"Official Music" FAQ

[DzM]

1. Please, before starting a new thread, spend a couple of minutes and check, maybe the same thread exists already, exciting discussion has happened there for ages, your question has been asked before and - what is more - has been replied to, thus you'll find all the necessary info without typing a word. And it will save time of those who are supposed to answer.

2. Please, take into consideration there are separate threads for almost every song from the Pogues' catalogue (where lyrics, remixes, videos, etc. are discussed). Do not ask questions about London Girl in a thread for Streams Of Whiskey. In a week or two, nobody will be able to find the answer as nobody will look for it in a thread assigned to another song. Have respect for fellow Medusians, those who have to answer same questions again and again, and for janitors who have to sort all the mess out!


Is there a web site that discusses the meanings of the song lyrics?

An excellent site that discusses many of the references in The Pogues' songs (as well as Shane MacGowan's solo work) is The Parting Glass at http://www.poguetry.com.

Is there any new Pogues CD forthcoming?

While there are currently no plans for any "new" CDs, all seven of the original albums by The Pogues have been remastered and reissued featuring many tracks that were previously available only as B-sides to singles. In addition, there is live CD recorded at Brixton in 2001, and a box set collection of demos, live recordings and rarities. More info about the box set can be found here.

Who was the female voice with Shane on Fairytale of New York/Haunted/etc?

- Kirsty MacColl performed with The Pogues on Fairytale of New York, Lorelei, and Miss Otis Regret/Just One Of Those Things.
- Cait O'Riordan performed I'm A Man You Don't Meet Every Day and Haunted (from the Sid & Nancy soundtrack). She was originally intended to be the female voice for Fairytale of New York.
- Sinead O'Connor performed Haunted with Shane MacGowan after he and The Pogues parted ways.
- Máire Brennan of Clannad performed You're The One with Shane.
- Therese MacGowan (Shane's mother) performed Fairytale of New York with Shane on his live album, "Across the Broad Atlantic."

Where can I find Pogues/Shane’s lyrics?

The lyrics to all of The Pogues songs are on this site under the "Discography" section (they are linked to from the album(s) they appear on). Shane's solo lyrics are available on the Friends of Shane web site .

Where can I find Pogues/Shane’s tabs/chords?

There are many sites that gather chords (including a small number on this site). The book "Best of the Pogues" also features arrangements for guitar and piano along with lyrics of all the tracks on the CD by the same name.

Which songs inspired those by the Pogues/Shane?

In addition to creating their own marvelous compositions, The Pogues borrowed themes from many places. A thread discussing these inspirations is available here and a webpage summing up the inspirations is here.

Where does Fairytale of New York take its name from?

This song takes its name from the book by the same name by J.P. Donleavy. The song has nothing else in common with the book.

Are there multiple versions of A Rainy Night in Soho?

Yes. There were two (and possibly three) versions of A Rainy Night in Soho. The original was released with the vinyl version of "Poguetry In Motion," the other was released with the CD version. The later release is more heavily produced, featuring more orchestral arrangement. Philip Chevron reports that there is also an "American version" ("the one without the flugelhorn"). An ongoing debate exists regarding which is better. More information would be appreciated regarding which versions appear on which albums/singles.

I don't like Blue Heaven. Is there a redeeming story behind it?

Phil and Darryl wrote this song while touring the USA and shortly after having witnessed the Hillsborough disaster in which 96 people died. Phil describes a bit of the song's development here

What does (random or Gaelic words) mean?

It is a common practice in traditional music to use random syllables to construct parts of choruses. Often times these strings of syllables have no meaning other than sounding nifty. In the rare instances where they do have meaning, it is often disappointingly prosaic.

In the song Muirsheen Durkin, what is a pratie? A muirsheen durkin?

A pratie is a potato. There is an ongoing debate regarding the meaning of "Muirsheen Durkin," with is meaning everything from Mrs. Durkin to "young boy." A thread exists to discuss this.

What’s Five Green Queens And Jean about?

There is much speculation about this. Current semi-reputable speculation is that it refers to a dice game where the die faces represent "face cards" with colors. The queen is colored green, and the game is thrown on an empty bin bag (or trash bag). "Jean" may refer to Shane's landlord at the time.
A thread discussing this song is here.

