BBC interview

[rhill@pnet01.cts.com (Ronald Hill)]

Radio 1 interview.  1982 

        I am not certain of the details of this interview.  Presumably it was
with David Jensen after the release of The Dreaming album.  This interview was
difficult to transcribe and may be difficult to follow due to the large amount
of incomplete sentences by the interviewer. 

[Transcribed by Ron Hill.  Thanks to IED for the tape]


        I: Hi, there. 
        K: Hi. 
        I: Now you have been very busy because your new album, since I've been
in Canada, has come out and you've been around promoting the album.  What I
have for you tonight, as you can see, is a pile of letters from various fans. 
Alot of them are actually members of your fan club, I assume the various
letters and numbers that some of them have signed their letters with mean that
they are members of the fan club, and some aren't - they just have some
questions for you.  The album, and of course the single, met with mixed
reaction, really.  The single... alot of your fans are disappointed - the way
you must have been - that the single didn't get more airplay and support, and
therefore wasn't a hit.  And I was reading an interesting review of your new
album in the Sunday Times yesterday which kinda compared you to Joni Mitchell.
 You know, sorta Britain's answer to Joni Mitchell.  [Kate laughs]  Have you
ever heard that comparison?  Or how do you react when you hear that sort of
comment?
        K: Well actually I find that very flattering cause I think Joni
Mitchell's really great.  So yeah! 
        I: Alright, so that's a plus then.  Let's go to some of these letters.
 Tim Shore writes from Sutton Cornfield in the West Midlands and say that "The
Dreaming is an excellent single and deserved to do far better then number
forty-eight in the charts.  How does Kate feel about this fact?"  Lets find
out. 
        K: I mean obviously I was a bit disappointed, but it's just the way it
goes, really.  I think what was more disappointing was the fact that we'd made
a video for it and we weren't able to get it shown, and we'd put a lot of work
into it.  But really what concerns me is the album, much more than the
singles.  So it's not a problem really. 
        I: Alright, well Tim says "something else that didn't help, apart from
the virtual absence of airplay [Kate Laughs] was the lack of suitable
publicity.  Did Kate want the Dreaming to succeed on the strength of song
alone, rather than on an immense publicity campaign?" 
        K: Well, I think the problem is that often there aren't publicity
campaigns for singles, because they don't actually seem to do much good, and
that's the problem.  Often a single is kept under it's own weight, the fact
... if it's good ... and the airplay is a big thing as well.  And there's not
really that much you can do. 
        I: Do you regret having the record or the single out then? 
        K: No, not at all.  I mean if I was to make the same choice, I would. 
I would go for that same record, you know what I mean?  If I had to put the
first single out again I would go for that one, I'm very happy...
        I: Sifting through all the letters earlier today, Kate -  and I'm
sorry I can't remember for the sake of the listener, the person who mentioned
this - but I remember somebody saying that the song originally had a different
title, The Dreaming, is that right?
        K: No, no it didn't.  We always have working titles for things, but
that doesn't mean it has a different title.  It's always really been called
The Dreaming. 
        I: Ok.  John Neams, who is K.0273 - fan club number I guess - in
Newport in Quint, tons of questions.  And let's get into some of John's now. 
"The new album took over a year to record, is this due to the fact that you
have been involved one a hundred percent in it's production?"
        K: Yes, I think that's certainly contributed to the fact that it's
taken a long time.  But there are alot of other things as well.  The songs
themselves were very demanding, especially emotionally.  And they seemed to be
requiring more special sounds, new treatment, that sort of thing.  So it was
harder to find sounds that were right and it took longer to get ideas
