The Madness (The Madness album)

Last updated

The Madness
The Madness.jpeg
Studio album by
The Madness
Released25 April 1988 (1988-04-25) [1]
StudioLiquidator Studios, London
Genre
Length43:15 (LP version)
58:16 (CD version)
Label Virgin
Producer The Three Eyes
The Madness chronology
Utter Madness
(1986)		The Madness
(1988)		 It's... Madness
(1990)
Singles from The Madness
  1. "I Pronounce You"
    Released: 25 February 1988
  2. "What's That"
    Released: May 1988

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 (although it's assumed to be Madness themselves, or possibly individual members of Madness). With the demise of Madness and the group's own label Zarjazz, the Madness were directly recruited under Virgin Records.

Contents

When the album was released in late April 1988, it received dismissive reviews and peaked at No. 66 in the UK, lasting within the Top 100 for only one week. [2] Two singles, "I Pronounce You" and "What's That", were released from the album, although like the album these were less successful than the original band releases. "I Pronounce You" was the lead single, released in the UK and Portugal. [3] Receiving lukewarm reception from the music press, it peaked at No. 44 in the UK, lasting on the charts for four weeks after originally debuting at No. 48. [4] "What's That", the album's second and final single, was released in the UK only. [5] It was the first release by Madness or any of its spin-off bands not to reach the Top 75 in the UK. It peaked at No. 92 and lasted two weeks on the chart, dropping to No. 98 the following week after its debut. [6]

Background

After Madness' 1985 album Mad Not Mad , the band attempted to record a new album, and eleven demo tracks were recorded. However, musical differences arose between band members, and in September 1986, the band announced that they were to split. Following the breakup of the original Madness, four of the original members (lead vocalist Suggs, saxophonist Lee Thompson, guitarist Chris Foreman and vocalist Cathal Smyth) recreated the band, adding "The" to its name. When originally trying to find a new name for the group, such titles as the Wasp Factory, the One, More and the Earthmen were considered, and at one point BBC Radio 1 listeners were even invited to write in with suggestions. Eventually, the band settled on the title of The Madness. [7]

Since the new band did not include a bassist or drummer, guest musicians (mostly Bruce Thomas) played bass, while a drum machine was used in place of a live drummer on most tracks. UB40's Earl Falconer contributed bass to three tracks, and then Bruce Thomas (bass) and Steve Nieve (keyboards) from Elvis Costello's the Attractions were recruited. On "What's That" Simon Philips added some brushes to help capture a jazzy feel. Ex-Special Jerry Dammers re-appeared to add keyboards to a couple of numbers and the ska connection was further strengthened by ska band the Potato 5 who supplied the horn section. [7] The band recorded their only album The Madness at Liquidator Studios, whilst it was mixed at the Townhouse studios in London. Liquidator Studios had been the band's own studio since circa 1985, located on Caledonian Road in North London, in what was once the premises of their fan club office. They built the 24-track professional studio in the basement, whilst the first floor has always been an office and chill out area, and a room upstairs for song mixing. Unlike any previous Madness album, the lead vocals on The Madness were almost evenly shared between Suggs and Smyth. Suggs performed lead vocals for "In Wonder", "Nightmare Nightmare", "Thunder & Lightning", "Beat the Bride", "11th Hour", "Be Good Boy" and "4.B.F." Smyth sang on "Nail Down the Days", "What's That", "Song in Red", "Gabriel's Horn" and "Flashings". Both Smyth and Suggs performed lead vocals on "I Pronounce You" and "Oh". The production was credited to "the Three Eyes".

