The Snake (Shane MacGowan album)

The Snake is the first solo album by Shane MacGowan with backing band The Popes. Released in 1994 by ZTT Records. Guests on the album include Johnny Depp, members of The Dubliners, Thin Lizzy, and The Pogues.

The 1995 US edition featured a revised running order, and also added three additional tracks: the traditional songs "Nancy Whiskey" and "Roddy McCorley", as well as the Sinéad O'Connor duet "Haunted", an old Pogues song originally sung by Cait O'Riordan for the Sid & Nancy soundtrack. The 1996 edition adds another duet, "You're the one", this time with Clannad's Máire Brennan, from the soundtrack to the film "Circle of Friends".

Like a number of songs recorded by MacGowan's previous band, The Pogues, traditional tunes are sometimes used as a base for a new song (for example, the melody for "The Song With No Name" is based on "The Homes of Donegal").^[1]

Track listing (original edition: 1994 European/Canadian release)

All tracks composed by Shane MacGowan; except where indicated

1. "The Church Of The Holy Spook"
2. "That Woman's Got Me Drinking"
3. "The Song with No Name"
4. "Aisling"
5. "I'll Be Your Handbag"
6. "Her Father Didn't Like Me Anyway" (Gerry Rafferty)
7. "A Mexican Funeral In Paris"
8. "The Snake with Eyes of Garnet"
9. "Donegal Express"
10. "Victoria" (song written about longtime girlfriend Victoria Mary Clarke)
11. "The Rising of the Moon" (Traditional, arranged S. MacGowan)
12. "Bring Down the Lamp"

Track listing (1995 US Release)

1. "The Church Of The Holy Spook"
2. "Nancy Whiskey" (Traditional)
3. "The Song with No Name"
4. "Aisling"
5. "Roddy McCorley" (Traditional)
6. "Victoria"
7. "That Woman's Got Me Drinking"
8. "A Mexican Funeral In Paris"
9. "The Rising of the Moon" (Traditional, arranged S. MacGowan)
10. "The Snake with Eyes of Garnet"
11. "Haunted"
12. "I'll Be Your Handbag"
13. "Her Father Didn't Like Me Anyway" (Gerry Rafferty)
14. "Bring Down the Lamp"
15. "Donegal Express"

Track listing (1996 European/French release)

1. "The Church Of The Holy Spook"
2. "Nancy Whiskey" (Traditional)
3. "The Song with No Name"
4. "Aisling"
5. "Roddy McCorley" (Traditional)
6. "Victoria"
7. "That Woman's Got Me Drinking"
8. "You're the one" (S. MacGowan, Michael Kamen)
9. "A Mexican Funeral In Paris"
10. "The Rising of the Moon" (Traditional, arranged S. MacGowan)
11. "The Snake with Eyes of Garnet"
12. "Haunted"
13. "I'll Be Your Handbag"
14. "Her Father Didn't Like Me Anyway" (Gerry Rafferty)
15. "Bring Down the Lamp"
16. "Donegal Express"

Personnel

The Popes:

• Paul McGuinness - guitar, vocals
• Bernie "The Undertaker" France - bass, vocals
• Danny Pope - drums, percussion
• Tom "The Beast" McManamon, aka "Tom McAnimal" - tenor banjo
• Kieran "Mo" O'Hagan - guitar, vocals
• Colm O'Maonlai - whistles

Guests:

• Barney McKenna - tenor banjo
• John Sheahan - fiddle, whistle
• Brian Robertson - guitar
• Siobhan Sheahan - Irish harp
• Spider Stacy - whistle
• Jem Finer - 5-string banjo
• Tomas Lynch - uillean pipes
• Rick Trevan - tenor saxophone
• Dick Cuthell - trumpet
• Sarah Jane Tuff - alto saxophone
• Paul Taylor - trombone
• Johnny Depp - "guitar weird noises" ("That Woman's Got Me Drinking")
• Máire Brennan - vocals on "You're The One"
• Sinéad O'Connor - vocals on "Haunted"
• Ron Kavana - guitar on "Haunted" (uncredited)^[2]

• Produced by Dave Jordan and Shane MacGowan
• Mixed by Steve Brown
• Engineered by Niall Flynn, Steve Musters, Darren Westbrook, and Richard Rainy
• Recorded at Sarm East, Windmill Lane, Marcus, Raezor.
• Mixed at Raezor.

References