Reminiscences

I've been living with the new Dexys Midnight Runners album, Love, for a couple of weeks now. It's Dexys's seventh album, produced by David Holmes and released on Heavenly, and is apparently part of or maybe the final word from Kevin and Dexys. The last song on Love, My Life In England Part 2, in which Kevin exhorts the people of England to 'rise up' over swelling strings, finishes with Kevin saying, 'Goodnight'- which could clearly be taken as the last word. 

The album starts with My Life In England Part 1, a re- recording of an already existing Dexys song, one where Kevin tells his family history, his parents emigrating from Ireland to Wolverhampton and then moving to London, his mum's love of singing, Irish parties where rebel songs were sung, and the accents of the West Midlands and North London, and features Kevin's joyous singing of the chorus- 'My yi yi yi yi yi-yi-yi-yi , life in Eng- er- land'. 

In between the two versions Kevin and Dexys spin and dance around eight more tales of love. Once A Man, Twice A Child is a eulogy for his Dad and the time they spent together when his Dad was a very elderly man. Kevin's relationship with his father was a difficult one and this song seems to be a musical reconciliation. Holmes' production is deep and warm, sympathetic to the songs. Kevin knows what he wants to sound like and the songs are big and soulful, emotive, sometimes sentimental and lyrically very much a taking stock. Kevin sings about aging ('I used to wonder do old people fancy other old people? Now I know the answer', he sings) and about family, grandchildren, romance, grief... all the big stuff, all the lessons learned. Kevin Rowland is and has been a singular voice in British music since the late 70s and (although I can do without the Christmas song), he has earned the right to do what he wants. 

The song You've Got The Love was Love's second single and initial digital copies of the album bought at Bandcamp came with a David Holmes remix of the song. Homer's remix has now been released in its own right along with a pair of Steve Mac mixes. The Holmes remix is a joy, looped drums and bass and snatches of vocals, a track filled with dancefloor urgency, Balearic chords and a joie de vivre summed up in the song with the line, 'you've got the love that I need...' 

I saw Kevin's autobiography out on paperback recently so I've been reading that at the same time. It's called Bless Me Father and his relationship with his father is never far from the centre of the book. Kevin's entire life, from childhood, has been one wracked with anxiety and insecurity. He didn't always realise it was this- as a young man he was angry and lashed out at people, let them down, behaved in ways which confused and upset them. He thought his father was permanently singling him out for criticism. He fell into a life of juvenile crime, multiple court appearances and family arguments. Reading Kevin's story I couldn't help but feel that if he'd had someone talk to him properly, some counselling as a teenager or young man, he could have been saved a lifetime of internal pain and relationship strife. 

Kevin doesn't seem to have particularly enjoyed any of his time as a pop star, the period between their breakthrough with Geno and Young Soul Rebels and then the huge hits with Come On Eileen and Too- Rye- Ay, seem to have been fraught and miserable, constant arguing and second guessing, not trusting people, self sabotaging, falling out with band members and pushing them away. He describes his life in vivid and frank detail- at times you wish he could be a little less candid but I guess it's all part of the process of writing it. His description of his cocaine addiction is horrific. In the end there is redemption, relief, recovery, and some self awareness, a coming to terms with the anxieties and issues which have plagued him. That book and this album very much work as a pair, a reflection on a life that has been all over the place at times but that has given us some amazing songs and only now he's much older has he achieved some peace. Through it all though, he acknowledges towards the end of the book, it has often been that music is the thing that has saved him. 

Reminisce (Part One)

His Life In England

One of those treats that light up your life- got home yesterday, long day at work, exam season, had some tea, pottered round the kitchen loading the dishwasher and other mundane chores, went to the computer and opened up my emails and sitting in the middle of the unread pile in my Inbox was one from Heavenly Recordings that read, 'Dexys Midnight Runners Announce New Album LOVE/ My Life In England Pt. 1 single and video out now'

And on clicking on the link you find this blast of life affirming joy that is Kevin Rowland in full flight...

