This song came up in discussion at the pub quiz the other week (yes, I do a pub quiz). Kevin Rowland is one of the most unique pop stars we've ever had. Three seperate versions of Dexys, each with a different look and sound. What was your favourite? Searching For The Young Soul Rebels era New York docker look with donkey jackets and wooly hats? Raggle taggle gypsy, fiddle-loving Come On Eileen? Don't Stand Me Down's Ivy League suits and slicked down hair? Or even Kevin in a (man's) dress for that solo lp that only sold 100 copies. I almost bought it just because I felt bad for him at that point.
This song, Because Of You, is a real gem, from Dexys version 3. It's probably as well known to those of us who lived through the mid 1980s as the theme tune to a silly BBC sitcom Brush Strokes, about a window cleaner. It took Kevin and what was left of Dexys back to the UK top 20. By that point he'd stopped attacking journalists in the street, and soon after disbanded Dexys altogether. There was a series of documentaries on BBC2 a few years back called Young Guns Go For It, dissecting 80s pop groups. The one about The Smiths was excellent, as was the one about Dexys. It revealed the full extent of Kevin's breakdown, illness and paranoia (from memory, he sacked Big Al from the band for wearing a red wooly hat because he thought the hat was an attempt to upstage and usurp Kevin as band leader). Like I said at the start, unique. And frequently brilliant.
This post is dedicated to fellow pub quiz team member NB, who became a father for the first time last night. Best wishes to NB, EB and baby GB.
05 Because of You.wma
This song, Because Of You, is a real gem, from Dexys version 3. It's probably as well known to those of us who lived through the mid 1980s as the theme tune to a silly BBC sitcom Brush Strokes, about a window cleaner. It took Kevin and what was left of Dexys back to the UK top 20. By that point he'd stopped attacking journalists in the street, and soon after disbanded Dexys altogether. There was a series of documentaries on BBC2 a few years back called Young Guns Go For It, dissecting 80s pop groups. The one about The Smiths was excellent, as was the one about Dexys. It revealed the full extent of Kevin's breakdown, illness and paranoia (from memory, he sacked Big Al from the band for wearing a red wooly hat because he thought the hat was an attempt to upstage and usurp Kevin as band leader). Like I said at the start, unique. And frequently brilliant.
This post is dedicated to fellow pub quiz team member NB, who became a father for the first time last night. Best wishes to NB, EB and baby GB.
05 Because of You.wma
An apology- Jacko in Brush Strokes was not a window cleaner, he was a painter and decorator. that's why it was called Brush Strokes.OK.
ReplyDeleteAs you were.
Oh yes, I'll have that. quality tune. bonus points if you know which soap Jacko's "love interest" is in now.
ReplyDeleteBeats me, NEB. Do we get to joker this round?
ReplyDelete