KB’s Look Back at the 80’s Music Scene: Dexy’s Midnight Runners

By Karen Beishuizen

Picture This:

Birmingham, England, 1978

Kevin Rowland (vocals, guitar) and Kevin Archer (vocals, guitar) form a band and call it after the recreational drug Dexedrine: Dexy’s Midnight Runners.

Big Jim Paterson (trombone), Geoff Blythe (saxophone), Steve Spooner (alto saxophone), Pete Saunders (keyboard), Pete Williams (bass) and John Jay (drums) formed the first lineup and they start playing live late 1978s.

The band opened for The Specials a few times and Kevin Rowland noticed they wore suits on stage, so he decided that his band needed their own look: donkey jackets, leather coats and woolly hats.

The debut LP “Searching for the Young Soul Rebels” with their first hit single “Geno”, was released in July 1980.

Their second album “Too-Rye-Ay” was released in July 1982. A new sound and a new look was born: dungarees, scarves, leather waistcoats and scruffy hair.

“Come on Eileen” was the second single and became a number one hit in eight countries.

The band’s third album “Don’t Stand Me Down” in 1985 was their last and the band split up.

Kevin Rowland became a solo singer with no success. He suffered from financial problems, drug addiction and depression.

Fast Forward to 2025:

The band is now called Dexys Midnight Runners and are still performing.

Kevin Rowland has penned his memoir which will be published on 10 July: “Bless Me father”

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