Kirsty MacColl
Encyclopedia
Kirsty Anna MacColl was an English singer-songwriter
.
MacColl scored several pop hits from the early 1980s to the early 1990s. During this era, she often sang on recordings produced by her husband Steve Lillywhite
, notably those of The Smiths
and the song "Fairytale of New York
" by The Pogues
.
MacColl was killed in a controversial boating incident in Mexico.
Ewan MacColl
and dancer Jean Newlove. She and her brother, Hamish MacColl, grew up with their mother in Croydon
, where she attended Park Hill Primary School and Monks Hill High School, making appearances in school plays. At the time of MacColl's birth, her father had been in a relationship with folksinger, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Peggy Seeger
since 1956 (a relationship that would continue until his death in 1989), and already had a son with her.
She came to notice when Chiswick Records
released an EP by local punk rock
band the Drug Addix with MacColl on backing vocals under the pseudonym Mandy Doubt (1978). Stiff Records
executives were not impressed with the band, but liked her and subsequently signed her to a solo deal.
", released in 1979, peaked at #2 in terms of airplay on the Music Week airplay chart. However, a distributors' strike prevented copies of the single getting into record stores, and the single consequently failed to appear on the UK Singles Chart
.
MacColl recorded a follow-up single, "You Caught Me Out", but felt she lacked Stiff's full backing, and left the label shortly before the song was to be released. The single was pulled, and only a few "white label" promo copies of the single are known to exist.
MacColl moved to Polydor Records
in 1981. She had a UK #14 hit with "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis
", taken from her critically acclaimed debut album Desperate Character. In 1983, Polydor dropped her just as she had completed recording the songs for a planned second album (to be called Real) which used more synthesizers and had New Wave-styled tracks. She returned to Stiff, where pop singles such as "Terry
" and "He's On the Beach" were unsuccessful but a cover of Billy Bragg
's "A New England
" in 1985 got to Number 7 in the UK charts. This included two extra verses specially written for her by Bragg. Also around this time, MacColl wrote and performed the theme song "London Girls" for Channel 4's
short-lived sitcom Dream Stuffing
(1984).
In the United States, MacColl was probably most recognisable as the writer of "They Don't Know". Tracey Ullman
's version, helped by a video guest-starring Paul McCartney
, reached Number 2 in the UK in 1983 and the Top Ten in North America. It was also played over the closing credits of Ullman's HBO show Tracey Takes On in 1996. Ullman also recorded three more of MacColl's songs, "You Broke My Heart In 17 Places" and "You Caught Me Out", as the title tracks of her first and second albums respectively, and "Terry" which was released as a single in 1985.
. However, she had regular session work as a backing vocalist, and she frequently sang on records produced or engineered by her husband, Steve Lillywhite
, including tracks for Robert Plant
, The Smiths
, Talking Heads
, Big Country
, Crossfire Choir, Anni-Frid Lyngstad
(of ABBA
), and The Wonder Stuff
among others. She appeared in the videos "Welcome to the Cheap Seats
" for The Wonder Stuff and "(Nothing But) Flowers
" for Talking Heads (along with ex-The Smiths
guitarist Johnny Marr
).
MacColl re-emerged in the British charts in December 1987, reaching Number 2 with The Pogues
on "Fairytale of New York
", a duet with Shane MacGowan
. This led to her accompanying The Pogues on their British and European tour in 1988, an experience which she said helped her temporarily overcome her stage fright
. In March 1989, MacColl sang backing vocals on the Happy Mondays
' Hallelujah
EP.
After the contract issue was resolved, MacColl returned to recording as a solo artist and received critical acclaim upon the release of Kite
(LP) in 1989. The album was widely praised by critics, and featured collaborations with David Gilmour
and Johnny Marr
. MacColl's lyrics addressed life in Margaret Thatcher
's Britain on "Free World", ridiculed the vapidity of fame in "Fifteen Minutes", and addressed the vagaries of love in "Don't Come The Cowboy With Me Sonny Jim!" Although Kite contained many original compositions, MacColl's biggest chart success from the album would be the cover of The Kinks
' song "Days", which gave her a UK Top 20 hit in July 1989. A bonus track on the CD version of Kite was a cover of the Smiths
song "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby".
During this time, MacColl was also featured on the British sketch comedy French and Saunders
, appearing as herself, singing songs including "15 Minutes" and "Don't Come The Cowboy With Me Sunny Jim!" (from Kite), "Still Life" (the B-side of the "Days" single), "Girls On Bikes" (a reworking of B-side "Am I Right?") and, with comedy duo Raw Sex, the Frank
and Nancy Sinatra
hit "Something Stupid". She continued to write and record, releasing the album Electric Landlady
(coined by Johnny Marr
, a play on the Jimi Hendrix
album title Electric Ladyland
), including her most successful chart hit in North America, "Walking Down Madison" (co-written with Marr and a Top 30 hit in the UK), in 1991. Despite the song's U.S. chart success, Landlady was not a hit for Virgin Records, and in 1992, when Virgin was sold to EMI, MacColl was dropped from the label.
