Madness are an English

ska Ska (; , ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a w ...

and

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

band from

Camden Town Camden Town () is an area in the London Borough of Camden, around north-northwest of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is identified in the London Plan as one of 34 major centres in Greater London. Laid out as a residential distri ...

, 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.Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Retrieved on 19 June 2007. 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 Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

group

UB40 UB40 are an English reggae band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the Grammy ...

for most weeks spent by a group in the UK singles chart during the 1980s. Madness have had 16 singles reach the UK top ten, including "

One Step Beyond One Step Beyond may refer to: Music * ''One Step Beyond'' (Dungeon album) or the title song, 2004 * ''One Step Beyond'' (Jackie McLean album), 1963 * '' One Step Beyond...'', an album by Madness, or the title song (see below), 1979 * ''One Ste ...

", "

Baggy Trousers "Baggy Trousers" is a song by the English ska and pop band Madness from their second studio album '' Absolutely'' (1980). It was written by lead vocalist Graham "Suggs" McPherson and guitarist Chris Foreman,Woodstra, Chris. Retrieved on 1 J ...

" and " It Must Be Love", one UK number-one single "

House of Fun "House of Fun" is a song by English ska/pop group Madness, credited to Mike Barson and Lee Thompson. Retrieved on 28 June 2007. It was released as a one-off single on 14 May 1982 and reached number one in the UK Singles Chart, spending nine ...

" and two number ones in Ireland, "House of Fun" and " Wings of a Dove". " Our House" was their biggest US hit, reaching number 7 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In 2000, the band received the

Ivor Novello Award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...

from the

British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors The Ivors Academy (formerly known as British Academy of Songwriters Composers and Authors – BASCA) is one of the largest professional associations for music writers in Europe. The academy works to protect and support and also campaigns the int ...

for Outstanding Song Collection.

Career

1976–1978: Formation

The core of the band formed as the North London Invaders in 1976, and included

Mike Barson Michael Barson (born 21 April 1958) 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. Early years Barson wa ...

(Monsieur Barso) on keyboards and vocals,

Chris Foreman Christopher John Foreman (born 8 August 1956), nicknamed Chrissy Boy, is an English musician, songwriter, and composer. In a career spanning 45 years, Foreman came to prominence in the late 1970s as the guitarist for the English band Madness. ...

(Chrissy Boy) on guitar and Lee Thompson (Kix) on saxophone and vocals. They later recruited

John Hasler John Hasler (born 21 April 1974) is an English actor who is best known for playing T-Shirt in the children's television series ''T-Bag'' from 1985 to 1992, and for voicing Thomas the Tank Engine, Thomas in the UK dub of the children's televisio ...

on drums and Cathal Smyth (better known as

Chas Smash Cathal Joseph "Carl" Smyth (born 14 January 1959), 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 ...

) on bass guitar. Later in the year, they were joined by lead vocalist

Dikran Tulaine Dikran Tulaine (born John Dikran Utidjian; 23 June 1956) is an English-Armenian actor, storyteller and playwright. He had a recurring guest role of Max on the NBC series ''The Blacklist'' (2013–2021), and was in the films '' G.I. Joe: Retalia ...

. This six-piece line-up lasted until part-way through 1977, when Graham McPherson (better known as

Suggs Graham McPherson (born 13 January 1961), known primarily by his stage name Suggs, is a British singer-songwriter, musician, radio personality and actor. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead singer of the ska band Madness, which ...

) took over the lead vocals after seeing the band perform in a friend's garden. Tulaine went on to be an actor. Smyth, who left after an argument with Barson, was replaced by Gavin Rodgers, Barson's girlfriend's brother. McPherson was kicked out of the band for choosing too often to watch Chelsea instead of rehearsing. Thompson left the band after Barson criticised his saxophone playing. By 1978, the band had allowed McPherson to return as a vocalist after he had filled in temporarily for Hasler (who had taken over vocals when McPherson was removed). Thompson returned after patching things up with Barson. Drummer

Dan Woodgate Daniel Mark "Woody" Woodgate (born 19 October 1960) is an English musician, songwriter, composer and record producer. In a career spanning 45 years, Woodgate came to prominence in the late 1970s as the drummer for the English ska band Madness a ...

