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The Kirsty MacColl web site
CONNECTIONS
An essential reference guide for anyone sad enough to play "Six Degrees of Kirsty"
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. You need to google Eliza if you are not already in her thrall.
In the late 60s Jimmy was lead singer with the London Beats. He released at least one solo single back in 1973 (Love don't come easily on Cube Records) but as an in-demand backing singer, he is usually to be found with Gene Chandler and often Jimmy 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).
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 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. He moved to London to do sessions and was signed to a publishing deal with Chrysalis, 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.
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.
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 she moved to England, where things didn't really work out. Back home to Galway she came second in a Galway talent
contest and appeared on 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.
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 1979-1980 he was living in Pelham, NY. He formed a band with brother Robert Crenshaw and Chris Donato on bass. 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. One of his best known songs is (You're my) Favourite waste of time, 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. 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 album, produced
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.
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. As
his talent as a performer developed, writing and arranging compositions was
a natural progression.
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. In 1979, he played in Mike Oldfield's band - captured in a live abum called
Exposed. After working extensively in the Far East in the eighties, he free-lanced, playing for records, films and television
in London. He made a special study of the six unaccompanied works for
violin by J.S. Bach and has given more than fifty performances of the complete
cycle.
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 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. 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.
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.
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