Kate Bush has given a rare radio interview after her 1985 hit single ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ recently climbed to the top of the UK and US singles charts following its appearance in the fourth season of Netflix show Stranger Things.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Emma Barnett on the Woman’s Hour radio show, Bush reflected on the song’s origins as well as her love of Stranger Things, which saw her give the show’s producers permission to use the track. "It’s such a great series, I thought that the track would get some attention," Bush said of the Stranger Things feature. "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 continued: "What’s really wonderful, I think, is this is a whole new audience who, in a lot of cases, have 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 is… well, I think it’s very special."
She also told Barnett that she enjoyed the way the song was particularly used as a recurring theme for the character Max. "I think they’ve put it in a really special place," she said. "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 for Max. I think it’s very touching."
Speaking about the song’s origins, Bush said the track was originally supposed to simply be called ‘A Deal With God’, adding that she still prefers that title. It was changed, she said, by the record label, who she claimed "were worried that it wouldn’t get played on the radio, that people would feel it was a sensitive title."
Reflecting on the track’s original release in 1985, and how life at that time compares to today, Bush said: "It’s an awful time on a lot of levels for people, very difficult. But it’s also a time when incredible things are happening. Technology is progressing at this incredible rate. That’s pretty overwhelming, really. But, there’s so many advances in medicine and there are positive things. You just have to look a bit harder to find them at the moment."
Bush’s appearance on Woman’s Hour follows a number of recent statements shared via her website about ‘Running Up That Hill”s feature on Stranger Things. The famously reclusive singer hasn’t released any new music since 2011’s 50 Words For Snow album, and last performed live in public during her 22-date concert residency at London’s Hammersmith Apollo in 2014.
Read tQ’s new feature on the origins of ‘Running Up That Hill’ here.
