Hello all.

This week The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra have been rehearsing new tunes and even working on some original songs at the rehearsals set up by Bedders. While it’s early for any new album work to be starting, the bands festival season and beyond to the jazz cafe, could well be an interesting time, following the two new songs that appeared at Dingwalls this year.  Lee Thompson has been busy too elsewhere with two of the longest gigs we’ve ever seen him play, with latest line up The Lee Thompson Band he filled a 2 hours mega set in Enfield on Friday, as well as yet another line up of his characters getting together soon to ready for themselves for a festival date, watch this space on that one.

The Magic Brothers completed their Dublin Castle residency in triumphant packed out style Thursday and are now looking into a concert in support of “Rethink” before their headline slots at The Big One in November, and some more fun on their way, as they continue to work on the “In Your Mind” album.

While main man Suggs is selling out theatre’s on his Solo tour, Chelmsford being just one example of where fans demand meant many could not get tickets to see the show. He’s been pleasing many show goers with a photo when he is able too, their beaming smiles and statements of years in waiting, are for many a treasured highlight they want to share with the world, as well as some impromptu singing in bar breaking out too, after the shows. Friend of the MIS Lee Thompson (a man who just happens to share a name with a certain band member, but this isn’t him) shared video of Suggs singing “That’s Entertainment” along with a hotel crowd as Deano strummed guitar. It will be interesting to see if Suggs’ Liam Gallagher impression does any tweeting though now in the show!

With all that going on, and fans questioning when any news from the Ibiza bat cave of Cathal Mo Chroi might emerge? It might seem then that Madness are all disparate now. We prefer to think of it like those Marvel Avengers blockbusters though with a big coming soon poster. After a few solo missions, our team of hero’s will once again be brought back together for the main showtime showdown soon.

Until then here is the rest of the news, reviews and more from your friendly neighbourhood MIS.

Jon Young, Rob Haz elby, Simon Roberts, Paul Williams

SHOWTIMES

See below for all forthcoming Madness and Madness related gigs and events. If there’s something we’ve missed off or you feel should be added then please let us know.

Madness

June 2014

June 28th, Night in the Park, Den Haagm Netherlands, http://www.nightatthepark.nl/
June 27th Jiwapop Festival, Montcada, Spain
June 29th, Tivoli Utrecht, Netherlands http://tivoli.nl/
July 2014

July 3rd, Vienna Arena, Austria
July 31st – 3rd August, Reggae Sun Festival, Bordeaux, France

August 2014

August 2nd, Suikerrock, Belgium
August 12th Mallorca Rocks
August 13th Ibiza Rocks
August 18th, Kubana Festival, Krasnodar, Vesolovka

November 2014

November 21st – 24th 2014 – Minehead – Earlybird tickets can be ordered here: http://www.bigweekends.com/splash-pages/madness2014.aspx
For tickets also see links via: www.madness.co.uk

Suggs Live

April 2014

29th – Bolton Albert Halls
30th – Darlington Civic Theatre

May 2014

1st – Newark Palace Theatre
2nd – Redhill Harlequin Theatre
3rd – Watford Colosseum
4th – Yeovil Octagon Theatre
10th – DUBLIN Olympia Theatre
13th – Harlow Playhouse
14th – Lowestoft Marina Theatre
15th – Eastbourne – Royal Hippodrome
16th – Leamington Royal Spa Centre
17th – Jersey Opera House
19th – Milton Keynes The Stables
20th – Winchester Theatre Royal
21st – Epsom Playhouse
22nd – Kettering Lighthouse Theatre
23rd May at Cardiff College of Music and Drama
27th May at Bury St Edmunds The Apex
29th May at Derry Millennium Forum
30th May at Belfast Ulster Hall

June 2014

1st June, The Garrick, London

Suggs Book Reading Appearance

May 24th   Hay Festival, Wales
https://www.hayfestival.com/p-8077-suggs.aspx

*** NEW *** Songs in the Key of London (Featuring a Suggs guest appearance)

June 1st  5pm. Regents Park. Charity high price ticket event.

