The Pogues -

The Pogues were an English post-punk Celtic folk-rock band that released the 1984–85 albums Red Roses for Me and Rum Sodomy & the Lash on Stiff Records.

In 1987, they scored a UK–Irish hit with “The Irish Rover” and teamed with singer Kirsty MacColl on the international hit “Fairytale of New York.” Their 1988 third album If I Should Fall From Grace With God charted worldwide with “Fiesta” and the title track.

After the 1989–90 albums Peace and Love and Hell’s Ditch, singer Shane MacGowan left the band, which continued for two more albums. In 2001, The Pogues reunited for thirteen years of live work.

Members: Spider Stacy (tin whistle, harmonica, vocals), Jem Finer (banjo, hurdy-gurdy, mandola, saxophone, guitar), James Fearnley (accordion, piano, guitar, mandolin, clarinet, 1982-94, 2001-14), Shane MacGowan (vocals, guitar, 1982-91, 2001-14), Cait O’Riordan (bass, vocals, 1982-86), Andrew Ranken (drums, percussion, harmonica, vocals, 1983-96, 2001-14), Terry Woods (cittern, concertina, mandolin, banjo, vocals, 1985-93, 2001-14), Philip Chevron (guitar, banjo, mandolin, vocals, 1985-96, 2001-13), Darryl Hunt (bass, percussion, vocals, 1986-96, 2001-14), Joe Strummer (vocals, 1991), James McNally (accordion, 1993-96), Jamie Clarke (guitar, vocals, 1994-96), David Coulter (mandolin, percussion, 1994-96)

Background

The Pogues formed in 1982 around the nucleus of singer Shane MacGowan, banjoist Jem Finer, and tin whistler Peter “Spider” Stacy, who first grouped in the Millwall Chainsaws, a folk-based side project of MacGowan’s main band, The Nips.

MacGowan was born on December 25, 1957, in Pembury, Kent, to Irish parents Therese and Maurice. His mother was a former singer, model, and Irish trad dancer. Shane’s younger sister, Siobhan MacGowan, became a journalist and songwriter. He was raised in Tipperary, Ireland, until age six, when the MacGowan’s settled in southeast England.

MacGowan first received press coverage after an October 23, 1976, Clash show at London’s Contemporary Institute of Arts, where fellow attendee (and future Mo-dettes bassist) Jane Crockford allegedly bit his ear in an incident dubbed “CANNIBALISM AT CLASH GIG.”^>

The Nips

In late 1976, MacGowan formed the punk band Nipple Erectors with bassist Shanne Bradley, drummer Gerry Macilduff, and guitarist Roger Towndrow. In 1977, they played the Roxy Club on double-bills with Bazoomis (9/17) and The Outsiders (10/27). Bradley (aka Shanne Hasler) became one of the earliest Sex Pistols converts when she caught their December 1975 show at St. Alban’s Hertfordshire College of Art & Design.

The debut Nipple Erectors single, “King of the Bop” (b/w “Nervous Wreck”), appeared in June 1978 as the inaugural release on SOHO Records. In September, they shortened their name to The Nips for their second single “All the Time in the World” (b/w “Private Eye”), recorded with ex-Eater drummer Phil Rowland.

Towndrow cleared for guitarist Gavin “Fritz” Douglas on the May 1979 third Nips single “Gabrielle” (b/w “Vengeance”), recorded with ex-Screwdriver drummer John “Grinny” Grinton.

In 1980, Jam frontman Paul Weller produced a Nips demo for Polydor comprised of four songs: “Happy Song,” “Nobody to Love,” “Ghost Town,” and “Love to Make You Cry.” MacGowan and Douglass recorded the songs with Bradley and (ex-Bernie Tormé) drummer Mark Harrison. “Happy Song” appeared as the fourth Nips single (b/w “Nobody to Love”) in October 1981 on Test Pressing Records. Meanwhile, the Nips played their final show in December 1980 at London’s Music Machine with a lineup comprised of MacGowan, Bradley, guitarist James Fearnley, and ex-Edge drummer Jon Moss (who subsequently formed Culture Club).

In 1981, Shanne Bradley sought to revive the band in a Celt trad mold. With MacGowan, she formed a new band with her partner, standup snare player (and Madness co-founder) John Hasler. They rehearsed with fiddler David Rattray. That autumn, however, she stepped out of the music scene. (In 1984, she resurfaced as co-founder of The Men They Couldn’t Hang.)