, informed by her failing marriage with Lillywhite, in 1993, but ZTT Records
had agreed only to release the album as a "one-off" and declined to sign her to a contract. In 1995, she released two new singles on Virgin, "Caroline" and a cover of Lou Reed
's "Perfect Day" (a duet with Evan Dando
), together with the "best of" compilation Galore
.
Galore became MacColl's only album to reach the top 10 in the UK Albums Chart
, but neither of the new singles, nor a re-released "Days", made the Top 40. MacColl would not record again for several years; her frustration with the music business was exacerbated by a lengthy case of writer's block. MacColl herself admitted that she was ready to give up her music career and become an English teacher in South America.
In 1998, the album What Do Pretty Girls Do? was released, containing BBC Radio 1 live sessions (featuring Billy Bragg
on two songs) that were broadcast between 1989 and 1995.
After several trips to Cuba and Brazil, MacColl recorded the world music
-inspired (particularly Cuban and other Latin American forms) Tropical Brainstorm
, which was released in 2000 to critical acclaim. It included the song "In These Shoes", which garnered airplay in the U.S., was covered by Bette Midler
and featured in the HBO show Sex and the City
. It would later (after MacColl's death) be adopted by Catherine Tate
as the theme tune for her BBC TV show
and feature on the soundtrack to British film Kinky Boots
.
Show, a comedy show on the BBC. Distinct from other guests on the show, she was not part of any of the sketches but would simply sing her songs whilst performing as in a music video.
She also made regular appearances on Jools Holland's TV shows, also on the BBC.
, Mexico, with her sons and her partner, musician James Knight. On 18 December 2000, she and her sons went diving in Cozumel, in a specific diving area that watercraft were restricted from entering. With the group was a local veteran divemaster, Iván Díaz. As the group was surfacing from a dive, a speeding powerboat entered the restricted area. MacColl saw the boat coming before her sons did; Louis was not in the boat's path, but Jamie was. She was able to push him out of the way (he sustained minor head and rib injuries) but in doing so, she was hit by the boat and killed instantly. MacColl's remains were repatriated to the United Kingdom and the subsequent funeral took place at Mortlake
Crematorium in London.
The boat involved in the accident was owned by Mexican supermarket millionaire Guillermo González Nova
, who was on board with several members of his family. An employee of González Nova's, boathand José Cen Yam, claimed to have been driving the boat at the time that the accident occurred.
Several published reports have included accounts from eyewitnesses that have stated Cen Yam was not at the controls; eyewitnesses also indicate that the boat was travelling much faster than the speed of one knot that Nova had claimed. Cen Yam was found guilty of culpable homicide
and was sentenced to 2 years 10 months in prison. However, he was allowed under Mexican law to pay a punitive fine
of $1,034 pesos
(about €63, £61, or $90 USD) in lieu of the prison sentence. He was also ordered to pay approximately $2,150 USD in restitution to MacColl's family, an amount based on his wages. Published reports have included statements from people who spoke to Cen Yam after the accident, claiming Cen Yam had received money for taking the blame for the incident.
In December 2009, it was announced that the Justice For Kirsty campaign was being ended since "the committee was successful in achieving most of its aims" and "it is unlikely that any more could be achieved." The campaign's remaining funds were to be divided between two charities, Casa Alianza Mexico and Cuba Music Solidarity, of which "Kirsty would have approved."
has always included "her" extra verses when performing "A New England
". She was honoured in 2002 with a memorial concert in London at the Royal Festival Hall
, featuring a number of musicians that had worked with her or been influenced by her. A similar memorial concert was scheduled for her birthday (10 October 2010) at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, to support her favourite charity The Music Fund for Cuba.
In 2001, a bench was placed by the southern entrance to London's Soho Square
as a memorial to her, after a lyric from one of her most poignant songs: "One day I'll be waiting there / No empty bench in Soho Square". Every year on the Sunday nearest to MacColl's birthday, 10 October, fans from all over the world hold a gathering at the bench to pay tribute to her and sing her songs.
MacColl continues to receive media exposure; in 2004, Kirsty MacColl:The One and Only, a biography of MacColl written by Karen O'Brien, was published. A retrospective three-CD set spanning her full career, From Croydon To Cuba, was released in 2005. Titanic Days was re-released in 2005 as a deluxe 2CD set, and Kite and Electric Landlady were also remastered and rereleased with additional tracks. Her first album, Desperate Character, remained out of print as of late June 2010, but some selections from that work were included in the box set. On 7 August 2005, The Best of Kirsty MacColl, a single-disc compilation that included a "new" single, "Sun on the Water," made its debut on the UK album charts at #17, climbing to #12 a week later.
MacColl's collaboration with the Pogues, "Fairytale of New York
," remains a perennial Christmas favourite. In 2004, 2005 and 2006, it was voted favourite Christmas song in a poll by music video channel VH1
.
