What does the Russian word 'Babushka' mean?
a. Grandmother
b. Musician
c. Singer
13. What is this song called?
a. 'War Games'
b. 'Army Dreamers'
c. 'Hide & Seek'
FACTOID> The K T logo seen on her sleeve is the fan club emblem.
14. Which song did Kate duet with Peter Gabriel on?
a. 'Sledgehammer'
b. 'Solsbury Hill'
c. 'Don't Give Up'
15. What name does Kate sing at the start of 'Wow'?
a. "Emily"
b. "Hannah"
c. "Del"
16. Which song has the line from this film "It's in the trees, it's coming!" as its opening?
a. ‘Hammer Horror’
b. ‘The Big Sky’
c. ‘Hounds Of Love’
17. 'Sat In Your Lap' was composed after Kate saw which act live?
a. David Bowie
b. Stevie Wonder
c. Roxy Music
18. Which book is the song 'The Sensual World' based on?
a. 'Ulysses', by James Joyce
b. 'A Book Of Dreams', by Peter Reich
c. 'The Shining', by Stephen King
19. Donald Sutherland starred in which of Kate's videos?
a. 'Rubberband Girl'
b. 'Sat In Your Lap'
c. 'Cloudbusting'
20. 'This Woman's Work' was written for which John Hughes movie?
a. 'The Breakfast Club'
b. 'She's Having A Baby'
c. 'Pretty In Pink'
21. 'Breathing' is about what?
a. Nuclear War
b. Pollution
c. Asthma
Song break
'Running Up That Hill' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp43OdtAAkM
22. Why did this song chart again in 2012?
Round 3. The Albums
23. Complete the name of her first album? - 'The Kick ******'
What song on the album does this picture relate to?
24. Complete the name of her second album? - 'Lion*****'
Which song on the album does this picture relate to?
25. Complete the name of her third album? - 'Never For ****'
What is Kate dressed as on the back cover?
26. Complete the name of her fourth album? - 'The D*******'
Who is Kate passing the key to?
FACTOID> All of Kate's albums feature a hidden KT logo.
27. Complete the name of her fifth album? - 'Hounds Of ****'
What breed of dog are featured?
28. Complete the name of her sixth album? - 'The Sensual *****'
Which Bulgarian vocal group feature on this album?
27. Complete the name of her seventh album? - 'The Red *****'
Which actress starred in the movie of this album? Here she is ...
29. Complete the name of her eight album? - 'A*****'
Which birdsong sound wave features in these pictures?
30. Complete the name of her ninth album? - 'Director's ***"
What was special about this album?
31. Complete the name of her tenth album? - 'Fifty Words For ****'
Who did she duet with on 'Snowed In At Wheeler Street'? Here he is ...
Song break
32. Kate covered one of Elton's songs in 1991. It reached number 2 in the UK charts. What was it?
Round 4. Some Other Songs
33. Kate performed this song live on Channel 4's 'The Tube' in 1985. It was a 'B' side to 'Running Up That Hill' and she performed it at Abbey Road, where she recorded her earlier albums. As is always the case with Kate, her 'B' sides are often as good if not better than the 'A' sides and this is a case in point.
See what you think - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWaj8wU_qRg
The question is who presented the show?
34. Who directed the 1948 film 'The Red Shoes'?
a. Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger
b. Alfred Hitchcock
c. Orson Welles
35. This Gershwin song was covered by Kate to celebrate the life and times of Larry Adler. The question is, which musical instrument was Larry Adler famous for playing?
a. Ukelele
b. Trumpet
c. Mouth Organ
'King Of The Mountain' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8xk_AkeP5c
36. Which 'King' is this song about?
a. Elvis Presley
b. Michael Jackson
c. Martin Luther King
37. What did Kate joke she kept a bag of on her piano for inspiration "to help the songs blossom"?
a. Cat Litter
b. Bone Meal
c. Compost
'And Dream Of Sheep' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_256xd9N27o
38. What was Kate's live residency at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2014 called?
a. 'Coming Back To Life'
b. 'Before The Dawn'
c. 'Footsteps On The Water'
FACTOID> Kate spent three days in a cold water tank making this film. You can almost hear her shivering.
For those of you who want to delve a bit deeper into Kate's music, here is my You Tube KT Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_E4d5RHyRYjIV36CC69jebCm1OhzgEPd
39. Kate's recording career is far from over. Earlier this year this American rap artist announced he has recorded a single with Kate, which is yet to be released. What is his name?
a. Eminem
b. Big Boi
c. Jay Z
40. We finish by going back to the start, with a focus on Kate's first professionally recorded track 'The Man With The Child In His Eyes'. Written when she was just thirteen and recorded when she was sixteen, this song demonstrated the timeless quality of her music that would follow.
Last question then, how much do you think the handwritten lyrics sold for in 2014 (the song was written for her first boyfriend Steve Blacknell). (See below)
a. £7,000
b. £70,000
c. £700,000
And finally ... In 2018, a poem written by Kate in tribute to Emily Bronte was carved into rock in 'North Yorkshire Moors National Park'?
Here is the full poem ...
She stands outside
A book in her hands
“Her name is Cathy”, she says
“I have carried her so far, so far
Along the unmarked road from our graves
I cannot reach this window
Open it, I pray.”
But his window is a door to a lonely world
That longs to play.
Ah Emily. Come in, come in and stay.
1. True. Hannah was from County Waterford
2. Pink Floyd
3. 'The Kick Inside'
4. Microphone Headset
5. Delia Smith
6. Kenny Everett
7. Sky
8. Rowan Atkinson
9. Billy Holiday
10. It's True
11. Noel Fielding
12. Grandmother
13. 'Army Dreamers'
14. 'Don't Give Up'
15. "Emily"
16. 'Hounds Of Love'
17. Stevie Wonder
18. 'Ulysses'
19. 'Cloudbusting'
20. 'She's Having A Baby'
21. Nuclear War
22. It was played at the London Olympics Closing Ceremony
23. 'The Kick inside' / Kite
24. 'Lionheart' / 'Oh England My Lionheart'
25. 'Never For Ever' / A bat
26. 'The Dreaming' / Houdini (Played by her engineer and long-term partner of the time Del Palmer)
27. 'Hounds Of Love' / Weimaraner
28. 'The Sensual World' / Trio Bulgarka
29. 'The Red Shoes' / Miranda Richardson
30. 'Aerial' / Blackbird
31. 'Director's Cut' / It was an album of re-recorded songs
32. 'Fifty Words For Snow' / Elton John
33. Paula Yates & Jools Holland
34. Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger
35. Mouth Organ
36. Elvis Presley
37. Bone Meal
38. 'Before The Dawn'
39. Big Boi
40. £7,000 (Bargain!)
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