THE POGUES & THE DUBLINERS – JACK’S HEROES / WHISKEY IN THE JAR 7″ – Nr MINT 1990

The Pogues & The Dubliners – Jack’s Heroes / Whiskey In The Jar
(Pogue Mahone Records  1990  YZ500)

Sleeve & Vinyl in Nr MINT condition

The Pogues were a Celtic punk band formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band was founded in Kings Cross, London, as Pogue Mahone—the anglicisation of the Irish póg mo thóin, meaning “kiss my arse”. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s, recording several hit albums and singles. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before breaking up in 1996. The Pogues reformed in late 2001, and played regularly across the UK and Ireland and on the US East Coast, until dissolving again in 2014. The group did not record any new material during this second incarnation.

Their politically tinged music was informed by MacGowan and Stacy’s punk backgrounds, yet used traditional Irish instruments such as the tin whistle, banjo, cittern, mandolin and accordion.

The Pogues have influenced many bands throughout the years, such as Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys.

The Dubliners were an Irish folk band founded in Dublin in 1962. The band started off as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, named in honour of its founding member; they subsequently renamed themselves as The Dubliners. The group line-up saw many changes over their fifty-year career. However, the group’s success was centred on lead singers Luke Kelly and Ronnie Drew, both of whom are now deceased. The band garnered international success with their lively Irish folk songs, traditional street ballads and instrumentals. The band were regulars on the folk scenes in both Dublin and London in the early 1960s, until they were signed to the Major Minor label in 1965 after backing from Dominic Behan. They went on to receive extensive airplay on Radio Caroline, and eventually appeared on Top of the Pops in 1967 with hits “Seven Drunken Nights” (which sold over 250,000 copies in the UK) and “Black Velvet Band“. Often performing political songs considered controversial at the time, they drew criticism from some folk purists and Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ had placed an unofficial ban on their music from 1967–71. During this time the band’s popularity began to spread across mainland Europe and they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in the United States. The group’s success remained steady right through the 1970s and a number of collaborations with The Pogues in 1987 saw them enter the UK Singles Chart on another two occasions.

The Dubliners were instrumental in popularising Irish folk music in Europe, though they did not quite surpass the popularity of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem in the United States. They influenced many generations of Irish bands, and their legacy can to this day be heard in the music of artists such as The Pogues, Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly. Much adored in their native country, covers of Irish ballads by Ronnie Drew and Luke Kelly tend to be regarded as definitive versions. One of the most influential Irish acts of the 20th century, they celebrated 50 years together in 2012, making them Ireland’s longest surviving musical act. Also in 2012, the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards bestowed them with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The Dubliners announced their retirement in the autumn of 2012, after 50 years of playing, following the death of the last of the founding members, Barney McKenna. However, the surviving members of the group, with the exception of John Sheahan, continued touring under the name of “The Dublin Legends”. As of 2016, there are two of the former members still in this group, Seán Cannon and Eamonn Campbell.

“Jack’s Heroes” was a single released by The Pogues & The Dubliners in 1990, composed by tin whistle player Spider Stacy about the Republic of Ireland football squad, then managed by Jack Charlton. The song is to the tune of “The Wild Colonial Boy”, a traditional Irish-Australian ballad. The video featured the two bands playing against each other in a football match. The single charted in Ireland at Number 4 and in the UK Top 100 at Number 63.

The b-side on the 7 inch single was the traditional song “Whiskey in the Jar”, again featuring both bands. 12 inch, CD and DAT releases also included an extended mix of “Whiskey in the Jar”.

Tracklist