What does it sound like?:
Kirsty MacColl is a darling of The Afterword but not particularly well known in the real world. Her biggest hit was guesting on The Pogues’ Fairytale Of New York but how many listeners to that song can name the woman who plays the role of curmudgeonly wife? There may well be more U2 fans aware that she sequenced The Joshua Tree than have actually listened to her songs. French And Saunders obsessives probably wouldn’t recognise her despite her frequent appearances in the video skits. Her career is littered with mishaps and near misses. Her first single, They Don’t Know, attracted a good deal of airplay but sales were thwarted by a distributors strike and it failed to chart. She suffered crippling stage fright and went through a long period of writer’s block. She released five studio albums in her lifetime for four different record companies. When Stiff Records went bust, no-one picked up her contract from the receiver and she had to make a living providing backing vocals for others. It helped that her husband was producer Steve Lillywhite. Her last album, Tropical Brainstorm, was certified Gold in the UK but, nevertheless, her label dropped her before her tragic death later the same year.
See That Girl (1979-2000) is a comprehensive career-spanning eight CD set. There are 161 tracks, 47 of which are previously unreleased, including her would-have-been second album, Real. A sixteen LP vinyl set has been deemed to be impractical but you can stream or download. Disc one consists of all her UK singles. Discs two to six are chronological albums, outtakes, demos, extended versions and her live performances. Disc seven collects together her recordings for the BBC and the final disc collaborations and songwriting for others. There was a packed three CD career retrospective released in 2005 and each of her albums were reissued with a second disc of extras but this is in a different league altogether. It’s difficult to imagine there is anything other than a few stragglers missing. Her scene-stealing contribution, with The Pogues, to the Red, Hot & Blue charity LP, her single with Matchbox and the theme tune to the TV series Moving Story being the most notable absentees. In addition, the packaging is a delight. The fabulous Jude Rodgers provides text for a sixty page hardback book that walks us beautifully through Kirsty’s life, highlighting her inspirations and influences along the way, as well as speaking with close family, friends and fellow musicians. The book is worth the very reasonable price of entry alone. The whole box is put together with such care and affection it reflects the enduring love and esteem in which Kirsty MacColl is held.
It’s easiest to track her development over the singles disc. She starts as a sweet, girl next-door, emulating the Girl Groups of the sixties, openhearted and generous of spirit, with a flavour of unassuming, self deprecating Britishness. However, scratch the surface and you find that she is less head-over-heels swoon than The Ronettes or The Supremes and more street-smart nonchalance as in The Shangri-Las. She has a razor wit, can see through the chancer males she encounters and her barbs are sharp. Her covers are exemplary, because she takes the song on face value, meeting it halfway, never over-egging the pudding. Billy Bragg’s New England is stoically down-to-earth, Kinks’ Days gently euphoric and, most impressive of all, You Still Believe In Me from Pet Sounds is extraordinarily tender and vulnerable. After a period of getting down and dirty with boys with jangly guitars (On The Beach), a flirtation with Country and Western (Don’t Come The Cowboy With Me, Sonny Jim) and a left turn into some Hip Hop (Walking Down Madison), she reaches a state of worldy-wise maturity just as her marriage fell apart (Angel). Finally, she embraces Latin Music (My Affair), going to the trouble of learning Spanish to fully immerse herself in the joy of it (Mambo De La Luna).
The ‘lost’ album, Real, is presented in full. Unfortunately, her songs and vocals are swamped by Dave Jordan’s horrible 1983 production. He throws everything in, bass sticks, synths, echoed trumpet, a harmonium, loud guitars, and the more he does, the worse it gets. Only when he restrains himself for a soft Lullaby For Ezra is Kirsty able to make it work. You can understand why Polydor kept it in the can. It was six years before she released another album. The next three were produced by Steve Lillywhite and it has to be said that he looked after her in the studio really well, even when her songs were bitter and caustic about their marriage breakdown as on Titanic Days. For someone famous for stage fright, she is remarkably calm and controlled on the live tracks, including a set at Glastonbury in 1992, another at The Jazz Café in 1999 plus several performances in BBC studios. She credited touring with The Pogues in 1988 as helping her overcome her fear. That must have been a very special type of therapy.
