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Kate Bush / Cloudbusting 12″ pic disc

Limited edition • 4-track 12-inch • Exclusive to specific retailers

By Paul Sinclair

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117


Kate Bush will release a 12-inch picture disc of her classic single ‘Cloudbusting’ next month.

‘Cloudbusting’ was the second single from 1985’s Hounds of Love and despite peaking at a modest number 20 in the UK charts, it has long been a fan favourite and the song memorably ended every Before The Dawn concert in 2014.

This is actually a four-track picture disc and as well as the 12-inch ‘Organon Mix’ of ‘Cloudbusting‘ (known as the ‘Meteorological Mix’ in the US, fact fans) it includes ‘Running Up That Hill’ B-side ‘Under The Ivy,’ Kate’s cover of Elton John’s ‘Rocket Man‘ and ‘Warm and Soothing,’ which was the B-side to her 1980 Christmas single ‘December Will Be Magic Again’. All four songs are the 2018 remasters and all feature on the recent The Other Sides 4CD compilation.



While we mourn the fact that there is nothing new here (would it have killed Kate to sneak the unreleased-on-vinyl ‘Video Mix’ of ‘Cloudbusting’ on to this 12-inch?) I guess we should celebrate the fact that this is her first non-Record Store Day physical single for 14 years! (‘King of the Mountain’ from 2005 was the last).

As you can see from the image above one side of the single uses the same still from the memorable ‘Cloudbusting’ video shoot that was used for the original single, while the other is the cover to 1990’s ‘Rocket Man’.

Incidentally, ‘Cloudbusting’ has never been issued as a picture disc before. Of the four singles from Hounds of Love, only the fourth, ‘The Big Sky’, was issued as a (seven-inch) picture disc at the time.

HMV are already promoting this release advising that you pre-order ‘in-store’


The bad news is that this release could be tricky to get hold of. It is exclusive to one specific retailer in the various territories. In the UK, this is HMV and since they don’t have a transactional website at the moment, you will just have to hope there is one near you. There are other options though. In Germany JPC.de have the exclusive and they do have a website and will ship wherever (I’ve used them and they offer a good service). In France, you can order via FNAC.

At the moment, actually numbers for this limited edition are hard to come by, but HMV are describing it as ‘very limited.’ Typically, despite HMV and JPC already actively marketing this release, Kate herself hasn’t actually mentioned it via any of her official channels!

This new ‘Cloudbusting’ 12-inch picture disc will be issued on 24 May 2019 (there is a suggestion this date could go back, but both HMV and JPC are stating 24 May right now).

Side A

1 Cloudbusting (The Orgonon Mix, 2018 Remaster)
2 Under The Ivy (2018 Remaster)

Side B

3 Rocket Man (2018 Remaster)
4 Warm And Soothing (2018 Remaster)

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117 Comments

117 thoughts on “Kate Bush / Cloudbusting 12″ pic disc”

  1. Pingback: Kate Bush / Ne T’Enfuis Pas vinyl single | superdeluxeedition

  4. Whilst under no illusion about the sound quality of picture disks, having picked mine up in Dundee yesterday (pre-ordered but one on the shelves) the rumble/scrape on this is very bad indeed. Can hear it all through the songs. Bad value. (Only got myself to blame falling for this, which I suspect may be the first in a series, unless sales go badly.

  5. 6 copies still available in HMV Dundee today, not exactly flying off the shelves ! And good to see nobody biting at the stupid prices being asked on eBay

  6. As of 10.30 this morning HMV Plymouth still have 5 copies on display, either they had more in than originally stated or the demand for this is not as hot as expected, though the price probably put some people off.

  9. HMV Norwich had around 10 – 15 copies on the shelves, from 8.30am with only a handful of pre-orders. So this 12” seems pretty limited and this store did do the one per person to try to be fair.

  10. Bought mine in Lincoln, although 19.99 a bit steep, sales person did say it was a picture disc, but on the other hand the prices of a lot of vinyl LPs in store are really good, 12.99 for the most , example blondie parallel lines is 12.99, amazon 15.98. Would support local independent store, if we had one, and HMV if prices were kept down a tad. such as what I saw today in HMV.

