The Pogues - Rum Sodomy & The Lash (Vinyl LP | IT Original | 1985)

The Pogues – Rum Sodomy & The Lash is the second studio album by London band The Pogues, released on August 5, 1985 on Stiff Records. It was recorded at Elephant Studios in Wapping, London and produced by Elvis Costello, who was first hired only for a single of "A Pair Of Brown Eyes" and "Sally MacLennane". The title comes from a quote attributed to Winston Churchill about Royal Navy tradition; the sleeve is an altered version of Géricault's painting "The Raft of the Medusa" with the band members' faces. The album reached No. 13 in the UK. This copy is a 1985 Italian original pressing.

Pressing details

• Label / Cat. no.: Stiff Records STLP/1020, STLP 1020
• Format: Vinyl LP, Album
• Pressing: IT original
• Country: Italy
• Year of this pressing: 1985
• Genre: Folk Rock, Punk, Celtic punk

Condition

• Condition: Second hand
• Media: NM-
• Cover: VG+ (slight corner wear)

Graded to Goldmine standard (see Vinyl Grading). The images are our own scans of the actual copy for sale (SKU DV023).

Tracklist

Side A

1. The Sick Bed Of Cúchulainn (Shane MacGowan)
2. The Old Main Drag (Shane MacGowan)
3. The Wild Cats Of Kilkenny (Shane MacGowan/Jem Finer)
4. I'm A Man You Don't Meet Every Day (Traditional, arr. The Pogues)
5. A Pair Of Brown Eyes (Shane MacGowan)
6. Sally MacLennane (Shane MacGowan)

Side B

1. Dirty Old Town (Ewan MacColl)
2. Jesse James (Traditional, arr. The Pogues)
3. Navigator (Phil Gaston)
4. Billy's Bones (Shane MacGowan)
5. The Gentleman Soldier (Traditional, arr. The Pogues)
6. And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda (Eric Bogle)

Personnel

The Pogues: Shane MacGowan (vocals, guitar), Spider Stacy (tin whistle, vocals), Jem Finer (banjo), James Fearnley (accordion), Cait O'Riordan (bass, vocals on "I'm A Man You Don't Meet Every Day"), Philip Chevron (guitar), Andrew Ranken (drums).

Guests: Tommy Keane (uilleann pipes), Henry Benagh (fiddle), Dick Cuthell (horns). Production: Elvis Costello.

FAQ

Is this the original pressing?
Yes, in the sense of a contemporary first issue: the album came out on Stiff in 1985, and this record is the Italian pressing from the same year. The UK edition is considered the first release.

What is on the cover?
A version of Théodore Géricault's "The Raft of the Medusa" in which painter Peter Mennim replaced the figures' heads with those of the band members.

What does Media NM- / Cover VG+ mean?
NM- (Near Mint minus) means the record is close to new. VG+ (Very Good Plus) means light wear on the sleeve. More on our Vinyl Grading page.

Do you have more Pogues records?
Yes, for example The Pogues – Red Roses For Me, The Pogues – The Stiff Records B-Sides 1984–1987 and another copy of this album: Rum Sodomy & The Lash (IT 1985). More titles are in our Folk Rock collection.