Pogue Mahone

In 1982, MacGowan and Hasler formed Pogue Mahone (Celt for “kiss my arse”) with Shane’s Millwall Chainsaws mates, Jem Finer and “Spider” Stacy. MacGowan and Stacy first met at the Roundhouse restroom during a 1977 Ramones concert.

Stacy (b. December 14, 1958) worked as a car salesman for two years after leaving school at sixteen. When punk hit, he joined his first band, The Bastards. In 1979, he formed Millwall Chainsaws, which MacGowan joined during off-time from The Nips. In the months before Pogue Mahone, Millwall operated as The New Republicans.

Pogue Mahone made their live debut on October 2, 1982, at The Pindar of Wakefield. Within three weeks, their lineup (minus Hasler) consolidated around MacGowan, Finer, Stacy, Fearnley, bassist Cait O’Riordan and drummer Andrew Ranken. The new sextet premiered on Friday October 29 at London’s 100 Club.

Red Roses for Me

The Pogues released their debut album, Red Roses for Me, on October 14, 1984, on Stiff.

Red Roses for Me moves at a compressed, relentless pace, with most tracks built for energy over elaboration. Spider Stacy’s tin whistle cuts across the top of the arrangements, threading through MacGowan’s guitar and James Fearnley’s accordion, which together provide the bulk of the melodic weight. Jem Finer’s banjo drives the rhythmic pulse alongside Andrew Ranken’s drums and Cait O’Riordan’s bass, which anchor the band’s momentum without excess. MacGowan sings lead throughout, his voice already worn at the edges. The majority of the album moves in short, punchy bursts, with most originals clocking under three and a half minutes; the traditional material handled in the same aggressive register as the band’s own compositions.

The album splits roughly between MacGowan originals and traditional Irish songs arranged by the band. “Transmetropolitan” opens on a hard banjo-and-accordion charge, MacGowan’s vocal riding over a bouncing rhythm as the song moves through a tour of London boroughs rendered as a drinking rampage. “Streams of Whiskey” keeps a straight-ahead driving tempo with a singalong pattern in the vocal line, while “Boys from the County Hell” pushes harder, Stacy’s whistle a sharp presence above a faster rhythmic attack. “Dark Streets of London” pulls back slightly, running at a lower-key pace before the band opens up in the final stretch.

“Sea Shanty” and “Down in the Ground Where the Dead Men Go” both operate in a rougher, more aggressive frame, the latter ending the first side on a grim note. Among the traditional pieces, “The Auld Triangle” — credited on the album to Brendan Behan rather than its author Dick Shannon — moves at a slower, more deliberate pace, MacGowan’s vocal unusually unhurried, with Stacy’s whistle providing melodic counterpoint. “Waxie’s Dargle” and “Poor Paddy” are handled at speed. “Kitty,” the final track, closes the album at a slower, softer tempo, a marked contrast to most of what preceded it.

A1. “Transmetropolitan” (4:15) — MacGowan
A2. “The Battle of Brisbane” (1:49) — MacGowan
A3. “The Auld Triangle” (4:20) — Dick Shannon; credited on the album to Brendan Behan
A4. “Waxie’s Dargle” (1:53) — Traditional; arranged by the Pogues
A5. “Boys from the County Hell” (2:56) — MacGowan

B1. “Sea Shanty” (2:24) — MacGowan
B2. “Dark Streets of London” (3:33) — MacGowan
B3. “Streams of Whiskey” (2:32) — MacGowan
B4. “Poor Paddy” (3:09) — Traditional; arranged by the Pogues
B5. “Dingle Regatta” (2:52) — Traditional; arranged by Finer
B6. “Greenland Whale Fisheries” (2:36) — Traditional; arranged by the Pogues
B7. “Down in the Ground Where the Dead Men Go” (3:30) — MacGowan
B8. “Kitty” (4:23) — Traditional; arranged by the Pogues

The Pogues recorded Red Roses for Me at Elephant Studios, Wapping, London, with producer Stan Brennan and engineers Nick Robbins and Craig Thompson. Brennan had previously managed the Nipple Erectors and operated the Rocks Off Records shop in London. The album reached number 89 on the UK Albums chart.

Stiff issued “Dark Streets of London” as a 7″ single in June 1984, backed with “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda.” Stiff issued “Boys from the County Hell” as a 7″ single on October 15, 1984.

Rum Sodomy & the Lash

The Pogues released their second album, Rum Sodomy & the Lash, on August 5, 1985, on Stiff (UK, Europe) and MCA (North America).

