THE MAN WITH THE CHILD IN HIS EYES

'The Man With the Child in His Eyes' and 'Moving' are both outtakes from KATE BUSH's debut album The Kick Inside. I don't know in which order the album and its two singles - the other one being naturally the smash hit 'Wuthering Heights' inspired by Emily Bronte's classic novel - were released, but I think I've read somewhere Kate telling how the recording of 'The Man...' was the very first one. She was pretty nervous, and understandably so, with an orchestration backing her ethereal vocal performance. But unlike on some early live broadcast of 'Wuthering Heights' that I've seen on TV, nervousness doesn't show here. This song is among the softest she has ever done. The lyrics are perhaps rather naive, romantic daydreaming of a young introvert girl, but the composition is mature, as well as the arrangement. She was really lucky to work with exactly the right people. And WE the listeners are lucky!

'Moving' has always been among my favourite songs from that debut. She truly sounds like no one else; the dreamy song has a magical, otherworldly atmosphere. Wonderful songs, but five stars are in my principles reserved for singles that contain also a non-album track.

Technically the fourth international single from Kate Bush's debut LP The Kick Inside (1978), "The Man with the Child in His Eyes" was backed with "Moving". "Moving" was released as the A-side to a single in the Japanese market, b/w "Wuthering Heights" (which was her first single in the UK). Also in the Japanese market, "The Man with the Child in His Eyes" was the B-side to "Them Heavy People" (which I feel is much more appropriate A-side material honestly).

"The Man with the Child in His Eyes" is one of her most beautiful songs, as I've put it before, out of her classic early-album piano ballads. A highly memorable song, it's pretty fully orchestrated with a string section backing her on the keys. The introduction to the official music video has sort of echoes of "He's here" before the piano lifts it off. I had just never heard that before today. I've definitely seen images from this video before. Very simple. Just Kate sitting cross-legged on the floor, bookended with her in fetal position on a bright white floor.

I would say the significantly stronger of the two is "Moving". This is great latter-day (second-wave) Prog/Art Pop. A tad on the darker side, it has a fuller production in the now traditional (Wall of Sound) studio Rock fashion. Perhaps some strings, but, in the least, it's got drum and bass. Great drumming, by the way, and warm bass. Always loved the lines "Don't think it over, it always takes you over / And sets your spirit dancing". There's something in the way she sings this part that's really, for lack of a better word, moving. Awesome bridge on this'n. As for its music video, it features the classic, expected interpretive dancing of Ms. Bush outside of a... castle?