The Magic Brothers

Magic Brother Friday Headline set:
November 14th.  The Big One 3.  Park Dean, Sandford Dorset.

The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra

May 2014

May 25 Strummer Camp Manchester

June 2014

June 1st, Wychwood Festival
June 29th Glastonbury Festival

July 2014

July 12th Lewisham’s People Day – Free!
July 26th Wickerman Festival

August 2014

(Unconfirmed) August 16th, Newham, Under The Stars – Free!
August 31st, The Big Feastival, Alex James’ Farm, Cotswolds

October 2014

*** NEW Now on Sale*** October 2nd  The Ska Orchestra return to The Jazz Café, Camden Town

Ska Orchestra fan group: www.ltso.mis-online.net

*** NEW ***  (The Lee Thompson Ska Band)

An appearance at the Boom town festival. Hampshire’s pop up city four day event begins on august 7th into the weekend.
Chinatown district is full of ska and more bands this year,  but this isn’t the ska orchestra we can confirm.

http://www.boomtownfair.co.uk/news/chinatown-district-line-up-released-199

Deaf School

August

9th, The Islington, North London
10th, Rebellion Festival, Blackpool

For details of future gigs keep an eye on http://deafschoolmusic.com for more information.

Near Jazz Experience

April 29th, Indo, Whitechapel, London

BUY IT

If money’s currently burning a hole in your pocket then perhaps we can help with your dilemma.

LTSO, Bangarang, Featuring Dawn Penn & Sharon Shannon

*** Pre-Order Now Live *** Single release download date moved to May 26th. iTunes and Amazon links are now active.

itunes  http://tinyurl.com/p2bquak
Amazon http://tinyurl.com/pwg6du2

Check out the Bangarang-Anim-ad here…
http://youtu.be/YCSM9eTe08k

Suggs “That Close”  – Audio Book
.
What’s brilliant about the audio edition is, it’s the closest version yet to the Live Suggs solo show being released. Suggs himself reads the text over seven hours and is as hilarious as he is in his one man show. The focus of humour within is brought out to the full. And the performed accents are so amusing to hear him do at times, that even the man himself has an Eddie Izzard moment, breaking down during the reading and chuckling at his own performance. That they left this in, is perfect, it’s like an old Hancock TV sitcom episode where live filming means no going back.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/That-Close-Unabridged/dp/B00G7GTHRI

http://www.madstore.co.uk pic.twitter.com/9XCRike0y6

New Official Crunch Merchandise

Crunch! Magic Carpet Record Polo shirts. £17.99 large only (More sizes soon)
Crunch! Beanie hats one size £ 8.99 limited stock + £3 p&p on shirt – beanie free!

To get yours, send a message to the official band facebook page to order:

https://www.facebook.com/crunchbandofficial

LIVE AND INTENSIFIED

The Nutty Bar Opening

The Nutty Bar in Marbella Port opened this weekend to the sassy sounds of Ska and the legendary Lee Thompson of Madness fame.
The bar, taking up two large locals in the port is all decked out in black and white, in complete Ska style and is a welcome change from the normal bars you will find in the area.

Lee Thompson, the nutty sax player from Madness took to the stage around 11 on Saturday evening playing his legendary saxophone to some classic Ska tracks from his 2013 album ‘The Benevolence of Sister Mary Ignatius’ including the excellent “Fu Man Chu” and my favorite “Gun Fever”

So get out your old pork pie hat and suit and have a Ska-tastic night at the all new Nutty Bar in Marbella Port.
Johnny Gates

…

Magic Brothers –  End Their Spell at The Dublin Castle

Thursday 24th April 2014 Magic Thursday

The last time Woody played a gig at the DC was in the Dangermen “Madness`s alter ego`s prior to this current run of the Magic Brothers  gigs with his brother Nick and the full band.

