S05E05 – Cloudbusting

This week we’re marching in time to the beat of the tender but urgent Cloudbusting. The second single from Hounds of Love and a UK Top 40 hit in late 1985, Cloudbusting is more than just an insanely catchy sing-a-long. There is an intriguing and strange backstory, touching lyrics, and….. Donald Sutherland? We have two mega fans of the song, both Patreon supporters. Tomer Feiner is calling in from Israel to talk about how he first heard the song and what it means to him. Then we have Paul Muehlbach, a German listener and a first-timer on the show! Both are young Kate fans who love this song almost as much as our host, who has much to say about what this song means to her. In this episode, we talk about the song’s subject: Peter Reich. Peter’s father was the famous psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich and the subject of a random book Kate picked up in the 70s, A Book of Dreams. We discuss how his relationship with his father was the basis for this song (and the mystery behind lines like “you’re like my yo-yo that glowed in the dark”) and what Peter thought of Kate’s song. We also talk about how it did on the charts, the video, and what this song means to us. Are you ready to go cloudbusting? We hope so! Patreon Plug! Strange Phenomena now has a Patreon page. If you’d like to support the show, visit www.patreon.com/katebushpodcast and become a subscriber today! Book excerpts included: A Book of Dreams – The Book That Inspired Kate Bush’s Hit Song ‘Cloudbusting’ Song clips included: Cloudbusting (album version) Cloudbusting (The Organon Remix) Utah Saints – Something Good Cover band Cloudbusting performing Cloudbusting in Dublin Cloudbusting (Young Edits remix) Cloudbusting (orchestral fan-made version) Charlotte Martin – Cloudbusting Cloudbusting (Live in 2014) Interviews used: Interview on MTV, 1985 BBC Classic Albums: Hounds of Love Music video/Performances: Cloudbusting (Official Music Video) Cloudbusting (live on Italian TV, 1985)