«Chimes at Midnight»
When Madrugada regrouped to celebr… Read Full Bio ↴Madrugada
«Chimes at Midnight»
When Madrugada regrouped to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of their classic debut album «Industrial Silence» in 2019, they quickly realised that interest in the band had not waned in their absence. It had, in fact, increased, not least on the European continent.
What’s more, they realised that they loved being back together. Being in Madrugada had never been quite this much fun.
Says vocalist and guitarist Sivert Høyem: «It was if as the last piece of the puzzle had snapped into place. I’d never felt so self-assured on stage before. It was no stress at all, whereas in the past it had always been very stressful to me».
The tour was a triumph, with the band selling out shows in the their native Norway, plenty of festival dates and a host of concerts throughout Europe, where the band now sold out halls that were twice the size of the places they used to play back in the day.
10 years on from when the band called it a day after guitarist Robert Burås passed, the three remaining original members – Høyem, Frode Jacobsen (bass) and Jon Lauvland Pettersen (drums) – felt rejuvenated and ready for more.
They wanted to play more shows. In order to do so, new music had to be made. The trip they were on couldn’t be strictly nostalgic. And so it was that Madrugada, a band that usually takes its sweet time to agree on just about anything, ran straight off the stage and back into the rehearsal room in December 2019.
Jacobsen: «We were on a tight schedule. We booked time at Sunset Sound Studio in Los Angeles at the end of February, and had about a month and a half to come up with the material and whip it into shape. It went rather swimmingly. We were still high from touring, raring to go».
Høyem: «Everyone brought something – melodies, ideas – to the table. And then we’d all be let loose on it. We had the «Industrial Silence» album in our bloodstreams after playing it live on the tour, and I felt there was a direct line back to our formative years. Everything came out sounding like Madrugada».
The band worked in their own rehearsal space/studio in Oslo, in another studio, Velvet Recordings, 45 minutes outside the city, and spent a further week woodshedding in Berlin. 70% of the material they came up with, is spanking new. But they also rescued a couple of older songs from oblivion. «The World Could Be Falling Down» hails from the time of their first album. «Slowly Turns The Wheel» first reared its head somewhere between the third and the fourth.
Lauvland Pettersen: «The process was very different from when I recorded my last album with the band [«The Nightly Disease», 2011]. That was a case of ‘second album syndrome’. We didn’t have much going in, and had to come up with the goods on the clock. This time the material was not only written, but thoroughly arranged too».
The band arrived in Los Angeles in late February, happy to be recording in a legendary studio where classic albums by Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, The Doors and the Rolling Stones had been conceived.
Lauvland Pettersen: «It was a boyhood dream come true, for sure. A terrific gift: I’m here, I’m with my dear friends and we’re having the time of our lives».
Producer Kevin Ratterman (Ray LaMontagne, My Morning Jacket, The Flaming Lips) was waiting for them, and the plan was once again to get in the flow and work fast.
The band had given themselves two weeks to put the music, recorded live in the studio, to analogue tape. They met their deadline, and a good thing too. No sooner was the last song on the album, «Ecstasy», in the can, before the world as we knew it shut down. It was March 2020, and the plan had been for Madrugada to go home, rest up for a week and return to do overdubs and mix the album in a studio in Silver Lake. Instead, they had to go home, and stay home.
Høyem: «It was a ‘last flight out of Saigon’ kind of scene. And the tickets weren’t cheap».
Up until this point, the making of «Chimes at Midnight» had been a whirlwind affair. When it became obvious that the world would remain in a state of emergency for quite some time, it was important not to lose momentum. The album would have to be finished by unorthodox means:
Namely by Zoom and via big screen-TVs, with Ratterman and the American team on one end in Los Angeles, and Madrugada on the other, in Oslo, Norway. Frustrating? Oh yes. But the esprit de corps remained strong.
Jacobsen: «The technology enabled us to do overdubs in real time, with Kevin producing us from the other side of the Atlantic. Unusual, to say the least, and quite interesting. But the process became a lot slower».
It goes without saying that Høyem, Jacobsen and Lauvland Pettersen are painfully aware that one of Madrugada’s founding members, Robert Burås, very sadly isn’t around to work his magic anymore. But what other developments have the nigh-on 14 years since their fifth and hitherto last album, «Madrugada» (2008), and «Chimes at Midnight», begot?
Høyem: «The songs are a reflection of who we are in the present time. We’re older. We’re all fathers. I believe I have a more nuanced view of life than I had 20 years ago, a greater ability to feel several things at once. Madrugada’s aesthetic was very New York City and Berlin, we were a punk band that played the blues. All those elements remain. But this time around it felt appealing to explore the more dreamy aspects of what we do. The city we recorded in encouraged us to do so».
Jacobsen: «Chimes at Midnight» is not a conceptual album, it doesn’t point in one particular direction. That makes it somewhat different, in my mind. But it’s made to played live, just like the other albums».
