Dexys Midnight Runners

Dexys
Dexys at Cambridge Corn Exchange in 2012
Dexys at Cambridge Corn Exchange in 2012
Background information
Also known asDexys Midnight Runners
The Emerald Express
OriginBirmingham, England
Genres
Years active1978–1986, 2003–present
Labels
MembersKevin Rowland
Jim Paterson
Sean Read
Michael Timothy
Lucy Morgan
Past membersSee members section
Websitedexysofficial.com

Dexys Midnight Runners (currently Dexys, their former nickname, styled without an apostrophe[1][2]) are an English pop rock band from Birmingham, with soul influences, who achieved major commercial success in the early to mid- 1980s. They are best known in the UK for their songs "Geno" and "Come On Eileen", both of which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, and achieved six other top-20 singles. "Come On Eileen" also topped the US Billboard Hot 100, and, with extensive airplay on MTV, they are associated with the Second British Invasion.[3][4]

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Dexys went through numerous personnel changes over the course of three albums and 13 singles, with only singer/songwriter/co-founder Kevin Rowland remaining in the band through all of the transitions and only Rowland and "Big" Jim Paterson (trombone) appearing on all the albums. By 1985, the band consisted only of Rowland and long-standing members Helen O'Hara (violin) and Billy Adams (guitar). The band broke up in 1987, with Rowland becoming a solo artist. After two failed restart attempts, Dexys was reformed by Rowland in 2003 with new members, as well as a few returning members from the band's original lineup (known as Dexys Mark I). Dexys released their fourth album in 2012 and a fifth followed in 2016.

  1. ^ Michaels, Sean (13 February 2012). "Dexys Midnight Runners to release first new album in 27 years". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kinney was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Graff, Gary (28 August 1986). "The Second British Invasion: New wave now an old ripple". Spokane Chronicle. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  4. ^ Chiu, David (10 July 2015). "Goodbye Is Forever: Duran Duran, Live Aid & the End of the Second British Invasion". Medium. Archived from the original on 10 January 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2017.