Shane MacGowan Irish in London and the United States, and London life in general. These influences are documented in the biography, "Rake at the Gates of Hell: Shane MacGowan in Context". MacGowan has often cited the 19th-century Irish poet James Clarence Mangan and playwright Brendan Behan as influences. Between 1985 and 1987, he co-wrote "Fairytale of New York", which he performed with Kirsty MacColl. In the coming years MacGowan and The Pogues released several albums. In 1997, MacGowan appeared on Lou Reed's "Perfect Day", covered by numerous artists in aid of Children in Need. It was the UK's number one single for
Bap Kennedy touring, including performances with Shane MacGowan of The Pogues and Pete Doherty of The Libertines, and at the respected Half Moon, Putney, which also regularly held the Rolling Stones. The Pogues’ lead singer Shane MacGowan provided guest vocals on Kennedy’s next album, The Big Picture, with MacGowan providing lead vocals on the last verse of Kennedy’s song "On the Mighty Ocean Alcohol". The late Carolyn Cassady, another guest vocalist on the album, was the basis of the character Camille in Jack Kerouac's book "On the Road". At the end of Kennedy's song Moriarty's Blues, Cassady gave a reading from her