because it's that time of year....

no, not *that* time if year, we're not there yet! It's another 'that' time of year, a time of the year when a couple of my favourite musicians departed this mortal coil. So, because the other 'that' time of year means that we might forget, here's some links:

Kirsty MacColl 10 Oct 1959- 18 Dec 2000

a part of me always wanted to be Kirsty MacColl, I think. Talented, funny, comfortable in herself and in a good place in her life when she met a tragic end (see Justice for Kirsty Campaign). Many of her songs are on youtube; at this time of year her Christmas song with the Pogues gets much airplay. My favourite Kirsty song is the first I heard, 'They don't know'; ( 'I get a feeling when I look at you, wherever you go now I wanna be there too') my favourite Kirsty performance is in Billy Braggs' video for  'Sexuality'.

 Joe Strummer 21 Aug 1952- 22 Dec 2002

there's not much that can be added to the torrent of words written about this man. I still have all my Clash vinyl albums: a vivid memory is listening to the original Clash album, lent by a friend, sitting torn between disapproval of punk rock, and thrilling at the energy and the lyrics. It will come as no surprise that my favourite Clash song is 'London Calling'; back then, I lived by the river, and spiritually and emotionally, maybe, that's still the case. Favourite performance: 'Safe European Home' which starts at 2.16 into that link. It would have been the Rock Against Racism 1978 Victoria Park gig version of 'White Riot' had Jimmy Pursey not joined in and wrecked it, but that one is worth youtubing. However, whilst digging out this links for this entry, came across a live clip of  'Garage land',  from Oct 1977, with (imho) all time greatest Clash lyrics:

"I don't want to know about what the rich are doing

I don't want to go to where, where the rich are going

They think they're so clever

They think they're so right

but the truth is only known by guttersnipes".