See That Girl is as perfect an anthology as it is humanly possible to achieve. However, there is an overwhelming sense of bittersweet unfulfillment. It isn’t just that her life was traumatically cut short at the age of forty-one. As this box proves, her triumphs were many and satisfying, yet she never enjoyed the full backing of a record company her talent deserved. The who-knows, what-ifs, buts and maybes must have been incredibly frustrating. Nevertheless, we are left with this box to enjoy. It’s full of warmth, humour and joi de vivre.
What does it all *mean*?
You can never have enough Kirsty MacColl.
Goes well with…
A day that needs brightening
Release Date:
27th October 2023
Might suit people who like…
Smart Pop music with a twist of humour
Lullaby For Ezra
Good review, Tigs, thanks. Love that woman.
Just gave Real a go – by god it’s dreadful. Somebody should do a remix and strip all the crud out.
Absolutely – there are some quality songs buried in there which would stand up in any of the other albums.
I was lucky enough to see her live 4 times and she never disappointed
Nice review TL and seconded on “Love that Woman” Mike.
My biggest musical regret was not getting a ticket to see her in the Jazz Cafe on 12th October 1999.
I clearly remember thinking that I’d see her again on another intimate tour, and then…..
I have the earlier retrospective and it’s fab. Was lucky enough to see her twice on stage, once as a guest of The Pogues on the If I Should Fall…tour – absolute mayhem! – and in her own right at Hull Truck Theatre, still in my top 10 favourite gigs.
Remember the Hull Truck gig very well Blacktype. Excellent gig from a quite shy Kirsty. MacColl. Truck had a purple patch of gigs around that time for a small venue of 150/200 people. Tori Amos promoting Little Earthquakes, a pregnant Sam Brown, Midge Ure performing a solo set and Everything But The Girl returning to their university city.
There was also a story of Tracey Chapman turning up as support for one act. The manager said she hadn’t been booked to play but she could if she wanted to but wouldn’t be paid!
(I’m not sure if the years have made me embellish that story or whether the gig was even Hull Truck but I’m sure it’s true!).
Wonderful to read. Thank you. One of the most underrated singers and songwriters – ‘she does covers/backing vocals/duets’. No she did so much more than that and would surely have also done so much more. See that Girl and Soho Square sit happily and permanently in my mental greatest songs of all time list.
I have to thank the mighty Word magazine for introducing me to her properly. I bought Galore when it came out some time in the 90s. Loved it but assumed she was the classic ‘Best of’ artist. Then at some point Word featured Soho Square on one of their CDs. And I simply couldn’t believe that it was possible to record such a perfect song that didn’t make a Best Of. There must be more, I thought. There really was! And as the review says, with better luck and better treatment by the business, there would have been even more.
Thanks Kirsty. Thanks Word. And thanks Tiggerlion for the review.
Just had an email to say mine’s been delayed by two weeks. I expect to see it on Sunday, then.
Great review Tiggs, as always. Any idea when/if this will be available to stream or download?
Real and live at the Jazz Cafe have turned up on my Spotify as new albums though not as part of this box.
Yeah, got those but that still leaves a few tracks I don’t have elsewhere – not enough to warrant £70 for the box, sadly
Her Stiff debut, They Don’t Know, was “ our” song for me and wife no. 1. So I was always fond of Kirsty and followed her career, even if my marriage faltered. I have the earlier 2 cd retrospective so don’t see me getting this, having also a few of the albums. If Real were any good, maybe, but you certainly don’t sell that disc. Curiously, I have soft spot for dodgy 80s production, cue Linda Thompson’s One Clear Moment, so I may source just that disc “elsewhere”.
Has it got Drug Addix – Gay Boys in Bondage on it? Her debut I think.
No.
Mine is on the way from Germany – hopefully early next week. Love her and her music.
Jude has also written an article for The Quietus:
https://thequietus.com/articles/33538-kirsty-maccoll-see-that-girl-box?fbclid=IwAR3iDOIZ0ZZ7uP9L-B4d3tj15LEgJLwAnxPXW5pzORE-guXTl2z2wgiNKlw
My box arrived today (sorry, @fentonsteve); really looking forward to spending the weekend with it. She’s been my absolute hero since those French And Saunders days.
Thanks for the review @Tiggerlion
I think Jude is my hero! That’s a wonderful piece.
