(07-23-2016 05:12 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  Artist: Kirsty MacColl
Album: Galore (compilation)
Cut: "They Don't Know"
June 1979 Stiff Records

This is the original, but most people don't know that it was hers and not Tracey's. "They Don't Know" is a song written and composed by Kirsty MacColl who recorded it in 1979. It became popular on radio in the United Kingdom, reaching #2 on the Music Week airplay chart. However, complications involving a strike at her distributors prevented the single from being shipped and promoted properly, preventing release of the single. MacColl's version of "They Don't Know" thus failed to appear on the official UK Singles Charts which is entirely sales-based.Although the song was not taken from an album, it later appeared on MacColl's compilation Galore.

Kirsty's dad, folk singer Ewan MacColl, wrote "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" a huge hit for Roberta Flak.

Kirsty lived her relatively short life from 10 October 1959 – 18 December 2000 She sang on recordings produced by her husband, superproducer Steve Lillywhite, such as Simple Minds. At the age of 41, MacColl died after being hit by a powerboat in Mexico, being killed instantly after pushing her two teenage sons out of the way.





Artist: Tracey Ullman
Album: You Broke My Heart in 17 Places
Cut: "They Don't Know"
September 9, 1983 MCA Records/Stiff Records

In 1983, Tracey Ullman recorded a version of the song. Already well known in the UK as an actress and comedian, "They Don't Know" was issued as her second single there, reaching #2. MacColl performed backing vocals on Ullman's version and reprised her original "bay-ay-be-ee" in the middle of the song. The song was also included on Ullman's debut album, You Broke My Heart in 17 Places.

The track was released in the United States the following year, as Ullman's first single there. At the time, Ullman was almost a complete unknown in the US, as her TV appearances had not been seen in that country. Publicity for the single was aided by the fact that the video for "They Don't Know" featured a cameo from Paul McCartney; at the time it was filmed, Ullman was filming a minor role in McCartney's film Give My Regards to Broad Street. "They Don't Know" eventually reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #11 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the United States.

It is sometimes erroneously reported that Ullman's version of "They Don't Know" simply uses the backing track from MacColl's original single. In fact, Ullman's version is an all brand-new recording, and the two versions are noticeably different: Ullman's version, which was produced by Peter Collins, is in a different key, and it features a very slightly faster tempo, a distinctly different arrangement and a guitar solo that differs substantially from the one played on MacColl's version, which was produced by Liam Sternberg. The confusion may stem from the fact that Ullman did use a previously-existing MacColl backing track when recording her own version of MacColl's "Terry" in 1984. (Both versions of "Terry" were co-produced by MacColl.)

She emigrated from the United Kingdom to the United States where she starred in her own network television comedy series, The Tracey Ullman Show, on the then-new American TV Network FOX, from 1987 until 1990, famous as the place where "The Simpsons" cartoon got its start. Julie Kavner (voice of Marge Simpson) and Dan Castellaneta (voice of Homer Simpson) were two of the key members of Ullman's show ensemble.





Back to Kirsty (not Kristy) MacColl. She is perhaps best known for her own cover version of Billy Bragg's wistful song, "A New England." It was her biggest solo hit - reaching number 7 in the UK Singles Chart and number 8 in the Irish Singles Chart. Bragg even wrote a few extra verses for MacColl's version.

"I saw two shooting stars last night
I wished on them--but they were only satellites
It's wrong to wish on space hardware
I wish, I wish, I wish you'd care.
I don't want to change the world,
I'm not looking for a new England
Are you looking for another girl?"


Artist: Kirsty MacColl
Album: Galore (compilation)
Cut: "A New England"
Songwriter: Billy Bragg
December 1984 Stiff Records

Will we have to do a report on this? Lol.

Great, great stuff. It's why I love this thread. Thank you for being our own musicpedia on here amigo.

I knew the Tracey Ullman version. I really liked her comedy back when it was on. I'm sure a lot of that came from the fact I thought she was cute. There was something about her that intrigued me. She could mimic almost anyone. But never seemed to take herself seriously.

As far as Kirsty, what a tragic story. According to her bio you provided she and I were born 13 days apart. Makes me really, really appreciate the life I have.

I really did enjoy reading up on both of these ladies. Ima have that Tracy Ullman version stuck in my head all day long.