Madness

506. Dexys Midnight Runners & The Emerald Express – Come On Eileen (1982)

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The Intro

Two years after their first number 1, Geno, Dexys Midnight Runners returned with a new look, a new sound, and a future wedding dancefloor classic in Come On Eileen.

Before

Hot on the heels of Geno, Dexys Midnight Runners’ debut album, Searching for the Young Soul Rebels was released in July 1980. Pete Saunders was replaced on keyboards by Mick Talbot – future co-founder of The Style Council with Paul Weller. Although their next single There, There, My Dear was a hit, peaking at number seven, there was trouble afoot.

Frontman Kevin Rowlands insisted on rewriting the lyrics to Keep It, which was scheduled to be their next single. EMI weren’t happy, but there was no stopping Rowlands. When Keep It Part Two (Inferiority Part One) failed to even chart, the group splintered. Only two remained – Rowland and trombonist ‘Big’ Jim Paterson

After working on new songs together, Rowland and Paterson recruited new members. Kevin ‘Billy’ Adams on guitar and banjo, Seb Shelton on drums, Mickey Billingham on keyboards, Brian Maurice on alto saxophone, Paul Spear on tenor sax and Steve Wynne on bass.

Many assume that Dexys Midnight Runners went from the leather jacketed look of their first album, straight into the gypsy outfits of their second. However there was a short-lived phase inbetween, where the new group were decked out in hooded tops and boxing boots, and some wore pony tails. Rowland also instilled a fitness regime, insisting on working out and running together.

In 1981, the new Dexys Midnight Runners recorded a single, Plan B, but due to contractual wrangling with EMI, there was no promotion and it failed to break into the top 40. Rowland issued an ad stating his previous band had tried to throw him out of the group, but had failed and the new band were working on a new live show called The Midnight Runners Projected Passion Revue.

EMI let Dexys Midnight Runners go and they signed with Mercury Records. The first single for the label, produced by Tony Visconti, was Show Me, which reached 16. Wynne was sacked and replaced by Mick Gallick, who was given the stage name ‘Giorgio Kilkenny’.

Inspired by former bandmate Kevin ‘Al’ Archer, Rowland added strings to the Dexys Midnight Runners sound from his horn players and session musicians, but Liars A to E didn’t chart. When it came to recording their next LP, Rowland wanted better string players. Classical violin student Helen Bevington was poached from Archer’s band and renamed ‘Helen O’Hara’. She then in turn recruited fellow students Steve Shaw and Roger Huckle – now dubbed ‘Steve Brennan’ and ‘Roger McDuff’. The violin section was dubbed The Emerald Express. However, the horn section, fearing their role was diminishing, decided to quit after the recording of Too-Rye-Ay was finished. The new album was produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who were behind the mixing desk for many Madness hits, including their recent number 1, House of Fun.

Come On Eileen had originally been calledJames, Van and Me. It was a tribute to James Brown and Van Morrison, whose influences are all over Too-Rye-Ay. Most likely lyrically similar to Geno, you can sing this title instead of Come On Eileen – and then be glad Rowland changed his mind. However, it perhaps explains the reference to Johnnie Ray in the first verse – left in from the original version?

Musically, Come On Eileen was credited to Rowland, Paterson and Adams. However, Archer was upset to hear Rowland had copied the breakdown and buildup from Archer. Check out the last few minutes of The Blue Ox Babes’ What Does Anybody Ever Think About and you’ll see what I mean. In time, Rowland admitted to the influence Archer had on the sound of Too-Rye-Ay.

Instead, Rowland came up with lyrics based on the true story of a girl Rowland grew up with. Their friendship turned romantic at the age of 13 and according to Rowland it became sexual a year later. He had been raised as a Catholic and served as an altar boy, so the thin line between love and lust, combined with the taboo of sex, interested Rowland, and he wrapped all these topics into one of the most endearing number 1s of the early 80s.

