Mac and Katie Kissoon

Mac and Katie Kissoon are a male and female vocal duo, consisting of brother and sister Mac Kissoon (born Gerald Farthing, November 11, 1943, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago) and Katie Kissoon (born Katherine Farthing, March 11, 1951, Port of Spain).

Mac and Katie Kissoon
Katie Kissoon performing with Roger Waters June 6, 2007 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Background information
OriginTrinidad
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • record producer
InstrumentsVocals
Associated acts

Early life and career

Mac and Katie Kissoon emigrated to the United Kingdom with their family in 1962. Katie began recording in 1965 cutting a total of four singles under the name Peanut and was later a member of the Rag Dolls who had a single released in 1967 and another in 1968. Mac Kissoon was a member of the Marionettes in 1966 and 1967, then fronted his own band which played US bases in Europe: returning to the UK in 1969 he cut a solo record: "Get Down With It – Satisfaction" which became a Top 30 hit in the Netherlands – number 29 in February 1970.[1]

Mac and Katie Kissoon made their first collaborative recording covering the Lally Stott recording "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" for the UK market. Released July 1971 the Kissoons' version of "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" lost out in the UK to another cover by Middle of the Road who scored a number 1 hit in the UK Singles chart while the Kissoons' stalled at number 41. However a parallel release of the Kissoons' version of "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" in the US became a hit with the single reaching number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1971.

Mac and Katie Kissoon continued to record together and although their follow-up single to "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" entitled "Freedom" failed to register in either the UK or US the track charted throughout Europe with estimated sales approaching one million units. The duo continued to have European chart success particularly in the Netherlands and on the Belgian Dutch-language chart and finally broke through in the UK in 1975 when "Sugar Candy Kisses" reached number 3.

In 1979 and 1980 Mac Kissoon had three solo hits in the Netherlands, amongst them "Lavender Blue" and "Love and Understanding" being Top 10-hits.[2]

Their easy listening, bubblegum pop music career having receded by the early 1980s, Katie and Mac Kissoon were in demand as backing singers and session musicians. Katie was a member of James Last's singers in the 1980s, her brother Mac continuing there until Last's death. Katie Kissoon's career has continued as backing singer for Van Morrison (1978 and later), Elkie Brooks (1982), Eric Clapton (1986 and later), Roger Waters (since 1984), Elton John (1985), Eros Ramazzotti (1990), George Harrison (1991), Big Country (1991), Pet Shop Boys (1994), George Michael (Unplugged on MTV 1996), Robbie Williams (2000 and later), and Mark Knopfler (2018).[3]

In 1997, Mac and Katie Kissoon released an album of new material called From Now On.[4]

In 2002, Katie Kissoon appeared on stage at the Concert for George. In 2006–2007 she was also part of the backing section for Roger Waters' The Dark Side of the Moon Live world tour. The tour continued for nine dates in 2008, but Katie was unable to perform and was replaced by Sylvia Mason-James.[5] In 2006, Katie provided backing vocals on Andy Fairweather Low's album, Sweet Soulful Music'.[6]

Katie Kissoon performed backing vocals on three tracks on Van Morrison's 2008 album Keep It Simple, and The Healing Game and sang with his band on several concert dates in 2008.

Available chart info
  • "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" (1971) – UK number 41 US number 20
  • "Freedom" (1972) – NL number 3 BEL/Flemish number 2 FR number 11 S number 1
  • "Hey You Love" (1972) – S number 1
  • "Sing Along" (1972) – NL number 1 BEL/Flemish number 11 FR number 23
  • "Song for Everybody" (1973) – NL number 18
  • "Change It All" (1973) - NL number 28
  • "Love Will Keep Us Together" (1973) – NL number 12
  • "Sugar Candy Kisses" (1975) – UK number 3 BEL/Flemish number 1 NL number 3
  • "Don't Do It Baby" (1975) – UK number 9 BEL/Flemish number 27 NL number 19
  • "Like a Butterfly" (1975) – UK number 18
  • "The Two of Us" (1976) – UK number 46
  • "We Are Family" (1980) – NL number 20[7]
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References
  1. On this record Mac was named Mack Kissoon.
  2. The latter one being credited to Mac Kissoon & Family. Indeed Kathy did join. For all of Mac's solo hit efforts in the Dutch Top 40 watch https://www.top40.nl/top40-artiesten/mac-kissoon
  3. "Who_Is_Who?". October 30, 2004. Archived from the original on October 30, 2004. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  4. "The Pink Floyd Who is who – K". Pinkfloydhyperbase.dk. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  5. "Pink Floyd news :: Brain Damage – Roger Waters 2008 mini-tour band – line-up change". March 7, 2008. Archived from the original on March 7, 2008. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  6. "Sweet Soulful Music – Andy Fairweather Low | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  7. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 304. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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