Great review, hopefully mine will be under the tree as I have dropped enough hints to my wife .👍
Two LP vinyl best of KM coming out in Jan for a reasonable £25 or so
Much as I enjoy her work, I find the compilations a tricky listen because of all the rapid gear changes. Her five studio albums are all very different styles, with her voice the only constant factor.
Quick question: does it contain the complete studio albums or just selected tracks from each?
I have a hazy memory of seeing Kirsty McColl play as part of one of those ‘Secret Policeman’s Ball’ events. But I could be completely wrong!
Short answer is no.
Disc 1: The Singles
1. They Don’t Know (03:01)
2. Keep Your Hands Off My Baby (02:58)
3. There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis (03:08)
4. See That Girl (02:57)
5. You Still Believe In Me (02:57)
6. Terry (03:56)
7. A New England (03:50)
8. He’s On The Beach (03:29)
9. Fairytale Of New York (The Pogues Feat. Kirsty MacColl) (04:31)
10. Free World (Radio Version) (02:38)
11. Days (02:59)
12. Innocence (Remix) (04:02)
13. Don’t Come The Cowboy With Me Sonny Jim! (03:47)
14. Walking Down Madison (7” Mix) (04:40)
15. My Affair (Radio Edit) (03:34)
16. All I Ever Wanted (Single Mix) (03:31)
17. Angel (Single Edit) (03:40)
18. Caroline (02:57)
19. Perfect Day (Kirsty MacColl & Evan Dando) (03:50)
20. Mambo De La Luna (Single Edit) (03:31)
21. In These Shoes? (03:39)
Disc 2: 1979 – 1983
1. Turn My Motor On (02:27)
2. I Don’t Need You (02:56)
3. There’s A Guy Works Down The Truck Stop Swears He’s Elvis (03:08)
4. Nothing To Do (The Clock Goes Round Demo)* (02:19)
5. Falling For Faces (Demo)* (02:25)
6. The Real Ripper (Demo)* (04:13)
7. Teenager In Love (02:37)
8. Mexican Sofa (03:14)
9. Until The Night (03:50)
10. Over You (02:35)
11. Queen Of The High Teas (02:27)
12. Bad Dreams* (04:48)
13. Time* (03:45)
14. Sticked and Stoned (03:46)
15. Annie (04:30)
16. Camel Crossing (05:21)
17. Berlin (03:34)
18. Man With No Name* (03:28)
19. Lullaby for Ezra* (03:50)
20. Up the Grey Stairs* (06:38)
21. Roman Gardens (04:58)
*Tracks marked * are previously unreleased recordings.
Tracks 12-21 are the 1983 Polydor album ’Real’, presented here complete and sequenced for the first time.
Disc 3: 1983 – 1989
1. Terry (Extended Version) (05:20)
2. Quietly Alone (02:39)
3. One Little Lie (Demo)* (04:08)
4. A New England (Extended Version) (07:57)
5. Patrick (03:09)
6. I’m Going Out With An Eighty Year Old Millionaire (02:55)
7. Trouble With People (Demo)* (03:03)
8. Man Of Steel (Demo)* (02:59)
9. He’s On The Beach (Extended Version) (08:08)
10. Please, Go To Sleep (02:33)
11. You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby (She’s Having A Baby Version) (03:40)
12. Closer To God (03:53)
13. The End Of A Perfect Day (Original Demo Version) (03:23)
14. La Forêt De Mimosa (03:36)
15. Fifteen Minutes (03:12)
16. What Do Pretty Girls Do? (02:37)
17. Dancing In Limbo (02:51)
18. You And Me Baby (02:31)
19. Happy (02:33)
20. El Paso (03:46)
21. Still Life (02:57)
Disc 4: 1989 – 1992
1. Innocence (The Guilt Mix) (04:09)
2. No Victims (Guitar Heroes Mix) (04:23)
3. Clubland (04:04)
4. Other People’s Hearts (03:37)
5. One Good Thing (03:37)
6. He Never Mentioned Love (03:50)
7. The Hardest Word (04:38)
8. My Way Home (04:30)
9. My Affair (Olive Groove Mix) (06:26)
10. All The Tears That I Cried (03:31)
11. A New England (Live At Glastonbury 26/06/92)* (03:55)
12. Innocence (Live At Glastonbury 26/06/92)* (04:10)
13. You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby (Live At Glastonbury 26/06/92)* (03:28)
14. Fifteen Minutes / Don’t Come The Cowboy With Me, Sonny Jim! (Live At Glastonbury 26/06/92)* (05:40)
15. Happy (Live At Glastonbury 26/06/92)* (02:40)
16. Tread Lightly (Live At Glastonbury 26/06/92)* (03:15)
17. Train In Vain / Walking Down Madison (Live At Glastonbury 26/06/92)* (07:15)
18. Free World (Live At Glastonbury 26/06/92)* (02:30)
19. There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis (Live At Glastonbury 26/06/92)* (03:35)
*Tracks marked * are previously unreleased recordings.
