Gillingham, Kent, UK (By Mikey) - In this retro we look back at how the band came together and chart history to date. Let's take a ride back to the early 80s and reminisce about the scruffy days and lowdowns of Dexy's Midnight Runners. On 29th
September get down to your local record shop and buy their new single, 'Manhood'. Try to avoid buying the single on the internet as such sales don't qualify for the charts. Don't delay, just do it! Let's get Dexy's back into the charts! Your favourite band needs you!
The new single, "Manhood", dating back to the early 90's and first performed on Channel 4's "Saturday Zoo" in March 1993, will now be released on 29th September, a week after, the new greatest hits album, "Let's Make This Precious". The single will contain 3 tracks: "Manhood", "Manhood [Radio edit]" and Reminisce Part Two. A second single "My Life In England (Part 1)", which was also intended to be part of Dexy's aborted come-back album in 1993, is planned to follow later in the year.
Original bass player, Pete Williams has been confirmed as part of the new line-up while Mick Talbott, who was with Dexy's briefly in 1980 before leaving to form the Bureau, will be on keyboards. Lucy Morgan from string quartet, Celticana has been revealed as the band's new violin player. A nationwide tour will take place in October and November. One of these shows will be recorded for release as a live album/DVD.
The new full line-up is as follows:
Kevin Rowland - Main ideas man, general inspiration and angelic soulful voice.
Pete Williams - Right hand man, multi-talented guy, ukelele/George Formby impressionist (ex-Bureau, Blue Ox Babes, These Tender Virtues, Basehart). Understood to be in the band as a joint lead-singer.
Mick Talbot - 'I am not a keyboard player, I am a Hammond player.' Musical Director Lucy Morgan - Violin (Celticana)
Neil Hubbard - Guitar, last played with Kevin on My Beauty, also appeared with Roxy Music and a whole host of others
Julian Crampton - Bass, (ex-Incognito) also worked with Pasedenas and Terry Callier
Crispin Taylor - Drums (ex-Galliano, a band that Mick Talbot appeared with)
Volker Janssen - Keyboards (ex Spear Of Destiny)
In the beginning�
It all began back in July 1978 when Kevin Rowland and Kevin Archer (later forced to change his name to Al after Rowland said "there's only room for one Kevin in this band") quit their second division Birmingham punk outfit, The Killjoys. While everyone else was busy starting the New Romantic movement Rowland and Archer looked to the 1960s soul icons for their inspiration and decided to form an eight-piece soul band. The name came from the amphetamine of choice for the Northern Soul scene - Dexedrine. Their image, fashioned by Rowland, was New York Italian docker chic! Donkey jackets, woolly hats and polo neck jumpers. Very much like the early Robert De Niro film "Mean Streets".
The debut single "Dance Stance" (later re-named "Burn It Down"), an attack on racism against the Irish, struggled into the UK charts at number 40. Trying to finance a band of eight was proving very difficult and it is alleged that Rowland instigated many shoplifting trips to supplement their income. The second single "Geno", a tribute to 60s soul singer Geno Washington, went to the top of the charts in 1980. Two months later the debut album "Searching For The Young Soul Rebels" was released to critical acclaim and commercial success. Although this was only after the band stole the master tapes in order to re-negotiate a better contract. In May 1980 they went on a 44-date tour - the "Straight To The Heart" tour and in August followed it up with the "Intense Emotions Tour". Another Top 10 single, "There There My Dear" followed but then the release of the blatantly uncommercial "Keep It Pt2" preceded the spilt of Dexy's mark 1. Rowland complained about losing control of the band and the band complained about his excessive control!!
The Celtic Soul Brother incarnation In 1981 only Kevin Rowland and Big Jim Paterson remained from the original line up. Most of the others went to form The Bureau or The Blue Ox Babes. Rowland recruited a new team including Seb Shelton from mod band Secret Affair on drums. After one more single for EMI, the excellent "Plan B" the band moved to Phonogram and along with that came a new image. A uniform of boxing boots, anoraks with hoods and ponytails. Two singles "Show Me" and "Liars A To E", continued their chart success and a highly acclaimed live show "The Projected Passion Revue" culminated at the Old Vic Theatre in London.
By 1982 though, another change of line up and image had taken place. Rowland's right hand man, Big Jim Paterson, had left and the Celtic Soul Brothers incarnation was launched in Newcastle at the BBC In Concert gig. (Rowland now admits that the idea for a combination of brass and strings had been influenced by a tape that Al Archer, now of The Blue Ox Babes, had lent him). "Come On Eileen" became the biggest selling UK single of 1982 and a US number one in 1983, selling 1,201,000. The album "Too-Rye-Ay" and subsequent tour "The Bridge" received rave reviews.
