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Come On Eileen

January 22, 2023

"Come On Eileen" is a song by the English group Dexys Midnight Runners (credited to Dexys Midnight Runners and the Emerald Express), released in the United Kingdom in June 1982[3] as a single from their second studio album Too-Rye-Ay. It reached number one in the United States and was their second number one hit in the UK, following 1980's "Geno". The song was produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley and was initially claimed to be written by Kevin Rowland, Jim Paterson and Billy Adams, although Rowland later stated that the essence of the tune should be attributed to Kevin Archer.[4]

"Come On Eileen"
Single by Dexys Midnight Runners and the Emerald Express
from the album Too-Rye-Ay
B-side
  • "Dubious" (7-inch in most countries & 12-inch)
  • "Let's Make This Precious" (US 7-inch)
  • "Liars A to E (New Version)" (12-inch)
Released25 June 1982
Genre
Length4:12 (single version)
4:07 (without fiddle intro)
4:47 (with a cappella coda)
3:48 (video version)
3:28 (special DJ edit)
LabelMercury
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Dexys Midnight Runners singles chronology

"Come On Eileen" won Best British Single at the 1983 Brit Awards, and in 2015 the song was voted by the British public as the nation's sixth favourite 1980s number one single in a poll for ITV.[5] It was ranked number eighteen on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the '80s"[6] and was Britain's best-selling single of 1982.[7]

Composition

There are various versions of the song; some, in addition to the main section, feature either a Celtic fiddle-solo intro or an a cappella coda, both based on Thomas Moore's Irish folk song "Believe Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms".

The main section begins with a Celtic-style fiddle played over a drum beat, with the bass guitar and piano providing accompaniment.

The lyrics of the song begin with the lines:

  • Poor old Johnnie Ray
  • Sounded sad upon the radio
  • Moved a million hearts in mono
  • Our mothers cried, sang along
  • Who would blame them?

The bridge of "Come On Eileen" features an improvised counter-melody which begins in a slow tempo and grows faster and faster over an accelerando vocal backing. The chord sequence of the bridge is actually the same as the verses, but transposed up by a whole tone.

Throughout the song, there are numerous tempo changes and key changes:

Key changes throughout the song
Section Introduction Verses Chorus and bridge
Key F major C major D major

Although often believed to have been inspired by a childhood friend with whom Kevin Rowland had a romantic, and later sexual, relationship in his teens,[8] there was actually no real Eileen. "In fact she was composite, to make a point about Catholic repression."[9]

Music video

The 1982 music video was directed by Julien Temple and filmed in the inner south London suburb of Kennington in the vicinity of the corner of Brook Drive and Hayles Street, then Austral Street and Holyoak Road. The character of "Eileen" in the music video, as well as on the single cover, is played by Máire Fahey, sister of Siobhan Fahey from Bananarama.[10]

Archival footage of Johnnie Ray arriving at London Heathrow Airport in 1954 was featured in the video.[11]

Chart success

In a 2000 poll by Channel 4, the song was placed at number 38 in the 100 greatest number one singles of all time.[12] Similar polls by the music channel VH1 placed the song at number three in their "100 Greatest One Hit Wonders" of all time,[13] number 18 in their "100 Greatest Songs of the '80s"[6] and number one in their "100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the '80s".[14] (While the group had a previous number one single in the UK with "Geno" in 1980, "Come On Eileen" was their only US hit.) As of June 2013, "Come On Eileen" had sold 1.33 million copies in the UK.[15]

The song reached number one in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 charts during the week ending 23 April 1983. "Come On Eileen" prevented Michael Jackson from having back-to-back number one hits in the US: "Billie Jean" was the number one single the previous seven weeks, while "Beat It" was the number one song the ensuing three.