  11. If anyone in Plymouth still wants one of these, as of 12.30 today HMV has 7 copies on the shelves display, I pre ordered mine, and all the pre orders were behind the counter.

  14. went into my local HMV (35 minutes away) yesterday (17.05.19) and ordered two copies of the picture disc, they had been assigned 3 copies and me and my wife were the first people to even ask about it let alone reserve a copy. apparently another 250 copies have been made available to HMV in total according to said bod on the counter.

  16. HMV also taking preorders for spice girls greatest hits picture disc , Bruce Springsteen’s new album on blue vinyl , Bastilles splatter red vinyl , joy Division red vinyl , Rolling Stones triple clear vinyl .

  18. I ordered mine from my local hmv , £20 seems very steep just for a single! The staff at my hmv were lovely giving me the option to pay in full or a deposit . They told me they were only getting 10 copies and these would be sold out in the next few hours. Personally I really like the idea of hmv exclusives , they need all the help they can get to keep going so why not ? I realise these types of things will always upset someone . But seems that with those online sites also offering it to buy no one is left out ! Both still have stock so doesn’t seem that limited!

  19. This picture disc brings back good memories, as I was friends with the guy who made the video. I used to play squash back in the early nineties with Julian Doyle. A man who despite being a genius, was just a down to earth lovely guy with no airs & graces. We clicked straight away as I was heavily into my music.In the bar, after asking me where I work, he then asked me what music I liked. I’m into my Rock and Metal, but also enjoy Abba, Kate Bush, at which point he interrupted me. Do you know the one with Donald Sutherland? (Cloudbusting) well I directed that one. Really, I said. Yes, he said, I’ve also done Can I Play with Madness (Iron Maiden)and then told me all the other videos and film related stuff he’d done, but not in a cocky way.He was always interested in my work and hobbies also.From there on when we’d finished playing squash, in the changing rooms or in the bar, he’d tell me anything new he was working on or in the pipeline,so I would get to here about it first.I found him to be a very interesting man, and a true gentleman.

    1. I did a film course in the mid-90s (Panico) and Julian Doyle was one of the tutors. He’s Terry Gilliam’s film editor and was/is connected with the Monty Python guys.

  21. HMV local store told me the press release to shops said only 750 copies. This seems very low even if that is for HMV stores only.

  22. Got mine through JPC – only want it to go on the wall. Like so many of us. As to availability or limited and supporting local shops etc, am all for it but when it comes to having to do without music etc I would like to own because I went with the local stores I have to quote Hall&Oates Can’t go with that (no can do).
    And I don’t sell my stuff at inflated prices on ebay. I buy to own-hope it stays that way

  23. My nearest HMV (20 miles away) had 2 copies for presale, both of which had already sold, so I have had to purchase from Germany as only other indie record store can’t guarantee that they are getting any copies.

  26. Support your local physical shops… be that independent or HMV. I don’t ‘get’ the idea that you would rather buy a record from a German website to save the equivalent of 12p (assuming that postage to the U.K. is free?) that can be pre-ordered right now by going into your nearest HMV! If this picture disc doesn’t matter to you please don’t comment! I popped into my local HMV and ordered mine. Excellent service (as always).

    1. If all things were equal people wouldn’t be doing that. HMV don’t have a website right now, a problem entirely of their own making, so if you have no HMV anywhere near you then there is simply no easy way to get hold of this in the UK. Blaming fans isn’t really addressing the reality of the situation.

      1. Ha HMV missed the online boat years ago when most retailers moved into that area. Downfall sadly of their own doing. Even their website in the end was non sensical. I pre Ordered steel books that never came to fruition. Sad state really.

    2. Cost of going to nearest HMV to pre-order: Parking £3, Fuel (for 90 minute round-trip) £5 (?).
      Cost of going to nearest HMV to collect: see above.
      Cost of 12″: £19.99
      Total: approx. £36

      Cost of going to JPC (Germany) to pre-order online: £20 (12″) + £4 (P&P)
      Total: £24.41 (when I ordered)

      I make that around 12 quid saving ~~~~~ hardly 12p.

      If you have a local HMV, er, well done. But show a little empathy and humility ‘cos with the next round of closures it could be yours that goes.

