1) a British ba… Read Full Bio ↴At least four artists exist by this name on last.fm:
1) a British band
2) an American rapper
3) a Brazilian death metal group
4) a Mongolian rock band
1) Madness is a British pop and ska band from Camden Town, London, England that was formed in 1976. As of 2012, the group has continued to perform with their most recognised lineup of seven members, although that has varied slightly over the years. Known for their cheeky humour and musical eclecticism, the band members called a "dysfunctional family", the group was one of most prominent artists in the late-70s 2 Tone ska movement. As their career progressed, Madness moved closer toward conventional pop music and has become one of the most successful British bands of all time.
The guys achieved most of their success in the 80s, often picking up new wave fans who enjoyed the band's eclectic sound. Madness, in fact, spent exactly 214 weeks on the U.K. singles charts from 1980-89, thereby sharing the record for most weeks spent by a group in said charts with UB40. Examples of some of their most popular songs include 1979's "One Step Beyond", 1982's "Our House", and 1984's "Keep Moving".
Formation
The core of the band formed as "The North London Invaders" in 1976. This outfit included Mike Barson (Monsieur Barso) on keyboards and vocals, Chris Foreman (Chrissy Boy) on guitar and Lee Thompson (Kix) on saxophone and vocals. They later recruited John Hasler on drums and Cathal Smyth (better known as Chas Smash) on bass guitar. Later in the year, they were joined by lead vocalist "Dikron". 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. Smyth, who was poor on bass guitar, was replaced by Gavin Rogers, an acquaintance of Barson. McPherson was kicked out of the band for too often choosing to watch football instead of rehearsing. As well, Thompson left the band after Barson criticised his saxophone playing.
By 1978, the band had allowed McPherson to return, after filling in temporarily for Hasler (who had taken over vocals when McPherson was removed). Thompson returned after patching things up with Barson, and Daniel Woodgate (Woody) and Mark Bedford (Bedders) also joined the band, on drums and bass guitar respectively. 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. 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.
Early success
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts at #16. A performance of "The Prince" on popular UK music show Top of the Pops helped Madness gain public recognition. 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. The album included a re-recording of "The Prince" and the band's second and third singles: "One Step Beyond" and "My Girl". The title song was a cover of the B-side of the 1960s Prince Buster hit "Al Capone". One Step Beyond... stayed in the British charts for over a year, peaking at #2. 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", from the One Step Beyond album. The EP reached #6 in the UK singles chart.
The following year, the band's second album, Absolutely reached #2 in the UK album charts. Absolutely spawned some of the band's biggest hits, most notably "Baggy Trousers"; which peaked at #3 in the UK singles chart. "Embarrassment" reached #4 in the charts, and the instrumental song "Return of the Los Palmas 7" climbed to #7.
Change of direction
In 1981, the band's third studio album, 7 reached #5 in the UK album charts and contained three hit singles. 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. 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. Suggs' vocal performance changed significantly, and his strong Cockney accent from the previous albums had been watered down. 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. 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". The song climbed to #4 in the UK and entered the US charts at #33. In 1982, Madness released their only #1 hit to date, "House of Fun"; as well as their fourth studio album The Rise & Fall. The album contained their most internationally successful single to date, "Our House", which reached #5 in the UK music charts and # 7 in the US charts. In 1983, their single "Wings of a Dove" peaked at #2 in the UK charts. Their following album, Keep Moving, peaked at #6 in the UK album charts, and several singles from that album reached the top 20 in the UK music charts.
Decline and breakup
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. He officially left the band in June 1984, following the release of "One Better Day". The six remaining members left Stiff Records and formed their own label, Zarjazz Records, which was sub-label of Virgin Records. In 1985, the label released the band's sixth album, Mad Not Mad. Barson's keyboard parts were filled by synthesisers, and in later years, frontman Suggs described the production as "polished turd". The album reached #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 #55 in NME's All Time 100 Albums. The singles for the album fared even worse, with "Yesterday's Men" peaking at #18 in the UK charts. The subsequent singles, "Uncle Sam" and "Sweetest Girl", failed to make the top 20, which was a first for Madness singles.
