The Kick Inside

Overview

The Kick Inside was released when Bush was 19 years old. She had written some of the songs when she was only 13. The album opens with 20 seconds of whale song, which leads into the first track, "Moving", inspired by her dance teacher Lindsay Kemp.

Her cinematic and literary influences, two qualities considered her trademarks, were most obvious in the song "Wuthering Heights", the album's first single. The song was not initially inspired by Emily Brontë's novel but by a television adaptation, although Bush read the novel later in order to (in her own words) "get the research right". Further influences can be found when she references Gurdjieff in "Them Heavy People", while the title song is inspired by the ballad of Lizie Wan. Bush also writes openly about sexuality, particularly on the erotic "Feel It" and "L'Amour Looks Something Like You". "Strange Phenomena" questions unusual coincidences, premonition, and déjà vu.

"Wuthering Heights" went to number one in the UK, marking the first time a female singer-songwriter topped the charts with a self-penned song. EMI originally wanted the more rock-oriented track "James and the Cold Gun" to be her debut single, but Bush insisted that it should be "Wuthering Heights". Even at this early stage of her career, she had gained a reputation for her determination to have a say in decisions affecting her work.

The album's second single, "The Man with the Child in His Eyes", was released and reached number six in the UK charts; three other singles were released over the world during the next two years: "Them Heavy People", "Moving" (which reached number one in Japan) and "Strange Phenomena". It also reached number 85 on the American Hot 100 Billboard Charts, Bush's only single to do so until 1985. Bush made an appearance on Saturday Night Live in December 1978, but, despite this publicity, The Kick Inside failed to enter the Top 200 on Billboard's album charts.

As part of her preparation for entering the studio, Bush toured pubs with the KT Bush Band, supported by her brother Paddy and close friends. However, for the album she was persuaded to use established session musicians, some of whom she would retain even after she had brought her bandmates back on board.

Paddy Bush was the only member of the KT Bush Band to play on The Kick Inside. Unlike on later albums, where he would play more exotic instruments such as balalaika and didgeridoo, here he played the more standard harmonica and mandolin. Stuart Elliot played some of the drums and would become her main percussionist on subsequent albums, along with session drummer Charlie Morgan, who later went on to be a regular with Elton John. Preston Heyman was credited on drums with some subsequent studio work but mostly performed on the live tour of 1979.

The album was produced by David Gilmour's friend and associate, Andrew Powell. Six different varieties of the album's cover are known; the one shown at the top on the right is the regular UK cover, which is the most widespread. It is Bush's only album to have a different cover in the UK, the U.S., Canada, Yugoslavia, Japan and Uruguay (the Uruguay cover being the rarest and most expensive - an example sold on eBay for over $400).

In the UK, it was released (twice) as a limited edition picture disc. This is housed in a full colour outer sleeve ('Kite' picture by Jay Myrdal). It sports a sticker declaring that it's a picture disc (cat. no: EMCP 3223). Two versions were actually released: The first edition has a circular sticker stating that it is a picture disc (usually in the top left hand corner). The second pressing (apparently aimed at the US market, where the first pressing had proven popular) has an oval sticker (usually top centre). The second disc also states "manufactured in the UK by EMI records Ltd." as part of the copyright notice printed on the disc. The first edition does not have this wording.

Track listing

All tracks written by Kate Bush.

Personnel

Production