Baggy Trousers, Dirty Shirt...

You are used to me posting music videos on here, I know, and most - so far - are from the 60's and 70's.  Today, I will focus on one of my absolute face bands - Madness!  Americans mostly know them for Our House, which was one of only three (two of them were minor chartbusters) hits on this side of the pond.  To the British, though, they are legendary...
Originally formed as the North London Invaders in 1976 (from some of the eventual band members), and after a short spell as Morris and the Minors, the group became Madness in 1979.  This name is a tribute to reggae artist, Prince Buster.

One of the leading names in the British ska revival (ska music was born in Jamaica, and was a forerunner of reggae) of the era, Madness released their first album in October 1979.  One Step Beyond reached No 2 in the UK album charts, and three singles broke into the Top 20.  My Girl was the most successful, peaking at No 3.  The following year, Baggy Trousers (No 3) and Embarrassment (No 4), both from the album Absolutely (No 2) confirmed what we already new - that Madness were here to stay!

While there were a number of superb British ska bands at the time, one of the things that made the group stand out was their sense of fun.  Even though some of their songs contained some serious and thoughtful themes, the nickname of "The Nutty Boys" was very appropriate!  By 1984, their popularity - along with the whole ska revival - was beginning to wane, but they continued to produce hits for another three years.

While Madness have only had one No 1 (House of Fun), they have had sixteen Top 10 hits, six more in the Top 20, two No 1 albums, two No 2 albums, and five other Top 10 albums.  Not too shabby, eh?

I stated that the ska revival was "beginning to wane", but it has still remained a big part of the British music scene, and Madness themselves have enjoyed a couple of mini-resurgences after disbanding in 1986.  As of 2015, they are still touring, and playing to packed houses.

As with most groups, band members have come and gone, but their current line-up is -with one exception - the line-up they had at their peak!  Led by the irrepressible "Suggs" (Graham McPherson), there is Mike Barson, Chris Foreman, Lee Thompson, Daniel Woodgate, and Mark Bedford.  The only one missing is Chas Smash, who left the group last year to embark on a solo career.

My Girl

Baggy Trousers

Night Boat to Cairo

Wings of a Dove