Kate Bush is famously private, but recently broke her silence in a rare interview to talk Stranger Things, Running Up That Hill phenomenon and connecting with new fans.
Back in 1985, British singer Kate Bush nabbed the top spot of the charts with her catchy hit Running Up That Hill. And now, 37 years after the track was first released, the song is back at the top thanks to the hit Netflix show Stranger Things — and with it, a rare interview with Kate.
In her first recorded interview in six years, the enigmatic pop singer spoke of her joy at the renewed success of her 37-year-old classic — and the impact of ‘resurging’ musical hits.
Speaking to Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, the singer said it was “extraordinary” that the track has become a worldwide phenomenon, hitting the top spot in Norway, Sweden, Australia, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Austria. It has also given Bush her first ever top-10 hit in the US — showcasing the worldwide love for the tune.
“It is such a great series, I thought that the track would get some attention. But I just never imagined that it would be anything like this. It’s so exciting. But it’s quite shocking really, isn’t it? I mean, the whole world’s gone mad!”
She admitted that she hasn’t listened to the popular track in quite a while as she doesn’t typically replay her ‘old stuff’.
Kate said, “I never listen to my old stuff but when things like this come along, I’m normally involved in something like doing an edit or revisiting the track for some kind of other reason, I’m working.
“But I haven’t heard it for a really long time.”
Stranger Things recently used one of Kate’s songs in the show.
And with this success has brought a legion of new fans, as she explained that she was excited by the idea that young fans were discovering her music for the very first time.
“What’s really wonderful is that this is a whole new audience. In a lot of cases, they’ve never heard of me. And I love that! The thought of all these really young people hearing the song for the first time and discovering it, I think it’s very special.”
She went on to explain what the song is about for a new audience, although she emphasises that she likes “people to hear a song and take from it what they want”.
“Originally it was written as the idea of a man and a woman swapping places with each other, just to feel what it was like, from the other side”.
Originally called A Death With God, it was changed to Running Up That Hill as her record company was worried that the title was too sensitive for the radio.
In the hit sci-fi show, the song is used as a backdrop for one of the characters survival — something Kate herself loved.
“I think they’ve put it in a really special place. I mean, the Duffer Brothers created the series and, actually, we watched it from the first season onwards, so I was already familiar with the series. And I thought what a lovely way for the song to be used in such a positive way – you know, as a kind of talisman, almost, for Max. And yeah, I think it’s very touching, actually.”
Kate has now become the oldest female singer to achieve a UK No. 1 single, taking the record from Cher, who reached the top spot with Believe in 1998.
It is Kate’s first time at number one since her debut single, Wuthering Heights , hit number one in 1978 when she was just 19. This means she has also bagged the record for longest gap between number one’s at 44 years.
Listen to the full interview on BBC Radio Four.
