“See That Girl 1979-2000”, the newly announced Kirsty MacColl box set. Kirsty fans have been reasonably well served over the years, when it comes to reissues, since Salvo put out 2CD sets of most of her albums just over a decade ago and Demon Music released a 5CD set called “Days 1988-1991” back in 2018. There’s also been numerous compilations.
And yet, as is often the way, “See That Girl”, which is a new 8CD package, manages to offer a massive 47 previously unreleased tracks! This includes a whole album, called “Real”, recorded in 1983 that Polydor never released.
The set looks great and is packaged just like the Bobbie Gentry or Richard and Linda Thompson boxes of recent years, in a 10-inch slipcase with a hardcover book and discs in gatefold folio/wallets.
It’s hard to write or even think about Kirsty MacColl without feeling that pang because she died so young and in such tragic and shocking circumstances. But this set was created in cooperation with her estate and it looks like a wonderful summary of her all too short life in music.
Kirsty released five albums during her lifetime – “Desperate Character” (Polydor, 1981), “Kite” (Virgin, 1989), “Electric Landlady” (Virgin, 1991), “Titanic Days” (ZTT, 1993) and “Tropical Brainstorm” (V2, 2000). “See That Girl” brings together 161 tracks recorded between 1979 and 2000 and has been compiled in collaboration with Kirsty’s estate.
Other highlights include nine tracks from Kirsty’s 1992 Glastonbury performance, a Jazz Cafe set from 1999 and live performances originally recorded for BBC radio and television.
The eighth and final CD in this set features a selection of collaborations with other artists, as either singer or songwriter, and illustrates how in-demand and versatile Kirsty’s extraordinary talents were.
“See That Girl 1979-2000” will be released on 27 October 2023 via UMR.
The Fat Angel Sings 