# Identify an instrument from an old Kate Bush video **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 12, 2004, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922 "2004-06-12T02:01:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/1 "2004-06-12T02:01:19Z")
Technically, ALL her videos are old since she hasn’t made an album in 11 years! Anyways, the video is “Love and Anger” (one of my favorites). In the “concert” portion, there’s a guy playing some sort of odd looking stringed instrument. It appears to be a long rectagular wooden box suspended by a strap. It has several long strings on either side and is played by plucking the strings. Also, look for David Gilmour on lead guitar! ---
**Author:** ![sofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@sofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sofia)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/2 "2004-06-12T02:09:25Z")
first, i will apologize for not being able to answer your question…then i will beg you to forgive my little rant… one of my best memories was when i heard “wuthering heights” as a kid. changed my life. and i grew up knowing _no one_ who’d ever heard of her. so this thread just warms my heart… sorry to interrupt…but i betcha gaffaweb would have your answer. _i hear him…_ sigh ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/3 "2004-06-12T02:17:18Z")
There’s quite a few Kate fans here. (join us!) As I re-watch the videos in _The Whole Story_. I am reminded of what an amazingly talented person she is. The videos stand up quite well over 20+ years. When Tori Amos first hit it big in 1990, she was compared to Kate. While I like Tori well enough, I think Kate is far more talented (my opinion, of course). ---
**Author:** ![sofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@sofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sofia)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/4 "2004-06-12T02:21:32Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > When Tori Amos first hit it big in 1990, she was compared to Kate. While I like Tori well enough, I think Kate is far more talented (my opinion, of course). i like tori as well. but kate was my first experience with an educated, creative female musician who not only wrote about her classic education, but did it in an interesting way…oh and really odd, she’s really odd. that was cool too. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/5 "2004-06-12T02:26:44Z")
Don’t remember the instrument in question, but her brother Paddy (be still my quivering heart) used to research and build extinct instruments and play them on her albums. There’s no telling what it was. (Calling Equipoise! She’ll know.) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/6 "2004-06-12T02:27:18Z")
Her vocal abilities are stunning. Try listening to “This Woman’s Work” and NOT get chills down your spine. ---
**Author:** ![sofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@sofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sofia)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/7 "2004-06-12T02:29:57Z")
or lagan’s love (is that the right title?) ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/8 "2004-06-12T02:31:29Z")
I’m stumped so far, so a few questions… How long was the wooden box? How wide? Was it horizontal, vertical or sloped? How was it held (by hand, shoulder strap, floor-standing, etc)? And what do you mean by ‘strings on either side’? ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/9 "2004-06-12T02:34:19Z")
A lute? A zither? Can we get a picture of it? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/10 "2004-06-12T02:45:32Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > I’m stumped so far, so a few questions… > > How long was the wooden box? How wide? Was it horizontal, vertical or sloped? How was it held (by hand, shoulder strap, floor-standing, etc)? And what do you mean by ‘strings on either side’? It’s about 3-4 feet long and about six inches square. It’s played perpendicular to the body at the waist. The metal strings appear to run the entire length of each side. There’s a small square hole on the top near the back. If kinda tough to make out how many strings are each side since the camera never stays on it long enough. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/11 "2004-06-12T02:46:52Z")
Not familiar with the video, but… could it be a [santur (with a strap added to it)](http://www.chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/santur.html)? (Or the Greek version of this, the [“santouri”](http://www.helleniccomserve.com/stringintruments.html)?) Or… the Pythagorean [monochord](http://www.carousel-music.com/stringmain.html)? Regardless, hunting these links down has been an education. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/12 "2004-06-12T02:50:51Z")
Here’s what a [Zither](http://home.earthlink.net/~minermusic/fretless_zithers.htm) looks like. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/13 "2004-06-12T02:53:04Z")
Nope. It could definitely NOT be played like a standard guitar-type instrument. I guess you could play it standing it on its end, but I think it would be awkward. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/14 "2004-06-12T03:16:16Z")
[WAG] [A Gimbri, perhaps?](http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/features/africa/ninsgimbri.shtml) [/long shot] ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/15 "2004-06-12T03:31:36Z")
I couldn’t find my USB capture device (of course), so I took some low grade pictures off the TV: [Side view](http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-1/584173/PADDY2.JPG) [Front view](http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-1/584173/PADDY1.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/16 "2004-06-12T03:33:18Z")
Hmm. And that’s not Paddy either, so I’m stumped too. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/17 "2004-06-12T03:37:40Z")
[Here’s a crappier picture](http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-1/584173/PADDY3.JPG) showing the length. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/18 "2004-06-12T03:47:17Z")
No idea whatsoever. WAG - it’s a unique creation. But I’ve no evidence of that. ---
**Author:** ![sofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@sofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sofia)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/19 "2004-06-12T03:50:50Z")
ok…i’ve done some digging…and the album credits paddy with playing the valiha…and gaffaweb describes it as: “box-shaped rather than tubular, with strings on two sides, and about four feet in length; this instrument can be seen in the video for Love And Anger.” that it? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922/20 "2004-06-12T03:56:17Z")
:smack: I Googled that, but the pics I found looked more cylindrical so I figured it wasn’t it. But, yes, that does seem to be it. Okay, NOW you have to join us! 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-an-instrument-from-an-old-kate-bush-video/249922.md?page=2)