A new report has revealed that The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan had only finished recording a new album, days before his passing.
The Irish singer-songwriter sadly passed away on November 30 at the age of 65, just days after he was discharged from St Vincent’s Hospital.
According to The New York Times, the singer’s wife Victoria Mary Clarke has said he died from pneumonia after battling a brain swelling condition.
The Irish Sun has now revealed that the singer had been working on a solo album that is set to feature some of his best work.
The album allegedly includes guest performances by Shane’s The Pogues bandmates – Spider Stacey and Jem Fisher.
Shane had reportedly recorded a 15-track album with Irish indie band, Cronin.
The frontman of Cronin, Johnny Cronin told the publication: “Shane was ill but he wanted to keep working.”
“I was driving up to Dublin to record his vocals at his house.”
He continued: “Shane was always in charge when we went into the studio, he was telling us what to play and where to play it. If I was going to try and describe it, it’s like the recordings Johnny Cash did with producer Rick Rubin at the end of his career.”
“Shane came up with some beautiful songs as well as (recording) some cover versions.”
Picture: Andres Poveda
“We spent seven years working on this with Shane, and he brought in people like Spider Stacey and Jem Finer to play on some of the songs as well as Waterboys fiddle player Steve Wickham and musical duo Foster and Allen.”
“I recorded his vocals and I can tell you Shane still had a fine voice right to the end. He would be blasting his way though vocal takes and amazing everybody with his energy. Nearly taking the roof off the studio. He was brimming with ideas too,” Johnny added.
The report revealed that there has no talks of a release date yet.
Shane had recently been hospitalised for a number of months, after contracting an infection back in June.
The 65-year-old had been receiving care in St Vincent’s Hospital, but was released last week.
Shane had been in a wheelchair for years and required a full-time carer, after breaking his pelvis in 2016 before breaking his knee and tearing his ligaments in 2020.
He was being treated for viral encephalitis, a condition in which the brain becomes swollen, since December 2022.
