The Essential Collection (Kirsty MacColl album)

The Essential Collection
Compilation album by Kirsty MacColl
Released	1993
Length	52:54
Label	Stiff Records
Kirsty MacColl chronology
Electric Landlady (1991) The Essential Collection (1993) Titanic Days (1993)

The Essential Collection is a compilation album by British singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl, released by Stiff Records in 1993. It contains seventeen tracks covering MacColl's early recording career for Stiff and includes those released as singles and B-sides, as well as selections from her debut album Desperate Character (1981). The last three tracks are included as bonus tracks.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic

Chris Woodstra of AllMusic described the compilation as a "fine collection", with "some of the best singles [MacColl] ever [wrote]". He added: "She wrote melodic pop singles that managed to recast the classic girl-group sound of the '60s into a style that was contemporary and timeless."

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis"	Kirsty MacColl, Philip Rambow	3:09
2.	"A New England"	Billy Bragg	3:51
3.	"Patrick"	MacColl	3:07
4.	"Eighty Year Old Millionaire"	MacColl	2:52
5.	"See That Girl"	MacColl	3:04
6.	"Until the Night"	MacColl, Phil Johnstone	3:10
7.	"Just One Look"	Doris Payne, Gregory Carroll	2:18
8.	"He Thinks I Still Care"	Roysden D. Lipscombe, Steve Duffy	2:57
9.	"They Don't Know"	MacColl	3:03
10.	"Turn My Motor On"	MacColl	2:24
11.	"Please Go to Sleep"	MacColl	2:31
12.	"Terry"	MacColl, Gavin Povey	3:55
13.	"Quietly Alone"	MacColl	2:40
14.	"Teenager in Love"	MacColl, Rambow	2:38
15.	"A New England" (12" version)		7:56
16.	"Terry" (12" version)		5:19
17.	"There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" (Country version)		3:44