Madness
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genre(s)	2 Tone, Ska, Pop, New Wave
Years active	1976 – 1986, 1992 – present
Label(s)	2 Tone, Stiff, Virgin, V2
Associated acts	The Madness, Feargal Sharkey, The Fink Brothers[1]
Website	Madness.com, Madness Official MySpace
Members
Suggs Mike Barson Lee Thompson Chris Foreman Mark Bedford Daniel Woodgate Chas Smash

Madness is an English pop/ska band from Camden Town, London, that formed in 1976. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other 2 Tone (or Two Tone) is a Music genre created in England in the late 1970s by fusing elements of Ska, Punk rock, Rocksteady Ska ( pronounced /ska/ or in Jamaican Patois /skja/ is a Music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and which was the precursor Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure New Wave is a Rock music genre that existed during the late 1970s and the 1980s In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music 2 Tone Records was an English Record label that mostly released Ska and Reggae -influenced music with a Punk rock and Pop music Stiff Records is a Record label created in London in 1976 by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman (aka Jake Riviera Virgin Records is a British Record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell V2 redirects here For the rocket see V-2 rocket. For other meanings see V2 (disambiguation. Feargal Sharkey (born Sean Feargal Sharkey, 13 August 1958 Derry, Northern Ireland, UK) is a British Singer, who first found fame Graham McPherson (born on 13 January 1961 in Hastings) better known as Suggs, is an English Singer, actor former radio DJ and TV personality Mike Barson (born Michael Barson 21 May 1958, North London, England) sometimes nicknamed Monsieur Barso, is an English Lee Jay Thompson (born 5 October 1957, London) nicknamed Kix or El Thommo, is an English Musician, best Christopher John Foreman (born 8 August 1956, London) nicknamed Chrissy Boy, is an English Guitarist, best known as a Mark Bedford (born Mark William Bedford 24 August 1961, London) nicknamed 'Bedders' is a bass guitarist and youngest member of the British Daniel Woodgate (born Daniel Mark Woodgate 19 October 1960, London) is the Drummer of the band, Madness. Carl Smyth, also known as Chas Smash (born Cathal Joseph Patrick Smyth 14 January 1959 in the Middlesex Hospital, London, England) is England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Ska ( pronounced /ska/ or in Jamaican Patois /skja/ is a Music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and which was the precursor Camden Town is the district of London, England around Camden High Street, in the London Borough of Camden. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. ^[2] As of 2008, the band has continued to perform with their most recognised lineup of seven members, although their lineup has varied slightly over the years. They were one of the most prominent bands of the late-1970s 2 Tone ska revival. 2 Tone (or Two Tone) is a Music genre created in England in the late 1970s by fusing elements of Ska, Punk rock, Rocksteady ^[3]

Madness achieved most of their success in the 1980s. Both Madness and UB40 spent exactly 214 weeks on the UK singles charts over the course of the decade, holding the record for most weeks spent by a group in the 1980s UK singles charts. UB40 are a British Reggae band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. Featuring the same line-up of 8 musicians from 1978-2008 the band placed more than 50 However, Madness achieved this in a shorter time period (1980-1986). ^[4][5][6]

Career

1976–1978: Formation

The core of the band formed as The North London Invaders in 1976 (although their name was often shortened to The Invaders), and included Mike Barson (Monsieur Barso) on keyboards and vocals, Chris Foreman (Chrissy Boy) on guitar and Lee Thompson (Kix) on saxophone and vocals. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Mike Barson (born Michael Barson 21 May 1958, North London, England) sometimes nicknamed Monsieur Barso, is an English A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a Musical keyboard. Christopher John Foreman (born 8 August 1956, London) nicknamed Chrissy Boy, is an English Guitarist, best known as a An electric guitar is a type of Guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current which is made louder Lee Jay Thompson (born 5 October 1957, London) nicknamed Kix or El Thommo, is an English Musician, best The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind ^[2] They later recruited John Hasler on drums and Cathal Smyth (better known as Chas Smash) on bass guitar. A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells Carl Smyth, also known as Chas Smash (born Cathal Joseph Patrick Smyth 14 January 1959 in the Middlesex Hospital, London, England) is The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the Later in the year, they were joined by lead vocalist "Dikron". ^[2]

