Hounds of Love (song)
Encyclopedia
"Hounds of Love" is the title track of the Hounds of Love
album by Kate Bush
, the third of the album's four singles. The single was released on 24 February 1986, and reached number 18 in the UK Singles Chart
. The song is about being afraid to fall in love; in the song this feeling is compared to being chased by a pack of hounds.
The music video (directed by Bush herself) was very much inspired by Alfred Hitchcock
's film The 39 Steps
and 'Hitchcock' also features in the video (a nod to the director's famous cameo appearances in his movies).
The versions worldwide differ slightly: the US single mix included an additional chorus just after the second chorus.
The words "it's in the trees, it's coming!" heard at the beginning of the track are sampled from the British 1957 horror film
Night of the Demon
and are spoken by an actor from the film, Maurice Denham
.
7" single (UK)
7" single (US)
12" single (UK)
12" single (US)
band The Futureheads
for their self titled debut album
, and was released as a single in 2005. The single peaked at #8 on the UK charts in its first week and was named Best Single of 2005 by NME
. In October 2011, NME
placed it at number 89 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
CD single #1
CD single #2
on their EP Tap Dancing on the Titanic
. In 2005 the Australian pop band Frente!
added the song to their Try To Think Less EP. Indie rock
ers Ra Ra Riot
performed "Hounds of Love" as a WOXY.com Lounge Act in 2007. Australian band The Church
released a cover version of this song on their Coffee Hounds EP in 2009. 30 Seconds to Mars
covered the song in 2010.
Hounds of Love
Hounds of Love is a 1985 album by the British singer Kate Bush. It was Bush's fifth studio album, and her second no. 1. It has since been certified Double Platinum in the UK...
album by Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
, the third of the album's four singles. The single was released on 24 February 1986, and reached number 18 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The song is about being afraid to fall in love; in the song this feeling is compared to being chased by a pack of hounds.
The music video (directed by Bush herself) was very much inspired by Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
's film The 39 Steps
The 39 Steps (1935 film)
The 39 Steps is a British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, loosely based on the adventure novel The Thirty-nine Steps by John Buchan. The film stars Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll....
and 'Hitchcock' also features in the video (a nod to the director's famous cameo appearances in his movies).
The versions worldwide differ slightly: the US single mix included an additional chorus just after the second chorus.
The words "it's in the trees, it's coming!" heard at the beginning of the track are sampled from the British 1957 horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
Night of the Demon
Night of the Demon
Night of the Demon is a 1957 British horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur, starring Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins and Niall MacGinnis. An adaptation of the M. R...
and are spoken by an actor from the film, Maurice Denham
Maurice Denham
Maurice Denham OBE was an English character actor who appeared in over 100 television programmes and films throughout his long career.-Life and career:...
.
Track listings
All songs written and composed by Kate Bush.7" single (UK)
7" single (US)
12" single (UK)
12" single (US)
Chart performance
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
18 |
| German Singles Chart | 68 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
12 |
| Canadian Singles Chart http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.7803&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=ii5n9bckicfkivv9mq77vbvlj3 | 84 |
The Futureheads version
"Hounds of Love" was recorded in 2004 by the British post-punkPost-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
band The Futureheads
The Futureheads
The Futureheads are an English post-punk band from Sunderland. consisting of Ross Millard , Barry Hyde and David "Jaff" Craig...
for their self titled debut album
The Futureheads (album)
The Futureheads was The Futureheads self titled debut album. It was released on July 12, 2004 and spawned the singles "First Day", "Decent Days and Nights", "Meantime", and "Hounds of Love"...
, and was released as a single in 2005. The single peaked at #8 on the UK charts in its first week and was named Best Single of 2005 by NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
. In October 2011, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
placed it at number 89 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
Track listings
7" vinyl singleCD single #1
CD single #2
Chart performance
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
8 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
26 |
Other cover versions
"Hounds of Love" was covered in 1998 by the Australian band Bluebottle KissBluebottle Kiss
-History:Formed in the mid '90s, Bluebottle Kiss took their influences from the late '80s American indie scene, which included artists such as Sonic Youth and the Afghan Whigs, singer-songwriters of the '70s, such as Neil Young and Van Morrison, as well as the very creative Australian independent...
on their EP Tap Dancing on the Titanic
Tap Dancing on the Titanic
Tap Dancing on the Titanic is an EP released in 1998 by indie rock band Bluebottle Kiss.-Track listing:# Tap Dancing on the Titanic# Kerry and Jill# Only the Desert Knows# Hounds of Love # Outside Are the Dogs...
. In 2005 the Australian pop band Frente!
Frente!
Frente! are an Australian alternative rock group, formed in 1991. The original lineup featured singer Angie Hart, founder and guitarist Simon Austin, bassist Tim O'Connor , and drummer Mark Picton...
added the song to their Try To Think Less EP. Indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
ers Ra Ra Riot
Ra Ra Riot
Ra Ra Riot is an American indie rock band from Syracuse, New York, consisting of vocalist Wes Miles, bassist Mathieu Santos, guitarist Milo Bonacci, cellist Alexandra Lawn , violinist Rebecca Zeller, and drummer Kenny Bernard.-History:...
performed "Hounds of Love" as a WOXY.com Lounge Act in 2007. Australian band The Church
The Church (band)
The Church is an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980. Initially associated with new wave and the neo-psychedelic sound of the mid 1980s, their music later became more reminiscent of progressive rock, featuring long instrumental jams and complex guitar interplay...
released a cover version of this song on their Coffee Hounds EP in 2009. 30 Seconds to Mars
30 Seconds to Mars
30 Seconds to Mars is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1998. Since 2007, the band has consisted of actor Jared Leto , Shannon Leto and Tomo Miličević...
covered the song in 2010.