Review

Come On Eileen is so lovable that I simply don’t believe anyone who claims they’re sick of hearing it. Mind you, it could be that they’ve been to more weddings than me. Rowland is a wayward genius but when he hits – this, Geno, the cover of Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile) – it’s a hammer blow that feels so good.

The lyrics are just perfect. Whether the opening line is a hangover from a first draft or not, it’s a compelling intro to a description of young love between the singer and the mythical ‘Eileen’. Of course it’s a perfect wedding song – the timestamp may be for adolescent love, that feels eternal at the time, and unstoppable if you’re lucky to find someone who feels the same way.

I love the lines about escaping a dreary existence:

‘These people ’round here
Were beaten down, eyes sunk in smoke-dried face
They’re resigned to what their fate is
But not us (no, never)
No, not us (no, never)
We are far too young and clever’.

That mix of adolescent arrogance and wistfulness brings to mind Morrissey at his best.

And it makes perfect sense for Come On Eileen to become a wedding classic, because getting married brings that feeling back – that together, you’re unstoppable. Anything is possible.

And now, a confession. You can get lost in the emotion of Rowland’s songs so easily, you’re not always concentrating on the actual words – and he sometimes yelps in such a way, it’s even harder to follow. But it’s no excuse that only now, writing this, have I learned that the chorus is:

‘Come on Eileen,
Oh, I swear (Well, he means)
At this moment
You mean everything’

The bit in brackets is interesting. Is that the singer’s mates interjecting that his promise shouldn’t be taken literally, and that she’s only important right now, to the lusty protagonist who wants her dress off ASAP? Or, are they saying, he really means it? I’m not sure. It adds deeper meaning… I’m just not certain what the meaning is! I’d be interested to know if everyone else out there knew about the bracketed bit, or whether this is news to anyone else.

But yes, so strong is the music and the feel the band creates, I’m not going to get too hung up on it. And you know what, if Rowland stole the structure of the end section from a former bandmate, I’m not going to hold it against him, because he improves on it so well. The build-up from Geno-style chanting to the return of the chorus is fantastic and totally ageless. Take a bow, Rowland.

There are several versions of Come On Eileen. The single mix, which also features on some album versions, begins with a violin playing the first line of the folk song Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms. Some album versions skip this and start with the bass. Many of the re-releases add Rowland singing Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms at the end of the song.

The video is perfect. Opening with archive footage of Ray and bridged by pics of childhood sweethearts, we’re then taken to the ragtag misfits in wall-to-wall denim, performing on a street corner, while Rowland sings to Eileen, played by Maire Fahey, whose sister, Siobhan, was a member of future chart-topping acts Bananarama and Shakespears Sister. I remember thinking they looked like a cool bunch to hang around with – even if they looked like they hadn’t washed in weeks. In fact, as a young boy, it probably added to their appeal.

After

The Celtic Soul Brothers had been the first single from Too-Ry-Aye, but it failed to reach the top 40. Rowland knew the potential of Come On Eileen, and was worried it would also sink. Hedropped his imposed media blackout and gave a series of contentious interviews. The publicity helped rocket the single up the charts. Come On Eileen eclipsed the success of Geno and became a summer smash. It spent a month at number 1, becoming the best-selling single of 1982. And it also topped the Billboard chart, too.

Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile) was a deserved follow-up, yet it peaked at number five. This was in despite of the famous Top of the Pops appearance in which they performed in front of a giant picture of darts player Jocky Wilson (this was a deliberate joke by the band).

Despite the success of Dexys Midnight Runners in 1982, the horn players did indeed leave afterwards. Saxophonist Nick Gatfield and session musicians were added to the ranks, with Rowland, O’Hara and Adams became the core trio, and brand new single Let’s Get This Straight (From the Start) was released, but it only made it to number 17.