This six-piece lineup lasted until part way through 1977, when Graham McPherson (better known as Suggs) took over the lead vocals after seeing the band perform in a friend's garden. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Graham McPherson (born on 13 January 1961 in Hastings) better known as Suggs, is an English Singer, actor former radio DJ and TV personality A yard is an enclosed area of land usually tied to a building ^[7] Smyth, who was poor on bass guitar, was replaced by Gavin Rogers, an acquaintance of Barson. Carl Smyth, also known as Chas Smash (born Cathal Joseph Patrick Smyth 14 January 1959 in the Middlesex Hospital, London, England) is The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the ^[7] McPherson was kicked out of the band for too often choosing to watch football instead of rehearsing. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered ^[8] Thompson left the band after Barson criticised his saxophone playing. The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind ^[8]

By 1978, the band had allowed McPherson to return, after filling in temporarily for Hasler (who had taken over vocals when McPherson was removed). Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) ^[8] Thompson returned after patching things up with Barson, and Daniel Woodgate (Woody) and Mark Bedford (Bedders) also joined the band, on drums, replacing Garry Dovey, and bass guitar, replacing Gavin Rogers, respectively. Daniel Woodgate (born Daniel Mark Woodgate 19 October 1960, London) is the Drummer of the band, Madness. Mark Bedford (born Mark William Bedford 24 August 1961, London) nicknamed 'Bedders' is a bass guitarist and youngest member of the British ^[8] After briefly changing their name to Morris and the Minors, the band renamed itself as Madness; paying homage to one of their favourite songs by ska/reggae artist Prince Buster. Ska ( pronounced /ska/ or in Jamaican Patois /skja/ is a Music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and which was the precursor Reggae is a Music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s Cecil Bustamente Campbell OD (born May 28, 1938) better known as Prince Buster and less known by his muslim name Muhammed Yusef Ali is a musician from ^[9] The band remained a sextet until late 1979, when Chas Smash rejoined and officially became the seventh member of Madness as a backing vocalist and trumpet player. A backing vocalist or backing singer (or especially in the US ^[9]

1979–1981: Early success

In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". See also Musical groups established in 1979 Record labels established in 1979 1979 in music (UK Lee Jay Thompson (born 5 October 1957, London) nicknamed Kix or El Thommo, is an English Musician, best " The Prince " is a song by British ska/pop band Madness. ^[9] The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. Cecil Bustamente Campbell OD (born May 28, 1938) better known as Prince Buster and less known by his muslim name Muhammed Yusef Ali is a musician from The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. 2 Tone Records was an English Record label that mostly released Ska and Reggae -influenced music with a Punk rock and Pop music The Specials (sometimes called The Special AKA) are an English 2 Tone Ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry. Jerry Dammers (born Jeremy Dammers 22 May 1955, Ootacamund, Tamil Nadu, South India) is a founder and keyboard player ^[9] The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts at number 16. ^[9] A performance of "The Prince" on popular UK music show Top of the Pops helped Madness gain public recognition. Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, was a long-running British music chart Television programme, made and broadcast Madness then toured with fellow 2 Tone bands The Specials and The Selecter, before recording their debut album, One Step Beyond..., which was released by Stiff Records. 2 Tone (or Two Tone) is a Music genre created in England in the late 1970s by fusing elements of Ska, Punk rock, Rocksteady The Selecter were a 2 Tone Ska revival band from Coventry, England, formed in the late 1970s One Step Beyond is the 1979 debut Album by the British Ska group Madness. Stiff Records is a Record label created in London in 1976 by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman (aka Jake Riviera ^[9] The album included a re-recording of "The Prince" and the band's second and third singles: "One Step Beyond" and "My Girl". "One Step Beyond" is a song originally written by Jamaican Ska singer Prince Buster as a b-side for his single "Al Capone" "My Girl" is a song by British Ska / pop group Madness from their debut album One Step Beyond The title song was a cover of the B-side of the 1960s Prince Buster hit "Al Capone". A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of 7 inch Vinyl records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s One Step Beyond. . . stayed in the British charts for 37 weeks, peaking at number 2. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands ^[10][9] After the release of "My Girl", the band felt that they had exhausted the material from One Step Beyond. . . , and did not want to release any more singles from the album. ^[11] However, Dave Robinson, head of Stiff Records, disagreed. ^[11] Eventually, a compromise was made, and the band decided to release an EP featuring one album track and three new tracks. An extended play ( EP) is a Vinyl record, CD, or Music download which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify ^[11] The result was the Work Rest and Play EP, which was headlined by the song "Night Boat to Cairo", from the One Step Beyond album. Work Rest and Play is an EP by British Ska / pop band Madness. "Night Boat to Cairo" is a song by British Ska / pop band Madness from their debut 1979 album One Step Beyond ^[11] The EP reached number 6 in the UK singles chart. ^[11]

