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The Kirsty MacColl web site
CONNECTIONS
An essential reference guide for anyone sad enough to play "Six Degrees of Kirsty"
A
venerated Jazz and Latin percussionist who has played with such luminaries
as Kip Hanrahan,
flautist Dave Valentin (with Robby Ameen),
Richie Flores and the great Willie Colón. He was a member of
Colón's outfit when Rubén Blades first met Colón in
Panama in 1969. Capitalizing on the overwhelming success of Colón’s
hit single Che Che Cole, Colón’s
band made its first tour of concerts that year. Blades met Willie backstage
and became acquainted with the whole band, including Jose Mangual
jr.
Milton Cardona remains the opposite of showy conga players like Ray Barretto and Giovanni Hidalgo. In the 1980 joint album by Willie Colón and Ismael Miranda, we can hear his rare showy conga solo, but overall he is a percussionist for afficionados with his professional performance.
As a singer his voice is unique, though there is only one solo album, Bembé, recorded in 1987. Trawling through his discography further reveals a Who's Who of great musicians such as Celia Cruz, Eddie Palmieri, Flora Purim, Airto Moreira, Daniel Ponce, David Sanchez, Bahian singer Margareth Menezes and the legendary Rubén Blades.
Along with Robby Ameen, Cardona played with Paul Simon on the studio recording of Songs from the Capeman. Having appeared on David Byrne's Rei Momo, it was a natural path to Electric Landlady, playing conga on All I ever wanted, Children of the revolution, Halloween, My Affair, He never mentioned love and We'll never pass this way again. Additionally, Cardona played batá on The hardest word and My way home.
Lloyd played violin on My Affair, having earlier been part of the team on David Byrne's Rei Momo. Apart from this, the only other reference to him we could find was with New York orchestra Essential Music.
Performed All I ever wanted on the BBC tribute programme, Mambo de la Luna and England 2 Colombia 0 in the live tribute concert, also fiddle on Innocence.
In the late 60s Jimmy was lead singer with the London Beats (comprising Chambers, George Chandler, Jimmy Helms and Willy M on acoustic guitar). He released at least one solo single back in 1973 (Love don't come easily on Cube Records) but the side of stage is definitely where he can usually be found. An in demand backing singer, he is usually to be found with Chandler and often Helms. He backed Colin Blunstone (connecting with ubiquitous stringmaster Gavyn Wright) in 1978 and in the 80s John Miles, Paul Young, Barclay James Harvest, Elkie Brooks, Branford Marsalis, Madness (Mad not Mad) and Deacon Blue (Raintown).
Godley & Creme met Chambers during the filming of a Paul Young video, and used him along with George Chandler and Jimmy Helms on the Goodbye Blue Sky album. In 1986 they were part of a stellar cast at the Prince's Trust charity concert at Wembley which performed Dancing in the street - beat this! Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Elton John, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Ray Cooper , Vicki Brown, Samantha Brown, Jimmy Chambers, George Chandler, Jimmy Helms, Mark Knopfler, Rick Parfitt, Howard Jones, Mark King and John Illsley.
In 1991 Chambers & Chandler were called upon for Alison Moyet's Hoodoo album - which also utilised the talents of Fiachra Trench (strings) and one Kirsty MacColl on "Elysian Chorus". Not forgetting the producer, Mr. Pete Glenister. In the same year, C & C sang their little hearts out on Walking down Madison. More obscurely, Jimmy C has done backing vocals with Jimmy Helms for Italian rock singer Eros Ramazzotti. Pino Palladino played alongside Chambers and Chandler with both Eros and Paul Young.
Another in demand backing singer, usually to be found with former London Beat colleagues Jimmy Chambers and Jimmy Helms. In 1978 Chandler was part of the Olympic Runners (catch them on K-Tel release Disco Stars). In the 80s he sang with Chris Farlowe, PhD, Branford Marsalis, blues singer Eugene, Paul Young, Barclay James Harvest's Face to Face album (produced by Gregg Jackman) and Godley & Creme (Goodbye Blue Sky). In 1986 he was invited to sing at the Prince's Trust concert (see Jimmy Chambers for details).
In 1991 Chambers & Chandler were called upon for Alison Moyet's Pete Glenister produced Hoodoo album - which also utilised the talents of Fiachra Trench (strings) and Kirsty on "Elysian Chorus". In the same year, C & C sang their little hearts out on Walking down Madison. More obscurely, George C has done backing vocals with Jimmy Helms for Italian rock singer Eros Ramazzotti. Pino Palladino played alongside Chambers and Chandler with both Eros and Paul Young. Recent work includes Richard O'Brien (along with Guy Barker), German artist Wolf Maahn, Swing Out Sister (connecting with Gavyn Wright with the London Session Orchestra) and Status Quo's 30th anniversary album Don't stop.
