Re: Red Shoes Boxes !

[Marcel Rijs <100276.2176@compuserve.com>]

Hi,
 
OOh, I'm really behind on my mail. Happens when your phone bill
gets too high, I guess...
 
Anyway, on April Fools day, Uli wrote:
 
> There's no such thing as THE rectangular box of TRS, since there
> are at least three different ones, in addition to the heart
> shaped one. For the discography I'd like to have some more
> information about the boxes and the contents of them, so if
> anyone can help out, I'd be grateful forever. Here's what I
> know/suspect about:
>
> Kate Bush Shoe Box
> CD+ CD by EMI, rest ?
> I/NL        CD: 7243 8 27277 2 9/F: PM 520,
>
> I: 072/UK: CDEMD 1047
>     black shoe box with red printing & drawn picture of ballet
> shoes, red insert, black T-shirt with red printing & pic (same as
> box), black button with gold printing & pic (same as box, but
> without 'Shoe Box'), insert has a certificate (ltd. ed. of 1500)
 
I don't think I ever saw this one, but since Uli owns this one,
I'll have to assume it exists... :-)
 
> the heart-shaped box
> I have in fact seen it, even held it in my hands, but it was
> still shrink-wrapped and way to expensive to buy. The box is
> rumored to contain some size 4 1/2 dance shoes. Anyone got this?
 
I saw this one at the record fair in Amsterdam last Saturday. I
didn't buy it, since it was way too expensive (some $75) and very
uninteresting. I only saw the two red shoes, nothing else. It was
filled up with some black foamy stuff, and tied with a red ribbon.
I don't think it even contained the CD.
 
Things get kinda fuzzy when Uli mentions:-
 
> red shoe box
> I also did hold this one in my hands, but don't know more about
> it for the same reasons as for the heart-shaped box. Again, it's
> rumored to contain some size 4 1/2 dance shoes. Anyone got this?
[...]
> US ltd. ed. special pack
>     this box was rumored to come out, though I haven't seen
> anyone mentioning to have seen it. It was supposed to have some
> bonus tracks on the CD. Anyone got such a thing? [it was even
> supposed to be an official item]
 
I saw neither of these, I think. However, there _is_ an
"unofficial" 'Red shoes' box, which isn't mentioned. It's black on
the outside, and contains small red shoes, the CD, and a
certificate of "authenticity". It was shown to me in 1993 in a
record shop in Rotterdam, and, as you can imagine, again I wasn't
interested.
 
Uli continues:-
> UK promo shoe box
>     It could be seen on the telly when Ray Cokes interviewed Kate
> on the phone for MTV [Europe] Most Wanted show. It contained some
> very small red dance shoes (like made for a doll, smaller than
> babies' feet), the CD and some info sheets. Anyone got this?
>
> UK promo shoe box
>     this one was given away as the price for the KompeTition on
> the Konvention in London in 94. Unfortunately none of the winners
> was close enough for me to beg for a look into the boxes... Maybe
> this one is the same as the last? Anyone got this?
>
> UK promo shoe box
>    this one is supposed to contain the CD, as well as a VHS video
> (Rubberband Girl UK video, Moments of Pleasure from Aspel &
> Company), as well as a biography and a pen. ltd. edition of 1000.
> Anyone got this?
 
That's three mentions for one item! At least, I think so. What Ray
Cokes showed the European audience was the official EMI promo box
I held in my hands at a record fair in Amsterdam back in October
1993. For the contents I quote a piece from the UK "Record
Collector" magazine, published October 1993:
 
-------------------------
"THE RED SHOES" PROMO BOX
 
Sure to form part of any future rarities listing is the promotional
shoebox designed to whet critics' appetites for Kate Bush's lastest
album.
This 1,000-only collectible, which is shoebox shaped (size 4-and-a-
half, of course, as per Kate's feet), is still being manifactured
as we go to press, but word has it that it will include a special
fountain pen; a video, which will probably feature the "Rubberband
Girl" excerpt from the "The Red Shoes"  film, A CD of the album;
and a biography printed on parchment paper, neatly tied with red
ribbon.
-------------------------
 
Note that...
...I don't know what a "fountain pen" is, but it was black, and
tied with a red ribbon.
...I didn't see the video, but it could very well contain both the
RBG clip and the Aspel performance, I vaguely recall the dealer
mentioning something like that.
...Next to the things mentioned above, there was also a slide
contained in the box, with a picture of Kate dressed in a black
dress, and, of course, the small red shoes Ray Cokes tried on as
earrings... :)
 
I didn't buy this beauty of a box, due to the going rate of 400
Guilders, some $225. It will undoubtedly be worth even more now.
 
Hope this info clears up some Red Shoe Box confusion.
 
Regards,
 
Marcel Rijs * "Conan the librarian" * Den Haag * The Netherlands
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100276.2176@compuserve.com                          mfgr@sara.nl