Bernard Rhodes at the British Library

[Low Down Low]

Rowland credits Bernie with influencing him on how to change his singing style early on in Dexys, not much but it is something anyway.

Strummer credits Matt Monro with his singing style. Also Kevin sounded pretty good in the Killjoys.


I think Geno Washington had a much stronger effect on the young Kevin than Bernie.

Its quite possible but I think Rowland knew Bernie from even his pre-Killjoys days so he was definitely a formative influence. In fact, I've always been struck by the similarities between DMR and the Clash with regard to Bernie, in that both KR and JS were, for complex and unfathomable reasons, drawn towards Bernie while pretty much the rest of their bandmates found him an odious creep. The major difference being, Rowland escaped from it fairly unscathed while it all but destroyed Joe.

Point is/was that you said Kevin credited Bernie with changing his singing style but the truth is Kevin became disillusioned with punk and started to get heavily into soul and Geno in particular. Hell one listen to the lyrics of "Geno" says it all.

Yeah, definitely true that Rowland had the idea for a soul band from very early on, no argument there whatsoever. And what i said is a bit misleading because it's doubtful he would credit Bernie with anything anyway, but the influence is there regardless. There's a passage in one of the Dexys books that details how Bernie encouraged Kevin to change his singing style which is what I was referencing. It's a while since I read it to be honest, but I do recall other members of the group/support staff talking about it so I took it as being fairly genuine as opposed to just another load of Bernie Bollocks. Like I said at the outset, not a massive thing, but thought just worth a mention anyway.

[Marky Dread]

Rowland credits Bernie with influencing him on how to change his singing style early on in Dexys, not much but it is something anyway.

Strummer credits Matt Monro with his singing style. Also Kevin sounded pretty good in the Killjoys.


I think Geno Washington had a much stronger effect on the young Kevin than Bernie.

Its quite possible but I think Rowland knew Bernie from even his pre-Killjoys days so he was definitely a formative influence. In fact, I've always been struck by the similarities between DMR and the Clash with regard to Bernie, in that both KR and JS were, for complex and unfathomable reasons, drawn towards Bernie while pretty much the rest of their bandmates found him an odious creep. The major difference being, Rowland escaped from it fairly unscathed while it all but destroyed Joe.

Point is/was that you said Kevin credited Bernie with changing his singing style but the truth is Kevin became disillusioned with punk and started to get heavily into soul and Geno in particular. Hell one listen to the lyrics of "Geno" says it all.

Yeah, definitely true that Rowland had the idea for a soul band from very early on, no argument there whatsoever. And what i said is a bit misleading because it's doubtful he would credit Bernie with anything anyway, but the influence is there regardless. There's a passage in one of the Dexys books that details how Bernie encouraged Kevin to change his singing style which is what I was referencing. It's a while since I read it to be honest, but I do recall other members of the group/support staff talking about it so I took it as being fairly genuine as opposed to just another load of Bernie Bollocks. Like I said at the outset, not a massive thing, but thought just worth a mention anyway.

Yep sure thing mate I get you. I just think that Bernie would take credit for inventing the wheel if he could. Bernie may have said about Kevin changing his vocal style but Kevin still had to change and write music to suit. The same with The Clash they still had to write and play their own music and let's face it you can be inspired by many things like Joe being inspired to write London Calling after the Three Mile Island nuclear plant accident and then channeling that idea to suit his then hi-rise living in london.

[Marky Dread]

Bernie Rhodes is the greatest manager of all time and invented the world. Okay Bernie you can put the gun down now!

[Low Down Low]

Bernie Rhodes is the greatest manager of all time and invented the world. Okay Bernie you can put the gun down now!

Ha! No gun to head here, but I'd have some sympathy for him for not getting more recognition for the things he did if he wasn't such a 24 carat dickwad. But he is and I don't.

Some of his ideas were good. Like when he sent the Specials on that infamous trip to Paris, penniless and totally disorganised, and they spent the whole time cursing and bitching him, hating him forever after it, but I think when they all looked back later, they realised that trip was the making of the band, it formed them into a tighter, much more focussed unit. Bernie Rhodes knew. Well, Bernie didn't know really, the idea was merely to sow chaos and see what sprung from it. But there was method in his madness. Sort of.

And the busking tour. Nothing much came of it ultimately, but what a cracking idea, a great piece of Clash history that.

[JennyB]

I think the only way I would go to this is if someone held my feet to the fire.

[Spiff]

I think the only way I would go to this is if someone held my feet to the fire.

You owe it to the fans.

[101Walterton]

I think the only way I would go to this is if someone held my feet to the fire.

You owe it to the fans.

Don't shoot Bernie he is the messenger.