Chevron
is best known for his work playing guitar, banjo and mandolin with the Pogues. In
addition to the obvious connections through Kirsty's work with the Pogues
on Fairytale and Miss
Otis regrets,
they were the backing band on Kirsty's solo track The
one and only.
Born in Dublin, Philip inherited a love of The Theatre from his father, but in the mid 1970s Philip became mesmerized by the blossoming punk movement. He joined Ireland's first punk band The Radiators From Space "because they needed a guitarist." They reached number 17 in the Irish charts before moving to London and changed their name to The Radiators before breaking up soon after.
In 1981 Philip recorded a five-track mini LP of Brecht/Weill songs called Songs From Bill's Dancehall, performing it live with great Irish band Moving Hearts, but it wasn't successful, so he got a job in Camden's Rock On record store, where Elvis Costello was a customer. Philip talked to him about a single he wanted to record and Elvis agreed to produce it. The Pogues were going on their first tour outside the UK, but Jem Finer's wife Marcia was having their second child so somebody had to replace him. Pogues manager Frank Murray asked Philip and he agreed to do it, even though he'd never played the banjo before.
"It felt right from the very beginning for them and for me," he says. "It just seemed like I fitted in." After that tour Philip stayed in the band because Shane didn't want to play guitar anymore. Chevron has also played with Mary Coughlan and did a solo version of Thousands Are Sailing for the soundtrack to a BBC documentary about Irish music called Bringing It All Back Home. He left The Pogues in 1994 because he wanted to get back to more traditional Irish music. He might also have valued what was left of his health, having had sever ulcer problems and having almost died from alcohol abuse on a ferry to Finland once. Most recently (since 1995) Philip was working on a musical together with radio critic Declan Lynch. It is based on the life of Irish-American boxer Jack Rooney, and Kirsty recorded three demos for the project just before she died, in the role of Rooney's mother: Manhattan Moon and two ensemble pieces: The great silence and First Finale. He has also contributed to a book on "The lost theatres of Dublin".
Best
known as one half of 80s group Climie Fisher, with Rob Fisher, who died in
1999 at the age of 39. Long before that however, Simon had appeared
on Rachel Sweet's Fool around album
in 1979 doing snaps, claps and percussion on his way to becoming a sought
after writer of hit songs. Born in Fulham, his father was the English
editor for "Mad" magazine.
He moved to London to do sessions, beginning as a guitarist and keyboard player, evolving into singing and writing only. By the time he was seventeen he had been in several bands. That experience led to his being signed to a publishing deal with Chrysalis, from where Simon met and started working with Steve Lillywhite. Lillywhite let him write, play keyboards, and handle arrangements on two songs (co-written with Kirsty, One little lie and Chemistry tonight) for a solo LP by Frida. Lillywhite encouraged Simon to sing and offered to produce him when he was ready. It is understood that Simon played keyboards on Kirsty's hit A New England; he also co-wrote Rhythm of the Real Thing for the unreleased Real album - later to appear on the box set. Kirsty later sang backing vocals on the Everything album.
Around this time (1986), Simon began getting his songs covered by the likes of Smokey Robinson, Jeff Beck, Nick Lowe, Leo Sayer, Pat Benatar, Roger Daltrey, Rod Stewart and most successfully Aretha Franklin and George Michael (I Knew You Were Waiting For Me, co-written with Denis Morgan). He also duetted with Roberta Flack on her 1989 album Oasis.
Simon was working with Steve Lillywhite as arranger and Fairlight programmer on Scritti Politti's Cupid and Psyche at Abbey Road Studios when he met Rob Fisher. They hit it off, wound up in the Abbey Road bar reminiscing about the Beatles and the current lack of good songs. Rob was looking for a singer/songwriter; Simon was looking for someone to write and record with. Why not? It would be another year before they were able to get together and officially form Climie Fisher, get a record deal with EMI, and begin recording. Their biggest hit came with Love changes everything, and they attracted a decent following during their 3 years or so together.
He released one solo album in 1992, but has mainly been involved with writing and production, notably so on much of Eric Clapton's 1998 album Pilgrim (linking with Alan Douglas), he has also produced albums by Eternal, MN8 and Kate Ceberano. Recent activity includes songwriting with former M People singer Heather Small, also Thunderbugs. Recent hits include I won't take it lying down by the Honeyz, as well as recordings by David Cassidy, Julia Forham, Louise, MN8, Brian Kennedy, Vanessa Williams, Michelle Gayle and even Shirley Kwon Suk 'E (in Cantonese).
