Pete Williams - Dexy's, Dexy's Midnight Runners, The Bureau The God Cast Interview.

Born to Black Country parents just inside a new decade, Pete went to school, had a paper round, dreamed and played clarinet. At age 14 he bought a bass guitar and was soon playing in various bands appearing in social clubs around the industrial West Midlands. Four years later he was invited by an old school friend to join a “new wave soul group” as yet unnamed, which later became DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS. Their first release"Dance Stance"was. issued on Bernie Rhodes Oddball label and soon after they were invited to support THE SPECIALS on the first 2TONE tour. After recording “Searching For The Young Soul Rebels” (an album considered by many to be one of the best debut LPs by any UK band) and garnering a U.K. No1 single with “Geno”, extensive touring and many festival appearances followed. Pete left Dexys Midnight Runners in Zurich at the end of an exhausting trans-European tour; returned to England and formed THE BUREAU. THE BUREAU had top ten singles “Only For Sheep” and “Let Him Have It” in Australia and Canada, and toured Europe and the U.S. with The Pretenders. Their eponymous album was left inexplicably unreleased and overlooked in the U.K. They disbanded in 1983. (“The Bureau” finally saw the light of day with a release in 2005). After a short siesta Pete, as vocalist, hoofer, raconteur and front-man, formed THESE TENDER VIRTUES with Fred Skidmore. Some called them “The Vicars of Vaudeville”, others “Dickensian nutters”. These boys, with hearts like the afternoon; completely and wilfully out of step with the mid 80s trends, gigged extensively and toured Britain. The E.P. “The Continuing Saga” and a single “Waltz” were released through Cartel/Rough Trade, but after almost a decade of continual recording, rehearsing and touring, Pete called it a day for THESE TENDER VIRTUES.