The song was re-released in the UK in December 2005, with proceeds being split between the Justice for Kirsty Campaign and charities for the homeless. The re-release reached #3 on the UK charts, and spent five weeks in the top 75 over the Christmas and New Year period. It reached the top 10 for the third time in its history in 2006, peaking at #6, and charted yet again in December 2007, when there was brief controversy over the use of the word 'faggot
' in the lyrics, which BBC Radio 1 dubbed out "to avoid offence," 20 years after it had first passed over the airwaves without comment (or apparent offence); following criticism from listeners and MacColl's mother, Radio 1 reversed their decision later in the day. The song has also made the Top 20 in the two subsequent years, and has now charted in eight separate years. With the exception of the 2005 re-release, the seasonal re-charting in the 21st Century is due to download sales, and not due to further releases (download sales counting toward the singles chart since 2005).
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
.
MacColl scored several pop hits from the early 1980s to the early 1990s. During this era, she often sang on recordings produced by her husband Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite is an English Grammy Award winning record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited for working on over 500 records and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dave Matthews Band, U2, Peter Gabriel,...
, notably those of The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
and the song "Fairytale of New York
Fairytale of New York
"Fairytale of New York" is a song by the Irish rock group The Pogues, released in 1987 and featuring the British singer Kirsty MacColl. The song is an Irish folk style ballad, written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan, and featured on The Pogues' album If I Should Fall from Grace with God...
" by The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
.
MacColl was killed in a controversial boating incident in Mexico.
Early career
Kirsty MacColl was the daughter of folk singerFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
Ewan MacColl
Ewan MacColl
Ewan MacColl was an English folk singer, songwriter, socialist, actor, poet, playwright, and record producer. He was married to theatre director Joan Littlewood, and later to American folksinger Peggy Seeger. He collaborated with Littlewood in the theatre and with Seeger in folk music...
and dancer Jean Newlove. She and her brother, Hamish MacColl, grew up with their mother in Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, where she attended Park Hill Primary School and Monks Hill High School, making appearances in school plays. At the time of MacColl's birth, her father had been in a relationship with folksinger, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Peggy Seeger
Peggy Seeger
Margaret "Peggy" Seeger is an American folksinger. She is also well known in Britain, where she lived for more than 30 years with her husband, singer and songwriter Ewan MacColl.- The first American period :...
since 1956 (a relationship that would continue until his death in 1989), and already had a son with her.
She came to notice when Chiswick Records
Chiswick Records
Chiswick Records was a British record company. Chiswick was the "first true 'indie' label" to be established in Britain for nearly a decade". The label has been described as "significant" in the "punk era"...
released an EP by local punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band the Drug Addix with MacColl on backing vocals under the pseudonym Mandy Doubt (1978). Stiff Records
Stiff Records
Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....
executives were not impressed with the band, but liked her and subsequently signed her to a solo deal.
Debut single
Her debut solo single "They Don't KnowThey Don't Know (Kirsty MacColl song)
"They Don't Know" is a popular song, written and composed by singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl, the daughter of singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl. Ms. MacColl recorded it in 1979. It became popular on radio in the United Kingdom, reaching #2 on the Music Week airplay chart...
", released in 1979, peaked at #2 in terms of airplay on the Music Week airplay chart. However, a distributors' strike prevented copies of the single getting into record stores, and the single consequently failed to appear on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
MacColl recorded a follow-up single, "You Caught Me Out", but felt she lacked Stiff's full backing, and left the label shortly before the song was to be released. The single was pulled, and only a few "white label" promo copies of the single are known to exist.
MacColl moved to Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
in 1981. She had a UK #14 hit with "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis
There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis
"There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" was Kirsty MacColl's first hit single, charting in the UK at #14 in 1981, and remaining in the charts for nine weeks. It reached #9 in the Irish charts...
", taken from her critically acclaimed debut album Desperate Character. In 1983, Polydor dropped her just as she had completed recording the songs for a planned second album (to be called Real) which used more synthesizers and had New Wave-styled tracks. She returned to Stiff, where pop singles such as "Terry
Terry (Kirsty MacColl song)
"Terry" is a song by Kirsty MacColl, released as a single in October 1983, and charting at #82 in the UK the following month. It was her first release after returning to Stiff Records, and was the last in a run of poorly-selling singles released between "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop...
" and "He's On the Beach" were unsuccessful but a cover of Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
's "A New England
A New England
Kirsty MacColl recorded the song the year after its release by Bragg, produced by her then-husband Steve Lillywhite.. It was her biggest solo hit - reaching #7 in the UK Singles Chart and #8 in the Irish Singles Chart....
" in 1985 got to Number 7 in the UK charts. This included two extra verses specially written for her by Bragg. Also around this time, MacColl wrote and performed the theme song "London Girls" for Channel 4's
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
short-lived sitcom Dream Stuffing
Dream Stuffing
Dream Stuffing is a British television sitcom which aired on Channel 4 in early 1984.The series followed the exploits of two working class young women, Mo and Jude , who share a flat in a council tower block in London's East End, along with their three-legged cat, Tripod...
