"Terry" is a song by

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 He ...

, released as a single in October 1983, and charting at No. 82 in the UK the following month. It was her first release after returning to

Stiff Records Stiff Records is a British independent record label formed in London, England, by Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. Originally active from 1976 to 1986, the label was reactivated in 2007. Established at the outset of the punk rock boom, Stiff ...

, and was the last in a run of poorly selling singles released between "

There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" is a song by British singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl, which was released as the lead single from her debut studio album '' Desperate Character''. The song was written by MacColl and Philip ...

" and "

A New England "A New England" is a song written and recorded by Billy Bragg, included on his album ''Life's a Riot with Spy Vs Spy'', released in 1983. It remains a signature song from the early years of Bragg's recording career. In 1985, a cover version by ...

". The music video featured an appearance from actor and comedian Ade Edmondson who played MacColl's rejected boyfriend who got her back after fighting off a rival man. The photo on the front sleeve features MacColl and Chris Heester. "Terry" was specifically written for Tracey Ullman to record, however MacColl ended up doing her own version at the request of her label as part of an intended album of "teen ballads". Ullman's version of the song later charted one place higher in the UK, peaking at No. 81 in January 1985. Ullman's version uses the same backing track as MacColl's, merely erasing MacColl's lead vocal and substituting Ullman's. (MacColl co-produced both versions of "Terry".) Speaking of the song's titular character, MacColl told ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand fo ...

'' in 1983: "Terry seems to be a really good name for a lovable rogue. He's similar to the

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

character in ''

On the Waterfront ''On the Waterfront'' is a 1954 American crime drama film, directed by Elia Kazan and written by Budd Schulberg. It stars Marlon Brando and features Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Pat Henning, and Eva Marie Saint in her film debut. ...

''. She thinks he's the greatest thing since Elvis."

Critical reception

Upon release, Robin Smith of ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the ''NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in ''Re ...

'' wrote: "A superbly atmospheric voice on a pretty torrid tale of out of reach love. Kirsty never seems to get the airplay she deserves, but let's hope the partnership with Ms Ullman pricks up a few ears."

Jools Holland Julian Miles Holland, (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Jayne County, Sting, Eric C ...

, as guest reviewer for ''

'', commented: "She is the talented songwriter that wrote Tracey Ullman's last hit and so rightly deserves one in her own right." Mark Cooper of '' Number One'' commented: ""Terry" is a predictable rocker with a tongue in its head but no other distinguishing features." Frank Edmonds of the ''

Bury Free Press Yattendon Group plc (formerly Yattendon Investment Trust) is a British-based private company owned by the Iliffe family. It has interests in Vancouver, Seattle, agriculture, marinas and local newspaper printing and publishing. Property Yattendo ...

'' gave the song a 5 out of 10 rating and wrote, "Appalling teenage drama which would be funny if the tune didn't stick in your throat so much. Gives you that funny feeling in the pit of your stomach." In a review of Ullman's version, Mike Gardiner of ''

'' commented that "there's something very used about this" and was critical of the reuse of MacColl's original backing track.

Kirsty MacColl version track listing

# "Terry" (K. MacColl / G. Povey) # "Quietly Alone" (K. MacColl) On the 12" release, an extended version of "Terry" is used.

Tracey Ullman version track listing

# "Terry" (K. MacColl / G. Povey) # "

I Don't Want Our Loving to Die "I Don't Want Our Loving to Die" is a single by the English rock band the Herd, released in March 1968. Written by Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, it was the last of the band's three hits on the UK Singles Chart and their most successful, reaching ...

" ( Ken Howard,

Alan Blaikley Alan Tudor Blaikley (23 March 1940 – 4 July 2022) was an English songwriter and composer, best known for writing a series of international hits in the 1960s and 1970s in collaboration with Ken Howard, including the UK number ones "Have I the ...

)

References

{{Authority control 1983 singles Kirsty MacColl songs Songs written by Kirsty MacColl 1983 songs Stiff Records singles