Madness are an English ska and pop band from Camden Town, north west London, who formed in 1976. One of the most prominent bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s two-tone ska revival, they continue to perform with six of the seven members of their original line-up. Madness's most successful period was from 1980 to 1986, when the band's songs spent a total of 214 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, holding the record along with English reggae group UB40 for most weeks spent by a group in the UK singles chart during the 1980s.
Scritti Politti are a UK band formed in 1977 in Leeds, England by Welsh singer-songwriter Green Gartside, who is the sole remaining member of the original band.
Graham McPherson, known primarily by his stage name Suggs, is a British singer-songwriter, musician, radio personality and actor.
Michael Barson is a British multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer. In a career spanning 45 years, Barson came to prominence in the late 1970s as the keyboard player for the band Madness.
C81 was a cassette compiled for the British music paper NME in 1981 and released in conjunction with the record label Rough Trade. Featuring a number of contemporary musical acts and performers, it was intended to mark the first five years of the independent label movement in the UK record industry and Rough Trade itself. It was the first in a series of many cassette releases from the paper, including the C86 compilation of 1986.
Mad Not Mad is the sixth studio album by the English ska and pop band Madness. It was released on 30 September 1985, their first release on their own label Zarjazz, a sub-label of Virgin Records. The album was recorded over a period of two months in 1985 at Westside Studios and at AIR Studios, both in London. The album was their last recording of original material until they officially reformed in 1992.
The Madness is the only studio album by the British ska/pop band The Madness, a short-lived incarnation of Madness. It was originally released in mid-1988, on the label Virgin. The album was produced by the Three Eyes, a pseudonym, whose identities remain a mystery. With the demise of Madness and the group's own label Zarjazz, the Madness were directly recruited under Virgin Records.
Cupid & Psyche 85 is the second studio album by the British pop band Scritti Politti, released in the UK on 10 June 1985 by Virgin Records. The release continued frontman Green Gartside's embrace of commercial pop music stylings and state-of-the-art studio production, while its lyrics reflect his preoccupation with issues of language and politics.
"My Girl" is a song by British ska/pop group Madness from their debut album, One Step Beyond.... It was written by Mike Barson. The song was released as a single on 21 December 1979 and spent 10 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 3.
"(Waiting For) The Ghost Train" is a single by the English ska and pop band Madness. Released in 1986 shortly after the band announced they were to split, it was their last single prior to reforming in 1992. It spent nine weeks in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 18. The song first appeared on an album on the band's 1986's Utter Madness greatest hits compilation, issued one month after its single release.
Green Gartside is a Welsh singer, songwriter and musician. He is the frontman of the band Scritti Politti.
"Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)" is the seventh single released by the British pop band Scritti Politti, issued in the UK on 24 February 1984 by Virgin Records. It later appeared on the band's second studio album Cupid & Psyche 85 (released in June 1985) and was produced by Arif Mardin. The song's subtitle is a reference to "I Say a Little Prayer", Aretha Franklin's biggest UK hit; Mardin had also produced Franklin.
"The Word Girl" is a song by the British pop band Scritti Politti. Included on their second studio album, Cupid & Psyche 85, the reggae style track was released as a single in the UK on 29 April 1985 and remains the band's highest charting hit in the UK, peaking at No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart. The music video was directed by John Scarlett-Davis and produced by Nick Verden at Aldabra Films for Virgin Records.
Songs to Remember is the debut studio album by the British pop band Scritti Politti. The album's recording had to be delayed for nine months due to frontman Green Gartside's collapse and illness, and then after completion its release was delayed for a further year at the band's request. It was eventually released on 3 September 1982 by Rough Trade Records, peaking at number 12 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was heavily influenced by disco, reggae, and soul music, and marked the beginning of Scritti Politti's move from their underground DIY post-punk sound towards commercial pop music.
Provision is the third studio album by the British pop band Scritti Politti, released in the UK on 6 June 1988 by Virgin Records.
David Gamson is an American keyboardist/musician. Originally hailing from New York, he has worked with, among others, Kesha, Kelly Clarkson, Jessie J, Adam Lambert, Chaka Khan, Charli XCX, Meshell Ndegeocello, Green Gartside, Sheila E., George Benson, Luther Vandross, Donny Osmond, Miles Davis, Al Jarreau, Tony LeMans, Roger Troutman, Eden xo, Quinn XCII and Hannah Diamond.
"Perfect Way" is a song written by Green Gartside and David Gamson and performed by the British pop band Scritti Politti. It was featured on the band's second and most successful studio album, Cupid & Psyche 85, released in June 1985. The song features synthesizer in its instrumentation.
"Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me" is a song and single by American group, Gladys Knight & the Pips written by Barrett Strong, Cornelius Grant and Rodger Penzabene. It was produced by Norman Whitfield.
Early is a 2005 compilation by Scritti Politti which collects singles and EPs recorded in the first years of the band's existence, during its early incarnation as a DIY post-punk act characterised by an experimental musical approach and leftist political concerns. Following these recordings, leader Green Gartside would abandon the group's avant-garde leanings and attempt a more commercial musical direction.
"Gangsters" is the first single by the English ska group the Specials.
