And now Shane McGowan has gone. I doubt he needs any introduction.
There is really only one song that I can use to illustrate his legacy. It is most people’s favourite “Christmas” song. It does not deal with traditional Christmas themes.
I note this is not the version with the “cleaned-up” lyric. (Though the person typing out the lyrics did misspell a four letter word.)
The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl: Fairy Tale of New York
Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan: 25/12/1957 – 30/11/2023. So it goes.
Kirsty MacColl’s delivery of a song was unusual. I’m tempted to say it was lacking in emotion but the overall effect was actually the opposite of that. Her style may have been due to vocal limitations but if it was she used them to great advantage. It was They Don’t Know that first brought her to my attention. I vaguely recall that some problem at the pressing plant meant copies could not be got out speedily and so consequently it never became a hit for her.
The song was later covered by Tracey Ullman – who couldn’t hit the high note at “Baby!” after the instrumental break so MacColl provided that as well as singing backing vocals on Ullman’s version.