The following year, the band's second album, Absolutely reached number 2 in the UK album charts. Absolutely is the 1980 second album from the British Ska band Madness. ^[11] Absolutely spawned some of the band's biggest hits, most notably "Baggy Trousers", which peaked at number 3 in the UK singles chart. "Baggy Trousers" is a song by English ska/pop band Madness from their 1980 album Absolutely. ^[11] "Embarrassment" reached number 4 in the charts, and the instrumental song "Return of the Los Palmas 7" climbed to number 7. " Embarrassment " is a song recorded by Ska / pop band Madness, predominantly written by Lee Thompson, but partially credited to Mike "The Return of the Los Palmas 7" is a song by British Ska / pop band Madness, written by Mike Barson, Mark Bedford ^[11] Although the album reviews were generally less enthusiastic than those of One Step Beyond. . . , they were mostly positive. Robert Christgau gave the album a favorable B- grade,^[12] but Rolling Stone Magazine awarded the album just one out of five stars. Robert Christgau (born April 18 1942) is an American Essayist, Music journalist, and the self-declared "Dean of American Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published ^[13] Rolling Stone was particularly scathing of the ska revival in general, stating that "The Specials wasn't very good" and Madness were simply "the Blues Brothers with English accents". 2 Tone (or Two Tone) is a Music genre created in England in the late 1970s by fusing elements of Ska, Punk rock, Rocksteady Specials is the debut album by British Ska revival band The Specials. The Blues Brothers are a Grammy Award -nominated American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd ^[13]

1982–1984: Change of direction

In 1981, the band's third studio album, 7 reached number 5 in the UK album charts and contained three hit singles, "Grey Day" (no. 7 is the third album from the British Ska / pop band Madness. 4, Apr. 81), "Shut Up" (no. 7, Sep. 81), and "Cardiac Arrest" (no. 14, Feb. 82). ^[14] In an article in 1979, Chris Foreman explained that the band's music would move with the times, and change styles as time goes on. Christopher John Foreman (born 8 August 1956, London) nicknamed Chrissy Boy, is an English Guitarist, best known as a ^[15] This was shown to be the case, as unlike the two ska-filled, fast-paced albums that preceded it, 7 was somewhat of a change in direction. Ska ( pronounced /ska/ or in Jamaican Patois /skja/ is a Music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and which was the precursor Suggs' vocal performance changed significantly, and his strong Cockney accent from the previous albums had been watered down. Graham McPherson (born on 13 January 1961 in Hastings) better known as Suggs, is an English Singer, actor former radio DJ and TV personality The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations The album strayed from the ska-influenced sound of One Step Beyond... and Absolutely, and moved towards a more conventional and mature pop sound; a trend that continued with subsequent albums. One Step Beyond is the 1979 debut Album by the British Ska group Madness. Absolutely is the 1980 second album from the British Ska band Madness. Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Near the end of 1981, Madness released one of their most recognised songs; a remake of Labi Siffre's 1971 hit "It Must Be Love". See also Musical groups established in 1981 Record labels established in 1981 List of 'years in music' Labi Siffre (born 25 June 1945 is an English Poet, Songwriter and Singer most widely known as the writer and singer of (Something Inside " It Must Be Love " is a song originally written and recorded in 1971 by Labi Siffre. ^[14] The song climbed to number 4 in the UK, and in 1983, the song peaked at number 33 in the US charts. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[14][16] In 1982, Madness released their only number 1 hit to date, "House of Fun" which they played live on the '80s series The Young Ones; the compilation "Complete Madness" also reached number 1. " House of Fun " is a song by British ska/pop group Madness, credited to Mike Barson and Lee Thompson. The Young Ones was a popular British sitcom, first seen in 1982, on BBC2. In November '82, they released their 4th studio album, "The Rise & Fall". The album was well received in the UK, but didn't get an American release. Instead, many of the albums songs were included on the US compilation Madness, including "Our House", which was their most internationally successful single to date. Madness is a self-titled Compilation album by a British ska/pop band Madness. " Our House " is a single by English Ska / pop band Madness, from their UK album The Rise & Fall and their "Our House" reached number 5 in the UK music charts and number 7 in the US charts, it was also performed live on The Young Ones. ^[17] Many reviewers compared the The Rise & Fall to The Kinks' Village Green Preservation Society,^[18] and it is at times retrospectively considered a concept album. The Kinks were an English pop and rock group formed in 1963 and categorised in the US as a British Invasion band The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society is a pop-rock album released by the British music group The Kinks on 22 November In Popular music, a concept album is an Album which is "unified by a theme which can be instrumental compositional narrative or lyrical" The album also featured "Primrose Hill", which was more similar to The Beatles song "Strawberry Fields Forever", containing similar psychedelic imagery and a layered arrangement. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 " Strawberry Fields Forever " is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. Psychedelic music is a term that refers to a broad set of popular music styles genres and scenes that may include Psychedelic rock, psychedelic folk, Psychedelic Vagina Imagery is used in literature to refer to descriptive language that evokes sensory experience ^[19]