"Come On England" version

In 2004, the band 4-4-2 was formed to cover the song as "Come On England" with altered lyrics to support the England national football team during their appearance in the 2004 European Championships.[45]

See also

References

  1. ^ Mann, Brent (2003). 99 Red Balloons...and 100 Other All-Time Great One-Hit Wonders. Citadel Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-8065-2516-7. New Wave spawned some of pop music's classic one-hit wonders, artists who are vividly remembered today: Dexys Midnight Runners ("Come on Eileen"), Nena ("99 Luftballons"), and Thomas Dolby ("She Blinded Me with Science"), to name just a few.
  2. ^ a b c Huey, Steve. "Dexys Midnight Runners – Artist Biography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 28 July 2013. "Come on Eileen," a distinctive fusion of '80s pop, Celtic folk, and blue-eyed soul.
  3. ^ "New Musical Express". NME. London, England. 19 June 1982. p. 34.
  4. ^ Moyes, Jojo (21 January 1997). "Rock star admits stealing song". The Independent. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  5. ^ Westbrook, Caroline (25 July 2015). "The Nation's Favourite 80s Number One: 12 more classic 80s chart-toppers which didn't make the cut". Metro. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  6. ^ a b (Press release). New York City: VH1. 24 October 2006. Archived from the original on 26 June 2007.
  7. ^ Copsey, Rob (12 March 2021). "The Official Top 50 best-selling songs of 1982". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  8. ^ "Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners". Songfacts. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  9. ^ Simpson, Dave (16 October 2014). "'We were always hard workers': Kevin Rowland and Big Jim Paterson on their favourite Dexys songs". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  10. ^ "5 Things You Didn't Know: "Come On Eileen" By Dexys Midnight Runners". WCBS-FM. 29 March 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  11. ^ Mann, Brent (2003). 99 Red Balloons: And 100 Other All Time Great One-Hit Wonders. Kensington Publishing Corporation. p. 185. ISBN 0-806-52516-9.
  12. ^ "Channel 4 - 100 Greatest Number One Singles in the UK". Classic Whitney. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  13. ^ "Lists :: Best :: VH1 - 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders". Dave Tompkins. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  14. ^ Ali, Rahsheeda (2 May 2013). . VH1. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015.
  15. ^ a b Copsey, Rob (19 September 2017). "The UK's Official Chart 'millionaires' revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  16. ^ . World Charts. Archived from the original on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  17. ^ "Dexys Midnight Runners & The Emerald Express – Come On Eileen" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  18. ^ "Dexys Midnight Runners & The Emerald Express – Come On Eileen" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  19. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6194." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  20. ^ "Le Détail par Artiste" (in French). InfoDisc. Select "Dexy's Midnight Runners" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  21. ^ "Dexys Midnight Runners & The Emerald Express – Come On Eileen" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  22. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Come On Eileen". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  23. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Dexys Midnight Runners & The Emerald Express - Come On Eileen" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  24. ^ "Dexys Midnight Runners & The Emerald Express – Come On Eileen" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  25. ^ "Dexys Midnight Runners & The Emerald Express – Come On Eileen". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  26. ^ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (D)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  27. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  28. ^ "Dexys Midnight Runners & The Emerald Express – Come On Eileen". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  29. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  30. ^ a b c "Too-Rye-Ay – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  31. ^ . Cash Box. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012.
  32. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1982". Kent Music Report. 3 January 1983. Retrieved 22 January 2023 – via Imgur.
  33. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  34. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1982" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  35. ^ "The Top Singles of 1983". RPM. Vol. 39, no. 17. Library and Archives Canada. 24 December 1983. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  36. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1982" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  37. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1982" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  38. ^ "End of Year Charts 1982". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  39. ^ Lane, Dan (18 November 2012). . Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 13 March 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  40. ^ "Top 100 Hits for 1983". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  41. ^ . Cash Box. Archived from the original on 25 December 2012.
  42. ^ "Platinum and Gold Singles 1982". Kent Music Report. 28 February 1983. Retrieved 10 November 2021 – via Imgur.
  43. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Kevin Rowland & Dexys Midnight Runners – Come On Eileen". Music Canada.
  44. ^ "British single certifications – Dexys Midnight Runners – Come On Eileen". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  45. ^ . Hamptons.org.uk. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013.

