"Sat in Your Lap" (1981) is a song by English art rock musician Kate Bush. It was the first single to be released from her fourth studio album, The Dreaming (1982), issued 15 months prior to the album's release.[1] The single peaked at no. 11 on the UK Singles Chart.
| "Sat in Your Lap" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Kate Bush | ||||
| from the album The Dreaming | ||||
| B-side | "Lord of the Reedy River" (Donovan) | |||
| Released | 21 June 1981 (UK) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:29 | |||
| Label | EMI | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Kate Bush | |||
| Producer(s) | Kate Bush | |||
| Kate Bush singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Sat in Your Lap" on YouTube | ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
"Sat in Your Lap" | ||||
Music edit
Musically, the single was faster and more percussive than Bush's previous releases. It features Preston Heyman on drums recorded in the stone room at the Townhouse Studio 2, London, and Paddy Bush and Preston on whip-like percussion (played on bamboo canes swooshing through the air, rhythmically).[2] Critic Simon Reynolds called it "an avant-pop stampede of pounding percussion and deranged shrieks, a sister-song to Public Image Ltd's 'Flowers of Romance'."[3] The lyrics of the song deal with feelings of existential frustration and the quest for knowledge.[4] In his biography on Kate Bush, Graeme Thomson claims that the title of the song suggests the possibility of experiencing enlightenment through sex.[5]
Release edit
Kate Bush stated in an early interview that the single version was remixed slightly for inclusion on The Dreaming. The vocals were raised higher and the backing track altered to better fit the overall feel of the album.[citation needed]
The demo version of "Sat in Your Lap" contains an extra verse at the start, which was later cut. As with subsequent singles from the album, a 12-inch vinyl single was planned but was eventually withdrawn.
The B-side to the single was a cover version (Bush's first) of "Lord of the Reedy River" by Donovan from his 1971 album HMS Donovan.
Personnel edit
- Kate Bush – lead and backing vocals; piano; Fairlight CMI
- Paddy Bush – bamboo sticks; backing vocals
- Preston Heyman – drums; bamboo sticks
- Jimmy Bain – bass guitar
- Geoff Downes – CMI trumpet section
- Stewart Arnold – backing vocals
- Ian Bairnson – backing vocals
- Gary Hurst – backing vocals
Charts edit
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] | 93 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[7] | 32 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[8] | 18 |
| Italy (Musica e Dischi)[9] | 25 |
| Spain (Productores de Música de España)[10] | 30 |
| UK Singles Chart[11] | 11 |
References edit
- ^ Lindsay, Matthew (11 September 2012). "30 Years On: The Dreaming By Kate Bush". The Quietus. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
- ^ Lorne Murdoch (1985). "Kate Bush". Record Collector (December 1985, No. 76): p.22
- ^ Simon Reynolds (21 August 2014). "Kate Bush, the queen of art-pop who defied her critics". The Guardian.
- ^ "Kate Bush: 10 of the best". The Guardian. 27 August 2014. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023.
- ^ Thomson, Graeme (2010). Under the Ivy: The life and music of Kate Bush. Omnibus Press. p. 23. ISBN 978-1780381466.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 50. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Kate Bush – Sat in Your Lap" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Kate Bush". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 30 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Kate Bush".
- ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ^ "Kate Bush | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
External links edit
- Sat in Your Lap at Discogs (list of releases)