The next two years saw Rowland, O’Hara, Adams and Gatfield work with numerous session musicians and a series of producers on sessions that would become their third album. Don’t Stand Me Down finally saw the light of day in 1985 and showcased a less commercial, more introspective sound. This was emphasised by their new appearance – they smartened up and wore sharp suits. Only one single was released – a heavily edited version of the epic This Is What She’s Like – and it didn’t chart. Critics panned the new LP. Rowland turned to drugs and the band was done – apart from one wonderful single, the tender Because of You, which was the theme to the BBC One sitcom Brush Strokes. It only reached 13.

Dexys Midnight Runners were disbanded, and in 1988 Rowland released his first solo album The Wanderer, which flopped. He went into freefall, suffering from depression, drug addiction and money problems. On the day he signed on for Jobseeker’s Allowance, someone on the dole sang Come On Eileen at him. He spent most of 1993 and 94 in rehab.

A few years later, he felt well enough to sign with Creation Records. He had been shunned by most other labels, and being on the same label as Oasis could have boded well, but it didn’t work out that way. Although a remastered and expanded version of Don’t Stand Me Down helped the album to be re-evaluated, the problems came with his new album.

In 1999 he released My Beauty, an album of cover versions that was panned and only garnered ridicule due to the cover, in which he crossdressed. It was the height of lad culture, and this was perceived as a terrible mistake. I saw him at Leeds Festival that year, and his short set was laughed at. At one point I remember watching him singing The Greatest Love of All into an almost naked dancer’s crotch. Plans to reform Dexys Midnight Runners were put on ice and he left the label.

Rowland was in a better place by 2003, and admitted publicly that his time on Creation was a mistake. With a new Dexys Midnight Runners compilation on the way, Rowland assembled a new version of the band to record a couple of new songs. Manhood and My Life in England were recorded with original bassist Pete Williams on vocals and Talbot back in the fold, plus Welsh classical violist Lucy J Morgan, trombonist Paul Taylor and Neil Hubbard on guitar. In 2004 a ‘Director’s Cut’ edition of Don’t Stand Me Down was released, and Rowland officially announced they were back in action and looking for a record deal.

It took some time, but in 2011, they were back, with their name shortened to simply Dexys. The new line-up, with Taylor gone and another new singer – Madeleine Hyland – plus the returning Paterson, worked on a new album. One Day I’m Going to Soar was released a year later and Talbot left soon after.

In 2016 they released Let the Record Show: Dexys Do Irish and Country Soul, a collection of covers and new material that had originally been planned in 1984. The core members now consisted of Rowland, Morgan and guitarist/saxophonist Sean Read. It also featured a returning O’Hara.

Rowland was a self-confessed perfectionist and had never been happy with the sound of Too-Rye-Ay, so in 2022 he, O’Hara and longtime Dexys engineer Pete Schwier released a reworked version – Too-Rye-Ay As It Should Have Sounded. It isn’t too different to my ears, to be honest, but it’s overall warmer and more organic sound, perhaps. In 2023 they released their latest album, The Feminine Divine, with keyboardist Michael Timothy joining their ranks.

The Outro

Difficult, troubled, eccentric, brilliant – Rowland has been all these things and more, but it’s good to see him come back from hard times and seemingly happy with Dexys once more. He can be more than proud of being the man behind some true 80s classics. Blessed with a voice as unmistakable as the heroes he sings about, maybe one day someone will do the same about him.

The Info

Written by

Kevin Rowland, Jim Paterson & Billy Adams

Producers

Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley

Weeks at number 1

4 (7 August-3 September) *BEST-SELLING SINGLE OF THE YEAR*

Trivia

Births

10 August: Snooker player Shaun Murphy
14 August: Journalist Benjamin Cohen

Deaths

14 August: Northern Irish actor Patrick Magee
15 August: Second World War spy Jacqueline Nearne/Motorcycle racer Jock Taylor
1 September: Pianist Sir Clifford Curzon
2 September: Labour Party MP George Chetwynd

Meanwhile…

30 August: St David’s Hall opens in Cardiff as the National Concert Hall and Conference Centre of Wales.

501. Madness – House of Fun (1982)

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The Intro

Madness are one of the most lovable bands of the 80s, with many fondly remembered hits to their name. So it’s surprising – scandalous, really – that House of Fun is the only chart-topper by ‘the Nutty Boys’.

