Too-Rye-Ay (1982)

Dexys Midnight Runners – the name consistently spelled without an apostrophe [1] – were a British New Wave and Northern Soul band, who achieved their major success in the early to mid 1980s. album cover Too-Rye-Ay by Dexys Midnight Runners This image is the cover of an album or single. ... album cover Too-Rye-Ay by Dexys Midnight Runners This image is the cover of an album or single. ... For the prime symbol (′) used for feet and inches, see Prime (symbol). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section needs additional references or sources. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

Career

Kevin Rowland (vocals, guitar) and Kevin "Al" Archer (vocals, guitar) founded the band in 1978 in Birmingham, England, naming the band after Dexedrine, a recreational drug popular amongst Northern Soul fans at the time. The midnight runners referred to the energy the Dexedrine gave, enabling one to run into the midnight hours. "Big" Jim Paterson (trombone), Geoff "JB" Blythe (saxophone), Steve "Babyface" Spooner (alto saxophone), Pete Saunders (keyboard), Pete Williams (bass) and Bobby "Jnr" Ward (drums) formed the first line-up of the band to record a single, "Dance Stance" (1979). The song was released on the independent Oddball Records, and only reached number 40 in the British charts, but the next single, "Geno" – about Geno Washington, and released on EMI – was a British Number One in 1980. It featured the band's newest recruits, Andy Leek (keyboards) and Andy "Stoker" Growcott (drums). Kevin Rowland (born August 17, 1953) is a singer, song-writer and former leader of Dexys Midnight Runners. ... Kevin Al Archer, together with Kevin Rowland, formed the popular music group Dexys Midnight Runners, and co-wrote some of the songs on the groups debut album Searching for the Young Soul Rebels. He used the name Al because Kevin Rowland decided that the group was not big... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... See also Birmingham, USA, and other places called Birmingham. ... Dextroamphetamine (also known as dextroamphetamine sulfate, dexamphetamine, dexedrine, Dexampex, Ferndex, Oxydess II, Robese, Spancap #1, and, informally, Dex), a stereoisomer of amphetamine, is an indirect-acting stimulant that releases norepinephrine from nerve terminals, thus promoting nerve impulse transmission. ... This article or section needs additional references or sources. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Geno Washington is a British R&B musician who has released five albums with The Ram Jam Band between 1966 and 1969, and eight others on his own beginning in 1976. ... The EMI Group is a major record label, based in Kensington in London, in the United Kingdom. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Andy Leek (1964- ) is an English musician, noted for his talent as a keyboardist and songwriter. ...

