The Medusa Fora

Seems to me like a great brand new reason for Shane to hang around to extreme old age - so that it takes as long as possible for the world to get its maws on his copyrights. I'll mention it next week when I see him.

Is it true that the traditional sounding tune Planxty Noel Hill was recorded after Noel Hill had bad things to say about the Pogues, saying something like, "The Pogues can't play Irish music..."?

I lost all respect towards Noel after hearing that. Not that I gave a crap about Noel Hill anyway.

Behan wrote:Is it true that the traditional sounding tune Planxty Noel Hill was recorded after Noel Hill had bad things to say about the Pogues, saying something like, "The Pogues can't play Irish music..."?

That they were "a terrible abortion" of Irish music to be precise. Or so the biographers put it.

Behan wrote:Is it true that the traditional sounding tune Planxty Noel Hill was recorded after Noel Hill had bad things to say about the Pogues, saying something like, "The Pogues can't play Irish music..."?

Yep, the story is that Noel Hill described the Pogues' music as "a terrible abortion". It's recounted in chapter 2 of The Lost Decade.

Behan wrote:Is it true that the traditional sounding tune Planxty Noel Hill was recorded after Noel Hill had bad things to say about the Pogues, saying something like, "The Pogues can't play Irish music..."?

I lost all respect towards Noel after hearing that. Not that I gave a crap about Noel Hill anyway.

"Planxty Noel Hill " is one of my favourite Pogues instrumentals along with " Wild cats of Kilkenny " and the gorgeous " Shanne Breadley". And you are right, while it may have been written by Jem, it IS a "tradtional sounding tune", as you say.In the same way, " The battle march medley " is more a tradtional sounding tune than fuckin' " Fiesta ", even though it was written by the very splendid T.Woods.

I would have loved to hear The Pogues do a version of " Fiddler's green ". I think musically it would have been perfect and would have sat nicely alongside " Sea shanty " and " Greenland whale fisheries " and other seafaring songs they did." ...just tell me ol' shipmates, I'm taking a trip mates and I'll see you some day on fiddler's green." Not for a long while yet I hope.