experiment iv kate bush video

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Experiment IV

Song written by Kate Bush. Originally released as a single on 27 October 1986, ahead of the compilation album The Whole Story, where it was one of two new recordings and the only new song. The song tells a story about a secret military plan to create a sound that is horrific enough to kill people. 

‘Experiment IV’ was released as a 7″ single and a 12″ single. The B-side of the 7″ single featured Wuthering Heights (New Vocal); the 12″ single featured a 12″ mix of ‘Experiment IV’ along with Wuthering Heights (New Vocal) and December Will Be Magic Again .

There are three versions of ‘Experiment IV’: the single version, the video version and the 12″ mix.

Music video

The music video, directed by Kate, for the song adapts the “storyline” of the song and chronicles the destruction of a secret military installation by a creature made of sound. The science fiction film-in-miniature includes appearances from Dawn French, Hugh Laurie, Gary Oldman, Richard Vernon , Peter Vaughan and Del Palmer . Kate appears on screen as an orderly officer serving tea, as the sound creature and at the end entering a van. The set was an old military hospital near Blackheath which was actually designed by Florence Nightingale. The video was banned from Top of The Pops because it was considered too violent. The music video was nominated for the Best Concept Music Video at the 1988 Grammy Awards.

Performances

Kate performed ‘Experiment IV’ on the BBC television programme Wogan on October 31, 1986. The elaborate set featured a desk with paperwork, at least two Fairlight CMI’s and the KT Bush band dressed in lab coats. Midway through the song the violinist Nigel Kennedy appears to play his solo. Although this is a lipsynch performance, great care and preparation was taken to make this a visually appealing performance.

Cover versions

‘Experiment IV’ was covered by Big City Orchestre , Kat Devlin and Hybrid .

Kate about ‘Experiment IV’

This was written as an extra track for the compilation album The Whole Story and was released as the single. I was excited at the opportunity of directing the video and not having to appear in it other than in a minor role, especially as this song told a story that could be challenging to tell visually. I chose to film it in a very handsome old military hospital that was derelict at the time. It was a huge, labyrinthine hospital with incredibly long corridors, which was one reason for choosing it. Florence Nightingale had been involved in the design of the hospital. Not something she is well known for but she actually had a huge impact on hospital design that was pioneering and changed the way hospitals were designed from then on. The video was an intense project and not a comfortable shoot, as you can imagine – a giant of a building, damp and full of shadows with no lighting or heating but it was like a dream to work with such a talented crew and cast with Dawn French, Hugh Laurie, Peter Vaughn and Richard Vernon in the starring roles. It was a strange and eerie feeling bringing parts of the hospital to life again. Not long after our work there it was converted into luxury apartments. I can imagine that some of those glamorous rooms have uninvited soldiers and nurses dropping by for a cup of tea and a Hobnob. We had to create a recording studio for the video, so tape machines and outboard gear were recruited from my recording studio and the mixing console was very kindly lent to us by Abbey Road Studios. It was the desk the Beatles had used – me too, when we’d made the album Never For Ever in Studio Two. It was such a characterful desk that would’ve looked right at home in any vintage aircraft. Although it was a tough shoot it was a lot of fun and everyone worked so hard for such long hours. I was really pleased with the result. ( KateBush.com, February 2019 )

We were working secretly For the military We only know in theory What we are doing: Music made for pleasure Music made to thrill It was music we were making here until

They told us All they wanted Was a sound that could kill someone From a distance So we go ahead And the meters are over in the red It’s a mistake in the making

It could feel like falling in love It could feel so bad But it could feel so good It could sing you to sleep But that dream is your enemy

We won’t be there to be blamed We won’t be there to snitch I just pray that someone there Can hit the switch

But they told us All they wanted Was a sound that could kill someone From a distance So we go ahead, And the meters are over in the red It’s a mistake we’ve made

And the public are warned to stay off

Drums: Stuart Elliott Guitar: Alan Murphy Violin: Nigel Kennedy

• Experiment IV . Wikipedia, retrieved 11 November 2014.
• Kevin Cann & Sean Mayes, Kate Bush: A visual documentary , cop. 1988. ISBN 0711910391.