Disc 5: 1993 – 1996
1. Soho Square (04:25)
2. Last Day Of Summer (04:20)
3. Can’t Stop Killing You (04:10)
4. Titanic Days (05:43)
5. Big Boy On A Saturday Night (03:56)
6. Angel (Stuart Crichton Piano Edit) (03:17)
7. King Kong (Demo) (03:56)
8. Dear John (Demo) (02:43)
9. Fabulous Garden (03:13)
10. Touch Me (03:36)
11. Free World (Live at Belly Up, Solana Beach, California 01/12/93) (02:43)
12. Miss Otis Regrets (Live at Belly Up, Solana Beach, California 01/12/93) (03:01)
13. Irish Cousin (04:49)
14. The Butcher Boy (03:57)
15. As Long As You Hold Me (Electric Version)* (04:39)
16. Eu So Quero Un Xodó* (03:15)
17. In These Shoes? (Demo)* (03:40)
18. Things Happen (Demo) (02:58)
19. Treachery (Demo) (a.k.a. Stalking A Fan)* (03:51)
20. Siempre Tu Rosa (Always Your Rose)* (02:35)
*Tracks marked * are previously unreleased recordings.
Disc 6: 1999-2000
1. Mambo De La Luna (Mint Royale Mix) (05:36)
2. In These Shoes? (UR Crazy Remix) (06:04)
3. Good For Me (03:34)
4. Autumngirlsoup (03:54)
5. Us Amazonians (04:09)
6. Nao Esperando (04:04)
7. Wrong Again (04:20)
8. I Believe In Love* (02:47)
9. Sun On The Water (Demo) (04:07)
10. Here Comes That Man Again (Live at The Jazz Café, London, 12/10/99)* (05:10)
11. Head (Live at The Jazz Café, London, 12/10/99)* (03:50)
12. Celestine (Live at The Jazz Café, London, 12/10/99)* (03:45)
13. England 2 Colombia 0 (Live at The Jazz Café, London, 12/10/99)* (03:50)
14. Designer Life (Live at The Jazz Café, London, 12/10/99)* (02:40)
15. Days (Live at The Jazz Café, London, 12/10/99)* (03:10)
16. Walking Down Madison (Live at The Jazz Café, London, 12/10/99)* (06:25)
17. How Insensitive (Live at The Jazz Café, London, 12/10/99)* (03:25)
18. My Affair (Live at The Jazz Café, London, 12/10/99)* (08:30)
*Tracks marked * are previously unreleased recordings.