(Woody) and bassist

Mark Bedford Mark William Bedford (born 24 August 1961),Strong, Martin C. (2002) ''The Great Rock Discography'', Canongate, , p. 638 nicknamed Bedders, is an English musician, songwriter and composer. Bedford came to prominence in the late 1970s as the bass ...

(Bedders) also joined the band, replacing Garry Dovey and Rodgers, respectively. After briefly changing their name to Morris and the Minors, the band renamed itself as Madness in 1979, paying homage to one of their favourite songs by

and reggae artist

Prince Buster Cecil Bustamente Campbell (24 May 1938 – 8 September 2016), known professionally as Prince Buster, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer. The records he released in the 1960s influenced and shaped the course of Jamaican contemporary ...

. Retrieved on 5 June 2007. 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 dancer.

1979–1981: Early success

During 1979, the band began to attract a live following in London, being regulars at the

Dublin Castle Dublin Castle () is a major Government of Ireland, Irish government complex, conference centre, and tourist attraction. It is located off Dame Street in central Dublin. It is a former motte-and-bailey castle and was chosen for its position at ...

in Camden Town. The band's first commercial recording was the Lee Thompson composition "

The Prince ''The Prince'' ( ; ) is a 16th-century political treatise written by the Italian diplomat, philosopher, and Political philosophy, political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli in the form of a realistic instruction guide for new Prince#Prince as gener ...

". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol,

. The song was released through

2 Tone Records 2 Tone Records was an English independent record label that mostly released ska and reggae-influenced music with a punk rock and pop music overtone. It was founded by Jerry Dammers of the Specials and backed by Chrysalis Records. History J ...

, the label of

the Specials The Specials, also known as the Special AKA, were an English 2 tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry. After some early changes, the first stable lineup of the group consisted of Terry Hall and Neville Staple on vocals, J ...

founder and keyboardist

Jerry Dammers Jeremy David Hounsell Dammers GCOT (born 22 May 1955) is a British musician who was a founder, keyboard player and primary songwriter of the Coventry-based ska band the Specials (also known as the Special A.K.A.) and later the Spatial AKA Orch ...

. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts at number 16. Madness toured with fellow

2 Tone Two-tone, two tone, or 2 tone, etc., may refer to: Audio and sound * Second-order intercept point#Two-tone analysis, Two-tone analysis, in nonlinear system measurement * Two-tone attention signal * Two-tone Warning chime, chime, such as the "ding ...

bands the Specials and

the Selecter The Selecter is an English 2 tone ska revival band, formed in Coventry, England, in 1979. The Selecter featured a diverse line-up, both in terms of race and gender, initially consisting of Arthur 'Gaps' Hendrickson and Pauline Black on lead ...

, before recording their debut studio album. That debut studio album, '' One Step Beyond...'' was released by

Stiff Records Stiff Records is a British independent record label formed in London by Dave Robinson (music executive), Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. Originally active from 1976 to 1986, the label was reactivated in 2007. Established at the outset of the p ...

. The album included a re-recording of "The Prince" and its B-side "Madness", and the band's second and third singles: "

" and " My Girl". The title song was a cover of the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

of the 1960s Prince Buster hit "Al Capone". The ''One Step Beyond...'' album stayed in the British charts for 78 weeks, peaking at number 2. Smyth performed on the album but was not an official member of the band at the time of the album's recording or release. He would formally join Madness a few weeks after ''One Step Beyond...'' was issued in October 1979. 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. However, Dave Robinson, head of Stiff Records, disagreed. Eventually, a compromise was made, and the band decided to release an EP featuring one album track and three new tracks. The result was the '' Work Rest and Play'' EP, which was headlined by the song "

Night Boat to Cairo "Night Boat to Cairo" is a song by British ska/ pop band Madness from their debut 1979 album '' One Step Beyond...''. It was written by Mike Barson and Suggs and was also included on the 1980 EP '' Work Rest and Play'', which peaked at number ...

", from the ''One Step Beyond'' album. The EP reached number 6 in the UK Singles Chart. In 1980, the band's second studio album, '' Absolutely'' reached number 2 in the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

. ''Absolutely'' spawned some of the band's biggest hits, most notably "

", which peaked at number 3 in the UK Singles Chart. "

Embarrassment Embarrassment or awkwardness is an emotional state that is associated with mild to severe levels of discomfort, and which is usually experienced when someone commits (or thinks of) a socially unacceptable or frowned-upon act that is witnessed ...