January 22, 2023
come, eileen, song, english, group, dexys, midnight, runners, credited, dexys, midnight, runners, emerald, express, released, united, kingdom, june, 1982, single, from, their, second, studio, album, reached, number, united, states, their, second, number, follo. Come On Eileen is a song by the English group Dexys Midnight Runners credited to Dexys Midnight Runners and the Emerald Express released in the United Kingdom in June 1982 3 as a single from their second studio album Too Rye Ay It reached number one in the United States and was their second number one hit in the UK following 1980 s Geno The song was produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley and was initially claimed to be written by Kevin Rowland Jim Paterson and Billy Adams although Rowland later stated that the essence of the tune should be attributed to Kevin Archer 4 Come On Eileen Single by Dexys Midnight Runners and the Emerald Expressfrom the album Too Rye AyB side Dubious 7 inch in most countries amp 12 inch Let s Make This Precious US 7 inch Liars A to E New Version 12 inch Released25 June 1982GenreNew wave 1 Celtic folk 2 pop 2 blue eyed soul 2 Length4 12 single version 4 07 without fiddle intro 4 47 with a cappella coda 3 48 video version 3 28 special DJ edit LabelMercurySongwriter s Kevin RowlandJim PatersonBilly AdamsProducer s Clive LangerAlan WinstanleyDexys Midnight Runners singles chronology The Celtic Soul Brothers 1982 Come On Eileen 1982 Jackie Wilson Said I m in Heaven When You Smile 1982 Come On Eileen won Best British Single at the 1983 Brit Awards and in 2015 the song was voted by the British public as the nation s sixth favourite 1980s number one single in a poll for ITV 5 It was ranked number eighteen on VH1 s 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s 6 and was Britain s best selling single of 1982 7 Contents 1 Composition 2 Music video 3 Chart success 3 1 Weekly charts 3 2 Year end charts 3 3 Certifications and sales 4 Come On England version 5 See also 6 ReferencesComposition EditThere are various versions of the song some in addition to the main section feature either a Celtic fiddle solo intro or an a cappella coda both based on Thomas Moore s Irish folk song Believe Me if All Those Endearing Young Charms The main section begins with a Celtic style fiddle played over a drum beat with the bass guitar and piano providing accompaniment The lyrics of the song begin with the lines Poor old Johnnie RaySounded sad upon the radioMoved a million hearts in monoOur mothers cried sang alongWho would blame them The bridge of Come On Eileen features an improvised counter melody which begins in a slow tempo and grows faster and faster over an accelerando vocal backing The chord sequence of the bridge is actually the same as the verses but transposed up by a whole tone Throughout the song there are numerous tempo changes and key changes Key changes throughout the song Section Introduction Verses Chorus and bridgeKey F major C major D majorAlthough often believed to have been inspired by a childhood friend with whom Kevin Rowland had a romantic and later sexual relationship in his teens 8 there was actually no real Eileen In fact she was composite to make a point about Catholic repression 9 Music video EditThe 1982 music video was directed by Julien Temple and filmed in the inner south London suburb of Kennington in the vicinity of the corner of Brook Drive and Hayles Street then Austral Street and Holyoak Road The character of Eileen in the music video as well as on the single cover is played by Maire Fahey sister of Siobhan Fahey from Bananarama 10 Archival footage of Johnnie Ray arriving at London Heathrow Airport in 1954 was featured in the video 11 Chart success EditIn a 2000 poll by Channel 4 the song was placed at number 38 in the 100 greatest number one singles of all time 12 Similar polls by the music channel VH1 placed the song at number three in their 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of