Performed Us Amazonians, My Affair and Mambo de la Luna in the live tribute concert.
Born
in Galway in 1956, her teenage years were dominated by drink, drugs and depression,
quitting Convent school along the way - she even made a suicide attempt at
16. After various make-ends-meet jobs (waitress, nude model, street
sweeper) she moved to England, living in a hippie squat for a time before
marrying in 1974 and gaining three children before that marriage collapsed
after seven years.
Back home to Galway by 1984, she was living in squats again when she met Dutch musician Erik Visser, made a demo and came second in a Galway talent contest. By 1985 she was appearing on Ireland's top chat show - Gay Byrne's Late Late Show. Soon she was selling out concerts throughout Ireland, and her excellent debut album at the age of 29 sold 100,000 copies. End of all her problems? Hardly.
"I had a bad manager and I got ripped off. I lost the house, the car, the record deal... I never seriously drank before the age of 29. It went against all my ideas, of child-rearing and so on. But I was in hospital 32 times and nearly died at one stage. Jesus, I was a compete alcoholic. For most of my 30s I was drinking three or four bottles of vodka a day. And tequila as well." Why? "I just was. There's the music and the business, people making a fuss over you, people dropping you, that's what happens. You just want to drink, it seems easier at the time. I just couldn't handle any of it. I was angry at everyone, angry at myself. Above all, I was angry, ready to blame everyone. I didn't take responsibility and a lot of people fucked me over. But it could have been worse. If I was dead you wouldn't be writing about me now. It's all okay and I've the builders in and all."
Kirsty sang backing vocals on the album Uncertain pleasures in 1990, in the company of Mark E Nevin, who wrote two songs and played guitar. After going into rehab in 1993, Mary has been sober, and gave Julia Roberts singing lessons for Michael Collins in 1996, the same year her exceptional live album Live In Galway was released. She continues to be a big draw at blues and folk oriented events, and blew everyone else off the stage at the Woman's Heart 2 tour when I caught her a few years back (and we're talking Mary Black, Sinead Lohan, Sharon Shannon here). As Q Magazine stated, "Mary Coughlan sings with a hard intelligence which binds spells.", and according to Mojo magazine, "she has a voice to kill for."
Performed Bad, In these shoes?, Head and Fairytale of New York in the live tribute concert.
The rapper on Walking down Madison, Aniff does not appear widely on the internet. In 1991 he appears with ambient hippy Steve Hillage's System 7 and ambient dance gurus The Orb (Dr. Alex Paterson and Thrash) in the colossal double-album The Orb's Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld. Incidentally, Hillage produced Simple Minds prior to Steve Lillywhite, a "hidden connection".
He played in the band at the live tribute concert.
Crenshaw
was born in 1953 in Detroit. After high school he played in a bar band,
an oldies band, a country band, a Hawaiian band, and accompanied rockabilly
musician Jack Earls. From 1969 to about 1974 he was in a band called ASTIGAFA
which is an acronym for "A Splendid Time Is Guaranteed For All";
a quote from the back of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper album. Around 1976
he headed out to Los Angeles, CA to audition
for a band but did not get the gig. He formed a Country & Western band
with three women and they toured through parts of the West.
While in Greeley, Colorado he read an ad in the back of Rolling Stone magazine advertising for open auditions for Beatlemania. He made an audition tape and mailed the tape to New York, moving there in 1978 and portraying John Lennon in Beatlemania for a year and a half. He began writing songs in earnest.
Around 1979-1980 he was living in Pelham, NY. He formed a band with brother Robert Crenshaw and Chris Donato on bass. They played around NY and built up a reputation as part of the local music scene. Marshall and his band recorded their first album for Warner Brothers records entitled Marshall Crenshaw which was released in 1982 to great critical acclaim. He's gone on to release 10 additional albums. 'What the critics respond to is Mr. Crenshaw's graceful tightrope act. His songs, like Brian Wilson's, are harmonically sophisticated yet immediately hummable. They are, like Buddy Holly's, buoyant and emotionally direct. But they are, like Phil Spector's, also produced painstakingly, with as many rich layers as mille-feuille. They evoke countless fondly recalled artists of 30 years ago without aping any of them. And at their core, they are hard-charging electric-guitar songs, whose brief solos and fills frequently function as witty, surprising countermelodies.' Peter Kaufman of The New York Times. One of his best known songs is (You're my) Favourite waste of time. He has collaborated with the BoDeans, the Gin Blossoms, The Smithereens, Syd Straw, Was (Not Was) and Susan Werner among many others. And of course, he was the co-author of All I ever wanted from Electric Landlady. Finally, note that Crenshaw's album Field day was produced by Steve Lillywhite.