In 1983, their single "Wings of a Dove" peaked at number 2 in the UK charts, followed by "The Sun & The Rain" (no. For the country song see Bob Ferguson " Wings of a Dove " (also known as "Wings of a Dove (A Celebratory Song" is 5, nov 83). ^[20] Their following album, Keep Moving, peaked at number 6 in the UK album charts, and two singles from that album reached the top 20 in the UK music charts. Keep Moving is the fifth album by the British Ska band Madness from 1984 ^[21] The album received some good reviews, with Rolling Stone Magazine giving the album four out of five stars, applauding the band's changing sound. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published ^[22] This review was a vast improvement on the last album reviewed by the magazine, Absolutely, which was heavily criticised. ^[13]

1985–1988: Decline and breakup

The Keep Moving album was Mike Barson's last contribution to the band, until their subsequent reunion.

In October 1983, the band's founder, keyboardist and prominent songwriter Mike Barson decided to leave the band, partly because he had relocated to Amsterdam, Netherlands. Major releases Michael Jackson's Thriller, the highest-selling album of all time as well as the best-selling album of 1983 and 1984 was released Mike Barson (born Michael Barson 21 May 1958, North London, England) sometimes nicknamed Monsieur Barso, is an English Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands ^[20] He officially left the band in June 1984, following the release of "One Better Day". " One Better Day " is a song by British band Madness from their 1984 album Keep Moving. ^[21] The six remaining members left Stiff Records and formed their own label, Zarjazz Records, which was sub-label of Virgin Records. Stiff Records is a Record label created in London in 1976 by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman (aka Jake Riviera Zarjazz was a Record label, a sub-label of Virgin Records. The name comes from zarjaz, a fictitious slang word meaning "excellent" in the comic Virgin Records is a British Record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell ^[21] In 1985, the label released the band's sixth album, Mad Not Mad. Mad Not Mad is the sixth album by the British Ska band Madness, released in 1985 (see 1985 in music) Barson's keyboard parts were filled by synthesisers and Steve Nieve joined the band to take his place. Steve Nieve (born Steven Nason 19 February 1958, in London, England) is a Keyboardist, best known for his work with Elvis Costello In later years, frontman Suggs described the production as "polished turd". Graham McPherson (born on 13 January 1961 in Hastings) better known as Suggs, is an English Singer, actor former radio DJ and TV personality ^[23] The album reached number 16 in the UK charts, which was the band's lowest position on the album charts to date. Despite the poor chart showing, the album was listed as number 55 in NME's All Time 100 Albums. The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been ^[24] The singles for the album fared even worse, with "Yesterday's Men" peaking at number 18 in the UK charts. " Yesterday's Men " is a single by British band Madness from their 1985 album Mad Not Mad. The subsequent singles, "Uncle Sam" and "Sweetest Girl", failed to make the top 20, which was a first for Madness singles. " Uncle Sam " is a single by British band Madness from their 1985 album Mad Not Mad. "The Sweetest Girl" is a single by British band Scritti Politti, released in 1981

