The Medusa Fora

Being the sad anal git that I am, I've always had a thing about listening to the Pogues music in the order it was recorded, rather than released. Now that we've got the delights of the box set to add to the collection, I'm trying to put together a chronology of their sessions and where you can find the tracks. Thought people might be interested in the results, so here's what I've come up with so far, with more to follow if people are happy for me to do so. Any amendments/corrections/additions to tracks/dates/places etc. would be warmly welcomed:

1st demo session
November 1982, Justin Ward’s flat, London
1. The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
2. Poor Paddy
3. Streams of Whiskey
1-3) unreleased
Nb. There seems to be some uncertainty within the band about whether this session actually took place, but it's listed in The Lost Decade, and the fact that Ann Scanlon gives a specific track listing, states it was recorded on 4 track, and quotes Jem talking about it, makes me think it did happen.

Early demo session
Early 1983-Mid Summer 1983
Justin and Vicki Ward’s flat, London
1. Repeal of the Licensing Laws (2:08)
2. Dark Streets of London (2:37)
3. Greenland Whale Fisheries (2:39)
4. Streams of Whiskey (2:32)
5. Connemara Let’s Go
Produced by the Pogues. Remixed (2007) by Nick Robbins and Rob Kyloch.
1-4) Just Look Them Straight In The Eye And Say... Pogue Mahone!! 5xCD Box Set
5) unreleased
Nb. The Lost Decade states this session was recorded in "mid summer" 1983, but Philip has stated the band think it may have been earlier in the year. See also his comments below about the original mix vs. 2007 remix, and the Poguevision VHS/DVD.

Dark Streets of London session
January 1984
Elephant Studios, London
1. Dark Streets of London (3:17)
2. And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda (4:51)
Produced by Stan Brennan
1,2) Red Roses For Me CD

John Peel radio session
10 April 1984
BBC Maida Vale Studio 5, London
1. The Auld Triangle (3:50)
2) Streams of Whiskey (2:30)
3) Boys from the County Hell (2:59)
4) Greenland Whale Fisheries (2:39)
1) Just Look Them Straight In The Eye And Say... Pogue Mahone!! 5xCD Box Set
2-4) unreleased

David ‘Kid’ Jensen radio session
21 June 1984
BBC Maida Vale Studios, London
1. Poor Paddy on the Railway (3:02)
2. Boys from the County Hell (2:52)
3. Connemara Let’s Go (2:49)
4. Dingle Regatta (2:30)
1,2) Just Look Them Straight In The Eye And Say... Pogue Mahone!! 5xCD Box Set
3,4) unreleased
Nb. The Pogueslive website lists these tracks as being from a Janice Long session in Sept. 1984, but the Box Set lists them as being from this. I suspect this is the session they were recorded for, and they were repeated on the Janice Long show.

Red Roses for Me demo session
June/July 1984, Alvic Studios, London(?)
1. The Rocky Road to Dublin (3:13)
2. Sea Shanty (2:20)
3. Transmetropolitan (3:10)
4. Kitty (3:29)
5. Connemara, Let’s Go! (2:59)
6. Greenland Whale Fisheries
7. Repeal of the Licensing Laws
8. Boys from the County Hell
9. The Battle of Brisbane
Produced by Stan Brennan
1-5) Just Look Them Straight In The Eye And Say... Pogue Mahone!! 5xCD Box Set
6-9) unreleased.
Nb. Is/was Alvic Studios in London?

That's interesting idea, Kilmichael, and impressive research!
Pity it didnt draw attention it deserves.
Maybe I am the only one but I DO want to see the rest of it!

MacRua wrote:That's interesting idea, Kilmichael, and impressive research!
Pity it didnt draw attention it deserves.
Maybe I am the only one but I DO want to see the rest of it!

Ask and you shall receive, my friend!

