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.
Close Escape
Madness Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something less conspicuous, won`t take up too much time,
Something less energetic, for what I`ve got in mind.
I won`t be too persistent `cos I`m not that way inclined.
See, that`s the one for me. Look under "Collins" see if she`s free.
Sweaty fingers find 5p 4151683
"Hello Miss Collins you`ll not know me. I`m in the undies
Business, see? Please please can you tell me the size; how
Oh dear dear, me luck is running thin.
I`ll take another name I might have a win.
What? 2 more points? I hope no one fills it in.
See, that`s the one for me. Look under "Dickens" CFG.
See if she`ll speak to me. Hand`s get shakey eye`s can`t see.
Having trouble find 5p 2171983
"Hello Miss Dickens you`ll not know me, I`m in the undies
Business, see?"
Feel more relaxed now here we go again.
Hoi! No temporaries I`ve heard most take me in.
Oh dear dear me, that is the one it fits.
So please please can you tell me the textured fit feels good to me.
In the naked mood, try to grin and bear with me.
Please don`t think me rude, I only hear don`t want to see.
See, that`s the one for me. That was quick, too quick for me.
Of that I can see, wash me laundry oh bugger me!
Sugar or milk with your tea? No I couldn`t, well I`ll see.
What`s your hobby? Just the same as me, see you soon for tea.
I`ll give it one last chance I think you`ll all agree.
I`m getting nowhere here, on my last 5p.
I`m sick of waiting for ages nothing interests me.
I`ll ring another number, make sure it`s a she.
Here we go again, I`ll give it 3rd degree.
No hard feelings oh yes I`m sure you`ll all agree.
I`ll take another name I might have a win.
The lyrics to Madness's "Close Escape" describe a man's desperate search for a new hobby that is less conspicuous and less energetic than his current undertaking. He decides to try his luck with a phonebook and randomly chooses a woman to call and ask about the size and fit of underwear. The first woman he calls is named Collins, and he fumbles with sweaty fingers to find a five-pence coin to use the payphone. When he finally reaches her, he stumbles through his words, claiming to be in the "undies business" and asking for the measurements. He is unsuccessful in his attempt and decides to try again with another woman named Dickens, but he still can't find success. He becomes increasingly desperate as he runs out of options and money, attempting to find any woman who will speak to him about underwear.
The song's lyrics tell a comical story that highlights the singer's awkwardness and desperation as he attempts to find a new hobby. The humorous tone of the lyrics is emphasized by the upbeat and playful music that accompanies them. The song portrays a sense of lightheartedness and absurdity, offering listeners an entertaining story to follow along with.
Line by Line Meaning
That was a close escape, have to get a new hobby to relate.
I need to find something else to do that is less risky and suspicious than what I've been doing.
Something less conspicuous, won`t take up too much time,
I need a hobby that I can do in secret and won't consume too much of my time.
Something less energetic, for what I`ve got in mind.
I need a hobby that doesn't require much effort because I have other things on my mind.
I won`t be too persistent `cos I`m not that way inclined.
I won't keep trying too hard because it's not in my nature.
See, that`s the one for me. Look under "Collins" see if she`s free.
I've found someone that I want to contact. I'm going to check if they're available.
Sweaty fingers find 5p 4151683
I'm nervous and fumbling with my coins to make the call.
"Hello Miss Collins you`ll not know me. I`m in the undies Business, see? Please please can you tell me the size; how Far from the knee?"
I'm pretending to be a salesperson of women's undergarments and requesting a specific size.
Oh dear dear, me luck is running thin.
I'm starting to lose hope and think that my luck is running out.
I`ll take another name I might have a win.
I'm going to try a different name in the hopes of getting a positive result.
What? 2 more points? I hope no one fills it in.
I'm worried that someone else will call this number and get the information I need before I do.
Hand`s get shakey eye`s can`t see.
I'm starting to get nervous and my hands are trembling, making it difficult to see.
"Hello Miss Dickens you`ll not know me, I`m in the undies Business, see?"
I'm using the same strategy as before to try and obtain the information I need.
Feel more relaxed now here we go again.
I'm feeling more at ease and ready to try again.
Hoi! No temporaries I`ve heard most take me in.
I want to make sure that the person I'm talking to is not temporary or new to the job because they might ask too many questions.
So please please can you tell me the textured fit feels good to me.
I'm requesting the customer's opinion on the texture of the product to make it seem like a legitimate sales call.
In the naked mood, try to grin and bear with me.
I'm in a vulnerable, uncomfortable situation and I'm asking the customer to be patient with me.
Please don`t think me rude, I only hear don`t want to see.
