Aspel Interview Transcribed

[Flump <D.M.Woodhead@loughborough.ac.uk>]

Here is the Aspel Interview, it is as accurate as possible.

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The Aspel Kate Bush Interview
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Introduction
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Michael Aspel introduces Victoria Wood, a British Comedienne who, as one of
her characters, wears a raincoat and a beret (it is relevant later!). She is
also well known for her comedy songs. They chat, he then introduces KaTe.


MA:  It is time for some more company you see, and taking over the warm seat
     from the Wood bottie is a singer whose first record in 1978 astonished
     listeners with it's originality, and her own extraordinary style made
     her an instant favourite with T.V. impersonators. She is in the habit
     of vanishing from time to time but the Garbo of pop has emerged from
     the shadows. Welcome, to Kate Bush.

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Applause
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MA:  Kate, I've not seen you for a while but when we first met you were
     still a teenager and then you got this Garbo label. Did you shun
     publicity and the spotlight deliberately?

KB:  Erm, I think... On some levels, yes I did, but the main thing was I
     wanted to spend a lot more time working rather than spending a lot of
     time promoting the work, it all seems to be, becoming more promotion
     than the work I was doing.

MA:  So you decided work was more important, and have you now been now,
     beavering away in the potting shed for your next project?

KB:  Yes I have. We've been working for about two to three years on this
     album that's coming out, probably, middle of september... and it's
     taking a long time, it's very intense work really, being sort of shut
     away in a studio.

MA:  And this is The Red Shoes?

KB:  Yes, it's called The Red Shoes, yeah.

MA:  Is it based on the film, the ballet film?

KB:  Well it is very much connected with the film erm, I was lucky enough to
     meet Michael Powel, the director of The Red Shoes before he died and
     erm, he was such a sweet man, he was really sweet, I thought one of
     Britain's best directors and erm, he had a very strong effect on me, he
     was a very sweet man and er, he seems to have popped up in two or three
     of the songs that are on the album.

MA:  Was he dead by that time?

KB:  By the time I was writing the songs, yeah.

MA:  Posthumous recognition...

KB:  Yes.

MA:  'Cos your first number one in '78 was inspired by a classic of course:
     Wuthering Heights, and we talked about that on a little program called
     'Ask Aspel'...


Cut to old footage from 'Ask Aspel'. Part of the Wuthering Heights studio
video is played. Cut to KaTe and Michael as they were then, in late '70
attire. The audience laugh. The interview went...


MA:  That was Kate Bush with her first hit. What was the inspiration for
     Wuthering Heights, simply the story?

KB:  Well I hadn't read the book, that wasn't what inspired it erm, it was a
     television series they had years ago and I just managed to catch the
     very last few minutes where there was a hand coming through the window
     and blood everywhere and glass, and I just didn't know what was going
     on, and someone explained the story, and it was just hanging around for
     years, so I read the book in order to get the research right and, wrote
     the song.

MA:  And then it just stuck in your mind all those years?

KB:  Yeah, it seemed so strong.


Cut back to present interview. Applause


MA:  Well...

KB:  Your little brother and my little sister!

MA:  Yeeees, I think it was very cruel of the audience to laugh at you like
     that! (They laugh.) You haven't changed at all. Are you sick of
     references to that number?

KB:  I think I am now. I think at the time it was fine, it was a lot of fun
     but, it was fifteen years ago and I think erm, although its nice that
     people er,  remember it and remember me, it is nice to feel that when
     you're working on something, that you considered to be a contemporary
     artist I suppose, rather than going back to something such a long time
     ago.

MA:  Well it was so different, so astonishing. Victoria, what was your first
     impression of Kate, and _that_.

VW:  Well, when I first saw it, and I was not at a very good time in my
     career, I, well, first I though she was mad, probably, a mad woman had
     slipped onto the airwaves, and then really, I thought that it was very,
     very good, but I didn't want to acknowledge that it was very good 'cos
     I was feeling very insecure at the time, and then I read a review by
     Clive James and he said 'This woman is either a genious or she's
     barking mad!'. (laughter) Well it probably falls somewhere between the
     two!

