40 years after it was first released, Dexys Midnight Runners have revealed that the mix/sound of their signature tune, “Come On Eileen”, that millions know and love, was not the preferred version! Finally made available for the first time since 1982, the original and intended version of “Come On Eileen” comes after many years of heartache for lead singer Kevin Rowland.
“Come On Eileen” was co-written by Kevin and Jim Paterson of the group along with Billy Adams for the group’s second studio album, “Too-Rye-Ay”, in 1981-82. The song was released as the second single in June 1982 and became their breakout hit worldwide, topping the charts in over a dozen countries including America and selling many millions of copies. In the UK, “Come On Eileen” became the group’s second number one after “Geno” hit the top in 1980.
“Come On Eileen” was one of a number of tracks written for the album that never turned out the way Rowland had wanted and there is still, waiting in the wings, an updated version of the album, titled “Too-Rye-Ay – As It Could Have Sounded”, to come. Dexys plan to tour the album in the near future, delayed from earlier in 2022 when Rowland suffered a motorcycle accident.
“Come On Eileen” 1982
“Come On Eileen” 2022
“Too-Rye-Ay – As It Could Have Sounded” is released on October 14th
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