The Pogues Biography
Birth Name: NULL
Born: NULL
Birth Place: Kings Cross, London, England
Died: NULL
Years Active: 1982–1996, 2001–present
Genres: Irish Rock, Celtic Punk, Celtic Fusion, Folk Punk
Born: NULL
Birth Place: Kings Cross, London, England
Died: NULL
Years Active: 1982–1996, 2001–present
Genres: Irish Rock, Celtic Punk, Celtic Fusion, Folk Punk
The Pogues are an English Celtic punk band from London, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. Their style mixes traditional Irish music with punk influences.
In 1984 their debut album, “Red Roses for Me” was issued. It featured traditional songs and ballads mixed with MacGowan's “gutter hymns” about drinking, fighting and sex. The album reached #89 on the U.K. Albums chart.
They followed in 1985 with the release of “Rum, Sodomy & the Lash.” The album reached #13 in the U.K. The track “A Pair of Brown Eyes,” based on an older Irish tune, went on to reach #72 on the U.K. Singles chart.
“If I Should Fall from Grace with God” was released in 1988 and was a departure from previous Pogues albums, which had focused on an Irish folk/punk hybrid, combining musical radicalism with strong commercial appeal. On “If I Should Fall From Grace with God” several more genres were added to this mixture, including Jazz, Spanish folk and Middle Eastern folk. The album was also the first by the band to utilize a complete drum kit. It reached #3 on the U.K. Albums chart. “Fairytale of New York” with guest vocals from Kirsty MacColl, was featured on the album, and the song went on to reach #2 on the official U.K. Top 75 chart. The song has become a festive classic in the U.K. and Ireland over the years
Their fourth full-length studio production, “Peace and Love,” appeared in 1989. The album continued the band's gradual departure from traditional Irish music. It noticeably opens with a heavily jazz-influenced track. Also, several of the songs are inspired by the city in which the Pogues were founded, London, as opposed to Ireland, from which they had usually drawn inspiration. The album reached a peak of #5 in the U.K.
“Hell's Ditch,” released in 1990, the album continued the group's slow departure from Irish music, giving more emphasis to rock and straight folk rock, and forsaking their earlier staples of traditional compositions almost entirely. The album was produced by The Clash's Joe Strummer, and peaked at #12 on the U.K. Albums chart. MacGowan parted with the band after the release of the album, due to problems with his abuse of alcohol and drugs, which had been leading to deterioration of his reliability as a performer. Strummer served as a temporary replacement for MacGowan when the band went on tour.
Their first album without lead singer MacGowan, “Waiting for Herb” followed in 1993 and reached #20 in the U.K. While Spider Stacy took the role of lead vocalist, much of the songwriting fell to Jem Finer, who along with Terry Woods had previously been the most prolific songwriter apart from MacGowan. However, the album saw contributions by other members who had not written songs for the band previously, including James Fearnley, Andrew Ranken, and Darryl Hunt.
“Pogue Mahone,” their seventh and last studio album, was released in 1996. The title is a variant of the Irish phrase póg mo thóin, meaning “kiss my arse,” from which the band's name is derived. It was the band's second studio album recorded after the departure of MacGowan, and featured Stacy in the role of lead singer. The album was not a critical or commercial success. After its release founding member Jem Finer left the band, and the remaining members decided to end their run together as well.
The band reformed in 2001, and has been playing regularly ever since, most notably on the U.S. East Coast around St Patrick's Day and across the U.K. and Ireland every December. The group has yet to record any new music and, according to Stacy, has no plans to do so.
In 1984 their debut album, “Red Roses for Me” was issued. It featured traditional songs and ballads mixed with MacGowan's “gutter hymns” about drinking, fighting and sex. The album reached #89 on the U.K. Albums chart.
They followed in 1985 with the release of “Rum, Sodomy & the Lash.” The album reached #13 in the U.K. The track “A Pair of Brown Eyes,” based on an older Irish tune, went on to reach #72 on the U.K. Singles chart.
“If I Should Fall from Grace with God” was released in 1988 and was a departure from previous Pogues albums, which had focused on an Irish folk/punk hybrid, combining musical radicalism with strong commercial appeal. On “If I Should Fall From Grace with God” several more genres were added to this mixture, including Jazz, Spanish folk and Middle Eastern folk. The album was also the first by the band to utilize a complete drum kit. It reached #3 on the U.K. Albums chart. “Fairytale of New York” with guest vocals from Kirsty MacColl, was featured on the album, and the song went on to reach #2 on the official U.K. Top 75 chart. The song has become a festive classic in the U.K. and Ireland over the years
Their fourth full-length studio production, “Peace and Love,” appeared in 1989. The album continued the band's gradual departure from traditional Irish music. It noticeably opens with a heavily jazz-influenced track. Also, several of the songs are inspired by the city in which the Pogues were founded, London, as opposed to Ireland, from which they had usually drawn inspiration. The album reached a peak of #5 in the U.K.
“Hell's Ditch,” released in 1990, the album continued the group's slow departure from Irish music, giving more emphasis to rock and straight folk rock, and forsaking their earlier staples of traditional compositions almost entirely. The album was produced by The Clash's Joe Strummer, and peaked at #12 on the U.K. Albums chart. MacGowan parted with the band after the release of the album, due to problems with his abuse of alcohol and drugs, which had been leading to deterioration of his reliability as a performer. Strummer served as a temporary replacement for MacGowan when the band went on tour.
Their first album without lead singer MacGowan, “Waiting for Herb” followed in 1993 and reached #20 in the U.K. While Spider Stacy took the role of lead vocalist, much of the songwriting fell to Jem Finer, who along with Terry Woods had previously been the most prolific songwriter apart from MacGowan. However, the album saw contributions by other members who had not written songs for the band previously, including James Fearnley, Andrew Ranken, and Darryl Hunt.
“Pogue Mahone,” their seventh and last studio album, was released in 1996. The title is a variant of the Irish phrase póg mo thóin, meaning “kiss my arse,” from which the band's name is derived. It was the band's second studio album recorded after the departure of MacGowan, and featured Stacy in the role of lead singer. The album was not a critical or commercial success. After its release founding member Jem Finer left the band, and the remaining members decided to end their run together as well.
The band reformed in 2001, and has been playing regularly ever since, most notably on the U.S. East Coast around St Patrick's Day and across the U.K. and Ireland every December. The group has yet to record any new music and, according to Stacy, has no plans to do so.
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