Though probably English though he spends a lot of time in Australia (so far out of reach). In 1993 he did some mixes for 23rd Precinct & Limbo Records, such as The screamer by Lovedeejay Akemi featuring vocal samples by soul star Loleatta Holloway. In 1994 he did a remix of Kirsty's Angel, and Swampthing for Orb like dancey outfit The Grid. With Reverb, he mixed Hebibe's Amr Diab.
A year on he was part of a project called Umboza with Michael Kilkie, on Positiva/ Limbo Records - they issued a couple of singles, Cry India and Sunshine. With Andy Morris, he was part of something called Narcotic Thrust. Over in Oz, they remixed Heart of the party for Severed Heads ("From sonic experiments with grapefruits to the top reaches of the Australian singles charts..."), though this remix did not meet with the approval of Heads founder Tom Ellard!
The Australian publication for Mushroom Music explains that Stuart went to Australia in 1997 to co-write and spent some time at the Fresh Music Studio (home of Dave and Damian of the Wicked Beats) with one of their digital studios co-writing with Christine Anu, Wendy Matthews and Michelle Ross. In passing, we note that his brother Davy is Irish singer songwriter Andy White's violin player, and that Stuart "was blown away by Andy's 'Whole Thing'". Finally, Stuart was credited on Apollo 440's Electro glide in blue in some form of inspirational capacity in 1997.
Kirsty
sang backing vocals on their eponymous (and very 80s sounding) album, produced
of course by Steve Lillywhite. The Choir comprised Dennis Ambrose
(bass), Eddie Freeze (guitar, keyboards), Brad Peet (drums) and J Pounders
(guitar, lead vocals).
Jay Pounders says, "Here is the pic of Crossfire Choir circa 1986...man we were full of ourselves, weren't we? But why wouldn't we be... we were on Geffen about to head to London to record our album with Steve Lillywhite. I was the singer/ songwriter with the group, Kirsty sang back-up on several tracks. Steve and Kirsty treated us like family for the 3 months we were in London. In fact, we spent Christmas day at Kirsty's mom's house. I saw Steve and Kirsty the following year when they came to New York - Steve was producing the Stones. Kirsty and I went to the Ritz and saw China Crisis together. That was the last time I spoke with Steve and/or Kirsty and I was very sad to hear of Kirsty's accident. I wish her family and friends well."
Jay Pounders now writes and records in his home studio in Seal Beach, California. Recently a semi-finalist in the 2004 International Songwriting Competition, he is currently playing his acoustic solo act in the Los Angeles area and hopes to soon release an album recorded with former Crossfire Choir mates, Brad Peet and Ron Desaram, and friends John and Bill Storch (formerly of Atatat/Black Box Approach) and Andy McManus (Peeling Autumn). Calling themselves the Sewing Circle Sues, they hope to be playing in the upcoming year to promote the project.
Born
in LA, Kenneth was classically trained as a child, and in his teens broadened
the range of his keyboard skills by embracing both gospel and jazz influences. Influenced
by artist such as his uncle Andrae Crouch, Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul and
Bill Evans, he embarked on his musical career at the age of 15. As
his talent as a performer developed, writing and arranging compositions was
a natural progression. As well as recording with Eric Clapton, over the years
Kenneth has gone into the studio with many prominent artists, including The
Temptations, Toni Braxton, Lenny Kravitz, Nancy Wilson and Vanessa Williams.
He has appeared live in concert with Earth, Wind & Fire, Chaka Khan, Babyface, En Vogue, Lenny Kravitz, George Clinton and many other performers. Brandy, Terrence Trent D'Arby, El Debarge and Nancy Wilson are among the wide variety of artist for whom he has produced or arranged. Kirsty met him at a songwriting week organised by Chris Difford and EMI, with the resulting song being Designer life from Tropical Brainstorm.
"Bruce Springsteen lookalike" Paul played drums and percussion on a 1983 album by Philip Jap (produced by Trevor Horn and Tony Mansfield). A year on he was part of the Adventures (who had metamorphosed from Belfast band Starjets - the loudest band I ever heard in my college years, I left early and could still hear 'em half a mile away I swear). In 1989 he was given tambourine on Free world, What do pretty girls do? and You just haven't earned it yet baby, as well as percussion duties on La Fôret de Mimosas and Complainte pour Ste. Catherine;. In the mid 90s, he was drummer with LA band the Delphines with ex GoGo Kathy Valentine on lead. "They churn out one catchy, muscular tune after the next and Kathy delivers guitar work which ranges from stuttering post-grunge pop to deep blues loaded with attitude... ".
