Editing Dexys Midnight Runners (section)

==== Foundation and first single ====
Dexys Midnight Runners were founded in 1978 in [[Birmingham]], England, by [[Kevin Rowland]] (vocals, guitar, at the time using the pseudonym Carlo Rolan)<ref name="Gimarc">Gimarc, George (2005) ''Punk Diary: The Ultimate Trainspotter's Guide to Underground Rock 1970–1982'', Backbeat Books, {{ISBN|0-87930-848-6}}</ref> and [[Kevin Archer|Kevin "Al" Archer]] (vocals, guitar). Both had been in the short-lived punk band [[The Killjoys (British band)|the Killjoys]]. Rowland had previously written a [[Northern soul]]-style song that the two of them sang, "Tell Me When My Light Turns Green", which became the first Dexys "song".<ref name="2014int">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/16/-sp-kevin-rowland-and-big-jim-paterson-favourite-dexys-songs |title='We were always hard workers': Kevin Rowland and Big Jim Paterson on their favourite Dexys songs |first=Dave |last=Simpson |date=16 October 2014 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=24 January 2016 |archive-date=8 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108123002/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/16/-sp-kevin-rowland-and-big-jim-paterson-favourite-dexys-songs |url-status=live }}</ref> The band's name was derived from [[Dexedrine]], a brand of [[dextroamphetamine]] used as a [[recreational drug]] among Northern soul fans to give them energy  to dance all night.<ref name="Gimarc" />  Rowland later said of recruiting members for the band that "Anyone joining Dexys had to give up their job and rehearse all day long&nbsp;... We had nothing to lose and felt that what we were doing was everything."<ref name="2014int" /> "Big" Jim Paterson (trombone), Geoff "JB" Blythe (saxophone, previously of [[Geno Washington]]'s [[Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band|Ram Jam Band]]), Steve "Babyface" Spooner (alto saxophone), [[Pete Saunders]] (keyboard), [[Pete Williams (musician)|Pete Williams]] (bass) and John Jay (drums) formed the first lineup of the band, which began playing live at the end of 1978.<ref name="bio">{{cite web |url=http://www.dexysonline.com/Biography.html |title=Dexys Biography |publisher=dexysonline.com |access-date=29 January 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160318013858/http://dexysonline.com/Biography.html |archive-date=18 March 2016 }}</ref>

By the middle of 1979, Bobby "Jnr" Ward had replaced Jay on drums.<ref name="bio" /> [[The Clash|Clash]] manager [[Bernard Rhodes]] then signed them and sent them into the studio to record a Rowland-penned single, "Burn It Down", which Rhodes renamed "[[Dance Stance]]".<ref name="Gimarc" /><ref name="2014int" /> In response to Rhodes' criticism of Rowland's singing style, Rowland developed a "more emotional" sound influenced by [[General Norman Johnson]] of the [[Holland–Dozier–Holland]] band [[Chairmen of the Board]]<ref name="Wilde" /> and the theatricality of [[Bryan Ferry]].<ref name="Kinney">{{cite web |url=https://louderthanwar.com/dexys-nowhere-is-home-kevin-rowland-and-jim-paterson-in-depth-interview/ |last=Kinney |first=Fergal |title=Dexy's: Nowhere is Home – Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson in depth interview |publisher=Louder Than War |date=26 October 2014 |access-date=1 April 2016 |archive-date=15 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415135657/http://louderthanwar.com/dexys-nowhere-is-home-kevin-rowland-and-jim-paterson-in-depth-interview/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

After a series of dates opening for [[the Specials]], who wore suits on stage, Rowland decided that his band needed its own distinct look.<ref name="Wilde">{{cite web |url=http://sabotagetimes.com/music/kevin-rowland-i-ruled-dexys-with-an-iron-fist |title=Kevin Rowland: Classic Interview (from 1999) |last=Wilde |first=Jon |publisher=Sabotage Times |date=9 November 2012 |access-date=24 January 2016 |archive-date=1 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201003055/http://sabotagetimes.com/music/kevin-rowland-i-ruled-dexys-with-an-iron-fist |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Borrowing from an outfit that Paterson had worn to rehearsals,<ref name="Wilde" /> Dexys subsequently dressed in [[donkey jacket]]s or leather coats and woolly hats, a look described as "straight out of [[Robert De Niro|De Niro]]'s ''[[Mean Streets]]''".<ref name="Gimarc" /> In January 1980, Rowland said of the band's sound and look, "we didn't want to become part of anyone else's movement. We'd rather be our own movement".<ref name="Gimarc" /> Image became very important to the group: Rowland said, "We wanted to be a group that looked like something&nbsp;... a formed group, a project, not just random."<ref name="Reynolds">Reynolds, Simon (2005) ''Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984'', Faber & Faber, {{ISBN|0-571-21570-X}}, p. 293–296</ref>

"Dance Stance", which Rhodes produced, was released on Oddball Records, which Rhodes owned, and which was distributed by [[EMI Records|EMI]].<ref name="bio" /> Although it was named "single of the week" by ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]'',<ref name="Gimarc" /> it stalled at number 40 in the British charts,<ref name="bio" /> which EMI and Rowland believed was due to Rhodes' poor production.<ref name="2014int" /> Rowland said, "We learned that early on, that the wrong producer can totally screw your record up."<ref name="2014int"/> As a result, Dexys fired Rhodes and signed with EMI, and EMI immediately put [[Pete Wingfield]] in charge of their production.<ref name="2014int" /> Saunders and Ward left the band, replaced by [[Andy Leek]] (keyboards) and [[Andy "Stoker" Growcott]] (drums).<ref name="bio" />