Rum Sodomy & the Lash opens in a harder, more deliberate frame than its predecessor, with the arrangements given more space and the band recorded with greater natural presence. Philip Chevron joins on guitar and mandolin, widening the tonal palette, and the record captures a broader dynamic range — from the full-band attack of the opening track to the near-solo texture of quieter passages. Fearnley’s accordion and Finer’s banjo remain central, but the arrangements allow individual instruments more room. O’Riordan anchors the low end with a cleaner, more assertive presence than on Red Roses for Me, and Ranken’s drumming sits more prominently in the mix. MacGowan’s voice carries more of the album’s emotional range than before, moving between aggression and something considerably quieter and more worn.

“The Sick Bed of Cúchulainn” runs at high speed through an accelerating rhythmic frame. “The Old Main Drag” drops the tempo sharply, a slow, spare melody with a muted arrangement and MacGowan’s vocal in its lowest register. “Wild Cats of Kilkenny” operates as a brief, frantic instrumental. O’Riordan takes lead vocal on the traditional “I’m a Man You Don’t Meet Every Day,” delivering the song from the perspective of a wealthy landholder, the gender contrast with the lyric’s narrator a deliberate effect. “A Pair of Brown Eyes” moves at a slow waltz pace, accordion, banjo, and uilleann pipes building a layered texture beneath MacGowan’s vocal. “Sally MacLennane” accelerates the tempo considerably, a fast, energetic arrangement with guitar prominent alongside the accordion. “Dirty Old Town” — Ewan MacColl’s 1949 song — receives a full-band arrangement with particular weight on the acoustic guitar and a harmonica lead.

“Jesse James” is handled as a traditional American folk song, Spider Stacy taking the vocal. “Navigator,” written by Phil Gaston, runs at a moderate tempo with the instruments interlocking around a description of railway labor. “Billy’s Bones” moves at a sprint, MacGowan’s delivery barely coherent at the pace. “The Gentleman Soldier” takes a comic approach, the vocal switching between registers. The album closes with an eight-minute reading of Eric Bogle’s “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda,” arranged to build gradually over its full length, brass entering in the final minutes.

The album’s title derives from a quotation attributed to Winston Churchill. The cover art adapts Théodore Géricault’s The Raft of the Medusa, with the band members’ faces painted in by Peter Mennim replacing those in the original composition.

A1. “The Sick Bed of Cúchulainn” (2:59) — MacGowan
A2. “The Old Main Drag” (3:19) — MacGowan
A3. “The Wild Cats of Kilkenny” (2:48) — MacGowan, Finer
A4. “I’m a Man You Don’t Meet Every Day” (2:55) — Traditional; arranged by the Pogues
A5. “A Pair of Brown Eyes” (4:54) — MacGowan
A6. “Sally MacLennane” (2:43) — MacGowan

B1. “Dirty Old Town” (3:45) — Ewan MacColl
B2. “Jesse James” (2:58) — Traditional; arranged by the Pogues
B3. “Navigator” (4:12) — Phil Gaston
B4. “Billy’s Bones” (2:02) — MacGowan
B5. “The Gentleman Soldier” (2:04) — Traditional; arranged by the Pogues
B6. “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda” (8:10) — Eric Bogle

The Pogues recorded Rum Sodomy & the Lash at Elephant Studios, Wapping, London, with producer Elvis Costello and engineers Paul Scully and Nick Robbins. Costello was originally engaged to produce two tracks for a single but agreed to extend the sessions to cover the full album. The record peaked at number 13 on the UK Albums chart, number 17 in New Zealand, number 39 in Sweden, and number 89 in Australia.

Stiff issued “A Pair of Brown Eyes” as a 7″ single on March 18, 1985, backed with “Whiskey You’re the Devil”; the 12″ added “Muirshin Durkin.” The single reached number 72 on the UK Singles chart, the band’s first to enter the UK Top 100. Stiff issued “Sally MacLennane” as a 7″ single on June 10, 1985. The single reached number 54 on the UK Singles chart. Stiff issued “Dirty Old Town” as a 7″ single on August 19, 1985; the 7″ B-side was “A Pistol for Paddy Garcia” and the 12″ B-side “The Parting Glass.”

Poguetry in Motion (EP)

On February 24, 1986, The Pogues released Poguetry in Motion,

Poguetry in Motion gathers four tracks recorded in the same sessions that produced Rum Sodomy & the Lash, with Elvis Costello producing and the same core lineup augmented by Philip Chevron and Terry Woods in their first Pogues recordings. The EP also features Tommy Keane on uilleann pipes, Henry Benagh on fiddle, Dick Cuthell on flugelhorn, and Fiachra Trench on string arrangements.

