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The Kirsty MacColl web site
CONNECTIONS
An essential reference guide for anyone sad enough to play "Six Degrees of Kirsty"
As
a classically trained musician lured into the popular music world,
Kate St. John is probably best remembered for the haunting woodwinds
and her Angelic singing with The
Dream Academy, the British pop combo from the mid '80s who struck
gold in the U.S. with the hit single Life
In A Northern Town,
still a recurrent on many commercial stations. Her ability
to play and arrange woodwinds (oboe & saxophone) has fuelled
a demand for her services from the likes of Van Morrison (she
has played on five of Morrison's albums and has spent over three
years in his live band), Roger Eno, Bill Nelson, Tears For Fears,
Julian Cope and of course Kirsty, for whom she played Cor
Anglais on Bad and
oboe on Soho
Square.
She has also scored, arranged and played on numerous pieces for British TV and film including Derek Jarman's Blue. Indescribable Night was Kate's outstanding debut album as a solo performer, and was a natural progression from the purely choral, modern chamber styles that characterized her work. She told the Caroline.com/gyroscope/stjohn/stjohn.html">Gyroscope web site, "It's been a long search to find the right musical medium for my voice and my songs. Looking back there are several styles that have influenced the sound of this album. One is the French 'chanson'. I think it was the sweetness of their semi-classical 'charmant' style of singing that impressed me. This was the sort of music I could sing, and the arrangements were inspiring too, really clever woodwind parts and overall very sonically pleasing. I love the nostalgic, romantic ambience of it all. European film music, particularly Nino Roto, could also be cited as an influence, though mostly on a more subliminal level. In general I lean towards music that is uplifting in some way, that hints at the spiritual instead of reflecting the confusion and drudgery of life". Freeworld says, Kate's albums are wonderful, go seek them out!
From
New York City, Steve played saxophones on Halloween and My
way home. Steve also
played on David Byrne's seminal Rei
Momo,
as well as albums by Amazonia (you just can't help breaking
into song now, can you?), Kimson Plaut (an American playing
Brazilian music), Yoshiaki Masuo, Lisa Ono and the Paul Aston
Group. Photo from Alfie's
Jazz Club in Tokyo, where Steve seems to spend a fair amount
of time.
Gary first hit the limelight playing with Joe Jackson on his first three top albums I'm the man, Look sharp and Beat Crazy around 1980, as well as touring with Joe throughout. He later played with Joan Armatrading on The key and Walk under ladders before joining Aztec Camera until 1993. He played in Kirsty's 1993 and 1995 touring bands.
Photographer responsible for the cover shots on Galore, and the promo photos for Tropical Brainstorm. Along with Charles Dickins, Kirsty's favourite photographer to work with - she flew to Los Angeles specially for the TB photoshoot. It was Schenck's portrait which appeared on the world's front news pages in December 2000.
Bass & percussion on the BBC sessions album (What do pretty girls do?), he also played in her 1995 touring band. A former member of the Ruts along with Dave Ruffy. He may also have played with the Chemical Brothers.
Kirsty
sang lead vocals on the album Each little
thing, the track being the
old Astor Piazzolla favourite Libertango. Sharon
is a virtuoso Irish accordion player, one time of the Waterboys
and who has produced a fine array of albums in recent years. Her
most recent pulled star guests from around the world to Galway
to record the Diamond Mountain Sessions,
for example Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Carlos Nunez and John
Prine.
Lead
singer and guitarist with Mischief,
via spells with The Maniacs, touring and recording at the height
of the punk rock phenomenon in the UK in 1977, then the Rings,
the Physicals, Brian James Brains (ex Damned), Hellions, Heaven
and the Angels, Brian James
Gang, Dee Dee Ramone and The Damned. Of
his Damned days he says "Around
89-90 I had come into contact with Rat Scabies through working
with Brian James although I had first met him in '77. Rat
at that time was putting together a heavier new look Damned and
had already brought Chris Dollimore from The Godfathers and Moose
from New Model Army into the ranks. I had always rated Rat as a
fine drummer. I had some songs and ideas hanging around, one thing
led to another and I was rowed in as songwriter/rhythm guitarist
into the full on twin guitar Damned line up of 93-95 which toured
and produced the Damned's most recent album "Not Of This Earth".
