This song is a new obsession of mine, and I've been listening to — and watching it — almost as much as my last single song obsession, "DVNO" by Justice. I learned that Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" has been covered many times, so I set out on video repository YouTube to find memorable takes on what is undoubtedly an eccentric, eclectic classic. May Kate Bush fans find this post and enjoy!
 

6. A true class act. Like zombies, only not so mindless, this English class gets dramatic and goes through the motions, making me think what a whole prisonful of inmates would look like swooping their arms and cartwheeling across the grounds.

5. Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain. I reckon it's a shame the ukelele is all-too-often regarded as a mere toy, and not the majestic-yet-whimsical instrument it really is. Thankfully, with some other instruments and plenty of panache, the UOoGB shows us otherwise, punctuating crispy and interjecting "leotard!". And oh, the singer's a male, and calling himself "Cathy" amidst the bouncy rhythms and utterings of "WUUHTERHTING" doesn't sound out of place at all. Somewhat reminiscent of Richard Cheese's band.

4. Hayley Westenra's sweet live rendition. Her voice has less of an angular lilt than Kate's, but she does a spirited job just fine. Punchy drums and string accompaniment fill out her hitting the high notes, and with an occasional clanging of bells in the chorus, I can't help but wonder what this would've been like with Mike Oldfield performing too (he and Westenra collaborated on Music of the Spheres).

3. Tineke Schouten's manicurial parody. It's prolly even funnier if you understand Dutch, but the English subtitles are plenty delightful as they are. She reinterprets Kate Bush's source dance moves to tell a neurotic tale of nail care. Highlights include watching her spin across the stage with the lights shining on, and during the chorus when she rotates her arm around: "Watering… watering… watering!" I'd wave my flowerpot like that too.

2. "Wuthering Eights" dance mix by Kate Project. This dates back to 1992, so get ready for some italo-house piano riffs (incidentally similar to Utah Saints' "Something Good", which sampled Bush's "Cloudbusting"). The beats are phat, the bassline pulses and provides a solid foundation for soundalike Kate vox (I think). Even better, DJAJ saw fit to create this video edit and upload it less than a week ago! Impeccable timing.

1. Alex's (stassman75) non-disgraceful falsetto… while garbed in a net. This was a bit hard to find amidst all the covers I dug through, but this is more than worth it. Decked out in a latticed white robe and playing the right notes with surprising accuracy on his Korg synth (he says he learned by ear), the way he briefly snorts like a pig and flaps away at the end is amazing. He could've humiliated himself badly — and there's a fine line — but I think Kate Bush herself would be proud.


 

Lastly, in the fine tradition of other individualistic musicians like Pet Shop Boys and Suzanne Vega, I hope Kate Bush comes to Second Life. Maybe to promote her next album after Aerial? :) I understand she's reclusive normal, which in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing — it just lends itself to different means of communication… and perhaps she'll be comfortable inworld.