Johnny Depp joins Imelda May to reinterpret Shane MacGowan’s ‘Haunted’ for the upcoming tribute album honouring Shane MacGowan’s enduring songwriting legacy.
by Paul Cashmere
A new recording of ‘Haunted’ featuring Johnny Depp and Imelda May has been released as the second preview of 20th Century Paddy, The Songs Of Shane MacGowan, a multi-artist tribute album due on November 13. The track revisits the 1995 duet between Shane MacGowan and Sinéad O’Connor, reframing one of MacGowan’s most distinctive compositions for a new generation.
The release follows Bruce Springsteen’s interpretation of ‘A Rainy Night In Soho’, positioning the project as a high-profile reassessment of MacGowan’s catalogue. With more than 30 contributing artists already confirmed, the album presents a cross-section of Irish and international musicians engaging with material that has long sat at the intersection of punk, folk and literary songwriting.
At its core, ‘Haunted’ carries significant historical weight. First released by The Pogues in 1986 for the Sid And Nancy soundtrack, the song initially featured Cait O’Riordan on vocals and reached No.42 in the UK. Its second life came in 1995 when MacGowan and O’Connor recorded a duet version for another film soundtrack, pushing the track to No.30 and cementing its reputation as one of MacGowan’s most emotionally direct works. Structurally, the song blends traditional Irish melodic phrasing with a restrained rock arrangement, allowing its lyrical narrative of longing and memory to remain foregrounded.
Depp’s involvement reflects his longstanding connection to music beyond his film career. “There are people you meet in life who carry something timeless in them, a kind of knowing,” Depp said. “Imelda is one of those people. Making music with her has been one of my greatest joys.” May framed the recording as a tribute not only to MacGowan but also to O’Connor, who died in 2023. “Performing ‘Haunted’ with Johnny for both of our forever missed friends is filled with huge love, utmost respect and means so very, very much,” she said, noting that her vocals were recorded using O’Connor’s microphone by longtime collaborator John Reynolds.
The album itself has been assembled by MacGowan’s widow Victoria Mary Clarke alongside manager John Kennedy, with a clear philanthropic dimension. Half of all artist royalties will be directed to the Dublin Simon Community, supporting housing and healthcare initiatives for people experiencing homelessness. The scale of participation underscores MacGowan’s influence across genres, from Hozier and Jessie Buckley to Tom Waits and The Libertines.
Early track details reinforce the breadth of interpretation. David Gray contributes ‘The Old Main Drag’, while Lisa Moorish teams with Another Day for ‘Rain Street’. Elsewhere, Madra Salach takes on ‘Turkish Song Of The Damned’, Primal Scream revisits ‘A Pair Of Brown Eyes’, and The Jesus And Mary Chain records ‘I’ll Be Your Handbag’. These selections map across MacGowan’s writing career, from early Pogues material through later solo-era compositions.
The project’s origin can be traced to performances following MacGowan’s death, including a widely noted rendition of ‘A Rainy Night In Soho’ at his funeral. That moment catalysed the idea of a curated tribute, shifting from a singular performance into a recorded body of work that documents how his songs continue to circulate within contemporary music culture.
From an industry perspective, the album aligns with a broader trend of legacy-focused releases that reposition influential songwriters through collaborative reinterpretation. In this case, the emphasis remains on authorship. MacGowan’s writing, rooted in Irish folk traditions but articulated through a punk sensibility, has long resisted straightforward categorisation. The decision to present multiple voices across the catalogue highlights the adaptability of the material without diluting its narrative specificity.
There is also a commercial dimension to consider. The release includes a deluxe edition featuring three LPs, two CDs and a 56-page book of memorabilia and liner notes, a format that speaks to the continued viability of physical media in the collector market. The recent Record Store Day vinyl issue of ‘Haunted’, which reached No.18 on the UK Vinyl Singles Chart, indicates sustained demand for MacGowan’s work in tangible formats.
While tribute albums can risk over-curation or uneven execution, the calibre of contributors here suggests a degree of internal quality control. The involvement of artists with distinct stylistic identities increases the likelihood of interpretive variation rather than replication. That balance, between reverence and reinterpretation, will ultimately define how 20th Century Paddy, The Songs Of Shane MacGowan is received.
With ‘Haunted’ now in circulation and further tracks expected ahead of the November release, the project positions MacGowan’s songwriting within an ongoing dialogue rather than a closed legacy. For listeners, it offers both a point of entry and a reminder of a catalogue that continues to resonate across generations.
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