Hi there all:
I know I’m going out on a limb asking questions about the Pogues on a traditional Uilleann site, but the album “Rum, Sodomy and the Lash” has a few tunes with pipes on them- anyone know who the piper is? I’ve owned most of their albumns in the past but I don’t right now, so I can’t look that up on the sleeve, and the internet will happily tell me what a drunken sod Shane McGowan is, but track listings with musicians listed? Nope.
Mark
It was a Spillane, but not Davey. John Spillane?
Cheers,
DavidG
Give Tommy Keane a go!
Patrick.
That album is my favorite of the Pogues. Especially songs likes “I’m a man you don’t meet everyday,” and “Dirty old Town.” Great songs, and I have yet to hear any better versions of those 2 particular songs. But, the whole album is awesome! As for the piper, I couldn’t tell ya. I’ve seen a music video to Dirty Old Town, and in it they showed a piper playing, but I have no idea who he is. Try going to www.pogues.com
In the 1980’s Tommy spent seven years in London where he played with many of the legends of Irish music including Tommy McCarthy, Bobby Casey and Roger Sherlock. While there he also provided music for productions by the National Theatre Co. and Rambert Ballet Co.. He was in demand as a session musician and worked with Elvis Costello on The Pogues album - ‘Rum, Sodomy and the Lash.’ Other recording credits in London include Clannad and Ralph McTell. He was a member of the Thatch Céilí Band in London and in 1986 they won the Senior Céilí Band competition at the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in Listowel, Co Kerry.
from http://www.iol.ie/~marmusic/Tommy%20Keane%20Biography.htm
Thanks Patrick, you were right!
Mark
Tommy Keane played on Rum Sodomy and the Lash and also on an ep called The body of an American which had a b-side with a track called Planxty Noel Hill which was a sarcastic tribute to Noel Hill who had ‘dissed’ the Pogues as being vulgar/shambolic etc. I can remember Christy Moore getting involved and standing up for Shane McGowan who was a great fan of and being scornful of Noel Hill.
From memory, Tommy Keane gets a particularly nice write up in the album sleeve of the Best of the Pogues. The Old Main Drag being specifically mentioned.
Funny, I thought I’d seen the name ‘Spillane’ on my album sleeve. Oh well.
Hey all;
I grew up listening to ‘the radio’ (70’s popcrap). On tv we had The Clancy Brothers and something called Don Messer’s Jubilee, not to mention The Irish Rovers (my God I hated them) and something I think called ‘The Pig and Whistle’, a kind of ‘knees up Mother Brown’ British show, hand tooled out of the finest Canadian sensibilities. I hated all that stuff back then. But especially I hated the Irish Rovers. The tv show was, IMHO, total crap.
My aunt and uncle -both very much into the Irish club scene- got my folks involved in that. I loved music but most of what I was hearing was boring, trite crap to me. Viscerally empty, if you know what I mean. The Irish stuff that I was hearing was interesting to me, but nteresting in the same way I found soccer interesting; kinda fun, but that’s about it.
Then, at about 14, I heard (in one week) Anarchy in the UK (Sex Pistols) My Aim is True (Elvis Costello) and The Kinks’ Low Budget. That woke me up.
When I heard Red Roses For Me, the first Pogues album (almost ten years later) I started getting excited about Irish music. All that music that my aunt and uncle had been playing (and that my folks had started nervously jigging to) suddenly came to life for me. No more of the stiffness of the Irish Rovers, no more red-faced old men yodelling on about places they’ve never been. The Pogues, in short, are why I love Irish music.
They made me realize that this wasn’t neccessarily prettified Lawrenece Welk-ian tiddly-iddly stuff, this had guts. Even more important, they made me realize that it’s the players, not the tunes, that give life to the music. Shortly after hearing the Pogues. a friend got me into Planxty, the Bothy Band, Silly Wizard, the Tannehill Weavers and lots more. Now I play an insanely obscure instrument and love it. (Yes, Silly Wizard and the Tannehill weavers are Scots bands, but for me back then there was barely any difference.)
So there you have it. That’s why asked.
Mark
I’m with you on that. The Dropkick Murphys album Do or Die, is what got me wanting to learn the Highland pipes, but the Pogues got me excited about Irish music. They’re a unique group, and they have a unique, yet awesome sound. It’s sad that Shane’s alcoholism and drugs messed that up. But I guess all things come to an end. The Pogues are still one of my favorites though.