U2 are among the latest artists confirmed for a new tribute album celebrating the songs of the late Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan.
The Dublin band will record a version of The Pogues' 1988 single Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah for 20th Century Paddy - The Songs of Shane MacGowan.
The album, which is due to be released on 13 November, celebrates the legacy of the Irish singer-songwriter, who died in November 2023 aged 65.
The project brings together a wide range of Irish and international artists to reinterpret songs from MacGowan’s catalogue.
A post on MacGowan’s official Instagram account on Thursday confirmed that U2, Kingfishr, Bob Geldof, David Keenan, Jimmy Artache and Tom Creagh were among the latest names "joining the celebration".
Geldof will record St John Of Gods, while Kingfishr will take on Aisling, and David Keenan will perform The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn.
Other artists already confirmed for the album include Hozier and Jessie Buckley, who will perform Fairytale of New York, while The Libertines will cover Sayonara.
Bruce Springsteen’s version of A Rainy Night in Soho has already been released, as has Haunted by Johnny Depp and Imelda May.
Depp was a close friend of MacGowan and acted as best man when the singer married Victoria Mary Clarke in Copenhagen in 2018.
Primal Scream, Tom Waits, Steve Earle, The Jesus and Mary Chain, David Gray, The Murder Capital, Glen Hansard, Damien Dempsey, The High Kings and Camille O’Sullivan are among the other artists due to feature.
At least 50% of artist royalties from the album will be donated to Dublin Simon Community, in recognition of MacGowan’s long-standing connection to the charity.
MacGowan was born to Irish parents on Christmas Day in 1957 in Pembury, Kent, and spent parts of his childhood in Co Tipperary.
From the 1980s, he led The Pogues, whose blend of punk, folk and traditional Irish music helped reshape Irish songwriting and brought them international acclaim.
The band became widely known for songs including A Pair of Brown Eyes, The Irish Rover, Rainy Night in Soho and Fairytale of New York, their 1987 duet with Kirsty MacColl.
Source: Press Association
