Dexys Midnight Runners

Dexys Midnight Runners were one of the most misunderstood and overlooked groups of the 1980s. At the centre of it all, their front man and originator, Kevin Rowland, had a reputation for maintaining control and domination over Dexys at all costs. In the first comprehensive history of the band, author, Richard White, has conducted in-depth interviews with former members on the experience of being a Midnight Runner. Shedding light on the Dexys legend, including the fractious period of writing and recording the classic Come on Eileen, one of the biggest selling singles in UK history and its parent album Too Rye Ay. While celebrating their achievements on record and on stage, this book also uncovers aspects of Rowland's working methods in the studio and the latest Dexys re-invention, championed on a triumphant tour in 2003.

Dexys' saxophonist Blythe recounts the recording of the band's first album with images from the band's official photographer Laye.

'The inside story of one of the greatest bands of them all. I devoured it!' GARY CROWLEY 'Terrific idea, wonderfully executed' PETE PAPHIDES 'An incredible feat of journalism' DAVID QUANTICK In the early 1980s, the pop charts were dominated by musicians tarted up in Day-Glo colours, who fought it out for coverage on our TV screens and magazine pages. Dexys Midnight Runners did things differently. They were surly. They were serious. They were ambitious, but success had to come on their terms. They were a disciplined outfit, a gang with a defined purpose: to make music so pure that it couldn't fail to elicit a deep emotional response from anyone within earshot. And they managed it. This motley crew - in woolly hats and donkey jackets for their first coming; all dungarees and copious body hair for the second - gate-crashed the charts, scoring number-one hits around the globe. But being in Dexys wasn't all sunshine and roses. Many members came, many members went. Some returned unexpectedly as being part of this particular gang was a way of life; it was everything. Nige Tassell, author of the Penderyn Prize-shortlisted Whatever Happened to the C86 Kids? employs his skills of detection to go off in search of the dozens of members who - for however brief a period, and to whatever level of success - have been a part of Dexys Midnight Runners. These are the people who gave the band its sound, its soul, its substance. But whatever happened to them?

Dexys Midnight Runners, are a pop rock group with soul influences, founded in 1978 in Birmingham, England, UK, who were big during the early to mid-'80s. They're best known for Come On Eileen & Geno, both of which topped the British charts, having had 6 other UK top-20 singles. Come On Eileen also hit # 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the band having had extensive airplay on MTV, being part of the Second British Invasion. Dexys Midnight Runners had many changes in membership in the late '70s - early '80s, over the course of 3 albums and 13 singles, with only singer/songwriter/co-founder Kevin Rowland an ever present in the group, although 'Big' Jim Paterson also played trombone on all three L.Ps. The band comprised only Kevin on vocals & guitar, with long-standing members Helen O'Hara on violin and Billy Adams on guitar by 1985. Dexys Midnight Runners broke up during 1987, when Rowland went solo. After a couple of failed attempts at reforming, the group was restarted by Kevin in 2003 with new musicians, along with a few returning members from their original lineup, known as Dexys Mark I. They released their 4th album in 2012 then a 5th during 2016.

A “hugely entertaining” history of the 1980s New Wave music scene told through new interviews with its biggest artists (Rolling Stone). Mad World is a compelling oral history that celebrates the New Wave music phenomenon of the 1980s via new interviews with 35 of the most notable artists of the period. Each chapter begins with a discussion of their most popular song and leads to stories of their history and place in the scene, ultimately painting a vivid picture of this colorful, idiosyncratic time. Mixtape suggestions, fashion sidebars, and quotes from famous contemporary admirers help fill out the fun. Participants include members of Duran Duran, New Order, The Smiths, Tears for Fears, Adam Ant, Echo, and the Bunnymen, Devo, ABC, Spandau Ballet, A Flock of Seagulls, Thompson Twins, INXS, and more. “One addictive chapter after another.” —Rob Sheffield, author of Talking to Girls About Duran Duran “Tells the tale of some of the decade’s most unforgettable songs . . . in fascinating detail, letting the architects of these memorable records shine a light on how the sound of a generation came to be.” —The Hollywood Reporter “The new wave era is often dismissed for its one-hit wonders and silly haircuts, but [Mad World] examines the period with a great deal of love and reverence.” —Buzzfeed “A really informative and insightful read.” —People

