Kate's Studio and EMI

[Len Bullard <cbullard@HiWAAY.net>]

Kate experiments.  Furthermore, she does 
some very complex experimenting, waaaay 
beyond the 12-bar format of so much pop.
She synthesizes (combinatoric) her product 
by combining contributions from performers 
of many styles of music.  She keeps many 
of the takes, then recombines these.  She 
creates several final mixes and chooses. 
This is common multi-track work augmented 
by digital sampling techniques.  It is 
very very time consuming. She said something 
about being a entity with earphones, and 
that is a hard task.  The ears dull after some 
hours of work, and often, one has to walk 
away for days at a time to get the needed 
perspective to continue.

All in all, having her own place to work 
is a very sound investment and one which 
I believe proved itself in HOL and the 
albums which follow.  Note that she still 
goes to Abbey Road and other studios to 
record some pieces of the work.  She and 
her main engineer, Del, still solicit 
avidly the professional expertise of the 
best in the business to learn more, add more, 
make a better product.  Smart pair.

Yes, she has consistently plotted a downward 
course in sales.  This is to be expected.  She 
does not now nor has she ever worked the 
approved "next thing" which believe it or not, 
is planned years (at least three) in advance 
by record executives and producers just as 
fashions are chosen.  It isn't as free a 
market as one might think.  What Kate Bush 
and company have created is a unique and 
stunning body of work, real art, not commercial 
products.  It has sustained her at a level 
which she is comfortable with, and should 
she want more or need more, I guess she 
knows how to get it.  Her relationship 
with EMI is clear:  she delivers goods, 
they market them.  If she wanted more returns, 
she has many opportunities available which 
she apparently chooses with care based on 
her own assessment of what she is prepared 
to do.

Kate Bush could be a helluva lot richer, 
but considering, I doubt she could be 
any more successful.

Miss you, Kate.  Hope we all see you soon!

len