(1984).
In the United States, MacColl was probably most recognisable as the writer of "They Don't Know". Tracey Ullman
Tracey Ullman
Tracey Ullman is a British stage and television actress, comedienne, singer, dancer, screenwriter and author ....
's version, helped by a video guest-starring Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, reached Number 2 in the UK in 1983 and the Top Ten in North America. It was also played over the closing credits of Ullman's HBO show Tracey Takes On in 1996. Ullman also recorded three more of MacColl's songs, "You Broke My Heart In 17 Places" and "You Caught Me Out", as the title tracks of her first and second albums respectively, and "Terry" which was released as a single in 1985.
Chart re-emergence
When Stiff went bankrupt in 1986, MacColl was left unable to record in her own right, as no record company bought her contract from the Official ReceiverOfficial Receiver
An officer of the Insolvency Service of the United Kingdom, the Official Receiver is an officer of the court to which he is attached. The OR is therefore answerable to the courts for carrying out the courts' orders and for fulfilling his duties under law...
. However, she had regular session work as a backing vocalist, and she frequently sang on records produced or engineered by her husband, Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite is an English Grammy Award winning record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited for working on over 500 records and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dave Matthews Band, U2, Peter Gabriel,...
, including tracks for Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
, The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
, Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
, Big Country
Big Country
Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife in 1981. They were most popular in the early to mid-1980s, but they still release material for a cult following...
, Crossfire Choir, Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Prinzessin Reuss von Plauen , is a Norwegian-born Swedish pop singer...
(of ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
), and The Wonder Stuff
The Wonder Stuff
The Wonder Stuff are a British alternative rock band, originally based in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in the Black Country, England.-Origins:...
among others. She appeared in the videos "Welcome to the Cheap Seats
Welcome to the Cheap Seats
"Welcome to the Cheap Seats" was a single by The Wonder Stuff, from the 1991 album Never Loved Elvis. It was released as a single in 1992, and peaked at #8 on the pop charts in the United Kingdom. It features backing vocals by Kirsty MacColl...
" for The Wonder Stuff and "(Nothing But) Flowers
(Nothing But) Flowers
" Flowers" is a song by the rock band Talking Heads. It appears on the band's final album Naked, released in 1988. It was also released as a single accompanied by a successful music video, which featured innovative uses of typography by graphic designer Tibor Kalman...
" for Talking Heads (along with ex-The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
guitarist Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
).
MacColl re-emerged in the British charts in December 1987, reaching Number 2 with The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
on "Fairytale of New York
Fairytale of New York
"Fairytale of New York" is a song by the Irish rock group The Pogues, released in 1987 and featuring the British singer Kirsty MacColl. The song is an Irish folk style ballad, written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan, and featured on The Pogues' album If I Should Fall from Grace with God...
", a duet with Shane MacGowan
Shane MacGowan
Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan is an Irish musician and singer, best known as the original singer and songwriter of The Pogues.-History:...
. This led to her accompanying The Pogues on their British and European tour in 1988, an experience which she said helped her temporarily overcome her stage fright
Glossophobia
Glossophobia or speech anxiety is the fear of public speaking. The word glossophobia comes from the Greek glōssa, meaning tongue, and φόβος phobos, fear or dread...
. In March 1989, MacColl sang backing vocals on the Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays are an English alternative rock band from Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1980, the band's original line-up was Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, lead guitarist Mark Day, keyboardist Paul Davis, and drummer Gary Whelan...
' Hallelujah
Hallelujah (Happy Mondays album)
Hallelujah was a 7-track EP by Madchester band Happy Mondays released in 1989 and featuring a number of remixes by Paul Oakenfold.- Track listing :#Hallelujah #Clap Your Hands#Holy Ghost#Rave On#Hallelujah...
EP.
After the contract issue was resolved, MacColl returned to recording as a solo artist and received critical acclaim upon the release of Kite
Kite (Kirsty MacColl album)
Kite is the breakthrough second album by Kirsty MacColl, released in 1989. Produced by her then husband Steve Lillywhite, it was her first album for Virgin Records. The album including MacColl's hit cover of The Kinks' "Days", as well as two tracks written with Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr...
(LP) in 1989. The album was widely praised by critics, and featured collaborations with David Gilmour
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
and Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
. MacColl's lyrics addressed life in Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
's Britain on "Free World", ridiculed the vapidity of fame in "Fifteen Minutes", and addressed the vagaries of love in "Don't Come The Cowboy With Me Sonny Jim!" Although Kite contained many original compositions, MacColl's biggest chart success from the album would be the cover of The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
' song "Days", which gave her a UK Top 20 hit in July 1989. A bonus track on the CD version of Kite was a cover of the Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
song "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby".
During this time, MacColl was also featured on the British sketch comedy French and Saunders
French and Saunders
French and Saunders is a British sketch comedy television show written by and starring comic duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. It is also the name by which the performers are known on the occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act....
