"My Affair" | ||||
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Single by Kirsty MacColl | ||||
from the album Electric Landlady | ||||
B-side | "All the Tears That I Cried" | |||
Released | 29 July 1991 [1] | |||
Length | 3:35 (single version) 5:23 (album version) | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Songwriter(s) | Kirsty MacColl, Mark E. Nevin | |||
Producer(s) | Steve Lillywhite | |||
Kirsty MacColl singles chronology | ||||
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"My Affair" is a song by British singer and songwriter Kirsty MacColl, which was released in 1991 as the second single from her third studio album Electric Landlady . It was written by MacColl and Mark E. Nevin, and produced by Steve Lillywhite. [2] "My Affair" reached No. 56 in the UK and remained in the charts for two weeks. [3] A music video was filmed to promote the single. [4]
"My Affair" was one of a number of collaborations between MacColl and Nevin. Aware of her desire to produce a Latin-influenced song, Nevin presented MacColl with an instrumental demo he had. After MacColl had completed the lyrics, the pair recorded a demo version prior to the proper recording session at New York. When personal commitments prevented Nevin from traveling to the States, guitarist Pete Glenister replaced him. In a 2012 interview with The A.V. Club , Nevin recalled the phone call he had from MacColl shortly after the song had been recorded, "She was so excited, playing the whole song down the phone to me. She considered it to be the best thing she had ever done at that point." [5]
Speaking of the song, MacColl told Melody Maker in 1991, "It's very Fifties Havana, that one. Carmen MacColl doing her damnedest. The bitch is back..." [6] Describing the experience of recording the song, MacColl told The Desert Sun in 1991, "We recorded 'My Affair' live. We were all in the same room, looking at each other. You've got this song going and it's like, 'Wow, this is so good. I've never played like this before'. It was enormous excitement. That track I think was the most exciting, the happiest experience in my life, really." [7]
On its release as a single, Tom Doyle of Select wrote, "Kitschy Latin cabaret offering with a quirky lyric about parents who tell you to cut your hair and having steamy afternoon clinches. The sort of tune that's entertaining in the musical interlude of French and Saunders , but perhaps not in the Top Ten." [8] Steve Lamacq of New Musical Express described it as "one of the swinging moments" from Electric Landlady and a track which "suggest[s] that she'[s] taken to listening to Andy Kershaw a lot". He added, "Still, not her best, and rather off-the-point, with Kirsty sounding like a cross between Sandie Shaw and Lady Penelope, while the song mingles with images of right-on restaurants and Adrian Mole." [9] Neil Perry of Melody Maker noted MacColl's "great voice" but was critical of the song, believing her "usually delicious nonchalant delivery" to be "at odds with the [song's] swiftly annoying bouncy salsa". He added, "She's smart, is Kirsty MacColl, but perhaps sometimes too smart for her own good. Exploring is fine, but you can explore so much that you end up with nothing to call your own." Perry felt the "Irish-infused" B-side "All the Tears That I Cry" was a "much better vehicle" which "should have been the A-side". [10]
In a review of Electric Landlady, Adam Sweeting of The Guardian wrote, "The surprise success of the bunch is 'My Affair', where an army of Hispanic musicians under the direction of Angel Hernandez go salsa-crazy behind La MacColl's cool vocals." [11] Barbara Jaeger of The Record said of the song, "A Latin jazz feel permeates the tune, and MacColl handles the supple phrasing with elegance if not ease." [12] Stewart Mason of AllMusic described the song as a "brilliant track" and a "sublime single", adding that it was "MacColl's first full-fledged foray into Latin music". [2] Will Harris of The A.V. Club noted the song was "irrepressibly catchy and unabashedly flirtatious". [5] In a retrospective overview of MacColl's career, Robin Denselow of The Guardian felt the song was "defiant and personal". [13] Gary Graff, in his 1996 book MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide, noted the song's "suave Latin arrangement". [14]
Chart (1991) | Peak position |
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UK Singles Chart [3] | 56 |
Kite is the breakthrough second album by Kirsty MacColl, released in 1989. Produced by her then-husband Steve Lillywhite, it was her first album for Virgin Records. The album included MacColl's hit cover of the Kinks' "Days", as well as two tracks written with Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. On 6 October 1989 it was certified silver by the BPI.
Tropical Brainstorm is the fifth and final studio album by Kirsty MacColl, released in 2000. It was inspired by her trips to Cuba, and many tracks include Spanish or Portuguese lyrics. The album was released with three extra tracks in the US.
Galore is a compilation album released by Kirsty MacColl in 1995. It features material previously released on the albums Desperate Character, Kite, Electric Landlady and Titanic Days, among other tracks by MacColl, totalling eighteen songs. Some of the tracks differ from their original releases; a couple of songs, such as "Innocence", are alternate takes, while "Miss Otis Regrets" is a different edit that omits the second half, "Just One of Those Things", performed by The Pogues. On release the album peaked at No. 6, MacColl's highest ever charting album.
