"A Rainy Night in Soho" is a song by

The Pogues The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in Kings Cross, London in 1982, as "Pogue Mahone" – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic ''póg mo thóin'', meaning "kiss my arse". T ...

released in 1986, originally included on their '' Poguetry in Motion'' EP. Two recordings and various mixes of the song were made in the studio. Songwriter

Shane MacGowan Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan (born 25 December 1957) is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead singer and songwriter of Celtic punk band the Pogues. He was also a member of the Nipple Erectors and Shane MacGo ...

and producer

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...

clashed over the final mix of the song, with MacGowan preferring a mix featuring a

cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B, though there is also a sopr ...

, and Costello preferring a version with

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...

.Carol Clerk: "The Story of the Pogues" Chapter 16 The cornet version was used, except for Canadian editions of the EP, which used the oboe version. A third version combining elements of both mixes was issued on the 1991 ''Poguetry In Motion'' re-issue, and is also available on the remastered and expanded ''

Hell's Ditch ''Hell's Ditch'' is the fifth studio album by The Pogues, released in November 1990, and the last to feature frontman Shane MacGowan as a member. Overview ''Hell's Ditch'' continued the group's slow departure from Irish music, giving more em ...

'' CD. Other mixes have surfaced on various compilations and bootlegs, and according to guitarist

Philip Chevron Philip Ryan (17 June 1957 – 8 October 2013), professionally known as Philip Chevron, was an Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist and record producer. He was best known as the lead guitarist for the celtic punk band The Pogues and as the fron ...

there are "something like 13 versions... with different edits of the two recordings". A video was filmed for the song. It shows Shane MacGowan with short beard, cool shades and leather jacket singing into a 1950s styled mic; the black-and-white footage is mixed with flicks from the protagonist's childhood and frames from nighttime London. Finally Shane dances the waltz with his girlfriend before a burning fire.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rainy Night in Soho The Pogues songs 1991 songs Songs written by Shane MacGowan