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Kate Bush ‘hits’ release with DVD rumoured for November

By Paul Sinclair

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37

Kate Bush / The Whole Story RevisitedRumours abound that Kate Bush will release a 22-track expanded hits collection this November, possibly called Revisiting The Whole Story. The title is a reference to her one and only greatest hits compilation The Whole Story, a 12-track affair released in 1986 after her success with Hounds Of Love.

Release schedule website Pause&Play had the listing up for a short while yesterday, although it has since disappeared. They were detailing a 22-track two-CD release, and a special limited-edition version with a bonus DVD including 35 videos. A single was even mentioned – Running Up That Hill 2012.
 
Should these rumours prove to be factually correct, fans have much to be excited about. None of Kate’s videos have been released on DVD. The Whole Story video collection did get a brief expanded laser disc release in the early 1990s but a decent digital offering is long overdue.

Even more intriguing is Running Up That Hill 2012. This obviously suggests an update to the 1985 single that re-established Bush on the world stage as a unique and commercial talent. She is certainly not afraid to make changes to songs that are considered ‘classics’. On the original Whole Story collection she re-recorded the vocal to her debut single Wuthering Heights, effectively creating Wuthering Heights ’86, although it was not dubbed as such. One possibility is that Running Up That Hill was tackled as part of the Director’s Cut project from 2011, and has been held back for the purposes of promoting this hits collection. If that is the case we can expect a complete re-recording of drums and vocals and other instrumentation removing much of the ’80s’ production from the familiar studio version.

Kate has released 15 singles since The Whole Story, including her duet with Peter Gabriel (Don’t Give Up), the cover of Elton John’s Rocket Man and The Man I Love with Larry Adler. It is likely that most of the selections from the 1986 compilation would remain, but the running order will probably be resequenced across two CDs along with singles from her later albums.

If we do see this collection in November, Kate will have sealed her newly earned reputation as the busiest recluse in music, with three albums released in two years, following Director’s Cut and the acclaimed 50 Words For Snow from 2011.

Do you know anything about this release? If so, please let us know by leaving a comment.

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37 thoughts on “Kate Bush ‘hits’ release with DVD rumoured for November”

  1. Pingback: AFTER The Dawn: As the curtain closes, what next for Kate Bush? | superdeluxeedition

  3. Please update your article. It seems pretty stupid that you have not checked the one fact you use as a coat hanger for the whole story (pun). Running Up That Hill 2012 is already very well known as it was Kate Bush’ 5th biggest charting success coming in at number 6 in the charts after the Olympics closing ceremony for which this version was made. Your speculations on this RUTH2012 undermines your otherwise very good attempt at speculating.

    1. Er… it’s a news story from over two years ago, Before London 2012 and before the Olympic Ceremony. You are literally complaining that old news is out of date?!

  4. RUNNING UP THAT HILL 2012 has already been released on 10″ as part of Record Store Day 2012. It’s a “slight” reworking musically, but a new vocal. I wouldn’t say the drums have been updated that much from the 80’s sound, just re-eq’ed.

  5. I was a Kate Bush fan once. Opportunites for a DVD release of Kate’s work have come and gone many times, including the 2005 release of Aerial and the video of ‘King of the Mountain’ or 2011’s release of Director’s Cut (that I detested) and 50 Words for Snow.

    I have old laserdiscs of Kate Bush music videos and the previously mentioned Video CD. A proper, official release. Kate doesn’t seem interested in making a DVD happen and I’m sure this isn’t of interest to EMI.

    I lost hope a while back, I am almost at the point of not caring any more. I’ll sell off the laserdiscs and player and not concern myself with the loss of rare videos like Suspended in Gaffa and There Goes a Tenner from The Singles File; considering the price the video cd goes for on a well know auction site I may sell that too!

  6. Needless to say, this release did not happen.

    But, I notice that Kate Bush’s official YouTube Channel has managed to unearth and post high-quality versions of most of Kate’s music videos. The color and detail is better than any of the fan-made laserdisc-to-DVD transfers that most fans own. However, YouTube has reduced the resolution from 576 to 480, and YouTube has reduced the quality (as is to be expected when they are trying to make them easy to stream).

    Nonetheless, this at least establishes that the music videos still exist, and that they exist in better quality than anyone has seen. A BluRay, using the British PAL 576i masters is definitely the way to go (technically they’d have to be upsampled for release, but that’s fine – that will work).

    A DVD on the other hand, particularly a DVD that reduces the resolution from the British PAL’s 576 down to America’s NTSC 480, would be a travesty and a wasted opportunity.

  7. Anyone think this is going to happen? I’d love to see a “new” Greatest Hits, though some might think it’s superfluous. But it sure would be a good thing to introduce Kate to people who’ve heard of her, but only buy the odd download track. And I think it’s absolutely legitimate to release another GH since the first and only one was ages ago – some artist seem to release their “best ofs” or whatever nearly every second year…

    1. If it’s going to happen then we are going to need to hear something about it in the next few weeks. It really SHOULD happen, because it would sell like hot cakes, but of course Kate does what she wants. The Running Up That Hill 2012 mix was obviously used in the Olympics, but that doesn’t preclude it being on a new greatest hits. Fingers crossed!

  8. I hope this is true and that THE MAN WITH THE CHILD IN HIS EYES will be included with the original intro: “He’s here…giggle…”
    As for it being only 22 tracks, here’s hoping she chooses them as it will make for a more personal collection. I did hear she wasn’t happy about The Whole Story (many artists dislike the idea of Greatest Hits comps, e.g. Mark Hollis) and, despite recording EXPERIMENT IV for it, had little say in what ended up on it.

