Kate Bush "Wuthering Heights" Covers
Kate Bush, "Wuthering Heights," January 1978 Official Music Video No.2 (intended for American audiences).
Most Emily Brontë enthusiasts are familiar with English singer-songwriter Kate Bush's 1978 No. 1 hit "Wuthering Heights." In the iconic, if low-budget music video, Bush dances weirdly through an eldritch moorland forest, writhing, lunging, and high-kicking while attired in a sweeping red dress. Acting as Cathy Earnshaw's ghost, slightly older than the one trying to break into Mr. Lockwood's Wuthering Heights bedroom in Brontë's novel, Bush's high pitched falsetto mourns and shrieks at Heathcliff, telling him "Heathcliff, it's me, I'm Cathy/ I've come home, I'm so cold/Let me in through your window." Read the full lyrics here. Bush made several music videos for the song.
Apparently Kate was inspired to write the song at the age of 18, after watching part of the 1978 BBC miniseries of Wuthering Heights starring Ken Hutchison, Brian Wilde, Pat Heywood, and John Duttine and additionally discovering that she shared a birthday with the Yorkshire author. Kate Bush also made another music video, the one for the British release of her single, depicting her singing the song while clad in ethereal white, dancing and morphing into various ghost Cathys, prism-like light illuminating a dark set:
Kate Bush, "Wuthering Heights," January 1978 Official Music Video No.1 (intended for British audiences).
Bush's long-standing popularity has led to some respectful imitations, a few of which are linked here for your viewing pleasure.
First came American rock and pop singer Pat Benatar's cover of "Wuthering Heights" on the 1980 album Crimes of Passion.
Pat Benatar, "Wuthering Heights," (Kate Bush Cover,) 1980.
With strong vocals and a more electronic version of the musical accompaniment, Benatar's version rings as true 1980s, lacking Bush's wildness and shrill voicing of Cathy's plea.
In 1993, the Brazilian band Angra treated the song to a progressive metal do-over on her album Angels Cry, screaming and shrieking at intervals, but possessing a more strident howling tone than Bush.
Angra, "Wuthering Heights" (Kate Bush Cover), 1993.
Next, rock band China Drum tried their hand at rockifying Bush's classic hit in their 1995 single. It's a forceful rendition, but lacks any nuance or pacing.
China Drum, "Wuthering Heights" (Kate Bush Cover), 1995.
New Zealand operatic singer Hayley Westenra's 2008 cover and tribute film stayed truer to both the sound and visual depiction of Bush's No.2 music video from 1978. Westenra's high soprano is rich and shrill enough to do full justice to the vocal part of the song, while she reproduces the piano track and musical background of the original. Clad in black and red - as a tribute to Bush - Westenra runs through the house of Wuthering Heights, hair streaming and eyes imploring. A shadowy figure of a gentleman, presumably Heathcliff, also makes an appearance, unlike in Bush's interpretation of the ghost's visual situation.
Hayley Westenra, "Wuthering Heights," (Kate Bush Cover), 2008.
A notable departure from the tone and pace of the original hit is Swedish singer Myrra Malmberg's eerie, slow "Wuthering Heights" cover for her Another World album. It does something markedly unique by rethinking the way the song could be presented.
Myrra Malmberg, "Wuthering Heights" (Kate Bush Cover). 2011.
Recently, Sara Loera did a full-bodied, but not-as-shrill cover of Bush's original "Wuthering Heights" that added an organ in addition to the piano accompaniment.
Sara Loera, "Wuthering Heights" (Kate Bush Cover), 2014.
There are dozens of other good - and bad - imitations of the Bush song available from a simple YouTube search (for a more lackadaisical pseudo-Rolling Stones sound see the Australian band Wolfmother's 2005 take on the classic hit in their titular album!). Also, a list of the most prominent covers can be found here.
In honor of Emily Brontë's bicentennial, watch and listen to these versions of Bush's "Wuthering Heights" before picking your favorite. Enjoy - and good luck avoiding ear-worm!
