My kids are watching The Simpsons RIGHT NOW, and they asked what year The Simpsons started (they know it was 30-some years ago,) and I asked if they meant their own show, or when they first started on Tracey Ullman!
This song was written by and originally recorded by the late; great Kirsty MacColl. She also sings backing vocals and its Kirsty hitting the high note "Baby!" that Tracey couldn't reach. Kirsty's version was very popular but due to a distribution strike in 1979 you couldnt buy it in the record stores. Kirsty was tragically killed in 2000 by a speedboat in Mexico while scuba diving with her 2 teenage sons. She pushed them to safety out of the way of the boat - it was to be her final action - no one has been brought to justice to this day. She was one of the UK most respected songwriters and worked with everyone from The Pogues (Fairytale of New York) The Smiths, Talking Heads and Simple Minds. Check her out if you have not heard her songs before ❤
Oh, yes! She was great. The daughter of Ewan MacColl who wrote "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Dirty Old Town" which was later recorded by ... The Pogues! What goes around comes around in music history. Thanks for that info.
Yes! Kirsty MacColl's cover of Billy Bragg's "A New England" is a real classic, and "Fairtytale of New York" is one of the great modern Christmas songs.
Well, yes and no about "nobody brought to justice". A guy who worked for the family of the rich kid who owned the speedboat put his hand up to being the driver, served a few years in jail, and was then immediately re-employed by them. It's widely believed that the kid was actually driving and the employee was paid to take the rap for him. Such things, and the judicial & police corruption that allows them, are apparently par for the course in Mexico. When it became apparent that they were going to get nowhere, Kirsty's estranged husband, and the father of the two boys, decided that enough was enough and gave up the fight so that the boys wouldn't have it hanging over them for their whole childhood. Kirsty's mother, however, refused to give up and campaigned for "Justice For Kirsty" until the day she died. I can see both sides of that, to be honest. The irony was that the reason Kirsty was in Mexico in the first place was that she'd fallen in love with Latin music and was collaborating with Mexican and Cuban musicians. Her last album was in this style and produced the hit "In These Shoes" which has been covered by multiple artists.
“Our Trace” is a huge heavy hitter in the entertainment world. She has been huge in the UK and the US. She has so much pull that she could easily have Paul McCartney in her videos. I am so impressed that you reviewed her. She started in 1979 with a UK TV show “Three of a Kind” which was kind of like Mad TV or Saturday Night Live. She then had a successful singing career in the UK in the 1980s. She moved to the US and had a very successful career on HBO as a comedian. She launched Fox television in 1987 with the Tracey Ullman Show and of course introduced The Simpsons . She continues to entertain the world with her genius talent.
*"I LOVE YOU TO DEATH"* 1990 Spaghetti Comedy Starring Tracy Ullman, Kevin Kline, William Hurt, River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, Joan Plowright. It's a funny one.
Tracey is also indirectly the reason The Simpsons exists. She had a comedy sketch show in the very early days of the FOX network which did not last too long. The Simpsons were the animated short on the show!
*"I LOVE YOU TO DEATH"* 1990 Spaghetti Comedy Starring Tracy Ullman, Kevin Kline, William Hurt, River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, Joan Plowright. It's a funny one.
Tracey is multi-talented and one of her talents is her ability to transform herself into an entirely different person. Unbelievable chameleon. She's a hilarious mimic, too.
Tracey had a supporting part in Paul McCartney's movie Give My Regards to Broad Street, To return the favor, Paul agreed to do a cameo for Tracey's music video. BTW guys, you should have a 1990 movie on your movie channel called I Love You To Death. A dark comedy with a great cast including Tracey Ullman.
This is one of my favorite songs of all time. Kirsty MacColl wrote an amazing song that has been covered so many times and every one of them sounds great. Tracey's is my favorite.
I like both versions, Tracey's and Kirsty's. I guess Leslie Carter also covered it in 1999 and her version is really nice too. Just a likeable song and they all sound great like you said.
I love this song and the video, especially the 60’s vibe and the salute to her love for the Bay City Rollers but I’ve felt this way every time I watch this video.... I always feel so sad for baby Tracey when she gets a seemingly undeserved spanking. 😢 I believe Paul McCartney made a cameo in her video after they worked together on Paul’s movie, ‘Give My Regards to Broad Street.’