" reached number 4 in the charts, and the instrumental song "

The Return of the Los Palmas 7 "The Return of the Los Palmas 7" is a song by British ska/pop band Madness, written by Mike Barson, Mark Bedford and Daniel Woodgate.Woodstra, Chris. The song was Woodgate's first credit as a songwriter, and was released as the band's seventh ...

" climbed to number 7. Although the album reviews were generally less enthusiastic than those of ''One Step Beyond...'', they were mostly positive.

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

gave the album a favourable B− grade, but ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' awarded the album just one out of five stars. ''Rolling Stone'' was particularly scathing of the

ska revival Ska (; , ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a w ...

in general, stating that "''

The Specials The Specials, also known as the Special AKA, were an English 2 tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry. After some early changes, the first stable lineup of the group consisted of Terry Hall and Neville Staple on vocals, J ...

'' wasn't very good" and Madness were simply "

the Blues Brothers The Blues Brothers (formally, The Fabulous Blues Brothers’ Show Band and Revue) are an American blues and soul music, soul revue band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, who met and began collaborating as original cast ...

with English accents". A drama-documentary film titled '' Take It or Leave It'' was released in 1981, featuring the band members playing themselves in a re-creation of their early days to the then-current period. Live recordings of Madness performances as well as those by other 2 Tone bands were used in the 1981 documentary film and soundtrack album ''

Dance Craze ''Dance Craze'' is a 1981 documentary film about the British Two-tone (music genre), 2 Tone music genre. The film was directed by Joe Massot, who originally wanted to do a film only about the band Madness (band), Madness, whom he met during th ...

''.

1981–1983: Change of direction

In 1981, the band's third studio album, '' 7'', reached number 5 in the UK Albums Chart and contained three hit singles: "

Grey Day "Grey Day" is a 2-Tone song written by Mike Barson and recorded by British pop/ska band Madness. Retrieved 21 July 2007. The song was the first single released from the band's third studio album '' 7''. Retrieved 21 July 2007. It was a big de ...

" (no. 4, April 1981), "

Shut Up "Shut up" is a direct command with a meaning very similar to "be quiet" and "be silent", but which is commonly perceived as a more forceful command to stop making noise or otherwise communicating, such as talking. The phrase is probably a sho ...

" (no. 7, September 1981), and "

Cardiac Arrest Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest CA is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, blood cannot properly Circulatory system, circulate around the body and the blood flow to the ...

" (no. 14, February 1982). In an article in 1979,

explained that the band's music would move with the times, and change styles as time goes on. (The full article was also included on the back cover of the ''Absolutely'' LP.) This was shown to be the case, as unlike the two ska-filled, fast-paced albums that preceded it, ''7'' was something of a change in direction.

' vocal performance changed significantly, and his strong accent from the previous studio albums had been watered down. The album strayed from the ska-influenced sound of ''One Step Beyond...'' and ''Absolutely'' and moved towards a pop sound; a trend that continued with subsequent studio albums. Near the end of 1981, Madness released one of their most recognised songs: a cover of

Labi Siffre Claudius Afolabi "Labi" Siffre ( , born 25 June 1945) is a British singer, songwriter and poet. Siffre released six albums from 1970 to 1975 and four from 1988 to 1998. His compositions include " It Must Be Love", which reached number 14 on the ...

's 1971 hit " It Must Be Love". The song climbed to number 4 in the UK, and in 1983, the song peaked at number 33 in the US charts. In 1982, Madness released their only number 1 hit to date, "

" and also reached number 1 in the album charts with their first compilation, ''

Complete 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 t ...

'' (1982). In November 1982, they released their fourth studio album, '' The Rise & Fall'', which was well received in the UK, but did not get an American release. Instead, many of its songs were included on the US compilation ''

Madness Madness or The Madness may refer to: Emotion and mental health * Anger, an intense emotional response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat * Insanity, a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns * ...

'' (1983), including " Our House", which was their most internationally successful single to date. "Our House" reached number 5 in the UK music charts and number 7 in the US charts; it was also performed on ''The Young Ones''. Many reviewers compared ''The Rise & Fall'' to

the Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray Davies, Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British ...

