29 October 1983
In an ideal world we’d be talking about Kirsty MacColl’s number one single ‘They Don’t Know’, both here and every Christmas. However, for a combination of reasons (manufacturing strikes in England, record label tensions, lack of promotion) the 1979 release of her own track didn’t even chart in the UK or Ireland. That’s a crying shame, because ‘They Don’t Know’ is a magnificent homage to ’60s Brill Building pop that also packs real heart and wit of its own. To know it is to love it.
Tracey Ullman’s version, which made number one in Ireland but stuck at number two in the UK behind another few weeks of ‘Karma Chameleon’, is a virtual reproduction of MacColl’s. This is due in no small part to MacColl herself being on Ullman’s version; those are her backing vocals and even her iconic “bay-ee-be-ee!” Ullman’s boasts shinier production, though, which squeezes out a lot of the original’s charm. That said, Ullman has the voice and the smarts to make this quite likeable, and better this in the charts than no ‘They Don’t Know’ at all.
Ullman already had a public profile in Britain as a TV comedian, hence the comic video. Ominously, it features a cameo by the lord mayor of ’80s crapness, Paul McCartney; more reason to skim over the video below and instead make straight for MacColl’s original and best.
