Wuthering Heights (song)
| "Wuthering Heights" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Kite" |
"Wuthering Heights" is a song by Kate Bush released as her debut single. It appears on her 1978 debut album, The Kick Inside, and was also re-recorded with new vocals for her 1986 "best-of" album The Whole Story. The B-side of the original 1978 single was another song by Bush named "Kite" - hence the kite imagery on the record sleeve.
The song came 32nd in Q magazine's Top 100 Singles of All Time, voted by readers.
When MTV launced on August 1st 1981, Wuthering Heights was the 71st song to be played.
Lyrics
Written by Bush when she was 18, the song is based on the novel of the same name. Kate Bush was inspired to write the song by the last ten minutes of the 1970 film version of Wuthering Heights.[1] She then read the book and discovered that she shares her birthday (30 July) with Emily Brontë. Bush reportedly wrote the song, for her album The Kick Inside, within the space of just a few hours late at night.
Lyrically, "Wuthering Heights" uses several quotations from Catherine Earnshaw, most notably in the chorus - "Let me in! I'm so cold!" - as well as in the verses, with Catherine's confession to her servant of "bad dreams in the night." It is sung from Catherine's point of view, as she pleads at Heathcliff's window to be allowed in. This romantic scene takes a sinister turn if one considers the events of the book, as Catherine may well be a ghost, calling Heathcliff to join her in death.
Guitar solo
The guitar solo at the end of the song is played by Ian Bairnson, best known for his work with Alan Parsons. It is often mistakenly said that David Gilmour played the solo. It is placed rather unobtrusively in the mix, and later engineer Jon Kelly would regret not making the solo a little louder in the mix.[2]
Release
Record company, EMI had originally chosen another track, "James and the Cold Gun" as the lead single, but Bush was determined that "Wuthering Heights" would be the first release from the album.[3] She won out eventually in a surprising show of determination for a young female vocalist against a major record company, but this was not the only time she took a stand against them in a bid to take control of her career.
Two music videos were created to accompany "Wuthering Heights." In one version, Bush can be seen performing the song in a dark room filled with white mist while wearing a white dress (which was the UK release); in the other, the singer dances in an outdoor environment while wearing a red dress (which was done for the American release).
The release date for the single was initially scheduled to be 4 November 1977. However, Bush was unhappy with the picture being used for the single's 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 the New Year.[4] This proved to be a wise choice ultimately, as the release would have clashed with Wings' latest release, "Mull of Kintyre", which became the biggest selling single in UK history up to this point in December 1977.[5] "Wuthering Heights" was finally released on 6 January 1978 and eventually crept into the charts on (week ending) 11 February at No.42.[6] The following week it rose to No.27 and Bush made her first appearance on Top of the Pops ("It was like watching myself die", recalls Kate), and the song became one of the most played records on radio.[7] In 1986, her first compilation album erroneously stated the release date for this single as 4 November 1977.[8]
Chart performance
It quickly reached number one in the UK Singles Chart, staying there for four weeks, and propelled the singer to fame. The song also was a hit in Australia, taking the top spot during Autumn in 1978 for three weeks. Its release unwittingly pitted Bush against another female vocalist, also charting with her first hit: Debbie Harry with her band Blondie, and their single "Denis." Amid much public discussion about the two singers' merits, Bush came out on top, while Blondie stalled at number two.
"Wuthering Heights" was replaced at No.1 by Brian and Michael's celebration of the then-recently deceased artist L. S. Lowry, "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs," thus having the number-one slot feature a classic of English literature followed by a tribute to a renowned painter. In reaching number one, Bush became the first woman to write and perform a UK chart-topper.[9] "Wuthering Heights" remains Bush's biggest-selling single in the UK, and was certified gold by the BPI for sales of over half a million.[10] It was the 11th best-selling single of 1978.
Charts Worldwide
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart[6] | 1 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Austrian Singles Chart[11] | 17 |
| Belgian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Brazilian Singles Chart | 40 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Dutch Top 40[12] | 4 |
| French Singles Chart[13] | 1 |
| German Singles Chart[14] | 11 |
| Irish Singles Chart[15] | 1 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart[16] | 7 |
| Swedish Singles Chart[17] | 6 |
| Swiss Singles Chart[18] | 8 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Chart | 108 |
Covers
"Wuthering Heights" has been recorded by a number of other artists, including Italian singer Elisa Toffoli, Brazilian power metal band Angra, American rocker Pat Benatar, Hayley Westenra, Josh Pyke, China Drum, Albert Niland, White Flag, The Decemberists, Jer Ber Jones, Susan Egan, Australian band Mr. Floppy, Italian singer Cristina Donà, Brian Campeau, Dutch rock singer Birgit Schuurman, The Puppini Sisters in 2006, and Wolfmother on Australian radio station Triple J in October, 2009. It is also performed a cappella by the title character in the British TV series I'm Alan Partridge, played by Steve Coogan. The Icelandic singer Margrét Eir recorded an Icelandic version called "Heiðin há". Irish singer-songwriter Albert Niland did a cover of the song in 2004 which was praised by critics. The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain have also made a recording of this song.
In popular culture
A character of the British series Shameless, namely Libby Croker, is obsessed with the song. She plays it in her mobile library; she also sings to the lyrics in one of the episodes of the seventh season, while dreaming of her own Heathcliff.
In the British series I'm Alan Partridge, Alan Partridge is seen singing it as he walks into a travel traven and, much to his dismay, is joined very briefly by the Hotels manager.
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ CLASSIC TRACKS: 'Wuthering Heights'
- ^ Soundonsound.com - Scaling the Heights
- ^ BBC.co.uk - Kate Bush biography
- ^ Every hit.com - "Mull of Kintyre" sales information
- ^ a b "Chart Stats - Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights". Retrieved 1 February 2009.
- ^ Gaffaweb - Early TV and Radio promotion for "Wuthering Heights"
- ^ The Whole Story sleeve notes
- ^ "Pop on trial". BBC. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
- ^ BPI - search Kate Bush
- ^ "Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights - austriancharts.at". Retrieved 1 February 2009.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "De Nederlandse Top 40, week 14, 1978". Retrieved 1 February 2009.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "French chart position". Retrieved 16 February 2009.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "charts-surfer.de search results". Retrieved 1 February 2009.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "irishcharts.ie search results". Retrieved 1 February 2009.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "norwegiancharts.com - Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights". Retrieved 1 February 2009.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "swedishcharts.com - Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights". Retrieved 1 February 2009.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights - hitparade.ch". Retrieved 1 February 2009.
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