manifested.  And also, I was having to work between three or four studios in
order to be able to get the time to make sure that the impetuous was carried
on and the album was finished.  Because I was making an album at the same time
a lot of other people were and obviously everybody wanted to use the same top
studios in London, so I was having to move around alot, which was hard. 
        I: I would have thought if you're going to take that long over an
album, recording things, that it must be hard to keep the interest up in some
tracks, 'cause you may record or write a song -  you think "that sounds
terrific" and then sort of the whole thing kinda rescinds over the few weeks
and you think, "well maybe that wasn't a great song."
        K: [Laughs] That really was my biggest problem. I mean they're all
kinds of problems like lack of confidence and worrying about things, but the
real problem was that I was starting to lose interest in the songs and I was
starting to worry about the songs, wondering, as you were just saying, if they
were still as good as I thought they were when I actually wrote them.  And you
just have to be working with really good people who keep saying "it's great,
don't worry it sounds great."    And you just keep doing it and maybe a few
days later you think "yeah, it's not so bad but I don't know about this one." 
[Laughs]
        I: When I've talked to you, when I've heard you in interviews, you are
such a positive person.  And of course you were parodied a couple of years ago
because you used to use the word "amazing"...
        K: Hmmm...
        I: ...an awful lot [when] you used to appear on TV - I haven't heard
you use that word in interviews lately.  But you are still a very positive
sort of person, aren't you?  How do you deal with sort of negative thoughts in
the studio, things aren't going quite right, how do you address things like
that?
        K: I think, again, it's down to the people you're working with, 'cause
if you've got a positive vibe happening between the team, then really if it
starts going negative you can just pull it away, you can say to the people
"look, come on, you know, let's forget about that."  And I really think it is
down to the relationship and the feelings between the people you're working
with, and I was really lucky because all the people I work with are really
great, they're fantastic. 
        I: Is it hard work being up all the time, or are you just naturally
sort of bright and look upon the world with a positive sort of feeling? 
        K: No, I don't think I've very positive sometimes, I think I'm quite
negative at some times, you know.  But I think there's always the feeling in
me that there's no reason for me to be negative because everything's great, so
why be negative?  And then I feel better. [Laughs]
        I: Okay.  I was talking about John's questions instead of asking my
own.  Another one from John's letter, before we hear some music from the
album.  Do the tracks on the album have a thematic theme, theme link, or are
they different in theme or treatment?
        K: Yes, I think they are quite individual really.  They're all about
different subject matter, so they're isn't really a theme, no. 
        I: Okay, let's hear a track called Suspended In Gaffa from The
Dreaming.  What is this about?
        K: Well, it's really about people that are after something that is
very special to them.  They've seen something that they want very badly, but
they know that in order to get that they have to work very hard.  And a lot of
people don't want to do the work and still want the thing at the end of it.  
I remember when I was at school, I was always told about purgatory as being
the place that you went to and you saw a glimpse of God and then he went away
and you never ever saw him again and you were in the most tremendous pain for
the rest of eternity because you couldn't ever see him again.  And it's a
really heavy image, you know, especially for a child.  And I think in many
ways it's a very similar thing, trying to get that back that thing that you
really want to see again.  
        I: Okay.  Let's hear all of those thoughts to music. 