, appearing as herself, singing songs including "15 Minutes" and "Don't Come The Cowboy With Me Sunny Jim!" (from Kite), "Still Life" (the B-side of the "Days" single), "Girls On Bikes" (a reworking of B-side "Am I Right?") and, with comedy duo Raw Sex, the Frank
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
hit "Something Stupid". She continued to write and record, releasing the album Electric Landlady
Electric Landlady
Electric Landlady is Kirsty MacColl's third studio album. Released in 1991, it was her second Capitol Records release and second collaboration with producer/husband Steve Lillywhite...
(coined by Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
, a play on the Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
album title Electric Ladyland
Electric Ladyland
Electric Ladyland is the third and final album of new material by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, released in October 1968 on Reprise Records, catalogue 2RS 6307. It is the only Hendrix studio album professionally produced under his supervision. It topped the Billboard 200 album chart for two weeks in...
), including her most successful chart hit in North America, "Walking Down Madison" (co-written with Marr and a Top 30 hit in the UK), in 1991. Despite the song's U.S. chart success, Landlady was not a hit for Virgin Records, and in 1992, when Virgin was sold to EMI, MacColl was dropped from the label.
Later work
She released Titanic DaysTitanic Days
Titanic Days is Kirsty MacColl's fourth studio album, released in 1993. Containing 11 tracks, Titanic Days was sometimes hard to get in years after its release, but it was re-released in 2005 with a second CD of non-album tracks and some live recordings, including a version of "Miss Otis Regrets".-...
, informed by her failing marriage with Lillywhite, in 1993, but ZTT Records
ZTT Records
ZTT Records is a record label founded in 1983 by NME journalist Paul Morley, record producer Trevor Horn, and businesswoman Jill Sinclair. The label's name was also printed as "Zang Tumb Tuum" and "Zang Tuum Tumb" on various releases....
had agreed only to release the album as a "one-off" and declined to sign her to a contract. In 1995, she released two new singles on Virgin, "Caroline" and a cover of Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
's "Perfect Day" (a duet with Evan Dando
Evan Dando
Evan Griffith Dando is an American musician, most famous for fronting the alternative rock band The Lemonheads. He is the only original member left in the current Lemonheads line-up, having served as lead singer since the band's original formation in 1986...
), together with the "best of" compilation Galore
Galore (Kirsty MacColl album)
Galore is a compilation album released by Kirsty MacColl in 1995. It features material previously released on the albums Desperate Character, Kite, Electric Landlady, and Titanic Days, among other tracks by MacColl, totaling eighteen songs...
.
Galore became MacColl's only album to reach the top 10 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, but neither of the new singles, nor a re-released "Days", made the Top 40. MacColl would not record again for several years; her frustration with the music business was exacerbated by a lengthy case of writer's block. MacColl herself admitted that she was ready to give up her music career and become an English teacher in South America.
In 1998, the album What Do Pretty Girls Do? was released, containing BBC Radio 1 live sessions (featuring Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
on two songs) that were broadcast between 1989 and 1995.
After several trips to Cuba and Brazil, MacColl recorded the world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
-inspired (particularly Cuban and other Latin American forms) Tropical Brainstorm
Tropical Brainstorm
Tropical Brainstorm is the final album by Kirsty MacColl, released in 2000. It was inspired by her trips to Cuba, and many tracks include Spanish or Portuguese lyrics.The album was released with three extra tracks in the US.-Track listing:...
, which was released in 2000 to critical acclaim. It included the song "In These Shoes", which garnered airplay in the U.S., was covered by Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
and featured in the HBO show Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
. It would later (after MacColl's death) be adopted by Catherine Tate
Catherine Tate
Catherine Tate is an English actress, writer, and comedian. She has won numerous awards for her work on the sketch comedy series The Catherine Tate Show as well as being nominated for an International Emmy Award and four BAFTA Awards...
as the theme tune for her BBC TV show
The Catherine Tate Show
The Catherine Tate Show is a British television sketch comedy written by Catherine Tate and Aschlin Ditta. Tate also stars in all but one of the show's sketches, which feature a wide range of characters. The Catherine Tate Show airs on BBC Two and is shown worldwide through the BBC...
and feature on the soundtrack to British film Kinky Boots
Kinky Boots (film)
Kinky Boots is a 2005 comedy film written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth, about a traditional Northampton shoemaker, based in Earls Barton, who turns to producing fetishism footwear in order to save the failing family business and the jobs of his workers...
.
TV Work
MacColl featured regularly in the 3rd Series of the French and SaundersFrench and Saunders
French and Saunders is a British sketch comedy television show written by and starring comic duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. It is also the name by which the performers are known on the occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act....
Show, a comedy show on the BBC. Distinct from other guests on the show, she was not part of any of the sketches but would simply sing her songs whilst performing as in a music video.
She also made regular appearances on Jools Holland's TV shows, also on the BBC.