Some of the songs that appeared on the album were re-recorded from the demos of the 1986 Madness sessions. In "I Pronounce You" the lyrics concern a bride's feelings on the eve of her arranged marriage. To add a middle eastern feel to the song, Foreman played sitar on the song, an instrument he'd used on previous Madness albums. This was in addition to usual guitar, whilst the track also features tabla. The track "Song in Red" was reportedly written by Smyth about a cousin who died young. "Gabriel's Horn" was recorded in 1986 when the group were working on the never-completed Lost in the Museum album, and this demo version appeared as a track on the 1992 re-issue of the Madness single "House of Fun". [8]

The band initially stressed that they were not "the Nutty Boys" the public knew and loved, as they attempted to become a more serious group. The band were pleased with the album upon completion as it took a long time to complete and for the first time in their career they worked without the Clive Langer/Alan Winstanley production team, choosing instead to produce it themselves. The band saw their debut album as only the start of a new beginning, with the members being very optimistic about the future. [9] However, due to the lack of commercial success from the album and singles, the Madness disbanded by the beginning of 1989. Virgin Record's lack of faith in the band was confirmed when they opted not to renew their contract. The demise of the Madness left the members of the band in a state of confusion, not knowing quite what they were going to do next. [7] Madness reformed with its original members for a reunion tour in 1992 and they have remained together since, playing live and recording new material.

In an October 1988 interview for Guitarist & Scootering with Foreman and the band, Foreman described the new album as "brilliant". Foreman added "Some of it is very recognizably us and some of it isn't. Carl has doing a lot of singing. He's been doing a lot of writing as well, he's written well over half the album as well, which is good because he's always got loads of ideas for songs and it's good to get them out of him. When we were doing the album, Suggs and myself programmed all the drum machines. But it's sort of done me out of a job really, because I used to write the tunes and they'd write the lyrics, but now they're writing their own tunes and their own lyrics, so I'm redundant." Speaking of trying to become a more serious band, Foreman used the "I Pronounce You" video as an example, stating "We are what we are really. On the one video we've just done we tried to be serious, but Lee's got a Mohican haircut and in a bit of it we dyed his face red and things like that, so it hard to be... we don't want to be a serious, cheeks sucked-in arty farty band, but the subject matter of a lot of our songs has always been serious." [9]

Cover artwork

The album's sleeve was designed by Dave Gibbons and Rian Hughes. [10] [11] On the back-sleeve each song listed was accompanied with a small drawing in similar style to the album's cover – resembling a face. [12] Both "I Pronounce You" and "What's That" featured their own drawing as the main sleeve design when they were issued as singles. [13] [14] The album was respectfully dedicated to the memory of Roy Davies (1940–1987), [15] who played keyboards on the Mad Not Mad album as well as The Madness, on the song "I Pronounce You". [16]

Release

The album was originally issued on CD and vinyl LP via Virgin Records in the UK and Europe, including France, Germany, Italy and Spain. [17] On 21 July 1988 a CD edition was also issued in Japan. [18] Since its initial release, the album has remained out-of-print on CD and today second-hand copies are often listed for sale for £50 or more. [19]

The vinyl version of the album featured ten tracks, however the CD edition added four other tracks; "11th Hour," "Be Good Boy," "Flashings" and "4.B.F." [20] [21] However, there was one remaining track released by the group that did not appear on the CD edition; an instrumental track titled "Patience". This was the B-Side to the "I Pronounce You" single. A vocal version of the song later appeared on the unofficial Madness release The Lost Album. Also included on The Lost Album were demo versions of "What's That" and "Beat the Bride". [22]

Beginning in 2009, Madness albums were remastered and expanded via Union Square Music and Salvo. [23] All of the band's original albums were released in this series by Union Square Music/Salvo, except for the Mad Not Mad album which was released by Virgin Records as a remastered and expanded edition in 2010. [24] Each Union Square Music/Salvo release contained a page of Madness albums soon to be made available as part of the series. The Madness was listed as one of these upcoming releases, however as of 2017 this remains the only Madness album not to receive such a release. [25] [26] In late 2012, as part of the Ask Chris Foreman (Chrissy Boy) section on Madness' official website, one fan asked about the remastered version of the album and if it was due for release as promised. Foreman responded "I am not sure if we own the rights to that album." [27]

Promotion

Upon release, the "I Pronounce You" single had a music video created to promote it. [28] It later appeared as part of the 1992 VHS compilation Divine Madness , which was later issued on DVD in 2002 and as a CD+DVD set in 2005. [29] "What's That" had no video, as Virgin Records chose not to commission one.

