Thursday, August 05, 2010

"Running Up That Hill" Turns 25

It might be the single greatest song of the 1980s. It went a little something like this...



"Let's exchange the experience"... whew. That dance might be the most hypnotic-erotic fully clothed one in any music video, yes?

Everything about this video and song (the latter of which was released in the UK 25 years ago today) is perfect. The song has been covered a gajillion times since its release though oddly, you don't here it much in the movies or on TV. The Kate Bush song that the filmed arts have latched onto and beaten like a dead horse is "This Woman's Work."

To say that Kate Bush is a musical genius is as redundant as saying that right at this moment you're reading this sentence. Many musicians after her were influenced (Tori Amos, Paula Cole, Björk... the list is long) but there will only ever be one Kate. For a super long time when anyone asked me what my favorite album of all time was I would say "Hounds of Love" without having to wring my hands too much over the potentially difficult question.

Was it the hair?

Back in the late 80s I wanted to see a Kate biopic with Mary Steenburgen playing her. And then in the 90s when the great Miranda Richardson starred in Kate's video project The Line, The Cross and the Curve I suddenly dreamt up a whole epic Kate movie again.


Daft English lasses!

Sadly no Kate Bush movie ever materialized and I'd since forgotten that I ever wanted one. But I do! I can even play "Symphony in Blue" on the piano, no joke.

Which pop stars do you most want to see with biopics? Which actress could do Kate justice today?

13 comments:

Janice said...

God how I love that song - I bought the CD last year finally and played it over and over. (Then I loaned it to a friend, silly me.) The entire thing is brilliant, and now whenever I listen to Bjork or Tori Amos I wonder "do they pay Kate royalties?" Because they wouldn't exist without her. I think Kate is really, really underrated today - especially in comparison to, say, Peter Gabriel. (Which was part of the reason I was so disappointed with the theme song she came up with for The Golden Compass.)

bakerist said...

0h my gosh, this woman is so important in my life. I first learnt of 'Running Up That Hill' when watching a kids TV show called 'Running Scared'. I was too young to fully appreciate it but the urgency of the track touched me even then and have had many incredible Kate moments since!

OtherRobert said...

Can't we just get Kate to write and star in a legit movie musical instead? I mean, her Red Shoes sequence is magnificent. Could you imagine if she was given a bigger budget and strong creative support? Kate, orchestrated with full symphony, dancing and singing on the big screen? A guy can dream.

Bia said...

I like the Placebo version the best.

finalword said...

I love Kate Bush for 3 songs: Running Up That Hill, Don't Give Up (w/Peter Gabriel) and Wuthering Heights. Sadly I don't know any of her other music.

If you want to hear something odd find Pat Benetar's cover of WH on Youtube.

Paolo said...

A thousand times yes!

And Cate Blanchett can do a Kate biopic if she dropped everything and did it right now. See the Babooshka video as to why i think she's perfect. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot3cVY1JESQ

Or...Kate was 27 when Running Up That Hill came up. LeeLee Sobieski's 27 right now, she has lots of free time.

Lara said...

God, the 80's ... I always get nostalgic.
Juliette Binoche for Kate the Great, especially since Juliette has done a modern dance tour a couple of years back and this video reminded me of her. They even wore similar clothes. And I think that Juliette has that certain streak of artistry required for playing Kate.

Laika said...

Best Kate Bush at the movies moment - the use of 'The Sensual World' in Atom Egoyan's 'Felicia's Journey'.

I'd like to see Kate played by Summer Glau - we know she can dance and do eccentricity. The accent may be a bit trickier...

NATHANIEL R said...

Laika -- i'm surprised to say that I can see that. For at least the very young late 70s Kate when she was this tiny lithe beauty. she did tend to fill out inbetween albums later on.

Lara -- i've always loved modern dance which maybe is how that video first hooked me so addictively.

Sawyer said...

Samantha Morton would make a fantastic Kate.

Deus Ex Machina said...

I was thinking someone like Florence Welch from Florence & The Machine to play Kate.

J.D. said...

Ugh, how did I only just see this post?! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Also, no one should be playing Kate. She's SO above a biopic. Much less Florence Welch (as much as I love her, too).

Less Lee Moore said...

You are the only other person I've heard (besides myself) to wish that Ms. Steenburgen would play Kate Bush!