Jay Myrdal studied at the University of Montana and became a professional photographer in January 1968. Ten years into his career, he photographed Kate for the cover of her debut album The Kick Inside. He also photographed album covers for Guys ‘n’ Dolls, Toyah and Classix Nouveaux.
Myrdal has now retired from photography, but has become harmonica player in the Oxfordshire/Wiltshire based blues/rock band The Wirebirds.
Jay Myrdal about Kate Bush
Kate arrived at the studio with her father and a car full of bits of wood and painted paper from which he constructed the kite as it appears in the photograph. I rigged the rather fragile kite on the black painted wall of my studio with ropes and a metal bar which was strong enough for her to hang from. In the meantime Kate was in the back room with a makeup girl being covered in gold body paint. The image was entirely Kate’s idea and Steve Ridgeway, the art director and I simply did more or less as we were told. (…) Kate returned to my studio a few times after the shoot, once to collect the kite and a few more times just to say hello. Shortly after her record was released I held one of my well known studio parties and invited Kate but sadly by that time she was far too famous and busy to attend although she did send her apologies via the record company… (sigh!)
