Expert: Lee Bastian - 5/18/2006

Question
Did Kate record a song about her son? I heard a song on the radio and I had never heard it before. I thought I had all her albums.

Answer
    Hello Justin and thank you for your question.Perhaps you do not have all of Kate Bush's albums.The song you refer to is about her son Bertie,whose father is Kate's partner and guitarist Danny McIntosh.I'm sure it will be a bit embarassing for Bertie as he gets a little older,what with all the "lovely,lovely,lovely,lovely Bertie".
    A lot had changed for Kate between "The Red Shoes" and her most recent "Aerial"(Nov.2005).But twelve years between records might have something to do with that.Her relationship with Del Palmer obviously ended,but he still worked a bit,not as a musician,on the "Aerial" double CD.Kate gave birth to Bertie in 1999.She met McIntosh when he did some work on her 1993 "The Red Shoes".She spread out her work on "Aerial" over those twelve years very slowly.I believe most of it was written,and maybe even partially demo'd,before Bertie's birth.Kate took lots of time to devote herself to motherhood.
    If you do not have "Aerial",I highly recommend it.It shows a different,perhaps more mature,style.But it is unmistakably Kate Bush.So this album is different and yet still very much what fans recognize as her very singular type of music.The album does resemble "Hounds of Love" in that the first disc is a set of songs that stand alone and separate,while the second disc is a conceptual suite containing nine songs that follow a day from sunrise to sunrise.It is a stunningly beautiful salute to nature and the joy of just being alive to enjoy it.Perhaps motherhood influenced this second disc more than the first.
    Anyway,I'm rambling on here.Thanks again for the question and have a great day!!