Armaminta's Query Re: Linda Lewis

[braitman@sirius.com (Stephen M. H. Braitman)]

This is in response to Araminta's posting the MM review of "Wuthering
Heights" from 1978.

I've been a big fan of Kate Bush since 1978, and a Linda Lewis fan since 1973.

 Who is Linda Lewis? She is a British singer with a sweet, high voice who
worked in a marvelous rock fantasy genre years before Kate Bush.  She had
several U.K. hits mid-point in her career, circa 1978-1982 (on Arista
Records in the U.S.), but her best material was for Warner Bros/Reprise
1973-76.  (My dates may be slightly off.)  I HIGHLY recommend her albums
"Lark" and "Fathoms Deep," where she sounds like an intelligent siren with
images from Joni Mitchell and Minnie Ripperton, crossing between art rock,
folk jazz,  and sophisticated pop.  Obviously hard to decribe.

In the '80s she became a more mainstream pop singer, even doing some disco,
but her voice was always marvelous.  The last I've heard washjer  working
with her two sisters, first as a trio, then as a duo, in the late '80s.

Anybody got a more current update on her career?

Stephen



>From: min@waknuk.demon.co.uk (Araminta Thorne)
>Date: Mon, 06 May 1996 12:51:38 GMT
>Subject: Early Wuthering Heights Review
>
>Hi - I've done a whole-lotta-lurking over the past 3
>years, met a few of you at the last KonvenTion but,
>though tempted on a number of occasions, haven't till
>now posted anything.  However, last week's copy of
>Melody Maker contained a snip that's prompted me to
>brave the wave.  It was their 70th anniversay edition
>and included, in a selection of MM singles reviews
>from the past 40 years or so, the following
>Wuthering Heights review:-
>
>KATE BUSH:
>WUTHERING HEIGHTS (EMI)
>
>"Bizarre.  Kate is a complete
>newcomer, is 19, was first
>unearthed by Dave Gilmour, and
>has spent time with mime coach to
>the stars, Lindsay Kemp (my next
>role will be to play a five-year-old
>heiress).  The theatre influence
>comes through strongly, from the
>cover (all Chinese Cracker exotica)
>to every aspect of Kate's song.
>The orchestration is ornate and
>densely packed but never overflows
>its banks.  Kate's extraordinary
>vocals skating in and out, over and
>above.  Reference points are tricky
>but possibly a cross between Linda
>Lewis and Macbeth's three witches
>is closest."
>(Number One for four weeks,
>March-April 1978)
>              -/-
>
>As someone who, prior to the release of RUTH, had only
>heard of but not heard Kate it's fascinating to me to
>find out people's initial impressions of her work.  What
>a job for a reviewer to even try to come up with a
>reference point for her work!
>So -
>i)   who is/was Linda Lewis?
>ii)  should I have 'pruned' the review to avoid bringing
>     up the topic of witchery yet again...   ;-)
>
>Macbeth's three witches - what a cheek!


Michael Moon                                            moon@gistics.com

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