Articles 1999-2000

 

Planet Mambo

"Well it all started with a Mexican record. When I was about four I had this Mexican album that was just so exciting. I just thought 'Wow! Isn't it fantastic?' It just sounds like they're about to gallop off on their horses every three minutes. That's when I realised that people who speak Spanish have a better time than we do! "

Gerry Lyseight, GLR, 1999 [Read the full article]

 

The Independent

"I went to Rio and Salvador and then a friend set me up in a studio in Recife. I wanted to do an acoustic thing - just a guitar and a couple of percussionists - but when I got there I realised that the guitarist wanted to be in Dire Straits. They're very into rock in Brazil and I had to spend a lot of time bullying them into being more Brazilian."

Fiona Sturges , The Independent, 1999 [Read the full article]

 

Amazonian

Kirsty MacColl's Tropical Brainstorm navigates its way effortlessly and gracefully through those rock star cliche quicksands and stands tall as a 21st Century triumph of lyricism, wit, magical realism, melody and rhythm.

Max Reinhardt, 2000 [Read the full article]

 

My London

"Going into London on the Westway, there's a strange Sixties feel when you see the BT Tower. I also like the South Bank and often go to concerts there."

My London, 2000 [Read the full article]

 

The Times

The last time I interviewed Kirsty MacColl, we drank tequila until the bar shut, whereupon she came back to my house, played her songs on my three-stringed guitar, didn't hit me with it when I missed all the high notes and, some hours later as I threw up, watched over me with a motherly air. 'You do remind me of what I was like at your age', she giggled, wrapped in fake fur.

Caitlin Moran, The Times, 2000 [Read the full article]

 

My Hols

"A holiday in Poland might sound a bit grim to the unitiated but actually it was idyllic. There were fir trees and fields of the most beautiful wild flowers, not to mention wild strawberries."

Hilary Whitney, Sunday Times, 2000 [Read the full article]

 

Favourite Records

"My brother Hamish is nine years older than me, and I started nicking all his records when I was about three or four. That's what really got me into it. I remember getting a copy of Good vibrations that he'd bought, and I played it so much he just said 'Have it!'".

Jools Holland, BBC Radio 2, 2000 [Read the full article]

 

Tropic of MacColl

Witty, imaginative pop songs of the kind MacColl has been writing since There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis almost 20 years ago are at a premium at the best of times. Combine them with a liberating and feisty sexuality and some sashaying mambos and cool sambas ... and you have something very special indeed.

Nigel Williamson, fROOTS, 2000 [ Read the full article]

 

Zoom

Dopo aver trascorso la sua vita artistica a fianco del famoso produttore Steve Lillywhite, Kirsty MacColl cambia decisamente direzione strizzando l'occhio ai Caraibi e ai ritmi afro-cubani. Il suo album Tropical Brainstorm è un curioso patchwork di suoni latino-americani cantati in inglese, nella particolare interpretazione di un'artista che vuole chiudere col passato.

Giuseppe Bergamini, Zoom, 2000 [Read the full article]

 

Love/Hate Relationship

Love: Stardust by Hoagy Carmichael. I used to play it while I was getting divorced, which was a very happy time.
Hate: Anything by Michael Bolton or any horrible novelty hits sung by children. They make you gag.

Boyz, 2000 [Read the full article]