      1. Gorecki…Yes! Exactly right!
        Of course in an ideal world we all would and do support our local record shops (HMV or independent) but the cost breakdown detailed above says it all.
        Not everyone is fortunate enough to have physical outlets nearby or is able to immediately run down to local shop and secure one of the two copies available the second it is announced……

        In-store or online…buy it because you love it…buy it to keep it….as with ‘Recordstore Day’ don’t use it as a money-making exercise.

    3. PS: re: ‘If this picture disc doesn’t matter to you please don’t comment!’ ~~~~~ I suspect it’s because it matters to people that they’re commenting on this issue!

      1. The independent vs. Amazon debate is never quite as simple as support your local independent or HMV. Plainly distance / parking / petrol etc is part of the equation but so is pricing.

        I am always happy to pay a couple of quid more (or a couple of quid less sometimes) for a standard LP and have done so many times before. The main problem is Box sets. Independent stores usually have to go with RRP, say £59.99, whereas if you are smart with Amazon these can be picked up for nearer £40 on Amazon. And that is not so easy to dismiss even with a philanthropic heart. And once you get to the £100+ boxes the difference can be even more stark.

        It’s a circle that is only ever going to get harder to square.

  27. Hi Paul
    Thanks as always for all the great information.
    Managed to get a copy from JPC.
    Continued success with Superdeluxeedition, it’s an amazing source of information.

  30. A hearty second on wishing she’d include the Video Mix of Cloudbusting. Does this exist on a CD anywhere? Or a CD that is not out of print and costing hundreds?

    Also still waiting for the DVD/Blu-Ray of Before the Dawn as I was in no way able to see the shows live but really, really wanted/want to.

          2. Well, don’t I feel stupid! I guess the complete lack of label/copyright info should have been a clue.

  33. In mildly related news…I’m off to see Cloudbusting the tribute band at the Byre Theatre in St Andrews next Friday. Not seen them but hear good reports. Passing on the effort to try and get one of these picture singles in these parts…and shame she didnt substitute Warm and Soothing with The Empty Bullring – (though can you imagine the furore THAT would have caused lol)

    1. Cloudbusting are excellent – they are true fans of Kate’s. The whole band, not just the fantastic Mandy, are brilliant. Saw them for the fourth time in Worcester last week – they performed an incredible “Waking The Witch” – you’ll love ’em :)

    2. Cloudbusting are AMAZING Colin. Have seen them several times in different sized venues and with different setlists (once featuring the whole of Hounds Of Love) and they never disappoint! Enjoy!

  34. Just ordered via the JPC (had to create an account as they didn’t recognise my postcode – which is ironic because I don’t recognise the term ZIP!). Total cost was £4 more than someone here quoted as HMV’s instore price: that is the same as the car parking for my ‘local’ HMV (fingers crossed I pass [un]fit for a Blue Badge in the near future), and before you factor in the 90+ minutes of diesel (I know – I thought I was saving the environment at the time – who knew I was really a mass murderer!) to get there and back!

    Oh well, they have discouraged me from making a damaging car trip – I guess transporting a record across half a continent by boat/ plane and artic is far better for the environment! The irony.

  35. Here’s an odd fact/ memory. Back in 1992 the Utah Saints released Something Good which sampled Cloudbusting. I recall when they ‘played’ the track ‘live’ on TOTP (and various other programmes) they mimed taking the sample straight from one of Bush’s records – a picture disc – which suspiciously looked like The Big Sky 7″. It shattered all my illusions about the veracity of music on television! That and seeing All About Eve’s notorious zenith a few years before….. at least Utah Saints can now use the right PD!

    After these crushing childhood traumas can I even assume Bowie sang live at Glastonbury? Was Live Aid real or just a hologram? Was Freddie Mercury really JFK in disguise? Is the moon even made of cheese?

    “Soon I discovered that this rock thing was true: Jerry Lee Lewis was the Devil….. there was one thing I could, dingadingdang my dangalonglinglong” :)

    1. He’d better have sung live at Glastonbury Gorecki, I only bought the CD/DVD of it on Wednesday!!!!! And yes, you can rest assured, the moon is made of cheese.

