Some people ask. "Why do you always do blog posts remembering certain people?" My answer is perfectly simple. there are some people who were just so good that you don't want to forget them. Kirsty MacColl is one of those people.
There are loads of links to the music of Kirsty MacColl on this post so please do click on them to enjoy the music and remember such a great talent.
She first came to light in 1978 when she was a member of The Drug Addix, appearing under the name Mandy Doubt. Chiswick Records released their Four Track EP 'The Drug Addix Make A Record'.
Stiff Records were unimpressed by The Drug Addix as a band but were drawn to Kirsty and signed her to a solo deal, and in 1979 she released her debut solo single, "They Don't Know". It wasn't a hit for her due to a distributors strike (but it would be a #2 hit for Tracy Ullman in 1983). What was due to be the follow-up single, 'You Caught Me Out' never saw the light of day as Kirsty thought that Stiff Records were not fully behind her.
She departed Stiff Records and was soon off to Polydor. In February 1981 she released her first single for the new label - 'Keep Your Hands Off My Baby' but once again it failed to chart.
In May 1981, she finally had a breakthrough reaching #14 in
the UK chart with 'There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis',
a song that Kirsty said was "About 'Elvis' being a state of mind. I still see a bit of Elvis in self-deluding men the world over".
In June 1981 her debut album, 'Desperate Character',
was released on Polydor, featuring a collection of snappy Kirsty songs
along with a few ‘60s covers. It didn’t trouble the chart and remained
largely unknown to all but her most long serving and devoted fans. (In 2012 the album was released for the first time ever on CD as part of a reissue programme spotlighting Kirsty's music).
'See That Girl', 'You Still Believe In Me' (Cover version of Beach Boys song from Pet Sounds), a collaboration with Matchbox on 'I Want Out', and 'Berlin' all released as singles and all failed to make the charts between 1981-83.
Her first single back at Stiff in October 1983 was the brilliant 'Terry', whilst only reaching #82 it had done a whole lot better than previous singles!
In December 1984 she released her version of Billy Bragg’s 'A New England'.
It peaked at #7 on the UK Singles Chart. Her knack for spotting a killer song and her persuasiveness in having Billy Bragg write an extra verse just for her paid off with what
would be the biggest solo chart success of her career.
The next single,
'He’s On The Beach', I can hardly believe this wasn't a hit, it is still one of my favourite songs of hers and so her second spell with Stiff came to an end.
In
November 1987, Kirsty reached #2 in the chart performing with The
Pogues on what is now officially “Britain’s favourite Christmas song,” 'Fairytale Of New York',
but having met husband Steve Lillywhite at a Simple Minds session in
1983 she largely spent the second half of the Eighties raising her two
sons, with periodic appearances as a backing singer for a wide range of
top acts.
Kirsty returned to the studio as a solo artist with
Virgin for the 1989 release of what many still consider to be her best
album, 'Kite'. Preceded by the minor hit 'Free World', the album came out in April and reached #34 in the album chart. A second hit, the Ray Davies song 'Days' followed, reaching #12. Two other singles from the album didn't even make the Top 50 - 'Innocence' and 'Don't Come The Cowboy With Me Sonny Jim!'.
In his liner notes to the 2012 Reissue of 'Kite', Alan Officer mentions, in talking about 'Free World', "Having
taken her time to get to Kite, her values were changing and her
awareness of what was going on in the world around her had grown. Kirsty
was very proud of this song and glad it was the first single. She had
to forcibly overrule the record company, who had wanted to run with
'Days' instead - the only song on the album she had not written. Kirsty
described 'Free World' as direct, simple and about greed, the divide
between North and South, and the culpability of Mrs Thatcher's
Government of the day: "You Know, grab whatever you can and sod the
little guy. That's a fashionable way of looking at things, and I don't
agree with it", she added."
Kirsty's second album for Virgin had all the ingredients for being huge.
Kirsty teamed up with Smiths guitarist and songwriter Johnny Marr (he had actually played on 'Kite' as well and had co-written the last two songs on the album - 'End of a Perfect Day' and 'You and Me Baby') to pen songs for her follow-up LP, 'Electric Landlady'.
This was heralded by the rap infused dance #23 hit 'Walking Down Madison'.
The album also featured Kirsty’s first fully formed attempt at Latin
music (kindled by her work in New York on a David Byrne album years
earlier) with 'My Affair', the single only reached #56 and the third single 'All I Ever Wanted' never even made it to the charts.
The album was less successful than 'Kite' and
Kirsty was dropped by Virgin and hit something of a slump, which sadly
included the break-up of her marriage to Steve Lillywhite.