Disc 7: BBC recordings 1981 – 2000
1. I Don’t Wanna Play House (Something Else, BBC TV 23/10/81)* (03.35)
2. Queen Of The High Teas (Something Else, BBC TV 23/10/81)* (02.30)
3. You Can Have My Husband (Something Else, BBC TV 23/10/81)* (02.10)
4. Don’t Come The Cowboy With Me Sonny Jim! (BBC Radio 1 session for Nicky Campbell, 08/11/89) (03.41)
5. What Do Pretty Girls Do? (BBC Radio 1 session for Nicky Campbell, 08/11/89) (02.36)
6. Don’t Run Away From Me Now (BBC Radio 1 session for Nicky Campbell, 08/11/89 (02.56)
7. Still Life (BBC Radio 1 session for Nicky Campbell, 08/11/89 (03.05)
8. There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis (BBC Radio 1 Session for Nicky Campbell, 26/06/91) (03:48)
9. Walk Right Back (BBC Radio 1 Session for Nicky Campbell, 26 June 1991) (03.37)
10. Darling, Let’s Have Another Baby (with Billy Bragg) (BBC Radio 1 Session for Nicky Campbell, 26 June 1991) (02.39)
11. Angel (Later… BBC TV 19 November 1992)* (04.10)
12. Can’t Stop Killing You (BBC Greater London Radio Session for Peter Curran, 07/03/94)* (03.54)
13. Soho Square (BBC Greater London Radio Session for Peter Curran, 07/03/94)* (04.13)
14. Bad (BBC Greater London Radio Session for Peter Curran, 07/03/94)* (01.56)
15. My Affair (BBC Radio 1 Session for Simon Mayo, 07/03/94) (03.44)
16. Miss Otis Regrets (with the 1st Battalion Irish Guards) (Later… BBC TV 31 December 1994)* (03.13)
17. Caroline (BBC Greater London Radio Session for Peter Curran, 16 February 1995)* (02.29)
18. Free World (BBC Greater London Radio Session for Peter Curran, 16 February 1995)* (02.46)
19. A New England (Acoustic) (BBC Radio 1 Session for Kevin Greening, 20/02/95) (03.29)
20. He’s On The Beach (Acoustic) (BBC Radio 1 Session for Kevin Greening, 20/02/95) (03.27)
21. Tread Lightly (Live at The Fleadh, Finsbury Park 10/06/95) (04.18)
22. I Wanna Be Sedated (Live at The Fleadh, Finsbury Park 10 June 1995) (02.32)
23. In These Shoes? (Later… BBC TV 15/04/00)* (03.57)
*Tracks marked * are previously unreleased recordings.
Disc 8: Other People’s Songs (Guest Appearances & Collaborations)
1. Peggy Seeger – Darling Annie (4.09)
2. Jane Aire & The Belvederes – Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache (2.54)
3. Jools Holland & Kirsty MacColl – Shutting The Doors (4.22)
4. Tracey Ullman – You Broke My Heart in 17 Places (2.49)
5. Billy Bragg With Johnny Marr & Kirsty MacColl – Greetings To The New Brunette (3.30)
6. David Byrne – Make Believe Mambo (Orisa) (5.23)
7. Ewan MacColl – The Manchester Rambler (4.42)
8. Happy Mondays – Hallelujah (MacColl Mix) (2.39)
9. Mary Coughlan – Invisible To You (4.28)
10. Alison Moyet – Wishing You Were Here (3.57)
11. Holly Johnson – Boyfriend ’65 (3.08)
12. Kirsty MacColl & Billy Bragg – Darling Let’s Have Another Baby (2.39)
13. The Wonder Stuff – Welcome To The Cheap Seats (Naked Mix) (2.41)
14. Engine Alley – Song For Someone (3.46)
15. Anthony Thistlethwaite – Red Jeans (2.36)
16. Sharon Shannon & Kirsty MacColl – Libertango (4.23)
17. Chucho Merchán, Kirsty MacColl and Phil Manzanera – People Uniting (5.05)
18. Ghostland & Kirsty MacColl – Sail Away (3.14)
Disc 8 please.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/nov/02/kirsty-maccoll-box-set-steve-lillywhite-mark-nevin-pogues
Please don’t spot any errors. I just spent half the day subediting that! (Actually, it was quite the group effort.) Got to say, though, your extremely erudite review whetted my appetite even further for this Kirsty box.
You (and the team) did a great job.
Phew! There was one huge error in one of Steve Lillywhite’s quotes but we fixed it just in time; one of those that risked making him and Alexis look like right donuts.
Personally, I like that, in print, it sits alongside the Ron Carter feature which mentions his bass playing on … The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.
A little Easter egg for the Graun massive, there.
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone were the first singles I bought from a shop (Rumbelows in St. Helens)!
I always thought that the song Hal-an-Tow, which contains the line ‘Hal-an-Tow, jolly rumbelow’ was something to do with them.
I ordered the Billy Bragg set before this was announced. I’ll have to work my way through that one before I get this.
The Bragg omitted the Riff Raff Chiswick EP. You’d think the completists might have licensed these tracks too.
Air Studio (Barry Grint) Half Speed Mastered vinyl of Kite and Electric Landlady just announced. Out in early March.
Is he any relation to Rupert “Ron Weasley” Grint? Genuine question.