MA:  Yes. (to Kate) Do you think that's a fair assessment?

KB:  Yes I do, I think I prob'ly am truly mad.

VW:  That's allright!

MA:  Oh that's nice (They all laugh). The theatrics of course were some...
     we all, all admired [How _do_ you type a stutter?], now and, of course
     you've been a pin-up since you started doing this, er, this week we had
     a lot of letters in the office when they knew you were coming and (to
     Victoria), I can't imagine what your... (cut off)

VW:  Did you have any letters about me?

MA:  Not one oddly enough (Laughter)

KB:  Have they been sending berets?

VW:  Kate needs a beret

MA:  Not berets no. (Talking about Kate again) Just nice letters. But do you
     still enjoy being a male fantasy.

KB:  Erm, well I not sure if I've ever really _enjoyed_ it!

MA:  Horrible question

KB:  Yes it is, its a horrible question

MA:  (to Victoria jokingly) Do you enjoy being a male fantasy Victoria.

VW:  I love it (Laughter)

MA:  Fine. And so do I, so there we are! Now, you did just the one tour in
     1979 and it was a terrific extravaganza, and you did things that
     Madonna is really just coming round to thinking of isn't she, I mean,
     that telephonist's headset. Was that your idea as well.

KB:  Well, as far as I know, it's the first time it was used live, erm, 'cos
     I wanted to be able to move around and dance and use my hands and erm,
     at the time, the engineer, the sound engineer that we were working
     with, came up with the idea of actually, adapting a coat hanger, he
     actually used a coat hanger, and opened it out and put it into the
     shape, so, that was the prototype.

VW:  Madonna wouldn't use a coat hanger, that's probably the difference, she
     would insist it was done properly.

MA:  Except for opening a car with probably. But, why haven't you repeated
     all this and done another tour?

KB:  Well, I did enjoy it. I think a lot people think I didn't actually have
     fun, but I did, it was great. But I think I found it erm, a bit
     overwhelming as well as, it being very hard work physically I think it
     was a bit rough for me being so exposed publicly, I found that a bit
     rough. And then I suppose I wanted to just retreat and work.

MA:  It did all come with a rush didn't it of course at the beginning.

KB:  Yeah, those first few years were very intense yeah. It was quite
     overwhelming really.

MA:  What about the image of this vulnerable, pre-Raphaelite girl. Is this a
     pure invention?

KB:  Erm, well I think er, I think everyone's vulnerable, on some level.
     But pre-Raphaelite, I suppose that's erm, probably a lot to do with
     Wuthering Heights, I think a lot of people...

MA:  I mean... Do you live in a gothic mansion with candelabra

KB:  Er, no, not at the moment, no

MA:  You mean you _have_! (they laugh)

KB:  (Jokingly, I think) I'm planning to. (Giggles)

MA:  Oh that's nice. (To Victoria) Can I ask, what's your style in decor
     Victoria

VW:  (jokingly) Oh it's like Kate's, I live next door to her, semi-
     detached. (laughter)

MA:  Yeeees, right, (back to Kate) what is a typical day for you?

KB:  Well, I do spend a lot of time working so I s'pose erm, a typical day
     would be, being in the studio, you know, just working on erm, some
     ideas for a song and stuff. Pretty boring really.

VW:  What do you do, sit at, at what? A keyboard or what?

KB:  Yeah, yeah, a keyboard and we tend to put stuff straight onto tape so
     I'm actually working onto tape and then I'll play the tape back, and,
     you know, work to the stuff that's on there so...

MA:  What about lyrics, 'cos, I'll ask you both about lyrics. (to Kate)
     Your's are very passionate and provocative erm, do you get inspiration,
     anywhere?