The band then attempted to record a new album, and 11 demo tracks were recorded. ^[23] However, musical differences arose between band members, and in September 1986, the band announced that they were to split. ^[23][25] Barson rejoined the band for a farewell single, "(Waiting For) The Ghost Train", but did not appear in the music video. A music video is a Short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music most commonly a Song with lyrics ^[25] The band officially split following the release of the single, which reached a high of number 18 in the UK. In 1988, four members of the band — Suggs, Chas Smash, Lee Thompson and Chris Foreman — created a new band, using the name The Madness. This is a list of notable events in Music that took place in the year 1988. Carl Smyth, also known as Chas Smash (born Cathal Joseph Patrick Smyth 14 January 1959 in the Middlesex Hospital, London, England) is Lee Jay Thompson (born 5 October 1957, London) nicknamed Kix or El Thommo, is an English Musician, best Christopher John Foreman (born 8 August 1956, London) nicknamed Chrissy Boy, is an English Guitarist, best known as a ^[26] After one self-titled album and two singles that failed to make the top 40, the band split. The Madness is a self-titled album by the British band The Madness.

1992–2003: Reunion and Our House musical

In early 1992, "It Must Be Love" was re-released and reached number 6 in the UK singles chart. This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992 " It Must Be Love " is a song originally written and recorded in 1971 by Labi Siffre. ^[27] Following that, the singles compilation Divine Madness was released and peaked at number 1 in the album charts. Divine Madness is the 1992 Greatest hits album from the British Ska / pop band Madness. Madness then announced plans for a reunion concert, Madstock!, which was held at Finsbury Park, London on August 8 and 9 of that year. Madstock! is a Live album by ska/pop band Madness, released on November 2, 1992 (see 1992 in music) Finsbury Park is a 112 acre (45-hectare public park in the London Borough of Haringey. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. ^[28] The original lineup reunited, performing together for the first time since Mike Barson left the band in 1984. Mike Barson (born Michael Barson 21 May 1958, North London, England) sometimes nicknamed Monsieur Barso, is an English See also Events January 21 - " Relax " by Frankie Goes to Hollywood reaches number one in the UK singles chart it Over 75,000 fans attended the weekend festival, and during "One Step Beyond", the vibrations of the crowd jumping up and down in time to the music caused an earth tremor which measured over 4. "One Step Beyond" is a song originally written by Jamaican Ska singer Prince Buster as a b-side for his single "Al Capone" An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer 5 on the Richter scale. The Richter magnitude scale, or more correctly local magnitude M L scale assigns a single number to quantify the amount of seismic energy released ^[29][6] A subsequent live album was released, and the associated single, "The Harder They Come" (a cover of Jimmy Cliff's 1973 song) reached number 44 in the UK, with the album reaching number 22. A live album &ndash commonly contrasted with a Studio album &ndash is a recording consisting of material (usually music recorded during stage performances The Harder They Come is a 1972 Jamaican Crime film directed by Perry Henzell. Jimmy Cliff OM (born James Chambers, 1 April 1948, Somerton District St Events January-February January 9 - Mick Jagger 's request for a Japanese visa is rejected on account of a 1969 drug bust putting an abrupt end ^[30]

The band continued to reunite for annual UK Christmas season tours and held three more Madstock! festivals; in 1994, 1996 and 1998. Also in 1998, Madness returned to America for their first tour there since 1984. The live album Universal Madness was recorded at the Universal Amphitheatre in L. Universal Madness is the second Live album by ska/pop band Madness, released in March 2, 1999 (see 1999 in music) A. and released the following year. In 1999, Madness released their first studio album since 1986, entitled Wonderful. The album reached number 17 in the UK album charts, and the lead single, "Lovestruck", gave the band their first new top 10 hit in the UK since 1983. " Lovestruck " is a song by the band Madness. The release marked the first time they had put out original material for over ten years and signified their return ^[31] Neither of the two subsequent singles from the album, "Johnny The Horse" and "Drip Fed Fred", entered the top 40 of the UK charts. " Johnny The Horse " is a single by British band Madness from their 1999 album Wonderful. " Drip Fed Fred " is a single by British band Madness from their 1999 album Wonderful, featuring Ian Dury on vocals ^[32][33]

