Editing Kate Bush (section)

===1973–1977: Career beginnings===
Bush attended St Joseph's Convent Grammar School, a Catholic girls' school in nearby [[Abbey Wood]]. During this time, her family produced a [[Demo (music)|demonstration tape]] with over 50 of her compositions, which was turned down by record labels. [[Pink Floyd]] guitarist [[David Gilmour]] received the demo from Ricky Hopper, a mutual friend of Gilmour and the Bush family. (The 1973 song "Passing Through Air" was recorded as a demo at Gilmour‘s studio a few weeks after her 15th birthday, and later was the earliest Kate Bush recording to be released officially.)<ref>{{cite book |last1=Van der Kiste |first1=John |title=Kate Bush : Song by Song |date=23 March 2021 |publisher=Fonthill Media |isbn=978-1781558249 |pages=104}}</ref> Impressed, Gilmour financed the 16-year-old Bush's recording of a more professional demo tape. The tape consisted of three tracks, produced by Gilmour's friend [[Andrew Powell]] and the sound engineer [[Geoff Emerick]], who had worked with [[the Beatles]].<ref>{{cite magazine |date=September 1990 |title=The Rightful Heir? |magazine=Q |number=48}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Cowley |first=Jason |date=7 February 2005 |title=The Wow Factor |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/node/149907 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214182833/http://www.newstatesman.com/node/149907 |archive-date=14 December 2014 |access-date=11 December 2014 |magazine=[[New Statesman]]}}</ref><ref>''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine, 8 February 1990, pp&nbsp;21–2: "The Sensual Woman" by Sheila Rogers.</ref> Powell later produced Bush's first two albums.<ref name="Rebel" /> The tape was sent to the [[EMI]] executive Terry Slater,<ref name="Soundscape" /> who signed Bush.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emi-premier.co.uk/loader.html |title=Kate Bush |publisher=[[EMI]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226142058/http://www.emi-premier.co.uk/loader.html |archive-date=26 February 2012}}</ref>
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| quote = "Every female you see at a piano is either [[Lynsey de Paul]] or [[Carole King]]. And most male music–not all of it but the good stuff–really lays it on you. It really puts you against the wall and that's what I like to do. I'd like my music to intrude. Not many females succeed with that."
| source = Bush, speaking to ''[[Melody Maker]]'' magazine in 1977.<ref name="Rebel" />
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| width = 280px
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The British record industry was reaching a point of stagnation.<ref name="Soundscape" /> [[Progressive rock]] was popular and visually oriented rock performers were growing in popularity, thus record labels looking for the next big thing were considering experimental acts.<ref name="Soundscape" /> Bush was put on [[Retainer agreement|retainer]] for two years by Bob Mercer, managing director of EMI's group-repertoire division. Mercer believed that Bush's material was good enough to release, but he also believed that should the album fail, it would be demoralising, and if it were successful, Bush was too young to handle this.<ref name="Mercer" /> In a 1987 interview, Gilmour disputed this version of events, blaming EMI for initially using the "wrong" producers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-K3NPR4q5I&t=110| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/3-K3NPR4q5I| archive-date=28 October 2021|title=David Gilmour talks about discovering Kate Bush|last=((ravenhearst09))|date=7 April 2017|via=[[YouTube]]|access-date=16 October 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

EMI gave Bush a large advance, which she used to enroll in [[interpretive dance]] classes taught by [[Lindsay Kemp]], a former teacher of [[David Bowie]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Today's Style And Looks|work=Face & Figure|year=1979}}</ref> and mime training with [[Adam Darius]].<ref>[[Adam Darius|Darius, A]]. (1984) ''The Adam Darius Method'', page&nbsp;236–240. Latonia. {{ISBN|0-9502707-2-5}} [http://www.mimecentre.com/ Mime Centre] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903000013/http://www.mimecentre.com/|date=3 September 2009}}</ref> For the first two years of her contract, Bush spent more time on schoolwork than recording. She left school after doing her mock [[A-Level]]s and having gained ten [[General Certificate of Education|GCE]] [[GCE Ordinary Level|O-Level]] qualifications.<ref name="MightyBush" />

Bush wrote and recorded demos of almost 200 songs, some of which circulated as [[Bootleg recording|bootlegs]].<ref>{{cite magazine |date=September 2001 |title=Kate Bush in MP3 |magazine=Q }}</ref> From March to August 1977, she fronted the KT Bush Band at public houses in [[London]]. The band included [[Del Palmer]] (bass), Brian Bath (guitar), and Vic King (drums). She began recording her first album in August 1977.<ref name="Rebel" />