' ''

The Village Green Preservation Society "The Village Green Preservation is a song by the English rock band the Kinks from their 1968 album ''The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society''. Written and sung by the band's principal songwriter Ray Davies, the song is a nostal ...

'' (1968), and it is at times retrospectively considered a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

. The album also featured "Primrose Hill", which was more similar to

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

song "

Strawberry Fields Forever "Strawberry Fields Forever" is a song by the English Rock music, rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on 13 February 1967 as a double A-side single with "Penny Lane". It represented ...

", containing similar psychedelic imagery and a layered arrangement.

1983–1986: Decline and break-up

In 1983, their single " Wings of a Dove" peaked at number 2 in the UK charts, followed by " The Sun and the Rain" (no. 5, November 1983). Their following studio album, '' Keep Moving'', peaked at number 6 in the UK Albums Chart, and two singles from that album reached the top 20 in the UK Singles Chart. The album received some good reviews, with ''Rolling Stone'' magazine giving the album four out of five stars, applauding the band's changing sound. This was an improvement as the last album reviewed by the magazine, ''Absolutely'', was heavily criticised. On 5 October 1983 the band were rehearsing and discussing a possible television series, which was being written for them by

Ben Elton Benjamin Charles Elton is a British comedian, actor, author, playwright, lyricist and director. One of the major figures in the alternative comedy movement of the 1980s, his early stand-up style was Left-wing politics, left-wing political satire ...

and

Richard Curtis Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis (born 8 November 1956) is a British screenwriter, producer and director. One of Britain's most successful comedy screenwriters, he is known for romantic comedy-drama films, including ''Four Weddings and a Funeral' ...

. Barson then informed the band that he would not be able to take part, as he was tired of the music business and wanted to spend more time with his wife. They had recently relocated to Amsterdam. Barson agreed to finish recording the album ''Keep Moving;'' he left after playing for the last time with the band at the

Lyceum Ballroom The Lyceum Theatre ( ) is a West End theatre located in the City of Westminster, on Wellington Street, just off the Strand in central London. It has a seating capacity of 2,100. The origins of the theatre date to 1765. Managed by Samuel Arno ...

on 21 December 1983. James Mackie took Barson's place appearing with Madness on the US television show ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

'' on 14 April 1984. After leaving the band, Barson returned to the UK for the filming of two music videos as he had played on the tracks, "

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, 14 March 1933) is a retired English actor. Known for his distinct Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over Michael Caine filmography, a career that spanned eight decades an ...

" and " One Better Day". Barson finished live performance with the band in 1983, and officially left the band in June 1984, following the release of "One Better Day".

Paul Carrack Paul Melvyn Carrack (born 22 April 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter and composer who has recorded as both a solo artist and as a member of several popular bands. The BBC dubbed Carrack "The Man with the Golden Voice", while '' ...

took Barson's place whilst the band toured America in early 1984. The six remaining members left

and formed their own label,

Zarjazz Records Zarjazz was a record label and sub-label of Virgin Records. Zarjazz was formed in 1984 by Madness, a British ska band. The label's first release was Feargal Sharkey Seán Feargal Sharkey (born 13 August 1958) is a singer and environm ...

, which was a sub-label of

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...

. In 1985, the label released the band's sixth studio album, ''

Mad Not Mad ''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 perio ...

''. Barson's usual keyboard parts were filled by an emphasis on synthesisers provided by

Steve Nieve Steve Nieve ( "naïve"; born Stephen John Nason, 21 February 1958) is an English musician and composer. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Nieve has been a member of Elvis Costello's backing bands the Attractions and the Imposters, as w ...

the Attractions The Attractions were an English backing band for the English new wave musician Elvis Costello between 1977 and 1986, and again from 1994 to 1996. They consisted of Steve Nieve (keyboards), Bruce Thomas (bass guitar), and Pete Thomas (drums ...

. In later years, frontman

has described the album as a "polished turd". The album reached number 16 in the UK charts, which is 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 ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

''s "All Time 100 Albums". The singles for the album fared even worse, with " Yesterday's Men" peaking at number 18 in the UK charts. The subsequent singles, "

Uncle Sam Uncle Sam (with the same initials as ''United States'') is a common national personification of the United States, depicting the federal government of the United States, federal government or the country as a whole. Since the early 19th centu ...