In promoting to the album and lead single, the one and only TV appearance of the Madness was on Friday Night Live , a cult late-night comedy show hosted by Ben Elton. On the show the band performed "I Pronounce You" and the album track "Beat the Bride". [30] On the show, John Hasler, the ex-Madness drummer and manager, helped out on drums. He also appeared on the drums in the "I Pronounce You" music video. [7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [31]
Number One Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [32]
Smash Hits Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [33]

Upon release, Graeme Kay of Smash Hits described the album as "something of a hit and miss affair". He highlighted the tracks "Nail Down the Days", "What's That" and "Beat the Bride", but felt "the rest of the LP tries too hard to be clever". He concluded: "Not a great LP by any means, but not bad". [33] Max Bell of Number One wrote: "Songwise, the Camden crooners continue to delve into sombre waters. The [new] Madness [music] is still reminiscent of a nightmare in a funfair on occasions but it's that very stylised sound which makes the Mad ones matter." [32]

Darryl Cater of AllMusic retrospectively stated: "The tinny, muddled pop sound proves what a big contribution producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley had made to the polished, resonant Madness records. There are flashes of trademark Madness melody, but too much of the album is an indistinguishable blur of drum machines, keyboards and '80s pop guitar. Exceptions include the reggae-flavoured "Beat the Bride" and the sitar-savvy single "I Pronounce You." These former British skinheads have always been better at the wacky than the meaningful, and the lyrical emphasis on social issues feels strained." [31]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Nail Down the Days" Cathal Smyth Smyth4:34
2."What's That"SmythSmyth3:34
3."I Pronounce You"
Smyth and Suggs4:38
4."Oh"SmythSmyth and Suggs3:57
5."In Wonder" Graham McPherson Suggs4:58
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
6."Song in Red"SmythSmyth3:39
7."Nightmare Nightmare"McPhersonSuggs4:30
8."Thunder and Lightning"
Suggs3:13
9."Beat the Bride"
  • Thompson
  • Smyth
Suggs3:57
10."Gabriel's Horn"SmythSmyth6:15
Bonus tracks on compact disc release
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
11."11th Hour" (also on "I Pronounce You" 12")
  • McPherson
  • Foreman
Suggs4:31
12."Be Good Boy" (also on "What's That" 7" and 12")
  • Thompson
  • Foreman
Suggs4:26
13."Flashings" (also on "What's That" 12")
  • Smyth
  • McPherson
Smyth3:21
14."4 B.F. [34] [35] " (also on "I Pronounce You" 12")ThompsonSuggs2:54

Chart performance

Chart (1988)Peak
position		Total
weeks
UK Albums Chart [36] 651

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. [37]

The Madness
Additional musicians
Technical

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madness (band)</span> British ska band

Madness are an English ska and pop band from Camden Town, north 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.

<i>The Rise & Fall</i> 1982 studio album by Madness

The Rise & Fall is the fourth studio album by English ska band Madness, released on 8 October 1982 by Stiff Records. This album saw Madness at their most experimental, exhibiting a range of musical styles including jazz, English music hall, and Eastern influences. NME described it at the time of its release as "the best Madness record". It has often been retrospectively described as a concept album.

<i>Mad Not Mad</i> 1985 studio album by Madness

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.

<i>Wonderful</i> (Madness album) 1999 studio album by Madness

Wonderful is the seventh studio album by the British band Madness, released on 1 November 1999. It was the band's first studio album in fourteen years since Mad Not Mad in 1985, and also the first to feature their classic seven-piece line-up since 1984's Keep Moving. The album saw Madness reunite with their original production team, Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who had produced all of the band's previous work.

