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Post by Al Truest on Nov 3, 2006 2:10:44 GMT
I never saw anyone answer why Kate uses an affected tone for the beginning of the song--- she is imitating Elvis's distinct singing style. And the PJ Harvey song referencing the murderous lesbian is 'Catherine' from 'Is this Desire': I envy the road The ground you tread under I envy the wind Your hair riding over I envy the pillow Your head rests and slumbers I envy to murderous Envy your lover mmm, I just love those exquisiteliltarts, especially the ones with almond paste in and an fondant icing top.. Welcome to the Sensual World ELT.. Welcome despite that slightly perverse sentiment from Adey ;D
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Post by musiclover on Dec 6, 2006 9:07:52 GMT
To follow on from what Al' said, I also think "KOTM" is a stepping stone. The lyrics are disguised and she sounds so very distant in the song. She's not letting us in yet ("The door blows the wind closed"). But I think it's a lead-in to the album: she can tell her story through Elvis first to prepare us, so we'll be ready to learn more about her through her music on "Aerial". The sound wave on the cover of "Aerial", to me, means that she doesn't mind sharing herself with us - but through music, not through interviews. That reminds me of a scene in "Immortal Beloved" when Beethoven approaches the grieving Countess and says they will speak in music, handing the sheet music to his Piano Trio "Ghost".
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Post by tannis on Dec 16, 2007 8:54:56 GMT
The phrase 'King of the Mountain' reminds me of the children's nursery rhyme, 'I'm the king of the castle...' After his divorce in 1973, Presley became increasingly isolated, overweight and caught in a trap, with (prescription) drugs affecting his health, mood and his stage act. Maybe KB uses 'blurred diction' on KoTM to evoke the slurred later performances of Elvis... "So if an old friend I know (shove it up your nose)..." - Elvis Presley - Suspicious Mind (1970)www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTYg2Q-vDJ0Elvis also spoke of the hollowness of his Hollywood life, and revealed: "I swear to God, no one knows how lonely I get and how empty I really feel." In Citizen Kane, when his second wife abandons him, Kane begins destroying her room. He grabs a snow globe and is about to throw it when he sees the falling snowflakes inside. The image of falling snow evokes involuntary memories in Kane. He remembers being sent away by his mother when it was snowing, making him utter "Rosebud" — another memory of the occasion. When the camera pans a scene of workers burning some of Kane’s less valuable possessions, in the fire is the sled that Kane was riding the day his mother sent him away. Painted on the sled is the name Rosebud... 'Rosebud' represents his lost life "before the beginning" - his childhood before an inheritance wrenched him away and changed everything forever... [In 1976 KB gets a small inheritance from an aunt, and decides to leave school to concentrate on preparing herself for a career in music. Effectively the money gave her the security to become her own boss and follow her own mind...] The second verse to KoTM is an analogy to the sort of rumors that Kate has experienced about herself over the last 15 years... HOLLY (reading to Kit from a movie fan magazine): "Rumor: Pat Boone is seriously considering giving up his career so he can return to school full-time and complete his education. Fact: Pat has told intimates that so long as things are going well for his career, it's the education that will have to take the back seat." KIT: I don't blame him. HOLLY: "Rumor: Frank Sinatra and Rita Hayworth are in love... Fact: True, but not with each other." (Kit chuckles at this, which pleases Holly.) - from Badlands (1973)KoTM is like a conversation with Elvis. I agree that the first verse looks at Elvis's funeral, his last concert. But KoTM also reminds me of 'Rocket's Tail'... It seems to tap into the negative and destructive side of fame; how it brings alienation and anomic disorientation (from fans and things) by failing to realize the life goals of the individual. Fame ought to mean satisfaction and achievement, but it can mean paranoid Suspicious Minds, loneliness, fear, emptiness, etc. And without meaning and purpose, there is only distress, hunger and junk... The chorus makes me think of a parallel, OK universe with Elvis, Kane or anyone, out there happy, before the fall of fame... The wind is whistling Through the house... The wind it blows The wind it blows the door closed... Finally, this is a far cry from the slamming doors of GOoMH! ... A gentle whistling