The band then attempted to record a new album, and 11 demo tracks were recorded. However, musical differences arose between band members, and in September 1986, the band announced that they were to split. Barson rejoined the band for a farewell single, "(Waiting For) The Ghost Train", but did not appear in the music video. The band officially split following the release of the single, which reached a high of #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. After one self-titled album and two singles that failed to make the the top 40, the band split.
Reunions and The Dangermen
In early 1992, "It Must Be Love" was re-released and reached #6 in the UK singles chart. Following that, the singles compilation Divine Madness was released and peaked at #1 in the album charts. Madness then announced plans for a reunion concert, Madstock!, which was held at Finsbury Park, London on August 8 and 9 of that year. The original lineup reunited, performing together for the first time since Mike Barson left the band in 1984. Over 75,000 fans attended the weekend festival, and during "One Step Beyond", the crowd danced so much they caused an earth tremor which measured over 4 on the richter scale. A subsequent live album was released, and the associated single, "The Harder They Come" (a cover of Jimmy Cliff's 1973 song) reached #44 in the UK.
The band continued to reunite for annual UK Christmas season tours and held three more Madstock! festivals; in 1994, 1996 and 1998. In 1999, Madness released their first studio album since 1986, entitled Wonderful. The album reached #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. Neither of the two subsequent singles from the album, "Johnny The Horse" and "Drip Fed Fred", entered the top 40 of the UK charts.
From October 28, 2002 to August 16, 2003, a musical based on Madness songs, Our House, ran at the Cambridge Theatre in west 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. It won an Olivier Award for best new musical of 2003, and the performance was released on DVD on November 1, 2004. There was also a previous musical based on Madness songs, One Step Beyond!, written by Alan Gilbey. The musical had a brief run at the Theatre Royal Stratford East in 1993.
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, and the band performed the songs as a celebration of their 25 year anniversary. This led to the release of the album The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1 in August 2005. However, during the sessions which produced the album, the band's guitarist Chris Foreman announced his departure. 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. The band completed the album without him, and on release, it peaked at #11 in the UK album charts, 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 #38. Despite the poor chart showing, the single reached #12 in France.
In late 2006, this 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. In March 2007, the single "Sorry" was released from the band's upcoming album, peaking in the UK charts at #23. The single included a version featuring UK hip hop artists Sway DaSafo and Baby Blue. Both artists were included on the music video which accompanied the hip-hop version of the song, but not on the original music video. Both music videos were also without Chris Foreman, despite the fact that he was a band member at the time of release.
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. The two songs were released in Germany as a double A-Side, and both of them were turned into music videos. 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 updated song will be featured on Madness' upcoming studio album, and also released as a single. DaSafo predicted the song will be a "huge smash gaurenteed", although the date of release is not yet known.
Lyrical themes
Although Madness were seen by many as somewhat of a humorous band with catchy, bouncy songs, they sometimes tackled, what were at the time, controversial issues in their lyrics. "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. The band discussed animal testing in the song "Tomorrow's Dream". The band criticized the National Health Service in "Mrs. Hutchinson"; which told the story of a woman who, after several misdiagnoses and mistreatment, became terminally ill. The story was based on the experiences of Mike Barson's mother. Madness' final single prior to disbanding, "(Waiting For) The Ghost Train", commented on apartheid in South Africa.
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 the clear majority of skinheads were anti-racist). 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. The band's relationship with the skinheads varied at times. Mike Barson was particularly displeased with the band's skinhead following, often finding it disappointing that so many were present at performances. Prior to becoming a full member of the band, Chas Smash had been involved in fights with skinheads at performances. 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. 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.
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." This added to speculation that Madness was a racist band supporting the fascist group National Front, although the band members denied those allegations. Numerous fans felt upset that Chas Smash's views were mispresented by the media, with yellow journalists just looking for a story in their eyes. Smash responded to the NME article in the song "Don't Quote Me On That". Eventually, band members denied their skinhead roots, which disappointed much of their skinhead fan base. The issue faded as the years went by and the far-right skinhead groups failed completely in winning converts, their particular fringe shrinking massively while in the meantime Madness' international popularity grew.