Not being one to give up, however, Kirsty bounced back in 1994 with what she termed her "sad divorce album", 'Titanic Days'. The single announcing the album’s imminent arrival was another one that fell by the wayside: 'Angel (Floating ‘Round This House)'.
Also featured was a song which was to become virtually her signature
work and the inspiration for her fans memorial gesture years later in 'Soho Square' - 'Soho Square/Angel' (1992 Performance on Later with Jools Holland). It's a bit of a mystery why this album didn't do better as it has some of Kirsty's best work: 'Can't Stop Killing You' (Live Version from Conan O'Brian Show), and even the title track is fantastic - 'Titanic Days'.
'Titanic Days' wasn’t a great success in terms of sales but in 1995 her 'Galore The Best of Kirsty MacColl',
reached #6 and stayed on the UK album chart for 27 weeks, after which
everything went quiet for a few years as far as the record buying
public was concerned. During this spell, Kirsty began to find her feet
again and having toyed with the idea of giving up the music business
completely, she decided to get busy and toured South America and Cuba
extensively.
In early 1999 Kirsty fell in love again and started
to work on a bunch of new material which she’d started in Brazil and in
Cuba, meshing Latin rhythms to her familiar lyrical dexterity and wit.
She proclaimed herself “a Latin soul trapped in an English body” and
went to work in Pete Glenister and Dave Ruffy’s studio in Bermondsey.
The resulting tracks, featuring samples from Kirsty’s by now extensive
collection of Cuban records brought back from her numerous trips, were
to become released to much acclaim as the album 'Tropical Brainstorm' (V2, 2000).
Kirsty
had already started work on her next album and was working on various
side projects when she decided to take a well earned break after a year
of touring and promotional work. She flew to Mexico with her partner
James and two sons, Louis and Jamie. On December 18th 2000 her love of
diving cost Kirsty her life when a powerful speedboat hit her off the
coast of Cozumel island.
The following day her photo was
prominent on the front pages of almost all the British newspapers as it
became apparent just how popular she was, though she had only latterly
begun to appreciate it herself. At her public memorial service, major
rock stars and television actors mingled freely with the public,
everyone united in their grief.
Her mother Jean subsequently
embarked on a quest to uncover the truth about the incident. After a
tirelessly fought nine year campaign, she finally exhausted all legal
avenues to bring to justice the man she believes is responsible for
Kirsty’s death, Guillermo González Nova (one of Mexico’s wealthiest
businessmen), and Jean abandoned the Justice for Kirsty campaign, which
sustained her through her intense grief, on the anniversary of Kirsty’s
death on 18th December 2009. Her determination to find the truth remains
undiminished and she continues to champion Kirsty’s cause through a
World Health Organisation campaign to raise international awareness of
health and safety.
The Music Fund for Cuba, of which Jean is a
patron, was established in 2001 in memory of Kirsty, who was inspired by
Cuban music and loved the island, its culture and its people. The fund
provides much needed support and equipment for children and young Cuban
musicians, dancer and artists throughout the island. Working with its
partner organisation in Cuba, the National Centre for Music and Arts
Schools (CNEArt), it has already provided thousands of pounds worth of
equipment including reeds, instruments, ballet shoes and teaching
manuals for Cuban schools and performing artists.
A permanent
memorial to Kirsty is planned to be established in the renovated Miramar
Theatre in Havana. Meanwhile, her music lives on as testimony to her
skills as a writer and arranger of excellent songs, while her many
qualities as a person live on in the memories of her family and friends.
(Kirsty MacColl and Mark Nevin)
Your name froze on the winter air
An empty bench in Soho Square
Forgotten now I turn away
Just save me for a rainy day
But don't be sorry, I don't want to hear it baby
My feet froze in the winter chill
I knew I'd probably get ill
But I was praying we could fill an empty bench and still
You're so sorry but I don't want your pity baby
It's all yours now please don't tease
The pigeons shiver in the naked trees
And I'll do anything but please don't hurt me
Just kiss me quick 'cos it's my birthday
And I feel so small I don't know why but no I'm not too old to cry
An empty bench in Soho Square.
If you'd have come you'd have found me there
But you never did 'cos you don't care and I'm so sorry baby
I don't mind loneliness too much but when I met you I was touched
And that was good enough for me but do we always have to be sorry
Why can't we just be happy baby?
One day you'll be waiting there, no empty bench in Soho Square
And we'll dance around like we don't care
And I'll be much too old to cry
And you'll kiss me quick in case I die before my birthday
One day you'll be waiting there, no empty bench in Soho Square
No I don't know the reason why I'll love you till the day I die
But one day you'll be waiting there
Come summertime in Soho Square
And I'll be painting stars up in the sky
Before I get too old to cry before my birthday
I hope I see those pigeons fly before my birthday
In Soho Square on my birthday
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