10 Musicians Whose Careers Were Destroyed By Just One Song
1. This Is What She’s Like — Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Come On Eileen was a surprise smash
hit for Kevin Rowland’s experimental pop/ celtic folk/ new wave band, a
phenomenally successful anthem which remains a favourite one hit wonder for
many listeners decades later.
So why has no one ever heard more from Dexy’s Midnight Runners?
Well, the “experimental pop/ celtic folk/ new wave” description above might be a good lead to follow on this one. British music fans may recall the band’s more minor earlier hit Geno, a catchy track which couldn’t be less like Come On Eileen.
Rowland’s band was a project that underwent constant artistic redevelopment and one whose central creator constantly wanted to reinvent the band’s bizarre, undeniably original sound.
So which song landed the band on this list? That would be the inventive, enjoyable, not-remotely-comparable-to-their-earlier-hit This Is What She’s Like. A twelve minute experimental track is not, it’s fair to say, what fair weather fans of Come On Eileen expected from this surprisingly offbeat and mature band.
It is a beautiful song, though, unlike most of the tracks featured on this list, and Rowland’s decision to eschew fame in favour of more creative freedom is an admirable call that resulted in an unforgettable career for a band too many listeners unfortunately, er, forgot..