Dexys Midnight Runners

Dexys Midnight Runners are a British group from Birmingham, active from 1978 to the present. Founded by Kevin Rowland and guitarist Kevin “Al” Archer, they emerge from the post-punk and Northern Soul scene and develop a style that combines soul, pop and elements of folk music.

Early years and sound

The name Dexys comes from “dexys”, a colloquial term for dextroamphetamine, which has links to the Northern Soul scene in England in the 1960s. The group first gains attention with “Geno”, a single written as a tribute to American Northern Soul singer Geno Washington. It becomes their biggest-selling single in the UK, helped by a reissue.

Their debut album, Searching for the Young Soul Rebels (1980), presents a punk and soul fusion. It receives mixed press coverage but is well received by the public.

Line-up changes and later albums

The second album, Too-Rye-Aye (1982), brings a major change in line-up and sound. The horn section associated with the earlier material is replaced by “the Emerald Express”, a Celtic folk section that includes violinist Helen O’Hara. The album moves towards Celtic soul, and its first UK single is “Celtic Soul Brothers”. “Come On Eileen” becomes the best-known track from the album and the band’s most successful US release, making Too-Rye-Aye the group’s only album to chart in the United States.

The third album, Don’t Stand Me Down (1985), appears after a three-year gap and features another revised line-up. Kevin Rowland shifts away from the earlier Celtic soul and new wave approach towards a more relaxed, conversational style. Although the album is praised by critics, it performs poorly commercially and is not supported by a single at the time of release.

Later activity

After Kevin Rowland’s first solo project, the group briefly reforms in 1993 with Big Jim Patterson, but this results in little more than a television appearance. In 2003, the retrospective Let’s Make This Precious appears with two new tracks, “Manhood” and “My Life in England, Part One”. Rowland later announces that the group is back in the studio and seeking a new contract.

Recognition

Dexys Midnight Runners are noted for having all of their albums included in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, with a full-page review for each release.

Membership and style

The group’s line-up changes frequently over time. Members associated with the band include Seb Shelton, Billy Adams, Al Archer, Micky Billingham, Geoff Blythe, Vincent Crane, Tim Dancy, John Edwards, Tommy Evans, Nicky Gatfield, Andy Growcott, Giorgio Kilkenny, Julian Littman, Roger MacDuff, Brian Maurice, Lucy Morgan, Helen O’Hara, Jimmy Paterson, Kevin Rowland, Pete Saunders, Steve Shaw, Paul Speare, Steve Spooner, Mick Talbot, Bobby Ward, Pete Williams, Steve Wynne and Andy Leek. Their genres include blue-eyed soul, Celtic rock, new wave, Northern soul, pop rock and pop soul.