The girl with the child in her eyes
Bosses at EMI handed me key to garden and said I had half an hour to take Kate pics
ANDY PHILLIPS THE ROOKIE WHO TOOK KATE BUSH SNAPS
A CAREFREE and youthful Kate Bush beams in previously unseen pictures taken as she first enjoyed the Wuthering Heights of fame.
The snaps are from 1980, when Kate was just 22. She wears shiny black trousers, knee-high boots and a snazzy top complete with chest zips.
It’s quite a contrast to the flowing and flamboyant outfits she famously wore in videos for chart hits like Babooshka, The Man With The Child In His Eyes and, later, Running Up That Hill.
Andy Phillips, who took the pictures, was a young rookie shocked to get the chance to photograph the singer for publicity shots for record label EMI. He said: “It was August 28, 1980 and I was rather taken aback when, on arriving at the EMI press office, I was introduced to Kate and then just handed the keys to the gardens.”
His only instructions from EMI bosses were: “You have about 30 minutes, don’t be late.”
Unlike modern shoots there were no make-up artists or stylists in sight.
Andy and Kate were left alone in the private gardens of EMI’S HQ in Manchester Square, central London.
NATURAL
The snapper said: “These pictures are some of the most informal and natural taken of Kate and are sure to bring a smile to the faces of devoted fans.”
The fascinating shots emerged ahead of Kate’s 60th birthday on July 30.
They were taken just a month before Kate became the first British solo woman to hit No1 in the album charts with Never For Ever. She had enjoyed massive singles success, of course – topping the charts in 1978 with debut hit Wuthering Heights.
The song catapulted her to stardom and a level of enduring popularity that would see her win countless “best female artist” awards down the years.
And fans were thrilled when, after stepping back from the music scene, Kate made a comeback in 2014 and sold out 22 gigs in just 15 minutes. They were her first live shows in 35 years.
The same year she became the first woman with eight albums in the Top 40 at once. It left her followers wanting more – and they are still waiting for new tracks from the reclusive singer.