He's also worked with Paul Cook & Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols, Stuart Copeland (Police), Jools Holland, Rico (Specials), Alvin Gibbs & John Towe (UK Subs), and even rehearsed with Syd Barrett ("very casual affairs as Syd was so "out of it" at the time. This is as far as Alan's connection with Syd reached).
His connection with Kirsty is one of the most obscure of them all: Alan co-wrote four songs with Kirsty around 1981, all of which were recorded but never released. He also appeared on two TV shows, helping promote the hit single There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis. The four unreleased tracks were Goodnight Paris, Germany, Shutting The Doors and Don't Ask Me. Playing on the tracks were Jools Holland, Pino Palladino, Rico (ex-Specials), Dick Cuthell and Lu Edmonds (ex-Damned, Edge & PiL, amongst many others). All the tracks were recorded at Regents Park Studios in London. One other demo, recorded on 4-track, entitled A Boy Like That, was also co-written with Kirsty MacColl and featured backing vocals by Mick Rossi and Gary Holton.
An
Englishman educated at the Royal College of Music and Eton College,
Ed contributed piano and clavinet to Lying
down. Ed has seen service
with Robert Plant, Annie Lennox, Pink Floyd, Shakespear's Sister,
Bryan Adams, Eric Clapton, Echo & the Bunnymen, the Beautiful
South and Michael Kamen. He has also a clutch of film music
credits, including The sweetest thing,
Miss Congeniality, Charlie's
Angels, The
Count of Monte Cristo and The
wings of the dove. He
was honoured at the 2000 ASCAP Awards.
Trumpet on My Affair - a session musician, also played on David Byrne's Rei Momo. Other credits include Billy Joel, Neil Diamond, George Benson, Astrud Gilberto, Dave Matthews, Janis Ian and the Bloodhound Gang.
Fred volunteered to assist the Justice For Kirsty Campaign in 2003. He is a leading human rights activist and international campaign specialist with first hand experience in Mexico and Central America, has worked for Amnestry International and now works extensively with human rights group Casa Alianza.
Kirsty sang backing vocals on the album Sparkle in the Rain - on the songs Speed your love to me (best heard on the 12" remix) and Lou Reed's Street Hassle. Kirsty met Steve Lillywhite for the first time at these sessions, so their place in her history is assured.
Kirsty sang backing vocals on Ask and Golden Light, and appears uncredited on The Queen is Dead.
Whistle on The one and only, former member of the New Bastards, Millwall Chainsaws and some little known combo called Poguemahone. Spider played in the band for Kirsty's memorial service, and at the live tribute concert on Fairytale of New York.
Liam was instrumental in getting Kirsty's career up and running, and produced They don't know and Motor on. He was the major figure in the Akron scene of the late 70s, producing work for Jane Aire and Rachel Sweet. Later he wrote the Bangles hit Walk like an Egyptian, some songs for We've got a Fuzzbox and we're going to use it and The theme song for 21 Jump Street. He produced and contributed to a string of other bands including Ratt and the Waitresses.
Mark is a composer in Brazilian and Latin styles, and also does film scores for example, Dog eat Dog. He works with singer Gabriela Geluda and Brazilian Luiz de Almeida (guitar and violão) in Auwê. For Kirsty he contributed keyboards to Designer Life.
From Manchester, Ben played trumpet on In these shoes? and was part of the Tropical Brainstorm touring horn section, having been invited by James Knight. He played in the band at the live tribute concert.
An obscure but welcome connection to my beloved Clash! Kirsty sang Train in vain (Stand by me) throughout her 1995 tour.
Guitar on Maybe it's imaginary, My way home, Innocence, No victims, Fifteen minutes, La Foret de Mimosas and Complainte pour Ste. Catherine;. Electric Guitar on Fifteen minutes and The end of a perfect day. Mandolin on The hardest word. Engineer on various tracks on Kite. Co-produced Happy, Still life, Please help me, I'm falling.
Colin seems to have
moved to Prague, playing with Ecstasy of St. Teresa, Swordfishtrombones,
Colorfactory and Aftermath DB. There
is also a Colin Stuart playing with the Mad
Hatters in Hastings, we're unsure if they are one and the same
or not.
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