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"They Don't Know"
"They Don't Know" is a song composed and first recorded in 1979 by Kirsty MacColl, which became a Top Ten hit via a 1983 recording by Tracey Ullman.
Original version
[...]...
Recorded in Stiff Records mobile studio the China Shop in the spring of 1979, Kirsty MacColl's original recording of "They Don't Know" "emphasized layered harmonies in which MacColl turns her own voice into a chorus of over-dubbed parts"[2] - an evocation of a long-standing admiration for the Beach Boys engendered at age 7 by hearing her brother's copy of the "Good Vibrations" single (MacColl quote:" I played it so much he just said: 'have it'...I played it incessantly for about twelve hours a day, working out all the different parts and harmonies." ).[3] Besides the regular vinyl single release of 1 June 1979 a picture disc edition was issued 6 July 1979. The B-side to "They Don't Know" was MacColl's recording of her composition "Turn My Motor On" - some copies read "Motor On" - , a setlist staple of Drug Addix, the band MacColl had recently left (consideration had been given to making "Turn My Motor On" the A-side).[1]
MacColl's "They Don't Know" reached number two on the Music Week airplay chart[4] without generating sufficient sales to reach the UK Singles Chart - a shortfall blamed on a strike at the distributors for Stiff Records keeping the single out of stores, although its producer Liam Sternberg attributes the failure of "They Don't Know" to ill feeling which developed between MacColl and Stiff Records president Dave Robinson: (Sternberg quote: ) "Kirsty and Dave didn’t get along...She didn’t want to sign a longer deal, so Dave didn’t promote the record. [Despite] airplay...they didn’t press any more [so] no records [were] sold because there were no records out there."[1] Promo copies of a followup single: "You Caught Me Out", were pressed in October 1979 but Stiff opted to shelve the single, with MacColl's first release subsequent to "They Don't Know" being her remake of "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby" released in 1981 on Polydor.
[...]
Tracey Ullman version
In October of 1983 Tracey Ullman reached number two on the UK Singles Chart with her recording of "They Don't Know" for Stiff Records: the track would be included on Ullman's debut album You Broke My Heart in 17 Places.
Well known in the UK as an actress/ comedienne, Ullman had had a surprise Top Ten hit with her debut single "Breakaway": Pete Waterman, whose Loose End Productions had recently provided Stiff with the Belle Stars hit singles, suggested to his friend Kirsty MacColl that she pitch her composition "They Don't Know" for Ullman to record as her second single.[10]
[...]
Original version
[...]...
Recorded in Stiff Records mobile studio the China Shop in the spring of 1979, Kirsty MacColl's original recording of "They Don't Know" "emphasized layered harmonies in which MacColl turns her own voice into a chorus of over-dubbed parts"[2] - an evocation of a long-standing admiration for the Beach Boys engendered at age 7 by hearing her brother's copy of the "Good Vibrations" single (MacColl quote:" I played it so much he just said: 'have it'...I played it incessantly for about twelve hours a day, working out all the different parts and harmonies." ).[3] Besides the regular vinyl single release of 1 June 1979 a picture disc edition was issued 6 July 1979. The B-side to "They Don't Know" was MacColl's recording of her composition "Turn My Motor On" - some copies read "Motor On" - , a setlist staple of Drug Addix, the band MacColl had recently left (consideration had been given to making "Turn My Motor On" the A-side).[1]
MacColl's "They Don't Know" reached number two on the Music Week airplay chart[4] without generating sufficient sales to reach the UK Singles Chart - a shortfall blamed on a strike at the distributors for Stiff Records keeping the single out of stores, although its producer Liam Sternberg attributes the failure of "They Don't Know" to ill feeling which developed between MacColl and Stiff Records president Dave Robinson: (Sternberg quote: ) "Kirsty and Dave didn’t get along...She didn’t want to sign a longer deal, so Dave didn’t promote the record. [Despite] airplay...they didn’t press any more [so] no records [were] sold because there were no records out there."[1] Promo copies of a followup single: "You Caught Me Out", were pressed in October 1979 but Stiff opted to shelve the single, with MacColl's first release subsequent to "They Don't Know" being her remake of "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby" released in 1981 on Polydor.
[...]
Tracey Ullman version
In October of 1983 Tracey Ullman reached number two on the UK Singles Chart with her recording of "They Don't Know" for Stiff Records: the track would be included on Ullman's debut album You Broke My Heart in 17 Places.
Well known in the UK as an actress/ comedienne, Ullman had had a surprise Top Ten hit with her debut single "Breakaway": Pete Waterman, whose Loose End Productions had recently provided Stiff with the Belle Stars hit singles, suggested to his friend Kirsty MacColl that she pitch her composition "They Don't Know" for Ullman to record as her second single.[10]
[...]
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
I miss Kirsty MacColl 
