Editing Never for Ever (section)

==Background==
Beginning production after her [[The Tour of Life|1979 tour]], ''Never for Ever'' was Bush's second foray into production (her first was for the ''[[On Stage (EP)|On Stage]]'' EP the previous year), aided by the engineer of ''[[Lionheart (Kate Bush album)|Lionheart]]'' (1978), [[Jon Kelly]].<ref name="NNDB">{{cite web |title=Kate Bush |url=http://www.nndb.com/people/504/000025429/ |publisher=NNDB |access-date=3 April 2007}}</ref> Bush was keen to start producing her work and felt that this was the first album she was happy with, since it was more personal.

The first two albums had resulted in a particular sound, which was evident in every track, with lush orchestral arrangements supporting the live band sound. The range of styles on ''Never for Ever'' is much more diverse, veering from the straightforward rocker "Violin" to the wistful waltz of hit single "[[Army Dreamers]]". ''Never for Ever'' was the first Kate Bush album to feature digital [[synthesizer]]s and [[drum machine]]s, in particular the [[Fairlight CMI]],<ref name="NNDB" /> which was programmed by [[Richard James Burgess]] and [[John L. Walters]].<ref name=linernotes2 /> Like her previous two albums, it was initially composed on piano.

Bush's literary and cinematic influences were again to the fore. "The Infant Kiss", the story of a governess who is frightened by the adult feelings she has for her young male charge (who is possessed by the spirit of a grown man), was inspired by the 1961 film ''[[The Innocents (1961 film)|The Innocents]]'', which in turn had been inspired by ''[[The Turn of the Screw]]'' by [[Henry James]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gaffa.org/reaching/ir80_r1.html|title=Gaffaweb - Kate Bush - REACHING OUT - Never For Ever Debut with Peter Powell - Radio 1 - Oct 11, 1980|website=gaffa.org}}</ref> "The Wedding List" drew from [[François Truffaut]]'s 1968 film ''[[The Bride Wore Black]]''.<ref name=kbwl>Irwin, Colin. [http://gaffa.org/reaching/i80_mm.html Paranoia and Passion of the Kate Inside], [[Melody Maker]] 10 October 1980. Accessed: 12 November 2011.</ref> "Delius (Song of Summer)" was inspired by the 1968 [[Ken Russell]] television film ''[[Song of Summer]]'', which portrays the last six years of the life of English composer [[Frederick Delius]], when [[Eric Fenby]] acted as his [[amanuensis]]. Fenby is mentioned in the lyrics ("in B, Fenby").<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTAvwX_eJco |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/UTAvwX_eJco |archive-date=22 December 2021 |url-status=live |title=Kate Bush on Russell Harty – YouTube |date=15 July 2007 |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=10 January 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref> "Blow Away (for Bill)" commemorates her lighting director Bill Duffield, killed in an accident at [[Lighthouse (Poole)|Poole Arts Centre]] during her 1979 tour.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A3502568|"Kate Bush – singer-songwriter".] BBC. 4 February 2005. Retrieved 2 August 2010.</ref> The song links his name to those of several music stars who died in the previous decade—[[Minnie Riperton]], [[Keith Moon]], [[Sandy Denny]], [[Sid Vicious]], [[Marc Bolan]]—and one earlier icon, [[Buddy Holly]].

''Never for Ever'' is the only studio album by Bush up to ''[[Director's Cut (Kate Bush album)|Director's Cut]]'' (2011) not to have a title track. According to Bush, the title alluded to conflicting emotions, good and bad, which pass, as she stated: "we must tell our hearts that it is 'never for ever', and be happy that it's like that".

The album cover is an illustration (in pencil) by artist Nick Price, who had also designed the cover for the programme for her 1979 tour. Bush was pleased with the results (it depicts a multitude of animals and monsters emerging from under her skirt). Of the concept, Bush said that it reflects the title, depicting good and bad things that emerge from one's self. The album was released on compact disc in Japan in 1987 with the cover art modified. A section of the original cover art was enlarged, creating two different booklet covers: the outer one modified; and underneath the original.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/6989033-Kate-Bush-Never-For-Ever|title=Kate Bush - Never For Ever|date=25 February 1987|via=www.discogs.com}}</ref> The album's cover was voted 'Greatest Album Cover of 1980' by ''[[Record Mirror]]''.

"Violin" and "Egypt" were performed live during [[The Tour of Life]] in April-May 1979. "The Wedding List" was aired in a BBC ''Christmas Special'' on 28 December 1979.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kate: Kate Bush Christmas Special 1979 |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1427061/ |publisher=[[IMDb]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210234552/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1427061/ |archive-date=10 February 2017}}</ref>