THERE GOES A TENNER

Some while ago I reviewed another 7" single off The Dreaming album and pointed out how far from typical for the singles market its material is (and yet surprisingly many singles were released). With this one you get also a non-abum track which increases the value of interest.

'There Goes a Tenner' is, like many of the album's songs, very narrative and cinematic. One can also consider it as humorous, both for the lyrics and the peculiar rhythmic structure. "OK, remember / OK, remember..." It takes you right in the middle of a scene of crime, among a group of thieves doing a major gig - which turns out to be a disaster in the true spirit of classic crime films. Kate Bush even refers to movies in the lyrics, as the protagonist sees his/her partners as actors: "You are Bogart, he is George Raft that leaves Cagney and me". In my opinion this clever and witty song is not quite among the very finest of the marvelous album, but it's amusing and highly personal, with a perfect production full of finely crafted details.

'Ne t'enfuis pas' is one of the few songs where Kate Bush sings in French. I can't figure out with my extremely rusty school French what's it about. Musically, this synth-oriented song sounds "modern" and to some degree a bit clinical product of its time, and makes me think of TALK TALK (songs like 'Have You Heard the News?' or 'Renée') or JAPAN of the time. This is not to say it wouldn't be a good and enjoyable song. I'm not sure if it's a fretless bass or a Fairlight that Bush used most distinctively in the Hounds of Love song 'Mother Stands for Comfort'. It sounds nice nevertheless. I've got this song and other b-siders in "This Woman's Work" compilation set.

Another Kate essential, "There Goes a Tenner" was the third single for The Dreaming; an artsy, Baroque-lite pop song with a ton of quirk, character and spunk. In the video, Kate and a few others seem to be in a sort of mine, or... is it a grandfather clock? They bust open a metal door with explosives. It's not a safe? It is a safe?! haha. Interesting video, especially when compared to her earlier songs [this was a year into the advent of MTV specifically]. Anyways, this track is fantastic; love it.

One of the first of these B-sides that I perhaps moreso incidentally heard before was this'n, "Ne t'enfuis pas". And unlike many of her B-sides, it holds its own weight. It has its own character. As you might guess, this is sung in French. And it features the warm, jazzy bass that was pretty signature to this era in her career. Beautiful track. Easily could have fit in Never For Ever with others like "Egypt".

I'll be honest with myself and round down from a True Rate of 4.5/5.0.