DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS – DON’T STAND ME DOWN LP – Nr MINT UK 1985 ORIG

Dexys Midnight Runners – Don’t Stand Me Down
(Mercury Records  1985  MERH56)
Matrix No’s: A8/B8 – UK Pressing

Sleeve in Nr MINT/Excellent+ condition
– some slight wear to edges/corners & 2 or 3 small marks at opening edge
Booklet/Insert in Nr MINT condition

Vinyl in Nr MINT condition

Dexys (originally called Dexys Midnight Runners) are an English pop band with soul influences, who achieved their major success in the early to mid-1980s. They are best known in the UK for their songs “Come On Eileen” and “Geno”, both of which peaked at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, as well as six other top-20 singles.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Dexys went through numerous personnel changes over the course of three albums and thirteen singles, with only singer/songwriter/co-founder Kevin Rowland remaining in the band through all of the transitions and only Rowland and “Big” Jim Paterson (trombone) appearing on all of the albums. By 1983, the band consisted only of Rowland and long-standing members Helen O’Hara (violin) and Billy Adams (guitar). The band broke up in 1987, with Rowland becoming a solo artist. After two failed restart attempts, Dexys was reformed by Rowland in 2003 with new members, as well as a few returning members from the band’s original lineup (known as Dexys Mark I). Dexys released their fourth album in 2012 and a fifth followed in 2016.

Don’t Stand Me Down is the third studio album by Dexys Midnight Runners, released in September 1985.

The album followed their internationally successful second album Too-Rye-Ay and featured a lineup pared down from ten members to just four: vocalist Kevin Rowland, guitarist Billy Adams, violinist Helen O’Hara, and saxophonist Nick Gatfield, the last of whom left the band after the recording sessions.

Track listing

1. “The Occasional Flicker” (Kevin Rowland) – 5:49
2. “This Is What She’s Like” (Billy Adams, Helen O’Hara, Rowland) – 12:23
3. “Knowledge of Beauty” (O’Hara, Rowland, Wynne) – 7:01
4. “One of Those Things” (Rowland) – 6:01
5. “Reminisce Part Two” (Rowland) – 3:31
6. “Listen to This” (Adams, Rowland) – 3:19
7. “The Waltz” (Rowland, Torch) – 8:21

Personnel

• Kevin Rowland — Bass, Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Producer, Liner Notes
• Billy Adams — Guitar, Vocals, Producer
• Helen O’Hara — Violin, Vocals, Producer
• “Big” Jim Paterson — Trombone
• Nick Gatfield — Saxophone, Vocals
• Vincent Crane — Piano
• Tim Dancy — Drums
• Julian Littman — Mandolin
• Tom Evans — Steel Guitar
• Robert Noble — Organ, Synthesizer
• John “Rhino” Edwards — Bass

• Crusher Green — Drums on “Listen to This”
• Mick Boulton — Piano on “The Waltz”
• Randy Taylor — Bass on “Knowledge of Beauty”
• Woody Woodmansey — Drums on “The Waltz”

• Alan Winstanley — Producer
• Pete Schwier — Engineer, Mixing

• Peter Barrett — Cover Design
• Kim Knott — Photography
• Claire Mueller — Photography
• Jack Hazan — Director