She had a small role in Paul Mcartney's film "Give My Regards to Broad Street," so he guest starred in her video. She was big in the U.K. before she had her variety show here.
She is a “woman of a thousand faces”. She can become any character and do so many voices! This has been on my “playlist” for some 35 years in some format or another even if it was cassette!😅
Tracey Ullman had a small part in one of Paul’s films so he thought he would return the favor and make a guest appearance in her video. Being in High School this song was a breath of fresh air having heard my mother’s ‘50’s hits because that’s what it sounded like so it was something I could relate to yet fun.
Many artists in the 1980s were influenced by the sounds of the 1960s. There was a lot of political music, a lot of bright colors, and a lot of upbeat sounds. The go-gos and the StrayCats were heavily influence by the music of the 60s
the 60s Garage revival started in the 80s; the Chesterfield Kings first album looked exactly like 1966. Also, the 60s psycadelic album XTC did as "The Dukes of Stratospear" is a classic
I love this song too!!! I love videos that pay homage to the '60s era, and this is one of my faves! I also love that Paul did a cameo in this, it for me, was the icing on an already beautiful cake! It's such a nostalgic vibe to it, and I too, felt bad for Tracey when she received that hard spanking! I can so relate! 🥹There's another great song/video that has a cool 60s vibe, and it's "Chain Reaction" by Diana Ross! I think Jay and Amber will LOVE that one, especially since the Bee Gees wrote the song and sing the background vocals! 🥰
If you have a fondness for the classic 60s girl groups, Tracey Ullman's album 'You Broke my Heart in 17 Places' is an absolute delight! I love her songs.
This song was written and originally recorded by the brilliant Kirsty MacColl. She is actually providing the back-up harmonies on Tracy’s version of this song, and the high pitched “BABY!” towards the end is courtesy of Kirsty. Sadly, she died under tragic circumstances, trying to protect her children from a speed boat. If you want a new artist to explore for Female Fridays, please please research Kirsty MacColl and do a reaction video. You could start with “In These Shoes?” or any of the songs from her amazing debut album Kite
@@KC-gy5xw it absolutely was. The guy driving the speedboat was some rich well connected playboy and his father greased palms to get it written off as misadventure
I@@johntaylor-jp3jyif I remember, the speedboat shouldn't have been anywhere near where she and her children were diving and she managed to push them out of the way but sadly she wasn't so lucky.
There’s quite a history here. Tracey was already hugely popular in England and released this song on a cover album of some of her old 50’s and 60’s favorites. She then got her own show on a brand new fourth network channel, Fox, back before all the cable channels. The first night of Fox was 3 hours of them showing the 30 minute pilot episodes of “Married with Children” and “The Tracey Ullman Show”, 3 times each. “The Simpsons” started out as short animated fillers on her show. I’m not sure how the show ended, but I know she made a big comeback later with new sketch comedy show called “Tracey” on HBO for a few years.
The thing is, The Tracey Ullman Show was actually very good. Comedy skits. Singing and dancing numbers. She was amazingly talented. I don't think these folks have any idea just how brilliant she was back in the day.
Tracey Ullman rocks! She had the best show back in the 80s. A great performer and her characters were awesome. And yeah, The Simpson's were way funky back then. 😂
If it wasn't for "The Tracey Ullman Show" on FOX, we would have never had "The Simpsons," as they debuted on her comedy sketch show!! She played Ally McBeal's therapist (and she won an Emmy for that role, Dr. Tracey). She has had multiple HBO specials. She is frigging FUNNY!!! Love her. Thank you for finally doing her, though this was her 1 and only hit song, peaking at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 1983. Tracey made a cameo in Paul's "Give My Regards To Broad Street," so this was him repaying her the favor by having a cameo in her video for this song.
Great reaction, Jay and Amber. In the late '70s and early '80s there were a few groups who had a retro '60s vibe and fashioned themselves on that sound. Tracey was a singer and comedian when she first started in the late '70s, in the early '80s she was in a U.K. TV series "A Kick Up The '80s" this and her music got her noticed in America where she had "The Tracey Ullman Show" on the Fox Network which featured a cartoon family called 'The Simpsons' which later became a series of its own.