  9. Apart from the DVD I’m not sure why any Kate fan (myself included) would be interested in another compilation of “digitally remastered” hits, after all we already have them right? Now a compilation with 5:1 surround sound mixes would be of much more interest, specially after hearing Bowie’s Station to Station album in said format (which was a completely new and exciting listening experience). I wonder why artist’s are not embracing this format, is it the expense? Kate’s back catalogue in 5:1 surround sound would be amazing!

  11. Pingback: Kate Bush / Running Up That Hill 2012 remix out this week! | superdeluxeedition

    1. Good question. “The Whole Story” wasn’t exactly accurate in 1986 either, plenty of singles missing from that compilation – The Big Sky, a few from The Dreaming, no Live EP, no Hammer Horror etc.

  13. I’m sorry to say I can’t get excited over re-visited tracks. But but but expect I will totally love love love RUTH! I’d better!

    1. Kate hasn’t ‘toured’ since 1979, I’m not sure she’d break cover for a guest slot every night with PG! She wouldn’t even appear in his Classic Album documentary for So, never mind go on tour with him…

  16. I read many comments where people say that “the whole story” was released on dvd!! then how come I have a dvd copy that I bought in Germany 5 years ago?

  17. The Whole Story also came out on laserdisc (vastly superior to VCD), with some editions including extra tracks – sorry, i forget which.

    whereas there are very high quality DVD bootlegs of that version available, i am thrilled that Kate is finally getting a proper DVD release.

    and DVD might be “old” technology, but it is still the dominant format. BluRay just hasn’t taken off in sales as much as the industry had hoped, with some of us saying “no thanks” to investing thousands in the same films we have already bought in one or two other formats! Agree that a seperate BluRay release of the videos would be great for those with the equipment, but in regards of “deluxe editions”, CDs + DVD will be the dominant format for at least another decade or so – producing CD + BluRay would cost more and limit the market.

    1. Hi Lee – yes the bonus tracks were the videos from The Sensual World I think. I wonder if we’ll get Running Up That Hill 2012 as a physical CD single? Probably not.

  18. If these details turn out to be true, it’s disappointing that no Blu-ray is planned. DVD is old technology now, and hi-def masters of the tracks would be useful for HD TV stations. Obviously, lossless sound would be good for consumers too.

    And in an ideal (sensual) world, this would also be the moment to have surround sound mixes of Kate’s singles created, in the style of Peter Gabriel’s ‘Play’ (which included “Don’t Give Up” in surround sound).

    Perhaps more details are to come…

    1. Blu-ray makes things more complicated from a marketing point of view. Two different sets would be confusing, and including Blu-ray and DVD would be expensive. Don’t get me wrong I’d prefer Blu-ray too but for all the old videos you have to say that DVD should suffice. I cannot imagine Kate or anyone else wanting to go to the time/expense of 5.1 mixes, even though I’d love to hear them!

  19. Given the 26-year time lapse since The Whole Story (which itself was very selective), there is so much scope for including both the singles left off back then, and everything she’s done since (I’d love to have all the duets and non-album singles included, as I have with own personal homemade boxset!) but it does appear that Kate is a little preoccupied with tinkering around and re-recording old material. Which is entirely her prerogative, of course, and if a 2012 Running Up That Hill were to replace the original on a new set (presumably with its intended title restored to A Deal With God), she wouldn’t be the first act to do so; the Police’s Every Breath You Take : The Singles will forever be marred by the ill-fated 1986 rerecording of Don’t Stand So Close To Me (although paradoxically I rather like it anyway, haha), with the original (a UK #1 and arguably their 2nd-biggest hit) nowhere to be found.

    I think any DVD versions of the promo videos will be the biggest draw for Kate fans.

  20. Hi Paul. Actually the VCD was released in the UK in 1994. It was available in most branches of Dixons as part of the range of CD-i discs that it was championing at the time (and was subsequently available cheap in Dixons’ own sales after the CD-i format flopped).

  21. I am really hoping the videos will finally get a DVD release. I bought that Laserdisc at the time and bring out the old player that ways a ton once in a while to watch them again.

  22. Promising. After the remastered The Red Shoes in the Director’s Cut deluxe edition, this collection (if it happens) may be the prelude to a full series of remasters on Fish People. Not that I noticed any discernible difference with the remastered Red Shoes, that is. But I think I remember reading that ownership of the Dreaming and Hounds Of Love albums has reverted back to her. Regardless, a full collection of her videos would make this a must-have.

    1. Assuming this does happen, hopefully it will be a big seller and encourage Kate to revisit her back catalogue for some WAY overdue deluxe editions. I suppose she will have to remaster all the material on the compilation and since only Hounds Of Love and The Red Shoes have ever been remastered then that will be something extra for fans to enjoy.

      1. Point of order: while HoL and The Red Shoes are the only albums to have been remastered “officially” (as in: stated on the packaging, etc.), there have been multiple distinct masterings (as in: different audio content, not just indexing variations) released for almost all of them. Lionheart seems to be the main exception, but I know of at least five different CD masterings of The Kick Inside, for example. And almost all of the CDs in the Canadian version of This Woman’s Work have masterings that appear to be unique to that box.

        This is one of those things where if you start to scratch the surface you fall down the rabbit hole very quickly.

  23. Point of detail: “The Whole Story” might not have been released on DVD, but it was released on a double disc VideoCD, which is playable on DVD players (albeit with the expected digital artifacts)

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