31 years ago, Kate Bush released her seventh studio album, The Red Shoes. It was inspired by the 1948 movie of the same name, and was also Bush’s last album for 12 years. She would later return in 2005 with the Aerial double album, before taking another, shorter hiatus. Now, with the news that she’s itching to get back in the studio and make new music, let’s revisit her first pre-hiatus album.
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The Red Shoes the album was inspired by The Red Shoes the movie, in which a ballerina can’t take off a pair of red pointe shoes. She is possessed by her art, and does not know peace until the very end of the film, when the shoes essentially cause her demise.
During the making of The Red Shoes, Kate Bush suffered tremendous losses. Her guitarist and friend Alan Murphy died in 1989, while her mother passed away in 1992. Bush was in a relationship with bassist Del Palmer, but that ended around this time as well. The track “Moments of Pleasure” pays tribute to many of the people who left Bush’s life in those years. Additionally, Bush spoke about this time in a 1991 BBC Radio 1 interview.
“I’ve been very affected by these last two years,” she said at the time. “They’ve been incredibly intense years for me. Maybe not on a work level, but a lot has happened to me. I feel I’ve learnt a lot – and, yes, I think [my next album] is going to be quite different… I hope the people that are waiting for it feel it’s worth the wait.”
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Kate Bush Releases The Red Shoes in 1993 Following a Turbulent Personal Time
The Red Shoes was interesting also because there were so many high-profile cameos. Prince, comedian Larry Henry, Romanian vocalists Trio Bulgarka, Eric Clapton, Gary Brooker of Procol Harum, and Jeff Beck contributed to vocals and instrumental work.
The album is a masterpiece of Kate Bush’s work, but she was initially disappointed with the way it was recorded. It was recorded digitally, which she didn’t care for, and so re-recorded seven of the tracks for her 2011 album Director’s Cut, going analog this time.
Critics called this album both “personal” and “accessible,” and on par with Bush’s discography at the time. The tracks are cohesively about love and loss, and while musically they sound upbeat, there’s a deep sadness that permeates this album.
Now, Kate Bush has expressed her willingness to get back in the studio. In a recent interview with the BBC, she shared that she’s “very keen” to start making new music. While there’s nothing in the works currently, the fact that she’s ready to come back after 13 years away should be music to fans’ ears.
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