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This highly regarded UK ska/pop band evolved from the London-based Invaders in the summer of 1979. Their line-up comprised Suggs (b. Graham McPherson, 13 January 1961, Hastings, Sussex, England; vocals), Mark Bedford (b. 24 August 1961, London, England; bass), Mike Barson (b. 21 April 1958, London, England; keyboards), Chris Foreman (b. 8 August 1958, London, England; guitar), Lee Thompson (b. 5 October 1957, London, England; saxophone), Chas Smash (b. Cathal Smythe, 14 January 1959; vocals, trumpet), and Dan Woodgate (b. 19 October 1960, London, England; drums). After signing a one-off contract with 2-Tone they issued "The Prince", a tribute to blue beat maestro Prince Buster (whose song "Madness" had inspired the band's name). The single reached the UK Top 20 and the follow-up, "One Step Beyond' (a Buster composition) did even better, peaking at number 7, the first result of their new contract with Stiff Records. An album of the same title revealed Madness" charm, with its engaging mix of ska and exuberant pop, a fusion they humorously dubbed "the nutty sound". Over the next two years the band enjoyed an uninterrupted run of UK Top 10 hits, including "My Girl", Work Rest And Play (EP), "Baggy Trousers", "Embarrassment", "The Return Of The Los Palmas Seven", "Grey Day", "Shut Up" and "It Must Be Love" (originally a hit for its composer, Labi Siffre).
Although Madness appealed mainly to a younger audience and were known as a zany, fun-loving band, their work occasionally took on a more serious note. Both "Grey Day" and "Our House" showed their ability to write about working-class family life in a fashion that was piercingly accurate, yet never patronizing. At their best, Madness were the most able commentators on London life since the Kinks in the late 60s. An ability to tease out a sense of melancholy beneath the fun permeated their more mature work, particularly on the 1982 album, The Rise And Fall. That same year Suggs married singer Bette Bright and the band finally topped the charts with their twelfth chart entry, "House Of Fun" (which concerned teenage sexuality and the purchase of prophylactics).
More UK hits followed, including "Wings Of A Dove" and "The Sun And The Rain", but in late 1983 the band suffered a serious setback when founding member Barson quit. They continued to release some exceptional work in 1984 including "Michael Caine" and "One Better Day". At the end of that year, they formed their own label, Zarjazz. Its first release was Feargal Sharkey's "Listen To Your Father" (written by the band), which reached the UK Top 30. Madness continued to enjoy relatively minor hits by previous standards with the contemplative "Yesterday's Men", the exuberant "Uncle Sam" and a cover version of the former Scritti Politti success, "The Sweetest Girl". In the autumn of 1986, they announced that they were splitting-up. Seventeen months later, they reunited as a four-piece under the name The Madness, but failed to emulate previous successes.
One of Mark Bedford's projects was a collaboration with ex-Higsons member Terry Edwards in Butterfield 8. Lee Thompson and Chris Foreman later worked under the appellation the Nutty Boys, releasing one album, Crunch, in 1990, and played to capacity crowds in London clubs and pubs. In June 1992 the original Madness re-formed for two open-air gigs in Finsbury Park, London, which resulted in Madstock, a "live" document of the event. The band's renewed public image was rewarded with four chart entries during the year; three reissues, "It Must Be Love", "House Of Fun", and "My Girl", and "The Harder They Come". In 1993, a "musical about homelessness', One Step Beyond, by Alan Gilbey, incorporated 15 Madness songs when it opened on the London fringe - further evidence, as if any were needed, of the enduring brilliance of Madness" irresistible songcraft.
Following further Madstock concerts, the original line-up returned to the studio in the late 90s to record new material. "Lovestruck" indicated their enduring popularity when it entered the UK singles chart at number 10 in July 1999. A credible new album, Wonderful, followed in September, containing in addition to "Lovestruck", the rousing "Johnny The Horse" and a guest appearance by Ian Dury (to whom the album is dedicated) on "Drip Fed Fred". In 2002, the band contributed two new songs to Our House, a musical written by Tim Firth and based around the band's music. Madness have no enemies; they are a rich part of the UK's musical heritage.
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