Kirsty Maccoll - 10 October 1959 - 18 December 2000

[Guest]

I really don't want to be morbid but it is 1.25am. This means that I've clocked up another year. More importantly, it is exactly ten years since the death of Kirsty MacColl, proof if there ever was, sadly, that life doesn't always bring justice. If any family or friends are members of the site, my warmest regards.

Tropical Brainstorm

In These Shoes?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjvaqVAFuLI&feature=related

Nao Esperando

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlIVMPgLNAk&feature=related

Us Amazonians

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LzUDVp4Urk&feature=related

Designer Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hsJprcD9Bg&NR=1

[DracoM]

Hugely missed, never duplicated.

[Martin Reynolds]

Once upon a time at home, I sat beside the telephone, waiting for someone to pull me through, when at last it didn't ring I knew it wasn't you.

God bless, Kirsty.

[Lateralthinking1]

Thanks for those Martin and DracoM. Yes, one of Croydon's finest and so many happy memories. To my mind she saved her best to last - Tropical Brainstorm.

I will never forget the moment in between the speeches and live performances at her memorial service when the recording of Us Amazonians was played to fill St Martins in the Fields. And given that during Kirsty's last years, she was listening almost exclusively to world music, particularly that from Latin America, I do believe that she would have had longevity as a recording artist with even more to offer.

On Monday night at 10pm on Radio 2- "Kirsty MacColl - A Celebration". Presented by Billy Bragg, the programme includes excerpts from a series on Cuba that Kirsty made before her death. Cuba Solidarity Campaign director Rob Miller and Kirsty's remarkable mother Jean also discuss her work for musical aid to the Cubans.

[Martin Reynolds]

Thanks Lat. Will tune in to R2.

[johncorrigan]

Happy Birthday (I assume) Lat - hope it's been a good and not too travel-type-stuff disrupted - hope the coming year's a goodie. Thanks - I'll have a listen to the KmcC programme - very fine voice - she was somebody's landlady I seem to recall but can't remember who - it was a funny bit in a doc I heard about her once.

[Lateralthinking1]

Hi John - Yes, it was my birthday at 10.25am this morning. I walked this afternoon through thick snow with my rucksack to the supermarket. No buses again on these rural-suburban hills so don't believe all they say about Greater London.

Four mile round trip. Didn't have to go but wanted to and it is also a good discipline. Nice preparation for hill walking holidays in the summer. E-mails and phone calls of course and then I do believe that I'm going out now somewhere for a meal.

The landlady thing crops up in an album title as you know and it's a bit of wordplay on Hendrix among other things. Kirsty's voice - yes, quite a bit could be said but I think the most interesting is about the layering.

She had an intricate, patient, way of putting together each sound part by part. The process was not unlike that undertaken by, say, the Beach Boys. All the voices though - or most of them - were just Kirsty. That created something quite unique. Lat.

[johncorrigan]

That sounds like a fine B'day LT1. I suppose the way you talk about KMcC is the sort of thing that Joni did too - For the Roses, Court and Spark, Hissing etc - only her singing, building those great layers of sound - I saw the Beach Boys a couple of times in the 60s - their ability to re-create live the likes of God only Knows or Heroes and Villains was amazing - only years later did I find out that Brian wasn't even there. I was never up on the pop goss.

[gurnemanz]

We only saw Kirsty once. She made a surprise appearance with the Pogues on Fairy Tale of New York complete with fake snow in a memorable St Patrick's Day concert at the Town and Country in Kentish Town, 1988. . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkykCRtbUeE

[Lateralthinking1]

Gurnemanz - I was there! In fact, I was at the T & C for them on Mon 14th, Tue 15th and Thur 17th March 1988 and worked throughout the week. Guinness did very well on the proceedings. I was nearly dead by the weekend but obviously wouldn't have missed it for the world.

And looking at the old ticket stubs, I must have been more sensible in 87 and 89 as I just kept it to St Patrick's Night at Brixton. Ditto 2003 - MacGowan and the Popes at Shepherds Bush Empire, not one of his finer moments it has to be said. That is just the tip of the iceberg though. There were loads of others. I won't list them all but some of the Christmas ones were brilliant and had Kirsty on board.

John - Nice new photo. You suddenly remind me of someone. You will be renamed Captain Corrigan. Funnily enough, the only Beach Boy I have seen live is Brian. I got to the age when I thought "wouldn't it be nice to take my Dad to a gig?" We went to the Royal Festival Hall in 2004 for Smile. A great night and a memorable moment.