Electric Landlady is Kirsty MacColl's third studio album. Released in 1991, it was her second Virgin Records release and second collaboration with producer/husband Steve Lillywhite. The title was given when MacColl found it to be the name that was accidentally written on some early pressings of Jimi Hendrix's album Electric Ladyland.
Titanic Days is the fourth studio album by Kirsty MacColl, released in 1993. Containing eleven tracks, Titanic Days was sometimes hard to get in years after its release, but it was remastered and re-released in 2005 by ZTT with a second CD of non-album tracks and some live recordings, including a version of "Miss Otis Regrets". In 2012, another remastered re-issue of the album was released by Salvo/ZTT, which again featured a second disc of bonus tracks.
"Days" is a song by the Kinks, written by lead singer Ray Davies, released as a single in 1968. It also appeared on an early version of the album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. It now appears as a bonus track of the remastered CD. On the original Pye 7N 17573 label, the name of the song is "Day's" due to a grammatical error.
"Don't Come the Cowboy with Me Sonny Jim!" is a song by British singer and songwriter Kirsty MacColl, which was released in 1990 as the fourth and final single from her second studio album Kite. It was written by MacColl and produced by Steve Lillywhite. The song reached No. 82 in the UK and remained in the charts for four weeks. A music video was filmed to promote the single, directed by Sarah Tuft.
Dreams That Money Can't Buy is the second solo album by English singer Holly Johnson, released by MCA Records in 1991. The album was produced by Andy Richards, except "Penny Arcade" which was produced by Dan Hartman.
Kirsty Anna MacColl was a British singer and songwriter, daughter of folk singer Ewan MacColl. She recorded several pop hits in the 1980s and 1990s, including "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" and cover versions of Billy Bragg's "A New England" and The Kinks' "Days." Her song "They Don't Know" was covered with great success by Tracey Ullman. MacColl also sang on recordings produced by her then-husband Steve Lillywhite, most notably "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues. Her death in 2000 has led to the Justice for Kirsty campaign.
"Walking Down Madison" is a 1991 song by Kirsty MacColl featuring Aniff Cousins. It charted at No. 23 on the UK Singles Chart and impacted a number of Billboard charts.
"Free World" is a song by British singer and songwriter Kirsty MacColl, which was released in 1989 as the lead single from her second studio album Kite. It was written by MacColl and produced by Steve Lillywhite. "Free World" reached number 43 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for seven weeks.
Pete Glenister is an English guitarist, songwriter and producer, known for his work with Alison Moyet and Kirsty MacColl. He has also worked with a number of other artists including Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Bruce Foxton, Terence Trent D'Arby, Bros, E. G. Daily, Mary Coughlan, Geoffrey Williams, Five Thirty, Bryan Ferry and Raphael Gualazzi.
"Innocence" is a song by British singer and songwriter Kirsty MacColl, which was released in 1989 as the third single from her second studio album Kite. It was written by MacColl and Pete Glenister, and produced by Steve Lillywhite. "Innocence" reached No. 80 in the UK and remained in the charts for four weeks. The song's music video was filmed in the back garden of MacColl's home in Ealing. It was directed by Sarah Tuft and features a cameo appearance from Edward Tudor-Pole.
"Caroline" is a song by British singer and songwriter Kirsty MacColl, released in 1995 as a single from her compilation album Galore. The song was written by MacColl, and produced by Victor Van Vugt and MacColl. "Caroline" reached number 58 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for two weeks.
"Angel" is a song by British singer and songwriter Kirsty MacColl, released in 1993 as the lead single from her fourth studio album Titanic Days. It was written by MacColl and produced by Steve Lillywhite. For its release as a single, "Angel" was remixed with additional production by Gregg Jackman. In early 1994, the song reached No. 26 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and remained on the chart for three weeks.
"Can't Stop Killing You" is a song by British singer and songwriter Kirsty MacColl, which was released in 1993 as the second single from her fourth studio album Titanic Days. It was written by MacColl and Johnny Marr, and produced by Victor Van Vugt and Baboon Farm. The song reached No. 20 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and remained on the chart for seven weeks.
"Dear John" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Eddi Reader, which was released in 1994 as the third and final single from her second studio album Eddi Reader. It was written by Kirsty MacColl and Mark E. Nevin, and produced by Greg Penny. "Dear John" reached No. 48 in the UK and remained in the charts for two weeks. In 1995, the song was nominated for "Best song musically and lyrically" at the Ivor Novello Awards.
"In These Shoes?" is a song by British singer and songwriter Kirsty MacColl, which was released in 2000 as the second single from her fifth studio album Tropical Brainstorm. It was written by MacColl and Pete Glenister, and produced by MacColl, Glenister and Dave Ruffy.
"Mambo de la Luna" is a song by British singer and songwriter Kirsty MacColl, which was released in 1999 as the lead single from her fifth studio album Tropical Brainstorm. It was written and produced by MacColl, Pete Glenister and Dave Ruffy.
"All I Ever Wanted" is a song by British singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl, which was released in 1991 as the third and final single from her third studio album Electric Landlady. It was written by MacColl and Marshall Crenshaw, and produced by Steve Lillywhite.