Before

It all began in Camden Town, 1976, with the North London Invaders. The trio consisted of keyboardist Mike Barson, guitarist Chris Foreman and Lee Thompson on saxophone – Monsieur Barso, Chrissy Boy and Kix, respectively. They then recruited John Hasler on drums and Cathal Smyth (aka Chas Smash) on bass and – for one gig only – Dikran Tulaine as their singer. He went on to become a successful actor, these days in the US.

There were some important comings and goings in 1977. Graham McPherson (Suggs) took over as their vocalist after seeing the North London Invaders performing in a friend’s garden. However, Barson caused further shuffling around. Smash briefly left after an argument with him and was replaced by Gavin Rodgers. Suggs was then thrown out by Barson for his lack of commitment, with Hasler filling in as singer and Gary Dovey replacing him on drums. Thompson then left after Barson had criticised his prowess.

The following year saw Suggs and Thompson brought back into the fold, but Dovey and Rodgers left. They were replaced by Dan Woodgate (Woody) and Mark Bedford (Bedders) respectively. For a time, the North London Invaders became known as Morris and the Minors, but in 1979 they finally settled on Madness, as a nod to one of their favourite songs by ska singer Prince Buster. Smash returned at the end of that year in the new guise of backing vocalist and dancer.

They signed with Specials songwriter Jerry Dammers’ 2 Tone Records and released their first single. The Prince was another nod to Prince Buster, with Madness as the B-side. The 2 Tone Records signing was a wise move – they went to number 16.

Madness became regulars at the Dublin Castle in Camden Town and went on tour with The Specials and The Selecter, before knuckling down to record their debut album, which was to be released on their new label, Stiff Records. One Step Beyond… was a big success. The title track, another Prince Buster cover, went to number seven. More promising was that their own composition, My Girl, did even better, peaking at number three. The Work, Rest and Play EP, featuring album track Night Boat to Cairo, climbed to number six, proving that the kids couldn’t get enough of Madness. In the UK, at least – Madness proved to be a very British phenomenon, whose single videos displayed their quirky sense of humour and were a big factor in their appeal.

Their second album, Absolutely, was released in 1980, and although critics were somewhat less glowing, the public were still very much in love. Some of Madness’s biggest hits were spawned – the classic Baggy Trousers soared to number three, Embarrassment made it to number four and The Return of the Los Palmas 7 climbed to – of course – seven.

Madness’s third album – 7 – came in 1981 and showcased a darker, less upbeat sound. Nonetheless, its singles did well – Grey Day reached four and Shut Up peaked at seven. A further glimpse of their growing maturity came with their excellent cover of Labi Siffre’s It Must Be Love, a deserved smash hit that somehow went no higher than four. A rare example of a cover being better than the original.

Such was Madness’s popularity, a greatest hits compilation was planned for release in 1982. Complete Madness also included one new track – House of Fun.

Originally titled Chemist Facade, House of Fun was co-written by Barson and Thompson about a 16-year-old boy who wants to celebrate his coming of age by buying condoms at his local chemist. However, he’s too embarrassed to come right out and buy any, and spends so long skirting around the issue with euphemisms, the chemist assumes he’s actually looking for a joke shop.

A great premise for a song, and boasting a catchy tune that’s very Madness. However, there was no chorus, until Stiff head (fnarr) Dave Robinson demanded one. Conflicting stories claim that either Barson banged it out there and then on the piano, or Suggs came up with it. Either way, the magic ingredient was found, the chorus was edited into what they believed had been a finished recording, and Madness deservedly earned their sole number one.

