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My Affair
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Wikipedia article
"'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 Lillywhite. "My Affair" reached No. 56 in the UK and remained in the charts for two weeks. A music video was filmed to promote the single.
Background
"My Affair" was one of a number of collaborations between MacColl and Nevin. Aware of her desire to produce a Latin-influenced song, Nevin presented MacColl with an instrumental demo he had. After MacColl had completed the lyrics, the pair recorded a demo version prior to the proper recording session at New York. When personal commitments prevented Nevin from traveling to the States, guitarist Pete Glenister replaced him. In a 2012 interview with 'The A.V. Club', Nevin recalled the phone call he had from MacColl shortly after the song had been recorded, "She was so excited, playing the whole song down the phone to me. She considered it to be the best thing she had ever done at that point."
Speaking of the song, MacColl told 'The Desert Sun' in 1991, "We recorded 'My Affair' live. We were all in the same room, looking at each other. You've got this song going and it's like, 'Wow, this is so good. I've never played like this before'. It was enormous excitement. That track I think was the most exciting, the happiest experience in my life, really."
Critical reception
On its release as a single, Tom Doyle of 'Select' wrote, "Kitschy Latin cabaret offering with a quirky lyric about parents who tell you to cut your hair and having steamy afternoon clinches. The sort of tune that's entertaining in the musical interlude of 'French and Saunders', but perhaps not in the Top Ten."
In a review of 'Electric Landlady', Adam Sweeting of 'The Guardian' wrote, "The surprise success of the bunch is 'My Affair', where an army of Hispanic musicians under the direction of Angel Hernandez go salsa-crazy behind La MacColl's cool vocals." Barbara Jaeger of 'The Record' said of the song, "A Latin jazz feel permeates the tune, and MacColl handles the supple phrasing with elegance if not ease."
Stewart Mason of AllMusic described the song as a "brilliant track" and a "sublime single", adding that it was "MacColl's first full-fledged foray into Latin music". Will Harris of 'The A.V. Club' noted the song was "irrepressibly catchy and unabashedly flirtatious". In a retrospective overview of MacColl's career, Robin Denselow of 'The Guardian' felt the song was "defiant and personal". Gary Graff, in his 1996 book 'MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide', noted the song's "suave Latin arrangement".
Track listing
;7" single
#"My Affair" - 3:35
#"All the Tears That I Cried" - 3:31
;12" single
#"My Affair (Ladbroke Groove Mix)" - 6:03
#"My Affair (Bass Sexy Mix)" - 7:02
#"My Affair (Olive Groove Mix)" - 6:25
;Cassette single
#"My Affair" - 3:35
#"All the Tears That I Cried" - 3:31
;CD single
#"My Affair" - 3:35
#"Don't Go Near the Water" - 2:35
#"All the Tears That I Cried" - 3:34
#"My Affair (Olive Groove Mix)" - 6:26
Personnel
* Kirsty MacColl - vocals
* Pete Glenister - guitar
* Oscar Hernndez - piano
* Angel Fernandez - trumpet, string arrangement, bass arrangement
* Lepoldo Pineda, Lewis Kahn - trombone
* Joe Shepley, 'Ite' Jerez - trumpet
* Marc Quiones - timbales
* Enrique Orengo - cello
* Felix Ferrer, Lewis Kahn, Lloyd Carter - violin
* Sal Cuevas - bass
* Robbie Ameen - drums
* Jos Mangual Jr. - bongos, coro
* Milton Cardona - congas
;Production
* Steve Lillywhite - producer
* Alan Douglas, John Brough, Jon Fausty - engineers
* Michael White, Noel Haris, Pete Lewis - assistant engineers
* Howard Gray - remixer on "Ladbroke Groove Mix" and "Olive Groove Mix"
* Trevor Gray - additional programming and keyboards on "Ladbroke Groove Mix"
* Chad Jackson - remixer on "Bass Sexy Mix"
;Other
* Bill Smith Studio, Kirsty MacColl - sleeve design
* Charles Dickins - photography
* XL Talent - management
Charts
References
Category:1991 songs
Category:1991 singles
Category:Kirsty MacColl songs
Category:Songs written by Kirsty MacColl
Category:Songs written by Mark Nevin
Category:Song recordings produced by Steve Lillywhite
Category:Virgin Records singles
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