«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)
The Kids Are on High Street
Madrugada Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stones in the pipeline
Like some new mountain range
We leave the lowlands behind
They take your photograph
You come into existence
You realize it's your path
Some heroes are we
To pass outside these gates
With a will to adjust
Adjust to what it takes
You add another year to this
And it all has gone to waste
Other plans have been made
To pursue your own separate fates
The kids are on High Street
The kids will not sleep tonight
The kids got in a knife fight
We trained them well
They're gonna be alright
I'll be joining with them soon
I can't even wait to get away from you
'Cause it's only in hindsight
That we will know what was right to do
I always thought we had it made
Ambition spurred the plans we laid
The lyrics to Madrugada's song The Kids Are on High Street convey a sense of change and leaving behind the old ways. The opening lines, "In a wake of some change / Stones in the pipeline / Like some new mountain range / We leave the lowlands behind," paints a picture of a transformation in progress. The image of "stones in the pipeline" suggests a blockage that has been cleared, allowing for progress to occur, while "like some new mountain range" speaks to the creation of something significant and impressive.
The second stanza speaks to the idea of finding one's path and taking ownership of it: "They take your photograph / You come into existence / You realize it's your path / In this very instant." The act of being photographed can symbolize a moment of clarity or recognition of one's purpose. The following lines, "Some heroes are we / To pass outside these gates / With a will to adjust / Adjust to what it takes," suggest a sense of perseverance and determination in the face of whatever challenges may come.
The chorus, with its repetition of the phrase "The kids are on High Street," adds a note of defiance and rebellion to the song. The phrase "The kids will not sleep tonight" suggests a restlessness and a refusal to conform to societal norms. The line "We trained them well / They're gonna be alright" could be interpreted both positively and negatively, as it could suggest either a sense of preparedness or a sense of indoctrination.
Wrapping up the song, the final stanza reflects on the passage of time and the realization that plans can change: "You add another year to this / And it all has gone to waste / Other plans have been made / To pursue your own separate fates." The sense of disappointment and resignation in these lines is tempered by the final line, "Ambition spurred the plans we laid," which reminds us that we were once motivated by something greater.
Line by Line Meaning
In a wake of some change
After a significant event or transformation
Stones in the pipeline
Obstacles or challenges that hinder progress
Like some new mountain range
A metaphorical comparison to something massive and transformative
We leave the lowlands behind
Moving forward, leaving the past behind and striving for new heights
They take your photograph
Capturing a moment in time, creating a tangible representation of existence
You come into existence
Being truly present in the world, existing beyond just existing
You realize it's your path
Grasping the concept of individuality, making your own way in life
In this very instant
In the present moment, right now
Some heroes are we
Acknowledging one's own strength and resilience, a sense of pride in overcoming adversity
To pass outside these gates
Moving beyond limitations and restrictions for growth and progression
With a will to adjust
Having the desire and flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances
Adjust to what it takes
Making necessary changes and sacrifices to accomplish goals
You add another year to this
A reflection on the passage of time
And it all has gone to waste
Feeling like time has passed without truly achieving anything meaningful
Other plans have been made
Choosing a different path than the one previously taken
To pursue your own separate fates
Going after individual aspirations and goals, moving away from a shared path
The kids are on High Street
A group of young people, full of energy and potential, taking on the world
The kids will not sleep tonight
A sense of restlessness and anticipation, eager to live life to the fullest
The kids got in a knife fight
A chaotic and dangerous encounter, symbolic of the risks taken when pursuing one's dreams
We trained them well
A sense of pride and responsibility for the younger generation's actions
They're gonna be alright
Confidence in the younger generation's ability to overcome challenges and succeed
I'll be joining with them soon
A sense of longing to join in the excitement and energy of youth
I can't even wait to get away from you
Desire to break free from stagnation or negativity, moving towards something better
'Cause it's only in hindsight
Recognizing that true understanding of situations can only come with reflection and perspective
That we will know what was right to do
Understanding past choices and their consequences, learning from experience
I always thought we had it made
A false sense of security, the belief that everything was going according to plan
Ambition spurred the plans we laid
Driven by a desire to succeed and achieve, creating goals and working towards them
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Written by: FRODE JACOBSEN, ROBERT BURAS, SIVERT HOYEM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nerinaludovica4515
Lyrics
In a wake of some change
Stones in the pipeline
Like some new mountain range
We leave the lowlands behind
They take your photograph
You come into existence
You realize it's your path
In this very instant
Some heroes are we
To pass outside these gates
With a will to adjust
Adjust to what it takes
You add another year to this
And it all has gone to waste
Other plans have been made
To pursue your own separate fates
The kids are on High Street
The kids will not sleep tonight
The kids got in a knife fight
We trained them well
They're gonna be alright
I'll be joining with them soon
I can't even wait to get away from you
'Cause it's only in hindsight
That we will know what was right to do
I always thought we had it made
Ambition spurred the plans we laid
@madrugada1007
My favorite band..MADRUGADA 👍
In a wake of some change
Stones in the pipeline
Like some new mountain range
We leave the lowlands behind
They take your photograph
You come into existence
You realize it's your path
In this very instant
Some heroes are we
To pass outside these gates
With a will to adjust
Adjust to what it takes
You add another year to this
And it all has gone to waste
Other plans have been made
To pursue your own separate fates
The kids are on High Street
The kids will not sleep tonight
The kids got in a knife fight
We trained them well
They're gonna be alright
I'll be joining with them soon
I can't even wait to get away from you
'Cause it's only in hindsight
That we will know what was right to do
I always thought we had it made
Ambition spurred the plans we laid..
@johneeboi
In a wake of some change
Stones in the pipeline
Like some new mountain range
We leave the lowlands behind
They take your photograph
You come into existence
You realize it's your path
In this very instant
Some heroes are we
To pass outside these gates
With a will to adjust
Adjust to what it takes
You add another year to this
And it all has gone to waste
Other plans have been made
To pursue your own separate fates
The kids are on High Street
The kids will not sleep tonight
The kids got in a knife fight
We trained them well…
@zoey__m
Athens 25/6/23, the night I will never forget in my life!
Madrugada is playing live, this song starts and after some seconds rain starts falling. Very light rain, but enough to give an almost mythical feeling to everything. I immediately stop recording (yeah, I'm guilty of that) and I only feel the rain and the magic of the song cover me and go though me. And then Sivert gets off the stage and into the crowd and starts hugging and shaking hands with everyone, while singing. I was in the third row, so close to him.
It's impossible to know what the rest of my summer will be like, but I know that nothing could beat this particular experience. This moment in time will never leave my heart.
May every one of you experience things as beautiful as I did that night and even better!
Greece will always have this special relationship with Madrugada. We will always love you! 🇬🇷❤🇳🇴
@irinamikhajkin9084
I have same experience. It was the best evening of last summer.
@aleksanderfinstad5785
One of Norway's best rock band ever 🇧🇻🖤
@user-rr1fl3ls4m
On of the best band ever.
@dylanmatthews1484
There brilliant.
@dylanmatthews1484
The best Norway rock band of all time.
@claymoregray8973
I just realized they were a norwegian band, it's amazing!
@nickbrutanna9973
"One of"? What the hell other norwegian band do you think is even in their class? 😀
@annsg29393
What a night at Panathenaic Stadium! Thank you so much for everything 💙
@rahmanamer280
I consider myself lucky just for listening to this song ! I love Madrugada! if you know of their existence, you are very special <3