Wow/Kashka

[rhill@netrun.cts.com (ronald hill)]

Andrew Says:

 
>Andrew D. Simchik here: 
> 
>       I just bought a terrific book called "Kate Bush: A Visual 
>Documentary" by Cann and Mayes from a local bookstore, and whether it 
is a 
>definitive source remains to be seen, but in any case, it contains the 

>following quotes. 
> 
>Regarding "Wow!": 
>       "...this actor has a problem: many successful performers are 
gay, 
>but some are too gay--'will never make the Sweeney, be that movie 
queen.  
>He's too busy hitting the vaseline'--which may hold your hair in place 
but 
>is better known from pre-Aids days as a sexual lubricant....For many 
gay 
>actors there is no place in the mainstream--we'll call you--'but don't 
hold 
>your breath.'" 
> 
>Regarding "Kashka from Baghdad": 
>       "Kate is experiencing alienation again.  Cut off from the 
laughter 
>and love of two men, this time she is not alone in her joylessness.  
The 
>loving couple are shunned by old friends and never walk abroad in the 
dark 
>moonlit world.  There is" 
> 
>       This seems to be a good source primarily because the info is 
cited 
>as coming from a "phone-in" by Kate herself.  I think this clears 
things up 
>quite nicely. 
> 

        Thanks for posting these, but I think it's important to stress 
that these are NOT quoting or even paraphrasing Kate.  These are 
probably more the interpetations of the authors, and, as such, are no 
more important to understanding Kate's intentions then are any one 
else's interpetations.  The "phone in" is probably the 1979 personal 
Call interview, which does not say much of the things these quotes say. 
 
        That said, the book is about the best of the Kate Bush books, 
but, like most things relating to Kate, has quite a lot to do with the 
author's own interpretations of things.  

        Here are the quotes I have for those two songs:


Kashka from Baghdad

*       Well, "Kashka From Baghdad" that actually came from a very 
strange American Detective series that I caught a couple of years ago, 
and there was a musical theme that they kept putting in.  And they had 
an old house, in this particular thing, and it was just a very moody, 
pretty awful serious thing.  And it just inspired the idea of this old 
house somewhere in Canada or America with two people in it that no-one 
knew anything about.  And being a sorta small town, everybody wanted to 
know what everybody what else was up to.  And these particular people 
in this house had a very private thing happening.   (1979, Personal 
Call)

        [Motions to instrument] what do you call it?
        PADDY: It's called a strumento da porco, that's it's real name, 
or at least the name that Portoreas [???] gave it - he was a writer on 
musical instruments in the seventeenth century.
        What do you use it for?
        PADDY: Well we use it for a number with an Islamic flavour to 
it called "Kashka From Baghdad".  And it sounds like a santour which is 
traditional Arabian instrument played with hammers, just slightly.   
(1979, Kate Bush On Tour)


Wow

        "Wow" is a song about the Music Business, not just rock music 
but show business in general, including acting and theatre.  People say 
that the music business is about ripoffs, the rat race, competition, 
strain, people trying to cut you down, and so on, and though that's all 
there, there's also the magic.  It was sparked off when I sat down to 
try and write a Pink Floyd song, something spacey; though I'm not 
surprised no-one has picked that up, it's not really recognisable as 
that, in the same way as people haven't noticed that "Kite" is a Bob 
Marley song, and "Don't Push Your Foot On The Heartbrake" is a Patti 
Smith song.  When I wrote it I didn't envisage performing it - the 
performance when it happened was an interpretation of the words I'd 
already written.  I first made up the visuals in a hotel room in New 
Zealand, when I had half an hour to make up a routine and prepare for a 
TV show.  I sat down and listened to the song through once, and the 
whirling seemed to fit the music.  Those who were at the last concert 
of the tour at Hammersmith must have noticed a frogman appear through 
the dry ice it was one of the crew's many last night "pranks" and was 
really amazing.  I'd have liked to have had it in every show.   (1979, 
KBC 2)

*       Which have you most enjoyed recording, so far?
        Well, I think I there are probably two, for me.  I've really 
enjoyed recording "Wow".  I'm very, very pleased with my vocal 
performance on that, because we did it a few times, and although it was 
all in tune and it was okay, there was just something missing.  And we 
went back and did it again and it just happened, and I've really 
pleased with that, it was very satisfying.    (1978, Lionheart Promo)

*       I am playing the part of a movie star and I suppose this lady 
is quite sexy.  But I don't think it is shocking. 
        The record is a bit of a send-up of a lot of things in showbiz.
        There are an awful lot of homosexuals in the business.  But 
that is just an observation, not a criticism.   (1980, Wow)

        I had forgotten how beautiful the strings are on this track.  
Andrew Powell's arrangement is so moody.   (C.1986, AVD)


---
rhill@netrun.cts.com (ronald hill)
NetRunner's Paradise BBS, San Diego CA