RhoDeo 1637 Aetix

Hello, last week Prince Buster died, today's artists – who took their name from one his songs, whose first single was about him, and whose breakthrough hit was a cover of one of his tracks – paid tribute to ska legend Prince Buster on Sunday. Singer Suggs told the BBC how crucial Prince Buster had been to the group. “The fact he came from the streets and he had a terrific sense of humour and energy – it really appealed to us and it had a huge impact on everything we did, really.” Their second single, One Step Beyond, was a cover of a Prince Buster song, and their first top 10 hit. They also covered his song Madness.

Prince Buster obituary



Today's artists are an English ska band from Camden Town, London, that formed in 1976. One of the most prominent bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s 2 Tone ska revival, they continue to perform with their most recognised line-up of seven members. They achieved most of their success in the early to mid-1980s. Both Madness and UB40 spent 214 weeks on the UK singles charts over the course of the decade, holding the record for most weeks spent by a group in the 1980s UK singles charts. However, Madness achieved this in a shorter time period (1980–1986)..... ....N'Joy

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Along with the Specials, Madness were one of the leading bands of the ska revival of the late '70s and early '80s. As their career progressed, Madness branched away from their trademark "nutty sound" and incorporated large elements of Motown, soul, and British pop. Although the band managed one crossover American hit in 1983, they remained a British phenomenon, influencing several successive generations of musicians and becoming one of the most beloved groups the country produced during the '80s.

The origins of Madness lie in a ska group known as the Invaders, which was formed by Mike Barson, Chris Foreman, and Lee Thompson in 1976. By 1978, the band had changed their name to Morris and the Minors and had added Graham "Suggs" McPherson, Mark Bedford, Chas Smash, and Dan Woodgate to the group. Later in 1978, they changed their name to Madness, in homage to one of their favorite Prince Buster songs. The following year, Madness released their debut single, a tribute to Prince Buster entitled "The Prince," on Two-Tone. The song was a surprise success, reaching the British Top 20. Following its success, the band signed a record contract with Stiff Records and released another Prince Buster song, "One Step Beyond," which climbed to number seven.

Madness quickly recorded their debut album, also titled One Step Beyond, with producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley. Released toward the end of the year, the album peaked at number two in Britain and it stayed on the charts for well over a year. At the beginning of 1980, the band's third single, "My Girl," peaked at number three. For the next three years, the group had a virtually uninterrupted run of 13 Top Ten singles, during which time they were one of the most popular bands in Britain, rivaled only by the Jam in terms of widespread popularity. Where the Jam appealed to teenagers and young adults, Madness had a broad fan base, reaching from children to the elderly. Which didn't mean their music was diluted -- they continued to expand their sound, both musically and lyrically.

Absolutely In the spring of 1980, Madness released the Work Rest and Play EP, which reached number six on the strength of the EP's lead song, "Night Boat to Cairo." Also during the spring, One Step Beyond was released in the United States, where it peaked at 128. Madness' second album, Absolutely, was released in the fall of 1980. The record peaked at number two on the British charts, but it stalled at number 146, in the U.S. Sire dropped the band after the commercial disappointment of Absolutely, leaving Madness without an American record contract for several years.

Back in England, Madness continued to gain momentum, as the group began playing matinee shows on their tours so children under 16 years old could attend the concert. In the fall of 1981, the band released their third album, Seven, which peaked at number five. In January of 1982, Madness hit number four with a cover of Labi Siffre's "It Must Be Love." In March, their streak of Top Ten hits was interrupted when "Cardiac Arrest" stalled at number 14 on the charts, due to radio's reluctance to play the tune. The band bounced back a few months later with "House of Fun," their first number one single. That same month, the hits compilation, Complete Madness, reached number one.