From October 28, 2002 to August 16, 2003, a musical based on Madness songs, Our House, ran at the Cambridge Theatre in west London. Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. Our House was a musical first staged at the Cambridge Theatre in London 's West End from October 28 2002 to August 16 2003 The Cambridge Theatre is a West End theatre, on a corner site in Earlham Street facing Seven Dials, in the London Borough of Camden, built in 1929-30 West London is the area of Greater London to the west of Central London. Madness played a role in the executive production of the show, and Suggs played a role in the production for a period of time, playing the central character's father. ^[34] It won an Olivier Award for best new musical of 2003,^[35] and the performance was released on DVD on November 1, 2004. The Laurence Olivier Award is regarded as the most prestigious award in British theatre and is presented in recognition of artistic achievement in London theatre DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " ^[35] There was also a previous musical based on Madness songs, One Step Beyond!, written by Alan Gilbey. ^[36][37] The musical had a brief run at the Theatre Royal Stratford East in 1993. The Theatre Royal Stratford East is a Theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. ^[36][37]

2004–2006: The Dangermen and beyond

Madness performing as The Dangermen at Melkweg in Amsterdam in 2005.

In 2004, the band played a series of low-key concerts as The Dangermen, performing covers of classic reggae and ska songs. Reggae is a Music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s Ska ( pronounced /ska/ or in Jamaican Patois /skja/ is a Music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and which was the precursor A lot of the songs were those played by the band when they were first forming,^[38] and the band performed the songs as a celebration of their 25th anniversary. ^[38] This led to the release of the album The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1 in August 2005. The Dangermen Sessions Vol 1 is a Cover album by the British Ska band Madness. ^[39] However, during the sessions which produced the album, the band's guitarist Chris Foreman announced his departure. Christopher John Foreman (born 8 August 1956, London) nicknamed Chrissy Boy, is an English Guitarist, best known as a Foreman left the band in mid-2005, citing "the petty, time consuming bollocks that goes on in the band" in a statement announcing his decision to leave. ^[39] The band completed the album without him, and on release, it peaked at number 11 in the UK album charts,^[40] which was the band's highest studio album chart position in 21 years. Although two singles were released, neither was a major success in the UK. The more successful of the two, "Shame & Scandal", reached number 38, but was more successful in France, where it peaked at number 12. " Shame & Scandal " is a song originally performed by calypso singer Sir Lancelot. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. ^[41] "Girl Why Don't You?" did not enter the top 75 in the UK. " Girl Why Don't You " is a song originally performed by Prince Buster, covered by Ska band Madness for their 2005 album "

The six remaining members of Madness began working on their first original album in seven years. However, for Madness' 2006 Christmas season tour, Foreman rejoined the band.

2007–Present: The Liberty of Norton Folgate

In March 2007, the non-LP single "Sorry" was released, peaking in the UK charts at number 23. " Sorry " is a single by the band Madness, released in March 2007 and written by Mike Barson the band's keyboard player and prominent songwriter The single included a version featuring UK hip hop artists Sway DaSafo and Baby Blue. Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Derek Andrew Safo (born 5 September, 1982) is a British hip hop Rapper of Ghanaian origins who uses the stage names Both artists were included on the music video which accompanied the hip-hop version of the song, but not on the original music video.

It was announced in September 2007 that Madness would embark on a seven date U. K. stadium tour including a date at The O2 in London. The O2 is a large entertainment district including an indoor arena a music club a cinema an exhibition space piazzas and bars and restaurants built within a large dome-shaped Both the London dates of the tour were recorded live for limited distribution.

The new Madness song "NW5 (I Would Give You Everything)" and a re-recorded version of "It Must Be Love" were featured in the German film Neues vom Wixxer. " It Must Be Love " is a song originally written and recorded in 1971 by Labi Siffre. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The two songs were released in Germany as a double A-Side, and both of them were turned into music videos. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of 7 inch Vinyl records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s A music video is a Short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music most commonly a Song with lyrics While promoting "Sorry", Sway DaSafo confirmed in an interview with NME that he will perform in the recording of Madness' updated version of their song "Baggy Trousers", entitled "Baggy Jeans". The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been "Baggy Trousers" is a song by English ska/pop band Madness from their 1980 album Absolutely. ^[42] A re-recorded version of 'NW5' was released as a single on January 14, 2008 in the UK reaching no. " NW5 " is a single by the band Madness, released in January 2008 Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common 24.

