Don't Stand Me Down

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Don't Stand Me Down
Don't Stand Me Down cover
Studio album by Dexys Midnight Runners
Released September, 1985
Recorded 1985
Genre New Wave/Blue-eyed soul
Length 56:59
Label Mercury Records
Producer Billy Adams
Helen O'Hara
Kevin Rowland
Alan Winstanley
Professional reviews
Dexys Midnight Runners chronology
Too-Rye-Ay
(1982)		 Don't Stand Me Down
(1985)		 BBC Radio One Live in Concert
(1995)

Don't Stand Me Down is the third and currently final studio album by Dexys Midnight Runners, released in September 1985 (see 1985 in music). A commercial failure upon release (partially due to frontman Kevin Rowland's refusal to release a single), the album is now considered something of a lost treasure. It was recently featured in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, published in 2005 by Cassell Illustrated [1].

Contents

[edit] Reissues

[edit] 1997 Creation CD

The album was digitally remastered and issued on CD by Creation Records in 1997. Two of the song titles were changed from the original release: Knowledge of Beauty became My National Pride, and Listen to This became I Love You (Listen to This). My National Pride was the original title of the former song, but Rowland "didn't have the courage to title it that when it came around to the artwork." He contributed two pages of sleeve notes, entitled "Foreword to the Second Edition."

[edit] 2002 "Director's Cut"

During the mastering process for the Creation release, a stereo enhancer was used, which, Rowland felt, "ruined the dynamics." As a result, a third version of the album was released in 2002, subtitled The Director's Cut. The tracks were again digitally remastered, and the CD featured new artwork, further notes by Rowlan, and the additional track Kevin Rowland's 13th Time. According to Rowland, the album now sounds to him "as it was intended to sound." Kevin Rowland's 13th Time had originally been intended to be the opening song but was left off the original issue of the album due to a "dodgy drum beat at one point." Rowland penned two pages of notes relating to the track, as well as a "foreword to The Director's Cut."

A limited-edition version of The Director's Cut had a DVD disc included, featuring videos for the songs This is What She's Like, My National Pride, and I Love You (Listen to This), directed by Jack Hazan. Rowland penned another page of notes regarding the videos.

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Original 1985 version

  1. The Occasional Flicker — Rowland (5:49)
  2. This Is What She's Like — Adams, OHara, Rowland (12:23)
  3. Knowledge of Beauty — O'Hara, Rowland, Wynne (7:01)
  4. One of Those Things — Leroy, Marinelli, Rowland, Wachtel, Zevon (6:01)
  5. Reminisce Part Two — Rowland (3:31)
  6. Listen to This — Adams, Rowland (3:19)
  7. The Waltz — Rowland, Torch (8:21)

[edit] The Director's Cut

The Director's Cut
  1. Kevin Rowland's 13th Time — Adams, O'Hara, Rowland (5:05)
  2. The Occasional Flicker — Rowland (5:49)
  3. This is What She's Like — Adams, O'Hara, Rowland (12:23)
  4. My National Pride — O'Hara, Rowland, Wynne (7:01)
  5. One of Those Things — Marinelli, Rowland, Wachtel, Zevon (6:01)
  6. Reminisce (Part Two) — Rowland (3:31)
  7. I Love You (Listen to This) — Adams, Rowland (3:19)
  8. The Waltz — Rowland, Torch (8:21)


  • One of Those Things has a riff taken from Warren Zevon's Werewolves of London. Zevon and his cowriters, LeRoy Marinell and Waddy Wachtel, thus get writing credits on the song.
  • Reminisce (Part Two) includes I'll Say Forever My Love (J. Dean/W. Weatherspoon/S. Bowden).

[edit] Personnel

  • Kevin Rowland — Bass, Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Producer, Liner Notes
  • Billy Adams — Guitar, Vocals, Producer
  • Helen O'Hara — Violin, Vocals, Producer
  • "Big" Jim Paterson — Trombone
  • Nick Gatfield — Saxophone, Vocals
  • Vincent Crane — Piano
  • Tim Dancy — Drums
  • Julian Littman — Mandolin
  • Tom Evans — Steel Guitar
  • Robert Noble — Organ, Synthesizer
  • John "Rhino" Edwards — Bass


  • Crusher Green — Drums on Listen to This
  • Mick Boulton — Piano on The Waltz
  • Randy Taylor — Bass on Knowledge of Beauty
  • Woody Woodmansey — Drums on The Waltz


  • Alan Winstanley — Producer
  • Pete Schwier — Engineer, Mixing
  • John Porter — Mixing on Kevin Rowland's 13th Time


  • Peter Barrett — Cover Design
  • Kim Knott — Photography
  • Claire Mueller — Photography
  • Jack Hazan — Director
  • Arun Chakraverty — Engineer (reissue)
  • Nigel Reeve — Project Coordinator (reissue)