“London Girl” moves at an uptempo, accordion-forward pace in a style close to the band’s earliest work. “A Rainy Night in Soho” runs considerably slower, built around a long, arcing melody with strings and flugelhorn; MacGowan and Costello disagreed over the final mix, with MacGowan preferring flugelhorn and Costello an oboe arrangement — the UK pressing uses flugelhorn while Canadian editions used oboe. “The Body of an American” operates as a Celtic-rooted eulogy at a march tempo, the uilleann pipes prominent in the outro. “Planxty Noel Hill,” written by Finer, is an instrumental reel; the title refers to traditional musician Noel Hill, who had publicly described the Pogues’ music as a disrespect to the Irish tradition, and the word “planxty” is used sardonically.

A1. “London Girl” (3:03) — MacGowan
A2. “A Rainy Night in Soho” (5:35) — MacGowan

B1. “The Body of an American” (4:47) — MacGowan
B2. “Planxty Noel Hill” (3:09) — Finer

The Pogues recorded Poguetry in Motion on December 20, 1985, at Elephant Studios, Sarm West Studios, and AIR Studios, London, with producer Elvis Costello. The EP was the band’s first release to reach the UK Top 40, peaking at number 29.

If I Should Fall From Grace With God

The Pogues released their third album, If I Should Fall From Grace With God, on January 18, 1988, on Warner Bros. (UK, Europe) and Island (North America).

If I Should Fall From Grace With God marks the arrival of three new members: Darryl Hunt replaces Cait O’Riordan on bass, Terry Woods joins on cittern and a range of other stringed instruments, and Philip Chevron, already a touring member, becomes the band’s permanent guitarist. The album moves at a wider range of tempos and textures than its predecessors, with the arrangements expanding beyond the band’s Irish folk foundation into Middle Eastern, Spanish, and jazz-inflected territory.

Fearnley’s accordion, piano, mandolin, dulcimer, guitar, cello, and percussion account for much of the album’s textural variety; Finer plays banjo and saxophone; Woods adds cittern lute, concertina, strings, banjo, and dulcimer. Hunt and Ranken provide a more varied rhythmic underpin than earlier recordings — the rhythm section shifts register considerably between the fast, attack-driven opener and the slower, more orchestrated passages. MacGowan sings lead throughout, with Stacy, Chevron, Ranken, and Hunt contributing vocals on selected tracks. Kirsty MacColl sings the female part on “Fairytale of New York.” A brass section, string arrangements by Fiachra Trench, and harp by Siobhan Sheahan appear on several tracks. For the first time, band members other than MacGowan and Finer contribute original songs: Chevron wrote “Thousands Are Sailing” and Woods wrote “Streets of Sorrow” and “The Battle March Medley.”

“If I Should Fall From Grace With God” opens the album at a driving pace with full-band attack. “Turkish Song of the Damned” incorporates a Middle Eastern melodic frame, the arrangement pulling between Celtic instrumentation and a distinctly non-Irish rhythmic and harmonic approach; the song ends with a rendition of the traditional Irish jig “The Lark in the Morning.” “Bottle of Smoke” — a MacGowan/Finer co-write built around an imaginary racehorse’s victory at the Cheltenham Gold Cup — runs fast and light. “Fairytale of New York” moves through two distinct tempos: a slow, piano-based introduction followed by a céilidh-paced section; MacGowan and MacColl trade vocal lines as the characters in the song move between reminiscence and argument.

“Metropolis,” a Finer instrumental, carries a jazz-inflected feel. “Thousands Are Sailing” — Chevron’s first composition on a Pogues album — builds on a moderate tempo, the banjo and accordion interlocking through verses about the Irish emigration to America. “Fiesta” moves at a fast, fairground tempo, drawn from a melody Finer heard on food stalls in Spain; the chorus incorporates elements of “Liechtensteiner Polka” by Edmund Kötscher and Rudi Lindt, and a Spanish-language verse adapts four lines from a Federico García Lorca poem. “Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant/The Rocky Road to Dublin/The Galway Races” runs through three traditional pieces at speed.

“Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six” pairs a slow, spare ballad by Woods about Michael Collins with MacGowan’s harder, more accusatory second half about the Birmingham Six and Guildford Four. “Lullaby of London” runs slowly, MacGowan’s lyric addressed to a child from a parent speaking through drink and worry. “Sit Down by the Fire” operates in a darker register, drawn from MacGowan’s account of Irish ghost stories. “The Broad Majestic Shannon” closes the standard sequence with a measured, reflective pace, the song built around return to County Tipperary after years away. “Worms,” arranged by Fearnley and Ranken from a traditional source, runs just over a minute.