In April 2008 tickets went on sale for Madness' Christmas show at the The O2 in London and later announced that they would be showcasing their new album The Liberty of Norton Folgate at London's Hackney Empire in June 2008. The O2 is a large entertainment district including an indoor arena a music club a cinema an exhibition space piazzas and bars and restaurants built within a large dome-shaped The Hackney Empire is a theatre on Mare Street in the London Borough of Hackney, built in 1901 as a Music hall. The album is rumoured to be released later this year. Madness were scheduled to perform at the 2008 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival but plans fell through in the early stages. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly known as Coachella) is a three-day (formerly a one or two-day annual music and arts festival organized by Goldenvoice However the band have since announced numerous live dates for summer 2008.

Collaborations

Madness collaborated with Elvis Costello in 1983 on a version of their song "Tomorrow's (Just Another Day)". Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick MacManus 25 August 1954 is an English Musician and Singer-songwriter, with Irish ancestry " Tomorrow's (Just Another Day " is a song by British band Madness from their fourth album The Rise and Fall. It was released as a bonus track to the 12" copy of the single. In later years Mike Barson stated that Costello's "Watching the Detectives" was the main influence on the song "My Girl". Mike Barson (born Michael Barson 21 May 1958, North London, England) sometimes nicknamed Monsieur Barso, is an English For the Wonderful album in 1999, Ian Dury laid down vocals on the track "Drip Fed Fred" which was released as the last single from the album. Ian Robins Dury ( 12 May 1942 &ndash 27 March 2000) was an English Rock and roll singer songwriter and Bandleader " Drip Fed Fred " is a single by British band Madness from their 1999 album Wonderful, featuring Ian Dury on vocals Subsequently it was Ian's last recording before his death. Live, Madness have collaborated with artists such as UB40 and Prince Buster, notably at their first Madstock concert. UB40 are a British Reggae band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. Featuring the same line-up of 8 musicians from 1978-2008 the band placed more than 50 Cecil Bustamente Campbell OD (born May 28, 1938) better known as Prince Buster and less known by his muslim name Muhammed Yusef Ali is a musician from They have also played live frequently with members of the other 2 Tone bands, such as The Specials. The Specials (sometimes called The Special AKA) are an English 2 Tone Ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry. In May 2008, Suggs and Carl performed live with The Pet Shop Boys at London's Heaven collaborating on a new composition of My Girl. The capitalisation of song titles in this article is disputed Heaven is a Nightclub in London, England which appeals predominantly (but not exclusively to the Gay market "My Girl" is a song by British Ska / pop group Madness from their debut album One Step Beyond A few days afterwards, Pet Shop Boys' posted their own version of the track on their official website.

Lyrical themes

Frequent themes in Madness' songs included childhood memories (e. g. "Baggy Trousers", "Our House") and petty crime (e. "Baggy Trousers" is a song by English ska/pop band Madness from their 1980 album Absolutely. " Our House " is a single by English Ska / pop band Madness, from their UK album The Rise & Fall and their g. "Shut Up", "Deceives the Eye"). " Shut Up " is a pop song written by Suggs and Chris Foreman. Although Madness were seen by some as somewhat of a humorous band with catchy, bouncy songs,^[43] many of their songs took a darker tone (such as the singles "Grey Day" and "Tomorrow's (Just Another Day)") and they sometimes tackled what were, at the time, controversial issues in their lyrics. " Grey Day " is a pop song written by Mike Barson and recorded by British pop/ Ska band Madness. " Tomorrow's (Just Another Day " is a song by British band Madness from their fourth album The Rise and Fall. "Embarrassment" (from the Absolutely album) was written by Lee Thompson, and reflected the unfolding turmoil following the news that his teenage sister had become pregnant and was carrying a black man's child. " Embarrassment " is a song recorded by Ska / pop band Madness, predominantly written by Lee Thompson, but partially credited to Mike Absolutely is the 1980 second album from the British Ska band Madness. Lee Jay Thompson (born 5 October 1957, London) nicknamed Kix or El Thommo, is an English Musician, best Pregnancy ( Latin graviditas) is the carrying of one or more offspring known as a Fetus or Embryo, inside the Uterus of a Female The term black people usually refers to a racial group of Humans with dark Skin color, but the term has also been used to categorise a number of diverse ^[44] The band discussed animal testing in the song "Tomorrow's Dream". Animal testing or animal research is the use of non-human Animals in scientific experimentation. ^[45] The band criticized the National Health Service in "Mrs. The National Health Service is the name commonly used to refer to the four Publicly-funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom collectively or individually (although Hutchinson", which told the story of a woman who, after several misdiagnoses and mistreatment, became terminally ill. Terminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century to describe an active and Malignant Disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated The story was based on the experiences of Mike Barson's mother. Mike Barson (born Michael Barson 21 May 1958, North London, England) sometimes nicknamed Monsieur Barso, is an English ^[46] Madness' final single prior to disbanding, "(Waiting For) The Ghost Train", commented on apartheid in South Africa. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa ^[25]

