Kate Bush - The Red Shoes (1993/2018) [Hi-Res]

Seventh album by Kate Bush, released by EMI Records on 2 November 1993. The Red Shoes is a continuation of Bush's multi-layered and multiple musical pursuits and interests and includes a number of musical guests ranging from Procol Harum keyboardist Gary Brooker and Eric Clapton to Prince, but this is very much a Kate Bush album straight up as opposed to a collaborative work.

The album was inspired by the 1948 film of the same name by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. The film in turn was inspired by the fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. It concerns a dancer, possessed by her art, who cannot take off the eponymous shoes and find peace. Bush had suggested she would tour for the album and deliberately aimed for a "live band" feel, with less of the studio trickery that had typified her last three albums (which would be difficult to recreate on stage). However, the tour never happened in the end. A few months after the release of the album, Bush did release The Line, The Cross and the Curve, a movie incorporating six tracks from the album.

Most notably, The Red Shoes featured many more high-profile cameo appearances than her previous efforts. Comedian Lenny Henry provided guest vocals on Why Should I Love You, a track that also featured significant contributions from Prince. And So Is Love features guitar work by Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. Gary Brooker (from the band Procol Harum) appears on two tracks as well.

Kate Bush, vocals, keyboards, piano (4,5,8,9), Fender Rhodes electric piano (8,12), guitar & bass (10)
The Trio Bulgarka, vocals (5,11,12)
Dimitri Penev, vocal arrangements (5,11,12)
Colin Lloyd-Tucker, vocals (7,9)
Lenny Henry, vocals (11)
Danny McIntosh, guitar (1,5-9)
Eric Clapton, guitar (2)
Prince, guitar, keyboards, bass, vocals & co-arranger (11)
Jeff Beck, guitar (12)
Gary Brooker, Hammond (2,9,12)
Paddy Bush, mandola (7), valiha (3), fujara (6), whistle (7), singing bowls (6), bow (7), vocals (3,7,9)
Justin Vali, valiha (3,7), kabosy & vocals (3)
Nigel Kennedy, violin (8,10), viola (8)
Nigel Hitchcock, tenor & baritone saxes (1,3,9,11)
Neil Sidwell, trombone (1,3,9,11)
Steve Sidwell, trumpet (1,3,9,11)
Paul Spong, trumpet (1,3,9,11)
Michael Kamen, orchestration & arrangements (4)
John Giblin, bass
Gaumont D'Olivera, bass (7), drums & percussion & Fx (10)
Stuart Elliott, drums, percussion (1,3,5,7)
Charlie Morgan, percussion (5)
Del Palmer, Fairlight programming, mixing & recording
Lily Cornford, spoken voice - mantra (6)

Produced by Kate Bush

Digitally remastered