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". They received another "Ivor Novello Award" 17 years later for an "Outstanding Song Collection". In 2005, they were awarded the Mojo Magazine "Hall Of Fame" award, notably for being 'an artist's artist'. As of 2007, a campaign is taking place by fans of Madness for the band to be awarded a Brit award. Many fans and critics feel they have been overlooked over their past 30 years in the music industry.
Website
madness.co.uk
2) Madness is also the name of a hip-hop artist from Florida in the U.S. He has competed in many Grindtime Rap Battle events, and the rapper work is featured on the release 'Fresh Coast Perishables Volume One' as well as in his own underground albums.
3) Madness is a Brazilian death metal band.
4) Madness is a Mongolian rock band.
Alright
Madness Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Unersetzlich ist, vielleicht weißt du selbst wie's ist
Wie wir uns ähnelten war heftig, ich dachte, dass es echt ist
Bis er hinter meinem Rücken wieder Dreck snifft, mir ins Gesicht lacht und meine Ex fickt
Hässlich, doch wahrscheinlich war es besser so
Es ist auch kein Ding, ihr seid aus meinem Sinn
Seit ich nicht mehr in Hessen wohn'
Plus sie ist so billig, dass ich mir sie schenk' und denk'
Ich hatte doch mal 'ne Freundin, früher hätte ich gesagt, dass sie die Letzte ist
Unverlässlich ist, wahrscheinlich weißt du selbst, wie's ist
Doch anstatt mich vor sie hinzuknien, mit ihr 'n Kind zu kriegen
Ließ ich sie blindlings liegen um sie in' Wind zu schießen
Kein Wunder, dass sie kein' Grund sah, da was hinzubiegen
Sie ist jetzt Arzt und ich derselbe Chab nur mit Stimmungskrisen
Gut, die hatt' ich vorher schon und werd sie nachher haben
Ich könnt' kein' Tag ertragen, würd' ich nicht aber sagen, aber ich bin
Alright, Ich bin alright
Ich bin alright, ich bin alright
Ich hab für den Scheiß keinen Kopf mehr, keine Zeit mehr zu opfern
Ich bin raus, es ist aus und vorbei
Ich bin alright, ich bin alright
Ich bin alright, ich bin alright
Ich hab für den Scheiß keinen Kopf mehr, keine Zeit mehr zu opfern
Ich bin raus, es ist aus und vorbei, ich bin alright
Ich dachte, ich sei eigentlich weg von dem Mist
Immer nur das Schlechte zu sehen, zu sagen wie hässlich es ist
Und alles Gude erkennen, weil es nix besseres gibt
Doch Stand der Dinge ist: Du bist das Allerletzte für mich
All die Jahre hast du mir in die Fresse gegrinst
Wir waren Partner, Freunde, wenn du's so willst
Alles für'n Arsch, man, du hast nur Geschäfte im Sinn
Gehst über Leichen, für Kohle bist du ein Fähnchen im Wind (bye bye!)
An meine schlechte Gewohnheit
Mit Leuten zu hängen, die Zeit nicht einfach so teilen
Froh sind, wenn andre verlieren
Weil die eigene Story ansonsten kein großes Rampenlicht wirft
Ich will weg von dem Negativen, entging einer Lebenkrise
Wege nur gehen wegen der Ziele
Weil man ansonst nur auf der Strecke bleibt
Und das hier soll mein erster Schritt sein, denn ich bin
Alright, okay, alright okay, okay, alright okay
Ich bin alright
And everything is alright, okay, okay
Alright, alright, alright
Ich bin alright, ich bin alright
Ich bin alright, ich bin alright
Ich hab für den Scheiß keinen Kopf mehr, keine Zeit mehr zu opfern
Ich bin raus, es ist aus und vorbei
Ich bin alright, ich bin alright
Ich bin alright, ich bin alright
Ich hab für den Scheiß keinen Kopf mehr, keine Zeit mehr zu opfern
Ich bin raus, es ist aus und vorbei
Ich bin alright, ich bin alright
Ich bin alright, alright, alright
Ich bin alright, ich bin alright
Ich bin alright, ich bin alright
Ich bin alright, ich bin alright
Ich hab für den Scheiß keinen Kopf mehr, keine Zeit mehr zu opfern
Ich bin raus, es ist aus und vorbei
Ich bin alright
In "Alright" by Mädness, the lyrics tell a tale of past friendships and relationships that have turned sour. The singer reflects on a former best friend who betrayed him by doing drugs behind his back, laughing in his face, and sleeping with his ex-girlfriend. Despite their apparent similarities and deep connection, the friend's behavior exposes his true character, leading the singer to believe that it was better for them to part ways. Similarly, the singer had a girlfriend who he would have once considered the last person he would be with. However, instead of committing to her and starting a family, he walked away from her without looking back, causing her to see no reason to salvage the relationship.