Tonight was the last night of the residency spawned over several weeks. I got to the pub nice and early well, quiet drinking time before the gig can`t complain at that. Met Jonathan, Sharron, Lynn, Patrick, Mark in there and we put the world to rights over several beverages which included the favourable Fosters at £2.50 a pint.

Then slowly but surely the DC began filling up like it did for the Magic Brothers album launch day. Woody arrived first of all then eventually the band filtered in throughout the evening and the customary photos with Woody and Nick took place inside and outside with the droves of fans that were there awaiting the final gig of the residency and there was a “Bodysnatcher” in attendance too `Rhoda Dakar.

The doors opened and the band came on to the stage to rapturous response and they kicked  things off with “Always be with you” for those like myself who didnt go to the earlier gigs in the residency were treated to a great mixture of songs from both the current album “The Magic Line” to the new album “In your Mind”. The songs going down a storm to the packed near capacity crowd.

Nick seemed eager to perform the new track promptly telling the crowd at one point “the next five songs are from our forthcoming album”
New song “Something” proving such a big hit with the crowd that they played the song again during the encore. Woody joking with the crowd that they wont be playing any madness stuff. Too right! in my honest opinion as we was there to witness another chapter in the life of Woody and doing the shows with his brother Nick. In summary with the encore if the crowd had their way would have the Magic Brothers playinng all night long.
Long may it continue with Nick as the Magic Brothers.

Set list

Always be with you
They tell you
All aboard the train
The river
Mother
Tysea Hill
Magic Train
Smile
Come to me
Friday Night
In your mind
Something
We`re going down to Brighton
You dont have to hide your love away

Encore

Downtown
Something

Something

http://youtu.be/i0uYd1Oo1D8

Tony Stratton

THE LEE THOMPSON BAND – TOP OF THE HOP POLES

If you polled me asking what my favourite ever solo Thommo gig was, I’d have many to choose from. I’ve followed a lot of his bands around for over a decade now and seen some truly fantastic sets of tunes from the mad sax man.  Friday night at the Hop Poles still felt unprecedentedly brilliant.  If Madness wow us these days with Friday night Butlins, giving an avid fan something that stretches the envelope of what a Madness gig can be with its set list, then this Friday did the same of Lee’s solo endeavours.   For just £10 the set was 25 songs long.  And not even 25 short songs long. Some of the tracks were 4 and a half minute opuses happy to follow the mode of the ska orchestra or the blockheads in stringing out a tune for some class solo’s or milked choice endings. This meant Two full hours non stop the band played for at this gig, and no less than 6 songs I have never heard or are rarely heard from Thommo.

Enfield isn’t easy to get to, you are beyond the tube train range here in Northern London. When long term fan Pete Stean, who I hadn’t seen in an age turns up, he grins “where’s the bloomin hell have I been dragged to here?”  I had been enjoying the band soundchecking, first through a crack in the pubs partition deviding door, and secondly after meeting up with DJ Mr Happy I then get inside the main band room and hear Lola being put into a neat new arrangement that ends with a triple repeat roll, that I’ve not heard done to the song before. Nice touch.

This latest band with his Son Daley, gives us a real mix tonight.  There are some Madness. Renditions of My Girl, One Step Beyond, The Prince and Swan Lake.  There are some Ska Orchestra associated tunes with Bangarang, Fu Man Chu, Soon You’ll Be Gone and Hello Josephine.  Also bridging the gap somewhat to his other run of pub bands, are No No No and Midnight Rider.  Hey Bulldog, No Lights and some Kinks and Ian Dury numbers i’m also familiar with him doing from Like Father Like Son band days.   And most recently I’ve witnessed this new band perform Stuck in the middle previously and More than fair too at a gig.   So it feels like being treated to a greatest hits of almost all of Lee’s bands tonight.