Red Roses for Me sessions
August 1984, Elephant Studios, London
1. Transmetropolitan (4:26)
2. The Battle of Brisbane (1:51)
3. The Auld Triangle (4:22)
4. Waxie’s Dargle (1:53)
5. Boys from the County Hell (2:56)
6. Sea Shanty (2:24)
7. Streams of Whiskey (2:32)
8. Poor Paddy (3:09)
9. Dingle Regatta (2:52)
10. Greenland Whale Fisheries (2:36)
11. Down in the Ground Where the Dead Men Go (3:32)
12. Kitty (4:55)
13. Repeal of the Licensing Laws (2:12)
14. Boys from the County Hell (single version) (2:47)
Produced by Stan Brennan
1-13) Red Roses for Me CD
14) Just Look Them Straight In The Eye And Say... Pogue Mahone!! 5xCD Box Set

John Peel radio session
4 December 1984, BBC Maida Vale Studio 5, London
1. Danny Boy (3:25)
2. Sally Maclennane (2:52)
3. Whiskey You’re The Devil (2:09)
4. Navigator (4:18)
1,2) Just Look Them Straight In The Eye And Say... Pogue Mahone!! 5xCD Box Set
3,4) unreleased

Unknown BBC radio session
1984/85, BBC Maida Vale Studios, London
1. Sally Maclennane (2:42)
Produced by Mark Radcliffe
3) 21 Years of Alternative Radio 1 CD

A Pair of Brown Eyes session
January 1985, Elephant Studios, London
1) A Pair of Brown Eyes (5:02)
2) Sally MacLennane (2:45)
3) A Pair of Brown Eyes (7" edit) (3:40)
Produced by Elvis Costello
1,2) Rum Sodomy & the Lash CD
3) The Ultimate Collection 2xCD

Whiskey You’re The Devil session
January/February 1985, Elephant Studios, London
1. Whiskey You’re The Devil (2:09)
2. Muirshin Durkin (1:50)
Produced by Phillip Chevron
1,2) Red Roses for Me CD

1st Rum Sodomy & the Lash session
Early May 1985, Elephant Studios, London
1. The Wild Rover (2:36)
2. The Leaving of Liverpool (3:12)
3. Wild Cats of Kilkenny (different mix)???
Produced by Elvis Costello
1,2) Red Roses for Me CD
3) Sally MacLennane casette single
Nb. There seems to be some dispute about whether this really is a different mix of Wild Cats or not - can anybody confirm or deny this - somebody must have Sally Mac on casette!

John Peel radio session
4 December 1984, BBC Maida Vale Studio 5, London..

What about Navigator and Whiskey You're The Devil?

Kilmichael wrote:
John Peel radio session
4 December 1984, BBC Maida Vale Studio 5, London
1. Danny Boy (3:25)
2. Sally Maclennane (2:52)
3. Sally Maclennane (alternate take)* (2:42) (maybe from a different session??)
*Produced by Mark Radcliffe
1,2) Just Look Them Straight In The Eye And Say... Pogue Mahone!! 5xCD Box Set
3) 21 Years of Alternative Radio 1 CD

Yes, the two "Sallys" are from different sessions at the Beeb. I chose the "alt" one as a small bonus for anyone who'd already bought "21 Years". If I can find my notes from the box set, I'll try to update your BBC list. Just give me time.

I'm generally quite impressed by this kind of obsession to detail, good work champ

MacRua wrote:

John Peel radio session
4 December 1984, BBC Maida Vale Studio 5, London..

What about Navigator and Whiskey You're The Devil?

I've only included songs that are officially available, but once I've done that I'll happily go back and 'fill in the gaps' - I know a lot of studio tracks circulate on bootlegs that haven't been officially released.

philipchevron wrote:

Kilmichael wrote:
John Peel radio session
4 December 1984, BBC Maida Vale Studio 5, London
1. Danny Boy (3:25)
2. Sally Maclennane (2:52)
3. Sally Maclennane (alternate take)* (2:42) (maybe from a different session??)
*Produced by Mark Radcliffe
1,2) Just Look Them Straight In The Eye And Say... Pogue Mahone!! 5xCD Box Set
3) 21 Years of Alternative Radio 1 CD

Yes, the two "Sallys" are from different sessions at the Beeb. I chose the "alt" one as a small bonus for anyone who'd already bought "21 Years". If I can find my notes from the box set, I'll try to update your BBC list. Just give me time.

Thanks for that Philip.I know there's been a debate about where the two "Sallys" came from, but I went for the assumption they were both recorded at the same session but one (the "21 Years" one) was an alternative, unbroadcast take, mainly coz for the life of me I couldn't figure out which other session it could have been from. Of course, I've no way of knowing if it was usual for bands to record more than one version of a track for radio sessions, but figured it might be! If you get round to tracking down the right session that'd be great.