Death
In 2000, following her participation in the presentation of a radio programme she had done for the BBC on Cuba, MacColl took a holiday in CozumelCozumel
Cozumel is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen, and close to the Yucatan Channel. Cozumel is one of the ten municipalities of the state of Quintana Roo...
, Mexico, with her sons and her partner, musician James Knight. On 18 December 2000, she and her sons went diving in Cozumel, in a specific diving area that watercraft were restricted from entering. With the group was a local veteran divemaster, Iván Díaz. As the group was surfacing from a dive, a speeding powerboat entered the restricted area. MacColl saw the boat coming before her sons did; Louis was not in the boat's path, but Jamie was. She was able to push him out of the way (he sustained minor head and rib injuries) but in doing so, she was hit by the boat and killed instantly. MacColl's remains were repatriated to the United Kingdom and the subsequent funeral took place at Mortlake
Mortlake
Mortlake is a district of London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes with East Sheen inland to the south. Mortlake was part of Surrey until 1965.-History:...
Crematorium in London.
The boat involved in the accident was owned by Mexican supermarket millionaire Guillermo González Nova
Comercial Mexicana
Comercial Mexicana is a Mexican hypermarket group, which features stores similar to those owned by Carrefour in France or Wal-Mart in the United States...
, who was on board with several members of his family. An employee of González Nova's, boathand José Cen Yam, claimed to have been driving the boat at the time that the accident occurred.
Several published reports have included accounts from eyewitnesses that have stated Cen Yam was not at the controls; eyewitnesses also indicate that the boat was travelling much faster than the speed of one knot that Nova had claimed. Cen Yam was found guilty of culpable homicide
Culpable homicide
Culpable homicide is a specific offence in various jurisdictions within the Commonwealth of Nations which involves the illegal killing of a person either with or without an intention to kill depending upon how a particular jurisdiction has defined the offence...
and was sentenced to 2 years 10 months in prison. However, he was allowed under Mexican law to pay a punitive fine
Punitive damages
Punitive damages or exemplary damages are damages intended to reform or deter the defendant and others from engaging in conduct similar to that which formed the basis of the lawsuit...
of $1,034 pesos
Mexican peso
The peso is the currency of Mexico. Modern peso and dollar currencies have a common origin in the 15th–19th century Spanish dollar, most continuing to use its sign, "$". The Mexican peso is the 12th most traded currency in the world, the third most traded in the Americas, and by far the most...
(about €63, £61, or $90 USD) in lieu of the prison sentence. He was also ordered to pay approximately $2,150 USD in restitution to MacColl's family, an amount based on his wages. Published reports have included statements from people who spoke to Cen Yam after the accident, claiming Cen Yam had received money for taking the blame for the incident.
Justice For Kirsty campaign
MacColl's family launched the Justice For Kirsty campaign in response to the events surrounding her death. Among the group's efforts:- Lawyers for MacColl's family and the group campaigned for a judicial review into the events surrounding her death. They were in repeated contact with the Mexican government, and made an application to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
- MacColl's friends and family were critical of what they perceived as a lack of cooperation from the Mexican authorities. In May 2006, Emilio Cortez Ramírez, a federal prosecutor in Cozumel, was found liable for breach of authority in conjunction with his handling of the MacColl case.
- The BBC has featured a documentary by Olivia Lichtenstein, entitled Who Killed Kirsty MacColl?
- U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
frontman BonoBonoPaul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
, who was a friend of MacColl's, spoke about the incident during a concert in MonterreyMonterreyMonterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
, Mexico, in February 2006. The Mexican government released a statement after the concert indicating they would take action. However, no additional details were immediately forthcoming.
In December 2009, it was announced that the Justice For Kirsty campaign was being ended since "the committee was successful in achieving most of its aims" and "it is unlikely that any more could be achieved." The campaign's remaining funds were to be divided between two charities, Casa Alianza Mexico and Cuba Music Solidarity, of which "Kirsty would have approved."
Legacy
Since MacColl's death, Billy BraggBilly Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
has always included "her" extra verses when performing "A New England
A New England
Kirsty MacColl recorded the song the year after its release by Bragg, produced by her then-husband Steve Lillywhite.. It was her biggest solo hit - reaching #7 in the UK Singles Chart and #8 in the Irish Singles Chart....
". She was honoured in 2002 with a memorial concert in London at the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
, featuring a number of musicians that had worked with her or been influenced by her. A similar memorial concert was scheduled for her birthday (10 October 2010) at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, to support her favourite charity The Music Fund for Cuba.
In 2001, a bench was placed by the southern entrance to London's Soho Square
Soho Square
Soho Square is a square in Soho, London, England, with a park and garden area at its centre that dates back to 1681. It was originally called King Square after Charles II, whose statue stands in the square. At the centre of the garden, there is a distinctive half-timbered gardener's hut...
as a memorial to her, after a lyric from one of her most poignant songs: "One day I'll be waiting there / No empty bench in Soho Square". Every year on the Sunday nearest to MacColl's birthday, 10 October, fans from all over the world hold a gathering at the bench to pay tribute to her and sing her songs.