" and " Sweetest Girl", failed to make the top 20, which was a first for Madness singles. The band then attempted to record a new studio album, and 11 demo tracks were recorded. However, musical differences arose between the band members. The untitled album went unreleased, and in September 1986, the band announced that they were to break-up. Barson rejoined the band for a farewell single, "

(Waiting For) The Ghost Train "(Waiting For) The Ghost Train" is a single by the English ska and pop band Madness. Released in October 1986 shortly after the band announced they were to break-up, it was their last single prior to reforming in 1992. It spent nine weeks in the ...

", but did not appear in the music video. The band officially broke up following the release of the single, which reached a high of number 18 in the UK. In 1988, four members of the band – Suggs,

, Lee Thompson and

– continued under the name The Madness. After one

self-titled An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...

studio album and two singles that failed to make the top 40, the band broke up.

1992–2003: Reunion and ''Our House'' musical

Towards the end of 1991, "It Must Be Love" was re-released and eventually reached number 6 in the UK Singles Chart in February 1992. Following that, the singles compilation album ''

Divine Madness Divine madness, also known as ''theia mania'' and crazy wisdom, is unconventional, outrageous, unexpected, or unpredictable behavior linked to religious or spiritual pursuits. Examples of divine madness can be found in Buddhism, Christianity, He ...

'' (1992) was released and peaked at number 1 in the album charts. Madness then announced plans for a reunion concert,

Madstock! ''Madstock!'' is the first live album by ska/Pop music, pop band Madness (band), Madness, released on 2 November 1992 (see 1992 in music) by Go! Discs Records, Go! Discs. The album includes highlights from Madness' first concerts since their di ...

, which was held at

Finsbury Park Finsbury Park is a public park in Harringay, north London, England. The park lies on the southern-most edge of the London Borough of Haringey. It is in the area formerly covered by the historic parish of Hornsey, succeeded by the Municipal ...

, London on 8 and 9 August of that year. Retrieved on 5 June 2007. The original line-up reunited, performing together for the first time since Barson left the band in 1984. Over 75,000 fans attended the weekend festival, and the dancing of the crowd caused some nearby tower blocks to shake perceptibly as they resonated with the frequency of the music. Retrieved on 24 October 2008. Retrieved on 23 October 2008. After the Finsbury Park comeback, a live album was released, and the associated single, "

The Harder They Come ''The Harder They Come'' is a 1972 Jamaican crime film directed by Perry Henzell and co-written by Trevor D. Rhone, and starring Jimmy Cliff. The film is most famous for its reggae soundtrack that is said to have "brought reggae to the world ...

" (a cover of

Jimmy Cliff James Chambers, Jamaican Order of Merit, OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hol ...

's 1973 song) reached number 44 in the UK, with the album reaching number 22. 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 Universal Amphitheatre (later known as Gibson Amphitheatre) was an indoor amphitheatre located in Los Angeles, California, within Universal City, California, Universal City. It was built as an outdoor venue, opening in the summer of 1972 with a p ...

in L.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 Albums Chart, and the lead single, " Lovestruck", gave the band their first new top 10 hit in the UK since 1983. Neither of the two subsequent singles from the album, " Johnny the Horse" and " Drip Fed Fred" (featuring

Ian Dury Ian Robins Dury (12 May 1942 27 March 2000) was an English singer, songwriter and actor who rose to fame in the late 1970s, during the punk rock, punk and new wave music, new wave era of rock music. He was the lead singer and lyricist of Kilburn ...

on vocals), entered the top 40 of the UK chart. From 28 October 2002 to 16 August 2003, a musical based on Madness songs, '' Our House'', ran at the

Cambridge Theatre The Cambridge Theatre is a West End theatre, on a corner site in Earlham Street facing Seven Dials, London, Seven Dials, in the London Borough of Camden, built in 1929–30 for Bertie Meyer on an "irregular triangular site". Design and const ...

in London. Madness played a role in the executive production of the show, and Suggs played a role in the production for a period, playing the central character's father. It won an

Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Aw ...

for best new musical of 2003, and the performance was released on DVD on 1 November 2004. There was also a previous musical based on Madness songs, ''One Step Beyond!'', written by Alan Gilbey."Theatre Review", ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', 13 April 1993. The musical had a brief run at the

Theatre Royal Stratford East Stratford East (formerly known as Theatre Royal Stratford East) is a 460 seat Victorian producing theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company, famously associated with di ...

in 1993 and a run at

Putney Arts Theatre Putney Arts Theatre ("PAT") is based in Putney, in the London Borough of Wandsworth and operates as a community space specialising in theatre productions. The Putney Arts Theatre stands in the Union Chapel built by Sir Samuel Morton Peto in th ...

