In this unique study, Stephen Glynn demonstrates that Kate Bush’s work, in both sound and vision, has long been influenced and characterised by, and at times aimed at, film and television media.
The volume explores in depth Bush’s ‘music of allusion’ and analyses first the significance of film and television references throughout the lyrics and settings of her songs, beginning with her breakthrough hit ‘Wuthering Heights’. It also surveys the shaping presence of film and television in the look, narrative and artistry of her music videos, including the examination of celebrated works such as ‘Cloudbusting’ and ‘Hounds of Love’. Finally, the book assesses Bush’s most intensive cinematic undertaking, her 1993 album The Red Shoes, with its evident homage to the 1948 film of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, and its concurrent visual reworking as Bush’s sole film venture, The Line, The Cross & The Curve. Thus, with its deployment across music, video and film, Glynn demonstrates the centrality of Kate Bush’s cinephilia to her work.
Accessible yet academically rigorous, Kate Bush and the Moving Image is a stand-out study of the iconic singer-songwriter’s discography and cinematic ventures. It will appeal to both students and scholars of Film, Television, Media, Cultural and Popular Music Studies.
1. Introduction: Kate Bush and Swapping Places Part 1: Music 2. It’s Like a Film: Kate Bush and Songs Influenced by Screen Media 3. Be Kind to My Mistakes: Kate Bush and Bespoke Soundtrack Work Part 2: Video 4. Moments of Pleasure: Kate Bush as Music Video Performer 5. This Woman’s Work: Kate Bush as Music Video Director Part 3: Film 6. A Matter of Life and Death: Kate Bush and The Red Shoes 7. Strange Phenomena: Kate Bush and The Line, the Cross & the Curve 8. Conclusion: Kate Bush and the Whole Story
Biography
Stephen Glynn lectures in Film at Television at De Montfort University, UK. His previous investigations of the interconnections between pop music performers and the visual media include David Bowie and Film (2022), The Beatles and Film (2021), Cultographies: Quadrophenia (2014), and The British Pop Music Film (2013).
'In 2022, Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)’ was discovered by a new generation of listeners, largely due to its use in the TV series ‘Stranger Things’. Stephen Glynn’s book provides a timely and insightful look at the ways in which Bush has engaged with visual media.'
- Dr Paul Newland, University of Worcester
'Sitting across music, video and film, Kate Bush and the Moving Image is a welcome new study of this important British artist. Stephen Glynn expertly weaves together close readings of Bush's music and her work as a video artist with an account of their cultural contexts and heritage. Glynn's knowledge of popular culture is remarkable in its range and depth. An innovative book on an innovative artist.'
- James Chapman, University of Leicester