wind has replaced the scream... The House seems exorcised of its ghosts... EDIT: BBC4 "Front Row" November 4, 2005. John Wilson: What’s interesting about that vocal, the delivery of the words, is the way you almost mumble them... I mean, in the past your diction has been so clear on record... Kate: No, in fact it was meant to be my impersonation of Elvis Presley. John Wilson: And there's a sense of isolation, of remoteness, and Elvis is the key image... there's also a reference to Citizen Kane, isn't there? Kate: Yes... ... ... gaffa.org/reaching/iv05_bbc_front_row.htmlJohn Wilson: And of course "Aerial" itself, it's the name of Sylvia Plath's most famous collection. Is that a nod to her at all, or is that just a coincidence? Kate Bush: I think it's just a coincidence, which there seem to be a lot of... ... [John laughs]Lady Lazarusby Sylvia Plath; from Ariel, 1966. "I have done it again. One year in every ten I manage it..." 'Lady Lazarus' or Kate Bush on Aerial? Coincidence? No Coincidence? " Lying Is an art, like everything else. I do it exceptionally well." "I think quotes are very dangerous things!" - Kate Bush. 'A lie keeps growing and growing until it's as plain as the nose on your face...' - Pinocchio (1940) Kate Tells Q: "I obviously have a very recognisable nose."www.katebush-france.com/News/KBQ20itw2.jpgwww.katebush-france.com/news-2006.htmlTHE KING OF THE MOUNTAINIn the snow with Rosebud And king of the mountain...William Randolph Hearst ['Citizen Kane'], Catholic Knights of Malta high-up, told his national newspaper chain to "puff" Billy Graham and make him a household name! ROSEBUD the code word for the KILL.see more: google KATE BUSH DAVID ICKE - www.davidicke.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11956&page=197see more on the link between TRS and freemasonry:- katebush.proboards6.com/index.cgi?board=leaveitopen&action=display&n=1&thread=1998&page=2- katebush.proboards6.com/index.cgi?board=theredshoes&action=display&n=1&thread=1749
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Post by tannis on May 25, 2008 2:11:21 GMT
The 'Washing' photograph showing Elvis's famous white jumpsuit next to the Bertie cartoon accompany the lyrics to KOTM in the CD/Vinyl booklet remind me of the phrase, The King is dead. Long live the King! Who's the next King? Is it Bertie? The King is dead. Long live the King! is a traditional proclamation made following the accession of a new monarch. The original phrase was translated from the French Le Roi est mort. Vive le Roi!, which was first declared upon the coronation of Charles VII following the death of his father Charles VI in 1422. Charles VII was famously crowned in Reims in 1429 through the endeavours of Joan of Arc. In some monarchies, such as the United Kingdom, an interregnum is usually avoided by using "the king is dead, long live the King", i.e. the heir to the throne becomes a new monarch immediately on his predecessor's death or abdication. Because of the memorable nature of the phrase (due to epanalepsis), as well as its historic significance, the phrase crops up regularly as a headline for articles, editorials, or advertisements on themes of succession or replacement, as well as being linked to the continued commercial success of Elvis Presley, thanks to his moniker of "The King of Rock 'n' Roll". To promote KOTM, KB wore a KGB-style Russian winter red star hat.images.starpulse.com/AMGPhotos/pic200/drp600/p604/p60422y5481.jpgKB... KgB... Maybe another pun on her initials? K. G. Bush... Cagey Bush? ...
Most of the information about the KGB remains secret, although there are two sources of documents of KGB available online.
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Post by tannis on Jun 9, 2008 19:52:00 GMT
KGB: CAGEY BUSH!The KOTM video begins in what could be Citizen Kane's "Castle" at San Simeon, full of his priceless antiquities. Indeed, William Randolph Hearst purchased the San Francisco Evening Post in 1913; and at 0:39 in the video, the "San Francisco Evening Post: Goodbye Elvis... We'll Always Love You" flies by! (A fictional or factual headline? On the same cover is the headline: "Horror Crash Kills 5"!)
At 0:43-0:53, what looks very much like a bust of Prince Albert remains in frame... Prince Bertie?A Sydney statue of PA, consort to English monarch Victoriawww.smh.com.au/ffximage/2008/04/14/lf_albert-esky.jpgAt 0:55, the video moves to Elvis' bedroom. In his later years, divorced from Priscilla Presley and obese, Presley barricaded himself from the public gaze in Citizen Kane-like isolation at Graceland, his Memphis mansion and present-day shrine for millions of Presley fans.
And at 2:22, a figure seems to strangely rise from behind the billowing red sheets...
