12/06/2010 - 24:00
Grande Scène
Madness
Ska Legend / United Kingdom
Madness were one of the most popular English bands of the 1980s with their pioneering ska-pop sound.
Formed in 1976, initially as The Invaders, the group from Camden Town, North London, released their first album, One Step Beyond, in 1979 and peaked at number two in the UK album charts, while spawning the hit singles One Step Beyond and My Girl.
Their follow-up album Absolutely, released in 1980, was equally successful, also reaching number two, and included classic singles Baggy Trousers and Embarrassment. Indeed, in a three-year spell, the band had a run of 13 UK Top Ten hits.
Their musical style moved from pure ska to mature pop for their third album Seven. Their songwriting was always similarly diverse, with the "Nutty Boys" humour of such tracks as Baggy Trousers contrasting with darker themes in songs like Embarrassment. In 1982 the band recorded their first UK number one with the anthemic House of Fun, while their cover of a Labi Siffre song It Must be Love was also a chart and critical smash.
Further success and a pure pop sound were features of 1982's Rise and Fall album, and the single Our House reached number five in the UK charts and number seven in the US, also winning a prestigious Ivor Novello Award for Best Song.
Although founder member, pianist and key songwriter Mike Barson left in 1983, the band continued to record, and albums Keep Moving and Mad Not Mad followed in 1984 and 1985.
Six years of stellar success and magical music ended in 1986 when the band split up, although one self-titled album as The Madness followed in 1988.
The band returned in 1992 with a live open-air concert at London's Finsbury Park, and further Madstock! concerts followed in 1994, 1996 and 1998. Wonderful, a first studio album in 13 years, was released in 1999, and included the hit single Lovestruck.
The cover album The Dangermen Sessions followed in 2005, and Madness released a full-scale original album, The Liberty of Norton Folgate, in May 2009 to outstanding reviews. The BBC declared it "the most sophisticated and satisfying album of their career" while Word magazine declared it "Madness' masterpiece."
Formed in 1976, initially as The Invaders, the group from Camden Town, North London, released their first album, One Step Beyond, in 1979 and peaked at number two in the UK album charts, while spawning the hit singles One Step Beyond and My Girl.
Their follow-up album Absolutely, released in 1980, was equally successful, also reaching number two, and included classic singles Baggy Trousers and Embarrassment. Indeed, in a three-year spell, the band had a run of 13 UK Top Ten hits.
Their musical style moved from pure ska to mature pop for their third album Seven. Their songwriting was always similarly diverse, with the "Nutty Boys" humour of such tracks as Baggy Trousers contrasting with darker themes in songs like Embarrassment. In 1982 the band recorded their first UK number one with the anthemic House of Fun, while their cover of a Labi Siffre song It Must be Love was also a chart and critical smash.
Further success and a pure pop sound were features of 1982's Rise and Fall album, and the single Our House reached number five in the UK charts and number seven in the US, also winning a prestigious Ivor Novello Award for Best Song.
Although founder member, pianist and key songwriter Mike Barson left in 1983, the band continued to record, and albums Keep Moving and Mad Not Mad followed in 1984 and 1985.
Six years of stellar success and magical music ended in 1986 when the band split up, although one self-titled album as The Madness followed in 1988.
The band returned in 1992 with a live open-air concert at London's Finsbury Park, and further Madstock! concerts followed in 1994, 1996 and 1998. Wonderful, a first studio album in 13 years, was released in 1999, and included the hit single Lovestruck.
The cover album The Dangermen Sessions followed in 2005, and Madness released a full-scale original album, The Liberty of Norton Folgate, in May 2009 to outstanding reviews. The BBC declared it "the most sophisticated and satisfying album of their career" while Word magazine declared it "Madness' masterpiece."
Beginner's guide
In a tweet: North London Nutty Boys who brought ska to the masses with hit after pop hit in the 1980s, and now back to their best.Best introduction: Rise and Fall (1982) may be the critics’ choice and their most mature offering - but newcomers should check out their 1979 debut One Step Beyond to truly appreciate their ska roots and such classic cuts as One Step Beyond and My Girl The 2009 compilation Total Madness is ideal for those seeking a quick hits package.?
Songs to download: One Step Beyond, Embarrassment, Our House, My Girl, Baggy Trousers, House of Fun, It Must Be Love, The Prince.
Key fact: Madness spent 214 weeks in the UK singles chart between 1980 and 1986, scoring 13 Top 10 hits in the process.
Fun fact: During their 1992 comeback concert at Finsbury Park in London, the crowd reaction during their rendition of One Step Beyond provoked reports of an earthquake as nearby buildings shook. The British geological survey explained that the crowd began to stamp its feet in strict time, and in a freak of geophysics, the sediments of the London basin amplified the stamping to a level that set the buildings rocking too.?
They say: "[Their songs] rank alongside those of The Kinks, The Jam and even The Smiths as English working-class pop at its most ingenious. (Uncut)
Madness say: "It's a family but it's a f***ing dysfunctional family. It's all needy kids and no parents." (Lead singer Suggs on the band; The Times 2008)
Press Contact
Agency: Southernfried RecordsContact person: Katy Ellis
Email: katy@southernfriedrecords.com