<i>The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1</i> 2005 studio album by Madness

The Dangermen Sessions, Vol. 1 is a cover album and the eighth studio album by the British ska band Madness, released in 2005. The album reached No. 11 in the UK which at the time was their highest chart position in the UK since 1984's Keep Moving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chas Smash</span> English singer-songwriter

Cathal Joseph "Carl" Smyth, also known as Chas Smash, is an English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was the secondary vocalist, trumpet player and dancer for the English band Madness from their inception in the late 1970s until 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Thompson (saxophonist)</span> English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer

Lee Jay Thompson, nicknamed Kix or El Thommo, is an English multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and composer. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Thompson came to prominence in the late 1970s as a founder and saxophonist for the English ska band Madness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Fun</span> 1982 single by Madness

"House of Fun" is a song by English ska/pop group Madness, credited to Mike Barson and Lee Thompson. It was released as a one-off single on 14 May 1982 and reached number one in the UK Singles Chart, spending nine weeks in the charts. The song was re-released in 1992, reaching number 40. It is the band's only number one single in the UK and in 2015 the British public voted it as the nation's 8th favourite 1980s number one in a poll for ITV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Girl (Madness song)</span> 1979 single by Madness

"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.

<i>Madstock!</i> 1992 live album by Madness

Madstock! is the first live album by ska/pop band Madness, released on 2 November 1992 by Go! Discs. The album includes highlights from Madness' first concerts since their disbanding in 1986, on 8 and 9 August 1992 at Finsbury Park in London. The bill included Flowered Up, Gallon Drunk, Ian Dury and The Blockheads, Morrissey and Madness.

<i>Complete Madness</i> 1982 greatest hits album by Madness

Complete Madness is the first greatest hits album by ska/pop group Madness. It was released in 1982 and included Madness' biggest hits from their first three studio albums and the stand-alone singles. Complete Madness spent 99 weeks on the UK charts, peaking at number 1.

<i>Work Rest and Play</i> 1980 EP by Madness

Work Rest and Play is an EP by British ska/pop band Madness. The EP was headlined by the song "Night Boat to Cairo", from the band's debut studio album One Step Beyond... (1979). It entered the UK Singles Chart on 5 April 1980, reaching a high of number 6.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Pronounce You</span> 1988 single by the Madness

"I Pronounce You" is the debut single by English ska and pop band the Madness from their self-titled debut studio album The Madness. It was released as the lead single from the album on 7 March 1988 by Virgin Records. It was written by their saxophonist Lee Thompson and their co-lead vocalist Carl Smyth. The single features the non-album track "Patience" as the B-side, which is exclusive to this single.

<i>The Liberty of Norton Folgate</i> 2009 studio album by Madness

The Liberty of Norton Folgate is the ninth studio album by the British band Madness, released on 18 May 2009. The band worked on the album for close to three years and it was their first album of new material since 1999's Wonderful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What's That</span> 1988 single by the Madness

"What's That" is the second and final single by English band the Madness from their 1988 eponymous studio album. It was released in the UK only on 7" and 12" vinyl, and also as a 10" vinyl picture disc. It was the first release by Madness or any of its spin-off bands not to reach the top 75 in the UK. It peaked at No. 92 and lasted two weeks on the chart, dropping to No. 98 the following week after its debut.

<i>One Step Beyond...</i> 1979 studio album by Madness

One Step Beyond. .. is the debut studio album by the British ska-pop group Madness, released by Stiff Records. Recorded and mixed in about three weeks, the album peaked at number two and remained on the UK Albums Chart for more than a year. The album has received much critical praise. It was ranked 90th in a 2005 survey held by British television station Channel 4 to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time.

<i>Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da Da</i> 2012 studio album by Madness

Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da is the tenth studio album by the British band Madness, released on their own Lucky 7 Records label through Cooking Vinyl in the United Kingdom on 29 October 2012 and in the United States on 13 November 2012. The album does not feature founding member and bassist Mark Bedford, who was on hiatus from the band at the time. The album cover is by Peter Blake and features rejected titles for the album crossed out. The album was preceded by a 'teaser' song, "Death of a Rude Boy", available as a digital download from 12 August 2012.

<i>Forever Young: The Ska Collection</i> 2012 compilation album by Madness

Forever Young: The Ska Collection is a compilation album by English band Madness, released in 2012 by Salvo/Union Square Music as part of their re-issues of the Madness back catalogue. The album consists of a selection of the band's ska sounding songs, including singles, b-sides and album tracks. In addition to the classic Madness tracks, the album contains two previously unreleased covers: Jimmy Cliff's "Vietnam" and Edvard Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King". Both of these bonus tracks were originally recorded for the 2005 Madness album The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1. The album includes a fold-out poster booklet with liner notes by Record Collector's Ian McCann, including new interviews with guitarist Chris Foreman and saxophonist Lee Thompson. Foreman said of the album: "It was our take on ska, and the songs on this album have ska as their basis. Not all are full-on; I wanted it to be called The Ska and Reggae Collection, but The Ska Collection it is."