Madness returned in the late summer of 1982 with The Rise and Fall, their full-fledged shift to pop. Like their previous albums, it was a British hit, reaching the Top Ten, but it also contained the seeds of their brief American success with the Top Five British single "Our House." The single was released in America on the group's new label, Geffen, and it received heavy airplay from MTV. The music-video television network had previously played the videos for "House of Fun," "It Must Be Love," and "Cardiac Arrest" when the band's albums were unreleased in the United States, thereby setting the stage for "Our House" to become a massive hit. With "Our House," Madness had MTV exposure coincide with a record release for the first time, which sent the single into the American Top Ten in the summer of 1983. The success of the single brought the U.S. compilation album, Madness, to number 41. Madness managed one more American Top 40 hit that fall, when "It Must Be Love" peaked at number 33.

Keep Moving At the end of 1983, Mike Barson -- the band's key songwriter -- left the group to settle down with his wife. Although Madness was able to stay near the top of the charts with their first post-Barson release, "Michael Caine," the band's fortunes began to decline over the course of 1984. Upon its release in the spring, Keep Moving hit number six on the British charts; in America, the record reached number 109. In June, the group released its final single for Stiff Records, "One Better Day," which peaked at number 17. In the fall, Madness formed their own record label, Zarjazz. They released "Yesterday's Men," their first recording on Zarjazz, in September of 1985, nearly a year after the label's formation. The record peaked at number 18 and its parent album, Mad Not Mad, reached number 16 upon its October release. Their chart decline continued early in 1986, when their cover of Scritti Politti's "Sweetest Girl" peaked at number 35. For most of 1986, the group was quiet. In September, Madness announced they were disbanding. Two months later, their farewell single, "Waiting for the Ghost Train," was released, charting at number 18.

After staying dormant for a year-and-a-half, the group reunited at the beginning of 1988 as a quartet called the Madness, releasing its comeback single, "I Pronounce You," in March. The Madness featured Chris Foreman, Lee Thompson, Chas Smash, and Suggs, and was augmented by the Specials' keyboardists Jerry Dammers and Steve Nieve, and Bruce Thomas (bass) of the Attractions. "I Pronounce You" reached number 44 on the U.K. charts and its accompanying album stiffed upon its spring release. The group disbanded for a second time that fall.

The Lone Ranger In the summer of 1992, the original lineup of Madness reunited to perform two outdoor concerts at London's Finsbury Park. The group dubbed the event Madstock and released a recording of the shows on Go! Records. Madstock became an annual event for the next four years -- every summer the band would reunite and headline an outdoor festival at Finsbury Park. Suggs launched a solo career in 1995 with The Lone Ranger, which performed respectably in the U.K. charts. In 1996, Madness played the final Madstock and announced they planned not to reunite for future concerts, but by 1998 they were back on the road, with a Los Angeles date recorded for release as Universal Madness the following year. The group also reunited with original producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley to record their first new material in over a decade. The resulting Dangermen Sessions, Vol 1 was released in 2005, followed in 2009 by The Liberty of Norton Folgate, the group's ninth studio album. During 2012 the band took part in high-profile performances that celebrated the best of British culture. They played from the top of Buckingham Palace in Queen’s Diamond Jubilee party and also appeared in the closing ceremony of the London Olympic Games. As 2012 drew to a close, Madness released a new album called Oui, Oui, Si, Si, Ja, Ja, Da, Da. The group returned in 2016 with their 12th studio effort, Can't Touch Us Now.