How much fun is that? The song, the singing and the video.

My Life In England Pt 1 is the story of Kevin's childhood, his Irish immigrant roots, his father and brother, the Irish community in Wolverhampton, rebel songs in social clubs and being taught to fight and love, and then on moving to North London discovering the joys of clothes, music and dancing. The song was originally recorded for a Dexys compilation in 2003, written by Kevin and Jim Patterson- the new version opens the new album, called Love because Kevin realised that all the songs one way or another were about love. It's produced by David Holmes, who had been wanting to work with the band since being eleven years old when his sister gave him a Walkman and his first cassette was Searching For The Young Soul Rebels and the first band he saw live. 

Back in 1985 Dexys released one of the great misunderstood albums of that decade, one that over time has grown to be recognised as a masterpiece. In 1997 after years out of print it was re- issued by Creation and Kevin renamed some of the songs including Listen to This, a song just packed to the brim with passion and feeling. 

I Love You (Listen To This)

Soundtrack Saturday

Napoli's railway system is covered in graffiti- it's a battle the authorities have lost. There are some interesting juxtapositions of expression. 

One thing I think I can promise in this series of songs from soundtracks is that there won't be many theme tunes from 1980s sitcoms. Terry And June, It Ain't Half Hot Mum, Last Of The Summer Wine, 'Allo 'Allo, Ever Decreasing Circles, To The Manor Born, Open All Hours, Butterflies... none of these will trouble us. But this one will...

Because Of You

Credited to Kevin Rowland and Dexys Midnight Runners, Because Of You was a 1986 single, a Kevin Rowland, Kevin Adams and Helen O'Hara co- write, a lilting song about love with some fiddle, sweetly sung by Kevin. 

It was also the theme tune to Brush Strokes, a BBC sitcom that lasted from 1986 to 1991 for six series (these things always went on longer than you remember don't they?). The lead character was Jacko, a painter and decorator played by Karl Howman. Jacko is a ladies man and most of the jokes come from him trying to find success with women while on various painting and decorating jobs. If you want an instant hit of early evening TV from 1986, these are the opening titles

Monday's Long Song

Kevin Rowland is a genius isn't he? Genuine genius is pretty rare- people use the word all the time in pop music but I think it probably applies to Kevin. The late 70s through to mid 80s run of albums Dexys Midnight Runners made show him to be an auteur, a songwriter who could tap into the popular consciousness (not once but twice, Geno and then Come On Eileen, were both via wildly different styles, huge pop records). His mercurial nature, obsessive character and anti- everyone else stance led to many arguments and departures. The first line up of Dexys jumped ship and his paranoia about Top Of The Pops appearances and perception that Al Archer was trying to steal the limelight by wearing a red woolen hat show him a difficult person to deal with and be around. But the music and the ideas and inspirations that went into it- genius.

1985's Don't Stand Me Down is one of those completely misunderstood on release albums, a record that only really came to be listened to and seen for what it was years later. Seven songs, four over six minutes long, with the quartet dressed in suits and ties on the sleeve, songs with lengthy spoken word sections, the songs forming a backdrop to conversations between Kevin and other members of the group. This Is What She's Like is the longest song on the record, a twelve and a half minute discussion between Kevin and Billy Adams, partly written by Helen O'Hara, in which he never really reveals what she's like but meanders all over the place, Kevin eventually explaining what she's not like and listing the people he dislikes- people who put creases in their jeans, people who are members of CND, people who have 'home bars and hi fis and all that stuff'. 

Kevin has mellowed somewhat since this song was written I think, is less wound up by those people, but he clearly meant it at the time. In the end he gets round to the point of the song, something he got from watching The Godfather, the part where Michael Corleone is in Sicily and gets married, and the word the Italians have for being stuck by a thunderbolt and falling in love. 

'That's my story', Kevin says, 'Strongest thing I've ever seen'. 

