For the original album receiving this 2022 remastering, B-sides and rarities along with a really cool live album all included for under $20 for the digital version (the album is also available on vinyl), that’s just wonderful! Recommended!
Purchase Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Too-Rye-Ay (As It Should Have Sounded 2022) on Amazon
BAND: Dexy’s Midnight Runners and Kevin Rowland
ALBUM: Too-Rye-Ay (As It Should Have Sounded 2022)
DURATION: 39 Songs (2 Hours, 51 Minutes)
ALBUM RELEASE DATE: October 13, 2022
CD 1: The 1982 album – ‘as it should have sounded’
The Celtic Soul Brothers
Let’s Make This Precious
All In All (This One Last Wild Waltz)
Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile)
Old
Plan B
I’ll Show You
Liars A To E
Until I Believe In My Soul
Come On Eileen
CD 2: Bonus tracks – B-Sides / Out-Takes
Show Me (Single A-side – 1981)
Soon (B-side of Show Me single – 1981)
…And Yes We Must Remain The Wildhearted Outsiders (B-side of Liars A to E single – 1981)
Love Part 2 (B-side of The Celtic Soul Brothers single – 1982)
Let’s Make This Precious (‘Original Version’ – from Too-Rye-Ay (2CD deluxe))
Come On Eileen (Single Edit – 1982)
Dubious (B-side of Come On Eileen single – 1982)
T.S.O.P. (B-side of Jackie Wilson Said.. 12” single – 1982)
Let’s Get This Straight From The Start (Non-album single – 1982)
Reminisce (Part 1)(B-side of The Celtic Soul Brothers 12″ single – 1983)
Let’s Make This Precious (Out-Take – Previously Unreleased)
‘Smoke Your Own’ (AKA Liars A To E, 1981) (Out-Take – Previously Unreleased)
Until I Believe In My Soul (Out-Take – Previously Unreleased)
CD 3: Live at the Shaftesbury Theatre – October 1982
Old
Geno
Let’s Get This Straight From the Start
All in All (This One Last Wild Waltz)
Tell Me When My Light Turns Green
Plan B
Let’s Make This Precious
I Couldn’t Help If I Tried
Until I Believe in My Soul
Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile)
Respect
There, There, My Dear
Come on Eileen
Seven Days Too Long
The Celtic Soul Brothers
I’m Just Looking
It’s rather interesting because the band Dexy’s Midnight Runners may be considered a “one hit wonder” in America, as they didn’t come up with a major pop hit after the release of the their immensely popular song “Come on Eileen”.
But the band scored two no. 1 hits in the UK Charts with “Come on Eileen” and “Geno” but for those who grew up following the band or even watched them on the popular longtime British music show “Top of the Pops”, the band is one of the more exciting things to watch on television.
And as their music is now critically acclaimed by music critics, especially for their first album “Searching for the Young Rebels” (1980), the second album “Too-Rye-Ay” (1982) is their best selling album, as it debuted no. 2 on the UK albums charts and their single “Come on Eileen” would be a worldwide hit, debuting at no. 1 on the UK Singles Charts. And also preventing Michael Jackson from having back-to-back number one hits, as Dexy’s Midnight Runners took no. 1 for one week when Jackson’s “Billie Jean” was no. 1 for seven weeks before “Come on Eileen” and “Beat It” was no. 1 for three weeks after.
But it was a surprising hit coming from the band which was founded in 1978 in Birmingham, England. Original members vocalist Kevin Rowland (vocals, guitars) and vocal/guitarist Kevin Archer came from a punk band known from the mid-1970s as the Killjoys. The punk band would not last as Rowland’s insistence of having eight-hour practice sessions and a different vision not shared with the other band members, would lead to the band disbanding.
The breakup would lead to Rowland having a disdain and immersing himself with vintage soul music, especially the music of Geno Watson.
And Rowland along with Archer would help form Dexy’s Midnight Runners. Part of the Northern Soul era which featured English pop rock with soul influences.
Despite having a solid debut album with “Searching for the Young Rebels” (1980), unfortunately band founder and lead vocalist/guitarist Kevin Rowland put a self-imposed press imbargo on the band and creating friction with music media and because of that, they didn’t get many write ups and it created friction within the band and tensions led to the band not getting along with five of the eight band members quitting.
The band which featured original members vocalist Kevin Rowland (vocals, guitars), “Big” Jim Patterson on trombone would bring in some friends such as Kevin “Billy” Adams (guitar/banjo), Seb Shelton (drums), Mickey Billingham (keyboard), Brian Maurice Brummit on alto sax, Paul Speare on tenor sax, Steve Wynn on bass and Helen Bevington (aka Helen O’Hara) on classical violin and two more violinists Steve Shaw (aka Steve Brenbnan) and Roger MacDuff. The strings team would be known as “The Emerald Express”.
But with Rowland’s trying to organize this new group of musicians (the horn section including Dexy’s co-founder “Big” Jim Patterson, were not thrilled and were about to leave the group), it did cause some friction with band members but they all stuck together to complete the band’s second album “Too-Rye-Ay”.
And while the band tried to showcase themselves dressed as boxers prior to the release of the album, the group decided to sport dungarees, scarves, leather waistcoats and look scruffy individuals.
