I've just spent the evening watching old Madness videos on Youtube.....corr blimy they were good.

I was a massive fan at the time but looking back at their stuff I'm amazed really at just how good they were both in terms of music and videos.

Anyway I've spent a lovely hour or so reminiscing :)

Any other fans out there?

Not exactly a fan, but they did do some good stuff. 'It Must Be Love' and 'House of Fun' are the ones I remember best, the former especially. Didn't they cover 'My Guy' but turned it into 'My Girl', or am I thinking of something entirely different?

I think My Girl was the original...and didn't Tracy Ullman change it to "My Guy" and have Neil Kinnock in the video??

I think My Girl was the original...and didn't Tracy Ullman change it to "My Guy" and have Neil Kinnock in the video??
I think you're right. I'm thinking of 'My Girl' by The Temptations - an entirely different song. I think Tracy Ullman did cover the Madness one. Oh, I don't know. I only know Elvis Costello :hihi: .

saw them at city hall with bodysnatchers as support.security kept tryin to make us get back in our seats!
gotta say tho even tho i have all their music right up to promo stuff for last few years the early stuff was the best and you cant beat em live!went to madstock 4/5 years back and atmosphere was ace!
age and lifestyle forgotten..same feeling as in 79 to 81!

Madness have recently announced details of an arena tour for later this year. Sadly the closest dates are Liverpool and Birmingham. Hopefully they'll add some more in coming weeks closer to Sheffield.

More details here (http://www.liveformusic.co.uk/content.asp?pagerequested=273299&title=Madness_Tour_Dates).

Superb band, one of the most dominant British bands in the 80's. Their covers were pretty good, but unlike the Specials, their original material was very strong.

I think My Girl was the original...and didn't Tracy Ullman change it to "My Guy" and have Neil Kinnock in the video??


No, the original was "My Goat", a lilting reggae ballad about bestiality by Levi "Chubby" Kingston. The lyrical content caused it to be banned in the UK but it topped the charts in Jamaica for 17 weeks!

I loved Madness when I was 6, remember the flying Saxophone player in the video to Baggy Trousers? I've often wondered how they did that!

My brother was a huge madness fan, i liked some of there songs but he played them so much i got a bit fed up with them. Plus someone mentioned the bodysnatchers? Im sure my old history teacher said her sister was in that group :)

I loved Madness when I was 6, remember the flying Saxophone player in the video to Baggy Trousers? I've often wondered how they did that!

They filled his trousers with helium. His farts were unnaturally high pitched for a week.

Madness are/were great. Never saw them in their heyday, so to speak, but saw them at Guilfest in Guilford in 2003, and it was brill. Have to disagree with NEKRO about the Specials though, I think they were fantastic - I play in a ska tribute band and we do stuff by Madness, Specials, Bad Manners, etc, and I (personaly)reckon the Specials are the best of the lot.

Madness are/were great. Never saw them in their heyday, so to speak, but saw them at Guilfest in Guilford in 2003, and it was brill. Have to disagree with NEKRO about the Specials though, I think they were fantastic - I play in a ska tribute band and we do stuff by Madness, Specials, Bad Manners, etc, and I (personaly)reckon the Specials are the best of the lot.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Specials, think they're brilliant, but the vast majority of their output was covers, whereas Madness concentrated mostly on original material.

Have you heard 'The dangermen sessions', the latest release from Madness? I was more than a little disappointed, I have to admit, but then I reckon the earlier the better with Madness.
How many Specials cover versions were there? Off the top of my head I can only think of 'A message to you Rudi', 'Monkey man', and the 'Skinhead trilogy' that consisted of 'Long shot kick de bucket', Liquidator', and 'Skinhead moonstomp'. But that was just an album track I think.

Have you heard 'The dangermen sessions', the latest release from Madness? I was more than a little disappointed, I have to admit, but then I reckon the earlier the better with Madness.
How many Specials cover versions were there? Off the top of my head I can only think of 'A message to you Rudi', 'Monkey man', and the 'Skinhead trilogy' that consisted of 'Long shot kick de bucket', Liquidator', and 'Skinhead moonstomp'. But that was just an album track I think.

I don't know how many covers they did, but whether it was a cover or an original, I thought their stuff was great. I'll be going to watch Neville Staple later this year, probably twice cos he's supporting Bad Manners too (another great band).

No, I haven't heard that Madness release, I didn't even get the album they did before that, the one with Lovestruck on, I just have their older stuff and I love it.

I was talking to one of the guys from BISON and he said they'd got the support slot for Neville Staples, Really want to go and see them, but (of course) got a gig myself that night. Saw Bad Manners supported by the Beat in Corp a couple of years back, fantastic.
Anyway back on topic - Madness. A national institution, they are great. When I saw them at Guilfest there were so many original fans there who had grown up and had kids, and obviously indoctrinated their sprogs as all the kids were right into it. A little girl (about six or so) was stood near me with her parents, shouting "DO BAGGY TROUSERS!" over and over, and when they did she knew all the words, which is more than can be said for our singer when we do it.