At 2:38-45, KB and Elvis are in the center of a poppy snowstorm. And why do KB (2:34) and Rolf Harris (3:49) both cradle the famous white jumpsuit? And why is the famous white jumpsuit so happy to see Rolf Harris? (or William Randolph Hearst? or Citizen Kane?) At 3:13, Rolf Harris arrives on 'Rosebud' and at 3:35 is clearly featured dancing with the famous white jumpsuit! Rolf Harris had a UK Top Ten Hit in 1962 with 'Sun Arise', a song that celebrates the reassurance the Sun brings, rather like a mini Australian A Sky Of Honey. The song was written in 1960 after Harry Butler played Rolf tapes of the first Australian Aboriginal singing he'd ever heard. The original version sold badly, and in 1962 was revised, incorporating suggestions by George Martin. As Rolf couldn't play the didgeridoo at the time, and didn't know anyone in England who could, the didgeridoo sound is simulated by eight bass fiddles! The song reached number 2, beaten to number 1 the following week by... Elvis Presley! A Sky Of Honey features Rolf Harris playing the didgeridoo on one track as he had done on KB's 1982 single "The Dreaming". Harris also provides vocals on 'An Architect's Dream' and 'The Painter's Link'... The co-writer of Sun Arise becomes the Great Painter of the Universe! An honor and homage! And so A Sky Of Honey has its origins in The Dreaming and the Dawning of Aboriginal Culture... Sun Arise come every mornin' Sun Arise come every mornin' Sun Arise come every mornin' Bringin' back the warmth to the ground...rolf harris -- sun arisewww.youtube.com/watch?v=SGuxAs8HkZMKate on The Dreaming: Erase the race that claim the place Can you talk about the title track, Kate? "The title actually came last. It always does. It's the most difficult thing to do. I tried to get a title that would somehow say what was in there. It was really bad. Then I found this book (hands me huge tome on Australian lore). I'd written a song and hadn't really given it a proper name. I knew all about this time they call Dreamtime, when animals and humans take the same form. It's this big religious time when all these incredible things happen. The other word for it is The Dreaming. I looked at that written down and thought, 'Yeah!' "We got Rolf Harris on that. He's great. I think he's really underestimated because he's a children's entertainer, but he's probably one of the greatest mines of information on ethnic music. He was involved in the soundtrack of the film Zulu and he just stood and sang this whole song in African. He's so uninhibited, he just does it. "I knew the beat from Sun Arise and Aborigine music, so we just ripped that off, used what was already there ethnically*. Rolf just came in and did dijeridu." ZigZag "Dream Time in the Bush" by Kris Needs (1982)gaffa.org/reaching/i82_zz.html* KT et al also knew about Rainbow Serpent, so they just ripped that off too, and used it for the single cover... "Single Cover Illustration by Del Palmer"gaffa.org/sensual/p_td2.jpgAboriginal Art www.aboriginalculture.com.au/art.shtmlsee: Rock shelter containing the Ancestral Being rock python (Rainbow Serpent), its baby pythons and Wandjina. Gibb River Station. 1990.The King Is Dead (0:03) ... Long Live The King (4:12)At 0:03 in the KOTM video, The New York Echo flies by with the headline, "The King Is Dead!". The Echo also has the cover story, "Courtroom drama in Mafia case". At 1:51, a newspaper flies by with the headline, "Elvis Face Spotted On Moon". This newspaper also covers the previously spotted, "Courtroom drama in Mafia case".
At 2:15, a Chicago Record Herald flies by with the headline, "I had Elvis' Alien Baby". The Chicago Record Herald was purchased by William Randolph Hearst in 1918, merged with the Examiner, and renamed Herald-Examiner.
Are these headlines KB fiction? ... Are they by K. G. Bush? Are they by cagey Bush? ... To promote KOTM, KB wore a KGB-style Russian winter red star hat.images.starpulse.com/AMGPhotos/pic200/drp600/p604/p60422y5481.jpgKB... KgB... "Cagey Bush"!At 4:12 in the KOTM video, a Chicago Post flies by with the headline, "Long Live The King". The headline is accompanied by the Bertie KOTM cartoon that features in the Aerial booklet... The King Is Dead. Long Live King Albert, all noble and bright?And at 4:31, Kate gives a crazy grin! ... ;D And at 4:37, KB quotes the burning of Rosebud from Citizen Kane (1941).In fact, like the pheonix, 'Rosebud' has arisen from the ashes and is now enjoyed by Kate's happy, little man, Bertie, in the snow with Rosebud and king of the mountain...Balanced against a wall in the office next door is a replica of the Rosebud sledge burned at the dramatic conclusion of Citizen Kane, as commissioned for the video of Bush's comeback single, King of the Mountain, and brought home as a gift for her seven-year-old son Bertie. 'I'm not some weirdo recluse', The Guardian (from MOJO), 2005.arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,16373,1601608,00.html Kate Bush - "King Of The Mountain"www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPW4DdGo2Z0
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Post by tannis on Dec 11, 2008 22:00:45 GMT