, London in 2012.

2004–2010: The Dangermen and ''The Liberty of Norton Folgate''

In 2004, the band played a series of low-key concerts as the Dangermen, performing covers of classic reggae and ska songs. A lot of the songs were those played by the band when they were first forming,Long, Chris. and the band performed the songs as a celebration of their 25th anniversary. This led to the release of the cover album '' The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1'' in August 2005 by

V2 Records V2 Records (or V2 Music and V2 Benelux; V2 being an abbreviation for Virgin 2) is a record label that was purchased by Universal Music Group in 2007, sold to PIAS in 2013 and partially acquired by Universal in 2022 (as part of larger PIAS 49% ...

. During the sessions which produced the album, in mid-2005, guitarist Chris Foreman announced his departure, citing "the petty, time consuming bollocks that goes on in the band" as his reason for leaving.Cohen, Jonathan. The band completed the album without him, and on release, it peaked at no. 11 in the UK Albums Chart, 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. " Girl Why Don't You" did not chart and the band left the V2 record label shortly after. At this time, Kevin Burdette joined as the band's guitarist for live appearances and also appeared in the videos for both "Sorry" and "NW5" in early 2007. The six remaining original members of Madness began working on their first original studio album in seven years. In March 2007, the non-LP single "Sorry" was released on the band's own record label

Lucky 7 Records Lucky Seven Records were founded by the British band Madness. The launch of this new record label enabled them to release their new material. So far the label has released six Madness singles including " Sorry", " NW5", "Dust Devil", " Sugar ...

, peaking in the UK charts at number 23. The single included a version featuring UK

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

artists

Sway DaSafo Derek Andrew Safo (born 5 September 1982), better known by his stage name Sway or Sway DaSafo, is a British rapper of Ghanaian descent. He is also a producer, having established Dcypha Productions, signed to Island/Universal (label founder). ...

and

Baby Blue Baby blue, also known as light blue, is a tint of azure, which is one of the pastel colors. The first recorded use of ''baby blue'' as a color name in English was in 1892. Variations of baby blue Beau blue Beau blue is a light tone of ba ...

. The new Madness song "

NW5 "NW5" is a song by the band Madness, which was debuted live at the Brixton Academy in December 2006. The single was released in January 2008 on the band's own label, Lucky 7 Records, and entered the chart at no.24 on Sunday 20th Jan 2008, goi ...

" (then still titled "NW5 (I Would Give You Everything)") and a re-recorded version of "It Must Be Love" were featured in the German film '. The two songs were released in Germany as a

double A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of vinyl records and cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a single usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or ...

, and both of them were turned into music videos, which – besides members of the film's cast – featured Suggs, Chas Smash, Woody and stand-in guitarist Burdette. A re-recorded version of "NW5" was released as a single on 14 January 2008 in the UK reaching no. 24 – this recording featured original Madness guitarist Chris Foreman, who had rejoined the band in time for the 2006 Christmas tour but had not participated in the original recording of the song. In June 2008, Madness played the majority of their new studio album ''

The Liberty of Norton Folgate ''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''. ...

'' at London's

Hackney Empire Hackney Empire is a theatre on Mare Street, in Hackney in the London Borough of Hackney. Originally designed by Frank Matcham it was built in 1901 as a music hall, and expanded in 2001. Described by ''The Guardian'' as "the most beautiful theat ...

for three nights. The Hackney Empire performances were recorded and sold to fans on

USB Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard, developed by USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), for digital data transmission and power delivery between many types of electronics. It specifies the architecture, in particular the physical ...

