The POGUES – THE BBC SESSIONS 1984 – 1985 is an extensive collection of BBC recordings from the band between 1984 and 1986 with 9 of the recordings previously unreleased apart from their initial airing (*see in track listing).
The Record Store Day vinyl version featured tracks from The John Peel Show (April 1984), The David ‘Kid’ Jenson Show (July 1984), The John Peel Show (December 1984) and The Janice Long Show (July 1985) session and was available for Record Store Day only.
Founded in 1982 as “Pogue Mahone” in Kings Cross, London they changed their name to The Pogues in 1984. An Anglo-Irish punk band that drew huge influence from the likes of The Clash and The Sex Pistols, but their sound was unique and distinctive, whilst also drawing from the band’s Irish heritage. They carved out their own niche that would become known as folk-punk or Celtic-punk and at the time of recording these sessions, relatively early in the band’s careers, they had started to find international success with a number of hit albums and singles. This success continued to grow through the 80’s into the early 90’s with infamous frontman Shane MacGowan being lorded as one of the truly great songwriters. In 1991 MacGowan left the band but The Pogues continued for a short time first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals but they eventually disbanded in 1996. They reformed again in 2001 with MacGowan back at the helm playing all over the world but they did not record any new material.
Tracklisting:
Broadcast 17/4/84 (as Pogue Mahone) – The John Peel Show
1)      Streams Of Whiskey*
2)      Greenland Whale Fisheries*
3)      Boys From The County Hell*
4)      The Auld Triangle
Broadcast 9th July 1984 – David ‘Kid’ Jensen
5)      Dingle Regatta*
6)      Poor Paddy On The Railway
7)      Boys From The County Hell
8)      Connemara, Let’s Go*
Broadcast 16th December 1984 – John Peel Show
9)      Whiskey You’re The Devil*
10)    Navigator*
11)    Sally MacLennane
12)    Danny Boy
Broadcast 11th July 1985 – Janice Long Show
13)    Wild Cats Of Kilkenny*
14)    Billy’s Bones
15)    The Old Main Drag
16)    Dirty Old Town*
The Pogues – The BBC Sessions 1984-1985