Fairlight CMI

Introduced in 1982, this Computer Musical Instrument is vastly more sophisticated than the typical synthesizer, incorporating a full computer workstation with monitor and alphanumeric keyboard in addition to the piano-type musical keyboard. On the Fairlight CMI, sounds could be digitally sampled from sources in real life, edited, or even created whole by drawing a sound wave on the monitor screen with a lightpen. This versatility did not come cheap -- when first introduced, the Fairlight CMI sold for $27,750 American. As a result of its expense and difficulty of use, this instrument has always been for the privileged few rather than the majority, but its sophistication and versatility have kept it a valuable tool nearly fifteen years after its invention -- something which cannot be said about most synthesizers, which tend to become obsolete in a much shorter period.

Kate first began using the Fairlight on the album Never For Ever, having been introduced to it through her collaboration with Peter Gabriel. By the time of the albums The Dreaming and Hounds Of Love it had become her primary writing tool, pushing aside the piano. In addition, Duncan Mackay used the Fairlight on the songs All We Ever Look For and Army Dreamers, and Geoff Downes used it to create the stirring trumpet sounds on the song Sat In Your Lap.

Kate Bush on the hardships of using the Fairlight: "I used to programme it myself, but since the new software...I can't keep up. They keep changing it as soon as I learn to programme it."

[Back to Index Page]

Farrell, Gordon

Credited with "Houdini" on the song Houdini; the line "Rosabel Believe" is spoken by Del Palmer.

[Back to Index Page]

Fast, Larry

A British keyboard player who has released several albums under the appelation Synergy, in addition to extensive session work supporting artists such as Brian Eno and Peter Gabriel. Fast played the Prophet 5 synthesizer on the song Breathing.

[Back to Index Page]

Feel It

A song on the album The Kick Inside.

This song is also listed in the Discography section.

[Back to Index Page]

Feeling Like A Waltz

Also known as A Waltz Growing Old or A Rose Growing Old or It Hurts Me. This is a provisional title given to a demo version of a song which was never released. It is available only on bootleg recordings; see the Phoenix section for more information.

[Back to Index Page]

Fenby, Eric

(d. 18 February 1997) A composer in his own right, Eric Fenby spent many years as assistant to Frederick Delius when the latter was blind and paralyzed. Fenby is mentioned in the song Delius. He subsequently met Kate on an edition of The Russell Harty Show, where he deemed the song "a gracious tribute" and said that Delius would have applauded Kate "for at least doing her own thing."

[Back to Index Page]

Fender Rhodes

An electric keyboard with a notably warm sound that first became popular in the 1970s, and is now once again sought after for its distinctly "retro" feel. The Fender Rhodes is played by Duncan Mackay on the songs Symphony In Blue, In Search Of Peter Pan, and Don't Push Your Foot On The Heartbrake; played by Max Middleton on the songs Babooshka, Blow Away, Egypt, The Wedding List, and Breathing; and by Kate herself on the songs Top Of The City, The Song Of Solomon, and You're The One.

[Back to Index Page]

Ferry Aid

A charitable effort to aid survivors of the victims of the Zeebrugge ferry disaster by releasing an all-star cover version of the Beatles song Let It Be.

[Back to Index Page]

Ferry, Bryan

A British singer who first entered the public eye as lead singer for the pioneer art-rock group Roxy Music, alongside studio wizard Brian Eno, then went on to a successful career as a solo artist. In a 1979 radio appearance Kate selected Ferry's cover version of the Beatles tune She's Leaving Home as a favorite record. Kate has several times cited Roxy Music and Ferry in particular as an early inspiration for her own work, and in 1985 named Ferry as an artist she would particularly enjoy working with in the studio.

[Back to Index Page]

Ferry Me Over

Also known as Dali. This is a provisional title given to a demo version of a song which was never released. It is available only on bootleg recordings; see the Phoenix section for more information.

This song is also listed in the Discography section.

[Back to Index Page]

Flowers (performance)

A performance piece by Lindsay Kemp which so impressed Kate that she signed up for dance and movement lessons with him.

[Back to Index Page]

Flowers (song)

A tribute to the dancer and choreographer Lindsay Kemp on the album Figures by Zaine Griff.

[Back to Index Page]

Fog, The

A song on the album The Sensual World.

The Fog is one of the few post-Hounds Of Love songs by Kate Bush to have been covered by another artist: the French singer Mylene Farmer performed the song in her 1996 shows, and is said to have considered including a performance of it in a subsequent home video release.

This song is also listed in the Discography section.

[Back to Index Page]

French, Dawn

(b. 11 October 1957) A British comedian best known as half of the comedy team French and Saunders, and for her work in the Comic Strip series, for which she has written several scripts. Dawn French appears as the ill-fated assistant to Dr. Jerry Coe in the video for Experiment IV.

Dawn French is married to Lenny Henry, another contributor to Kate's work; they have an adopted daughter named Billie.

[Back to Index Page]

Frightened Eyes

This is a provisional title given to a demo version of a song which was never released. It is available only on bootleg recordings; see the Phoenix section for more information.

This song is also listed in the Discography section.

[Back to Index Page]

Fruitopia

A line of fruit drinks produced by Minute Maid, a subsidiary of the Coca-Cola company, originally marketed with vaguely psychedelic or "New Age" names and iconography. In 1994, Kate composed and performed the music for a set of television commercials for Fruitopia, seen only on American television. (Counterpart television spots in Europe and the UK featured the voice of Elisabeth Fraser, singer with the Cocteau Twins.) Kate's voice can be heard in the music for these spots, though the tunes do not have lyrics as such.

Complete details of the Fruitopia campaign, including a list with descriptions of each of the commercials, can be found in the Moments section.

[Back to Index Page]

Fujare

A large duct flute native to Slovakia. The upper end of the long stopped tube (140 to 200 cm long) is connected to a smaller tube carrying the mouthpiece, while the widely-spaced finger holes are positioned in the lower part of the main pipe. The fujare is played by Paddy Bush on the songs The Morning Fog and Lily.

[Back to Index Page]

Fullhouse

A song on the album Lionheart.

This song is also listed in the Discography section.

[Back to Index Page]

[Previous Page] [Next Page]