Review

Like any boy with a sense of fun, an ear for a tune and a love of daft videos, I bloody loved Madness, and House of Fun was – along with Baggy Trousers – my favourite record by the Nutty Boys. Of course, I had no idea what the lyrics were about – I was very young and innocent (only three when it was released) and took it very literally. Why wouldn’t Madness want to hang out in a joke shop, when they were so bloody funny?

The lyrics are great, and, much like Baggy Trousers, encapsulated the reason Madness were and are still so beloved by Brits. Charming, witty and nostalgic, they weren’t afraid to write about subjects other than relationships – although they were great at that too (My Girl is surprisingly touching and insightful for such nascent songwriters).

It’s one of their poppiest tunes, too. Had House of Fun remained Chemist Facade, it would still be among their best singles, as the brass punctuating the verses is a hell of a hook. Whether it was Barson or Suggs, hats off to whoever added the excellent chorus into the mix. This was the sound of a band with the Midas Touch, back then. And after too many MOR, bland number 1s for my liking, House of Fun was a very welcome single to review for me.

And the video! Madness made some of the best pop videos, brimming with imagination and comedy. Suggs does a great job as the awkward 16-year-old – his trademark jerky twitches fitted the part so well. When three of the band enter the chemist and begin dancing, it’s like a sketch from Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

In keeping with the theme of the song – the director employs the same method as the boy, preferring to skirt around the true theme with joke shop, fun house imagery. The chemist scenes were filmed in Kilburn, the joke shop in Camden, and the rollercoaster scene was filmed at the Pleasure Beach in Great Yarmouth. Suggs claimed the director made the band go round the ride 54 times before being happy with the result.

After

Complete Madness also went to number 1 on the album chart, despite presumably nearly everyone already owning everything contained within. 1982 was peak Madness, with a few more classics still to come. Driving in My Car might not have been the cleverest song, but we kids loved this too, and it peaked at four.

Our House saw Madness back to their lovable best, yet somehow it only climbed to number five as the year drew to a close. It was the first fruits of their next album, the diverse The Rise & Fall. It was to prove a rather ironic title, as the Nutty Boys began to slide commercially from here on in – though standalone singles The Wings of a Dove and The Sun and the Rain did well in 1983, finishing at two and five respectively.

Barson, who was considered the musical lynchpin of Madness, was becoming increasingly reclusive as fame began to exhaust him. He had moved to Amsterdam with his wife during the making of the last LP, and had begun covering his face up on promo shoots. In October, while the group discussed potentially starring in a new sitcom that would be written by Ben Elton and Richard Curtis, he announced he was leaving once they had finished recording new album, called Keep Moving, of all things.

As of 1984, Madness were no longer able to crack the top 10. Michael Caine reached 11 and One Better Day only 17. With Barson gone, the remaining members left Stiff. 1985 album Mad Not Mad featured a more synth-heavy sound. The sombre single Yesterday’s Men reached 18, followed by Uncle Sam at 21. Sweetest Girl scraped in at 35.

Madness soldiered on, but never completed their next album. In 1986 they announced they were to split after one more single – (Waiting For) The Ghost Train – which Barson came back for (but refused to promote).

Suggs, Smash, Thompson and Foreman reconvened as the confusingly named The Madness. Bedford and Woodgate joined Voice of the Beehive, though the former left before they became famous. He played bass on Morrissey’s 1991 album Kill Uncle.

After The Madness, Thompson and Foreman started new band The Nutty Boys and Smash became an A&R executive for Go! Discs. Suggs struggled the most, and after having therapy he tried his hand at stand-up comedy, managing and producing The Farm and collaborating with Morrissey, before embarking on a solo career.

In 1992, the number six re-release of It Must Be Love inspired the band to reform for the reunion concert Madstock!, which was a huge success despite Mozza being heckled off stage as their support act. They reunited for several more Madstocks and Christmas tours, before agreeing to record their first album in 13 years. Wonderful, released in 1999, included their decent comeback single Lovestruck, which peaked at 10.