I started by asking whether, having been away for so long, she had actually stopped making music complete the during this time? Kate: I did actually stop completely for a while, which is very unusual, normally I go straight from one project into another, and it was a very conscious decision to take a break. One of the first songs that I wrote was actually "King of the Mountain", and so that would probably be... nine or ten years ago, and even the vocal that I did is the same one... it was just like a throwaway vocal that I put down on the track. And then I probably didn't record anything again, for maybe... two or three years. John Wilson: Really? Kate: Mmmm John Wilson: So the song itself, that is around at the moment, that's 10 years old, in effect, then? Kate: Yes, it probably is getting on for 10 years, yeah. BBC4, "Front Row", November 4, 2005gaffa.org/reaching/iv05_bbc_front_row.html"King of the Mountain" was released as a single by EMI on 24 October 2005 - her first single since "And So Is Love," which had been released 11 years before. According to the Front Row interview, KoTM was recorded c.1995. The B-Side of the UK single is Kate's cover version of Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing", recorded with folk musician Davy Spillane for his solo album "A Place Among The Stones" (1994). The song was dropped from that album when Spillane's management decided it did not fit in with the more traditional folk material on the album. In 2005, Rolf Harris played the didgeridoo on Kate Bush's album Aerial, contributing vocals to the songs "An Architect's Dream" and "The Painter's Link". He also appears on the video to the lead single, "King of the Mountain", dancing with a white jumpsuit in a reference to Elvis Presley, one of the themes of the song. Rolf Harris: Master Entertainer www.australiantales.com/rolf-harris-master-entertainer/
Some viewers believe the video features Rolf Harris impersonating Elvis Presley. However it is much more likely that the video features only Kate Bush, and the Elvis Presley character is indeed herself in heavy disguise. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_the_Mountain_(song)
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Post by tannis on Mar 20, 2009 19:27:10 GMT
Painting with Words and Music The promo for King of the Mountain shows the journey of Elvis's animated white body suit from Graceland to the Arctic, to reunite the King, who has been living there in tabloid-fantasy seclusion. So maybe KaTe is playing with the Wuthering Heights white dress and saying that "Kate Bush is still alive!" ... EW: On your new single, King of the Mountain, you seem to be suggesting that Elvis Presley is still alive. Kate: Yes. This is very good, because a lot of people aren't sure what the song is about. I haven't wanted to interfere with a process that might be a bit of a playful puzzle, which I'm very happy to encourage because I don't think there are enough nowadays. But you seem to have got it. Well done. "The Return of Kate Bush", Entertainment Weekly (US), Michele Romero, November 11, 2005www.gaffaweb.org/reaching/iv05_entertainmentweekly.htmlPhilippe Badhorn: You started this record 9 years ago. Did you have to re-record a lot so that it sounded consistent? Kate Bush: I was very much concerned about the cohesion. So I tried to give it a global atmosphere of flow, of flux. “King of the mountain”, “Sunset” and “An architect’s dream” were there very soon. But in the definitive version of “King of the mountain”, a lot of stuff from the early work is still there, the keyboard for instance. Most of the vocals too were recorded 9 years ago. On the other hand, the drum parts and the rest were recorded the 45 last days (she says ‘years’ instead of ‘days’, Freudian slip), a very intense period. What’s been done during that period creates the cohesion. I am glad when I am told that the album doesn’t sound like a collection of moments apart. Philippe Badhorn: “King of the mountain” was the first title. It draws a picture of Elvis living in a kind of childlike Olympus. Elvis reappearing was mentioned at that time. Kate Bush: Yes, now that you say it, it’s true. I thought it was a lovely idea that someone so cherished would still be alive and happy somewhere in some limbo (in the song Elvis goes tobogganing riding Rosebud, symbol of childhood and lost innocence in the film Citizen Kane by O. Welles). I remember a show in the ’50 with Elvis. The host didn’t talk about him as an egocentric and selfish person but as an unpretentious and sweet one and I do believe he was. When he got older, he didn’t seem to be happy. Maybe he was. . . . I wanted two records for this album. One is a concept about the changing of light and birds songs during the day. The other is about very different persons, Mrs Bartolozzi, Elvis or Joan of Arc are archetypes, very strong people. Rolling Stone (France), Interview by Philippe Badhorn, February 2006www.gaffaweb.org/reaching/iv06_rollingstone_france.htmlKate: Well, I think a lot of people haven't got a clue what it's about. Mark: But you like that though, don't you? Kate: Yes I do, I think it's brilliant, and I think whatever I have in my head when I'm writing it is important to me, but I think it's very important how that works for people who then listen to it or see it or whatever for that is, and then they become part of the process. . . . Mark: So, you don't want to say what it's about? Because you think that kind of negates that process for people then? Kate: Yeah, I think so in a way. I mean, I thought it would be interesting to put this out as a first single, because people might be intrigued by the lyrics, because they're not, you know terribly straightforward. I don't think of myself as somebody who's got to come out and write hit single and I thought it might give it a bit of mileage that there might be a story there to discover. Mark: You'd rather not have to talk about it at all wouldn't you? Kate: Yes, I would, but I want people to know the records out there. And so I have to let people know that it's out there. But I know, I just get on with my life, and so this for me is just a very small part of it. And yet for people standing at the outside looking in, this is a bit that they see and then they have this impression of me just retreating away into you know, some sort of big... vampire castle or something. Kate: To me it's mad because, you know, this is just a little bit, where I come and say "Hi, the albums out, please come and buy it". . . . Mark: How did Rolf come to be involved again? Kate: You know, it's