Dexys Midnight Runners
Dexys Midnight Runners (known as simply Dexys from 2003 to 2026) are an English pop rock band from Birmingham. They are best known in the UK for their songs "Come On Eileen" and "Geno", both of which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, as well as their cover of Van Morrison's "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)", which reached No. 5. They achieved five other UK Top 20 singles. Outside of the UK, the band are largely considered a one hit wonder, with "Come On Eileen" also having topped the US Billboard Hot 100. With extensive airplay on MTV, they were associated with the Second British Invasion.
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; only he and trombonist "Big" Jim Paterson appeared on all studio 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 the following year, and Rowland pursued a solo career for several decades. After two failed restart attempts, the band was reformed by Rowland as Dexys in 2003 with new members, as well as a few returning members from the band's original lineup. Dexys released their fourth album, One Day I'm Going to Soar in 2012; a fifth, Let the Record Show: Dexys Do Irish and Country Soul, followed in 2016. The band later released their sixth album The Feminine Divine in 2023, and are slated to release their seventh album Love in September 2026 following a revert back to the original band name.
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