During the closing moments of an October 2024 concert at Los Angeles’s The Wiltern, Glen Hansard invited Pogues accordionist James Fearnley onto the stage for several numbers, featuring a powerful rendition of the Pogues’ 1988 classic “Bottle of Smoke.” Following Hansard’s July death, the recording of this performance was issued today as a single from the forthcoming album 20th Century Paddy: The Songs of Shane MacGowan, scheduled for release on November 20. The all‑star project honors the late Pogues frontman MacGowan (who passed in 2023) and includes contributions from artists such as Bruce Springsteen, U2, and Dropkick Murphys.
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Hansard acted as musical director for MacGowan’s funeral and performed the Pogues’ “A Rainy Night in SoHo” at the ceremony. He recalled that MacGowan once said, “find the truth in that lyric,” during an appearance on Ireland’s Late Late Show. “He pushed me to be honest and fearless in my work. He would often tell me to eff off, yet he always sent me Christmas and birthday cards, even a painting.”
In a statement, Shane’s widow, Victoria Mary Clarke, expressed her gratitude to Glen. “I’m eternally grateful to Glen for being an incredible friend to both Shane and me, and for playing an integral role in making this album possible. His magnificent rendition of ‘Bottle of Smoke’ captured the soul, spirit, and passion that defined him. I know Shane admired Glen deeply, and I’m comforted that his voice, presence, and beauty now belong to this album, which would not exist without him.”
When Springsteen released his own cover of “A Rainy Night in Soho” from the album, he offered high praise for MacGowan. “Occasionally, an artist emerges whose voice seems to speak to history itself,” he remarked. “Woody Guthrie, Jimmy Rogers, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Miles Davis, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, John Coltrane, Patti Smith, James Brown, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, John Lydon, Hank Williams, Sinatra—all were geniuses, timeless and emblematic of their era. Many lived extraordinary, rebellious lives that defied convention, driven by impulses that propelled them to greatness and personal hardship.”
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