Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

Lost in the ’80s: Dexys Midnight Runners

by John C. Hughes

One of the first acts mentioned whenever someone brings up the subject of “’80s One-Hit Wonder,” Dexys Midnight Runners actually had quite a few hits in the UK, including a number one single (“Geno”) that wasn’t “Come On Eileen.” As Homer Simpson once spoke of the group, “You haven’t heard the last of them!”

Except in America, where, of course, we had. Despite “Eileen’s” monster success Stateside, Kevin Rowland’s rotating band of ragamuffins never followed up that hit but it wasn’t for lack of trying. 1985’s follow-up to the Gold-selling Too-Rye-Ay, the band’s third album overall, Don’t Stand Me Down, had a lot going against it. First off, gone were the overalls and hobo clothes, replaced by a new gimmick/look of tailored suits and skirts — call it Business Rock. Secondly, lead singer/songwriter Rowland refused to release a single to help promote the album, all but dooming it to failure.

Face with the withering failure of the album, Rowland finally relented and a single was issued for “This Is What She’s Like.” But in keeping with the series of poor decisions, the “single” was actually a 12-minute track, all but obliterating any chance of radio play. Oh, Kevin. The group’s label stepped in and issued a single edit (“This Is What She’s Like [Single Edit]“), (download) mercifully reducing the song to it’s catchy core. The superior edit is not too dissimilar to Too-Rye-Ay’s sound, but despite a video to match the new image, it was too late, and Don’t Stand Me Down sank without a trace.

Seriously, who besides Yes and Pink Floyd releases 12-minute singles? Especially singles with about two minutes of nearly inaudible spoken dialog at the beginning? While I like the song, the album version is a form of pop punishment, forcing the listener to wait out a bunch of filler to get to the good part? Don’t believe me? Well, brave soul, give “This Is What She’s Like” (download) the album version a shot. You have been warned.

As far as Don’t Stand Me Down goes, it’s gone on to become something of a cult classic, being reissued in 1997 and again in 2002 in a so-called “Director’s Cut” that adds a track and fixes the remastering. Both CD versions include all 12 minutes of “This Is What She’s Like,” but I believe the single version above has only been available as a vinyl promo and on a 1994 import-only best of.

“This Is What She’s Like” did not chart.

Get Dexys Midnight Runners music at Amazon or on Dexy's Midnight Runners

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  • Vlad
    Give Dexys their due. The 12-minute album version is a bona fide rock opera. Twice as long as Bohemian Rhapsody and three times as good. Beatle-esque even. A genuine freakin' rock odyssey. It's a harsh mistress, I'll admit, demanding patience, even endurance, but the rewards of making it through are sublime.
  • Argyle
    It's like the sound of angels weeping. Well, more like wretching, but that sounds good too when angels do it.
  • Vlad
    When Doves Cry/When Angels Weep - same difference. Dexys could get 12 minutes out of that one too -- AS A FREAKIN' SINGLE. Make that 24 minutes with the spoken intro.
  • Argyle
    By the way genius, is it "Dexys" of Dexy's"?
  • Vlad
    I think you mean is it "Dexys" OR "Dexy's"?

    doesnt matter geniuses like them have evolved beyond punctuation
    capitalization too
    eat it
  • Grammar Funk
    It's Dexys. It's a plural noun, not a possessive.
  • Elaine
    Whenever the subject of Kevin Rowland comes up, all I can see in my mind's eye is the cover photo from "My Beauty."
  • WHarrisBullzEye
    That is just NOT a good thing...especially because now you've got me thinking of it, too.

    Ew.
  • Maybe it's a Brit thing, but Don't Stand Me Down is usually cited by critics here as Dexys best album (though, while I love it, I prefer their debut, Searching For The Young Soul Rebels).

    The re-issued, re-mastered version of Don't Stand Me Down released a few years ago is excellent - sonically better than the original release and with an improved running order. I defy anyone not to think that I Love You (Listen To This) is anything other than a brilliant piece of three-minute pop.

    While I agree that the album version of This Is What She's Like is too long for its own good, I saw Dexys v.73 perform it live about four years ago and it was superb - the withering sarcasm of the lyrics is enhanced by live performance, but I suspect the targets of the lyrics don't resonate quite so strongly in the States as they do in the UK. It's a class war thing.

    This band is no one hit wonder, John - get any one of their compilations and discover the most honestly soulful band to come out of Britain in my lifetime.

    (Bruce apparently didn't like the lyrical changes Rowland made to Thunder Road:
    http://www.springsteenlyrics.com/lyrics/t/thund...)
  • WHarrisBullzEye
    I remember buying this album on CD years upon years ago, when I first got a CD player, and found it jaw-droppingly difficult to embrace. It was particularly shocking for me, given how much I'd loved "Too-Rye-Ay," but I eventually decided I'd never enjoy it and finally sold it. I keep being tempted to try it again, but common sense always gets the better of me.

    I did, however, invest in Rowland's solo album of covers, "My Beauty," a.k.a. one of the lowest selling albums in the history of Creation Records, and that's a weirdly enjoyable listening experience. One of these days, I really need to hunt down his cover of "Thunder Road," just so I can hear why Springsteen refused to allow him to include it on the record.
  • I was ready for some pop punishment, but the 12 minute version isn't here.
  • ozarkmatt
    It looks like you have to remove the characters "(single edit)" from the file name.
  • JohnHughes
    Ozarkmatt got it right - but I've fixed it. Sorry, everyone!
  • Thanks, John, I actually liked the first Dexy's album quite a bit – particularly their cover of Jackie Wilson said. But this album, as you said, was a big letdown.

    Perhaps I'm not remembering things correctly, but isn't there a song on the album that is a note-for-note ripoff of "Werewolves of London"?
  • JohnHughes
    It uses elements of "Werewolves," yes, but Warren and the other writers got credit on the sleeve.
  • Yeah, you're right. I remembered it as being more of a clone than it actually was – thus, my brain was thinking it was an entirely different tune on the album.
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