The unreleased Madness album was to be the seventh studio album by the English ska/pop band Madness. In early July they returned from a long, grueling tour incorporating Australia and America culminating with some European and UK festivals. Between July and early September they recorded demos for this new album at their Liquidator Studios in North London. From these demos they selected a sequenced track listing of 11 songs to be produced for the finished album. At least one other track was also demoed, indicating there may have been others additionally recorded.

<i>Cant Touch Us Now</i> 2016 studio album by Madness

Can't Touch Us Now is the eleventh studio album by the British band Madness, released on their Lucky 7 Records label through Universal Music Catalogue (UMC) on 28 October 2016. The album marked the return of founder member Mark Bedford but the departure of Cathal Smyth.

References

  1. ↑ Smith, Robin (23 April 1988). "News". Record Mirror . p. 4. ISSN   0144-5804.
  2. ↑ "The Official Charts Company – The Madness by Madness Search". The Official Charts Company. 10 May 2014.
  3. ↑ "Madness, The – I Pronounce You at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  4. ↑ "The Official Charts Company – I Pronounce You by Madness Search". The Official Charts Company. 10 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "Madness, The – What's That at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  6. ↑ "The Official Charts Company – What's That by Madness Search". The Official Charts Company. 10 May 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 http://www.dangermen.net/MadnessStory/madness7.htm
  8. ↑ "Madness – House of Fun (1992, Sunglasses, CD)". Discogs .
  9. 1 2 "Chris Hunt | Chris Foreman of Madness interview". Chrishunt.biz. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  10. ↑ "Madness, The – The Madness (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  11. ↑ Plowright, Frank (November 1989). "Just a Guy from Down the Road with Inky Fingers - A Conversation with Dave Gibbons". Amazing Heroes . No. 173. Fantagraphics Books.
  12. ↑ "Images for Madness, The – The Madness". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  13. ↑ "Images for Madness, The – I Pronounce You". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  14. ↑ "Images for Madness, The – What's That". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  15. ↑ "Images for Madness, The – The Madness". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  16. ↑ "Roy Davies Discography at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  17. ↑ "Madness, The – The Madness at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  18. ↑ "Madness, The – The Madness (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 21 July 1988. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  19. ↑ "The Madness: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  20. ↑ "Madness, The – The Madness (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  21. ↑ "Madness, The – The Madness (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  22. ↑ "Madness – The Lost Album (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  23. ↑ "Salvo". Salvo-music.co.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  24. ↑ "Madness – Mad Not Mad (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  25. ↑ "Images for Madness – One Step Beyond". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  26. ↑ Chrissy Boy Dear Madexico Yes it would. what? CB. "The". Madness. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  27. ↑ "Re-release of 1988's "The". Madness. 4 December 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  28. ↑ "The Madness – I Pronounce You". YouTube. 26 November 2006. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  29. ↑ "Madness – Divine Madness at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  30. ↑ "The Madness on Friday Night Live (1988)". YouTube. 12 April 2009. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  31. 1 2 Darryl Cater. "The Madness [1988] – The Madness | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  32. 1 2 Bell, Max (7 May 1988). "Albums". Number One Magazine.
  33. 1 2 Kay, Graeme (1 June 1988). "Review: Albums". Smash Hits Magazine.
  34. ↑ Reed, John (2014). House of Fun: The Story of Madness. Omnibus Press. p. unknown. ISBN   9781783233342.
  35. ↑ "Madness Central - Tour Madness". www.madnesstradingring.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Meanwhile the band have begun writing new material of which 4BF, a tribute to Brian Ferry, is the first to be premiered.
  36. ↑ "UK Singles & Albums Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  37. ↑ The Madness liner notes. Virgin. 1988.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.