
A quickie today, folks – I’m getting ready to move in with my betrothed, and I’m currently surrounded by boxes of stuff. Moving is such a hassle, but I can’t forget you, faithful reader! So, howzabout covering one of the biggest one-hit wonders of the ’80s?
I’ve always wondered why Dexys Midnight Runners were unable to follow up the #1 success of “Come On Eileen.” I mean, it’s not like Too-Rye-Ay was lacking in potential singles. The classic album was brimming with hooks, but of course, Dexys U.S. label chose “The Celtic Soul Brothers” (download) as “Eileen’s” follow-up, a single which flopped at #45 upon its initial release in the U.K. (it would later chart much higher after being re-released in “Come On Eileen’s” wake). While it’s a great tune, much in the same spirit as the massive hit that preceded it, it wasn’t the best choice.
A better choice would have been “Eileen’s” follow-up in the U.K., a remake of Van Morrison’s “Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile),” (download) which hit #5 there, but wasn’t even issued as a single here. A shame, since its instant familiarity and the fact that it was featured in a performance on The Young Ones which was then all over MTV would have been a natural. (more…)


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!”