very interesting, because when people hear the records, the only two points that they stop to comment while they're listening is after "King of the Mountain". People go. That's real drums, and I think, you know, "My God" , you know, where we got to the people have to comment that there's real drums on the track, and the next point they comment is when Rolf comes in, and they go "is that Rolf Harris?" And they have this really childlike delighted look on their face. Because they know it's Rolf, but they just wanted to be confirmed. I think it says a lot about how he's touched a lot of people. He's like a national treasure of ours now, isn't he? Mark: Well, he's been around, you know, ever since we were kids. The public safety, swimming adverts and things like that. Kate: Yes, really part of our culture, and I think he's a very talented guy is well. We all recognize him as a brilliant painter and very seriously accomplished painter. Mark: A portraitist by royal appointment now, isn't he? Kate: Well, absolutely, and I suppose really that's what he sprung to mind because I needed a singing painter. Mark: And there aren't many in the Yellow Pages. Kate: There aren't many. Mark: You've got Rolf doing the painting, and that's weaved through it, and you talk about the light in Italy at one point, and you talk about the rain goes on Rolf's paintings, and smudges the colors and things. There's a track on their called "An Architect's Dream", and in that there's a line where you say, "it was the best mistake he could make". Is that a kind of key phrase that like even though you get this precise way of making the sounds in your head that sometimes it's what you might call the mistakes or the accidents that are kind of a really special moments? Kate: Yeah, well, I think in a lot of creative processes, that's the best thing can happen to you... is to make a mistake, and it's something you would never have consciously thought of, and it just happens. And it gives you somewhere to go off to that is far more interesting than something you would've thought of. BBC Radio 2, "Talking with Kate", August 5, 2006www.gaffaweb.org/reaching/iv06_bbc2_Mark_Radcliff_Talking_with_Kate.html
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Post by tannis on Mar 25, 2009 13:27:20 GMT
A BIT OF A PLAYFUL PUZZLE EW: On your new single, King of the Mountain, you seem to be suggesting that Elvis Presley is still alive. Kate: Yes. This is very good, because a lot of people aren't sure what the song is about. I haven't wanted to interfere with a process that might be a bit of a playful puzzle, which I'm very happy to encourage because I don't think there are enough nowadays. But you seem to have got it. Well done. "The Return of Kate Bush", Entertainment Weekly (US), Michele Romero, November 11, 2005www.gaffaweb.org/reaching/iv05_entertainmentweekly.htmlIn the 'Washing' Photography by John Carder Bush, one of Elvis's famous white jumpsuits is hanging on the washing line. Does this mean the King is alive and living with KaTe? Or is Bertie an Elvis impersonator? ... Elvis are you out there somewhere Looking like a happy man? In the snow with Rosebud And king of the mountain...Aloha From Hawaii Jumpsuit (a.k.a Aloha Eagle suit)
The landmark television special “Elvis Aloha From Hawaii” was telecast live to several countries via Satellite. Elvis wanted a costume that signified America, so designer Bill Belew produced a white jumpsuit with an American Eagle patterned in red, gold, and blue gems. The costume’s spectacular calf-length cape proved to be too cumbersome during rehearsals, so Elvis ordered a hip-length cape to replace it. A belt decorated with gold American eagles accented the ensemble. During the show, Elvis threw the belt into the audience and later threw the cape into the cheering crowd as he finished the closing song. Elvis ordered a second cape and belt for the jumpsuit and wore the outfit in later performances. By the end of 1974, Elvis stopped wearing capes onstage. Not only were they heavy and uncomfortable, but members of the audience tended to grab the edges of them while he was performing, resulting in some near accidents. www.epgold.com/Elvis%20Jumpsuits/elvis%20jumpsuit.htm
Elvis - Suspicious Minds Live - Hawaii 1973 - HD Stereowww.youtube.com/watch?v=qX_xV2iBSww&feature=related
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Post by Barry SR Gowing on Mar 25, 2009 20:52:20 GMT
I wonder if Kate was having a bit of fun with the interviewer who asked her if the song was about Elvis Presley? It seemed obvious to me, especially after seeing the video, that the song was about the possibility Elvis P. still being alive.
Even more intriguing for me are the repeated references to "Rosebud" - the dying words of Charles Foster Kane in "Citizen Kane". Rosebud represents the part of Kane's life when he was truly happy. It's not that he lost Rosebud, because we know at the end of the film that he got Rosebud back at some point, but he never regained the happiness he sought.
To me, this is such a brilliant film - and not just for its obvious technical achievements - but just because of the story. A young idealistic man becomes something of a monster because he never could regain the happiness and contentment of his youth - what a superb and powerful idea. To me it really is the great American story - and all the money and power in the world can't give you what you really want or fill a hole in your soul.
Now, why should this appeal to Kate, or "Citizen Kate"? Does the last lingering shot of Rosebud in the video for "King Of The Mountain" signify anything? Obviously Kate is fairly happy and had a pleasant childhood. Still, does she have her own personal Rosebud, or is the real message of the video about the difference between Kate and someone like Elvis Presley - someone who had "it all" but was never happy?
