Too-Rye-Ay reissued

The press release says:

September 3rd 2007 sees the re-release of Dexys Midnight Runners second album, Too Rye Ay on Mercury / Universal.

The 2-CD package include a full re-mastered version of the original album, B sides from the album’s singles, a BBC live in concert recording from Newcastle on 26th June 1982 and a David Jensen BBC session from 4th July 1982.

Too Rye Ay was originally released in August 1982 and reached number two in the UK chart. It was the band’s second album following Searching For The Young Soul Rebels, which was released in the summer of 1980. Their debut had established them as one of the UK’s most passionate and exciting bands; a soul driven charge with a quintessentially English twist.

By 1981 the band had undergone a series of line-up changes, released three singles, Plan B, Show Me & Liars A To E (Plan B & Liars A To E would end up on Too Rye Ay in re-recorded forms) before further personnel changes.

Dexys re-emerging in 1982 with an expanded line up featuring fiddle players Helen O’Hara, Steve Brennan and Roger MacDuff (collectively known as The Emerald Express) and musical nods towards Rowland’s Irish heritage. The first single from the album, The Celtic Soul Brothers unveiled a new look and augmented sound and the album’s second single, Come On Eileen, released in July 1982, saw the band score a number one single on both sides of the Atlantic – the single became the biggest selling single of year in the UK.

The band released a further single from the album, Jackie Wilson Said, in October 1982. It would be a further 3 years before the band released their third album, Don’t Stand Me Down.

The band performed a number of ecstatically received shows in 2003; their first in almost 15 years. Kevin Rowland is currently in the studio writing and recording a new Dexys album.

The full tracklisting is as follows:

CD 1
ORIGINAL RE-MASTERED ALBUM
1. The Celtic Soul Brothers
2. Let’s make This Precious
3. All In All
4. Jackie Wilson Said
5. Old
6. Plan B
7. I’ll Show You
8. Liars A To E
9. Until I Believe In My Soul
10. Come On Eileen

B-SIDES
11. Love (Part 2)
12. Dubious
13. T.S.O.P.
14. Let’s Get This Straight From The Start
15. Old (Live – from Shaftsbury Ave)
16. Respect (Live – from Shaftsbury Ave)
17. Let’s Make This Precious (original version)

CD 2
BBC IN CONCERT – NEWCASTLE 26/6/82
1. T.S.O.P.
2. Burn It Down
3. Let’s Make This Precious
4. Jackie Wilson Said
5. Come On Eileen
6. Soon
7. Plan B
8. Geno
9. Respect
10. Old
11. The Celtic Soul Brothers
12. There There My Dear
13. Show Me
14. I’ll Show You

BBC SESSION – DAVID JENSEN 4/7/82
15. Let’s Make This Precious
16. Jackie Wilson Said
17. All In All
18. Old

19. Reminisce