      HMV really need to get a website up and running again for all of those who really can’t get to their diminishing number of stores. I’m pleased that they get this release, but perhaps it would have been better if they had got it as an exclusive for say one month before it goes on sale elsewhere. Still, I note that they are charging £19.99p, exactly the price I paid them for the 4-disc Other Sides CD only around six weeks ago.

  36. I would advise anyone to be wary of getting a copy from HMV . My local store is closing and still taking pre orders . I asked why and they said we can’t turn custom away? I had over £40 built up on my pure card that will never be honoured now. Just thinking of sad Kate fans when this doesn’t pan out..

  40. Thanks Paul – ordered a copy for myself and one for my brother from Germany. Totally agree about “why using HMV?”. Last time I purchased an album (Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody soundtrack), I presented my PURE points card, only to be told they weren’t sure if they would still accept them! So any points I have (and I have hundreds, having bought all the Kate Bush box sets online from HMV) may be wiped out. And of course there are many store closures! Oh well….look forward to getting my 12″ picture discs.

  42. The worsiest resmaster program has a name: Kate Bush.

    And I can tell you why:
    -No singles B-side added to each album itself,
    -No extended version of all albums added,
    -No alternative version/ mix added,
    -No rough/ demos version added,
    -No unreleased tracks added,
    -No vídeo material added,
    -No live material added,
    -No booklet added,
    -NO NO NO !!!

    I became so frustated after years and years and years of patiently wait that I did not buy neither the two remastered boxes set.

    Needless to say the “Bonus CDs” were added to the second box in order to force diehard fans to buy both of the boxes. SUCH A SHAME!

    Facing all this (SHAME ON YOU KATE!) I prefered to stay with my very very very old 1991 box!

    Unbelieveble, isn’t It !!!???

    Whatever Mrs Bush put out does not draw my atention anymore.

    NOT TO TEASE ANYONE HERE
    JUST MY FEELING

  44. Just ordered from my local HMV, it’s £19.99. The person on the till told me they’re very limited, only 250 for HMV, and my store is only getting 9 copies.

  45. Who’s idea was it to make it a HMV exclusive, some one is out of touch with reality or haven’t they realised most of them are closed now? I don’t get the logic in that?

    1. Most of them are NOT closed. Good on whoever made the decision to supply HMV with copies. Support your local bricks & mortar store.

    2. Most have NOT closed – SOME closed. However my local branch, of course, did close. Yay. :( But it wouldn’t matter if it went to one of those magic Independent Record Emporia that some have – cos my reasonable size town (150k population) ain’t got one of them either. Double yay…….

        1. Yes. The point I was trying to make is that not all HMV shops have closed. I agree in supporting bricks and motar shops but take London and even South West virtually all gone or none at all. That’s what I was getting at. It forces the customer to buy from other online supplies thus more and more bricks and motar shops die off. So I stick by my original comment.

    3. Entirely logical if you are HMV and you are trying drum up interest in the context if not being allowed to take part in RSD

      1. Living in the South West I know too well the ever-diminishing number round these parts. I have the same feeling I had when MVC was taken over and started closing stores – they closed some stores to save the core, but that became a few more, and soon turned into all.

        (I was only taking issue with the use of the word ‘most’ – which implies ‘majority’ – and I wasn’t under the impression they’d got to that stage, although they may be quietly closing far more stores than I know of. According to the only figures I can find, when they were bought there were 140 stores [presumably including Fopp], and now there’s around 120 open – my terrible maths suggests that’s about 85% still open.)

        I tried to imply that I no longer have the logistical option of supporting bricks and mortar stores – there are none: I have to buy online. I fully agree with the vicious circle argument that forcing people online leads to more closures, leads to more online shopping, etc. But there are places where record shops, book shops, even most clothes shops, etc. are a thing of the past.

        My high street has empty premises where there were: HMV, BHS, Jessops, and even Woolworths, along with a dozen or more others….. I have no idea how this is a situation that’s ever going to be turned around!

        It is a very sad state of affairs!!!

  46. These “picture singles” are everything that is wrong with the music business at the moment. No, we don’t have to buy them, but that’s missing the point. The sale of physical media has become a collectables market, with investors indulging in the hope they can flip items for profit later.

    Really sad to see.

  49. Ordered from JPC as all nearby HMV stores are currently closed. Anyone else think this might have originally been planned for RSD – but didn’t make it in time?