I was talking to one of the guys from BISON and he said they'd got the support slot for Neville Staples, Really want to go and see them, but (of course) got a gig myself that night. Saw Bad Manners supported by the Beat in Corp a couple of years back, fantastic.
Anyway back on topic - Madness. A national institution, they are great. When I saw them at Guilfest there were so many original fans there who had grown up and had kids, and obviously indoctrinated their sprogs as all the kids were right into it. A little girl (about six or so) was stood near me with her parents, shouting "DO BAGGY TROUSERS!" over and over, and when they did she knew all the words, which is more than can be said for our singer when we do it.

Wow, Bison are a great live band too. Should be a treat. I never have seen Madness, I've always regretted it.

I've never seen Bison! have heard all about them, and am itching to see them live. Bumped into a bunch of them in the pub just recently and they seem really sound. Their drummer said he'd put me on the mailing list so hopefully there'll be a gig when I haven't got one myself - playing professionally pretty much stops you ever seeing other bands except for the odd midweek gig. Went to see POKE last night in DQ's though, that was brill.

Madness are/were great. Never saw them in their heyday, so to speak, but saw them at Guilfest in Guilford in 2003, and it was brill. Have to disagree with NEKRO about the Specials though, I think they were fantastic - I play in a ska tribute band and we do stuff by Madness, Specials, Bad Manners, etc, and I (personaly)reckon the Specials are the best of the lot.

which tribute band?just out of curiosity.
also seen bad manners at the lyceum years ago,my mate managed to get busters white overalls signed by him.
saw specials at herringthorpe park,they were unbelieveable live.only spoiled by idiots throwing bottles about.and as for them doing covers,they used some of the original bluebeat/ska tunes with their own lyrics added...madness also covered original ska tunes"madness" being the most obvious one!also must be love etc.

Love Madness (hence the user name and avatar) but have yet to see them live.
I do wish they would stop letting people use Our House for dodgy advertising campaigns tho!

Loved Madness. Brings back memories of wearing a donkey jacket with badges on. I think the cover of it must be love originally by labi sifree is one of the best love songs ever, just so simple.
My top favourite Madness songs:
1. Bed and breakfast man
2. Ernie
3. Night boat to Cairo
4. It must be love
5. Shut up
6. Embarrassment
7. The sun and the rain
8. Michael Caine
9. The Prince
10. Baggy Trousers.

I was a huge fan of their early stuff.

I was into punk in the late seventies, and when it became obvious that it was fighting a losing battle to the crappy bilge of the new romantics, up popped Madness and The Specials and the world was a good place again.

The first album has now rightfully become a classic.

I have a soft spot for the dafter Madness tracks as well - "Don't Quote Me On That" and "Benny Bullfrog" are hilarious.

Anyone catch the Madness film "Take It Or Leave It"? The acting was ploppy, but it's excellent viewing. Clip here (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jeOc9JAy0KA).

I think two of their more recent singles are two of their best.

Johnny The Horse which came out in 1999 was a great tune & an original. Also Shame and Scandel which is a reggae cover came out a couple, maybe three years ago. Great tune and story. Seek 'em both out.

I used to love them.

(and Specials, Bad Manners, Selecter)

I've seen Madness (well some of them) live. Bad Manners live, and Selecter (at the old Hallamshire on West St) live.

I used to be able to play most of the piano stuff. Wish I had one now. They played great stuff.

'It must be love' was the first 7inch vinyl I ever bought myself in a shop. (as opposed not bought for me by Mum). 45p I think.

Plus someone mentioned the bodysnatchers?

They had one really great track. F***** whether I can remember it now though. :confused::help:

They had one really great track. F***** whether I can remember it now though. :confused::help:

do rock steady.

do rock steady.

That could be it. I have the video 'dancecraze' somewhere. I'll dig it out. That's a great video, just very poor sound.

Madness are superb, and all of them very talented musicians as well. I've loved them ever since I was a kid and my older brother used to play their records all the time. I finally got to see them live last year at the MEN Arena in Manchester and had one of the greatest nights of my life. Every song was belted out with the same energy they put in to it 25 years ago, culminating with the entire dancefloor going absolutely nuts to Night Boat to Cairo at the end of the set.

I have a copy of The Dangermen Sessions which I really enjoyed - some excellent covers on there. They also have a new album out which I haven't yet heard but I must get a copy of.

Oh and if you get the chance, go and see Complete Madness - a (fairly) local tribute band. They played at the Boardwalk a little while back and they were absolutely (no pun intended) brilliant. One of the best nights out I have had in a long time.

Whats the first sign of madness?


Suggs knocking on your door

saw Madness at the Manchester Arena, loads of lads left their seats and started dancing in a circle with those bowler hats on - great night

new tour just advertised on the nutty bus!not coming to sheff tho.anyone goin an i might get a ticket!?

Went to see Madness a few weeks back at Blickling Hall. Its was a brill show and had many 40 somethings up skanking.

It was the first time I'd seen them in 20+ years but they still had it.

Love Madness (hence the user name and avatar) but have yet to see them live.
I do wish they would stop letting people use Our House for dodgy advertising campaigns tho!

What, like this one? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chl4m-mW5pc) :hihi::hihi:

Yes lol
Mind you thats not as bad as the Full House one....

I recall long summer days as a kid with Madness playing over the radio. If two bands could summarise my childhood then it would have to Madness and Police as the radio stations of the time only seemed to play songs by these bands. Anyway, back on topic... kinda got sidetracked for a moment there :) I like quite a lot of their material and certainly wouldnt dismiss seeing them live.