20 years ago this month I had a ticket from Op to a Pogues show, but I blew it off. Every time I'd tried to see them Shane MacGowan had completely ruined it by being beyond wasted so I just said fuck it this time, content to curl myself up on one of the red velvet couches in the bar next to Irving Plaza (the one I puked in after throwing my t-shirt onstage at Joe Strummer) and read Paddy's Lament. That night Kirsty MacColl made a surprise appearance with The Pogues, masterfully singing her classic duet A Fairytale of New York with McGowan. It tuned out to be the last appearance she would ever make, as she was killed in a boating accident a few weeks later, 20 years ago today. Kinda eerie that she was killed during the Christmas season for which the song she's become most famous for is now a standard.
While she's most known, particularly during the holidays, for her turn on A Fairytale of New York I've always loved her classic They Don't Know, made famous in the US by Tracey Ullman's fantastic version. The original is great but I'm choosing Ullman's here, partly because MacColl herself provided what are some of the single greatest backup vocals on any song I've ever heard. PLUS for some reason Paul McCartney shows up in the video, how do you beat that with a stick?
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