MacColl continues to receive media exposure; in 2004, Kirsty MacColl:The One and Only, a biography of MacColl written by Karen O'Brien, was published. A retrospective three-CD set spanning her full career, From Croydon To Cuba, was released in 2005. Titanic Days was re-released in 2005 as a deluxe 2CD set, and Kite and Electric Landlady were also remastered and rereleased with additional tracks. Her first album, Desperate Character, remained out of print as of late June 2010, but some selections from that work were included in the box set. On 7 August 2005, The Best of Kirsty MacColl, a single-disc compilation that included a "new" single, "Sun on the Water," made its debut on the UK album charts at #17, climbing to #12 a week later.
MacColl's collaboration with the Pogues, "Fairytale of New York
Fairytale of New York
"Fairytale of New York" is a song by the Irish rock group The Pogues, released in 1987 and featuring the British singer Kirsty MacColl. The song is an Irish folk style ballad, written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan, and featured on The Pogues' album If I Should Fall from Grace with God...
," remains a perennial Christmas favourite. In 2004, 2005 and 2006, it was voted favourite Christmas song in a poll by music video channel VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
.
The song was re-released in the UK in December 2005, with proceeds being split between the Justice for Kirsty Campaign and charities for the homeless. The re-release reached #3 on the UK charts, and spent five weeks in the top 75 over the Christmas and New Year period. It reached the top 10 for the third time in its history in 2006, peaking at #6, and charted yet again in December 2007, when there was brief controversy over the use of the word 'faggot
Faggot (epithet)
Faggot, often shortened to fag, is a pejorative term and common slur used chiefly in North America against homosexual males. Its pejorative use has spread from the United States to varying extents elsewhere in the English-speaking world through mass culture, including movies, music, and the...
' in the lyrics, which BBC Radio 1 dubbed out "to avoid offence," 20 years after it had first passed over the airwaves without comment (or apparent offence); following criticism from listeners and MacColl's mother, Radio 1 reversed their decision later in the day. The song has also made the Top 20 in the two subsequent years, and has now charted in eight separate years. With the exception of the 2005 re-release, the seasonal re-charting in the 21st Century is due to download sales, and not due to further releases (download sales counting toward the singles chart since 2005).
Albums
| Release Date | Album | UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
|---|---|---|
| July 1981 | Desperate Character Desperate Character Desperate Character is the first solo album of British singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl, released in 1981. Re-released in March 1985 as Kirsty MacColl, with three tracks replaced with other songs... |
- |
| July 1989 | Kite Kite (Kirsty MacColl album) Kite is the breakthrough second album by Kirsty MacColl, released in 1989. Produced by her then husband Steve Lillywhite, it was her first album for Virgin Records. The album including MacColl's hit cover of The Kinks' "Days", as well as two tracks written with Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr... |
34 |
| June 1991 | Electric Landlady Electric Landlady Electric Landlady is Kirsty MacColl's third studio album. Released in 1991, it was her second Capitol Records release and second collaboration with producer/husband Steve Lillywhite... |
17 |
| October 1993 | Titanic Days Titanic Days Titanic Days is Kirsty MacColl's fourth studio album, released in 1993. Containing 11 tracks, Titanic Days was sometimes hard to get in years after its release, but it was re-released in 2005 with a second CD of non-album tracks and some live recordings, including a version of "Miss Otis Regrets".-... |
46 |
| March 2000 | Tropical Brainstorm Tropical Brainstorm Tropical Brainstorm is the final album by Kirsty MacColl, released in 2000. It was inspired by her trips to Cuba, and many tracks include Spanish or Portuguese lyrics.The album was released with three extra tracks in the US.-Track listing:... |
39 |
Compilation albums
| Release Date | Album | UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
Noted |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 1985 | Kirsty MacColl | - | A re-worked version of Desperate Character |
| August 1993 | The Essential Collection | - | A collection of Stiff-era tracks |
| March 1995 | Galore Galore (Kirsty MacColl album) Galore is a compilation album released by Kirsty MacColl in 1995. It features material previously released on the albums Desperate Character, Kite, Electric Landlady, and Titanic Days, among other tracks by MacColl, totaling eighteen songs... |
6 | Best-of compilation, with 2 new tracks |
| July 1998 | What Do Pretty Girls Do? | - | Compiled 'BBC Radio 1' sessions (live) |
| August 2001 | The One and Only | - | Stiff-era tracks, and a few collaborations |
| May 2005 | From Croydon To Cuba... An Anthology | - | 3-disc box set of hits and rarities |
| July 2005 | The Best of | 12 | Single-disc greatest hits |
Singles
| Year | Song | UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