Dexy's disappeared for 18 months to work on the next album "Don't Stand Me down". When they returned they were down to a four piece and several session musicians. Another uniform came with the new album, this time a smart neat college preppie look. Many think that this is Rowland's greatest work but he insisted that there would be no singles. The album sold poorly and out of desperation the record company released "This Is What She's Like" as a single. It didn't help and the band fell apart. Although another single "Because Of You" (theme to Brush Strokes) briefly charted.
Going solo In 1988 Rowland returned as a soloist with the weak country pop album "The Wanderer". However, many agree that the production let it down and that the songs were reasonably good.
Kevin Rowland spent the following years battling against depression, bankruptcy and cocaine addiction. Although, in 1993 he joined up with Big Jim again but despite a couple of TV performances nothing was ever officially released.
In 1996, Creation Records signed Kevin Rowland and "My Beauty", an idiosyncratic covers album, was released in 1999. It received mixed reviews but sold very poorly (allegedly less that 500 copies). Perhaps because of the new image that went with it - dresses and suspenders!
2001, found Kevin doing reading recitals - from "The Look" a book about fashion and music by Paul Gorman. Kevin supplied a few pages to the book and read excerpts as well as performing a couple of songs live to backing tapes.
The dates for Dexy's Midnight Runners 2003 tour have now been confirmed as follows:
Tue 21st Oct PORTSMOUTH Guildhall
Thu 23rd Oct WOLVERHAMPTON Civic Hall
Sat 25th Oct LEEDS Grand Theatre
Sun 26th Oct BASINGSTOKE The Anvil
Tue 28th Oct BRISTOL Colston Hall
Wed 29th Oct CAMBRIDGE Corn Exchange
Fri 31st Oct GUILDFORD Civic
Sun 2nd Nov ABERDEEN Music Hall
Mon 3rd Nov GLASGOW Pavilion
Tue 4th Nov NEWCASTLE Opera House
Thu 6th Nov MANCHESTER Academy
Fri 7th Nov LIVERPOOL Royal Court Theatre
Sat 8th Nov NORTHAMPTON Derngate
Mon 10th Nov LONDON Royal Festival Hall
Tue 11th Nov MILTON KEYNES Stables
Wed 12th Nov PLYMOUTH Pavilions
Fri 14th Nov COVENTRY Warwick Arts Centre
Sat 15th Nov DUBLIN Vicar Street
Sun 16th Nov BELFAST Waterfront Hall
Tue 18th Nov LEICESTER De Montfort Hall
The tour will then continue into Scandanavia with dates in both Sweden and Norway:
Thur 20th Nov Malmo (KB)
Sat 22nd Nov Oslo (Rockefeller)
Sun 23rd Nov Stockholm (Cirkus)
Mon 24th Nov G�teborg (Tr�dg�rn)
I've booked my ticket to see them at the Royal Festival Hall come this November, so if they are in your local area, get yourself down there, you will surely have the greatest night of your life.
Dexy's Midnight Runners Discography
Singles
19 January 1980 Dance Stance - Chart Position No.40, 6 weeks on chart
22 March 1980 Geno - Chart Position No.1, 14 weeks on chart-
12 July 1980 There There My Dear - Chart Position No.7, 9 weeks on chart-
21 March 1981 Plan B - Chart Position No.58, 2 weeks on chart
11 July 19891 Show Me - Chart Position No.16, 9 weeks on chart
20 March 1982 The Celtic Soul Brothers* - Chart Position No.45, 4 weeks on chart
03 July 1982 Come On Eileen* - Chart Position No.1, 17 weeks on chart-
02 October 1982 Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in heaven when you smile)** - Chart Position No.5, 7 weeks on chart-
04 December 1982 Let's Get This Straight (from the start) / Old** - Chart Position No.17, 9 weeks on chart
02 April 1983 The Celtic Soul Brothers** - Chart Position No.20, 6 weeks on chart
22 November 1986 Because Of You - Chart Position No.13, 10 weeks on chart
* Dexy's Midnight Runners with the Emerald Express
** Kevin Rowland and Dexy's Midnight Runners
-Top 10 Hit Single
Albums
1980 Searching for the Young Soul Rebels
1982 Too-Rye-Ay
1983 Geno
1985 Don't Stand Me Down
1991 The Very Best of Dexy's Midnight Runners
2003 Let's Make This Precious - The Best of Dexy's Midnight Runners