KB:  Erm, I think it is illusive stuff, but I think really the biggest
     inspiration is people, I think, people are just so inspiring, they're
     fascinating and wonderful and, I think, you know, that nearly every
     idea that a person has had has probably at some point, come from
     another person.

VW:  (To Victoria, jokingly) And I can't think of you giving a different
     reply, to all that.

VW:  No, I'm not going to, no. I'll going to give the same reply. (laughter)

MA:  Really?

VW:  Absolutely! (pauses) Errm, things do come from people, what else is
     there really, if you're going to talk about any sort of human
     relationship: comedy, or whatever it has, it has to be based in life,
     so it has to be based on people.

MA:  (To Victoria) But, do you always do the housework first, and put off
     writing - I've read you do that.

VW:  I don't, no, I don't _put off_, I mean, I do, I do you know, I do, deal
     with poo, first. That's always the priority with babies.

MA:  (jokingly) A baby poo, Kate, you understand.

VW:  Do the poo, and then do the writing. I do like Kate, in an office, all
     day, just doing, you know, just trying stuff out.

MA:  I do it the other way round, I write and then have a poo. (Big laugh).
     I'm sorry about that, its time for a... (cut off)

VW:  (jokingly) That's why you're not a male fantasy, if a might say so!

MA:  We're going to have a break now, err, Kate will be singing for her warm
     glass of white wine later, but in a few moments we will have Lenny
     Henry.


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Applause
--------


Fade to commercials

When the next half of the show resumes, Lenny Henry joins the party. His
interview commences, with many additions from Victoria. Kate meanwhile sits
and listens, smiling and laughing occasionaly. Every so often she is brought
into the conversation...


On the subject of Funk...

MA:  Kate, do you enjoy Funk?

KB:  Yeah, very much, yeah

MA:  I mean, I didn't know how to phrase that question but I'm glad I asked
     it. (Kate giggles)



They (everyone except Kate) are talking about the '70s, and how crap the
clothes were, Lenny is leading the conversation ...

MA:  what about you Kate, you know, you're very simply dressed now, but
     you... (cut off)

LH:  (Sarcastically) Gorgeously dressed I think you'll find, Michael.

MA:  Simple elegance, that's what I was groping for (laughter). So what
     about the seventies stuff, do you go for that?

KB:  No, I agree with Lenny, I mean, why go back to it when it was so awful
     the first time?

LH:  Yeah it was, a lot a people say the '70s was the decade that taste
     forgot, but I think we had taste... but it was just shite! (Big laugh
     and applause)



This conversation moves to talk of Lenny's musical career...

MA:  To bring it up to date, I mean, as an expert Kate, you think he's got
     what it takes don't you, as a singer?

KB:  I think Lenny's a really good singer - he's done some singing on the
     new album, it's really good.

MA:  Yes, (to Lenny) you are on Kate's new album.

LH:  Yeah.

MA:  Doing what?

LH:  Singing (laughter). (Sarcastically) My elephant impression Michael. (He
     does an elephant impression!). (loads of laughter) It's a biggy!

MA:  I thought you might have had the odd solo in the middle of it.

LH:  No, I get to sing a bit, and it er, was very exciting. Kate was
     incredibly patient, and made egg sandwiches (laughter), saying (Cockney
     accent) 'Go on son, give it some'! (more laughter) So I did!



At the end of the show...

MA:  (Interrupts Lenny) Well, I've just been told, miss Bush, that they are
     going to be ready for your song, so erm, thank you very much for being
     with us and perhaps you'd like to (cut off)...

KB:  Thank _you_

MA:  (continues) ...prepare your young body.

MA:  (says goodbye to Victoria, Lenny and us) And here is Kate Bush with
     some 'Moments of Pleasure.


Moments of Pleasure
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Cast : Kate (lip-syncing)
       Piano
       Strings (not on set)


A pair of red ballet shoes are on her piano.

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There you go, hot (ok, slightly warm) off the presses.


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