  50. It’s 7th June now we were told.

    Also we were told it was indies only..so I started preselling it THEN our warner rep rang me last week to say a decision had been made to give it to HMV – and would be announced this week (and it has) – which is nice!!!

    So they’re not only encroaching on RSD exclusives (since I opened the shop in 2017 some RSD exclusives have slowly switched to RSD stores/HMV exclusives) and get a piece of the action on the day themselves next year NOW they’ll make warner an offer they can’t refuse and stiff all the indies! And Kate bush fans…I’d Presold 25 and they could’ve picked Em up whenever off me….and we’re supposed to grateful for HMV and it keeping vinyl going!! Hmmmm

    Oh also it’s going to be 1 per customer like the smiths pic disc! So no asking other fans who live by an HMV to get one for you! Nice work warner and greedy HMV

    1. What’s all this “made them an offer they can’t refuse” business, do we think? What is that offer likely to be? I don’t really understand why Kate’s management CARE if it’s indie-only or HMV only. What difference does it make to them? Why not allow it to be sold in all indie stores AND HMV. What’s the downside of that?

  51. Cannot order from a UK website , what is this 1976!

    Why on earth have they picked HMV ?

    There are none anywhere near where I live .

  53. If I’m harsh: obselete music from on obsolete artist on a obsolete medium through an obsolete selling point. Fortunately I’m usually not that harsh – I generally buy ‘old’ music, Kate Bush and vinyl (though record shops have long ceased to exist in my world …). Still, it makes you wonder: what has the music industry/Kate Bush got to …

  54. Agree that HMV is a pointless retailer. Last time I went to their flagship store, it had almost a whole floor of “Pop in a box” kids toys and novelty mugs. Not surprised that nobody was going there to buy music. Whoever was in charge at HMV was clueless.

    2. @Billy
      HMV [before and after taken over by Sunrise] was clueless. They did and continue to waste space on basically junk. Cheaper of them to downsize.

  55. I still dream of orgonon…

    Great single and one of my favorite videos. €22 seems excessive for a 12inch record but I will probably bite and buy it anyway…

    1. If you use Google Chrome as your browser you can easily get whole websites translated! And it usually works just fine to understand everything you need. (Other browsers might offer similar features via plugins.)

  58. A limited edition picture disc, sold only via a limited edition shop, HMV. Just more fuel for the flippers on ebay. This and the omission of the video mix (surely perfect for a picture disc) makes this yet another exclusive which will be missing from my collection.

  62. this will sound awful the remastering while great was very quiet compared to other remastered reissues so the quiet music coupled with the surface noise inherent with a picture disc will make this a frame piece only

  65. Dear Paul – thanks for the heads up. Great that you take the international view, as a German based collector it is cool to see you consider availability beyond the UK. Keep it coming.

  66. Record companies really like to make buyers jump through hoops to get records these days don’t they? I’m surprised they haven’t stipulated that HMV customers can only purchase this by postal orders or record tokens.

  67. Are you sure rough trade are not getting them? It was promoted through kb fb page with a link to rough trade. The link was eventually taken down, not because copies all sold but because they had announced it too early. And why release only via HMV when there are hardly any shops. HMV are a pointless retailer now.

    1. This is confirmed as an HMV exclusive. Rough Trade will either cancel those orders or if there was some miscommunication / culpability from label/management they might allow them to fulfil existing orders, but they definitely won’t be putting this up again.

  68. This is being released in the USA. Rough Trade UK are getting a few copies but there allocation has sold out on preorder already. HMV have obviously blagged some for “exclusive” release in the UK.

    1. Hey Alan! Spare a thought for all the staff who lost their jobs at the Hereford HMV store… They lost their HMV PurePoints as well as their livelihoods…

      1. The staff were great at the Hereford store. Always happy to help and all loved their music. So i was gutted for them obviously. Because i didn’t state that don’t assume i wasn’t buddy. Pity that they couldn’t downsize the store and keep them on. Instead we have another large empty store in our high street.

  72. Since my local HMV closed a few weeks ago I have ordered from JPC as the postage costs are a lot less than the train fare to the nearest branch now. Thanks for the great start to Friday

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