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It's the sheer exuberance of it all that first smacks listeners straight across the head, that and the pure mayhem that careers wildly from the opening shout to the closing note. A musical roller coaster, a tear through a musical house of mirrors, along the way Madness grab streamers of ska and rocksteady and stuff them gleefully into their baggy trousers. Actually the trousers were yet to come, but One Step Beyond dragged listeners kicking and screaming into a wacky world of their own creation, where Prince Buster slams into swan-clad ballerinas and boats on the Nile, where "Chipmunks are Go!" and the sun never set on the "Land of Hope and Glory." The Nutty Boys was an apt alternate moniker for the band, as they rocket madly through this set, all wicked grins and giggles, smug with their own cleverness and winking slyly at their own goofy musical jokes. Who could be so po-faced as to not join in? The set has lost none of its freshness, appeal or ability to surprise over the years. It still sounds like nothing else on the planet, even though it's influences were waved pennant like from the band's hands -- Buster, of course, and the sheer freneticism of early Jamaican ska and punk's raging fire. And, just as evident, English music hall, Augustus Pablo's Far Eastern sound, Brit Beat pop, the slinkier side of swing and the funnier side of classical ballet, military marches and Dad's Army, funfairs and keyboard riffs on an Oktoberfest tour of the German beerhalls, all this and more were poured straight into the mix and decanted into the Madness brew. There's nary a pause for breath, the wilding never stops, even when they slow the tempos and darken the moods. Amidst this kaleidoscope everyone has their personal faves, be it the trio of Buster tributes of "One Step Beyond," "The Prince" and "Madness," the poppier Sixties Brit flavored hat trick of "In the Middle of the Night," "Bed and Breakfast" and "Mummy's Boy," the heavy on the atmospheres of "My Girl," "Nightboat to Cairo" and "Razorblade Alley" or the wacky batch of "Tarzan's Nuts," "Swan Lake" and "Chipmunks."
No matter what your cup of tea, Madness were playing mother and more than happy to pour it out with lashings of cream and sugar. One Step Beyond? More like a giant leap into a brave new world.

Madness - One Step Beyond (flac  299mb)

01 One Step Beyond 2:15
02 My Girl 2:42
03 Night Boat To Cairo 3:28
04 Believe Me 2:26
05 Land Of Hope & Glory 2:53
06 The Prince 3:16
07 Tarzan's Nuts 2:21
08 In The Middle Of The Night 3:00
09 Bed & Breakfast Man 2:30
10 Razor Blade Alley 2:39
11 Swan Lake 2:34
12 Rockin' In Ab 2:26
13 Mummy's Boy 2:20
14 Madness 2:37
15 Chipmunks Are Go! 0:52

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Madness - One Step Beyond bonus (flac 372mb)

The John Peel Session
01 The Prince 2:31
02 Bed And Breakfast Man 3:24
03 Land Of Hope And Glory 2:42
04 Stepping Into Line 2:38
The Bonus Tracks
05 One Step Beyond (7" Single Version) 2:17
06 My Girl (Mike Barson / Demo Version) 2:58
07 Mistakes (B-Side 'One Step Beyond...') 2:52
08 Un Paso Adelante ('One Step Beyond' Spanish Version) 2:33
09 Nutty Theme (B-Side 'One Step Beyond' 12") 2:10
10 My Girl (Ballad Version - From Flexipop) 2:28
11 Stepping Into Line (B-Side 'My Girl') 2:15
12 Un Passo Avanti ('One Step Beyond' Italian Version) 2:22
13 Deceives The Eye ('Work Rest & Play' EP) 2:00
14 The Young And The Old ('Work Rest & Play' EP) 2:04
15 Don't Quote Me On That ('Work Rest & Play' EP) 4:31
16 Razor Blade Alley (Live - 'Dance Craze') 2:35
17 Night Boat To Cairo (Live - 'Dance Craze') 3:12
18 One Step Beyond... (Live - 'Dance Craze') 2:53

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A classic example of a second album delivering more of the same, at least on the surface, Absolutely does benefit from the kinetic energy of being recorded quickly in the aftermath of Madness’ immediate success with One Step Beyond. Absolutely does motor ahead on breakneck ska rhythms, but it never quite feels as raw as its predecessor, and that hint of gloss serves the three big hit singles very well: the schoolyard nostalgia of “Baggy Trousers” has a bit of a sepia-toned lilt with this extra dose or production, the terrific “Embarrassment” slides by so smoothly it’s possible to not realize what an expertly crafted piece of pop it is, and “The Return of the Los Palmas 7” has a nice element of swinging ‘60s lounge cinema. As it happens, these hits are the moments that are a tangible progression from the nutty sound of One Step Beyond, with the rest of the record riding that rollicking beat -- sometimes dipping into silly straight-ahead boogie (“Solid Gone”), sometimes slowing down (“Close Escape”) -- but usually delivering more of the same in a highly appealing fashion. Madness perform with such high energy and such a big grin, it’s hard not to get swept up in the good times even if, after the party dies down, the memory of Absolutely just winds up seeming a shade familiar.

