#440 - The Pogues - Rum Sodomy & the Lash (1985)

MUSIC HISTORY WRITTEN BY HEAD WRITER DJ MORTY COYLE:

Released on the 5th of August in 1985 and produced by Elvis Costello with one track produced by Philip Chevron this is the second studio album by London-based Celtic/(Keltic) Folk/Punk/Rock band The Pogues.

Here’s how this mix of English and Irish musicians playing traditional and modern instruments came together.

Singer Shane MacGowan was already in the punk band The Nipple Erectors (or The Nips) when he met tin whistle player and vocalist Spider Stacy in the bathroom at a Ramones gig in London in 1977.

While still in The Nips MacGowan joined Stacy’s and banjo player Jem Finer’s part-time, Irish folk, pub-band, The Millwall Chainsaws

After The Nips broke up in 1980 MacGowan devoted more time to The Millwall Chainsaws and in 1982 they added former Nips guitarist James Fearnley to start a new band with the name Pogue Mahone, which is Irish slang for, “kiss my arse.”

Pogue Mahone built on the same foundation of punk-infused Irish traditional music as The Millwall Chainsaws.

As Spider Stacy said, “We’d pick up instruments we couldn’t play and do Irish folk songs at 140 miles an hour, playing them badly, but with spirit.”

They later added Cait O’Riordan on bass and vocals and drummer Andrew Ranken.

In 1984 they got a lot of attention after opening for The Clash and that same year they signed to Stiff Records, changed their name to The Pogues, and released their debut album.

Their mix of traditional Irish music played with punk energy and MacGowan’s “gutter hymn” ballads received positive reviews.

The next year they got Elvis Costello to produce “Rum, Sodomy & the Lash”, their second album and added Philip Chevron on guitar and mandolin.

With a mix of traditional songs and originals, many of them centered around themes of war and the military, the album was also well received and the first two singles were The Pogues first to enter the UK Top 100.

The band put out five more studio albums, an E.P., and live albums with several line up changes before breaking up and then regrouping but this record really started their career and is still considered one of their best.