[The song is played]

        I: Kate Bush and that was Suspended In Gaffa from the new album called
The Dreaming.  Did you do any special vocal training for this album, or have
you done recently [Kate Laughs].  Because you do a lot of acrobatics with your
voice on this album, more than I think I remember. 
        K: Yeah, I think there's a lot more experimentation on this album.  I
didn't do any special vocal training, but they were a lot of different ideas
when I wrote the songs and put the demos down.  And really most the ideas were
in the demos to start with.     I: Now on the front cover of the album, for
those who have not seen it, you have got your hands around a fellow who has
his hair combed back like Houdini.  You confirm this was Houdini who you are
clutching in your hands there, or someone looking like him.  And you have a
key in your mouth, on your tongue in fact, a gold key.  What does that
represent?
        K: Well, one of the wonderful things about Houdini was that his wife
would help him out with his tricks, sometimes.  And one the ways was that as
she gave him a passing kiss before he went off to do his act, she would pass
him a key and he would later use it to unlock the chains.....
        I: Is that true? 
        K: Yeah, it's beautiful isn't it? 
        I: Is that true???
        K: Yes...
        I: Well, well. 
        K: Yeah.  It's really good.  So we thought what a fantastic picture it
would make.
        I: Unbelievable.  Okay, back to John Neims letter.  Ba de be de be do.
 Rolf Harris and Percy Harris appear on the new single.  Planxty and one of
the Chieftains contribute to another track.  Are there any other guest artists
on the album? 
        K: Um, yes there are.  There's a wonderful fretless bass player from
Germany called Eberhard Weber who I think I've mentioned to you before....
        I: Yes, yes...
        K: ...because I'm a very big fan of his.  And he played on the track
Houdini which was wonderful.  And Dave Gilmour came in as well and did some
vocals on one of the tracks.
        I: What was it like working with the Irish folk band Planxty, 'cause
I'm a bit of a fan of their's.  I know the regular listener will know... like
"what do you mean you're a fan, you never play their music."  [Kate laughs] 
It doesn't seem somehow to be in context with what I'm doing.  Maybe I should
but...
        K: I would be lovely if you did. 
        I: I was listening to a lot of their stuff when I was in Northern
Ireland recently.  But, how did you get involved with Planxty?
        K: Well, I've been a fan of theirs as well.  Really, my brother Jay
played me some albums of theirs and ever since I've been hooked.  I wrote the
song and it just seemed perfect for them to work on.  So I rang a guy called
Bill Whelan, who's the keyboard player, and he was really interested in it and
said he'd get the guys together, but over in Ireland.  So I had to fly over
there for the day and we put them on tape.  And Bill wrote this fantastic
arrangement, which he originally played to me there on the phone, it was
fantastic!  He was with them at the Piper [???] and he said "hang on a
minute," put the phone down, and I heard them play the arrangement to me their
on the phone.  It was beautiful. 
        I: Magic.  Let's see a question completely away from  Planxty and
Northern Ireland is that press reports say that you've made a record with
Zaine Griff called Flowers, yet EMI records, your own record company, deny all
knowledge.  [Kate Laughs].  Well, says John, is this true?
        K: Well I haven't made the record with him, all I did was sing some
backing vocals on this song that Zaine wrote which is called Flowers and it's
a lovely song. 
        I: Is it true that you're doing a TV special in September and that
your guest is to be Roy Harper?
        K: [Laughs]  No, no I don't know about that at all. 
        I: Where did he get that question from?
        K: I don't know. 
        I: He just made it up.  
        K: But Roy is really great.  Hey Roy, if you're out there.  
        I: And on the subject of people that you admire and that you've worked
with, any chance of working with Peter Gabriel again in the near future,
wonders John. 
        K: I'd love to work with Peter again, because he's so great.  But I
don't know, that's something that we would have to see. 
        I: Okay.  We'll put this letter to the side.  There's a lot of
questions that I haven't put to you, but really I want to get through a few
more.  Paul Folks of East Isbury, Manchester, wants to know if there is any
truth in the rumor that Kate is going to sing on a record, oh it's another one
of these questions, is going to sing on a record with Midge Ure which Trevor
Horn is producing?
        K: Isn't that [??? something]... someone else said that to me today
and I haven't heard about it at all.  Maybe someone should come and let me
know.  No, I don't know about it.
        I: Pamila Davidson, who's sixteen, writes from Roundhanye, Leeds, the
one big question I would like ask Kate is "where has she been for so long? 
Was it just an extended holiday?"
        K: [Laughs] Isn't that wonderful?  I wish it were.
        I: Well, you were on a little bit of a holiday, some weeks ago?
        K: Oh, yeah, some weeks ago.  But that's not where I've been all this
time, gosh.  Be nice if I had been.  
        I: On a lighter note, what does Kate think about people such as Pamela
Stevenson doing impersonations of her?
        K: I think it's great, actually.  I think it's wonderful that they go
to so much trouble, as well.  And they really do, obviously watch the routines
and listen to the track.  And they always re-record the track.  Great. 
        I: When you see somebody doing that.  Somebody who has put effort in
to... to mimic you.  And getting laughs out of it, at your expense.  Do you
then say to yourself "well I'm going to stop doing that, that does look pretty
silly."  Or do you have second thoughts about your performance? 
        K: I think I have second thoughts about my performance anyway.  I
think that just exaggerates the point.  But its great, I love to watch the way
that they do it.  It's very fun. 
        I: Betty of Gosport in Hense wants to know what particular area of
your work that you enjoy or prefer doing the most, if you could do one thing -
writing songs, recording, touring, working with other people on their albums,
producing, or dancing?  [Kate laughs]  You're  going to tell me that you like
them all, for different reasons?
        K: I do actually, I do like them all very much.  But I think,
definitely the priority for me is the writing of the songs.  It's the most
challenging, frustrating, satisfying thing there is.
        I: Would you like to write for other people?
        K: I've never tried, but it's something that I... yes it's quite
appealing.  The problem is really getting time, because I normally only have
enough time to scrape enough songs together myself for an album.  But it's
very appealing, yeah. 
        I: Have other artists recorded your work that you're aware of? 
        K: Very little, yes.  It's not being covered much at all? 
        I: Maybe because it's very stylized. 
        K: Yes, I don't know.  I don't why.  It would be lovely to hear more
people covering it.  It would just be nice to hear what they did to a song. 
        I: Sure.  Alright we're going to break away from Kate's music for a
second and go back into....

[Tape breaks.]

        I: ...in Blackpool.  Did Kate enjoy producing her new album and has
she any plans to produce any other artists?
        K: Yes, I did enjoy producing the album, it wasn't easy at all.  But
yes, I did enjoy it because I was pleased with the result.  I don't know about
producing other artists, I don't know.
        I: Maybe in time. 
        K: Yeah, maybe.  It's a very interesting idea, yeah! 
        I: [Laughs] At the end of The Dreaming a voice says something... I'm
sorry, I've forgotten Nick's name... Nick says that he cannot make out.  Is
this Aborigine, and, if so, does Kate know what it means? 
        K: Yes it is aborigine.  And it's a lyric from a song called
Airplane!, Airplane!  And it's very strange because its one of the first
aboriginal songs about airplanes which were coming from the civilized
Australians. 
        I: Okay.  And in fact the album... the single, again it's a question
that a lot of people ask, it's something that you actually covered on the
telephone a few weeks ago, maybe it might be worth recapping briefly cause it
is the title of the album, and it was the single, The Dreaming, is what it's
about? 
        K: What, the words the Dreaming? 
        I: Yes, the whole concept, yes.  
        K: Yeah, well The Dreaming, which is also known as Dreamtime, was the
time for the Aborigines more or less at the beginning of creation when animals
and humans took the same form. It was very magical and it's of incredible
religious significance to them.  And thats what it's about. 
        I: Okay.  Away from music, Jackie Daves of Whitchurch in Chopshire,
wants to know if you have ever had singing lessons at any time in your life? 
I'm not sure if she's suggesting that you should have? [Kate laughs]  But she
wants to know.
        K: Yeah.  Yes I did actually with a really lovely man called Mr.
Farrol.  And I used to go there for half an hour, once a week.  And I'd sit
and play him my latest song, and then we'd do some breathing exercises and a
couple of songs that were standards and I'd go away.  And what was really
great about it was that he gave me a tremendous amount of confidence in my
voice, which I really didn't have much of. 
        I: When did Kate decide to become a vegetarian, and what were her
reasons for becoming a vegetarian, is Jackie's next question. 
        K: I was sixteen and I think I've always loved animals and I've always
not loved the idea of eating things that have been killed for me to eat.  And
just one day I happened to be eating some meat that really made me aware of
what I was eating, that it was an animal and that it was dead and cooked and
sitting on my plate.  [Laughs]
        I: So you turned around and not been tempted back? 
        K: No I haven't actually.  
        I: So what do you eat, just vegetables...
        K: Yes. 
        I: I mean do you eat eggs...
        K: Yes, I do. 
        I: And fish? 
        K: No, I don't eat fish.  But I eat dairy products, yeah.  So I'm not
a [??? Vegan]
        I: Yeah, that's really heavy duty...
        K: Yes, that's very strict. 
        I: Cause in this business, and it's a business after all that you're
in when you're traveling and touring and you're busy, it's very difficult to
maintain a disciplined diet, cause you have to kinda eat when you can, what
you can. 
        K: It's really difficult, yeah, it really is.  I think that's why most
people that become vegetarians in this business tend to go... they tend to
revert back to eating meat because it's so much easier, they can't find good
vegetarian food.
        I: Maybe if there was vegetarian fast food available people might be
more tempted to turn to...
        K: Yeah!  But then it would be not good for you, would it.  It would
be rubbish.
        I: [Laughs]  Let's go to some music again from The Dreaming.  And this
is called Night Of The Swallow and is there something you would like to tell
us about this before we play it? 
        K: Um... [Long pause] No. [Both Laugh]
        I: Okay, let's hear it then. 
        K: Great. 

[The song is played]

        I: And some nice fretless bass playing on that track.  Night Of The
Swallow, from Kate Bush.  And from Dochland, Englehop.... What do you think,
is the hop, h-o-p-p-e or h-o, hoppie? 
        K: Yeah, I'd say "hop". 
        I: "Hop", right. 
        K: [Laughs.]  "Hoppie."
        I: Engelhop! Of Doseldorp, he's a regular listener to this program,
except on tuesday nights, says she, because then Dallas is shown on television
[Kate laughs] here in Germany.  Right, Englel.  Engel has some questions for
you Kate.  What are the bands that you like most at the present time?
        K: Um!  Terrible question.  I really like the Beats, still like David
Bowie, still like Roxy Music.  I like ABC's stuff, Madness, they're great. 
        I: Are you getting engaged or married in the near future? 
        K: No, I'm not. 
        I: Okay.  What do you think of the new German wave?  Obviously Engles
from there so she's anxious to know what you think of bands like Ideal or
Trio? 
        K: Wow!  I'm afraid I don't know much about them so... sorry. [Laughs]

        I: Alright, okay.  I know that you're keen on Captain Beefheart 'cause
last Christmas when we asked you to choose a favorite track of yours over the
christmas period we played Tropical Hot Dog Night and that is a track that you
have asked to hear again. 
        K: Yeah, I think it's great.  
        I: Is he an influence at all? 
        K: Yes I'm sure he is, just cause I like him so much.  I think it
should be a single, I think it would be a really big single, it's brilliant. 
        I: Well, I know it's from an album that was issued on Virgin records a
few years ago.  And listeners may well be interested to know that Captain
Beefheart is coming here soon and we're hoping to have a chat with him.  I
interviewed him on another wavelength few years ago [Kate laughs] and he
really does remain most of my most memorable characters in the best possible
way.  I really, really got on, I'd like to think, well with him and I enjoyed
our chat.  So I hope that I will be meeting up with him again.  Captain
Beefheart here for Kate Bush.

[The song is played]

        I: Captain Beefheart, Tropical Hot Dog Night.  I kind of spoiled that
track for Kate because a couple of listeners have asked that we set a
competition.  Something actually that we haven't done for a long time.  I
think the last one was when we gave away Mark Almonds leather motorbike hat. 
[Both laugh]  But Kate has agreed that it would be a good idea to do a
competition, if we could think of a good question.  Maybe we should do it the
other way around, the person who thinks of the best question.... 
        K: Yeah, we could...
        I: Yeah.  Because what we'd like to do is give away maybe some signed
albums, which Kate is willing to do.  If we can think of a good question, in
the next sorta five minutes, then we'll do it okay, how's that? 
        K: Yeah, that sounds good. 
        I: The pressures on, maybe when we play the forthcoming single.  In
the meantime, The Lionhearts That Felt It, that's how they signed their names,
Steve and Kisy.  No address on the inside of this card, which has couple of
red hot lips on the outside.  Is your dancing still an important aspect of
your career, and how much practice do you do a day?
        K: Yes, it is still important. The problem is when I'm making albums I
can't dance, as well.  So I have to wait until I've finished the project
before I can start again.  Um, probably do about three to four hours a day
when I haven't got anything else on.  The last few months I've been getting
back into it.  It feels a great again. 
        I: Well that is a long time, really. 
        K: Well it's not constant class, we do a class maybe an hour, an hour
and a half, and we just [do] routine numbers, so it's much slower, but we're
still moving and trying things out. 
        I: A question from Steve and Kisey, who would like your autograph. 
But I'm not sure that we could send them an autograph, or that you could,
because there is no address.  But anyway, where did you get your theater mask
earrings, the ones that you were wearing on the album Lionheart?
        K: Do you know, it's rather lovely, because when I went to Canada,
years ago, I was doing a whole day of interviews with journalists and there
was a lady journalist, and we only sat and chatted for about 30 minutes.  And
when I first met her, I said "your earrings are beautiful."  And when she left
she took them off and gave them to me, and said, "I hope they bring you luck."
        I: Wow! 
        K: Yeah, she was really far out. 
        I: And they have. 
        K: Yeah! 
        I: Miss Cass Sefton of Stephford, Manchester, wants to know what
everybody is asking to know but it's a question that I left to the end, is
when you're going to come on the road, go on the road, when are you going to
be TOURING! 
        K: Ummm, well I really want to and I'm going to start thinking about
it before the end of this year in order to try and get [to] something happen
before next year.  Cause it's a good six months rehearsal, really.  And I'm
hoping to get something together for next year, but I don't know when.  As
soon as I do, I'll let everyone know.
        I: Are you going to doing any television specials in the meantime,
anything like that?
        K: I've got a few TV things coming up, and I'm going to Europe.  But
there's a few TVs I might be doing that aren't confirmed yet.  But there's all
sorts of things happening, yeah.        I: Okay.  You told us that this next
song we're about to play from the album will be the forthcoming single.  When
will it be a 45?  [Knocks "wood" twice]
        K: Should be October the 11th, I think, yes.
        I: Okay.  Is this it's first announced play as a forthcoming single? 
Do we have a bit of a scoop here, would you say?
        K: Well, could be, could be.  
        I: Me thinks we may not!  [Both laugh] Okay, well you've got the
length of this song then, Kate, to think....
        K: of a good question, right start the clock. 
        I: Okay.  There Goes A Tenner, thats the title of the album track. 