The best of which is:  I once previously witnessed the song Monkberry Moon Delight at a gig by Camden Cowboys in the early 2000’s. It’s a nonsense rhyme lyric, barked rather than sung really and written by Paul McCartney for his RAM solo album many many years back. I loved it that night and I’ve waited almost 9 years to hear Thommo sing it again. When it finally emerged again tonight I was thrilled to sing along in the crowd and dance in a comparable to way to Madness bringing back Disappear recently at Ally Pally.

All these songs would have made this a truly great gig for a returning Thommo fan like me. But the band have brought new tunes into the set too. Now that Lee doesn’t sing every song himself, It feels like the band can do even more songs in a night because of this shared vocal arrangements, Daley can learn some and Thommo play sax, and Thommo can do a few tunes and doesn’t much need to read too many words.

Wake Up and Make Love
Hey Bulldog
Itchining in My Heart
Fu Man Chu
Mother & Child Reunion
Sunny Afternoon
In My Life
The Prince
No Lights
Lola
Stuck In The Middle With You
Wonderful One
Swan Lake
Clever Trevor
Freemdom Street
No No No
Soon You’ll Be Gone
Bangarang
Hello Josephine
These Boots Are Made For Walking
More Than Fair
Monkberry Moon Delight
My Girl
Midnight Rider
One Step Beyond

So the newest songs then. One’s ive never heard him tackle before.  Itching in my heart, stomps along as it’s a Mowtown and Lee and Daley duet upon the track. It’s a Supremes’ number, they reveal, so it suits a double vocal take.    In My Life, (which we’ve reviewed in MIS when Darren West told us about the Bee Band gig) Is in  the reggae style rather than The Beatles ballad original.  My second favourite surprise of the night is to hear Marvin Gaye’s  Wonderful One.   I know the track from the film
Bowfinger where it’s used on the soundtrack in full over a film montage. Thommo says he’s trying to do this one justice, so he must be a big fan in awe of Marvin to
be precious about getting the song right live.  Its a bouncy number with soul that I think a lot of Madness fans would like if they heard the full band do it.

Freemdom Street, Thommo mostly leave to Daley to sing, even leaving stage until the sax is needed. It’s a Ken Boothe original. The sheer number of songs Daley is
performing now is starting to show he’s got a confident range of singing. Thommo switches between gushing pride when Daley does a song he likes, with “That’s my boy” comments, and also spiteful mock ribbing when ever he overblows himself into popstar cliché’s

By far the killer new tune of the night though, so fresh Thommo is reading the verses, was Nancy Sinatra’s  These Boots are made for walking.   There was a skinhead
couple at the gig together near the front in full gear, and hairstyles, both the boy and girl in Dr martins. “We are going to do the red neck version” Lee announced.
Might has well have been the moon stomping version though.  They boys gave it a boot boy bothersome edge.  As much I was loving the growl obf the McCartney number this song too suited it and went down the best of the night in a popular way, second only to an obvious reaction of Madness related tunes.

Thommo came on with the dusty talked up moth balled look he adopts from time to time, with the classic crunch! Prisoner shirt on and eye patch, (when Swanny shouted from the front row for Magic Carpet, Lee replied you get Chrissy Boy up here and I’ll do it.) The banter tonight included comparing Daley to Rod Stewart, and
plenty of mocking of Liam Gallagher.  (We cant confirm if Liam is reforming Oasis for Glastonbury this year, but we can confirm that LTSO are ready at Glastonbury to go and play instead of Oasis when they split up again!)

The band at this gig, this line up, I can mostly name now, as young 17 year old Harry on Trumpet tonight (first gig), Bob Dowell is on Trombone tonight, Dave Wright and Nick Wilkins makes two guitarists, and a bass too with Ned, two keyboards piano vs organ sounds I think, Steve and Nick Judd both played in other Thommo lines before now.  Smiler on drums, who seems to be a mixture of a drumming roadie at times. So with Daley and Thommo singing and sax makes tonights line up a tight 10 piece.
There were no false starts nothing really dropped all night.  Haik a young Black teenage she joined them, for the dawn penn related tracks, Bangarang Single, and
no no no.  She tried to give as good as she got with Thommo’s banter, and did a decent enough go at the vocals, giving the band a guest spot with class, beauty and grace. Bob does a couple of great solo’s tonight, though I pull him up about playing during the gap/break ending of The Prince. He holds his hands up and explains on Trombone when you are committed to a note you stick with it to the end of the slide! Thommo had joked when he arrived that he didn’t even know Bob was supposed to be in the band tonight. It was nice to have a brass section in full though when thommo was on sax.

