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Wow (Kate Bush song)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Wow
| cover = Kate Bush - Wow.png
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Kate Bush
| album = Lionheart
| B-side = Fullhouse
| released =
| recorded = 1978
| studio =
| genre = *Art rock
*baroque pop
*progressive pop
| length = (single edit)
4:00 (album version)
| label = EMI
| writer = Kate Bush
| producer = Andrew Powell
assisted by Kate Bush
| prev_title = Hammer Horror
| prev_year = 1978
| next_title = Symphony in Blue
| next_year = 1979
| misc =
}}
"'Wow'" is a song by the English musician Kate Bush. Originally released on her second album 'Lionheart' in 1978, it was issued as the album's second single in March 1979. The song became a top 20 hit in the UK and in Ireland.
"'Wow' is about the music business," she told her 'KBC' fan club magazine in 1979. "Not just rock music but show business in general. It was sparked off when I sat down to try to write a Pink Floyd song something spacey."Quoted in 'Never Forever' fanzine, No. 17, December 1991
The video for "Wow" was censored by the BBC, as the song was considered risqu as it had Bush patting her bottom while singing he's too busy hitting the Vaseline - where Vaseline was once considered as a personal sexual lubricant.
Overview
The single version is an edited version of "Wow", although it is not labelled as such on most editions. On all European "Wow" singles, the first 12 seconds of synthesiser chords have been removed. Brazil and Canada used the full-length LP version. The Canadian single featured a unique sleeve and was pressed on transparent yellow vinyl. The song was a moderate hit on Canada's Adult Contemporary singles chart in RPM Magazine.
The song was released in the UK on 9 March 1979 and peaked at number 14 in the UK Singles Chart, remaining on the chart for ten weeks. This was an improvement on Bush's previous single, "Hammer Horror" which had stalled at No.44 a few months earlier. A video was filmed for the release, featuring Bush performing the song in a darkened studio, and then backed by spotlights during the chorus. She also made a guest appearance on the TV Special 'ABBA in Switzerland', where she performed this song in April 1979. Also around the time of this release, Bush embarked on her first of only two live concert tours. Due to this and the release of the single, Bush's second album 'Lionheart' saw a resurgence of interest in the UK albums chart, by making a re-entry into the top twenty for several weeks. The song became a hit in other countries such as Ireland where it reached No.17. "Wow" was a target for comedian Faith Brown who parodied it on her show. In 2012 'The Guardian' called "Wow" the "undisputed highlight" of the 'Lionheart' album.
Release
"Wow" was released on 5 March 1979.
"Wow" also appears on Bush's compilation hits album 'The Whole Story', released in 1986. For the video compilation of this album, a new video was made of "Wow", featuring a montage of Bush performing live in concert.
This song was featured in the 2002 Rockstar North video game 'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City' as part of the power ballads radio station Emotion 98.3. However, it was not featured on the 10th anniversary edition re-release.
Track listing
All tracks written and composed by Kate Bush.
'7-inch vinyl'
# "Wow" (edited version) 3:46
# "Fullhouse" 3:13
Personnel
'Musicians'
*Charlie Morgan drums ("Wow")
*Stuart Elliot drums ("Fullhouse")
*Brian Bath guitar ("Wow")
*Del Palmer bass ("Wow")
*David Paton bass ("Fullhouse")
*Ian Bairnson electric guitar
*Paddy Bush mandolin ("Wow")
*Kate Bush vocals, harmony vocals, piano
*Duncan Mackay synthesizer ("Wow")
*Francis Monkman Hammond organ ("Fullhouse")
'Production'
*Andrew Powell producer
*Kate Bush assistant producer
*Patrick Jaunead assistant engineer
*David Katz orchestra contractor
*Jon Kelly recording engineer
*Nigel Walker assistant engineer, mixing, mixing assistant
Charts
Cover versions
* Jazz singer Liza Lee covered the song on her 2009 album 'Anima'. Lee donated proceeds of the album to the Society for Women's Health Research.
References
Category:Kate Bush songs
Category:1979 singles
Category:Songs written by Kate Bush
Category:1978 songs
Category:EMI Records singles
Category:Song recordings produced by Andrew Powell
Category:Songs about actors
Category:1970s ballads
Category:Rock ballads
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