The band members were disappointed with their share of the profits, and soon stole the master tapes of Searching for the Young Soul Rebels, their debut LP, in order to renegotiate the deal. The album was released later in 1980 and became a massive success. After the next single "There There My Dear" was a hit, Rowland insisted on choosing the uncommercial "Keep It, Part Two" for the following single. It was a failure, and most of the band members quit, angered over continual personality problems with Rowland. Archer eventually formed The Blue Ox Babes, while Blythe, Spooner, Williams, Stoker and Mick Talbot (ex-Merton Parkas, who had recently joined on keyboards) left to form The Bureau. Paterson stayed with Rowland, who added Billy Adams (guitar/banjo), Seb Shelton (drums, formerly of Secret Affair), Micky Billingham (keyboard), Brian Maurice (alto saxophone), Paul Speare (tenor saxophone) and Steve Wynne (bass), releasing "Plan B", "Show Me" (this line-up's only Top 40 hit) and "Liars A to E" in 1981 without much success. Searching for the Young Soul Rebels is a 1980 album by Dexys Midnight Runners. ... The Blue Ox Babes was a pop group formed in 1981 by former Dexys Midnight Runners guitarist Kevin Archer together with his girlfriend Yasmin Saleh and former Dexys keyboard player Andy Leek. ... Mick Talbot is a keyboardist from England. ... The Merton Parkas were a Mod band formed in the Merton area of south London in the mid-70s by Danny Talbot (vocals & guitar), Mick Talbot (keyboards), Neil Hurrell (bass) and Simon Smith (drums). ... The Bureau were a new wave soul group formed in late 1980 in Birmingham (England) when the original lineup of Dexys Midnight Runners split-up. ... Seb Shelton, a trained teacher in remedial English, and accomplished drummer with the band Secret Affair until leaving in 1980, later joining Dexys Midnight Runners. ... Secret Affair was a Mod revival band formed in 1978 by singer Ian Page and guitarist Dave Cairns. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Rowland then recruited fiddle players Helen O'Hara (from Archer's new group, the Blue Ox Babes), Steve Brennan and Roger MacDuff, known collectively as "The Emerald Express". With the addition of new bass player, Giorgio Kilkenny, this line-up recorded Too-Rye-Ay in 1982, a Celtic folk and soul hybrid. The first single, "The Celtic Soul Brothers", was mildly successful but "Come on Eileen" soon followed, and became a Number One hit in both the UK and the United States. Feeling that their role in the group had diminished following the arrival of the fiddles, the brass section of Paterson, Speare and Maurice left to form The TKO Horns and recorded an album in 1985 with Howard Jones, while Kilkenny was replaced by Johnny Edwards on bass and Billingham left to join General Public. With the singles "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)" (a Van Morrison cover) and "Let's Get This Straight (From The Start)" maintaining their popularity, the group continued to tour until 1983 with a nucleus of Rowland, Adams, O'Hara and Shelton augmented by other musicians. Helen OHara (born 3 January 1955) is a British musician, formerly a member of the band Dexys Midnight Runners between 1982 and 1987 including performing on songs such as the single Come on Eileen from the Too Rye Ay album. ... Too-Rye-Ay is the second album by Dexys Midnight Runners, released in August, 1982 (see 1982 in music). ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cover of Too-Rye-Ay, the album featuring Come on Eileen. ... The TKO Horns were horn section formed in 1982 when Big Jim Paterson (trombone), Paul Speare (tenor sax) and Brian Maurice (alto sax) left Dexys Midnight Runners. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Howard Jones can refer to three different people: Howard Jones, the British pop singer. ... The band General Public formed after the 1983 break-up of The Beat (see 1983 in music). ... George Ivan Van Morrison (born August 31, 1945) is a singer and songwriter from Belfast, Northern Ireland. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

After a two-year break, Dexys returned in 1985 with the critically panned[2] album, Don't Stand Me Down, featuring Rowland, Adams, O'Hara and Nicky Gatfield together with various seasoned performers including Vincent Crane (ex-Atomic Rooster), Julian Littman and Tim Dancy (who had been Al Green's drummer). Rowland at first refused to issue any singles from the defiantly uncommercial album, and by the time "This Is What She's Like" was released, it was too late to save the album from commercial failure. The group disbanded the following year after a brief return to the charts with the single "Because Of You" (which was used as the theme tune to a British sitcom, Brush Strokes), and Rowland became a solo artist with the release of 1988's poorly-received album, The Wanderer. Despite spending much of the 1990s suffering from financial problems and drug addiction, Rowland made plans to reform Dexys together with Big Jim Paterson, although these resulted in no more than a solitary TV performance in 1993. Returning once more as a solo performer, Rowland signed to Creation Records, releasing an album of cover versions called My Beauty in 1999, which sold poorly, some sources quote a figure of fewer than 500 copies sold. [3] This was followed by a disastrous appearance at the Reading festival where Rowland was bottled off by a hostile crowd after introducing 2 strippers to accompany him. [4] The demise of Creation meant that the planned follow-up album which would, once again, have featured Dexys Midnight Runners was never made. Dont Stand Me Down is the third and currently final studio album by Dexys Midnight Runners, released in September, 1985 (see 1985 in music). ... Atomic Rooster were a British Progressive rock group formed by ex-Crazy World of Arthur Brown members, Vincent Crane and Carl Palmer in 1969. ... In Hearing of Atomic Rooster, 1971 Atomic Rooster was a British progressive rock group formed by ex-Crazy World of Arthur Brown members, Vincent Crane and Carl Palmer in 1969. ... Al Green may refer to: Al Green (musician) Al Green (politician) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A British sitcom is a situation comedy (sitcom) produced in the United Kingdom. ... Brush Strokes was an Esmonde and Larbey sitcom set in south London and depicting the (mostly) amorous adventures of a good-looking, wisecracking house painter, Jacko (Karl Howman). ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... See also 1990s, the band The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive, sometimes informally including popular culture from the very late 1980s and from 2000 and beyond. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... At least two different record labels called Creation Records have existed. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. ...

