Nige Tassell - Searching for Dexy's

  by Eoghan Lyng

published: 19 / 12 / 2024

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Acclaimed music writer Nige Tassell turns his attention to folk – soul alchemists Dexy’s Midnight Runners in an impressive biography. Eoghan Lyng reviews

At one point in ‘Searching For Dexys Midnight Runners’ author Nige Tassell describes vocalist and band leader Kevin Rowland as something of a “Scorsese”. This is no mere padding: like the Italian-American director, Rowland's work stemmed from his life as an outsider peering in, his movements harder than the many peers on the street. The son of Connaught immigrants, Rowland carried his view of Ireland through his work, celebrating the works of the island's writers ('Burn It Down') or saluting the musical trajectory that served the diaspora overseas ('The Celtic Soul Brothers'). But there was more to Dexys Midnight Runners than Rowland, which the book outlines. A chapter is dedicated to keyboardist Micky Billingham, a man who gives an overview of the band's early days. “Since that fateful day when Kevin Rowland phoned me up at the builders’ merchants, I’ve had no regrets at all," he says. "I really haven’t looked back. And I’ve been lucky. I’ve been virtually all over the world and didn’t have to pay for it”. Indeed, Tassell travelled all the way to Canterbury to meet tenor sax player Paul Speare, another musician who delivers an overview on the band. Initially weirded out by his "audition", Speare came to understand the band's potential when he worked on classic track 'Plan B'. Fiddle player Helen O’Hara credits her family - she's one of seven children - with her musical foundation. O'Hara's contributions are heard throughout ‘Don't Stand Me Down’, the band's most sophisticated and inventive work; her work bouncing off Rowland's stentorian vocals. Dexy’s Midnight Runners were chameleonic in their resolve, shedding off the skin of their previous album to make something entirely new and daring. Bass guitarist John 'Rhino' Edwards cherishes his memories of working with the outfit, a musician who admired luminaries Paul McCartney and Free's Andy Fraser. Edwards has enjoyed continued success touring with Status Quo, but holds the second-generation Irish singer with great fondness."I liked everyone in the band," Edwards states. “Kevin had quite a charisma, and it could be quite a negative charisma. He could walk into a room and cast a shadow. Everyone would stop talking. But I never had a single cross word with him". Interestingly, Tassell speaks to Julian Littman, a mandolin player who contributed to live sing-along 'This Is What She's Like'. In later years, Littman turned to acting, featuring among a starry ensemble that made up Alan Parker's shimmering ‘Evita’ (1996). Littman also worked for Tim Burton on ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, ensuring that the oompa-loompas never blinked. Bathetically, Tassell sees something of Rowland and his avoidance of facial gestures with Burton. And then there's Mick Talbot, The Style Council's co-founder, who was tasked with the role of musical director in 2003. Recalling the tour dates as a form of theatre, Talbot's fingerprints were evident on ‘One Day I'm Going To Soar’, the band's superb 2012 comeback. Rowland acknowledged Talbot's contributions on the liner notes, a gesture that flattered Talbot no end. A common theme of the book is that Rowland's approach to music is certainly unusual, but there's no denying his generosity and his commitment. Late musicians John Jay and Bobby ‘Jnr’ Ward are commemorated at the end of the book. A conventional volume would never suit Dexy’s. It would never do, when you take into consideration the band's far-reaching and inventive nature. But it also wouldn't do to shower the band with artistic garlands, considering their honesty, their integrity and their determination. Taking all of this into consideration, ‘Searching For Dexys Midnight Runners’ is a near-perfect tribute to the band who have transcended race, genre and generation.

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