"Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush
Strong Songs
The Book of Mormon - A Song About a Girl
The first verse is performed by bush singing and playing piano, accompanied by the orchestra. There's what sounds to me like that french horn section, adding a nice, smooth brass sound. It has a very organic feeling, and it feels very free. She liked the book and thought she'd write this song from the perspective of a character from the book rather than explicitly doing it because it's a pretty different thing to do now.
Heathcliff! It's us, it's Strong Songs, we've come home!
The time has come for a deep dive into the music of the great Kate Bush, and what better song to analyze than her breakthrough 1978 hit, "Wuthering Heights." This song has it all - odd phrasing, shifting key centers, soaring vocals, character narration, an epic guitar solo, a red dress, and a celesta.
Written by: Kate Bush
Album: The Kick Inside (1978)
Listen/Buy via Album.Link
ALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:
- “James and the Cold Gun” and “The Man with the Child in His Eyes” by Kate Bush from The Kick Inside, 1978
- “Sat In Your Lap” and “The Dreaming” by Kate Bush from The Dreaming, 1982
- “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush from Hounds of Love, 1985
- Richard Buskin's 2004 Sound on Sound article about the writing and recording of "Wuthering Heights" - https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/classic-tracks-kate-bush-wuthering-heights
- The 1886 remake/remix of "Wuthering Heights"
- Kate Bush's iconic Red Dress music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW3gKKiTvjs
- Noel Fielding's incredible live reenactment of the Red Dress video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du4uH1fC9B8
- A demonstration of the bell tree: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhStPnEcXrk
- “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky from The Nutcracker Suite, 1892 performed by the Vienna Philharmonic, 1999
- “Starman” by David Bowie from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, 1972
- “Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra from Out of the Blue, 1977
Correction 3/23/21: The glissando in the intro/post-chorus is now correctly identified as being played on a bell tree, rather than a glockenspiel or the celesta.
OUTRO SOLOIST: Charles McNeal
Charles McNeal is a killin' Oakland-based sax player who plays all over the bay area. He's also a master jazz transcriber, and has chronicled tons of great solos. You can find him playing out in a variety of bands and settings; the best way to keep up with his music is to subscribe to his YouTube channel or follow him on Instagram @charlesonsax2 - https://www.instagram.com/charlesonsax2
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