The lyrics also touch upon the singer's newfound indifference towards these past relationships. Since moving away from Hessen, a region in Germany, the people involved are no longer on his mind. The singer dismisses their significance and mocks his ex-girlfriend, dubbing her cheap and disposable. He declares that he has moved on from the drama and no longer has any time to waste on it. The repetitive phrase "Ich bin alright" signifies his newfound state of being, where he no longer allows these negative experiences to affect him.
Overall, "Alright" is a reflection on past betrayals, failed relationships, and the singer's decision to move on and focus on his own well-being.
Line by Line Meaning
Ich hatte mal 'nen Freund, früher hätt' ich gesagt, dass er mein Bester ist
I used to have a friend, in the past I would have said that he is my best friend
Unersetzlich ist, vielleicht weißt du selbst wie's ist
Irreplaceable, maybe you know how it is yourself
Wie wir uns ähnelten war heftig, ich dachte, dass es echt ist
How similar we were was intense, I thought it was real
Bis er hinter meinem Rücken wieder Dreck snifft, mir ins Gesicht lacht und meine Ex fickt
Until he sniffs dirt behind my back, laughs in my face, and fucks my ex
Hässlich, doch wahrscheinlich war es besser so
Ugly, but maybe it was better that way
Es ist auch kein Ding, ihr seid aus meinem Sinn
It's also not a problem, you are out of my mind
Seit ich nicht mehr in Hessen wohn'
Since I no longer live in Hessen
Ich mein' das seid ihr längst, fick was du denkst
I mean, you are long gone, fuck what you think
Plus sie ist so billig, dass ich mir sie schenk' und denk'
Plus, she is so cheap that I give her away and think
Ich hatte doch mal 'ne Freundin, früher hätte ich gesagt, dass sie die Letzte ist
I used to have a girlfriend, in the past I would have said she is the last one
Unverlässlich ist, wahrscheinlich weißt du selbst, wie's ist
Unreliable, maybe you know how it is yourself
Doch anstatt mich vor sie hinzuknien, mit ihr 'n Kind zu kriegen
But instead of kneeling before her, having a child with her
Ließ ich sie blindlings liegen um sie in' Wind zu schießen
I left her lying blindly to shoot her into the wind
Kein Wunder, dass sie kein' Grund sah, da was hinzubiegen
No wonder she didn't see a reason to fix anything
Sie ist jetzt Arzt und ich derselbe Chab nur mit Stimmungskrisen
She is now a doctor and I'm the same guy but with mood swings
Gut, die hatt' ich vorher schon und werd sie nachher haben
Well, I had them before and I will have them afterwards
Ich könnt' kein' Tag ertragen, würd' ich nicht aber sagen, aber ich bin
I couldn't stand a day, but I won't say it, but I am
Alright, Ich bin alright
Alright, I am alright
Ich bin alright, ich bin alright
I am alright, I am alright
Ich hab für den Scheiß keinen Kopf mehr, keine Zeit mehr zu opfern
I don't care about this shit anymore, no more time to waste
Ich bin raus, es ist aus und vorbei
I am out, it's over
Ich dachte, ich sei eigentlich weg von dem Mist
I thought I was actually away from this crap
Immer nur das Schlechte zu sehen, zu sagen wie hässlich es ist
Always seeing the bad, saying how ugly it is
Und alles Gude erkennen, weil es nix besseres gibt
And recognizing all the good because there is nothing better
Doch Stand der Dinge ist: Du bist das Allerletzte für mich
But the state of things is: You are the very last for me
All die Jahre hast du mir in die Fresse gegrinst
All these years you grinned in my face
Wir waren Partner, Freunde, wenn du's so willst
We were partners, friends, if you want to call it that
Alles für'n Arsch, man, du hast nur Geschäfte im Sinn
All for nothing, man, you only have business in mind
Gehst über Leichen, für Kohle bist du ein Fähnchen im Wind (bye bye!)