It was a joy for me and Andy Shoultz to also meet Si Birdsall at the gig. Having been given the mission of making sure he got his guest ticket to attend, I realised I had never had a pleasure of meeting him, beyond seeing him on screen in take it or leave it. Fortunately I achieve the mission and managed to spot the correct man, and he was quietly charming as we chatted to him about music after the gig.

It was a top night at the hop poles, in terms of duration and this gig is the Top Thommo gig of all time, musically it was quite possibly that also. Outstanding value.
Thommo is the wonderful one.

Wonderful One

http://youtu.be/C4vZ49f8Gu8

Jonathan Young

(Next week reviews of the same set cut short in a more disappointing venue in Barnet, with some karaoke mishaps and flying rabbits.)

SIGN OF THE TIMES

A collection of articles that have caught our eye over the course of the past week.

Class, Prince Charles, and finding out about his dad on Wikipedia

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/madness-lead-singer-suggs-class-prince-charles-and-finding-out-about-his-dad-on-wikipedia-9279055.html

I’m always happy to be categorised as a working-class band. If only because we worked for a living as young people, at pretty menial jobs, and none of us had a particularly good education. And I was brought up in a council flat and all that sort of thing. Someone talked about our music as folk music. I think it was Louis Armstrong who said, ‘If it isn’t for the folk, then who the f*ck is it for?’.

Suggs Quoted on an article about The Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

http://hometown-pasadena.com/creative-types/going-to-the-fringe/79878

“What an extraordinary experience to see this amount of creativity in one place” adds Graham “Suggs” McPherson, lead vocalist of the hugely popular (early to mid-80s) ska band Madness.

SPECIALIZED FEATURE – SUMMER’S SONG

Lee Thompson wrote the song “Back in my arms again” from his sister’s perspective. It was imagined as Embarrassment’s sequel.  Telling the tale of the baby’s return to her mother after a stretch of time in the care of the social services etc.   Mike Barson musically arranged the track for use as the lead emotional anthem within Tim Firth’s Madness Musical Our House,  the song found mostly new words and became more “You’re slipped through my arms again” and took on the title of Sarah’s Song. It was released in it’s Madness version on the our house original songs soundtrack album and was closely mooted as a single at the time. This never came to be.  This single slipped through Madness’s net also.

Fans have often compared and listened to both versions, with Julia Gay from the cast singing the song a few times on TV shows as well as the musicals BBC3 broadcast.  Now for Specialized, MIS thought it would be a great idea for a female artist to cover a Madness song written from a feminine perspective as much as this track is.  So when we witnessed Sumudu singing a guest spot with the LTSO this year, we put the request to this jazz and soul singer, happily discovering she was both a Madness fan and familiar with the track in question.

Sumudu is a singer-songwriter from London. An exceptional and versatile talent in jazz, pop and soul, she has performed for Her Majesty The Queen and sung with musical luminaries Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Costello & Sir Bob Geldof to name a few. She has performed at London’s top music venues including the Royal Albert Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club as well as many high-profile and private events: BBC Proms in Hyde Park, Royal Ascot, Cafe Royal Hotel and Morton’s of Mayfair. Sumudu’s self-written debut album ‘Waiting For You’ was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Kipper (Sting) and BBC Radio compared her to legendary artists Eva Cassidy, Karen Carpenter and Alison Krauss.

