Kate Bush - December Will Be Magic Again (EMI 5121; 1980)
There's nothing particularly rare or odd about this Kate Bush single from 30 years ago, it's certainly been on its fair share of Christmas compilation CDs. But it's always been a favourite of mine due to the combination of mystery and excitement that pours forth from Bush's multi-octave voice, extolling the wonders of Bing Crosby and Oscar Wilde. She eventually transforms herself into a snowflake, and her vocals blanket our ears in drifts of sound. For a one-off Christmas tune, it remains a marvel of performance and production.
As an added bonus, here's a rare clip of Bush performing December Will Be Magic Again on a 1979 TV special, with a live vocal over a different mix of the song. Enjoy!
6 comments so far:
Thanks for this lovely Christmas present.
No one quite like Kate Bush -- sexy, haunting, timeless, arty, graceful, child-like, knowing, unknowable....
Thanks for yet another fine series!
Thanks Max! I've got everything she's done...I thought The Red Shoes was a bit of a misfire, but her last album Aerial was close to being a masterpiece. It was worth the wait!
My two cents/pence on Kate (on our 70s blog - 80s/90s coming soon):
http://andwhatwillbeleftofthem.blogspot.com/2010/12/running-up-that-hill-with-no-problems.html
Thanks for some great Christmas tracks! Have you posted the entire SWACMAS 2010 yet? Would love to check out the rest of your picks.
Hi Nick,
I didn't post Merry Swacmas 2010, but I'm willing to provide a link to a download for anyone who wants it. Just send me an email and I'll send the link your way.
Thanks for your interest!
*s*
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