Don't suppose you recall exactly when and were "Whiskey" & "Muirshin" were recorded, Mr Producer?

Jon wrote:I'm generally quite impressed by this kind of obsession to detail, good work champ

Cheers, Jon! Here's a bit more obsessiveness for you...

Swedish radio session
Mid May 1985, Sweden
1. A Pair of Brown Eyes
2. Waxie’s Dargle
3. Streams of Whiskey
4. Muirshin Durkin
1-4) unreleased
Nb. This is often listed as a French radio session, but somebody (Lade?) posted on a forum it was actually from Sweden, which makes much more sense to me.

Live
Mid May 1985, Sweden
1. Navigator (4:18)
2. Waxies Dargle (1:47)
Produced by Paul Scully
1,2) Just Look Them Straight In The Eye And Say... Pogue Mahone!! 5xCD Box Set
Nb. Does anybody know the actual gig these were recorded at?

1st and 2nd Rum Sodomy & the Lash sessions
Early and Late May 1985, Elephant Studios, London
1. The Sickbed of Cuchulainn (3:02)
2. The Old Main Drag (3:19)
3. Wild Cats of Kilkenny (2:48)
4. I’m a Man You Don’t Meet Ever Day (2:54)
5. Dirty Old Town (3:46)
6. Jesse James (2:58)
7. Navigator (4:13)
8. Billy’s Bones (2:03)
9. The Gentleman Soldier (2:04)
10. The Band Played Waltzing Matilda (8:14)
Produced by Elvis Costello
1-10) Rum Sodomy & the Lash CD

A Pistol for Paddy Garcia session
Early June 1985
1. A Pistol for Paddy Garcia (2:31)
Produced by Philip Chevron
1) Rum Sodomy & the Lash CD

The Parting Glass session
Late June 1985
1. The Parting Glass (2:14)
Produced by Philip Chevron
1) Rum Sodomy & the Lash CD

Janice Long radio session
3 July 1985, BBC Maida Vale Studios, London
1. Billy’s Bones
2. The Old Main Drag
1,2) Just Look Them Straight In The Eye And Say... Pogue Mahone!! 5xCD Box Set
Nb. Does anbody know which other tracks were recorded for this?

Great stuff, Kilmichael! I've squirrelled the lists away for future reference.

I think I'm correct in my assumption that the Janice Long Session from 20.09.1984 actucally produced 4 tracks
Dark Streets Of London
The Auld Triangle
Streams Of Whiskey
Greenland Whale Fisheries

although only 2 are on the BoxSet.

(I've got the LongSessions on my HD and the BoxSet on my iPod, but that's as far as I can check)

Kilmichael wrote:

Don't suppose you recall exactly when and were "Whiskey" & "Muirshin" were recorded, Mr Producer?

I don't have a definite date, but January or perhaps February 1985 is almost certainly right. There was some big event the night before - maybe the Richard Thompson support gig at the Dominion?? - because the band was seriously suffering when they turned up at Elephant Studios (Wapping, London) that day. The tracks were done very quickly and the band didn't hang around much - they all wanted to go back to their beds, or the pub, or wherever they felt most comfortable nursing their hangovers. James stayed behind to do some overdubs and I added piano to "Whiskey You're The Devil". The session was engineered, almost inevitably, by the ubiquitous Nick Robbins.

On the matter of duplicating sessions for the BBC, it was not uncommon for bands to record several different versions of their current single for Auntie. The reason for this was (it may no longer apply) the Beeb had an ancient arrangement with the Musicians' Union that only a portion of music played would come from "gramophone records", the remaining quota being made up of live sessions paid for by the BBC, thus guaranteeing the Union a certain degree of employment for its members in the days when membership of the MU was mandatory for professional UK musos if they expected to have TV and Radio careers. Re-recording your current single for the Kid Jensen Show or the Smashey and Nicey show or whatever, was a way for bands to both gain income and guarantee plays for their current stab at the singles chart. If you couldn't cut it in the Maida Vale studios, it was not really a big deal, they would happily swap the new effort, when broadcast, for the actual single. The point was to satisfy the Union that real live musicians had been in and had been paid for their labours.

Shaz wrote:Great stuff, Kilmichael! I've squirrelled the lists away for future reference.

