Kirsty

UK 'Best Of' for the late lamented singer songwriter who sang with The Smiths, Talking Heads, the list goes on and on. This 18 track collection (long out of print in the U.S.) gives an overview of her eclectic career, highlighting her skills as an interpreter of classic songs and a talented songwriter in her own right. Tracks include her first hit for Stiffrecords, 'There's A Guy Down The Chipshop Swears He's Elvis', 'They Don't Know' (Kirsty's own composition, later a hit for Tracy Ullman), the Brian Wilson inspired, 'He's On The Beach', the Christmas classic, 'Fairy Tale Of New York' feat.The Pogues, and covers of The Smiths' 'You Just Haven't Earned It Yet Baby', The Kinks' 'Days' and Lou Reed's 'Perfect Day' feat. Evan Dando. 1995 release.

Real (partially lost unreleased Kirsty MacColl album; 1982). Singer/songwriter Kirsty MacColl released her first album Desperate Character in the UK in 1981 on Polydor Records. She returned to Polydor to make her second album, titled Real and featuring a synthpop sound opposed to the guitar-based arrangements of her debut. Dave Jordan, then best known for his work with The Specials, was the producer for at least some of the sessions.

Kirsty’s triumphant return to the stage in late 1999 (after a quick warm up appearance in Dublin) saw two nights with a new touring band at the Jazz Café in north London, presenting her new material which would become ‘Tropical Brainstorm’. She was anxious about it all of course but it would all come good and today highlights from the first of those two nights are released on streaming services.

Kirsty MacColl, daughter of folk singer/songwriter Ewan MacColl, began her own musical career while still in her teens, singing in a band called the Addix, and eventually signed to the legendary Stiff Records. Her first single, the modern girl group gem, "They Don't Know," was released in 1979. Though it failed in the charts, it was later a major hit for Tracey Ullman. Kirsty MacColl switched to Polydor in the '80s and landed a U.K. Top 40 hit with the novelty song "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop (Swears He's Elvis)." She followed the single with her first LP, Desperate Character, in 1981. In 1984, she married producer Steve Lillywhite and put her solo career on hold, raising their two children and working as a backup singer.

3 CD retrospective of Kristy's work between 1979 and 2000. Contains all her singles & unreleased tracks including demos from the family archive. EMI. 2005.