From 2002 to 2003, Madness were involved in Our House, a musical based on their songs, which won the Olivier Award for best new musical. A year later they celebrated their 25th anniversary by playing a series of concerts as The Dangermen. This resulted in the 2005 ska covers album The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1. During the recording sessions, Foreman quit the band, but returned a year later. The single Shame & Scandal only reached number 38.

2009 saw the release of their first album of new material since 1999. The Liberty of Norton Folgate was a modest success, with single NW5 reaching number 24. It’s their last charting single to date. I saw them perform at Glastonbury Festival that year, with a brilliant set of the hits and new material that fitted in seamlessly. Three years later they performed on the roof of Buckingham Palace for Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee and at the London Olympic Games Closing Ceremony.

Madness released their 10th studio album, Oui Oui, Si Si, Da Da in 2013. A year later, Smash announced his departure to focus on a solo career, while Bedford, who had only performed with them ad hoc since 2009, returned full-time. Another album, Can’t Touch Us Now, was released in 2016. Then in 2023 came their last album to date. Amazingly, Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’est La Vie is their only number one LP.

The Outro

Madness are a great British institution and I hope they continue to perform for many years to come. In a year of sometimes great, sometimes poor number 1s, House of Fun is up there with the best.

It’s also worth noting the irony of a song about birth control being at the top of the charts when Pope John Paul II visited the UK (see ‘Meanwhile...’).

The Info

Written by

Lee Thompson & Mike Barson

Producers

Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley

Weeks at number 1

2 (29 May-11 June)

Trivia

Births

7 June: Actress Amy Nuttall

Deaths

3 June: Writer Ronald Duncan
6 June: Welsh Labour MP Ifor Davies
9 June: Botanist Richard St Barbe Baker

Meanwhile…

29 May: Pope John Paul II became the first reigning pontiff to visit the UK.
Also on this day, the Battle of Goose Green at the Falklands War comes to an end when British paratroopers defeat the larger army of Argentine troops.

3 June: Shlomo Argov, the Israeli ambassador to the UK, is shot in London.
Also on this day, the Mitcham and Morden by-election is held, with Angela Rumbold gaining the seat for the Conservatives. It was the first gain by a ruling party since 1961, and the last until 2017.

8 June: 48 British servicemen are killed when two supply ships are bombed by Argentine air strikes off Bluff Cove in the Falklands War.

9 June: The 20 pence coin is issued into circulation.

11 June: The last battles of the Falklands War begin at Mount Longdon, Mount Harriet and Two Sisters.

299. Dave and Ansil Collins – Double Barrel (1971)

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The Intro

‘I, AM THE MAGNIFICENT!’. After six weeks at the top, T. Rex’s Hot Love made way for the first reggae number 1 since Desmond Dekker & the Aces’ Israelites in 1969, and one of two to come from Trojan Records, Britain’s most famous label for reggae, dub and ska artists.

Before

The label’s origins trace back to 1968, when Island records boss Chris Blackwell and Musicland’s Lee Gopthal pooled their resources and launched a devoted reggae sub-label. The name came from the Trojan truck used by Duke Reid as a sound system in Jamaica, which became known as ‘the Trojan sound’.

With the growing interest in reggae and ska in the UK and the rise of skinhead culture, by 1970 Trojan Records had scored several hits by artists including The Maytals, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s Upsetters, and The Harry J All Stars. They did so by licensing Jamaican 7′ records by producers such as Reid and Leslie Kong. Dave and Ansell Collins were the lucky duo thrown together to record Double Barrel.

Dave, aka Dave Barker (my dad’s name) was a session vocalist, born David John Crooks on 10 October 1947 in Kingston, Jamaica. Crooks was raised by his grandmother and three uncles from the age of four. He developed a stammer as a result of beatings as a child, but by the time he was a teenager he was interested in singing, thanks to American radio stations playing James Brown.

