David Baron and Donna Lewis - Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)

The George Martin Blueprint: Strings vs. Synths

Most covers of Running Up That Hill slow it down. We chose to attack it.

Produced and arranged by David Baron, this recording abandons the standard drum kit. Instead, the rhythm is generated entirely by the collision of two worlds: Modular Synthesizers and a String Quartet.

The string arrangement is a direct homage to George Martin's work on 'Eleanor Rigby' (The Beatles). We utilized the same aggressive, close-miked recording technique—bowing the strings hard to create a percussive, staccato drive. This 'baroque-industrial' tension provides the bed for Donna Lewis's ethereal vocal, recontextualizing Kate Bush's plea as a frantic, classical urgency rather than a soft ballad.

David Baron and Donna Lewis ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’

David comments

Running Up That Hill has one of the most meaningful lyrics:  “There’s so much hate for the ones we love”.  It is a stark reality for many who are in troubled relationships.  We just do not understand each other.  The bittersweet plea to God to swap places is perfectly sung by Donna Lewis. The string quartet, modular synthesizers,  and vocals morph between sweet and strident, sonorous and dissonant. There is never a true resolution, only a musical ladder that is climbed without ever reaching the top.  You can see the clouds - but you can not touch them.  The wish can not be granted musically or otherwise.  It is in this yearning that a truth is revealed by Kate Bush - it is up to us to try to understand each other.  

Donna

I’ve been a huge Kate Bush fan for years so when David suggested we record a cover of Running Up That Hill with just strings and vocals I was all in! 

The powerful lyrics always got me thinking: what if we could swap roles with other people? What if we were to walk in someone else’s shoes? If we could, perhaps we would find a lot more compassion for each other. David and I wanted to give Running Up That Hill a uniqueness that the song deserves. Starting out with a stark piano vocal performance, David then wrote a string and synth arrangement around the vocals to create a beautiful balance of simplicity and complexity.

Full Credits

Original Written by: Kate Bush
Produced by: David Baron
Vocals: Donna Lewis
Synthesizers & String Arrangement: David Baron
Violin/Viola: Olivier Manchon
Cello: Alex Waterman

Listed as a cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" on WhoSampled.

Frequently Asked Questions

What inspired this cover of "Running Up That Hill"?

A tribute to George Martin's string arrangement on The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" — recorded with a string quartet and modular synths in place of drums.