Wuthering Heights

This is an unplugged version of Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights that we recorded for a project at school. The arrangement was a joint effort, and I'm singing it. I got a terrible cold days before we were due for the studio, and thus this is not as good as it could have been.

All instruments are played by students at the school I go to, and the song was recorded and mixed by sound engineering students at the same school. Interestingly, we recorded this song with two drummers, because for a while it didn't look like the drummer who was supposed to play it would be able to be there when we entered the studio, and we taught it to a substitute. When it turned out the original drummer could join after all, we decided to use them both, which I think gives this arrangement a rather unique sound.

The song was recorded in March 2010.

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posted by MaiaMadness (6 comments total)

who'd have thought you could get away with a bass solo on wuthering heights? the arrangement was really sweet, thoughtful and unfussy; the altered chords are very lovely, and it's beautifully recorded and played. i think the vocals are best when you sound least like kate bush, but the more i listen to it the less i think that, actually. anyway, would like to hear more.
posted by peterkins at 11:30 PM on May 22, 2010

Thank you! :) I also thought the bass solo was a very novel and interesting idea, and we had such a good bassist (one of the school's best, I'd say). We had a project at school called "Unplugged Hits", the point being that we take hit pop and rock tunes and change the arrangement into a more "unplugged" feel. We were a bit stumped with this one at first (let me tell you, it was hard to convince the others to do it), but then we just started playing and it turned out so well. :)
posted by MaiaMadness at 3:19 AM on May 23, 2010

Your singer is very good. The reverb is very tasteful.

Everything sounds amazing. Make friends with that engineer. Only critique is that the cymbal should be recorded in stereo. I think auxiliary percussion sounds are best when recorded with a stereo pair in something similar to an ORTF or "spaced pair" formation. Also, there should be another cymbal or two for the player to mess around on.

MaiaMadness, this is a good sound. Please make more like this.
posted by dagosto at 4:05 AM on May 23, 2010

Thanks. I'm the singer. :)

As for the sound engineer, I tend to make as good friends with him as I can. He really is a gem!
posted by MaiaMadness at 5:46 AM on May 23, 2010

Very Nice....Great Vocals:)
posted by american caesar at 9:19 AM on May 23, 2010

My partner and I have been a bit obsessed with Wuthering Heights lately, and I figured, "I bet someone on MeFi Music has covered it." And here we are! And this is lovely! Thank you for sharing, MaiaMadness.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 5:10 PM on January 22, 2020