@@davidhuggan6315 Yes, thankfully so, something which I'm glad about after hearing a lot of music being created only digitally or sampled, I think that RU-vid and other mediums have helped normal people who in the past wouldn't have been able to get their stuff out there for people to hear.
Tracy has been in a TON of movies and TV shows over the years/decades. Sadly her singing career was pretty short-lived but she is definitely a talent to check out.
She was a one-hit wonder in the US, but from what I've read about her I think she was more focused on her comedy career than music. She had several hits in her home country, but in the US this was her only Top 40 hit. MTV was the main reason it broke in the US as they really promoted the video and it seems like everyone who saw the video fell in love with her.
I totally forgot that Tracey Ullman sung. She's more widely known for her comedy, and being a comedienne. Did you guys know that the famous cartoon, The Simpsons, began on her variety comedy show as a mini cartoon interlude?
Oh man, this is one of my favorite pop songs from the 1980s. Thank you for your Rob Squad Reaction!! Tracy Ullman was everywhere back then, and this was an unexpected musical treasure. This song was written by Kirsty MacColl in 1979, and Tracy made a hit of it in 1983. During the '80s, there was a huge fascination with 1950s and early 1960s culture, and this song brings that feel of a '50s/early '60s girl group pop song.
I first heard this song on the night of my 14th birthday, when I stayed up late, listening to MTV and reading one of my birthday gifts, The Outsiders. I've always loved this song. It was definitely performed by Ullman as a 60*s girl group throwback. We had such awesome music from so many different types of performers in the 80*s.
Thanks so much, Squad! Tracey was amazing... she's totally rockin' that 60's girl band sound... the "Tracey Ullman show" had a number of seasons.. on that show she plays an amazing array of characters.. I hope you get around to watching some of it... featured the FIRST "Simpsons" cartoons... lol as said, she does it all! (and sir Paul McCartney did the cameo...lol)
@@fitzgivesfits1 Kay and her "mother" - lol... but I really loved Ruby Romaine.. such a perfect characterization.. I am from Wisconsin, and she nailed that accent!
Tracey was part of a group of three comedians on BBC TV in the early 80s called Three of a Kind. I remember this song in the charts around October of 1983. I believe it's a cover of someone else's work. As you can tell I haven't looked it up. She went over to the USA after this and became very popular. A very talented and very lovely lady.
Love the song and video. This is from the 80's playing up the 60's era and her love of the Beatle's (Paul McCartney). During the 80's there was a lot of retro going on - from artists wearing penny loafers (Michael Jackson, John Cougar), to shirts with collars up, to versions of poodle skirts and many song that brought in the sounds of the 50's & 60's. Everything comes around again.
Remember & Loved Tracey Ullman's comedy program, and loved this song too! Shades of the Birth of Rock in late '50s and '60s IMO. Haven't heard since in the day, and So Glad to hear it Again! Thx Guys! :)
I unironically love this song. It knows how to build tension and then release it. It builds really well. Set up and pay off. It's more than a bit like a screenplay. Haven't listened to this in years which is an oversight on my part. It's lovely and so well constructed.
Compare and contrast to the the Kirsty MacColl original. The Ullman version just sonically builds tension better than the OG. But the tension releasing "BAY-BEE" is better in the Kirsty version.
Although this song came out in 1983, the arrangement was classic early sixties girl group sound especially the background harmonies, the use of chimes and a harmonic structure that came straight out of the Brill Building.
This woman was groundbreaking. I remember her sketch comedy show on Fox, back in the late 80's. Although, I didn't watch it often, I do remember the show being quite hysterical and that it was where "The Simpsons" first debuted.
Love ALL things Tracey! But I really wish she had recorded more songs. Her voice was so pleasant sounding. Especially compared to other singers of the 80's. She was tops.
You should check out the original by Kirsty MacColl from four years earlier.(1979).This was from 1983.Tracey was friends with Kirsty and Kirsty sings background on this and does the ba-by! high part.