Irish Top 30 Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1979 | "They Don't Know They Don't Know (Kirsty MacColl song) "They Don't Know" is a popular song, written and composed by singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl, the daughter of singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl. Ms. MacColl recorded it in 1979. It became popular on radio in the United Kingdom, reaching #2 on the Music Week airplay chart... " |
- | - | - |
| February 1981 | "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby Keep Your Hands Off My Baby "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It has been recorded by many artists, most notably Little Eva, who had a #12 hit with the song on the Billboard charts in 1962... " |
- | - | |
| May 1981 | "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" was Kirsty MacColl's first hit single, charting in the UK at #14 in 1981, and remaining in the charts for nine weeks. It reached #9 in the Irish charts... " |
14 | 9 | Desperate Character |
| September 1981 | "See That Girl" | - | - | |
| November 1981 | "You Still Believe in Me You Still Believe in Me "You Still Believe in Me" is a song by the American rock band The Beach Boys, taken from their 1966 album Pet Sounds. It is the second track on the album. The song was composed and produced by Brian Wilson with the lyrics by Tony Asher.- Information :... " |
- | - | - |
| 1983 | "I Want Out" (with Matchbox Matchbox (band) Matchbox is an English rockabilly band that formed in 1971, and is still active .-Career:Matchbox was formed in 1971 by Iain "Houndog" Terry, Fred Poke, Jimmy Redhead and Wiffle Smith. After 1978, the line-up consisted of Graham Fenton , Steve Bloomfield , Gordon Scott , Fred Poke and Jimmy Redhead... ) |
- | - | |
| August 1983 | "Berlin" | - | - | |
| October 1983 | "Terry Terry (Kirsty MacColl song) "Terry" is a song by Kirsty MacColl, released as a single in October 1983, and charting at #82 in the UK the following month. It was her first release after returning to Stiff Records, and was the last in a run of poorly-selling singles released between "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop... " |
81 | - | |
| December 1984 | "A New England A New England Kirsty MacColl recorded the song the year after its release by Bragg, produced by her then-husband Steve Lillywhite.. It was her biggest solo hit - reaching #7 in the UK Singles Chart and #8 in the Irish Singles Chart.... " |
7 | 8 | |
| June 1985 | "He's On the Beach" | - | - | |
| November 1987 | "Fairytale of New York Fairytale of New York "Fairytale of New York" is a song by the Irish rock group The Pogues, released in 1987 and featuring the British singer Kirsty MacColl. The song is an Irish folk style ballad, written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan, and featured on The Pogues' album If I Should Fall from Grace with God... " (with The Pogues The Pogues The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before... ) |
2 | 1 | If I Should Fall from Grace with God If I Should Fall from Grace with God If I Should Fall from Grace with God was well-received by critics. Mark Deming of Allmusic awarded the album four and a half out of five stars, calling it "the best album the Pogues would ever make." Robert Christgau gave the album a B+ and said that "neither pop nor rock nor disco crossover stays... (Pogues album) |
| March 1989 | "Free World" | 43 | - | Kite |
| June 1989 | "Days" | 12 | 9 | |
| September 1989 | "Innocence" | 80 | - | |
| April 1990 | "Don't Come the Cowboy With Me Sonny Jim!" | 82 | - | |
| November 1990 | "Miss Otis Regrets Miss Otis Regrets "Miss Otis Regrets" is a song by Cole Porter from 1934. It was first performed on stage by Douglas Byng in Hi Diddle Diddle, which opened October 3, 1934 at the Savoy Theatre, London... "/"Just One of Those Things" Just One of Those Things (song) "Just One of Those Things" is a popular song written by Cole Porter for the 1935 musical Jubilee.The song was later featured in two Doris Day musical films, Lullaby of Broadway and Young at Heart .-Influence in popular culture:... (with The Pogues) |
85 | - | Red Hot + Blue Red Hot + Blue Red Hot + Blue is the first in the series of compilation albums from the Red Hot Organization. The recording was the first in the Red Hot Benefit Series... (Produced by the Red Hot Organization Red Hot Organization Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise... ) |
| May 1991 | "Walking Down Madison" | 23 | 12 | Electric Landlady |
| July 1991 | "My Affair" | 56 | - | |
| September 1991 | "All I Ever Wanted" | - | - | |
| November 1991 | "Fairytale of New York" (with The Pogues) (re-issue) | 36 | 10 | - |
| November 1993 | "Angel" | - | - | Titanic Days |
| February 1995 | "Caroline" | 58 | - | Galore |
| June 1995 | "Perfect Day" | 75 | - | |
| July 1995 | "Days" (re-issue) | 42 | - | Kite |
| November 1999 | "Mambo de la Luna" | 119 | - | Tropical Brainstorm |
| February 2000 | "In These Shoes" | 98 | - | |
| July 2005 | "Sun On the Water" | - | - | The Best of Kirsty MacColl |
| December 2005 | "Fairytale of New York" (with The Pogues) (2nd re-issue) | 3 | 4 |
External links
- Kirsty MacColl — official site
- Kirsty MacColl discography at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- BBC announcement of her death
- Justice for Kirsty – in-depth information regarding MacColl's death
- http://www.myspace.com/justiceforkirsty Official Justice For Kirsty on Myspace