--Paul--
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Post by tannis on Mar 26, 2009 4:27:08 GMT
Yes, Paul, I too am sure that Kate was having fun with the interviewer. To me, this is such a brilliant film - and not just for its obvious technical achievements - but just because of the story. A young idealistic man becomes something of a monster because he never could regain the happiness and contentment of his youth - what a superb and powerful idea. To me it really is the great American story - and all the money and power in the world can't give you what you really want or fill a hole in your soul. The Fall of Citizen Kane. I guess, although Kane got Rosebud back at some point, he lost what it represented, what it had meant to him. Mrs. Kane's Boardinghouse kinda represents the Eden from which Kane is snatched as a young child.A dragon lives forever but not so little boys Painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys.THOMPSON: Charles Foster Kane was a man who got everything he wanted, and then lost it. Maybe Rosebud was something he couldn't get or lost. No, I don't think it explains anything. I don't think any word explains a man's life. No - I guess Rosebud is just a piece in a jigsaw puzzle - a missing piece. Citizen Kane (1941)Now, why should this appeal to Kate, or "Citizen Kate"? Does the last lingering shot of Rosebud in the video for "King Of The Mountain" signify anything? Obviously Kate is fairly happy and had a pleasant childhood. Still, does she have her own personal Rosebud, or is the real message of the video about the difference between Kate and someone like Elvis Presley - someone who had "it all" but was never happy? RAYMOND: Throw that junk in, too. Camera travels to the pile that he has indicated. It is mostly bits of broken packing cases, excelsior, etc. The sled is on top of the pile. As camera comes close, it shows the faded rosebud and, though the letters are faded, unmistakably the word "ROSEBUD" across it. The laborer drops his shovel, takes the sled in his hand and throws it into the furnace. The flames start to devour it. Citizen Kane (1941)Citizen Kane closes on Kane's "priceless junk", and we see Rosebud engulfed in hellish flames. However, although the KOTM video does pan Kate's "priceless junk", the video closes with Rosebud in heavenly snow. So maybe "Citizen KaTe" is suggesting that Elvis has returned to innocence. And perhaps Kate's own personal Rosebud is also a return to innocence...Citizen Kane - Endingwww.youtube.com/watch?v=HyJAytr1ebc
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Post by tannis on Mar 26, 2009 5:27:23 GMT
"PRIVATE - NO TRESPASSING"PROLOGUE FADE IN: EXT. XANADU - FAINT DAWN - 1940 (MINIATURE) Window, very small in the distance, illuminated. All around this is an almost totally black screen. Now, as the camera moves slowly towards the window which is almost a postage stamp in the frame, other forms appear; barbed wire, cyclone fencing, and now, looming up against an early morning sky, enormous iron grille work. Camera travels up what is now shown to be a gateway of gigantic proportions and holds on the top of it - a huge initial "K" showing darker and darker against the dawn sky. Through this and beyond we see the fairy-tale mountaintop of Xanadu, the great castle a sillhouette as its summit, the little window a distant accent in the darkness. Citizen Kane (1941)www.imsdb.com/scripts/Citizen-Kane.htmlLike Citizen Kane, Kate Bush has built an 'empire' over which she has total control. And the Aerial booklet reveals to us the exterior of Citizen KaTe's Xanadu. Of course, it is only by suggestion that this photography is of the incredible domain of KaTe Bush ~ the eight windowed brick facade could just as well be an exterior shot of The Priory, or some Victorian mental institution... Both Citizen Kane and Aerial begin with a Prologue. Citizen Kane opens on Xanadu, a fairy-tale estate now reduced to a vampire castle (as in KaTe's impression of "retreating away into, you know, some sort of big vampire castle or something"; K, 2006). Aged 5, Charles Foster Kane blissfully cavorts in the snow, deliriously happy, unaware that the Bank is to become his guardian. Maybe Kate thought of Bertie in the snow, blissfully unaware that Noble & Brite is to become his 'guardian'. Or maybe Kate thought of the day she got hitched to EMI and their hidden agenda... KATE: No, they weren't pressurizing me, quite the opposite. I wanted to make a record, and I think in a lot of ways, what they did is they signed me. Because they could see that there was potential there... then they just left me. And I think there was an element of their not wanting someone else to sign me. BBC Radio 2, "Talking with Kate", August 5, 2006www.gaffaweb.org/reaching/iv06_bbc2_Mark_Radcliff_Talking_with_Kate.htmlCitizen Kane re-scoredwww.youtube.com/watch?v=FjVjyxzutwg
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Post by tannis on Mar 26, 2009 5:27:36 GMT