And obviously, they should react to some Kirsty MacColl! Either Innocence, or There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis would be great choices. Such a great singer and songwriter, gone too soon.
@@hankamania I was only just discovering Kirsty's music when she tragically passed. Or maybe it's more accurate to say, I had been hearing her music for years (performed by herself or other artists) but didn't know who she was. Amazing songwriter.
I was at kirsty maccoll memorial at St Martins Church in London was a wonderful experience with Bono, and Shane McGowan and others singing together a celebration of her short life
I'm glad to see Tracey Ullman on this channel. Yes, she has talent! My favorite song of hers is her cover of “Breakaway”. Originally sung by Irma Thomas and written by Jackie DeShannon.
Tracey was in Macca’s 1984 film, “Give My Regards to Broad Street”. This song was released in 1983, and as mentioned previously, the original version was that of Kristy MacColl in the late 70s.
@rawleypoint In CASE some people don't know....if you ever see someone refer to "MACCA" that is PAUL McCARTNEY'S "nickname" that has stuck with him for years, especially after he was in the BEATLES. I am NOT sure HOW it started.
Thanks for playing this. I love the melody to this song, and Tracey’s smooth and clear voice. The video tells a story too. I agree with Amber , this 1983 song sounds more like it came from the mid sixties. Neverless it is a great pop song.
She was so cute, and this was definitely a throwback to 60s music and having one of the Beatles appear in the video didn't hurt that illusion. No romantic connection there.
Yeah g'day, If you are going to play this version then we need to hear the great and immensely missed late Ms. Kirsty McColl. Anything by her was divine.
Love the Paul cameo at the end😍 Grew up with this song in the 80's. Plus my big sister loved the Bay City Rollers, and Traci dresses like them! A 70's band you need to listen to! Bay City Rollers were awesome!
She also has a pretty good cover of Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me). I remember buying this cassette type when it first came out. Who knows? It might be tucked away somewhere to this day!
Glad to see so many folks giving props to Kirsty MacColl -- much as I love Tracey Ullman as an all around talent, Kirsty was unrivaled as a songwriter and vocalist, both on her own and others' recordings. All of the other suggestions of Kirsty's songs are great -- you can't go wrong with any of them -- but from what I know of your preferences in music, I think "My Affair" from the album "Electric Landlady" might be the one that you'd get the biggest charge from. It probably comes closest to capturing Kirsty's sensibility in a single song. It has horns! It has incredible smart and witty lyrics! It's infectious! It's Kirsty! You get hints of the turmoil that was coming on "Titanic Days" and that lingered in "Tropical Brainstorm", but she's defiant and sassy and determined to get what she wants. I just got the newly released 8-CD box set of Kirsty, "See That Girl" last week.
This is one of my all time favorite songs! Nothing ground breaking but it speaks to my soul. ♥♥♥ The 80's was such an eclectic decade; pretty much any genre was fair game. 60's girl groups (like this song), 30's (Puttin' on the Ritz-Taco), 40's jive (Stand By- Roman Holiday), and 50's Rockabilly (Anything by Stray Cats). We really had everything- Lucky 🦆🦆🦆.
i was so in love with her! this whole album literally came out of nowhere and was amazing!went to the tops on the billboards! MTV at and all time high was a driving force in musical entertainment and then they gave it all away!
The Tracy Ullman show was a comedy television program that starred Tracy Ullman .She of course, famously featured, The Simpson;s cartoon.from that program. On her show, the British born entertainer played a variety of characters both male and female and she often effected many accents for her roles that were spot on. Thank you both for doing a reaction on this jewel of a video. The 60's vibe of the music is RE.MARKAB:E in addition to Tracy's retro style, and fashions were FUN!!!!! Lastly, the 70's nod to Glam Rock , via the line dancer's added a special touch to this EVER LOVING slice of 80's AWESOMENESS.
What was going on is that in the 80s there was a 4 year time when we all went retro late 50s/early 60s style. You wouldn’t see it in the movies if that time but in the styles, it was everywhere. Flat tops and spiked hair was in, white t-shirts tucked into jeans with the rolled up sleeves.