You walk over corpses, for money you are a flunky (bye bye!)
An meine schlechte Gewohnheit
To my bad habit
Mit Leuten zu hängen, die Zeit nicht einfach so teilen
To hang out with people who don't just share time
Froh sind, wenn andre verlieren
Happy when others lose
Weil die eigene Story ansonsten kein großes Rampenlicht wirft
Because otherwise their own story won't throw a big spotlight
Ich will weg von dem Negativen, entging einer Lebenkrise
I want to get away from the negative, escaped a life crisis
Wege nur gehen wegen der Ziele
Only go paths because of the goals
Weil man ansonst nur auf der Strecke bleibt
Because otherwise you just stay behind
Und das hier soll mein erster Schritt sein, denn ich bin
And this here is supposed to be my first step, because I am
Alright, okay, alright okay, okay, alright okay
Alright, okay, alright okay, okay, alright okay
And everything is alright, okay, okay
And everything is alright, okay, okay
Alright, alright, alright
Alright, alright, alright
Ich bin alright, ich bin alright
I am alright, I am alright
Ich bin alright, ich bin alright
I am alright, I am alright
Ich hab für den Scheiß keinen Kopf mehr, keine Zeit mehr zu opfern
I don't care about this shit anymore, no more time to waste
Ich bin raus, es ist aus und vorbei
I am out, it's over
Ich bin alright, ich bin alright
I am alright, I am alright
Ich bin alright, ich bin alright
I am alright, I am alright
Ich hab für den Scheiß keinen Kopf mehr, keine Zeit mehr zu opfern
I don't care about this shit anymore, no more time to waste
Ich bin raus, es ist aus und vorbei
I am out, it's over
Ich bin alright, ich bin alright
I am alright, I am alright
Lyrics © Budde Music Publishing GmbH, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Clemens Tschurtschenthaler, Fabian Doell, Marco Doell, Yassin Taibi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Simpfoniebeats
Einfach nur geiler rap, mit geilen Texten und echt sympathischen rappern
MrStutch
Grundsympathische Dudes. Macht weiter so, der Track is mega und das Video ein sehr interessantes Ding. Ist cool euch mal mehr oder weniger im Alltag zu erleben
MakingMadBeats
Jungs, ihr seid die Geilsten 😂! Die Vinyl steht bereits in meinem Plattenregal 🤘. Als Döll nach seinem Browserverlauf gefragt wurde, musste ich so lachen 😂😂😂 Sehr cool umgesetzt das Video! Alles Gute für ein ganz starkes Album.
Dikka
Geiles Video! DAS VIDEO IST ECHT GUT GEMACHT, AUCH WENN ES NICHT DIE AUFMERKSAMKEIT BEKOMMT DIE ES VERDIENT. IHR SEID REALRAP, UND DAFÜR FEIER ICH EUCH.
PIERRO
punkt
Kippcom
Schrei doch trotzdem bitte nicht so
Kiez Hypnose Berlin
Alright! Richtig stark geworden! Grüße aus der Kiez Hypnose
Marten
Jungs, einer der ehrlichsten coolsten Videos die ich im Deutsch.. eigl allg Rap Bereich je gesehen hab. Mega gutes Ding. Echt colles Video!! LG
Fuseins
Viel zu schade das es so wenig Aufmerksamkeit hat.. MEISTERWERK!
joshy96
So ein geiler Track und mit das beste was ich die letzten Jahren zu hören bekommen hab.