wristbands as they left the show. Madness played two dates in December 2008, firstly in Manchester on 18 December, and secondly a return gig to The O2 in London on the 19th. In December 2008 the band also announced that for their thirtieth anniversary in 2009, they would be staging a fifth Madstock Festival in London's Victoria Park on 17 July, 11 years after the last Madstock concert. It was originally rumoured that the newly reformed

would make an appearance after finishing their reunion tour. However, this did not occur, although original Specials keyboardist Jerry Dammers – who was not part of the reunion line-up – was announced as a support act with the Spatial AKA Orchestra shortly before the festival. Dammers supported Madness again during their 2009 Christmas tour when he opened each night with a DJ set. Through late March and early April 2009, the band played a series of festival and separate headlining dates across Australia. The lead-up single from their latest studio album, titled "Dust Devil", was released on 11 May on Lucky 7 Records. Actors

Alfie Allen Alfie Evan Allen (born 12 September 1986) is an English actor. He portrayed Theon Greyjoy on all eight seasons of the HBO fantasy series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), for which he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Ou ...

and

Jaime Winstone Jaime Margaret Winstone (born 6 May 1985) is an English actress, best known for her roles in ''Kidulthood'' (2006), ''Goldplated'' (2006), ''Dead Set (TV series), Dead Set'' (2008), ''Donkey Punch (2008 film), Donkey Punch'' (2008), ''Boogie ...

co-starred in the music video. The single charted at No. 64 on the UK Singles Chart and at No. 1 on the UK Independent charts on 17 May 2009. The new studio album, entitled ''

'', was released a week later, on 18 May 2009. It charted at No. 5 in the UK Albums Chart. The band continued to play various festivals, including

Pinkpop Pinkpop is an annual music festival held in Landgraaf, Netherlands. It is usually held on the Pentecost weekend (''Pinksteren'' in Dutch, hence the name). If Pentecost falls on an early date in May, the festival is held later in June. Starting in ...

, Splendour, and

Glastonbury Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...

. On 27 September 2009, the band also played a free concert on a closed-off

Regent Street Regent Street is a major shopping street in the West End of London. It is named after George IV of the United Kingdom, George, the Prince Regent (later George IV) and was laid out under the direction of the architect John Nash (architect), J ...

in association with

Absolute Radio Absolute Radio is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Absolute Radio Network. It broadcasts nationally across the UK via digital audio broadcasting. The station focuses on alternative ...

. On 28 August, Madness played the

Rock en Seine Rock en Seine () is a multiple-day rock music festival, held at Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, the Château de Saint-Cloud's park, west of Paris, inside the garden designed by André Le Nôtre. Name The name is a pun, based on exactly the ...

festival near Paris, on the same night where

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment Noel Noel or Noël may refer to: Christmas * , French for Christmas * Noel is another name for a Christmas carol Places * Noel, Missouri, United States, a city *Noel, Nova Scotia, Canada, a community *Noel Park, a suburb in Greater London, Engla ...

and

Liam Gallagher William John Paul Gallagher (born 21 September 1972) is an English singer and songwriter. He is the lead singer and co-founder of the rock band Oasis (band), Oasis and fronted the rock band Beady Eye from 2010 to 2014, before starting a succes ...

engaged in a physical altercation, resulting in the break-up of the band. As Oasis cancelled their headlining slot, Madness, even though having played earlier in the evening, were asked to replace them. They accepted the invitation and both of their sets during the festival were said to have been well received. As in previous years, the band embarked on a Christmas tour of the UK (also playing one concert in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

), playing at various medium-sized venues. Mark Bedford took a break from the band and was replaced by Graham Bush for the tour. Some members of the band appeared in

Catherine Tate Catherine Tate (born Catherine Jane Ford, 5 December 1969) is an English actress, comedian and writer. She has won numerous awards for her work on the BBC Two, BBC sketch comedy series ''The Catherine Tate Show'' (2004–2007), as well as bein ...

's ''Nan's Christmas Carol''. They first posed as carol singers, then played "Baggy Trousers" over the credits. On 18 January 2010, Madness released a fourth single, " Forever Young", from ''The Liberty of Norton Folgate''. The single failed to chart. During an interview with

RTÉ 2fm RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is an Irish radio station operated by RTÉ. The station specialises in current popular music and chart hits and is the second national radio station in Ireland. History The station commenc ...

radio host

Dave Fanning David Fanning (born 27 February 1956) is an Irish television and radio broadcaster, rock journalist, DJ, film critic and author. Fanning currently hosts weekend midday magazine/chat show '' The Dave Fanning Show'' on the Irish national radio st ...

