Editing Dexys Midnight Runners (section)

====''The Projected Passion Revue''====
Rowland and Paterson first chose to write several new songs, so that Dexys could move forward from the split.<ref name="2014int" />  They then brought in an old friend of theirs, [[Billy Adams (musician)|Kevin "Billy" Adams]] (guitar/banjo), along with [[Seb Shelton]] (drums, formerly of [[Secret Affair]]), [[Mickey Billingham]] (keyboard), Brian Maurice Brummitt (who dropped his last name for his stage name "Brian Maurice", alto saxophone), [[Paul Speare]] (tenor saxophone) and Steve Wynne (bass).<ref name="bio" /> This new lineup also adopted a new look that included hooded tops, [[boxing]] boots, and pony tails.<ref name="Reynolds" /> Along with the new image, Rowland brought in a fitness regime, which included [[working out]] together and running as a group, Rowland commenting "The togetherness of running along together just gets&nbsp;... that fighting spirit going".<ref name="Reynolds" /> The group would also take part in group exercise sessions before performances, and [[Alcoholic beverage|drinking]] before shows was strictly forbidden.<ref name="Reynolds" />

By the time the new band's first single "Plan B", produced by [[Alan Shacklock]] instead of Wingfield, was released in March 1981, the band's management had discovered that [[EMI]] had failed to pick up a mandatory contract option, so Dexys were technically no longer under contract. They asked, without success, that EMI not release the single; without promotion, the single flopped.<ref name="Gimarc" /> Later in March 1981, an ad appeared in which Rowland stated that the previous members of the band had "hatched a plot to throw Kevin out and still carry on under the same name". It also cited Rowland's suggestion that "they might learn new instruments" as a reason for their displeasure.<ref name="Gimarc" /> The ad announced that Dexys had been working on a new live venture, "The Midnight Runners Projected Passion Revue".<ref name="Gimarc" />

In April, Dexys prevailed to win their release from EMI, although without the financial support of a label, they were unable to mount the spring tour that had planned and had to settle for playing only five dates, including one recorded by [[BBC Radio 1]].<ref name="bio" />  In June they signed to [[Mercury Records]], where Dexys remained until their 1987 breakup.<ref name="bio" />  Dexys' first single for Mercury, "Show Me", produced by [[Tony Visconti]], was released in July 1981 and reached No.&nbsp;16 in the UK.<ref name="bio" />  The label switch was followed by a session for [[Richard Skinner (broadcaster)|Richard Skinner]]'s BBC Radio 1 show in which the band previewed tracks that would be reworked later on ''Too-Rye-Ay''.<ref name="Gimarc" /> Wynne was sacked by the group at this point, to be replaced by Mick Gallick (whom Rowland gave the stage name "Giorgio Kilkenny") on bass.<ref name="White" />  Music journalist [[Paolo Hewitt]] commented about this version of Dexys: "Dexys wouldn't make a record unless they thought it was great. And they wouldn't play a gig unless they thought they were gonna be great."<ref name="White" />

Around this time, Archer played Rowland demos of Archer's new group, The Blue Ox Babes, which featured, in Rowland's words, "a [[Tamla Records|Tamla]]-style beat with violins".<ref name="2014int" />  The violins had been played by a [[Birmingham Conservatoire|Birmingham School of Music]] classical violin student named [[Helen O'Hara|Helen Bevington]]. Rowland's first idea was to get the horn players to also play strings, as he had discussed in the March interview (with Speare on viola, which he already played, and string novices Paterson and Maurice on cello), and the horn players (with session musician support) contributed strings to the third single with the new lineup, "Liars A to E", produced by [[Neil Kernon]], which was released in October 1981.<ref name="bio" />  In November, the group played a three-night stand at The Old Vic in London, with the horn section again doubling on strings. The Old Vic shows attracted unexpectedly rave reviews in the press, although these concerts were not recorded. Rowland said of these shows, "Those three nights at the Old Vic were all I wanted to say in '81."<ref name="White" />

Dexys' 1981 recordings, including all three singles (both A-sides and B-sides) as well as the tracks from the two [[BBC Radio 1]] appearances, were released by Dexys on CD in 2007 as ''[[The Projected Passion Revue]]''.<ref name="bio" />