The Pogues are very close to my heart, so it was vitally important that the documentary captured the very essence, style and atmosphere that "Fairytale Of New York" evokes. It is rare that Shane MacGowan gives interviews compus mentis, but for this documentary I believe he's almost of sound mind! It's great to see the original members such as Philip Chevron, Spider etc take an active & enthusiastic approach to this doc and the involvement of Kirty McColl's mother was both productive and touching. This is a truly honest, stylish and professional documentary worthy of it's place in the BBC archives, and deserving of repeat airplay just like the sublime recording "Fairytale Of New York" - voted by the British Public as the greatest ever Christmas song (yet, ironically not directly related to the Festive period, more the Irish descendency upon New York!). Fantastic Documentary, Fantastic Song & A Fantastic Band!
2 Reviews
The Story of Fairytale of New York
Prismark1020 December 2020
In 2020 when BBC Radio 1 decided to air an edited version of The Pogues Fairytale of New York. There was the usual outrage from certain right wing quarters about cancel culture.
It is a shame that the same outlets do not object to the routine censorship that takes place everyday on Radio 1 when it comes to Urban/Rap/Grime artists.
The Pogues actually gave an acidic riposte to a certain right wing twitterer who jumped on the bandwagon.
Fairytale of New York is now regarded as a grungy Christmas classic with a few problematic words. It is also bittersweet as female guest vocalist Kirsty MacColl died a few days before Christmas in 2000.
When it was released in 1987, it was a sure fire winner to turn everyone on the dance floor to become faux Irish. Ironically most of The Pogues turned out to be non Irish as well.
This diverting documentary made in 2005 showed that the song had a complex and diverse history. It took two years to write, went through several producers and female vocalists.
The idea of a Christmas song was mentioned by Elvis Costello who was producing a Pogues album. Co-writer Jem Finer wrote a ditty about a sailor who was missing his wife.
It was later reworked about some Irish immigrants living in New York with Shane MacGowan working on the arrangements for the song. Band member Cait O'Riordan recorded the female vocals but she later left The Pogues to get married to Elvis Costello who produced the first demo.
Steve Lillywhite was producing a Pogues album in 1987 and the band decided to have another go finishing the song. By this time the Pogues had visited New York and also used a wider influence in the song ranging from Ennio Morricone's opening piece from Once Upon A Time in America. Lillywhite suggested his then wife Kirsty MacColl as the female vocalist.
Even making the video was far from easy. The band enticed Matt Dillon to play a cop and he seemed to be one of the few who remained sober. There were a few problems, there is no such thing as the NYPD choir but the director managed to find some boozy policemen to appear in the video.
It is a shame that the same outlets do not object to the routine censorship that takes place everyday on Radio 1 when it comes to Urban/Rap/Grime artists.
The Pogues actually gave an acidic riposte to a certain right wing twitterer who jumped on the bandwagon.
Fairytale of New York is now regarded as a grungy Christmas classic with a few problematic words. It is also bittersweet as female guest vocalist Kirsty MacColl died a few days before Christmas in 2000.
When it was released in 1987, it was a sure fire winner to turn everyone on the dance floor to become faux Irish. Ironically most of The Pogues turned out to be non Irish as well.
This diverting documentary made in 2005 showed that the song had a complex and diverse history. It took two years to write, went through several producers and female vocalists.
The idea of a Christmas song was mentioned by Elvis Costello who was producing a Pogues album. Co-writer Jem Finer wrote a ditty about a sailor who was missing his wife.
It was later reworked about some Irish immigrants living in New York with Shane MacGowan working on the arrangements for the song. Band member Cait O'Riordan recorded the female vocals but she later left The Pogues to get married to Elvis Costello who produced the first demo.
Steve Lillywhite was producing a Pogues album in 1987 and the band decided to have another go finishing the song. By this time the Pogues had visited New York and also used a wider influence in the song ranging from Ennio Morricone's opening piece from Once Upon A Time in America. Lillywhite suggested his then wife Kirsty MacColl as the female vocalist.
Even making the video was far from easy. The band enticed Matt Dillon to play a cop and he seemed to be one of the few who remained sober. There were a few problems, there is no such thing as the NYPD choir but the director managed to find some boozy policemen to appear in the video.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