This Is What She's Like

You're So Anti-Fashion

This is from the same year as yesterday's bank holiday Jam special and from another of punk's angry and intense young men, Kevin Rowland. There, There, My Dear explodes out of the end of Searching For The Young Soul Rebels, an album that has more than its fair share of musical and lyrical explosions.

The Stax v punk horns burst the song open and Kevin begins addressing 'Robin' and then takes him apart in a variety of ways, the most audible being 'if you're so anti-fashion, why not wear flares?'. Kevin follows up with a list of writers Robin likes to quote and disparages his claims of liking Frank Sinatra. On it goes, Kevin twisting his knife further and cramming more words into the lines than should really fit (and scan) until the spoken word section where he accuses Robin of hiding the young soul rebels, finishing with 'Maybe you should welcome the new soul vision'. I don't know who Robin is, whether he is a real person, an imaginary enemy, someone at the NME, an amalgam of people from other bands- he could be any of these. And whether Robin deserves Kevin's criticism or not, its a undeniably exciting and exhilarating way to close the album.

There, There, My Dear

Listen To This

Dexys in 1985, when Kevin Rowland realised that nothing is further out than looking totally straight. They then released an album (Don't Stand Me Down) that the press didn't get but now can't get enough of. I Love You (Listen To This) could easily be my favourite Dexys tune (One Of Those Things off the same record runs it close, with Kevin's impassioned realisation that 'It all sounded the same'). Here are the group on performing live on The Tube in '85. Kevin's dancing at the three minute mark is a joy to behold.

Because...

... we've waited a long time.
Because the new album's out, two and a half decades plus after the last.
Because it's Kevin Rowland and he is always worth listening to.
Because they look great.
Because Mick Talbot, Pete Williams and Big Jim, all ex-Dexys, are in the band.
Because they mean it.
Because he's still searching.
Because it's Dexys.

Nowhere is Home

'I now know no romantic situation, no money, success- nothing, can make me happy'.

Kevin's Beauty

Dexys are back with a new album and single pencilled in for June. No 'Midnight Runners' bit this time, which I suppose underlines it's a new band/thing although the band changed every time first time around didn't it? Back in 1999 Kevin Rowland released a solo album, the infamous My Beauty. Kevin recorded twelve cover versions, re-writing the lyrics to some of them to deal with his battles with various addictions. Bruce Springsteen objected to the new lyrics and forced Kevin to pull his cover Thunder Road prior to release. It included the song here, a cover of a Hollies song. The album lives in the memory for two other reasons though- first Kevin appeared on the cover wearing a dress (a man's dress mind), make up, silky black knickers and stockings and suspenders. At the Reading festival that year he wore a white slip dress and was showered with bottles, some of which contained the traditional liquid of the Reading festival goer thrower. Second, it was widely reported to have sold only 5/50/70 copies (delete according to what you heard) in its first week on sale. Creation and Alan McGee (who released it) claimed to welcome this as evidence of its genius and the small mindedness of the record buying public, although rumours of total sales of only 500 can't have helped anyone at the time, least of all Kevin. Of course legend beats fact, as usual- it went on to sell over 20,000 worldwide.

I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top

Young Soul Rebel Version

Dexys Midnight Runners' cover of yesterday's northern soul smash isn't too shabby either.

A couple of friends of mine bumped into Kevin Rowland in the street a few months back, both big fans. They approached him and one of them asked to shake his hand, telling Kevin how one of Dexys albums had been a key album in his life. 'Which album?' Kevin asked. 'Searching For The Young Soul Rebels' my friend replied. Apparently the look on Kevin Rolands' face made it clear it wasn't an opinion he shared. Which tells you something about artists, seeing as Young Soul Rebels is pretty much the only Dexys album to get universal adoration. It's thirty years old this year, re-issued this month with the 'legacy' treatment- extra tracks, sessions, unreleased songs, booklet and so on. That'll be the sound of a record company wringing a few more drops out.

06 Seven Days Too Long.wma

Dexys Midnight Runners 'Because Of You'

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