The Kick Inside
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The Kick Inside is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter and musician Kate Bush. It was released on 17 February 1978 and contains her UK number one hit, "Wuthering Heights". The album peaked at number three in the UK album charts and has been certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry.[1] The production included efforts by several progressive rock veterans, including Duncan Mackay, Ian Bairnson, David Paton, Andrew Powell, and Stuart Elliott of The Alan Parsons Project, and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.
Overview
The Kick Inside was released when Bush was 19 years old. She had written some of the songs when she was only 13.[2] The album opens with 20 seconds of whale song, which leads into the first track, "Moving", inspired by her dance teacher Lindsay Kemp.
Her cinematic and literary influences, two qualities considered her trademarks, were most obvious in the song "Wuthering Heights", the album's first single. The song was not initially inspired by Emily Brontë's novel but by a television adaptation, although Bush read the novel later in order to (in her own words) "get the research right".[3] Further influences can be found when she references Gurdjieff in "Them Heavy People", while the title song is inspired by the ballad of Lizie Wan. Bush also writes openly about sexuality, particularly on the erotic "Feel It" and "L'Amour Looks Something Like You". "Strange Phenomena" questions unusual coincidences, premonition, and déjà vu.
"Wuthering Heights" went to number one in the UK, marking the first time a female singer-songwriter topped the charts with a self-penned song.[4] EMI originally wanted the more rock-oriented track "James and the Cold Gun" to be her debut single, but Bush insisted that it should be "Wuthering Heights". Even at this early stage of her career, she had gained a reputation for her determination to have a say in decisions affecting her work.[5]
The album's second single, "The Man with the Child in His Eyes", was released and reached number six in the UK charts; three other singles were released over the world during next two years: "Them Heavy People", "Moving" (which reached number one in Japan) and "Strange Phenomena".[2] It also reached number 85 on the American Hot 100 Billboard Charts, Bush's only single to do so until 1985. Bush made an appearance on Saturday Night Live in December 1978, but despite this publicity, The Kick Inside failed to enter the Top 200 on Billboard's album charts.
As part of her preparation for entering the studio, Bush toured pubs with the KT Bush Band, supported by her brother Paddy and close friends. However, for the album she was persuaded to use established session musicians, some of whom she would retain even after she had brought her bandmates back on board.[2]
Paddy Bush was the only member of the KT Bush Band to play on The Kick Inside. Unlike on later albums, where he would play more exotic instruments such as balalaika and didgeridoo, here he played the more standard harmonica and mandolin. Stuart Elliot played some of the drums and would become her main percussionist on subsequent albums,[2] along with session drummer Charlie Morgan, who later went on to be a regular with Elton John. Preston Heyman was credited on drums with some subsequent studio work but mostly performed on the live tour of 1979.
The album was produced by David Gilmour's friend and associate, Andrew Powell.[6] Six different varieties of the album's cover are known; the one shown at the top on the right is the regular UK cover, which is the most widespread. It is Bush's only album to have a different cover in the UK, the U.S., Canada, Yugoslavia, Japan and Uruguay (the Uruguay cover being the rarest and most expensive - an example sold on eBay for over $400).
In the UK, it was released (twice) as a limited edition picture disc. This is housed in a full colour outer sleeve ('Kite' picture by Jay Myrdal). It sports a sticker declaring that it's a picture disc (cat. no: EMCP 3223). Two versions were actually released: The first edition has a circular sticker stating that it is a picture disc (usually in the top left hand corner). The second pressing (apparently aimed at the US market, where the first pressing had proven popular) has an oval sticker (usually top centre). The second disc also states "manufactured in the UK by EMI records Ltd." as part of the copyright notice printed on the disc. The first edition does not have this wording.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| About.com |  [7] |
| Allmusic |  [8] |
| BBC Music | (favourable)[9] |
| Spin's Book of Alternative Albums | (8/10) [10] |
Track listing
All tracks are written by Kate Bush
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Moving" | 3:01 |
| 2. | "The Saxophone Song" | 3:51 |
| 3. | "Strange Phenomena" | 2:57 |
| 4. | "Kite" | 2:56 |
| 5. | "The Man with the Child in His Eyes" | 2:39 |
| 6. | "Wuthering Heights" | 4:28 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 7. | "James and the Cold Gun" | 3:34 |
| 8. | "Feel It" | 3:02 |
| 9. | "Oh to Be in Love" | 3:18 |
| 10. | "L'Amour Looks Something Like You" | 2:27 |
| 11. | "Them Heavy People" | 3:04 |
| 12. | "Room for the Life" | 4:03 |
| 13. | "The Kick Inside" | 3:30 |
Personnel
- Kate Bush - songwriter, piano, composer, keyboards, vocals, background vocals
- Ian Bairnson - guitar (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12), background vocals (9), beer bottles (12)
- Paul Keogh - guitar (2)
- Alan Parker - guitar (2)
- Paddy Bush - mandolin (9), vocals (11)
- Duncan Mackay - organ (4, 6, 7), synthesizer (3), electric piano (1, 10), clavinet (4)
- Andrew Powell - synthesizer (9), keyboards (2), bass (6), electric piano (3), celesta (6), beer bottles (12), producer
- Alan Skidmore - saxophone (2)
- David Paton - bass (1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12), acoustic guitar (6, 9), background vocals (9)
- Bruce Lynch - bass (2)
- Barry DeSouza - drums (2)
- Stuart Elliott - drums (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12), percussion (9, 12)
- Morris Pert - percussion (3, 4, 6), boobam (12)
- David Katz - orchestra contractor
- Jon Kelly - recording engineer
- Jon Walls - assistant engineer
- David Gilmour - executive producer (2, 5)
- Wally Traugott - mastering
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
Certifications & Sales
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See also
References
- ^ a b "British album certifications – Kate Bush – The Kick Inside". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type The Kick Inside in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ a b c d "Kate Bush". NNDB.com. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
- ^ "Kate Bush TV Interview". Ask Aspel. 5 September 1978. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "BBC - Music TV - Pop on trial - 1950s-1990s". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
- ^ Interview re Single choice
- ^ Cowley, Jason. "The Wow Factor". The New Statesman. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ http://altmusic.about.com/od/1970s/fr/Definitive-Albums-Kate-Bush-The-Kick-Inside-1978.htm
- ^ The Kick Inside at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
- ^ Jones, Chris (25 July 2008). "Kate Bush The Kick Inside Review". BBC. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
- ^ http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/Current/A442.htm
- ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ a b Billboard Magazine, July 1978. Billboard magazine. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
- ^ "dutchcharts.nl Kate Bush — The Kick Inside". dutchcharts.nl. MegaCharts. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ^ a b "Hits of the World". Billboard. 29 July 1978. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
- ^ "InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste : Kate Bush". infodisc.fr. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ^ "Album Search: Kate Bush" (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ^ a b Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
- ^ "charts.org.nz — Kate Bush — The Kick Inside". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ^ "norwegiancharts.com Kate Bush — The Kick Inside". Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ^ "swedishcharts.com Kate Bush — The Kick Inside". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
- ^ ケイト・ブッシュ-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック "Highest position and charting weeks of The Kick Inside(reissue) by Kate Bush". oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1978" (in Dutch). Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
- ^ "Les Albums (CD) de 1978 par InfoDisc" (PHP) (in French). infodisc.fr. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ^ a b "Complete UK Year-End Album Charts". Retrieved 12 September 2011.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Kate Bush – The Kick Inside". Music Canada.
- ^ "Dutch album certifications – Kate Bush – The Kick Inside" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter The Kick Inside in the "Artiest of titel" box.