In
1979, Simon co-wrote You caught me out with
Kirsty and Pete
Briquette, and of course played on the single as drummer with the Boomtown Rats. After
the disbanding of The Boomtown Rats, Simon put together a band with fellow
Rat Johnny Fingers called Gung
Ho featuring Simon on lead vocals, and in 1987 they released a 3-track
CD single featuring the title track Play To Win.
He is currently playing in a band called The Pump Jockeys with Garry Roberts.
Simon has also started a business making wooden clocks, see http://www.like-clockwork.co.uk.
Cruft comes from a well known family of London musicians and started learning
the violin at the age of six. After studying with Sascha Lasserson, a pupil
of Leopold Auer, he went to the Royal College of Music where he won the top
violin prize. During the 1970's he played in Covent Garden Opera, the LSO
and the Philharmonia, and in the London String Quartet. He played in
1974 with Pete Atkin ("I see
the joker").
In 1979, he played in Mike Oldfield's band - captured in a live abum called Exposed. In 1980 he went as Associate Concertmaster to the Hong Kong Philharmonic and in 1982 formed the Tononi Quartet which gave regular recitals and broadcasts, covering a wide repertory, playing Hong Kong, Macau and China.
Since returning in 1984 to London, he has free-lanced, playing in many different groups in England and abroad, recording music for records, films and television in London and occasionally composing music for television commercials and The Theatre. He has made a special study of the six unaccompanied works for violin by J.S. Bach and has given more than fifty performance of the complete cycle. As well as in Britain, he has performed Bach's solo works in Hong Kong and Macau, and in China while working as guest leader of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and in Vietnam while leading and coaching the vietnam National Symphony.
Since starting this project of performing the works as a set, he has been invited to repeat them in many places, including eight successive years at Binham Priory in Norfolk and each year since 1989 at St. Michael and All Angels in Brighton. Also in 1989 he played on the Kite sessions, contributing violin to Innocence and You and me baby. Connection-wise, his work with Sam Brown brought him alongside Chucho Merchan, Gavyn Wright, Dave Gilmour (Sam worked with Pink Floyd as well), Guy Barker and Mark Berrow. He also played on Björk's Bachelorette in a string section led by Wright (naturally), and on Ser de Agua in 1991, Seal's Love Paradise in 1996, Natacha Atlas' 1998 release Gedida and Joni Mitchell 's thematic standards album Both sides now in 1999 (linking with Wilf Gibson amongst several others).
Miami
born bassist Sal Cuevas played with Latin outfit Tipica '73. They
split due to economical factors but also that old favourite, "musical
differences", with the disjunctive of remaining tipico or going progressive.
Out of this Cuevas moved on to Los Kimbos. Curiously, although the
Kimbos forming crew (Orestes Vilato, Adalberto Santiago, Joe Manozzi -
trumpeter on Tipica, now shifting to piano - and Nelson Gonzalez) wanted
to remain in the tipico sound of Tipica'73's first two albums, for this new
album they also shifted, although momentarily, to modern ground, as virtuoso
bassist Sal Cuevas actually is playing a Fender bass for most of the album.
During the late 70's and early 80's Cuevas had a great berth with Willie Colón - one of the giants of modern salsa, a popular trombonist and bandleader since the late 1960's. Sal played unusually far-forward -- his funk-inspired slapping giving a distinctive flavor to songs like Casanova, Juanito Alimaña and Tiempo Pa' Matar. Since then, he has played with Ray Barretto, Mongo Santamaria and a Kip Hanrahan project putting music to the texts of Ishmael Reed in 1985.
Along with Ite Jerez, Cuevas featured in Tito Puente's band. In 1991 he was part of the phalanx of great Latin musicians who added texture to Electric Landlady, playing on All I ever wanted, Children of the revolution, My Affair, He never mentioned love and We'll never pass this way again. Most recently Cuevas appeared on albums by two quite different Latin greats - Gloria Estefan's Latin albums Abriento Puertas and Alma Caribeña, and in 1998 the legendary Celia Cruz. Not forgetting Luis "Perico" Ortiz.
Author of Walk right back, originally a hit for the Everly Brothers in 1961.
Rico, venerated Jamaican horn player, played a key role in the Specials "new ska" sound and has played on numerous recordings over the years. Now he's with the Jools Holland Rhythm & Blues Orchestra - back in 1981 he played with Jools, Rico (another Special), Pino Palladino and Lu Edmonds on four never released tracks.
© freeworld 1995 - 2008 [ www.kirstymaccoll.com ]
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