Madness
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genre(s)	2 Tone, Ska, Pop, New Wave
Years active	1976 – 1986, 1992 – present
Label(s)	2 Tone, Stiff, Virgin, V2
Associated acts	The Madness, Feargal Sharkey, The Fink Brothers
Website	Madness.com
Members
Suggs Mike Barson Lee Thompson Chris Foreman Mark Bedford Daniel Woodgate Chas Smash

Madness are an English pop/ska band from Camden Town, London that formed in 1976. As of 2007, the band has continued to perform with their most recognised lineup of seven members, although their lineup has varied slightly over the years. They were one of the most prominent bands of the late-1970s 2 Tone ska revival. However, as their career progressed, the band has moved away from ska and closer towards more conventional pop music.

Madness achieved most of their success in the 1980s. Madness released 13 top 10 singles in the UK during the 1980s, and spent exactly 214 weeks on the UK singles charts over the course of the decade. The band therefore hold the record for most weeks spent by a group in the 1980s UK singles charts.

Career

Formation

The core of the band formed as The North London Invaders in 1976 (although their name was often shortened to The Invaders), and included Mike Barson (Monsieur Barso) on keyboards and vocals, Chris Foreman (Chrissy Boy) on guitar and Lee Thompson (Kix) on saxophone and vocals. They later recruited John Hasler on drums and Cathal Smyth (better known as Chas Smash) on bass guitar. Later in the year, they were joined by lead vocalist "Dikron".

This six-piece lineup lasted until part way through 1977, when Graham McPherson (better known as Suggs) took over the lead vocals after seeing the band perform in a friend's garden. Smyth, who was poor on bass guitar, was replaced by Gavin Rogers, an acquaintance of Barson. McPherson was kicked out of the band for too often choosing to watch football instead of rehearsing. Thompson left the band after Barson criticised his saxophone playing.

By 1978, the band had allowed McPherson to return, after filling in temporarily for Hasler (who had taken over vocals when McPherson was removed). Thompson returned after patching things up with Barson, and Daniel Woodgate (Woody) and Mark Bedford (Bedders) also joined the band, on drums and bass guitar respectively. After briefly changing their name to Morris and the Minors, the band renamed itself as Madness; paying homage to one of their favourite songs by ska/reggae artist Prince Buster. The band remained a sextet until late 1979, when Chas Smash rejoined and officially became the seventh member of Madness as a backing vocalist and trumpet player.

Early success