Interesting fact; Did you know that "The Simpsons" got their start as little shorts on "The Tracy Ullman show". They were then spun off into their own show, snd have been on the air for almost 35 years now. 😯
Christina Aguilera - Ain't No Other Man - Candy Man (Both Great Horns !!) Also - Lady Marmalad Annie Lenox (Eurythmics) - Would I Lie to You - I Need a Man - Thorn in My Side Gwen Stefanie - It's My Life - What You Waiting For Shikira - When ever Where ever - Objection Tango Head Pins - Don't it Make You Feel (like Dancing) - Turn it Loud - Just One More Time Toronto - Your Daddy Don't Know - Start Telling the Truth
Great reaction. First my hat's off to all the comments about this song's writer, the amazing Kirsty MacColl. Glad to see so many are familiar with her, and she SHOULD be brought in to the reaction video world. Tracey did another one of Kirsty's songs called "Terry" and you can find videos by both artists. It's definitely bubblegum pop, but fun. Much of what Tracey did in that period was very 60's oriented. Sunglasses is another funny one, but if I were to recommend one I'd pick "Breakaway" which is a cover of an Irma Thomas hit from 1964. As for Kirsty, I hope you will pick some of her great work. Others have suggested a few, and I'll post a second for "England 2, Columbia 0" (sung as "nil" rather than "zero." "In These Shoes," "My Affair," "Soho Square," "Celestine," or for a country flavor with her usual humorous twist: "Don't Come the Cowboy With Me, Sonny Jim." Kirsty's catalog is fairly deep and not so well known as it should be.
In the 80s all.kinds of songs either evoked a different era,.like this song, or were.covers of actual older songs. I remember when this came out on MTV. I always thought that from her hair and clothes she was drawing on a Lulu vibe from To Sir With Love. That is the name of the movie as well as the title song. If you haven't watched it, please add it to your watch list. Anything Sydney Poitier acted in was amazing. But my top three of his movies are To Sir With Love, Lilies of the Field, and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. All of them are great stories, very interesting perspectives, and great acting. You come away from each one open to new thoughts. Tracy Ullman is English, and was already very well established in the UK, she new people including Part McCartney, and it was fun for him to be in the video.
She has actually had five of her own tv shows at this point: *The Tracey Ullman Show (1987 until 1990, which, as many have pointed out here featured the first appearances The Simpsons -- the series won ten Prime Time Emmy awards) *Tracey Takes On... (HBO, 1996-99) which won many awards *Tracey Ullman's State of the Union (Showtime, 2008 to 2010) *Tracey Ullman's Show (BBC, 2016) *Tracey Breaks the News (BBC, 2017-2018) She is a huge talent. I would say it's fair to mention her in the same breath as comedic icons Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett.
A song that was written and originally sung by the late great Kirsty McColl who was a Scottish singer in her teens who later was killed in a jet ski boat accident . . but Kirsty will always be remembered of her huge Christmas hit “Fairy Tale Of New York” which she sang with Pogues in the 1980’s.
Tracey was better known as an actress/comedienne. Jay & Amber, for great 1950’s songs check out Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers "Why Do Fools Fall in Love", "Goody Goody" and “The ABC's of Love“!!! Frankie was age 13/14 when recording these doo-wop hits!! Diana Ross did a cover of “Why Do Fools Fall In Love” in 1981.
I use to watch her show all the time. She is hilarious. If you have seen the movie, Robinhood Men in Tights, she plays Latrine (the witch). That was Paul McCartney. He had just finished a song that Tracey had done a cameo in and he returned the favor.
@rmlrl1971 Actually it WASN'T one of Paul McCartneys' songs that Tracey did a cameo in, she had a part ( playing "Sandra") in PAUL'S 1984 MOVIE "GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROADSTREET."
So as others have noted, this song was written by Kristy MacColl, who was fantastic. Coming into the holiday season, I would suggest you check out Kirsty’s great song with The Pogues, ‘Fairytale of New York’. Beautiful Irish music through and through and an interesting combination of talent/musicians.
I remember this when it first came out, haven't heard it in years. Tracy started off her career as a comedian, she went into music in the 80s but this songs style is based on the 60s, but still remained a comedian too and she also did some acting aswell.
