I remember reading an interview with Shane a while back when he said that at that time (Summer 1991) he'd often turn up at Pogues rehearsals with new songs and Jem would say 'maybe that's one for the solo album'!

I guess these were the songs Shane referes to in the article MacRua found - I'd love to know what they were...

I'd of liked to of seen Shane record The Snake with Pogues and have done songs like Aisling, Donegal Express etc I’ve always wondered how a Pogues version of Paddy Public Enemy No1 would sound like, better I’d say.

Haha those are two of my favourite Popes songs

In November 1997 [url=http://www.shanemacgowan.com/articles/irishworld.shtml]one of [i]The Irish World's [/i]articles[/url] proudly announced:
"Shane McGowan has revealed one of his main reasons for quitting The Pogues - the band wouldn't let him air his pro-Republican views through his music."
Actually Mr.MacGowan himself said something like "They wanted to vote on everything. I couldn't do the kind of music I wanted to perform. They wouldn't let me do it." So maybe it was interviewer who intepreted his words this way but ... however that may be it provoke a question (for band members first of all) would Pogues record/perform songs like [i]Paddy Public Enemy #1 [/i]or [i]Skipping Rhymes [/i]?

i reckon you answered it! half Waiting For Herb and half The Snake

That's an interesting question...

I'd have to agree with you that it would have probably included NW3 and Donegal Express for sure.

As for other tracks, we can only guess and speculate of what could have been...It would have been cool to get another record with the same relaxed feel that Hell's Ditch had...Another session recorded by Strummer in the Welsh countryside would have definetly been worthwhile!...or see I would like to think...

...what do people think might have been on it? They'd played 'Donegal Express' live that summer, and recorded demos of both that and 'Travelling People', but does anyone have any ideas of what else might have been on it?

I'm assuming they'd written at least a few other tracks by summer '91 - it was at least a year since 'Hell's Ditch' had been recorded. Maybe some of the tracks that later appeared on 'The Snake' and 'Waiting For Herb'?

And maybe Shane would have finished off that vocal track for 'NW3'...

Any guesses?