The Real MacColl 1983

"I didn't feel right being a pop star", reckons Kirsty MacColl. "I get physically sick at gigs. I prefer writing songs for other people." One of these people includes Tracey Ullman - it was Kirsty who wrote her last hit They don't know. But it was originally recorded by herself but wasn't a hit.

"I'm just glad that Tracey did a good job on it. As long as the thing's a hit I don't mind." One of her later singles There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop fared better, making it to Number 14 in June '81. Since then she's recorded an album for Polydor "which they wouldn't release. Now I've signed to Stiff and they've bought the rights to it. It's my baby and I want people to hear it."

She's also done a film score with her brother Hamish. "It's a B-Movie about Lanzarote!" (one of the Canary Isles). Her latest single's called Terry. It was originally written for Tracey "but I was asked to do my own LP of teen ballads so I kept it for myself." In any case she ended up writing the title track of Tracey's LP You Broke My Heart In 17 Places.

It seems Terry is about a girl singing to her boyfriend in an attempt to make up after a row. "Terry seems to be a really good name for a lovable rogue. He's similar to the Marlon Brando character in "On The Waterfront". She thinks he's the greatest thing since Elvis."

Suppose, for her sake, we'd better hope it isn't a hit.

Smash Hits features in 1981 and 1985

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The Real MacColl 1983

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