Crook’s first group was The Two Tones, and from there he briefly joined The Techniques, led by his future producer Winston Riley. While one half of the duo Glen and Dave and working at Studio One, he was introduced to Perry, who took him on as a regular singer. It was Perry that told him to change his name to Dave Barker, and he also encouraged him to adopt his toasting style, in which he would shout over songs in the style of a US disc jockey and make grand pronouncements like the first line of this blog, which introduces Double Barrel. Which brings us to the other half of Dave and Ansil Collins – confusingly, musician Ansel Collins (his name was spelt differently on the record’s release).

Collins, born 1949, also in Kingston, began his career as a drummer before moving to keyboards in the mid-60s. At the end of the decade he was a member of The Invincibles alongside Sly Dunbar. Collins also played on two of The Maytals’ greatest tracks, Pressure Drop and Sweet and Dandy, both from 1969. He also began to work with Perry around this time, and it’s likely this is how Barker and Collins met.

Riley had written the instrumental Double Barrel and probably contacted his old colleague Barker to toast over the top while Collins provided organ and piano. Dunbar makes his recording debut on drums here, several years before becoming one half of Sly and Robbie with Robbie Shakespeare.

Review

Double Barrel is essentially very similar to The Harry J All Stars’ excellent instrumental The Liquidator from 1969. It’s a charming, quirky reggae/rocksteady track led by Collins’ nimble work at the piano, with organ at times. What made it edge to the top when The Liquidator (which is a superior tune) didn’t is likely down to Dave. His showing off at the start really gets your attention, and makes it one of the most memorable intros since The Crazy World of Arthur Brown’s Fire. Clearly, shouting before the music starts is the way to go, even if in Dave’s case, it’s not always clear what the hell he’s on about. He’s the Magnificent W-O-O-O, I get that, but the rest is vague due to the echo… something about soul, I think. Anyway, whatever it is, Dave’s enthusiasm is infectious, particularly ‘break’ (I think) over and over on the beat, and in a way you could see this as a forerunner of hip-hop thanks to his toasting. Double Barrel is short, sweet, and a nice taste of something different to mix things up a bit. 70s record buyers had their faults, but one look at 1971’s number 1s proves they were an eclectic bunch.

After

Dave and Collins also released an LP together called Double Barrel, and one of the tracks, Monkey Spanner, made it to number seven later that year. Dave’s intro this time ‘This is the heavy, heavy monster sound!’, combined with ‘Don’t watch that, watch this!’ from an earlier track he worked on, Funky Funky Reggae, were adopted by Chas Smash on the intro to Madness’s brilliant One Step Beyond in 1979.

The Outro

The duo parted company after this, bar a short-lived reunion in 1981. Barker remained in England and joined the vocal group Chain Reaction. He’s appeared on stage with The Selecter and The Riffs.

Collins continued as a session musician and solo artist at times, working with some of the world’s foremost reggae and dub artists, including Jimmy Cliff, Black Uhuru, Prince Tubby, Augustus Pablo and Prince Far I. He also collaborated with fellow UK number 1 star Serge Gainsbourg.

The Info

Written & produced by

Winston Riley

Weeks at number 1

2 (1-14 May)

Trivia

Births

9 May: Footballer Jason Lee/Oasis bassist Paul McGuigan

Deaths

1 May: RMS Titanic survivor Violet Jessop

Meanwhile…

1 May: Far-Left militants The Angry Brigade struck again when a bomb exploded in fashion company Biba’s Kensington store.
Also that day, the Daily Mail appeared as a broadsheet newspaper for the last time. It relaunched as a tabloid the day after.

8 May: Arsenal won the FA Cup final with a 2–1 win over Liverpool at Wembley Stadium. Arsenal’s Eddie Kelly became the first substitute to score in an FA Cup final, and this was only the second time that century (and the fourth time ever) that an English team had completed the double of the Football League First Division and the FA Cup.

11 May: Britain’s oldest tabloid newspaper, the Daily Sketch, was withdrawn from circulation after 62 years. It was absorbed by the Daily Mail.