Lauvland Pettersen: «It’s got maybe more of a singer/songwriter vibe to it, I think. If I want to write a ballad and give it the full orchestral treatment, I’m welcome to do it. It’s been therapeutic too. The shows were pure pleasure, and the album’s given me a feeling of closure».
Høyem: «‘Chimes at Midnight’ was born of an atmosphere of true joy and goodwill. To me, it’s a passionate album».
The members’ respect for their shared history is at the top of their minds at all times.
Jacobsen: «I’ve always had romantic ideas about bands in general, and our band in particular. I never wanted to make music outside of Madrugada. I wanted to make it with the people I started out with».
Madrugada are
Sivert Høyem
Frode Jacobsen
Jon Lauvland Pettersen
with
Cato Thommassen and Christer Knutsen
Album discography:
«Industrial Silence» (1999)
«The Nightly Disease» (2001)
«Grit» (2002)
«The Deep End» (2005)
«Madrugada» (2008)
«Chimes at Midnight» (2022)
Biography from their site: https://madrugada.no/#biography
Theres's another band from the 70's that use the same name:
2) Madrugada was a band from Bergamo, Italy, formed around 1970, and had a long life that lasted until 1978. The group derived from some 60's beat bands like I Condor, that included bass player Alessandro Zanelli and keyboardist Franco Orlandini (from Mat 65 and who later worked with Equipe 84 and Claudio Rocchi), and later changed name to Le Lunghe Storie, and along them from Le Bugie and Gruppo 3. But the basic nucleus came from Terza Classe, which also gave birth to Perdio.
Though not properly a progressive rock album, their first one, only released in 1974 by Philips, contains some interesting parts.
It contains seven tracks, some of which were arranged and signed by Roberto Vecchioni (a singer-songwriter that's still very popular nowadays), while three songs were composed by Mauro Paoluzzi.
The first side shows some influences by a West Coast styled sound, with multivocal parts very well executed but not particularly original. Second side contains the long Mandrax, led by Gianfranco Pinto's keyboards, that's probably the best album track.
Except for a limited use of acoustic guitar on Uomo blu the band didn't use guitars and their sound was strongly based on keyboards and richly arranged vocal parts.
Second album came three years later, this time the trio was helped by some guest musicians like Lucio Fabbri on violin (Piazza delle Erbe and later PFM), the jazz saxophonist Gianluigi Trovesi, and Luciano Ninzatti (from Eugenio Finardi's band Crisalide) on guitar.
With a much better production and sound, this can be considered the best of their two albums, with long tracks like the opening Romanzen or Aragon showing a very good composition quality. Another nice song was È triste il vento, that had previously been played by another group from Bergamo that had a close connection with Madrugada, Perdio.
Like in the first album there are some odd different-styled tracks, like the folky Noter de Berghem and the silly Katmandu (that was also released on single with È triste il vento, but with no success), but Incastro can be surely appreciated by progressive music fans. Unfortunately it didn't have a good promotion by the record company.
In concert, Madrugada played on tour with Area, Claudio Rocchi and Biglietto per l'Inferno, and in Lugano (Switzerland) with Kevin Ayers. Moreover they played in many concerts for political movements like Avanguardia Operaia and the Radical Party and the Re Nudo magazine. The band split at the end of the 1970s.
Pinto and Zanelli collaborated with Mauro Paoluzzi in his shortlived Pangea project, which produced only a promotional album in 1976.
Keyboardist Pinto has collaborated with many Italian and international artists (Patty Pravo, Roberto Vecchioni, Adriano Pappalardo, Riccardo Fogli, Gianna Nannini, Brian Auger), and in the late 90's with the reformed progressive group Perdio.
He works in a music school in the Parma area and still plays now in studio, with live bands and in the piano bar circuit.
Bass player Billy Zanelli formed the semi-punk group Judas, with an album on Spaghetti label in 1978, and later played with Roberto Vecchioni.
Discography
LPs
Madrugada (Philips, 1974)
Incastro (Philips, 1977)
CDs
Madrugada (AMS/BTF, 2006 / Universal, 2010)
Incastro (AMS/BTF, 2006 / Universal, 2010)
Singles
Katmandu / È triste il vento (Philips, 1977)
Lucy One
Madrugada Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Relax
All way down
Clean
The first born
Lucy one
Oh hey come on
The power
And a strong need of scars
Bone upon bone
Lucy one
Touch me
Stone by stone
Lucy
We are both flesh and bone
Hey we can dissapear here without
Nobody even noticing it
We are new and improved
We are new and improved
Oh lucy
Lucy one
Got such a big hand
Such a big hand such a big big voice
There's such power in me
Such greatness
Such pain
There is enough of me for you
Oh lucy
Let me get through to you
Hey kid we can dissapear here without
Nobody even noticing it
We are new and improved
We are new and improved
Oh lucy
Oh lucy one
Gonna fly all the way home now lucy one
Touch me stone by stone lucy one
Oh I love you
We are one
Blood, flesh, hand, way, escape, power, fire, love
Bone upon bone
And a stone upon stone
I love you
Oh I love you
Ready
Lucy one
Buried
Oh buried
Yeah in the blast of the bones
It's conceived in love
Oh lucy
Oh lucy one
You're gonna fly all the way home now Lucy one
Oh lucy one
The song "Lucy One" by Madrugada begins with the calming and reassuring words "Lucy, relax, all way down, clean." It seems like they are addressing someone named Lucy, possibly trying to soothe her. The next line "The first born, Lucy one" could suggest that Lucy is the first-born child of someone important. The lines "Oh hey come on, Lucy one" could be an invitation for her to come forward and speak her mind.
