Caroline (Kirsty MacColl Song)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"Caroline" is a song by British singer and songwriter
Kirsty MacColl Kirsty Anna MacColl (10 October 1959 – 18 December 2000) 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 ...
, released in 1995 as a single from her compilation album '' Galore''. The song was written by MacColl, and produced by
Victor Van Vugt Victor Van Vugt is a music producer, mixer and engineer. An Australian based in New York, he has had a long association with the careers of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Beth Orton. He has also worked with the likes of P.J. Harvey, Depeche Mo ...
and MacColl. "Caroline" reached number 58 in the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and remained in the top 100 for two weeks.


Background

MacColl wrote "Caroline" in the early 1990s. She chose not to include the song on her 1994 album ''
Titanic Days ''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 secon ...
'' as she felt it sounded more like her older work and was not in keeping with the rest of the album's material. The song's lyrics were inspired by
Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...
's " Jolene", and is written from the point of view of the Jolene character. MacColl told ''
The Lennox Herald Reach plc publishes many newspapers, magazines and news websites. This list of Reach plc titles is a non-exhuastive list of these. Before 2018, Reach plc was known as Trinity Mirror plc. The list includes titles owned by the Mirror Group Newspape ...
'' in 1995, "Basically it's Jolene's reply. I just didn't think that there were that many songs where the third party in that eternal triangle gets her shot at replying. Songs are usually written from the man's point of view of the woman that he's gone off with." She added of the Caroline character's situation in the song, "She's embarrassed because he's not worth it." MacColl added to ''
The Morning Call ''The Morning Call'' is a daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883, it is the second longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, after ''The Express-Times''. In 2020, the newspaper permanently closed its Al ...
'': "A lot of the songs I heard growing up were written by men for women. There was a lot of, 'Oh, I can't live without my man.' I don't write songs about women as victims. I think it's been done to death."


Critical reception

On its release, Andrew Hirst of the '' Huddersfield Daily Examiner'' wrote, "Not her finest moment, but it's still pretty good. Kirsty is the mistress of folk-blessed pop and has a voice to match her rich melodies." '' The Paisley Daily Express'' commented, "Another typically Kirsty MacColl single, jangly, upbeat, but ultimately a non-event." In the US,
Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...
of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' stated, "Loosely intended as an Irish-cultured takeoff on Dolly Parton's "Jolene," MacColl swings back into action with tongue placed firmly in cheek. Track has a toe-tapping acoustic tone that frames her vocal to maximum effect." In a review of ''Galore'', Roch Parisien of the ''
Times Colonist The ''Times Colonist'' is an English-language daily newspaper in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It was formed by the Sept. 2, 1980 merger of the ''Victoria Daily Times'', established in 1884, and the ''British Colonist'' (later the ''Daily Co ...
'' considered the song "perhaps cColl'smost potent, direct pop-rock construction yet". Joe Szczechowski of ''
The News Journal ''The News Journal'' is the main newspaper for Wilmington, Delaware, and the surrounding area. It is headquartered in unincorporated New Castle County, Delaware, near New Castle, and is owned by Gannett. History The ancestry of the News Journ ...
'' felt it was a "bright, acoustic-based rocker" and Mike Boehm of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' described it as "catchy". Patrick Davitt of ''
The Leader-Post The ''Regina Leader-Post'' is the daily newspaper of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, and a member of the Postmedia Network. Founding The newspaper was first published as ''The Leader'' in 1883 by Nicholas Flood Davin, soon after Edgar Dewdney, Lie ...
'' considered the song "excellent pop" with a "strong hint of the "California Sound"." In a retrospective review of the song, Stewart Mason of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
commented: "A remarkable song both lyrically and musically, it's one of MacColl's biggest triumphs. A country-tinged pop song filled with ultra-jangly guitars and breathy harmonies,
t has T, or t, is the twentieth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is deri ...
a chorus that
Marshall Crenshaw Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as " Someday, Someway," a US top 40 hit in 1982, " Cynical Girl," and " Whenever You're on My Mind." He ...
would kill to have written."


Track listing

7-inch single #"Caroline" – 2:56 #"Irish Cousin" – 4:49 CD single (UK release) #"Caroline" – 2:56 #"El Paso" – 3:49 #"
My Affair "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 Lillywhit ...
" (Ladbroke Groove Mix) – 6:08 CD single (UK release) #"Caroline" – 2:56 #"Irish Cousin" – 4:49 #"
New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
" – 3:31 #" The Butcher Boy" – 3:57 CD single (UK promo) #"Caroline" – 2:56 #"The Butcher Boy" – 3:57 CD single (US promo) #"Caroline" – 2:56


Personnel

*
Kirsty MacColl Kirsty Anna MacColl (10 October 1959 – 18 December 2000) 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 ...
– producer of "Caroline", "Irish Cousin", "El Paso" and "The Butcher Boy" *
Victor Van Vugt Victor Van Vugt is a music producer, mixer and engineer. An Australian based in New York, he has had a long association with the careers of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Beth Orton. He has also worked with the likes of P.J. Harvey, Depeche Mo ...
– producer of "Caroline" *
Boz Boorer Martin James "Boz" Boorer (born 19 May 1962 in Edgware, Middlesex, England) is an English guitarist and producer most known for his work founding the new wave rockabilly group the Polecats; and later for his work as a co-writer, guitarist and m ...
– producer of "Irish Cousin" and "The Butcher Boy" * Colin Stuart – producer of "El Paso" *
Steve Lillywhite Stephen Alan Lillywhite, (born 15 March 1955) is a British record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited on over 500 records, and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including new wave acts XTC, Big ...
– producer of "New England" and "My Affair" *
Howard Gray Howard Gray (born 15 July 1962) is an English musician, sound engineer, programmer, composer, re-mixer and producer who has worked with Public Image Ltd, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Kirsty MacColl, the Armoury Show, the Pale Fountains, J ...
– remix of "My Affair"


Charts


References

{{authority control 1995 songs 1995 singles Kirsty MacColl songs Songs written by Kirsty MacColl Virgin Records singles