Glad it's of some use to people, I didn't want this to be like having a wank - very enjoyable at the time but ultimately fruitless. Btw, I'm not in any sense claiming to be an expert on any of this - I'm sure this list won't be 100% accurate, but hopefully it won't be a million miles away! It's pieced together from sleevenotes, books, forum posts, magazines, and guesses, so if anybody can correct any of it please speak up.

Live
16 January 1986, The Mean Fiddler, London
1. Dirty Old Town (3:35)
2. Sally MacLennane (2:48)
1,2) The Pogues Interview picture disc 12” single

Poguetry In Motion sessions
December 1985 - January 1986, Elephant, Sarm West and AIR Studios, London
1. Do You Believe In Magic? (rough mix) (2:42)
2. Fairytale of New York (demo) (extract) (4:33)*
3. London Girl (monitor mix) (3:16)
4. A Rainy Night In Soho (original version) (5:47)
5. London Girl (3:05)
6. A Rainy Night In Soho (5:36)
7. The Body of an American (4:49)
8. Planxty Noel Hill (3:12)
9. Do You Believe In Magic?
Produced by Elvis Costello
*Produced by Elvis Costello and The Pogues
1,2, 4) ) Just Look Them Straight In The Eye And Say... Pogue Mahone!! 5xCD Box Set
3) The Rest of The Best CD
5-8) Rum Sodomy & the Lash CD
9) unreleased

Fairytale of New York demo session
Early February 1986, Elephant Studios, London
1. Fairytale of New York (5:15)
Produced by Elvis Costello and The Pogues
1) ) Just Look Them Straight In The Eye And Say... Pogue Mahone!! 5xCD Box Set

Sid and Nancy sessions
February - March 1986, Elephant and Lansdowne House Studios, London
1. Haunted (demo) (3:29)
2. Love Theme from Sid and Nancy (1:42)
3. Junk Theme*(2:56)
4. Glued Up and Speeding (1:27)
5. Paris (1:09)
6. A Needle for Paddy Garcia (2:28)
7. JB 57 (1:44)
8. Bowery Snax/Spiked (3:54)
9. Hot Dogs with Everything* (2:50)
Produced by The Pogues
*Produced by Dave Jordan
1-9) ) Just Look Them Straight In The Eye And Say... Pogue Mahone!! 5xCD Box Set

Haunted session
April 1986, Olympic Studios, Barnes
1. Haunted (3:34)
Produced by Craig Leon, assisted by Cassell Webb
1) Just Look Them Straight In The Eye And Say... Pogue Mahone!! 5xCD Box Set
Nb. I've listed this as a seperate session to the other Sid and Nancy tracks as it was a different studio and different producer.

Live
17 May 1986, Self Aid, Royal Dublin Showground, Dublin
1. Dirty Old Town (3:42)
1) Live For Ireland CD
Nb Produced by?

Something Wild demo session
June/July 1986, studio?
1. The Town That Never Sleeps (2:06)
2. Something Wild (2:20)
Produced by The Pogues and Nick Robbins
1,2) ) Just Look Them Straight In The Eye And Say... Pogue Mahone!! 5xCD Box Set

There was actually a proper final mix of "Do You Believe In Magic?", but I didn't use it on the box set because I didn't like it. Cait's vocal was louder than Shane's and there was an egregious and conspicuous backing vocal by Elvis which he added when no one was looking and an acoustic guitar figure ditto. Good mix in general, just the wrong mix.

Some of Poguetry was done at Sarm West and Dick Cuthell's flugelhorn and the mix of that version were done at a third studio, George Martin's London studio AIR. The 1991 revisions were done at Rak.

Sid And Nancy was recorded at both Elephant and Lansdowne studios, though the Craig Leon version of "Haunted" was done at the legendary Olympic Studios in Barnes which intimidated us all a bit at first, and all for different reasons. Mine was that David Bowie's greatest album Diamond Dogs was made there. I broke lots of strings on the first day.

Both 1986 demos of "Fairytale" were done at Elephant. The 1987 demo is from Abbey Road, or EMI Studios Abbey Road as it is more correctly known.

Kilmichael wrote:Nb the sleevenotes to the Poguetry EP also mention I think 2 other studies where sessions were held but I don't have a copy anymore - could somebody check?!

The original sleevenotes state: RECORDED AT ELEPHANT STUDIOS SARMWEST [which Mr C has now noted above] AIR

(Excellent work, Kilmichael. )