"Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush
Strong Songs
The Court Progression and the Counting Come Together
The song has a kind of unusual counting, so i tend to count this kind of at double time. I think that it's really just sort of around 60 beats per minute. It lands on the sea sharp and then immediately jumps off and gets back into the court progression for a new phrase. Bush's decision to d emphasize the one chord is the key to understanding the tumbling rhythm of that chorus,. which is distinct. No other chorus really quite sounds like this. Another big part of it is the melody that sheis singing.
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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