ROSEBUD: The Return to InnocenceRAWLSTON: What made Kane what he was? And, for that matter, what was he? What we've just seen are the outlines of a career - what's behind the career? What's the man? Was he good or bad? Strong or foolish? Tragic or silly? Why did he do all those things? What was he after? (then, appreciating his point) Maybe he told us on his death bed... Nothing is ever better than finding out what makes people tick. Go after the people that knew Kane well. That manager of his - the little guy, Bernstein, those two wives, all the people who knew him, had worked for him, who loved him, who hated his guts... It'll probably turn out to be a very simple thing... Citizen Kane (1941)www.imsdb.com/scripts/Citizen-Kane.html"I have no room to breathe," Elvis had said in 1970, seven years before he died, to Ray Walker. "Breathe anyway," Walker had told him. "I can’t," Elvis said. "Kings don’t fall and gods don’t breathe." Kate has always stood on the shoulder of giants: Emily Bronte, Houdini, The Archers, Hitchcock, Jack Clayton, Reich, James Joyce, Hitler, Peter Pan, Hammer Horror, Shakespeare, Dr Crippen, Delius, Satie, etc. and, of course, Zeus. With KOTM, she draws on Presley and Kane's Rosebud...Elvis are you out there somewhere Looking like a happy man? In the snow with Rosebud And king of the mountainLinda Thompson: Elvis used to say, "I’m really just a little baby. Onstage I might be this sex symbol or something, but when I close the door at night I like reverting back to just being a child." Mae Borden Axton: I felt like a mother to Elvis. I had known Gladys, his mother, and maybe that has to do with why I felt that way. In that last year he was sick so much of the time, and in April he was hospitalized and his Daddy called me and asked would I come to see him. Well, I got there, and Elvis was lying in the bed, and he looked so sick and awful. And he took my hand and I sat on a chair next to the bed. And I never will forget what he said. He said, "Mae, I’ve been everywhere and I haven’t seen anything. I’ve met a million people and I have no friends." Ginger Alden: A week before Elvis died he took me to his trophy room. He had so many gold records and awards. He just kind of stood there in the middle of the room and looked around real slow and then he said, "Sometimes it’s like all this happened to somebody else." No Happy Elvis Storieswww.aliciapatterson.org/APF0406/Kaye/Kaye.htmlTo look like is to resemble or to imitate; and in the KOTM video, a heavily disguised Kate Bush is out there somewhere looKing like Elvis Presley (or Rolf Harris! ). KOTM was recorded c.1995. In the song Kate imagines Elvis wearing the mask of a happy man, again implying there were no happy Elvis stories. This is underscored by the references to Kane's Rosebud. Kate plays with The King of Rock 'n' Roll, regressing him (or returning him) to a childish 'King of the Mountain' (as in the innocent Bertie drawing). However, though Presley and Kane both achieved greatness, the two seem very different, with Kate Bush somewhere in between (I mean, Elvis performed countless tours, while KB managed just the one). So, beneath the "priceless junk", is KOTM really about the return to innocence? ...KATE: "If I feel I'm being observed, I get very nervous. I'm more likely to play with ideas if there's no one around. And it's boring for someone to have to sit and operate the tape machines. [With the remote] I could do it myself. That made a huge difference," said the 35-year-old singer, sitting in an Upper East Side hotel lounge. "I didn't have to do the quick thing that would work. I could try 10 things, I could do things without worrying what anybody would think. It made me realize we get to a certain age, and then the rest of our lives we do everything we can to get back to the way we were when we were little ... using wisdom to come back to innocence." Bush maintains that she lost her innocence before she knew how valuable it was. And now, she said, she's immersed in the job of getting it back. She's investigating past-lives therapy and communicating with her angels. Bush is aware that many of her ardent fans misunderstand songs such as "Lily," analyzing them word-for-word, like clues in an autobiographical puzzle. "People seem to read a more ethereal dreaminess into my lyrics. I like messages in songs that are much more based in reality." Often, that reality is suffused with melancholy. Philadelphia Inquirer, "A Return to Innocence", Tom Moon, Jan. 1994 www.gaffaweb.org/reaching/i94_pi.htmlKANE (quoting the Persian translation): "The drunkeness of youth has passed like a fever, And yet I saw many things, Seeing my glory in the days of my glory, I thought my power eternal And the days of my life Fixed surely in the years But a whisper came to me From Him who dies not. I called my tributary kings together And those who were proud rulers under me, I opened the boxes of my treasure to them, saying: "Take hills of gold, moutains of silver, And give me only one more day upon the earth." But they stood silent, Looking upon the ground; So that I died And Death came to sit upon my throne. O sons of men You see a stranger upon the road, You call to him and he does not step. He is your life Walking towards time, Hurrying to meet the kings of India and China. O sons of men You are caught in the web of the world And the spider Nothing waits behind it. Where are the men with towering hopes? They have changed places with owls, Owls who have lived in tombs And now inhabit a palace." Citizen Kane (1941)www.imsdb.com/scripts/Citizen-Kane.htmlELVIS PRESLEY & PRISCILLA PRESLEYwww.youtube.com/watch?v=dfTb-w-MBb4For the first few years they were very happy, but when Elvis` career took off again, he and Priscilla saw less of each other. Both cheated on each other: Priscilla with her karate instructor, Mike Stone; Elvis with many lovers. These infidelities caused them to divorce in 1973, but they remained friends until Elvis's death.