While Dexy’s Midnight Runners would go through different band members throughout the decades.
And while the album would remain the band’s top selling album, Kevin Rowland has said that he wasn’t happy with the production. And as many people are getting super deluxe or deluxe editions, for the 40th anniversary of “Too-Rye-Ay”, Rowland got a second chance.
And now “Too-Rye-Ay (As It Should Have Sounded 2022)” has been released. And in Rowland’s words, “The songs and performances are great, but I always felt the mixes could be better. It’s my most successful album, but it doesn’t sound as good as the others. This is the director’s cut, and it’s how it should have sounded…”.
Rowland has said that when the original album was released, he begged for the label to remix the songs but they told him there was no budget and it was released as is. And all this time, Rowland wasn’t happy with it.
So, for the 40th anniversary, Rowland contacted the label and got his chance.
The original album had 10 tracks and each of the 10 tracks for “Too-Rye-Ay (As It Should Have Sounded 2022)” have been remixed the way that Kevin Rowland had wanted the songs to sound.
The album would feature the B-Sides, Rarities and also Out-Takes and live performances from 1982, remastered in 2022.
And another big difference is that one will see the album released as being by “Kevin Rowland & Dexy’s Midnight Runners” (or Dexy Midnight Runners and Kevin Rowland).
The band would release their first single “The Celtic Soul Brothers’ which was the first track on the album. And reached no. 45 on the UK charts and no. 86 in the US when it was re-released in 1983. The song I remember catching my attention was Helen O’Hara’s fiddle playing and Rowland’s vocals and the catchy music.
For those who purchased the singles and wondered if the B-sides are included, the answer is yes. The single B-sides are on disc 2, such has “Love (Pt. 2)” and “Reminisce (Pt. 1)”.
The second track “Let’s Make This Precious (As It Should Have it Sounded)”, which was the B-side to “Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile)” and I always enjoyed this song, because it always had this Robert Smith/The Cure type vibe. There is a second version titled “Let’s Make this Precious (New Version)” on disc 2 which really brings out the vocals. I actually like this version a lot!
And strings would be a big part of the entire album and it’s true that the significance of the horns has waned a bit on the original album but would be used for the next track quite heavily. But for those who miss the horns with Dexy’s Midnight Runners, fear not, as disc 2 will feature a lot of tracks showcasing the horns section.
The fourth track “Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile)” is a cover of the Van Morrison song and the third single from the album. It reached no. 5 on the UK Singles Charts and of the songs on the album to showcase the horn section, this song does just that. And they would do it again for the tracks “Plan B” and “Until I Believe in My Soul”.
One of the things that people wondered for many years is why was Scottish pro darts player “Jocky Wilson” featured and whether it was deliberate.
Rowland finally answered that it was deliberate and he had the “Top of the Pops” producer to use the image, as Rowland found it amusing and funny. And also, because the nickname was used for the song in their rehearsals.
Speaking about funny, I think people will find the song “Until I Believe in My Soul”, which is an interesting song featuring Rowland cussing in the track and of course, during a time before albums would put “explicit” images on albums. But as a kid, I thought this was one of the best songs on the album which I listened to a lot.
The album ends with with the “Come on Eileen (As It Should Have Sounded 2022)” and the music video is a wonderful which brings together the past and present. And showing how the band has evolved throughout the years. And seeing original members Kevin Rowland and Helen O’Hara.
There is no doubt a slight difference on how this 2022 version sounds, compared to the original. But no fear for those who prefer the original single edit as the song is featured as track six on disc 2.
But as the for the song, it was a colossal hit as it won “Best British Single” at the 1983 Brit Awards, was ranked no. 18 on VH1’s “100 Greatest Songs of the ’80s” and also was Britain’s best single of 1982.
The B-side track from the original single release, “Dubious”, is featured on disc 2.
And for those who remember the “Live Shaftsbury Theatre 1982” video of “Come on Eileen”, well the songs performed live at the event are featured in disc 3.
Disc 3 features a total of 16 songs performed live and select songs from both “Searching for the Young Soul Rebels” and “Too-Rye-Ay” are featured. And felt it was cool that you could hear the audience cheering for the band during the live performance.
It’s important to note that the concert live tracks are called “2022 Remixes”, but there are no new insertions of additional lyrics or different instruments, so I think it’s more than likely a 2022 remaster as none of the recorded parts are taken away and a remix would be difficult to do of a 1982 live recording.
Overall, I’m quite pleased with this 40th anniversary release but also happy Kevin Rowland got his wish 40 years later to remix this album the way he wanted it to sound. And making things much more powerful in areas that Rowland wanted it to be.
This is quite rare as sometimes things are done posthumously but if anything, I’m glad that Kevin Rowland got his chance while he’s still alive and he and a few of the original band members are still performing.
For the most part, as a person who owned the original album and now having grow up with this band and listening to this 2022 release of Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ “Too-Rye-Ay (As It Should Have Sounded 2022)”, I’m just quite happy with the overall release.
For the original album receiving this 2022 remastering, B-sides and rarities along with a really cool live album all included for under $20 for the digital version (the album is also available on vinyl), that’s just wonderful!
Recommended!
Purchase Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Too-Rye-Ay (As It Should Have Sounded 2022) on Amazon
