Madness, that 80s ska band that seemed to disappear sometime after “our house, in the middle of the street”, is an underrated treasure chest of musical talent and our featured band for the Jams. We’re not gonna do that song.
Madness is an eight piece ska band out of England founded in the late 70s but hit their highest point in the 80s by being a zany bunch with tons of MTV appeal. What I love about them is how they were never pigeonholed into one genre. So let’s dive in, shall we?
In the spirit of the Jams, let’s start with their hit about love and stuff.
Next up is “Michael Caine”. There’s an anecdote that I’ll paraphrase about the creation of this song. According to legend, the band approached Caine to get permission to make a song about him. Caine, in proper British fashion scoffed and rejected this foolishness. Then his young daughter, who was into Madness told daddy how cool the band was. He then consented and this is the result. Note the samples of his voice throughout the song.
We have one more pick and this was genuinely a tough choice given the dozens of great songs from them. With that said, the committee arrived at “Madness (Is All in The Mind)”. It is a smoky, 1940s type of song that I’m afraid I’m not cultured enough to put my finger on. I can just picture it in black and white in some detective movie.
Gordon, What a great choice for Sunday Jams. My sister and I are huge Madness fans. I thought they stood out from all the other Ska bands like The Specials and The Beat. You are so right that they didn’t pigeonhole themselves into one style. They made some great videos too. I remember when they were on The Young Ones performing “House Of Fun”. You picked some really good songs to highlight. “It Must Be Love” is a favorite of mine. I didn’t know the story behind (My Name is) Michael Caine. That’s why you need to listen to your kids once in a while. That’s so cool and “Madness (Is All In The Mind) has that Noir Jazz quality to it. They’re still out there playing for the masses and that’s a great thing. A fantastic pick for Sunday Jams. Thanks Gordon!
“Noir jazz”. Yes, that’s precisely the spot. Thank you!