The Crate
Kate Bush
The Whole Story
The Whole Story is Kate Bush’s second compilation and her first worldwide greatest-hits collection, issued on November 10, 1986. It surveys 1975–1986 with a newly re-recorded vocal on Wuthering Heights and the new single Experiment IV, and it became Bush’s third UK number-one album and her best-selling release to date, certified 4× Platinum in Britain. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Whole_Story))
Recording History
The material spans 1975–1986, with Wuthering Heights re-recorded for this release (new vocal). The album lists Kate Bush and Andrew Powell as producers for the re-recorded track, and credits numerous engineers (e.g., Haydn Bendall, James Guthrie, Paul Hardiman, Del Palmer, Brian Tench) across tracks. Recording locations include Wickham Farm Home Studio (Welling, London) for some sessions, Air London Studios for others (e.g., Babooshka), and Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin as a later location. The album is credited to Kate Bush, Jon Kelly, and Andrew Powell as producers, reflecting its compilation nature and the original sessions behind each track. ([musicbrainz.org](https://musicbrainz.org/release/d76dfb16-37d1-34cc-b94c-ebef88fe935e))
Chart Performance & Recognition
The Whole Story peaked at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart and spent extensive weeks on the chart (first date: 22/11/1986; 44 weeks overall). In the US, it reached No. 76 on the Billboard 200. The UK certification stands at 4× Platinum (about 1.2 million copies). The project was also nominated for Best Concept Music Video at the 1988 Grammys. ([officialcharts.com](https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/kate-bush-the-whole-story/))
Cultural Impact & Legacy
The collection solidified Bush’s mainstream prominence in the mid-1980s and remains one of her best-selling releases in the UK. It includes the hit-released “Experiment IV” and a remixed “Wuthering Heights” with a newer vocal, shaping how her early work was re-presented to broader audiences. The album’s tracks have influenced artists and have been the basis of covers and samples (e.g., Wuthering Heights has numerous covers; Cloudbusting has been sampled by Utah Saints). ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Whole_Story)).