Andy Leek (1958 – 3 November 2024) was an English singer, songwriter, poet and musician, known for his work with Dexys Midnight Runners and Sir George Martin.
At the age of 21, Leek joined Dexys Midnight Runners in late October 1979, playing on early recordings such as the hit single "Geno" and four other tracks on their debut album Searching for the Young Soul Rebels.
Some months later, on the strength of a demo tape of 16 new songs, Beggars Banquet paid for an album's worth of new material but this lay dormant until their belated release as Midnight Music on Leek's own Undiscovered Classics label in 2009.
One song from these sessions, "Twist in the Dark", was recorded by Frida from ABBA for her 1984 solo album Shine, via a recommendation from Leek's friend Kirsty MacColl.
[3] For the rest of the 1980s, Leek pursued his own career as a musician, as well as writing a musical interpretation of a Dylan Thomas poem which was recorded and released by Tom Jones, and acting alongside Billie Whitelaw and David Van Day as an aspiring songwriter in the Tony Klinger-produced 1985 film Promo-Man.
It was recorded in Martin's AIR Studios with such musicians as Steve Howe of Yes, Clem Clempson, Luís Jardim on percussion, Alan Murphy of Level 42 on guitar, Peter-John Vettese (keyboards, from Jethro Tull), and veteran bassist Mo Foster's 36-piece orchestra on various tracks and the London Community Gospel Choir on "Golden Doors".
[4] In 2007, a Lebanese DJ/producer called aXess contacted Leek to request he do a salsa remix of the track "Say Something" which had reached the number 1 position in Lebanon during the civil war.