This woman's work

The third of my "Desert Island Disc's" comes from Kate Bush's sixth album "The Sensual world". It's included for two main reasons, firstly it's a wonderfully emotive song and secondly I wanted to represent the music of Kate Bush in my list.

The song was originally written for the 1988 John Hughes film, "She's having a baby" which starred Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern. Hughes wanted a song to accompany the scene in the film where McGovern gives birth to Bacon's child.. The birth is difficult and the song reflects the thoughts of Bacon outside the maternity suite, while his wife and unborn baby are in danger during the birth. Kate is quoted as saying that it was a simple song to write once she'd seen the scene. The lyrics reflect the husbands guilt at not being able to help, regret at what he's not done and a hope that she'll have the strength to see it through. He also cries in anguish "to make it go away".

Musically it's mainly Kate on the piano with some atmospheric keyboards to give the piece dynamics. You can listen to it here

In the busy lives that we lead it's easy to miss great songs and I have to admit that this song did partly pass me by when the album was released. In fact it took an advert in 2006 by the British charity the National Society for the Protection of Children to remind me of it and for me to fall in love with it. The advert featured a toddler in a cot under threat from a violent parent with the "make it go away" refrain playing over the top. Very powerful imagery to which the emotion of the song adds that final element.

I first discovered the music of Kate Bush, like most of teenage boys of my age, with the release of the "Wuthering Heights" single in 1978. She was, to say the least, different musically and also gorgeous. While her music was more aimed at girls, boys were attracted both by her looks but also the fact that she was discovered by Dave Gilmour from Pink Floyd. This gave her credibility and when she toured in 1979, there were as many male fans ( including me) in the audiences as women. The tour was a show with dancers and acting as well as a rock band and received great critical acclaim. The experience was for her, however, fairly traumatic, so much so that sadly she has never toured again

She further developed musical credibility by duetting with Peter Gabriel on a 1979 Christmas show covering Roy Harper's "Another Day". It's wonderful version and a real shame that although they discussed recording it properly, they never did & the grainy version on You tube remains the only version of it. She did however work again with Gabriel on his third solo album adding backing vocals to his "Jeux Sans Frontiers" single and through that collaboration she discovered the ground breaking Fairlight computer. This sampled sounds (very ground breaking for the 1980's) and thus both changed her music as she increasing used the effects and sounds that computers could add and opened it up to a whole new audience.

Her seminal album followed in 1985, the double platinum "Hounds of Love", which is a glorious coming together of her voice, modern music making and  song writing of the highest standard. It remains my favourite of all her albums.

Subsequent albums have never quite hit the same high water mark, but they continue to push and stretch the boundaries of her music. As she has matured she her demand for perfection has meant longer gaps between albums, (she has also married and had a son) but the release of a Kate Bush album remains an event.