A1. “If I Should Fall From Grace With God” (2:20) — MacGowan
A2. “Turkish Song of the Damned” (3:27) — MacGowan, Finer
A3. “Bottle of Smoke” (2:47) — MacGowan, Finer
A4. “Fairytale of New York” (4:36) — MacGowan, Finer
A5. “Metropolis” (2:50) — Finer
A6. “Thousands Are Sailing” (5:28) — Chevron

B1. “Fiesta” (4:13) — MacGowan, Finer
B2. “Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant/The Rocky Road to Dublin/The Galway Races” (4:03) — Traditional; arranged by the Pogues
B3. “Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six” (4:39) — Woods/MacGowan
B4. “Lullaby of London” (3:32) — MacGowan
B5. “Sit Down by the Fire” (2:18) — MacGowan
B6. “The Broad Majestic Shannon” (2:55) — MacGowan
B7. “Worms” (1:01) — Traditional; arranged by Fearnley, Ranken

Note: “South Australia” (Traditional; arranged by the Pogues) and “The Battle March Medley” (Woods) appeared on the CD edition as bonus tracks not included on vinyl or cassette.

The Pogues recorded If I Should Fall From Grace With God in 1987 at RAK Studios, London, with producer Steve Lillywhite and engineers Chris Dickie, Nick Lacey, and Roy Spong. String arrangements for “Fairytale of New York” were recorded at The Town House, London; Fearnley mocked up the arrangement on keyboard and Fiachra Trench completed it. The album peaked at number 3 on the UK Albums chart, number 4 in New Zealand, number 9 in Sweden and Switzerland, number 15 in Norway, number 36 in Australia, and number 52 in the Netherlands.

Pogue Mahone issued “Fairytale of New York” as a 7″, 12″, cassette, and CD single on November 23, 1987, featuring Kirsty MacColl; the 7″ was backed with “The Battle March Medley” and the 12″ and CD added “Shanne Bradley.” The single reached number 1 in Ireland and number 2 in the UK, and number 5 in New Zealand. Pogue Mahone issued “If I Should Fall From Grace With God” as a single on February 22, 1988; the single reached number 58 on the UK Singles chart. Pogue Mahone issued “Fiesta” as a single on July 4, 1988. The single was the last new Pogues single featuring MacGowan to reach the UK Top 30.

Stiff issued “The Irish Rover” — recorded with the Dubliners — as a single in 1987; the B-side was “Mountain Dew.”

Peace and Love

The Pogues released their fourth album, Peace and Love, on July 17, 1989, on Island.

Peace and Love continues the band’s departure from traditional Irish material, with MacGowan contributing six of the fourteen tracks and other members — Finer, Chevron, Woods, Ranken, Hunt, and Ron Kavana — accounting for the remainder. The album opens with “Gridlock,” a jazz-inflected full-band instrumental with a brass arrangement that makes no concession to the band’s earlier folk frame. From there the album moves through a wider tonal range than any previous Pogues record: reggae inflections appear in Terry Woods’s “Young Ned of the Hill,” calypso in the Chevron/Hunt co-write “Blue Heaven,” Bo Diddley-influenced rhythms in “Cotton Fields” and “USA,” and an almost-pop register in Chevron’s “Lorelei.”

String and brass arrangements by Fiachra Trench, Peadar O’Riada, and Paul Taylor appear on several tracks. MacGowan’s vocal work is more variable than on the band’s previous albums. Kirsty MacColl provides backing vocals on “Lorelei.” The band retained Steve Lillywhite as producer for the third consecutive album. Several tracks draw on London settings: “White City” covers the demolished dog racing track, “Misty Morning, Albert Bridge” names the Thames bridge, and “London You’re a Lady” closes the album as a direct address to the city. “Young Ned of the Hill” and “Gartloney Rats” return to Irish subject matter, the former addressing Oliver Cromwell, the latter drawing on Terry Woods’s original composition.

