Much loved pop outlaws Dexys Midnight Runners are set to release a special edition of ‘Searching For The Young Soul Rebels’.
Back in 1980, Britain was a divided country. The newly elected Conservative government were battling a recession while the simmering racial tension which would explode across Britain was nearing crisis point.
From Birmingham came an unusual group, who shied away from punk influences for something more soulful. Led by Kevin Rowlands, Dexys Midnight Runners would release one of the most spectacular debut albums of the era.
Released in 1980, 'Searching For The Young Soul Rebels' was the sound of a band striving towards the source of their inspiration. Pushing the music until it shattered, Dexys Midnight Runners produced something truly uplifting.
Musically inspired by the secret world of Northern Soul, Dexys Midnight Runners would pay tribute to the scene by covering 'Seven Days Are Too Long' by Chuck Woods.
Lyrically, the album was seething with discontent at British life. 'The Teams That Meet In Caffs' pours scorn on the emerging casual scene, while 'Thankfully Living In Yorkshire It Doesn't Apply' raged against an insular attitude.
Slapping a photograph of a young child from Belfast on the cover, Dexy Midnight Runners spoke out for the disenfranchised in their own country. A true classic, 'Searching For The Young Soul Rebels' is now set to get the expansive treatment.
Alongside the original album the band will present a variety of non-album singles and B-sides. Dexys Midnight Runners fractured soon after the release of their debut, with this material representing a chance to hear the band implode.
Elsewhere, rare radio sessions and live takes have been uncovered with Dexys Midnight Runners blasting through a range of classic soul covers. Packaged with exhaustive sleevenotes, this seems to be the definitive version of 'Searching For The Young Soul Rebels'.
Dexys Midnight Runners are due to re-issue 'Searching For The Young Soul Rebels' on October 4th.