I want to avoid seeing the customer, so I'm trying to come across as polite and professional.
That was quick, too quick for me. Of that I can see, wash me laundry oh bugger me!
I realize that the call was too short and something must have gone wrong. I'm becoming frustrated and upset.
Sugar or milk with your tea? No I couldn`t, well I`ll see.
I'm attempting to make small talk to avoid sounding suspicious or rude.
What`s your hobby? Just the same as me, see you soon for tea.
I'm pretending to be interested in the customer's hobbies to build rapport and make it seem like a normal conversation. I'm planning to meet with them later.
I`ll give it one last chance I think you`ll all agree.
I'm making one final attempt to obtain the information I need.
I`m getting nowhere here, on my last 5p.
I've nearly run out of coins, and I still have not been successful in getting the information.
I`m sick of waiting for ages nothing interests me.
I'm getting impatient and frustrated with this process.
I`ll ring another number, make sure it`s a she.
I'm going to try a different phone number and hope that the person who answers is female.
Here we go again, I`ll give it 3rd degree.
I'm going to try again, but this time I'm going to ask more questions to get the information I need.
No hard feelings oh yes I`m sure you`ll all agree.
I'm trying to end the conversation on a positive note to avoid sounding suspicious or rude.
I`ll take another name I might have a win.
I'm going to try one more time with a different name in the hopes of finally getting the information I need.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CATHAL JOSEPH SMYTH, CHRISTOPHER FOREMAN, CHRISTOPHER JOHN FOREMAN, DANIEL MARK WOODGATE, GRAHAM MCPHERSON, LEE THOMPSON, LEE JAY THOMPSON, MARK WILLIAM BEDFORD, MICHAEL BARSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Patrick Stocks
That was a close escape, have to get a new hobby to relate
Something less conspicuous, won’t take up too much time
Something less energetic, for what I’ve got in mind
I won’t be too persistent ‘cos I’m not that way inclined
See, that’s the one for me. Look under “Collins” see if she’s free
Sweaty fingers find 5p 4151683
“Hello Miss Collins you’ll not know me. I’m in the undies
Business, see? Please please can you tell me the size; how
Far from the knee?”
Oh dear dear, me luck is running thin
I’ll take another name I might have a win
What? 2 more points? I hope no one fills it in
See, that’s the one for me. Look under “Dickens” CFG
See if she’ll speak to me. Hands get shakey eyes can’t see
Having trouble find 5p 2171983
“Hello Miss Dickens you’ll not know me, I’m in the undies
Business, see?”
Foot more relaxed now here we go again
Hoi! No temporaries I’ve heard most take me in
Oh dear dear me, that is the one it fits
So please please can you tell me the textured fit feels good to me
In the naked mood, try to grin and bear with me
Please don’t think me rude, I only hear don’t want to see
See, that’s the one for me. That was quick, too quick for me
Of that I can see, wash me laundry oh bugger me!
Sugar or milk with your tea? No I couldn’t, well I’ll see
What’s your hobby? Just the same as me, see you soon for tea 🍵
I’ll give it one last chance I think you’ll all agree
I’m getting nowhere here, on my last 5p
I’m sick of waiting for ages nothing interests me
I’ll ring another number, make sure it’s a she
Here we go again. I’ll give it 3rd degree 📜
No hard feelings oh yes I’m sure you’ll all agree
I’ll take another name I might have a win
Steven Grange
True music standing the test of time. Still sounds as good now as it did in1980. Wounder how many of today's manufactured pop shite will still be around in 20 years making albums. Long live the Nutty Boys.
J eagles
Moorm Madness are back and play live regularly
johnny b
@HowlingDeath
No Doubt did some ska in their early days but later became more pop/rock orientated. Here is one of their ska songs (live) from 1992. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOawQAEJpo4
johnny b
@Moorm
There are loads. https://www.reddit.com/r/Ska/comments/3pgep5/any_suggestions_on_some_modern_ska_bands/
Matty Moore
johnny b I dunno any ska bands or artist that make music to this day. Any suggestions?
johnny b
+mSteven Grange
Ska has been described as a music that "just won't go away". It's nearly 60 years old now, and not many music genres as old as that have kept resurfacing in the way ska has, and long may it continue!
Arqabass
Probably the coolest band ever...
Neal O'Gorman
Remember in the 1980s when people used to do this...I was at work one lunch time and a bloke phoned up the receptionist and started asking all questions about her knickers....and she was answering them. I was rolling on the floor.
Shane The Train
So this song is about a pervert?
David Hunter
This album has so many memories for me it's just the nuttiest sound around 😎 Madness Absolutely 😎 long live the nutty boys forever 😎😎😎😎😎😎😎