all time 13 number 18 in their 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s 6 and number one in their 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s 14 While the group had a previous number one single in the UK with Geno in 1980 Come On Eileen was their only US hit As of June 2013 Come On Eileen had sold 1 33 million copies in the UK 15 The song reached number one in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 charts during the week ending 23 April 1983 Come On Eileen prevented Michael Jackson from having back to back number one hits in the US Billie Jean was the number one single the previous seven weeks while Beat It was the number one song the ensuing three Weekly charts Edit Chart 1982 1983 PeakpositionAustralia Kent Music Report 16 1Austria O3 Austria Top 40 17 9Belgium Ultratop 50 Flanders 18 1Canada Top Singles RPM 19 2France IFOP 20 5Germany Official German Charts 21 6Ireland IRMA 22 1Netherlands Dutch Top 40 23 4Netherlands Single Top 100 24 7New Zealand Recorded Music NZ 25 1South Africa Springbok Radio 26 1Spain AFYVE 27 17Switzerland Schweizer Hitparade 28 1UK Singles OCC 29 1US Billboard Adult Contemporary 30 31US Billboard Hot 100 30 1US Billboard Top Tracks 30 6US Cash Box 31 1 Year end charts Edit Chart 1982 RankAustralia Kent Music Report 32 33 12Belgium Ultratop 50 Flanders 34 8Canada Top Singles RPM 35 32Netherlands Dutch Top 40 36 28Netherlands Single Top 100 37 34New Zealand Recorded Music NZ 38 5UK Singles Official Charts Company 39 1Chart 1983 RankUS Billboard Hot 100 40 13US Cash Box 41 12Certifications and sales Edit Region Certification Certified units salesAustralia ARIA 42 Gold 50 000 Canada Music Canada 43 Gold 50 000 United Kingdom BPI 44 2 Platinum 1 425 474 15 Shipments figures based on certification alone Come On England version EditIn 2004 the band 4 4 2 was formed to cover the song as Come On England with altered lyrics to support the England national football team during their appearance in the 2004 European Championships 45 See also EditList of number one singles in Australia during the 1980s List of best selling singles by year in the United Kingdom List of Billboard Hot 100 number one singles of 1983 List of Cash Box Top 100 number one singles of 1983 List of number one singles of 1982 Ireland List of number one singles from the 1980s New Zealand List of number one singles of the 1980s Switzerland List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 1980sReferences Edit Mann Brent 2003 99 Red Balloons and 100 Other All Time Great One Hit Wonders Citadel Press p 46 ISBN 978 0 8065 2516 7 New Wave spawned some of pop music s classic one hit wonders artists who are vividly remembered today Dexys Midnight Runners Come on Eileen Nena 99 Luftballons and Thomas Dolby She Blinded Me with Science to name just a few a b c Huey Steve Dexys Midnight Runners Artist Biography AllMusic All Media Network Retrieved 28 July 2013 Come on Eileen a distinctive fusion of 80s pop Celtic folk and blue eyed soul New Musical Express NME London England 19 June 1982 p 34 Moyes Jojo 21 January 1997 Rock star admits stealing song The Independent Retrieved 15 June 2020 Westbrook Caroline 25 July 2015 The Nation s Favourite 80s Number One 12 more classic 80s chart toppers which didn t make the cut Metro Retrieved 27 July 2015 a b VH1 s 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s Preaches to the Choir with Bon Jovi s Livin on a Prayer Taking the Top Spot Press release New York City VH1 24 October 2006 Archived from the original on 26 June 2007 Copsey Rob 12 March 2021 The Official Top 50 best selling songs of 1982 Official Charts Company Retrieved 14 March 2021 Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners Songfacts Retrieved 3 August 2014 Simpson Dave 16 October 2014 We were always hard workers Kevin Rowland and Big Jim Paterson on their favourite Dexys songs The Guardian Retrieved 9 July 2015 5 Things You Didn t Know Come On Eileen By Dexys Midnight Runners WCBS FM 29 