‘Gus Poyet declared it to be the toughest league in England. Neil Warnock went further, believing it to be the tightest division in Europe. Norwich boss Daniel Farke went further still: “The Championship, without any doubt, is the toughest league in the world.”’ On the final day of the 2019/20 season, only four clubs in the Championship, England’s second tier of soccer, had nothing to play for, everyone else was fighting for promotion or survival. It’s stats like this that give the league its well-deserved reputation as the most exciting league in football. Anything can happen, and often does. In The Hard Yards, Nige Tassell tells the Championship’s stories, uncovers its hidden gems and takes the reader on an entertaining and eye-opening tour of the 2020/21 season. Following three clubs in particular – newly promoted Wycombe Wanderers, newly relegated Bournemouth and stalwarts Sheffield Wednesday, who start the season on 12-point deficit – he’ll dip into the seasons of clubs across the league, interviewing managers, fans, kit men and chairmen. A world away from the glamour and melodrama of the Premiership, the Championship is the heart and soul of football and in The Hard Yards Nige Tassell will take it back to basics. Praise for The Bottom Corner: ‘Warm and celebratory but also sharp and insightful, The Bottom Corner is a love letter to non-league football that is also a vivid snapshot of its place in our national life’ -- Stuart Maconie ‘A wonderful journey through life in the lower reaches of the football pyramid. A fascinating tale of a very different world of football from that of the overpaid stars of the television age’ -- Barry Davies

*AS READ ON BBC RADIO 4 'BOOK OF THE WEEK'* 'Lip-lickingly, dance-around-the-living-room good... A smash hit' Observer 'Unflinching and heartwarming' - Adam Kay 'Tender, clever and as funny as it gets ... a heart-piercing joy' - Lauren Laverne 'An exceptional coming-of-age story [...] Pete Paphides may very well have the biggest heart in Britain' - Marina Hyde 'I ADORE this utterly wonderful coming-of-age memoir. Joyful, clever, and a bit heartbreaking' - Nina Stibbe 'Heartfelt, hilarious and beautifully written, Broken Greek is a childhood memoir like no other' - Cathy Newman 'So wonderfully written, such a light touch. Drenched in sentiment yet not in the least sentimental' - John Niven 'It's brilliant. Sad, really funny and beautifully written ... just fantastic' - Alexis Petridis 'A truly beautiful book' - James O'Brien 'Intoxicating' - Kirsty Wark 'Oh, how I love Pete Paphides and this book' - Daniel Finkelstein 'A balm in these times' David Nicholls 'Fantastic ... Can't recommend it highly enough' Tim Burgess __________ 'Do you sometimes feel like the music you're hearing is explaining your life to you?' When Pete's parents moved from Cyprus to Birmingham in the 1960s in the hope of a better life, they had no money and only a little bit of English. They opened a fish-and-chip shop in Acocks Green. The Great Western Fish Bar is where Pete learned about coin-operated machines, male banter and Britishness. Shy and introverted, Pete stopped speaking from age 4 to 7, and found refuge instead in the bittersweet embrace of pop songs, thanks to Top of the Pops and Dial-A-Disc. From Brotherhood of Man to UB40, from ABBA to The Police, music provided the safety net he needed to protect him from the tensions of his home life. It also helped him navigate his way around the challenges surrounding school, friendships and phobias such as visits to the barber, standing near tall buildings and Rod Hull and Emu. With every passing year, his guilty secret became more horrifying to him: his parents were Greek, but all the things that excited him were British. And the engine of that realisation? 'Sugar Baby Love', 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart', 'Tragedy', 'Silly Games', 'Going Underground', 'Come On Eileen', and every other irresistibly thrilling chart hit blaring out of the chip shop radio. Never have the trials and tribulations of growing up and the human need for a sense of belonging been so heart-breakingly and humorously depicted. *Listen along with Pete's BROKEN GREEK playlist on Spotify!*