The Kick Inside



The Kick Inside is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter and musician Kate Bush. It was released on 17 February 1978 and contains her UK number one hit, "Wuthering Heights". The album peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart and has been certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry. The production included efforts by several progressive rock veterans, including Duncan Mackay, Ian Bairnson, David Paton, Andrew Powell, and Stuart Elliott of The Alan Parsons Project, and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.

Background and recording
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", reached number six in the UK. 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". "The Man with the Child in His Eyes" also charted on the American Billboard Hot 100, Bush's only single to do so until 1985. It peaked at number 85. Bush made an appearance on Saturday Night Live in December 1978. Despite this publicity, The Kick Inside failed to enter the top 200 of the Billboard albums chart.

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. 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.

Release
Six different varieties of the album's cover are known: the regular UK cover, a variant UK cover, the US cover, the Canadian cover, the Yugoslavian cover, the Japanese cover, and the Uruguayan cover, the Uruguayan cover being the rarest and most expensive due to its unusual head-on photo of Bush.

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.

Reception
According to Billboard in 1978 album was certified gold in England and New Zealand and platinum in Australia and Holland.

Personnel

 * Kate Bush – piano, lead and backing vocals
 * Ian Bairnson – electric guitar, acoustic guitar (except on 2), backing vocals (9), beer bottles (12)
 * Paul Keogh – acoustic guitar (2)
 * Alan Parker – electric guitar, acoustic guitar (2)
 * Duncan Mackay – Hammond organ (4, 6, 7), synthesizer (3), piano, Fender Rhodes (1, 10), clavinet (4)
 * Andrew Powell – arrangements, producer, synthesizer (2, 9), bass guitar (6), piano, Fender Rhodes (2, 3), celeste (6), beer bottles (12)
 * David Paton – bass guitar (except on 2 and 6), acoustic guitar (6, 9), background vocals (9)
 * Bruce Lynch – bass guitar (2)
 * Stuart Elliott – drums (except on 2), percussion (9, 12)
 * Barry DeSouza – drums (2)
 * Morris Pert – percussion (3, 4, 6), boobam (12)
 * Paddy Bush – mandolin (9), vocals (11)
 * Alan Skidmore – saxophone (2)
 * David Katz – orchestra contractor

Production

 * Jon Kelly – recording engineer
 * Jon Walls – assistant engineer
 * David Gilmour – executive producer (2, 5)
 * Wally Traugott – mastering

Certifications
!scope="row"|Worldwide (IFPI)
 * N/A
 * 1,000,000+