Afternoon Aural: Kirsty MacColl
Special thanks to reader Mark for suggesting we post some videos from the late, great Kirsty MacColl. Ms M first made a name for herself with her punky single, “They Don’t Know”, a track that would achieve later – and more – success after being covered by Tracy Ullman for the opening credits to her long running comedy show.
MacColl’s other aural offerings made small waves, but she never made as big a splash as she deserved. She did, however, reach number two when she sang “Fairytale of New York” with The Pogues back in 1987.
MacColl’s life came to a tragic end in 2000 while scuba diving in Mexico, when she sacrificed herself by pushing her son out of the way of a speed boat. In honor of MacColl’s life and talent, we’re featuring two videos. Above you see Mark’s suggestion, “Terry” and after the jump we’ve inserted her cover of Billy Bragg‘s “A New England”, which features two new verses written for MacColl by Bragg himself.
kirsty was the best. i still miss her so much. her death was so tragic (and the beginning of a big cover-up to let some wealthy guy get away with it). no like her then or since.
Don’t forget Kirsty did backing vocals on some fine Morrissey tracks too. She deserves so much more fame.
Not just Morrissey but the Smiths, too, of course, and some others as well.
More about her tragic death here:
http://www.justiceforkirsty.org/
And her father wrote “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”. Her album “Kite” is one of the great treasures–and pleasures–of British pop
She passed in 2000? I could have swore she was either on Graham Norton or Jules Holland in the early 2000′s singing “In These Shoes”… I saw it on BBC America!