The finished track was described by Paul Willo as “immense”,  where as myself at the end of a tiring three days holiday of fun concerts, gave it a listen and found it’s beauty almost tear-jerking. With light piano and sighing backing vocals,  It is far beyond even the best version I’ve heard one of the female musical singers perform, it has all the beauty without any need to belt out across a theatre for drama effect. So it’s a version that has a soothing calm while retaining the songs past sorrows and such a beautiful “siren of the ocean” worthy voice, it’s a contender for the top table of tracks on the forthcoming Mad not Cancer album for sure.  Summer (as she takes this nickname at times) herself said of the track…

“I believe the genius is in the writing and I love Madness. Their song writing and arranging is up there with the Beatles for me. Can’t wait to play to Lee. I only hope they like it too.”

I think they probably will, and you might well agree once the album arrive in the next two months time, that Summer’s song is Sarah’s Song.

http://sumudu.com/

Jonathan Young

SPECIALIZED – MEET THE ARTISTS

Specialized are chuffed nay excited to announce that the artist AUTO will be performing on Specialized 3 – Mad Not Cancer! They will be appearing on his version of one of our personal Madness faves ” Prospects”.

AUTO is a studio based project from Coventry musician, producer & songwriter Mark Adams.
The ex ‘The Specials’ Keyboard man (94-99) is back writing and
recording after stepping back from the music industry 15 years ago to regain sanity and concentrate on family.
Having watched the great work done for Teenage Cancer Trust by
former bandmates Lynval Golding & Roddy Byers for the Specialized charity, Mark has decided to get involved and record a version of the Madness track Prospects for the summer release on Specialized 3 Mad Not Cancer.
AUTO are currently locked in the Studio recording some of the original songs written by Mark over the last two years and hoping to release some into the wild later in 2014.

…

Servers have taken Madness’s song ‘Lovestruck’ on a beautiful metal journey. The final recording is now with the people at Specialized HQ for inclusion on Specialized 3: Mad not Cancer, a Madness endorsed covers album to raise money for Teenage cancer Trust.
It’s been a challenge Serverizing a song written by a band whom no one ever sounded like before and no one has ever sounded like since.. the truly inimitable Madness. We’ve invested huge amounts of time, effort and money into ‘Lovestruck’.

…

Specialized are very pleased to announce that CHALMERS & FRAZER will be appearing on Specialized 3 -Mad Not Cancer! …The duo will be performing their version of ” Madness Is All In The Mind”

Chalmers & Frazer
THE HISTORY of popular music is peppered with great vocal partnerships… Simon and Garfunkel, Peters and Lee, Althea and Donna and of course, Keith Harris and Orville… artists whose personal chemistry ignites something extra special in the music they perform.

Now we present for your listening pleasure a new coupling, an unprecedented collaboration between two titans of the UK ska scene, a duet that, from this day forward, will rival Bowie and Jagger, Parton and Rogers, perhaps even Windsor Davies and Don Estelle, when music fans discuss their favourite celebrity team-up.
…

Bombscare, Big Fat Panda, Urang Matang, Esperanza and DJ Miggy added to the line up of the big one.

Paul Willo

M.I.Q.

In this age of social media endless streams of inanity smack our eyeballs in the name of fandom these days. It can all entertain or it can rot your brain. Socialising with fans, or scrolling the latest news, a flicker book of pics and videos and opinions, Is this the Madness you are looking for or is some moderation needed in your day, can your take it or can you just leave it?   What about some nuttyness, in a nutshell, then.
Suggs: “Obviously our main aim is to have fun and enjoy ourselves and whoever comes to see us will enjoy themselves as well. And as a band it isn’t our aim to make social statements and stuff as other bands do, but we’re not just a load of …shit. We are sort of aware.”