[Guest]

Sounds like there are 3 versions of Rainy Night, though I've never heard the 'American mix'

Mr Chevron from shanemacgowan.com forum regarding a rare tracks box set:

"... But I CAN promise there will be the minimum of duplication from the Remastered Series. There may be a case for including, say, the American mix of "Rainy Night In Soho" (without the flugelhorn, the Cait/Shane demo of "Fairytale", the original uptempo version of "Lullaby Of London" etc but we are unlikely to..."

[philipchevron]

The "American Mix" is on the MCA version of "Poguetry" and the original 1986 Canadian CD of same.

It has an oboe playing instead of the flugelhorn.

[ShanesTeeth]

The "American Mix" is on the MCA version of "Poguetry" and the original 1986 Canadian CD of same.

It has an oboe playing instead of the flugelhorn.

Why were two versions created in the first place anyway?

[Zuzana]

Philip Chevron clarified the situation with the Rainy Night In Soho versions at PRS forum:

I'm not exactly sure, without listening to the records, where else the American mix of "Rainy" appears, but it definitely appears on the USA MCA and Canada MCA versions of "Poguetry" and on the 1986 Canadian CD, the only CD release of the EP at that point.

Elvis Costello produced both versions, and some elements of his production remain in the 1991 Steve Lillywhite remake (the "third" version). Essentially, the "American" version is the one with an oboe instead of a flugelhorn (which is a type of trumpet). Orchestrator Fiachra Trench (who later worked on "Fairytale") wrote a score for Oboe and Strings. Costello, myself and Nick Robbins mixed it. Unfortunately, Shane hated the oboe, as it did not give the effect he - as the writer - had intended. Costello was inclined to stand by his work rather than attempt to hear Shane's alternative. He washed his hands of the record. He had already lost the battle to have our recording of the Lovin' Spoonful's "Do You Believe In Magic?" (produced by Elvis, sung by Shane and Cait and a near-cert for the box set) included on the EP in favour of "Planxty Noel Hill". He was faltering too, in the birth of "Fairytale" around this time and, in retrospect, it seems clear Elvis and The Pogues had simply outgrown each other - nobody's fault, just a natural end.

Anyway, Dave Jordan and myself worked on the new version, with Dick Cuthell's flugelhorn replacing the oboe but with everything else as before. Dave mixed this and it was the version Shane was happiest with. However, Stiff and MCA liked the original version and found ways of getting both versions on the market.

So there are three versions in all, not counting edited radio-play versions etc. To be honest, I love all three of them - Kirsty's backing vocals on the 1991 version are extraordinary. The song is so beautiful that it's next to bulletproof.

(...)

The version on the remastered "Rum Sodomy" is the same as the 12" of the UK EP. It has the repeated "now the song is nearly over" chorus.

The "American/oboe" mix was only ever pressed in the UK on the "Rainy Night In Soho/Planxty Noel Hill" DJ promo single (STIFF BUY DJ 243). It was ALSO used for the German "info" single "London Girl/Rainy Night In Soho" (TELDEC 6.14589) as well as in the American and Canadian releases mentioned already.

I THINK that all the other versions released on the EP around the world are the Flugelhorn version, but as I don't have copies of everything in the Archive, I don't know for sure. Bear in mind two further points: 1) I have not even BEGUN to allow for edited down versions which appeared in various places and 2) Stiff Records may have further confused the issue by deliberately releasing "wrong" pressings, which is the sort of thing they did in those days.

In contrast, the version of "London Girl" on "The Rest of the Best" is just a cock-up. Warners simply used the wrong tape and what you hear there is a not-very-good rough mix!! It was this, more than anything, that made me determined to take a more "hands on" approach to our relations with Warners.

[obsoleteshock]

So where would one find the third version of rainy night?

[philipchevron]

So where would one find the third version of rainy night?

If you mean the 1991 version, it's on one of the remastered CDs from 2004 -Peace and Love, I think, though possibly Hell's Ditch.

[obsoleteshock]

So where would one find the third version of rainy night?

If you mean the 1991 version, it's on one of the remastered CDs from 2004 -Peace and Love, I think, though possibly Hell's Ditch.

Cool. I've been meaning to look into getting the remastered Red Roses, Peace and Love and Hell's Ditch albums so I can evaluate them on equal footing with the others. I hadn't really looked into the bonus tracks yet, but I'm sure there are plenty of gems I need to check out. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.