on 24 May 2010, drummer

Daniel Woodgate Daniel Mark "Woody" Woodgate (born 19 October 1960) is an English musician, songwriter, composer and record producer. In a career spanning 45 years, Woodgate came to prominence in the late 1970s as the drummer for the English ska band Madness a ...

stated that the members of the band were in the final stages of preparing songs for the follow-up to ''The Liberty of Norton Folgate''. The band hoped to be able to start recording the album later on in 2010. In September 2010, Madness were awarded the Idol Award at the

Q Awards The Q Awards were the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine '' Q''. Since they began in 1990, the Q Awards became one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards. Locations for the awards ceremony included Abbey Road Studios ...

in London. Guitarist Chris Foreman stated in his acceptance speech that Madness were recording a new album. Madness toured the UK throughout November and December 2010 with their final show at London's

Earl's Court Earl's Court is a district of Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London, bordering the rail tracks of the West London line and District line that separate it from the ancient borough of Fulham to the west, the ...

, where they played a new song from their upcoming album. However, two concerts, in

Hull Hull may refer to: Structures * The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft * Submarine hull Ma ...

and

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

, were cancelled due to heavy snowfall, although they were later rescheduled for 5 and 6 February 2011 respectively.

2011–2015: ''Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da Da''

In June 2011, the band performed at Meltdown Festival at the

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London, England. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a G ...

, curated by inspiration

Ray Davies Sir Raymond Douglas Davies ( ; born 21 June 1944) is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter for the Rock music, rock band the Kinks, which he led, with his younger brother Dave Davies, Dave pro ...

, who also introduced the band on stage. The concert served as the premiere of three new songs – "1978", "Can't Keep a Good Thing Down" and "Death of a Rude Boy". The summer of 2012 saw two notable performances. In June, the band performed at the

Queen's Diamond Jubilee Queen's Diamond Jubilee may refer to: * Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897 * Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2012 {{Short pages monitor * '' One Step Beyond...'' (1979) * '' Absolutely'' (1980) * '' 7'' (1981) * '' The Rise & Fall'' (1982) * '' Keep Moving'' (1984) * ''

'' (1985) * ''

The Madness Madness or The Madness may refer to: Emotion and mental health * Anger, an intense emotional response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat * Insanity, a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns * ...

'' (1988) * '' Wonderful'' (1999) * '' The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1'' (2005) * ''

'' (2009) * ''

Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da Da ''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 ...

'' (2012) * '' Can't Touch Us Now'' (2016) * ''

Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie ''Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie'' is the twelfth studio album by British band Madness. It was released on 17 November 2023 through BMG Rights Management. The album marks their first studio release in seven years, following '' Can' ...

'' (2023)

Tours

* Two Tone Tour (1979) * Absolutely Tour (1980) * Seven Tour (1981) * Complete Madness Tour (1982) * Rise and Fall Tour (1983) * Keep Moving Tour (1984) * Mad Not Mad Tour (1985) * Christmas Madness (1992) * The Man in the Mad Suit (1993) * Mad Dogs (1995) * The Maddest Show on Earth (1999) * Welcome to the Wonderful World of Madness (2003) * To the Edge of the Universe & Beyond (2006) * On Board the Nutty Express (2007) * The Liberty of Norton Folgate (2009) * Do Not Adjust Your Nut (2010) * Butlin's House of Fun Weekender (Minehead only) (2011–2021, 2025-present) * Charge of the Mad Brigade (2012) * Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da Da (2013) * All for the M.A.D.H.E.A.D. (2014) * Grandslam Madness (2015) * Can't Touch Us Now (2016) * Stately Madness (2018) * The Sound of Madness (2018) * Madness XL (2018–2019) * The Ladykillers Tour (2021) * The Great European Roadtrip (2022–2023) * C'est La Vie (2023)

References

External links

*
''Guardian'' interview
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Madness Musical groups established in 1976 Musical groups disestablished in 1986 Musical groups reestablished in 1992 Musical groups from the London Borough of Camden Second-wave ska groups English new wave musical groups Ivor Novello Award winners 2 Tone Records artists Stiff Records artists V2 Records artists Yep Roc Records artists English ska musical groups English comedy musicians 1976 establishments in England Articles which contain graphical timelines Suggs (singer) Second British Invasion artists Pop music groups from London Zarjazz artists