The folk musician Kate Bush calls “one of the greatest English songwriters”
Kate Bush is indisputably one of the all-time greatest English songwriters. Forging uniquely ethereal soundscapes with distinctive vocals and lyrical storytelling, she earned a permanent place in music history as the first woman to top the charts with a self-written song. Following the overwhelming success of her debut, Bush has delivered countless classics that walk the line between her individual artistry and commercial success.
From the soaring, literary-influenced ‘Wuthering Heights’ to the consistently enchanting Hounds of Love, Bush has remained one of the most unique yet universally loved artists to come out of the UK. Her influence has since been revitalised by the inclusion of ‘Running Up That Hill’ in the Netflix series Stranger Things, prompting further love and chart success to be heaped on the deserving songwriter.
Over 40 years after her debut single spent a month at number one, Bush remains just as culturally relevant and beloved as she was upon its first release. Although she may be one of the biggest names in music history, both in her home country and further afield, she has often used this influence to shine a light on some lesser-known but equally talented songwriters, including folk artist Roy Harper.
Bush considered the guitarist to be a real poet and “one of the greatest English songwriters we’ve had” and was disheartened by his lack of commercial success. Speaking in a TV special for the BBC, she picked out Harper’s ‘Another Day’ as one of her favourite songs and dubbed the artist’s obscurity “tragic”.
Though she openly professed her love for her hugely successful peers – the likes of David Bowie and Pink Floyd – Bush noted her responsibility to shine a light on more unknown musicians. “I deliberately chose people who I think are very underestimated,” she explained, “Who aren’t really recognised as the great talent that they are.”
“And for me, Roy is one of the greatest English songwriters we’ve had, and people just don’t realise it. And I really think that when they do we’re going to have another top songwriter up there. He’s brilliant,” she concluded.
Harper certainly is a brilliantly poetic songwriter who has never quite received the acclaim he deserved. Pairing soft guitars with beautifully sculpted lyrics, he was particularly influential on huge artists like Bush but never quite reached the same level of success. Still, that doesn’t negate the beauty and talent within his songwriting or his place as one of the greatest English songwriters.
More than just shouting out Harper’s talent in a BBC TV special, Bush also once covered ‘Another Day’ alongside Peter Gabriel as an ode to his influence. Watch the cover below.
