Kashka Plus ++

[Mike Wade <mwade@oxfam.org.uk>]

Hi folks - just back from a week away, and there's over 200 emails on Kate 
waiting. Bliss.

Interesting to see the correspondence on Kashka. I don't know whether Kate 
has a higher than average gay following, but it wouldn't suprise me. Most of 
my gay friends are Kate fans, but then maybe I'm just selective about my 
friends.

Suprised that no-one has mentioned the gay references in "Wow"  (and 
explicit reference to two men shagging which got the video banned from the 
UK "Top of the Pops"). "He'll never make the Sweeny/Be that movie queen/He's 
too busy hitting the vaseline" .  The last line of this accompanied, of 
course, by Kate smirking and patting her backside. Gave me a turn watching 
that on telly when I was about 15, trying to work out whether or not to 
"come out" to my mum and dad watching it with me.

Del's already mentioned "Queen Eddie" (bizarre track) but the early version 
of Kashka in the same set of demos is also interesting.  The lines running 
into the 2nd chorus "'cos when all the alley cats come out/I can hear music 
from Kashka's house" are replaced in the early version by "What would I do 
if I was seen?/What would I do if they know my feelings?". Although the 
usual version is a positive declaration about their love (in the same way as 
the comments about the moon, which Robb mentioned) the early version 
identifies the singer much more as a person with some involvement, rather 
than purely an observer. I can't think of any other tracks where Kate takes 
such a "watcher" or "voyeur" role when she sings as in the album version.

Disagree with Del re "Eat the Music". Kate is interested about the interplay 
of what she sees as "male" and "female" energy in all of us, and has written 
about this often. (And in RUTH in particular). This is not the same  a t   a 
l l  as writing about lesbian or gay characters.

Oh, and maybe I'm being sensitive.  But.   Kate didn't "admit" Kashka was 
gay any more than she "admitted" that WH was based on a film of a book by 
Emily Bronte. It's simply a fact. And Kate wouldn't "even" degrate (sic) a 
gay relationship. She just wouldn't do it.  Lecture over.

Interesting that Kate writes on a gay threme in some of her very earliest 
music. Gay friends? Or purely a liberal outlook and wide-ranging interest. 
Anyone know?     If you've any more thoughts on this I'd be interested.

Love,
     Mike