EVER since the hit single Wuthering Heights launchedher career, Kate Bush hasbeen obsessed by the Emily Bronte novel which inspired it.

At one time she even registered hername on the electoral roll as CatherineEarnshaw, Bronte's tormented heroine.

And now she has spent £2.5million on aWuthering Heights of her own.

Although the house is in Devon, rather thanthe West Yorkshire moors of the book, its setting is equally windswept and romantic.

And it will provide the seclusion which 47-year-old Miss Bush has craved ever sinceshe found fame.

Her main residence is a mansion behindiron gates and high walls on an island in theThames near Reading, where she lives withguitarist Danny Mcintosh, 49, andtheir seven-year-old son Bertie. Now the family have an equallysecluded second home nearKingsbridge in South Devon.

Set in 17 acres, the house, builtin the 1920s, has access to a private pebble beach with boathouse. The estate also includestwo small islands.

Miss Bush was so keen to own itthat she paid £lmillion over theprice asked by its previous owners, a couple from London. Parishcouncillor Julian Brazil said: 'Weare pleased that she has chosenthis part of the country. It is beautiful and very scenic.

'But we all intend to respect herprivacy. No one is going to get tooover-excited by this.' The localsare used to having stars in theirmidst. Former England rugbycoach Sir Clive Woodward has a holiday home in nearby Salcombe,former BBC royal watcher JennieBond is a few miles away at EastPrawie and Blur's Damon Albarn owns a place at Beesands. MissBush burst on to the pop scene asa 19-year-old in 1978 when Wuthering Heights spent four weeks atNumber One. But the ensuingwhirlwind of TV appearances, promotional interviews and a gruellingtour took its toll and she withdrewfrom the spotlight.

In the ten years since herlast album she has spent hertime bringing up her child andsculpting. Despite her self-imposed isolation, she retains anarmy of fans and her new double album, Aerial , is expected to topthe charts when it hits the shopson November 7. The release willbe preceded by a single, King ofthe Mountain, out on October 24.

Friends say she is filled withdread by the prospect of a returnto the limelight, but she knows shewill have to show her face to theloyal fans who have given her a£25million fortune. In a rare interview she recently explained herobsession with privacy. 'The reclusive thing is because I don't goclubbing and I don't do a lot ofpublicity,' she said. 'I'm a quiet,private person who has managedto hang around for a few years.

'Ridiculous, really. I didn't thinkit would be like this.' Not surprisingly, her son has never beenphotographed in public. She said: 'Iam just trying to be a good, protective mother. I want to give him asnormal a childhood as possiblewhile preserving his privacy.'

Miss Bush, a doctor's daughter,believes her hatred of publicscrutiny stems from her troubledchildhood in Welling, Kent, whenshe was bullied for being skinny.

A loner, she spent hours playingan old organ and writing songsfrom the age of ten. She was signedby EMI at 16 when a family friendin the record business arranged fora demo tape to be made.

She managed to overcome hershyness to perform in public andbecame an enduring pop icon.

But she says her fear of 'beinglaughed at' has followed her all herlife. 'My father has told me I usedto dance to music on the telly.

'I was completely unself-conscious and I wasn't aware ofpeople looking at me.

'One day some people came intothe room, saw me and laughed -and from that moment on Istopped doing it.

'I think I've been trying to getback there ever since.'

Kate Bush :: Rare Record Price Guide

You can expect the prices for the items listed below if you are selling privately. If you sell to a dealer or shop expect less than half of the prices listed below.

All prices are on the basis that the item is in mint condition.

All items UK releases unless stated.

List also includes CDs, & 12"s.

Prices are in UK sterling and US dollars.

The price guide below gives you an estimate of the price an item has achieved. It should be used as a staring point; doing your own leg work on specific items is unavoidable.

The price guide is just a starting point and I will add to it when I get time. No scans yet. But it will really only grow with your help. If you have anything of Bush's, be it a magazine, CD, vinyl, whatever, from any part of the world and would like it included here then please e-mail me here. If you have an idea of its value then it would be great if you could include that as well. If you have a picture/scan of the item then please include that and I will also put that up.

Happy collecting.