Nice one Suggs, spot on.  If it’ just one soundbite from the band you are after a day, then. Maybe you need M.I.Q  the above is just one of the recycled quotes from the years of articles the boys once spoke in that appears there, lovingly presented with equally old photos.  It’s not a bombardment of short shout outs, it’s an on topic short service delivered in small chunks. A little band opinion.  A little wisdom.  Basically we think M.I.Q is the fortune cookie giver of social mad media.  Well done M.I.Q on your 500th serving from MIS.

https://www.facebook.com/MadnessInQuotes

“I’ve just realised – MIQ has posted over 500 quotes and more than 800 photos !! This little place wasn’t meant to last long when I originally thought of trying it out. In fact, I remember finding Facebook boring, so boring that I started reading through my old Magazines. That in turn, gave me the idea to do something a little different, a sort of scrapbook I could share with Madness fans all over the world. Quotes, photos, old reviews, Today-was-the-day (Madness history) and other bits and bobs you might find interesting. So far, it’s been enjoyable….and there’s lots more to come. Thank you for allowing MIQ on your newsfeed and supporting this tiny little thing I call Madness in quotes.

Since I’ve had my head buried in an archive of nuttiness,  Once again, thank you to anyone reading…. if it wasn’t for you, this wouldn’t exist.”

M.I.Q

I REMEMBER WAY BACK WHEN
This week, MIS co-editor Rob Hazelby, goes back 5 years to issue 521, and the week of Sunday 26th April to Saturday 2nd May 2009, and then back 10 years to issue 259 and the week of Sunday 25th April to Saturday 1st May 2004.

5 years ago…
Issue 521 – Sunday 26th April to Saturday 2nd May 2009

This post Camden Crawl edition of the MIS went out on what had been a busy few days for half of the editorial team, as they’d been out in the field, socialising and reporting on this year’s North London music festival.

However, those efforts were nothing compared to one Daniel Woodgate, who not only found time to drum with the rest of the band in Camden, but who also ran this year’s Flora London Marathon, in aid of the extremely worthy MacMillan Cancer Support Charity.

Our favourite drummer completed the race in an extremely impressive time of 3 hours, 42 minutes and 8 seconds, and came in at position 6,209 out of more than 35,000!  Woody’s donation page was still open, and waiting for your pennies.

With the raised total currently standing at £3558.00 as the this issue went out, we were certain would appreciate any further charitable donations.
In this weeks’ articles we reprinted a review of the Camden Crawl which originally appeared on the tourdates.co.uk web site, featured a full transcript of Suggs’ interview with Jools Holland, which appeared on a recent episode of Later With.. (thanks to Graham Yates for that one!), and took a look at Uncut magazine’s review of the Norton Folgate album.  With this years’ Camden Crawl still fresh in the minds of many, we featured a number of other articles covering the event, and brought the issue to a close with The Guardian’s review of Dust Devil, and news in from Patrick Murphy, who reported that Madness had now been booked to play a festival in Russia on the 8th of August.

10 Years ago…
Issue 259 – Sunday 25th April to Saturday 1st May 2004

With the UK experiencing its first bit of decent weather that year the majority of UK-based Maddies were no doubt out and about, enjoying the unseasonally warm temperatures.

It wasn’t just on the MIS where it’d been quiet. Over on the Madness Trading Ring things had also been slow, meaning that our fellow Maddies were having to amuse themselves with discussions about Madness ringtones. Still, it wasn’t a total loss as those subscribed to the  list were treated to some vintage Madness magazine articles, courtesy of list maintainer, Steve Bringe.

News reached us this week revealing that Phill Jupitus was to compere a night at Walthamstow dogs on April 29th, to raise money for cancer information and support charity CancerBACUP.

Tickets to the Ian Dury Memorial Race Night were priced at £40. This included a traditional British meal, a race card for the night, admission to the races and admission to the private Goodwood lounge where Phill Jupitus would entertain. There would also be a special auction with donations from The Blockheads.

Things were finally also starting to appear on the official Madness web site. Suggs’ page now featured a rather unusual poem on his page.
It started off on a slight variation of lyrics from `Day on The Town`, before getting fully underway. Were these lyrics from an unreleased song? Perhaps they were lyrics of something yet to come.