[The song is played]

        I: [Pause. Silence. Both are laughing] Kate Bush.  And that silence is
actually on the record, it's one of those things.  It's called There Goes A
Tenner, but will be a 45 in a few weeks time.  Kate, lets see what you've come
up with.  We've put you in a little sound proof room...
        K: Oh, that's rotten, yeah you put me... Okay, so the question.  Which
is... no, who wrote the only song that I've recorded that wasn't written by
me?  [Laughs]  Is that logical, does that make sense?
        I: That makes sense. 
        K: Good. 
        I: Kate has recorded only one song, something that she's committed to
vinyl which she herself did not write.  Who wrote the song that she has
committed to vinyl?  Does that make sense?      K: Yeah, beautifully.  [Both
laugh]
        I: And the prize is... a signed... five signed autographed albums to
the....
        K: wooo.....
        I: .. what we'll do is...
        K: wooo....
        I: we'll get the entries in, okay.  This is big stuff.  [Kate laughs]
And we'll put them in a barrel or maybe an envelope, depending on how many
entries we get.  [Everybody laughs] And we'll draw out five.. get Mike Hoss,
who produces the program, who got so many name checks in this weeks NME
[Everybody laughs].  To draw five correct entries and then we'll award them
signed albums.  You have to sign the albums though. 
        K: Yes. 
        I: Are you willing to do that.
        K: Yeah!! 
        I: Okay, that's it.  Get your entries in now.  Kate Bush, care of,
David Jensen, radio 1, London W1A 4WW.  And one final thing to mention is,
cause we're on the TV trail, Kate forgot to mention that...
        K: I'm very possibly, well I will be on The Old Grey Whistle Test. 
        I: Hosting the program? 
        K: Well, no, not yet. [Laughs] 
        I: You're not picking on [???] job yet?  What are you going to be
doing? 
        K: I'm just going to be doing a short chat, but they will show the
video of The Dreaming.  Yeah!!!! 
        I: So I think we got in before The Old Grey Whistle Test, anyway on
this program. 
        K: Oh, definitely! 
        I: A little bit of a scoop there. 
        K: Yeah. 
        I: Well, there was one other thing that I was going to mention, but
it's gone completely.  Oh, yes, the thing is I didn't get to everybodies
letters but what I'm doing now is handing them off -  hear them, that's your
letter in that pile - is handing them to Kate and she's going to take them
away with her. Aren't you?
        K: Yes. 
        I: Please. 
        K: Yes. 
        I: Okay, thanks for coming in tonight, lovely to see you again. 
        K: Yeah, you too.  Great. 

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