1978
EMI EMI 2729 - Wuthering Heights/Kite (p/s)...£40

1978
EMI EMI 2806 - The Man With The Child In His Eyes/Moving (p/s)...£20

1978
EMI EMI 2887 - Hammer Horror/Coffee Homeground (p/s)...£10

1979
EMI EMI 2911 - Wow/Fullhouse (p/s)...£10

1979
EMI MIEP 2991 - KATE BUSH ON STAGE (EP, gatefold sleeve)...£15

1979
EMI PSR 442/3 - KATE BUSH ON STAGE (EP, double pack, gatefold sleeve, promo only)...£70

1980
Sound For Industry SF1 562 - Selected Highlights from "Never Forever" (flexidisc, black vinyl)...£15

1980
Sound For Industry SF1 562 - Selected Highlights from "Never Forever" (square flexidisc, black vinyl)...£15

1981
EMI EMI 5201 - Sat In Your Lap/Lord Of The Reedy River (p/s)...£6

1982
EMI EMI 5350 - There Goes A Tenner/Ne T'Enfuis Pas (thick card, p/s)...£10

1984
EMI KBS 1 - THE SINGLE FILE (13 x 7" box set with lyric booklet)...£150

1985
EMI KB 1 - Running Up That Hill/Under The Ivy (gatefold p/s)...£5

1985
EMI 12 KB 2 - Cloudbusting (Organon Mix)/Burning Bridges/My Lagan Love (12", p/s)...£7

1986
EMI KBP 4 - The Big Sky (Single Mix)/Not This Time (picture disc)...£15

1989
EMI CDEM 102 - The Sensual World/(Instrumental)/Walk Straight Down The Middle (CD)...£10

1989
EMI EMPD 119 - This Woman's Work/Be Kind To My Mistakes (picture disc, with insert, PVC sl.)...£5

1989
EMI 12EMP 119 - This Woman's Work/Be Kind To My Mistakes/I'm Still Waiting (12", poster p/s)...£8

1989
EMI CDEM 119 - This Woman's Work/Be Kind To My Mistakes/I'm Still Waiting (CD)...£10

1990
EMI CDEM 134 - Love And Anger/Ken/The Confrontation/One Last Look Around The House (CD)...£10

1991
Rocket TRICD 2 - Rocket Man/Candle In The Wind/Rocket Man (Instrumental) (CD, digipack)...£10

1993
EMI GIRL 1 - Rubberband Girl (CD, 1-track "lyrical teaser", promo only)...£15

1993
EMI EM 280 - Eat The Music/Big Stripey Lie (p/s, picture labels, release cancelled, 17 copies only)...£1,500

1993
EMI 12 EMPD 280 - Eat The Music/Eat The Music (Madagascan Remix)/Big Stripey Lie (12", picture disc, unissued)

1993
EMI CDEM 280 - Eat The Music (Madagascan Remix)/Big Stripey Lie (CD, unissued)

1993
EMI MUSIC 1 - Eat The Music (CD, 1-track promo for unissued singe, no inlay, withdrawn)...£150

1993
EMI CDEM 297 - Moments Of Pleasure/December Will Be Magic Again/Experiment IV (CD, box set with 4 prints)...£8

1994
EMI EMPD 355 - And So Is Love/Rubberband Girl (USA Mix) (picture disc, PVC sleeve with 60" x 40" poster, unnumbered or 5,000 numbered)...£25/8

1979
EMI EM CP 3223 - THE KICK INSIDE (LP, picture disc, stickered sleeve)...£50

1979
EMI EM CP 3223 - THE KICK INSIDE (LP, picture disc, stickered sleeve, second pressing with "manufactured in the U.K. by EMI Records Ltd" wording)...£40

1979
EMI EM CP 3223 - THE KICK INSIDE (LP, picture disc, mispress with same picture both sides)...£150

1990
EMI KBBX 1 - THIS WOMAN'S WORK (9-LP, box set)...£100

1990
EMI CKBBX 1 - THIS WOMAN'S WORK (cassette, box set)...£40

1990
EMI CDKBBX 1 - THIS WOMAN'S WORK (CD, box set)...£100

Links

Kate Bush's new house pictures & article >> Kate Bush Rare Record Price Guide

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Aerial Emi Press Release - (31/08/05)

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