Red Roses for Me

"Red Roses for Me" was the first full length album by the London-Irish band The Pogues and was released in 1984. It is filled with traditional Irish music performed with punk influences. Traditional songs and ballads mixed with Shane MacGowan's "gutter hymns" about drinking, fighting and sex was innovative at the time. Or as lead singer MacGowan explained the music: "I couldn't believe that nobody else were doing it, so we went on doing it ourselves..." The title "Red Roses for Me" is the name of a play by Sean O'Casey, though his works do not show any direct influence upon the band. O'Casey's song of the same name has been recorded by The Dubliners. The album reached number 89 in the UK album charts. The front of the album shows the band with the exception of drummer of Andrew Rankin (pictured in inset) sitting in front of a picture of United States president John F. Kennedy. The back features Shane MacGowan pictured with his foot in a cast. Accordion player James Fearnley has a bottle sticking out of his coat, while bass player Cait O'Riordan is seen holding a can of beer.