Real Gone Kid
I picked up – rather at random – parts of the BBC iPlayer live broadcast of ‘Radio 2 In the Park’ – an open air, music festival staged in Victoria Park, Leicester – on a beautiful day with a hell of cast list.
This afternoon – the Monday after – I was pleased to find that the iPlayer feature, allows you to return to the acts you choose to watch and to ignore the rest – you don’t have to watch the whole thing – you can ‘cherry pick’.
So- up to now, I have had a pleasant few hours watching:
Simply Red – he does have a superb voice and has written some great songs – but I just don’t like him as a person – I have no problem listening to him sing – but I switch off when he speaks – just likes himself too much. Being ginger, he was probably bullied at school.
I will cite just one example in my defence –
he owns a large pub in an area of central Manchester called – ‘Castlefield’ – which is a conservation area of the historic industrial heart of Manchester, alongside the Ship Canal and the River Irwell -a thriving area full of pubs and bars – cafes and restaurants and other entertainments.
His pub – called Barca in Catalan Square, I visited, just the once – to find plaques fixed to the walls of every room – saying –
‘If you see anybody famous – please don’t bother them,’
Pretentious – Moi?
Moving on – Deacon Blue next – one of my favourite bands and my wife, loved what she called the -ooh y ooh y ooh y song.
Actually titled ‘Real Gone Kid’ – a song which I identify with because I know the history of the ‘Kid’ referred to.
I’ll try to keep it short – when I was a self-employed trainer – a lot of my 1 – 3-day seminars ran in London -usually in hotels with training -and conference facilities – which meant I and delegates could stay on the premises – avoiding any commuting.
I got into the habit of picking up an NME (New Musical Express) to read on the train down – first published in 1952 and closed down in 2018.
At the end of a course, I rewarded myself, by buying, recommended new CD releases, at an HMV shop near Euston station – and listening on the journey back – on my ‘state of the art’, ‘CD Walkman. It was the early 2,000s. Also meant I didn’t have to chat to my fellow passengers.
One trip, a new American band, called – ‘Lone Justice’ – which I thought were great – in particular, the lead female singer, called Maria McKee, who also wrote most of their material.
The connection is – we get there in the end – that – Lone Justice, in their first UK tour, were the support act for Deacon Blue.
After watching her live stage performances – which. I’ve seen on video and she was a bit hyperactive and ‘off the wall’ let’s say – the lead male singer in Deacon Blue, Ricky Ross wrote – ‘Real Gone Kid’ which became their first top ten hit in the UK in 1988.
She had /has a terrific voice. Some years later, when she had gone solo, I came across a quote about Maria from the great, Dolly Parton – “Any pop band in the world would be a lot better with this girl singing for them”
I, sort of, followed her career after she left Lone Justice to pursue a solo career. She had some early success at the end of 1985, writing a first solo number one for Feargal Sharkey (ex Undertones’) called ‘A Good Heart’.
but the breakthrough was a world-wide smash hit single, called ‘Show me Heaven.’
’ ‘Its international success was certainly helped by the fact, that it was used as the main theme song for the Tom Cruise film – ‘Days of Thunder’
–Originally written by Joshua Rifkin and Eric Rackin for the film and sent to Maria, who had moved to Ireland after the failure of her first solo album. She only agreed to record it if she could change the lyrics, turning the song into a more emotive ballad.
It also helped, that her first live performance of it – in America, was for the huge TV audience for the Ed Sullivan Show in 1990.
If you’re not familiar – have a look and listen at;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKpCzQIWAWY
Her solo singing career took off.
aBut then – so did she –
Such as:
She recorded a new album in 1996 – ‘Life Is Sweet’. I recall a short review in my New Musical Express (NME) – on another train journey – in which it was described as ‘an unfortunate mix of David Bowie and Punk’ i.e. a complete change in style for her – at the wrong time.
She liked it – but hardly anybody else did.
Well – except for one individual who was also known to be – ‘a bit off the wall’.
One track -“If Love Is a Red Dress – Hang Me in Rags” was chosen by Quentin Tarantino for the soundtrack of Pulp Fiction – – but the album -failed dismally.
She was left, looking for another recording company and another manager.
I assume that her new manager convinced her that she still had a great voice and enough good songs – including the iconic ‘Show Me Heaven’ to do stage tours – which she did, somewhat sporadically in the UK.
She actually did an interview for the NME the UK –which was quite personal, open and revealing. I assume as part of her comeback plan – must have been in the early 2000s –
When she tired of the recording industry – she worked with her husband (I had no idea of her marital status before that) – he was a freelance film maker and they teamed up to write, cast, direct and even act in, what commissions they could get.
She still did a small number of short stage tours in small venues – but preferred staying in the UK.
Then, amazingly, said – she sometimes didn’t perform, – ‘Show Me Heaven’ in her live set!! It depended what she felt like!
The equivalent of Kate Bush not performing Heathcliff in her farewell London concerts – which caused walkouts and minor riots.
Finally asked where she was in her life now – she answered openly and honest.
She had separated from her husband – ‘I think I loved him – but it was always platonic, and I realised that I preferred the company of woman and now have a female partner.’
‘That’s why I try to focus on stage performances in London – where I have a good following from the LGBT community.’
Like Deacon Blue said – ‘A Real Gone Kid’