However, in April 2003 the group announced that they would be reforming for a tour. A new greatest hits album Let's Make This Precious was released in September 2003, and a successful tour took place in October and November 2003. Two newly recorded songs, "Manhood" and "My Life in England (Part One)", appeared on the album and were touted as new singles. However, despite airplay on national radio, neither was released as a commercial single. In June 2005 Kevin Rowland announced during an interview on BBC Radio 2 that Dexys were "back in the studio" and seeking a record deal for a new album. 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBCs national radio stations and is the most popular station in the UK. It broadcasts throughout the UK on FM radio between 88 and 91 MHz from its studios in Western House, adjacent to Broadcasting House in central London. ...

Discography

Singles

• Dance Stance / I'm Just Looking (1979) #40 UK
• Geno / Breakin' Down The Walls Of Heartache (1980) #1 UK
• There, There, My Dear / The Horse (1980) #7 UK
• Keep It Part Two (Inferiority Part One) / One Way Love (1980)
• Plan B / Soul Finger (1981) #58 UK
• Show Me / Soon (1981) #16 UK
• Liars A To E / ...And Yes We Must Remain The Wildhearted Outsiders (1981)
• The Celtic Soul Brothers / Love Part Two (1982) #45 UK
• Come On Eileen / Dubious (1982) #1 UK, #1 US
• Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile) / Let's Make This Precious (1982) #5 UK
• Let's Get This Straight (From The Start) / Old (1982) #17 UK
• Geno (Reissue) (1983) #81 UK
• The Celtic Soul Brothers (Reissue) / Reminisce Part One (1983) #20 UK
• (An Extract From) This Is What She's Like / This Is What She's Like (Finale) (1985) #78 UK
• Because Of You / Kathleen Mavourneen (1986) #13 UK

Cover of Too-Rye-Ay, the album featuring Come on Eileen. ...

Albums

• "Searching for the Young Soul Rebels" (1980)
• "Too-Rye-Ay" (1982)
• "Geno" (1983)
• "Don't Stand Me Down" (1985)

Searching for the Young Soul Rebels is a 1980 album by Dexys Midnight Runners. ... See also: 1979 in music, other events of 1980, 1981 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // Events January January 1 - Cliff Richard is appointed an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II. The only other pop music acts to be created MBEs are the Beatles and... Too-Rye-Ay is the second album by Dexys Midnight Runners, released in August, 1982 (see 1982 in music). ... // Events January 15 - K.C. and the Sunshine Bands Harry Wayne Casey is seriously injured in an automobile accident in Miami, Florida. ... Geno is a compilation album of singles and b-sides by Dexys Midnight Runners, released in March, 1983. ... See also: 1982 in music, other events of 1983, 1984 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // Events The most long-term influential release of 1983 is probably Head over Heels by the Cocteau Twins, which sold poorly upon its initial release. ... Dont Stand Me Down is the third and currently final studio album by Dexys Midnight Runners, released in September, 1985 (see 1985 in music). ... See also: 1984 in music, other events of 1985, 1986 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 28 - Various artists, including Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Willie Nelson, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Paul Simon...

External links

• www.dexys.co.uk - a fansite with additional links and an extensive discography
• An audio interview with Kevin Rowland - recorded on 01 October 2003 (This is a RealAudio file, you will need a compatible media player to play this file)
• Andy Leek's official website - new and old original songs from the Dexy's Keyboardist