Skinhead controversy

Early in their career, Madness were linked to skinheads; members of a British working class subculture that the media often stereotyped as racist (although many skinheads, including the original generation, are anti-racist). A skinhead is a member of a Subculture that originated among Working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s and then spread to other parts of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Working class is a term used in academic Sociology and in ordinary conversation to describe depending on context and speaker those employed in specific fields or types For the term in biology see Subculture (biology. For the song by New Order see Sub-culture (song. List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that Anti-racism includes beliefs actions movements and policies adopted or developed to oppose Racism. ^[9][47] Not only were Madness, along with other 2 Tone bands, popular with skinheads, but it was said that the band members themselves were associated with the subculture. 2 Tone (or Two Tone) is a Music genre created in England in the late 1970s by fusing elements of Ska, Punk rock, Rocksteady The band's relationship with the skinheads varied at times. Mike Barson was particularly displeased with the band's skinhead association, often finding it disappointing that so many were present at performances. Mike Barson (born Michael Barson 21 May 1958, North London, England) sometimes nicknamed Monsieur Barso, is an English Prior to becoming a full member of the band, Chas Smash had been involved in fights with skinheads at performances. Carl Smyth, also known as Chas Smash (born Cathal Joseph Patrick Smyth 14 January 1959 in the Middlesex Hospital, London, England) is In one particular incident on November 18, 1979, Madness were supported by "Red Beans and Rice", who featured a black lead singer, and the band were prevented from completing the performance due to the racist chants from certain members of the skinhead filled audience. Events 326 - The old St Peter's Basilica is consecrated 1302 - Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) The term black people usually refers to a racial group of Humans with dark Skin color, but the term has also been used to categorise a number of diverse Suggs later came on stage to show his displeasure at their behaviour, but this didn't stop much of the audience from Nazi saluting at the end of the show. Graham McPherson (born on 13 January 1961 in Hastings) better known as Suggs, is an English Singer, actor former radio DJ and TV personality The Hitler salute (Hitlergruß also known in Germany during World War II as the Deutscher Gruß (literally German Greeting) or in English as the ^[9]

In a 1979 NME interview, Madness member Chas Smash was quoted as saying "We don't care if people are in the NF as long as they're having a good time. The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been The British National Front (most commonly called the National Front, and often known as the NF) is a British Political party whose major political " This added to speculation that Madness was a racist band supporting the National Front, although the band members denied those allegations, and Chas Smash responded to the NME article in the song "Don't Quote Me On That". ^[9] Eventually, band members denied their skinhead roots, which disappointed much of their skinhead fan base. ^[48]

Awards

The band's first notable musical award came in 1983 when they won an "Ivor Novello Award" for Best Song for the international hit "Our House". Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are Awards for Songwriting and Composing. " Our House " is a single by English Ska / pop band Madness, from their UK album The Rise & Fall and their ^[6][20] They received another "Ivor Novello Award" 17 years later for an "Outstanding Song Collection". ^[6][49] In 2005, they were awarded the Mojo Magazine "Hall Of Fame" award, notably for being 'an artist's artist'. Mojo is a popular Music Magazine published by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. ^[50] As of 2007, a campaign is taking place by fans of Madness for the band to be awarded a Brit award. The BRIT Awards, often simply called The BRITs, are the British Phonographic Industry 's annual pop music awards ^[51] Many fans and critics feel they have been overlooked over their past 30 years in the music industry. ^[51]

Discography

Main article: Madness discography

External links

• Official website
• Official Madspace

References