Joe Strummer - When Pigs Fly (1993)

In 1992 Joe Strummer was asked to provide the soundtrack to Sara Driver's forthcoming film 'When Pigs Fly'. Driver was the long-time partner of film director Jim Jarmusch, who Strummer had previously worked with, acting in his 1989 film 'Mystery Train', and so he accepted the commission and spent the next eight months composing songs and instrumental music for the film. It starred Marianne Faithfull as a ghost and Alfred Molina as a jazzer, but despite this promising cast Driver had trouble gaining a distribution deal, and so although it was shown at a few festivals, nothing really happened off the back of them. Strummer's soundtrack consisted of eight pieces, four songs and four instrumentals, taking in the Pogues-ey Celtic-rock of 'Rose Of Erin', the Bernard Herrmann-meets-Link Wray noir of instrumental 'Storm In A D-Cup', and the breezy pop of the rattling title track. Strummer has said that he seemed to be a jinx around projects like this, and was often involved in things that never saw the light of day, but this collection is a worthy addition to his solo canon, so here it is, together with alternate takes of 'Pouring Rain' and 'Rose Of Erin'.  

Track listing

01 When Pigs Fly (vocal)

02 Ellis Island Line (instrumental)
03 Pouring Rain (vocal)

04 Rose Of Erin (vocal)
05 Storm In A D-Cup (instrumental)
06 Free At Last (vocal)
07 Pouring Rain (alt. version)

08 Phantom County Fair (instrumental)
09 Rose Of Erin (alt. version)
10 When Pigs Fly (instrumental)