Kirsty Anna MacColl was an English singer-songwriter, born on October 10, 1959,
in Croydon, England.
She was the daughter of folk singer Ewan MacColl and recorded several pop hits in the
1980s and 1990s.
Her first hit as a songwriter was “They Don’t Know” for Tracey Ullman in 1983.
Her work combined sharp wit with strong melodies, often incorporating Cuban and
Brazilian rhythms.
Tragically, she died in a boating accident in Cozumel, Mexico, on December 18, 2000.
Kirsty MacColl’s box set, “See That Girl” (1979-2000), is a tribute to her enduring talent
and versatility.
Released 23 years after her untimely death, this 8 CD box set celebrates her life
and music. MacColl was one of the most talented and versatile singers and songwriters
of her generation, with a career spanning from the late 1970s until the early 2000s.
Her music ranged from pop, rock, folk, country, Latin, and more.
The box set is meticulously curated, bringing 161 tracks showcasing Kirsty as a writer
and a performer.
The 8 CDs are housed in a 10” 60-page hardback book with notes from Jude Rogers,
Arts / Culture journalist for the Sunday Times, The Guardian and Observer collecting
interviews with family, friends and collaborators.
It includes a mix of hits, album tracks, live recordings and 47 previously
unreleased recordings including her second album ‘Real’, recorded in 1983,
which was sequenced and ready to go but ended up languishing in a vault
but never released. ‘Lullaby For Ezra’, was on this album.
Kirsty released five albums during her lifetime - Desperate Character (Polydor, 1981),
Kite (Virgin, 1989), Electric Landlady (Virgin, 1991), Titanic Days (ZTT, 1993)
and Tropical Brainstorm (V2, 2000).
The first CD features MacColl’s singles, from her debut, “They Don’t Know” in 1979
to her last “In These Shoes?” released in February 2000.
It showcases her knack for catchy melodies, witty lyrics, and expressive vocals.
It’s a testament to how fast music was moving at the time that this sounds so different
from her debut "Desperate Character”.
That’s Hans Zimmer on keyboards, well short of his bombastic soundtrack heights,
giving “Bad Dreams”a new wave foundation underneath a generally funky beat.
It’s interesting to hear her songwriting develop
from the ’60s influenced “Keep Your Hands Off My Baby” through “He’s On The Beach”
via “Walking Down Madison” to her later ‘world’ influenced tracks
such as "Mambo De La Luna". Other highlights include nine tracks from Kirsty’s 1992
Glastonbury performance, a Jazz Cafe set from 1999 and live performances
originally recorded for BBC radio and television.
The eighth and final CD in this set features a selection of collaborations with other artists,
as either singer or songwriter, and illustrates how in-demand and versatile Kirsty’s
extraordinary talents were.
It’s baffling how she was not more commercially successful when she was alive.
“See That Girl” is an unbelievable piece of work in itself.
It matches some of the tremendous box sets that have been released in the last
few years that have endeavoured to convey the same sense of occasion and
gratitude to the lost and the forever majestic (body of work).
It’s a set that (I have) thoroughly enjoyed exploring, and it’s expanded appreciation for
an artist whose work transcends time.
Whether you’re a long-time fan or just discovering Kirsty’s music,
this deluxe set is a journey worth taking.
It is a testament to Kirsty MacColl’s enduring legacy.
Her music continues to inspire and captivate,
and this box set is a fitting tribute to her remarkable talent.
