EP-iphanies: Dexys Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen” [U.S. 12″]

As you probably know by now, The Analog Kid lives for b-sides and non-album cuts. In this continuing series, I will share some of my favorite EPs and 12″ singles from over the years in their entirety. And since it’s digital, you don’t have to worry about correctly setting the turntable speed to  or 33⅓ or 45!

I don’t have to tell you how awesome “Come On Eileen” is– it’s one of the most infectious songs of the ’80s, and I still bop around like an idiot every time I hear it. Dexys Midnight Runners are often thought of as a one-hit wonder in the States, but they had a number of hits in their native U.K. (“Geno,” like “Come On Eileen,” went straight to #1). The band recently reunited (under the name Dexys), and released the highly-acclaimed One Day I’m Going To Soar in 2012.

“Come On Eileen” went to #1 in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The band could have placed a violin-only version of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” on the b-side of “Come On Eileen” and no one would have complained, but instead Dexys gifted us with one of the best b-sides ever: a violin-heavy version of the R&B classic “TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia),” also known as the theme from Soul Train. The original version from MFSB (with vocal help from The Three Degrees) is about as groovy as it gets, and Dexys’ take is every bit as glorious. If only Don Cornelius could have had the foresight (and guts) to put Dexys on Soul Train– if he had, the world would probably be a much better place today.

Dexys Midnight Runners: Come On Eileen [U.S. 12″]

Mercury Records, 1982

Vinyl rip courtesy of the amazing DJPaulT and his fantastic website: http://burningtheground.net/

1. “Come On Eileen” (Rowland/Paterson/Adams)

Come On Eileen [Single Version]

2. “The Sound Of Philadelphia (T.S.O.P.)/Let’s Make This Precious” (Gamble/Huff/Rowland/Paterson)

The Sound Of Philadelphia (T.S.O.P.)/Let’s Make This Precious

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Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

MFSB: “TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia)” (Gamble/Huff)

From the album Love Is The Message

Philadelphia International Records, 1973

T.S.O.P. (The Sound of Philadelphia)

Dexys Midnight Runners: “Geno” (Rowland/Archer)

From the album Searching For The Young Soul Rebels

EMI Records, 1980

Geno