March 2013 Retrieved 3 June 2017 Mann Brent 2003 99 Red Balloons And 100 Other All Time Great One Hit Wonders Kensington Publishing Corporation p 185 ISBN 0 806 52516 9 Channel 4 100 Greatest Number One Singles in the UK Classic Whitney Retrieved 21 July 2013 Lists Best VH1 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders Dave Tompkins Retrieved 11 July 2014 Ali Rahsheeda 2 May 2013 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s VH1 Archived from the original on 12 July 2015 a b Copsey Rob 19 September 2017 The UK s Official Chart millionaires revealed Official Charts Company Retrieved 1 May 2018 Australia No 1 hits 1980s World Charts Archived from the original on 9 January 2017 Retrieved 9 June 2013 Dexys Midnight Runners amp The Emerald Express Come On Eileen in German O3 Austria Top 40 Retrieved 28 July 2013 Dexys Midnight Runners amp The Emerald Express Come On Eileen in Dutch Ultratop 50 Retrieved 28 July 2013 Top RPM Singles Issue 6194 RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved 1 June 2013 Le Detail par Artiste in French InfoDisc Select Dexy s Midnight Runners from the artist drop down menu Retrieved 14 May 2016 Dexys Midnight Runners amp The Emerald Express Come On Eileen in German GfK Entertainment charts Retrieved 28 July 2013 The Irish Charts Search Results Come On Eileen Irish Singles Chart Retrieved 28 July 2013 Nederlandse Top 40 Dexys Midnight Runners amp The Emerald Express Come On Eileen in Dutch Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 28 July 2013 Dexys Midnight Runners amp The Emerald Express Come On Eileen in Dutch Single Top 100 Retrieved 28 July 2013 Dexys Midnight Runners amp The Emerald Express Come On Eileen Top 40 Singles Retrieved 28 July 2013 South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 1989 Acts D Rock co za Retrieved 28 July 2013 Salaverri Fernando September 2005 Solo exitos ano a ano 1959 2002 in Spanish 1st ed Spain Fundacion Autor SGAE ISBN 84 8048 639 2 Dexys Midnight Runners amp The Emerald Express Come On Eileen Swiss Singles Chart Retrieved 28 July 2013 Official Singles Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Retrieved 28 July 2013 a b c Too Rye Ay Awards AllMusic All Media Network Retrieved 1 June 2013 CASH BOX Top 100 Singles Week ending APRIL 23 1983 Cash Box Archived from the original on 13 September 2012 National Top 100 Singles for 1982 Kent Music Report 3 January 1983 Retrieved 22 January 2023 via Imgur Forum ARIA Charts Special Occasion Charts Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts 1980s Australian charts com Hung Medien Retrieved 11 July 2014 Jaaroverzichten 1982 in Dutch Ultratop Hung Medien Retrieved 11 July 2014 The Top Singles of 1983 RPM Vol 39 no 17 Library and Archives Canada 24 December 1983 Retrieved 7 July 2019 Top 100 Jaaroverzicht van 1982 in Dutch Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 11 July 2014 Jaaroverzichten Single 1982 in Dutch Single Top 100 Hung Medien Retrieved 11 July 2014 End of Year Charts 1982 Recorded Music New Zealand Retrieved 16 May 2016 Lane Dan 18 November 2012 The biggest selling singles of every year revealed 1952 2011 Official Charts Company Archived from the original on 13 March 2013 Retrieved 11 July 2014 Top 100 Hits for 1983 The Longbored Surfer Retrieved 11 July 2014 The CASH BOX Year End Charts 1983 Cash Box Archived from the original on 25 December 2012 Platinum and Gold Singles 1982 Kent Music Report 28 February 1983 Retrieved 10 November 2021 via Imgur Canadian single certifications Kevin Rowland amp Dexys Midnight Runners Come On Eileen Music Canada British single certifications Dexys Midnight Runners Come On Eileen British Phonographic Industry Retrieved 8 October 2021 Come on England 2004 Hamptons org uk Archived from the original on 15 October 2013 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Come On Eileen amp oldid 1134976870, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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