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Post by Barry SR Gowing on Mar 26, 2009 11:58:59 GMT
So, beneath the "priceless junk", is KOTM really about the return to innocence? ... Yes, I think that could be a part of it. It could be that having Bertie reminded Kate of this. Of course, she'd already written KOTM before he was born, but her use of his drawing for the song is interesting. I think also she doesn't want to miss out on life just for the sake of her "career". Certainly the exposure to the public after Kate's first album, and the public scrutiny of her life and her lyrics must have had an effect on her. To some extent it probably explains her lyrical shift into more spiritual, metaphysical, mystical and philosophical areas. It may not have been a lot of fun to have more overt songs like "Feel It" dissected by critics. --Paul--
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Post by tannis on Mar 26, 2009 13:27:12 GMT
KB: Katie and Bertie
Yes, Katie's use of Bertie's drawing for the song/single is interesting, blurring the line between Elvis 'The King', Bertie 'The Sun', and Kate 'The Producer'. The Bertie drawing is also used in the video: at 4:12, a Chicago Post flies by with the headline, "Long Live The King", which is accompanied by the Bertie cartoon. The video also seems to feature a bust of Prince Albert, suggesting that Bertie is Katie's little sun king or prince consort.
Philippe Badhorn: “King of the mountain” was the first title. It draws a picture of Elvis living in a kind of childlike Olympus. Elvis reappearing was mentioned at that time. Rolling Stone (France), Interview by Philippe Badhorn, February 2006 www.gaffaweb.org/reaching/iv06_rollingstone_france.html
Maybe the Bertie drawing evokes Zeus, on top of Mount Olympus, controlling the weather.
On Universal Mother (Sinéad O'Connor, 1994), track 5 is written and performed by her son, Jake ["Am I a Human?" (Jake Reynolds) – 0:24]. On Aerial (Kate Bush, 2005), Bertie is credited with playing the role of 'The Sun'. He also provides vocals to Prelude:Mummy... Daddy... The day is full of birds Sounds like they’re saying words...become panoramic
HYPERION was the Titan god of light, one of the sons of Ouranos (Heaven) and Gaia (Earth), and the father of the lights of heaven--Eos the Dawn, Helios the Sun, and Selene the Moon. His wife was Theia, lady of the aither--the shining blue of the sky. Hyperion's name means "watcher from above" or "he who goes above" from the greek words hyper and iôn.
King of the Mountain - Mountain Goats by Douglas Chadwick National Wildlife, August-Sept, 1997 The icy ledge I was creeping along in Montana's Glacier National Park was narrowing fast, and the half dozen mountain goats up ahead seemed about to run out of room altogether. Just when I figured they had all the climbing challenge any hoofed animal could handle, a flurry of fights broke out. A shove on the rump sent a yearling skidding down a ravine, while an adult female, or nanny, overshot her own charge at a subadult and suddenly ended up clinging to a snowy sliver of stone about 15 feet below where she started. Little did I know that during the seven years I would study these creatures, such cliffhanger dramas would grow to seem almost normal. A final reason nannies pay such keen attention to their offspring is that the kids need protection from other goats, especially subadults, which are prone to harass the youngest group members. A mother is quick to chase off yearlings and two-year-olds that approach too closely. She may show more tolerance toward other nannies' kids. At times, she doesn't have much choice, for the babies seek each other out, joining in king-of-the-mountain games and bumbling imitations of adult fighting and courtship behavior. Large nursery groups form now and then during the summer months when food is plentiful and play is the order of the day.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1169/is_n5_v35/ai_19635770
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Post by tannis on Mar 26, 2009 19:27:06 GMT
Running up that hill: tips for the climb If you are relatively new to hill running, do NOT go out and run "repeat hills"--the Sisphean task of running up, jogging down, running up, jogging down, until you trip over your own tongue. Leave that kind of session (at least for now) to experienced runners, masochists, or both. Instead, simply run hills as you encounter them on your daily run and consider these tips: 6.) Songs for the summit? If you train with your iPod, consider plugging into some tunes with hill-scaling themes. High on my list would be: "Misty Mountain Hop (Led Zeppelin), Solsbury Hill (Peter Gabriel), "Running Up That Hill" (Kate Bush) and "King of the Mountain" (Midnight Oil).www.examiner.com/x-4415-Philadelphia-Running-Fitness-Examiner~y2009m3d25-Running-up-that-hill-tips-for-the-climbMidnight Oil, or the Oils to fans, was an Australian rock band from Sydney. In March 1990 Blue Sky Mining was released by CBS/Columbia, it peaked at #1 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) albums charts.Midnight Oil - King Of The Mountain www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4QRRi9B0As "King of the Mountain" ~ Midnight Oil, from Blue Sky Mining (1990); chart position: #25 Australia.
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