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• Cast & crew

Kate Bush: Experiment IV

• Music Video

Music video to accompany the 1986 Kate Bush single 'Experiment IV' Music video to accompany the 1986 Kate Bush single 'Experiment IV' Music video to accompany the 1986 Kate Bush single 'Experiment IV'

• Dawn French
• Hugh Laurie

• The Banshee …

• Assistant 1

• Assistant 2

• The General

• Professor Jerry Coe
• (uncredited)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Connections Edited into Kate Bush: The Whole Story (1986)
• Soundtracks Experiment IV Written and performed by Kate Bush

User reviews

• October 1986 (United Kingdom)
• United Kingdom
• EMI Records
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• Runtime 5 minutes

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Experiment IV by Kate Bush

Songfacts®:

• This song is about how sometimes scientists get so caught up in the pure science of what they are developing that they don't realize what purpose others may have for it. For example,when scientists started splitting atoms they probably did not think of the possible future applications as weapons.
• The origin of this song came from Kate's consideration of music as such a beautiful thing and a positive force. The idea of something so beautiful being used to kill people was fascinating. There likely are sonic experiments of a similar type actually being carried out by militaries somewhere.
• The Whole Story is a greatest hits album. This was the only new song included with songs from previous albums. >> Suggestion credit : Lee - Ottawa, Canada, for all above
• The music video marks Bush's third directorial effort, following " Hounds Of Love " and " The Big Sky ." The clip tells the story of a sound monster that destroys a secret military facility. The singer makes a small cameo as an orderly serving tea, but several other recognizable faces show up, including actors Hugh Laurie, Peter Vaughan, Gary Oldman, and actress Dawn French, along with Bush's bass guitarist Del Palmer. Bush's brother Paddy also appears as a disturbed patient. The video was filmed at an abandoned military hospital near Blackheath that was allegedly co-designed by the iconic nurse Florence Nightingale. Bush recalled the experience in a 1987 fan club newsletter: "There were some wonderful moments, like filming in East London. We had a field full of 'dead bodies' who kept moving about to get more comfortable, so we had to shout out over a loud-hailer, 'Stop moving - You're supposed to be dead!'"
• A faux music shop was created for the video as a secret entrance to the facility. It was so realistic, Bush said, that passers-by kept popping in wanting to buy some of the instruments.
• Top Of The Pops refused to air the video because it was deemed too violent.
• The video was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Concept Music Video, but lost to Genesis' " Land of Confusion ."
• The 12-inch single features a version of her seminal hit " Wuthering Heights " with a new vocal, as well as her 1980 holiday tune, " December Will Be Magic Again ." The latter song and "Experiment IV" also shows up on the CD single for " Moments Of Pleasure " in 1993.
• More songs from Kate Bush
• More songs about science
• More songs with famous people in the video
• More songs from 1986
• Lyrics to Experiment IV
• Kate Bush Artistfacts

Comments: 5

• Rod from Gainesville, Fl REMINDS me of the use of horrible musci to torment Noriega into surrendering when he was holed up under catholic church protection, or the use of loud music to induce sleep deprivation. LET me also hear pledge my eternal devotion to our Kate!
• Mikey from London, England This song is based on secret Government experiments during the 40's and 50's to develop a weapon that would play a sound that could kill someone from a far distance. According to rumours, the sound they discovered that could manage this was the sound of a woman's screams when she was just told that her baby had died.
• Leah from Brooklyn, Ny No longer science fiction, it's beginning to appear that the US Navy's experimental ocean broadcasts of special sonar to detect enemy submarines is killing whales and dolphins by the hundreds. The sea mammals are washing ashore, dying of hemmoraged brains. Of course, the Navy denies their sonar is responsible and refuses to stop the development and use. Sounds can already kill, and I've no doubt the military won't stop at sea mammals, with something so prospectively 'useful.' Do a web search using the words 'sonar' 'navy' and 'mammals' for more info.
• Andrew from Salem, Ma The video for this song stars well known British actors Peter Vaughan, Richard Vernon, Dawn French and Hugh Laurie, a traditon Kate began with Donald Sutherland for the 'Cloudbusting' video and continued with 'This Woman's Work, featuring Tim McInnerny.
• Andy from Hunterdon, Nj This "might" be a reference to Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" (written some 30+ years earlier). In that novel, the evil government engages a brilliant (but cowardly and immoral) theoretical scientist to develop technology that is then used to create a top-secret weapon nicknamed "The Xylophone". The "Xylophone" uses soundwaves to kill living things stationed at a far distance from the weapon.

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