A1. “Gridlock” (3:33) — Finer, Ranken
A2. “White City” (2:31) — MacGowan
A3. “Young Ned of the Hill” (2:45) — Woods, Kavana
A4. “Misty Morning, Albert Bridge” (3:01) — Finer
A5. “Cotton Fields” (2:51) — MacGowan
A6. “Blue Heaven” (3:36) — Chevron, Hunt
A7. “Down All the Days” (3:45) — MacGowan

B1. “USA” (4:52) — MacGowan
B2. “Lorelei” (3:33) — Chevron
B3. “Gartloney Rats” (2:32) — Woods
B4. “Boat Train” (2:40) — MacGowan
B5. “Tombstone” (2:57) — Finer
B6. “Night Train to Lorca” (3:29) — Finer
B7. “London You’re a Lady” (2:56) — MacGowan

The Pogues recorded Peace and Love at RAK Studios and Ealing Studios, London, with producer Steve Lillywhite and engineers Chris Dickie and Nick Lacey. The album peaked at number 5 on the UK Albums chart, number 7 in Sweden, number 13 in Germany and Norway, number 17 in Switzerland, number 32 in New Zealand, number 53 in the Netherlands, and number 61 in Australia. The album was certified Gold in the UK.

Island issued “Misty Morning, Albert Bridge” as a single in June 1989; it reached number 41 on the UK Singles chart, the band’s last single to reach the UK Top 50 before MacGowan’s departure. Island issued “White City” as a single in August 1989. Island issued “Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah” as a single in 1990; it reached number 43 on the UK Singles chart and number 17 on the US Modern Rock chart, the band’s first US chart placement.

Hell’s Ditch

The Pogues released their fifth album, Hell’s Ditch, on October 1, 1990, on Island.

Hell’s Ditch continues the move away from traditional Irish material that began on Peace and Love, with the album drawing extensively on Far Eastern, Spanish, and folk-rock frameworks. MacGowan writes or co-writes nine of the thirteen tracks, three in collaboration with Finer; Woods contributes two originals and one track draws on a traditional Irish melody.

MacGowan sings lead on nine tracks; Woods takes lead on three, and Spider Stacy on one. The arrangements are built around a relatively spare rhythm section — Hunt on bass, Ranken on drums — with Finer playing banjo, mandola, hurdy-gurdy, saxophone, acoustic guitar, lap steel guitar, and shaker, and Fearnley deploying accordion, piano, banjo, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, violin, electric sitar, and kalimba. Woods contributes mandolin, cittern, concertina, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, accordion, and auto harp.

Several tracks carry strong geographic associations: “Sayonara” and “Summer in Siam” reflect MacGowan’s period in Thailand; “Lorca’s Novena” draws on MacGowan’s connection to the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca and the circumstances of his death during the Civil War; “The Wake of the Medusa” takes a first-person narrative from Géricault’s painting, which had already appeared on the cover of Rum Sodomy & the Lash.

The title track draws on the prison writings of Jean Genet. “House of the Gods” incorporates a melodic line adapted from the Beach Boys’ “You Still Believe in Me,” with Darryl Hunt’s backing vocals underscoring that influence. “Maidrin Rua,” a traditional Irish piece, provides a brief near-instrumental interlude. Woods closes the album with “Six to Go,” referencing the continued imprisonment of the Birmingham Six at the time of recording.

A1. “Sunny Side of the Street” (2:44) — MacGowan, Finer
A2. “Sayonara” (3:07) — MacGowan
A3. “The Ghost of a Smile” (2:58) — MacGowan
A4. “Hell’s Ditch” (3:03) — MacGowan, Finer
A5. “Lorca’s Novena” (4:40) — MacGowan
A6. “Summer in Siam” (4:06) — MacGowan

B1. “Rain Street” (4:00) — MacGowan
B2. “Rainbow Man” (2:46) — Woods
B3. “The Wake of the Medusa” (3:04) — Finer
B4. “House of the Gods” (3:46) — MacGowan
B5. “5 Green Queens & Jean” (2:35) — MacGowan, Finer
B6. “Maidrin Rua” (1:47) — Traditional
B7. “Six to Go” (2:58) — Woods

The Pogues recorded Hell’s Ditch at Rockfield Studios, Rockfield, Wales, with producer Joe Strummer and engineer Paul Cobbold. Strummer subsequently joined the band on tour as a replacement vocalist following MacGowan’s departure. The album peaked at number 12 on the UK Albums chart, number 17 in Sweden, number 33 in Switzerland, number 41 in New Zealand, and number 82 in Australia. The album was certified Silver in the UK.

Island issued “Summer in Siam” as a single in September 1990. Island issued “Sayonara” as a single in February 1991.

The Pogues recorded “Jack’s Heroes” and “Whiskey in the Jar” with the Dubliners for release as a single in 1990.

Discography: