"Wuthering Heights" is a song by English singer Kate Bush, released as her debut single on 20 January 1978 through EMI Records. Inspired by the 1847 Emily Brontë novel of the same name, the song was released as the lead single from Bush's debut studio album, The Kick Inside (1978). It peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart for four weeks, making Bush the first female artist to achieve a number-one single with an entirely self-penned song.[2] It also reached the top of the charts in Australia, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, and Portugal.
"Wuthering Heights" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Standard European artwork of the single cover | ||||
Single by Kate Bush | ||||
from the album The Kick Inside | ||||
B-side | "Kite" | |||
Written | 5 March 1977 | |||
Released | 20 January 1978 | |||
Recorded | 1977 | |||
Studio | AIR (London) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:29 | |||
Label | EMI | |||
Songwriter(s) | Kate Bush | |||
Producer(s) | Andrew Powell | |||
Kate Bush singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Wuthering Heights" on YouTube | ||||
Audio sample | ||||
"Wuthering Heights" (1977) |
"Wuthering Heights" received widespread critical acclaim and continues to be highly regarded; in 2016, Pitchfork named it the fifth-greatest song of the 1970s,[3] and in 2020, The Guardian ranked it as the 14th-best UK number-one single.[4] The song has been certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), for sales and streams of over 600,000 units in the United Kingdom. In addition, a remixed version of the song, featuring re-recorded vocals, was included on Bush's first compilation album, The Whole Story (1986). This version appears as the B-side to her 1986 single "Experiment IV".
Composition
editBush wrote the song aged 18, in a few hours late at night on 5 March 1977.[5] She was inspired after seeing the 1967 BBC adaptation of the 1847 novel Wuthering Heights.[6] She subsequently read the book and discovered that she shared her birthday with author Emily Brontë.[7]
"Wuthering Heights" is sung from the perspective of the Wuthering Heights character Catherine Earnshaw, pleading at Heathcliff's window to be allowed in. It quotes Catherine's dialogue, including the lyrics "I'm so cold", "let me in", and "bad dreams in the night". Cathy is in fact a ghost, which the listener may only realise upon reading the novel. Critic Simon Reynolds described it as "Gothic romance distilled into four-and-a-half minutes of gaseous rhapsody".[8] The music and lyrics establish a duality between the real world and the afterlife. The real world is associated with the past tense and a tonic of A major, whereas Cathy's afterlife is associated with the present tense and a tonic of D♭ major. The song also makes use of unusual harmonic progressions and irregular phrase lengths.[9]
Bush recorded her vocal in a single take.[10] Her performance uses manipulations in soft palate to produce changes in vocal timbre, a technique popular among Indian playback singers and in Peking opera.[9] The guitar solo is played by Ian Bairnson, who said that he initially disliked the tone for many years due to "purely guitarist reasons".[11] Bairnson played the solo with a broken arm.[12] Engineer Jon Kelly said he regretted not placing the solo louder in the mix.[13] The production team, with Bush, began mixing at midnight and stayed until "five or six in the morning".[10]
Release
editBush's record company, EMI, originally chose another track, "James and the Cold Gun", as the lead single, but Bush was determined to use "Wuthering Heights".[14] The single was initially scheduled for 4 November 1977, however, Bush was unhappy with the cover and insisted it be replaced. Some copies of the single had already been sent out to radio stations, but EMI relented and put back the single's launch until 20 January 1978.[15][16]
The single cover artwork mirrored that used for the album cover which featured a photograph of Bush, "clinging to a large painted dragon kite, gliding across a vast, all-seeing eye", taken by Jay Myrdal.[15]
"Wuthering Heights" entered the charts in the week ending 11 February 1978 at No. 42.[17][18] The following week it rose to No. 27, and Bush made her first appearance on Top of the Pops. The song was added to BBC Radio 1's playlist the following week and became one of the most-played records on radio.[19] In 1986, the first pressings of her first compilation album The Whole Story erroneously stated the release date for this single as 4 November 1977.[20]
Music videos
editTwo music videos with similar choreography were created to accompany "Wuthering Heights". Bush created the choreography and dance moves to suggest her character is a ghost (as in this scene in the novel), without explicitly stating as much.[21] In the first version, known as the indoor version, made for the UK and European release, Bush is shown performing the song in a dark room filled with white mist while wearing a white dress.[22] Critics have described this video as a milestone in the history of music videos before the MTV era, with Pitchfork putting it on number three on the list of greatest music videos from the 70s.[23]
In the outside version, Bush is shown dancing—'out in the wily, windy moors'—in a grassy area located on Salisbury Plain (inspired by the novel's moors) with Scots pine trees in the background, on an overcast day, while wearing a flowy red dress.[24] The exact location is called "Baden's Clump" near Sidbury Hill, close to the town of Tidworth in Wiltshire.[25] This video was filmed on the morning of 26 October 1977. The red dress has been referenced numerous times in popular culture[26] and similar dresses have been worn by her fans at events such as "The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever" where her dance routine is recreated.[27][28]
Chart performance
edit"It was suddenly non-stop working. I put up with sixteen months of that and then I said: look, I've just got to stop or I'm not going to be able to write any songs any more."
—Bush reflecting on "Wuthering Heights" instant success.[29]
After being delayed for two months, "Wuthering Heights" was officially released in early 1978 and entered the top forty in the official singles chart in the United Kingdom at number twenty-seven on 18 February.[30] It rose to number one three weeks later dethroning ABBA's "Take a Chance on Me" from the top spot.[31] Bush became the first female artist to have an entirely self-penned number one hit in the UK.[32] The single release unwittingly pitted Bush against another female vocalist also charting with her first UK hit: Debbie Harry with her band Blondie and their single "Denis", which stalled at number two.[33][34] "Wuthering Heights" remained at number one for a month until it was replaced at the top by Brian and Michael's celebration of the then-recently deceased artist L. S. Lowry, "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs".[35] Bush's début single finished the year as the tenth highest-selling and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry, denoting sales of over half a million.[36][37]
"Wuthering Heights" also hit number one in Ireland,[38] in Italy,[39] in New Zealand, where it spent five weeks at number one and achieved platinum status,[40] and in Australia, where it stayed at the top of the charts for three consecutive weeks and achieved gold status.[41][40] It proved to be one of the biggest hits of 1978 in Denmark.[42] It reached the top ten in Spain,[43] Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland, as well as the top twenty in Austria and West Germany.[44] Bush had performed the song on the first episode of the West German music talk show Bio's Bahnhof on 9 February 1978.[45]
Following the live performance of the song by Laura Bunting on The Voice in Australia, "Wuthering Heights" re-entered the country's top 40 in 2012, 34 years after its original release in 1978.[46]
Legacy
editWritten when Bush was 18 years old, this eerie gothic tale of lost love and longing cemented her individuality from the very beginning. She appeared on Top of the Pops with it five times in 1978, cementing her public image as an ethereal spirit, embodying the essence of Cathy through a combination of wide eyes, floaty fabrics and wild choreography, still fondly mimicked and parodied today.
—Rebecca Nicholson in The Guardian on the impact of the song.[7]
A remixed version, featuring rerecorded vocals, was included on the 1986 greatest hits album The Whole Story.[10] This version also appeared as the B-side to her 1986 hit "Experiment IV".[47]
Pat Benatar recorded a version for her 1980 album Crimes of Passion.[48]
Brazilian power metal band Angra recorded a version for their 1993 debut album Angels Cry.
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain included a version on their 1994 album A Fist Full Of Ukuleles[49] and later made a music video of the song.[50]
In 2018, as part of the Bradford Literature Festival, it was announced that Bush had been invited to write an epitaph to Emily Brontë, which would be inscribed on one of four stones erected near the Brontë's home in Haworth, West Yorkshire.[51] Commenting on the unveiling of her poem, entitled Emily, Bush said "to be asked to write a piece for Emily's stone is an honour and, in a way, a chance to say thank you to her".[52]
A flashmob event known as the Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever was officially created in 2016 and is held annually. Fans gather in locations around the world to recreate the "red dress" video.[21][53][54][55] Upon seeing a video clip of the event, Bush said that she found it "very touching and sweet".[56]
The song has been interpreted by comedians Steve Coogan and Noel Fielding, on two occasions, as part of the BBC fundraising telethon Comic Relief.[21] Coogan sang the song in the 1999 show as part of a medley of other Bush material in character as Alan Partridge.[21] Fielding performed to the song in the 2011 series of Let's Dance for Comic Relief, placing in the final of the competition.[57][58]
The song is referenced in the 2019 novel Bunny by Mona Awad.
Personnel
editCredits sourced from Sound On Sound[13]
- Kate Bush – lead vocals, piano
- Andrew Powell – arrangements, bass guitar, celesta
- Duncan Mackay – Hammond organ
- David Paton – 12-string acoustic guitars
- Ian Bairnson – electric and acoustic guitars
- Stuart Elliott – drums
- Morris Pert – crotales
- David Katz – orchestral contractor
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Certifications and sales
editRegion | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[40] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[81] | Gold | 150,000[81] |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[82] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
France | — | 200,000[83] |
Germany | — | 100,000[84] |
Italy | — | 300,000[85] |
Netherlands (NVPI)[86] | Gold | 40,000[86] |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[87] | Platinum | 20,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI)[88] Physical |
Gold | 500,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[89] Digital |
Platinum | 600,000‡ |
Summaries | ||
Worldwide 1978 sales |
— | 1,000,000[90] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
See also
editReferences
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- ^ Thomson, Graeme (13 May 2010). "Kate Bush's only tour: pop concert or disappearing act?". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
- ^ "The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s". Pitchfork. 22 August 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben; Petridis, Alexis; Snapes, Laura (5 June 2020). "The 100 Greatest UK No 1s: 100–1". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
- ^ "Wuthering Heights". Katebushencyclopedia.com. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- ^ "Cloudbusting / Music / Wuthering Heights". Gaffa.org. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
- ^ a b Nicholson, Rebecca (19 May 2020). "The 100 greatest UK No 1s: No 14, Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
- ^ Reynolds, Simon (21 August 2014). "Kate Bush, the queen of art-pop who defied her critics". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ a b Losseff, Nicky (May 1999). "Cathy's Homecoming and the Other World: Kate Bush's 'Wuthering Heights'". Popular Music. 18 (2). Cambridge University Press: 227–240. doi:10.1017/S0261143000009065. JSTOR 853603.
- ^ a b c "20 Things You Didn't Know About Kate Bush's 'Wuthering Heights' – NME". NME. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ^ Jovanovic, Rob (2005). Kate Bush The Biography. Portrait. p. 63. ISBN 0-7499-5049-8.
- ^ "Ian | Kate Bush". www.katebush.com. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ a b Buskin, Richard (June 2004). "Classic Tracks: Kate Bush 'Wuthering Heights'". Sound On Sound.
- ^ Buskin, Richard. "Scaling the Heights". Soundonsound.com. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
- ^ a b "The Kick Inside is 40 years old today! The story behind the iconic "kite" cover artwork | Kate Bush News". 17 February 2018.
- ^ "Kate Bush biography". BBC.co.uk. 4 February 2005. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
- ^ "The Official Charts Company – Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights". Official Charts. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
- ^ The Whole Story (Media notes). EMI Canada. PWAS17242.
- ^ "Gaffaweb – Early TV and Radio promotion for "Wuthering Heights"". Gaffa.org. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
- ^ The Whole Story sleeve notes
- ^ a b c d Rogers, Jude (12 February 2018). "Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights – from Emily Brontë to Alan Partridge". Financial Times. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
- ^ Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights - Official Music Video - Version 1, retrieved 15 February 2020
- ^ "The 25 Best Music Videos of the 1970s - Page 3". Pitchfork. 23 August 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
- ^ Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights - Official Music Video - Version 2, retrieved 15 February 2020
- ^ "Exact location of 1978 "red dress" Wuthering Heights video revealed!". 6 September 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
- ^ Noel Fielding does "Wuthering Heights" - Let's Dance for Comic Relief 2011 Show 2 - BBC One, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 21 April 2021
- ^ "Kate Bush fans mark 'Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever' – in pictures". The Guardian. 14 July 2018. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
- ^ "Watch as hundreds of Kate Bush fans re-create her 'Wuthering Heights' video across the world". NME. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
- ^ "Sold on song". BBC Radio 2. 1979. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ^ "UK singles chart". Official Charts Company. 18 February 1978. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
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- ^ "UK singles chart". Official Charts Company. 1 April 1978. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
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- ^ a b "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 30 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Kate Bush".
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- ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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- ^ a b Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
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- ^ "Kate Bush pens Emily Bronte tribute for Yorkshire moors memorial". BBC News. 26 April 2018.
- ^ Thorpe, Vanessa (8 July 2018). "Out on the wiley, windy moors, Kate Bush sings new praises to Emily Brontë". The Observer.
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... Inglesa Kate Bush conseguiu um disco de ouro no Brasil, por 150 mil compactos vendidos
- ^ "Danish single certifications – Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- ^ Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP). Fabrice Ferment (ed.). "TOP – 1978". 40 ans de tubes : 1960–2000 : les meilleures ventes de 45 tours & CD singles (in French). OCLC 469523661. Archived from the original on 23 February 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2023 – via Top-France.fr.
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- ^ a b "Gehoordgezien". Leidse Courant (in Dutch). Vol. 68, no. 21027. 26 April 1978. p. 2.
In Nederland zijn beide platen zo goed verkocht dat er goud mee verdiend werd. Van de elpee gingen meer dan 60.000 exemplaren over de toonbank, terwijl de single boven de 40.000 exemplaren kwam.
- ^ Scapolo, Dean (2007). The Complete New Zealand Music Charts: 1966 – 2006. Wellington: Maurienne House. p. 49. ISBN 978-1877443-00-8.
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- ^ "British single certifications – Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
- ^ Murrells, Joseph (1985). Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s : an illustrated directory. Arco Pub. p. 453. ISBN 0668064595.
Sales of the single reached 500,000 in six weeks, and the final global tally was a million