Madness - Absolutely (flac 451mb)

01 Baggy Trousers 2:47
02 Embarrassment 3:11
03 E.R.N.I.E. 2:10
04 Close Escape 3:33
05 Not Home Today 2:44
06 On The Beat Pete 3:05
07 Solid Gone 2:19
08 Take It Or Leave It 3:27
09 Shadow Of Fear 1:59
10 Disappear 2:58
11 Overdone 3:45
12 In The Rain 2:44
13 You Said 2:35
14 The Return Of The Los Palmas 7 2:04
Bonus
15 In The Rain (Single Version) (B-Side 'My Girl' 12") 2:48
16 The Business (B-Side 'Baggy Trousers' 7") 3:27
17 Crying Shame (B-Side 'Embarrassment' 7") 2:40
18 That's The Way To Do It (B-Side 'Los Palmas 7' 7") 2:53
19 El Regresso De Los Palmas 7 (Spanish Version) 2:48
20 Swan Lake (Live) (B-Side 'Los Palmas 7' 12") 2:37
21 Release Me/Close Escape/Solid Gone ("Patches" Flexi-Disc) 5:06

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Madness - Absolutely bonus (flac 419mb)

01 One Step Beyond...2:51
02 E.R.N.I.E. 2:08
03 Mistakes 2:35
04 Disappear 2:15
05 Bed And Breakfast Man 2:29
06 The Return Of The Los Palmas 7 2:20
07 Close Escape 2:44
08 Overdone 3:11
09 Not Home Today 2:15
10 Razor Blade Alley 3:16
11 My Girl 2:45
12 Take It Or Leave It 2:39
13 On The Beat Pete 2:54
14 Embarrassment 3:10
15 Shadow Of Fear 1:54
16 You Said 2:29
17 In The Middle Of The Night 2:28
18 The Prince 3:06
19 Baggy Trousers 2:25
20 Rockin' In Ab 2:01
21 Madness 3:33

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The third album is often where a band makes a great leap forward, and so it is with Madness’ Seven. Although they’re still clearly the same nutty band that tore it up with One Step Beyond, Seven finds the group expanding its horizons considerably, ratcheting up the melodious pop quotient in their songwriting, as well as the distinctly English character sketches. Much of the album comes across as a blend of the Kinks and Ian Dury backed by a propulsive ska beat, and the production is a appropriately just as imaginative, colored by the odd sitar, finding new carnivalesque flourishes for the horns, and expanding the rhythmic palette considerably. Sometimes, the group still gets ridiculously silly -- “Benny Bullfrog” is a novelty by any other name -- but the genius of Madness is that they would toss off these frivolous numbers as easily as they would throw out something as elegiac as “Grey Day,” while finding the sweet spot between those two extremes on singles like “Cardiac Arrest.” Not every band possesses such a light touch, and while they certainly got more refined just an album later with The Rise & Fall, Seven is where they revealed the full potential of their talents.

Madness - 7 (flac 250mb)

01 Cardiac Arrest 2:52
02 Shut Up 4:08
03 Sign Of The Times 2:43
04 Missing You 2:32
05 Mrs. Hutchinson 2:17
06 Tomorrows Dream 3:55
07 Grey Day 3:40
08 Pac-A-Mac 2:37
09 Promises Promises 2:52
10 Benny Bullfrog 1:51
11 When Dawn Arrives 2:43
12 The Opium Eaters 3:02
13 Day On The Town 3:23


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