Shane MacGowan: from Tom Waits to Nick Cave on a tribute album. Listen to Bruce Springsteen on "A Rainy Night In Soho"

More than two years after the passing of Shane MacGowan, who died on November 30, 2023, a tribute album dedicated to the songbook of the legendary Pogues frontman is on the way. The project is titled “20th Century Paddy – The Songs Of Shane MacGowan” and will be released in November, bringing together a long list of artists from different backgrounds (pre-order here). The album's title was inspired by Shane himself, since “20th Century Paddy” was an album he had always wanted to make on his own.

The first track released as a preview is Bruce Springsteen's version of “A Rainy Night In Soho” (listen below). The song had already been performed by the American singer-songwriter during a concert in Ireland in 2024, and had also been played by Nick Cave during MacGowan's funeral.

In a statement released alongside the cover's release, Springsteen recalled the Irish songwriter, placing him alongside some of the great names in 20th-century music, citing among others Woody Guthrie, Chuck Berry, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin and Patti Smith. In his tribute, he underlined the narrative power of MacGowan's writing and the authentic character of his voice, capable of blending irony, despair and the epic sense of folk tradition.

Springsteen also recalled spending an afternoon with the musician shortly before his death: MacGowan was not well, but he and his wife Victoria Mary Clarke were warm and welcoming hosts. Before leaving, the American rocker thanked him for his songs and his music.

The album's tracklist has not yet been announced. Among the artists involved are, among others, The Jesus And Mary Chain, Primal Scream, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, contributing his first track in eight years, Steve Earle, Hozier, Glen Hansard, Dropkick Murphys and the Pogues themselves, alongside numerous other musicians from the Irish and international scene.

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