Mike had added to his section by putting up even more photos, annotated with some very, very strange notes.
Chris’ page was now huge, featuring even more questions (from us fans) and answers (from the man himself). Some answers were are sensible, whilst others were very much tongue in cheek or totally barmy!

Poor old Woody had yet to upload anything to the page behind his door, but this hadn’t stopped the rest of the band taking the time to put bits and pieces up there for him. Mark had decided to add a lovely photo of a shopping trolley to the top of the page, Mike had left a few filled bin liners, whilst an unknown member of the band had dumped a skip there!

As with previous updates, Chas’ door took you straight to the official Chas Smash web site at www.chassmash.com
Lee’s update was a quick one, and we’re now treated to a rooftop shot of some chimneys, and smoking session of sorts.
Finally we moved over to Bedders’ door. This week Mark took on the might of industry giants Nintendo and Ikea!

Rob Hazelby

TWEETS OF A DOVE & THAT FACEBOOK

Recent nutty posting from Twitter, Facebook and other online sources.

SUGGS (@SuggsMcPherson)

The minutiae, the cataloging, the chronology. Don’t interest me overly. Were you there. Do you remember how you felt? #life

CHRISSY BOY

Must be a Swedish brand. CB pic.twitter.com/poYI70xR5K

BEDDERS

‘If music be the food of ska – then skank on’. Shakespeare, I think? Rehearsing with The Ska Orch today. A rare and noble event.

The Bard loved a bit of Pop as well: ‘To be, or not to be, that is the One Direction’.

Woody (@Magicbrothers3)

Apparently I’m a living legend. But not when I haven’t unloaded the dishwasher, or failed to do the hoovering.

Andy Neal LTSO

We have worked up some major tunes. Productive day for sure. X

Darren Fordham LTSO &  Upforitness on Specailized

Just finished rehearsals with the mighty LTSO. Reworking some lovely old tracks but also writing new material. Most enjoyable.

Mr Thompson played a snippet of me and the lads effort for Specialized to Suggs today, and he didn’t like it…………he LOVED it! Seal of approval right there.

Mez Clough LTSO

It’s SO important to ‘stay real’, I was saying this only the other day to my driver

TIME…

We can update with news that last weeks auction of a rare Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da double vinyl test pressing from cooking vinyl went for £228, which is great news for The Royal Marsden charity.   Time to leave you with some wonderful words from Marvin Gaye.

Until next week, take care,
Jon Young, Rob Hazelby, Simon Roberts, Paul Williams

(With thanks to Sumudu, Tony Stratton, M.I.Q,  Johnny Gates)

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“You’re The Wonderful One”

You are so wonderful
That being near you is all I’m living for
You show me more kindness in little ways
Than I’ve ever known in all my days
Tell me we’ll stay together
Let me love you forever
‘Cause you’re a wonderful one
You’re a wonderful one

[backing vocals: “Wonderful one”]
In you there is a rare quality
Your love, baby, it means the world
For me you’re always concerned
And you ask nothin’, baby, in return
You’re really more than I deserve
From my heart I mean these words
You’re a wonderful one
You’re a wonderful one

Oh you’re a wonderful one
Baby, you’re a wonderful one
Sweetheart, you’re a wonderful one
My darlin’, you’re a wonderful one
Ooo you’re a wonderful one
Ooo you’re a wonderful one
Mmm hmm you’re a wonderful one
Baby, you’re a wonderful one
You’re really more than I deserve
From my heart I mean these words
You’re a wonderful one
You’re a wonderful one

Sometimes I’m up, sometimes I’m down
But your love, you’re always around
Words of confidence you speak to me
Baby, and you place a tender kiss on my cheek
It makes my burden a little bit lighter
It makes my life a little bit brighter
‘Cause you’re a wonderful one
You’re a wonderful one

Oh you’re a wonderful one
Baby, you’re a wonderful one