As the song progresses, it becomes apparent that there is pain and suffering involved. The lines "The power, and a strong need of scars, bone upon bone" suggest that Lucy has been going through some struggles. However, the lines "Touch me stone by stone, Lucy, we are both flesh and bone" convey that even in difficult times, there is a shared humanity that can be comforting. The artists sing about the possibility of disappearing unnoticed, but they also emphasize the uniqueness and value of each individual.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Oh Lucy, Lucy one" several times, with an emphasis on her sizeable hand and voice. There is a sense of power and pain within her that is both overwhelming and compassionate. The song ends with the lyrics "You're gonna fly all the way home now Lucy one" suggesting that Lucy has found a way to move beyond the pain and return home.
Line by Line Meaning
Lucy
The subject of the song, possibly a personification of a force or idea.
Relax
An instruction to let go and surrender to the experience.
All way down
The journey will be deep and immersive.
Clean
Starting anew, with purity and clarity of purpose.
The first born
Lucy is portrayed as a primal force, a creation before all else.
Lucy one
Emphasizing the uniqueness and power of the subject.
Oh hey come on
Encouragement to engage with and embrace Lucy's energy.
The power
Lucy is potent and commanding.
And a strong need of scars
Perhaps indicating that Lucy represents pain or trauma, and that she thrives on it.
Bone upon bone
A sense of building up and fortifying Lucy's structure.
Touch me
An invitation to physical contact with Lucy's power.
Stone by stone
Slowly, steadily, methodically.
Lucy
Repetition of the subject's name for emphasis.
We are both flesh and bone
Acknowledging Lucy's presence within the singer/co-creator as well.
Hey we can disappear here without
Suggesting that engaging with Lucy takes one outside of the norm, off the radar.
Nobody even noticing it
Further emphasizing the covert, otherworldly nature of the experience.
We are new and improved
As a result of interacting with Lucy, the singer feels transformed in some way.
Oh Lucy
A cry to the subject, expressing awe and admiration.
Lucy one
Repetition of the subject's name to heighten the intensity of the cry.
Got such a big hand
Lucy is a generous bestower of power.
Such a big hand such a big big voice
Reiterating Lucy's power and influence on a grand scale.
There's such power in me
The singer recognizes the transformative effect of engaging with Lucy.
Such greatness
The singer now feels emboldened, expansive.
Such pain
Perhaps underscoring the idea that Lucy's power is rooted in intensity and suffering.
There is enough of me for you
Lucy assures the singer that there is an abundance of power available to share.
Let me get through to you
A plea for deeper connection with and understanding of Lucy.
Hey kid we can disappear here without
Repeating an earlier line, with 'kid' as a term of endearment or camaraderie.
Oh lucy
An exclamation of excitement and wonder at the prospect of engaging further with Lucy.
Oh lucy one
Addressing the subject again with fervor and reverence.
Gonna fly all the way home now lucy one
Perhaps signifying that the transformative experience has come to a conclusion, and the singer is returning to everyday life.
Touch me stone by stone lucy one
Repeating a previous line, perhaps as a final entreaty or as a way of cementing the connection with Lucy in memory.
Oh I love you
An expression of deep affection and gratitude towards the subject.
Blood, flesh, hand, way, escape, power, fire, love
A list of potent images and concepts that might be associated with Lucy's essence.
Bone upon bone
Repeating a previous line, but now with a sense of finality or groundedness.
And a stone upon stone
Repeating another previous line, also with a sense of completion or stability.
Ready
Prepared for whatever may come next.
Lucy one
Reiterating the uniqueness and power of Lucy's presence.
Buried
Perhaps signifying that the experience is now a part of the singer's being, internalized and integrated.
Oh buried
An acknowledgement of the depth and significance of the experience.
Yeah in the blast of the bones
A vivid image of a powerful, explosive event that has rocked the singer to their core.
It's conceived in love
Perhaps highlighting the idea that even intense, transformative experiences can be driven by love and a desire to connect.
Oh lucy
An expression of awe and gratitude towards the subject once again.
Oh lucy one
Repeating the exclamatory address, but with a different connotation - perhaps a more contemplative, reflective one.
You're gonna fly all the way home now Lucy one
Repeating an earlier line, but with the added sense of a shared experience.
Oh lucy one
A reverential closing statement, emphasizing the power and importance of the subject.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: FRODE JACOBSEN, JON LAUVLAND PETTERSEN, ROBERT BURAAS, SIVERT HOEYEM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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