Remembering Kirsty MacColl -Thirteen years on

"One day I'll be waiting there /No empty bench in Soho Square"

This day 13 years go , Britain and music lost one of its finest songwriters when Kirsty MacColl was prematurely taken from us. During a period when her voice was heard from every radio and shopping centre courtesy of perennial Christmas classic Fairytale Of New York , Kirsty was struck by a boat in Cozumel , Mexico.
She had been diving with her sons Louis and Jamie in a restricted diving area , when she was killed instantly.

It was a heartwrenching denouement for the Croydon singer who had been enjoying a career purple patch with what was to be her final album Tropical Brainstorm , released in March of the same year.

MacColl released the still gorgeous They Dont Know in 1979 , later famously covered by comedienne Tracy Ullman. It was as sweet and charming a love song as you could get. Desperate Character followed in 1983 , her debit album.
There A Guy works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis would give Kirsty her first UK Top 20 hit. It remains one of her most beloved tracks.
However it was her 1985 cover of friend Billy Bragg's A New England , which gave her the biggest solo hit of her career peaking at Number 7. This came after she had been dropped from Polydor Records. Before this Kirsty had recorded the glorious He's On The Beach , one of my all time favourite songs by her.


It was in 1987 though , that Kirsty MacColl would become immortal and engrained forever in the canon of all time Christmas classics. That year , having spent much of 1986 doing session work with luminaries such as The Smiths and Alison Moyet , that Kirsty would sing one of the greatest songs of all time.
That song was Fairytale of New York with The Pogues. By sheer twist fof ate The Pogues led by the inimitable Shane McGowan had been working with MacColl's then husband , legendary producer Steve Lilywhite.
When Cait O'Riordan had left The Pogues , before the song was complete , Kirsty provided vocals for the demo. MacGowan liked it so much , MacColl was asked to sing on the actual recording. The rest is pop history.
Kirsty and Shane's contrast of vocal deliveries over bittersweet lyrics is as rousing as it is utterly heartbreaking. Not just a Christmas classic, but an all time classic. " you scumbag you maggot ,you cheap lousy faggot , Happy Christmas your arse , I pray God its our last " sings Kirsty in spectacular fashion. It is just beautiful.
Despite being beaten to the Christmas top spot by the Pet Shop Boys atrocious Elvis cover , the song has left an enduring legacy. Fairytale Of New York , has become as much a part of Christmas as mince pies and Bing Crosby.
Through this song , Kirsty will live on forever.

In 1989 , Kite would give MacColl one of her most acclaimed albums with Free World , Dont Come The Cowboy With Me and her stunning version of The Kinks Days , hitting Number 12.
The 90s saw Kirsty release Electric Landlady and Titanic Days. Walking On Madison and the divine Caroline , two of the stand outs from that period.

In These Shoes , from final album , Tropical Brainstorm , would sadly and quite fittingly become her sassy swansong and last musical hurrah before her untimely departure later that year.
Since December 18th 2000 , Kirsty is commemorated on the Sunday nearest to each birthday every October at her bench in Soho Square. Here , fans gather to pay tribute to her. No doubt that bench feels emptier on this day every year.

Kirsty MacColl's legacy is one of a witty , clever songwriter and singer who during her 41 years gave  an enchanting , beautiful and wonderfully witty and raucous musical body of work to enjoy for years to come.

Terry , Theres A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swear He's Elvis , They Dont Know , Walking Down Madison , Caroline , In These Shoes.

From Croydon to Cuba , Kirsty MacColl will live on forever. And that's the real fairytale.