“Hey you!
Don't watch that, watch this
This is the heavy, heavy monster sound
The nuttiest sound around
So if you've come in the off the street
And you're beginningto feel the heat
Well listen, Buster, you better start to move your feet
To the rockinest rock steady beat of… Madness…
ONE STEP BEYOND!!!”

Madness – “One Step Beyond”

Though they’d only find one true hit in the States, Madness managed to dominate pop charts around the world, particularly in their homeland of England.  With their unforgettable ‘nutty sound,’ Madness would combine pop and ska rhythms in a way that would become truly unique to them, though imitated by countless others.

They formed in Camden town, London, in 1976, as The North London Invaders.  They played the club circuit for a while, and after a few member changes and name changes, they settled on Madness, paying homage to Prince Buster, one of their favorite ska and reggae artists.  In 1979, they recorded and released “The Prince,” again in homage to Buster.  Their efforts got them a spot in the U.K. Top-20, as well as getting them on the popular U.K. music show, Top of the Pops.  Around this time, Madness began touring with other The Specials and The Selecter, and on the success of this, they went straight into the studio to record One Step Beyond…

The lead, self-titled single, was a sax-driven Prince Buster B-side cover that became a quick hit in the U.K., transforming the band from the small-time to an overnight sensation.  With the help of another single, “My Girl,” the album remained on the charts for a whopping 37 weeks, peaking at #2.  In the two years following, Madness got 13 Top-10 singles in London, included hits like "Baggy Trousers," "Return Of The Las Palmas Seven," and "Night Boat To Cairo."

Unlike other bands of the era, such as The Clash, who found their fan base in specific youthful audiences, Madness had a huge appeal with many age groups in England.  The exuberance and energy of their live act merged beautifully with the catchy hooks and slick pop grooves that sailed across British airwaves.  Despite their popularity in the U.K. and MTV rotation of their video for “One Step Beyond,” Madness really didn’t catch on in the U.S. 

U.K. charts continued to be dominated with Madness songs, and the band continued to work its all-ages appeal by holding special matinee concerts so that younger audiences would be able to attend.  The hits kept coming in 1982; “House of Fun,” a comic coming of ‘legal age’ song hit #1, “Driving My Car,” a ditty about a cheap car went to #4, and “Our House,” which served up a slice-of-family-life for audiences everywhere made it to #5.  Even more-so than they did with “One Step Beyond,” MTV latched onto the silly video for “Our House” in 1983, putting it on heavy rotation, giving Madness their only Top 10 hit in the U.S.  That same year, the group also nabbed another U.S. Top 40 hit with their single that was originally released in 1981 in the U.K., “It Must Be Love.”

Madness would continue to make it big in the U.K. over the next few years, with songs like “Michael Caine,” a quirky tribute to the actor of the same name.  By 1986, they had disbanded, only to return two years later as a quartet called The Madness.  One album later, they went back into hibernation until 1992, when they emerged for Madstock, a two-day concert series that was recorded for a video and live album.  They repeated this effort in ’93, ’94, ’95 and ’96 and reunited once more for 1999’s Wonderful, a studio effort to commemorate their 20th anniversary.  The album went to #17 on the U.K. album charts, bringing a resurgence of interest in the band and their work.  For nine months Our House, a musical based on the songs of Madness, played in Cambridge Theater in London’s west side.

More recently, the band got together in 2004 to play a few shows as The Dangermen, resulting in the release of an album in 2005, The Dangermen Sessions, Vol. 1.  They continue to play together, releasing new material periodically, and we can be thankful to know that they’re still just one step beyond.