Hello Madheads and welcome to this special edition MIS. The chart rundown of…  THE 2014 MAD CHART.

“Don’t Make Me Choose” (anguished crying) as we perhaps should have called it.

Why? Well, that’s the response we got when we began compiling a new chart order of the all time best ever Madness songs voted by fans. We let everyone vote for their own top 40 favourite songs in this process, but that wasn’t enough for most people, who, after witling half the band’s released songs away into the bin they then struggled to get from around 100 down to their all time top 40 favourite tracks. Much sobbing and delaying, re-ordering and biting of finger nails resulted. Then calling me names. It turned out we had asked an evil question.

We explained to the voting fans that they could still listen to the other songs again after helping us compile this chart, but a sense of pride and love was so closely felt in affection for so many of these songs it was hard letting go of them. Many of the die hard Madness fans who started this process with us in January this year suffered to bring you this list.

The Madchart is a long standing tradition in Madness online fandom. Since the 90’s it’s been polled around 5 times by asking the gathered online fandom of the time their votes. From the days of MML and TMML mailing lists when the internet first began, through to the days of online websites such as the Smash and Nuttty forums, yhe process has been re polled to see how new albums and releases fare and how opinions change and what tracks currently interest fans most. Andrew Langemead compiled the first chart in the 90’s, and most recently Paul Muscat helmed with help from Looby Loo in 2008. So the fifth chart was last polled before Norton Folgate songs were here to liberate these charts or before Oui, Oui was voted Yes, Yes or No, No by the fans.

This year we asked the wideest set of fans from online fandom hangouts yet polled in a madchart. We began asking fan friends of MIS (our closest collaborators from across our 16 years online) for votes and sponsorship to compile this year’s chart as part of our fundraising efforts for Specialized: Mad Not Cancer. We have raised almost £1,000 in donated money to Teenage Cancer Trust and this issue is dedicated to all our sponsors. Thank you. Having created a rough spine of 200 official Madness tracks together we then opened the voting out further in private to parts of our readership of our newsletter, in emails, to create the core chart placings from fans we knew would know every track well.

We asked for favourite track (worth double points as the star track), Top 40 (each track as one vote) and a polished turd choice (a most hated track, we used these to break tiebreakers by voting one track downwards one place.) Then in the last couple of months we loaded a software poll with this data and opened up automated voting to members of The Specialized social media pages, publically to all MIS readers, to the All Things Madness community of fans, Mad Chat, The Nutty World of Madness, Madness group fan pages all on facebook. Finally, in the last few weeks the chart poll appeared as an announcement on The Official House of Fun Weekender facebook page to target Weekender attending fans ahead of a live DJ show in jaks bar this very Sunday evening that this issue goes out, revealing the top 40 results show. Thousands of your fan votes have shaped this poll, and here in this issue we rank the top 100 songs of Madness, plus a few additional charts are nominated here by fans just for fun.

PREVIOUS MAD CHARTS

Before we reveal the 2014 Top 100, how about a quick recap on the previous five Madcharts top 10’s, starting with the first one compiled by the legendary Mr Andrew Langmead sometime in 1998:

#1 One Step Beyond

#2 The Sun And The Rain

#3 Our House

#4 Michael Caine

#5 It Must Be Love

#6 Baggy Trousers

#7 The Prince

#8 Night Boat To Cairo

#9 Wings Of A Dove

#10 Shut Up.

 

The second Madchart, carried out in 1999 (before the release of the ‘Wonderful’ album):

#1 The Sun And The Rain

#2 One Step Beyond

#3 Our House

#4 Baggy Trousers

#5 It Must Be Love

#6 House Of Fun

#7 Night Boat To Cairo

#8 Disappear

#9 Embarrassment

#10 My Girl.

 

The third Madchart was put together sometime in 2000:

#1 Lovestruck

#2 It Must Be Love

#3 Our House

#4 One Step Beyond

#5 Baggy Trousers

#6 Embarrassment

#7 House Of Fun

#8 Night Boat To Cairo

#9 The Sun And The Rain

#10 Johnny The Horse.

 

After roughly a five year hiatus the Madchart returned in 2005, and the fourth chart’s top 10 were.

#1 Embarrassment

#2 Our House

#3 Baggy Trousers

#4 Drip Fed Fred

#5 Night Boat To Cairo

#6 Disappear

#7 The Sun And The Rain

#8 (Waiting For) The Ghost Train

#9 Grey Day

#10 Michael Caine.

 

Finally, the top ten of the last full Madchart, polling in 2008, finished with these songs in the top ten.

 

#1 Embarrassment

#2 Baggy Trousers

#3 The Sun and the Rain

#4 Our House

#5 Waiting For The Ghost Train

#6 Shut up

#7 Night Boat to Cairo

#8 Grey Day

#9 Drip Fed Fred

#10 It Must Be Love

 

THE MAD CHART 2014

200 Hundred Madness songs were voted on. Official releases of all formats counted. No bootlegs, no remixes, no solo, no alternate versions of tracks, some fanclub first released tracks and some album intro related tracks were removed, forming a definitive band songs list, (Dated prior to the release of One Step Beyond 35th. Edition.)

 

EVERY TRACK IS SOMEONES TOP 40

Before we look at the top half of the chart in full. The 100 best Madness songs. Let’s take a moment to bask in pride at these 2 facts. “Madness fans don’t agree with each other” Yay, diversity! and “All 200 songs are worthy of some fans’ top 40”. By the narrow margin of 2 votes every elligible song was voted someone’s cream of Madness. This shows the wide spectrum of listeners and the quality range of Madness song releases. Not one song has been ignored by the entire voting population which numbers just over 1,000 fans. Yes, there are outliers and clear bottom table fodder, but there are no goal-less tracks. They never did anything pointless, and equally their fans are incredibly wide ranging, beyond the obvious domination at the top of this chart, by big singles and tracks most often played live, the immediate second layer of choice within the top 40 is incredibly eclectic.

 

THE TOP 100

The votes have been cast, tallied and compared to the 2008 chart. You’ll see in brackets how many places a song has climbed (+1) or fallen (-1) since the last charts results six years ago. Or if it’s a (New) entry to the top 100. Some new songs come from the two albums released since 2008, while others have grown in favour or are more liked in the wider fandoms of Madness involved this year.

And so we begin our journey to the top of chart the by train… All aboard! These are the top 100 Madness songs.

 

100. Waiting For The Ghost Train (-95) (Biggest fall from last chart still in top 100 )

99. Rise And Fall (-59)

98. Keep Moving (-78)

97. In The Rain (-37)

96. Deceives The Eye (New)

95. Dust Devil (New)

94. That Close (New)

93. Mrs Hutchinson (-72)

92. Death Of A Rude Boy (New)

91. Sugar And Spice (New)

90. The Harder They Come (+10)

89. Lola (New)

88. You Said (-27)

87. On The Beat Pete (-57)

86. Prospects (-33)

85. Rockin In Ab (-18)

84. Primrose Hill (-19)

83. The Wizard (-55)

82. Close Escape (-50)

81. The Return Of The Los Palmas 7 [ El Regresso… ] (+3)

80. Madness ( Is All In The Mind ) (-4) (Highest double A side)

79. Mistakes (-11)

78. Driving In My Car [ Riding On My Bike ] (+2)

77. E.R.N.I.E (-14)

76. March Of The Gherkins (-31)

75. We Are London (New)

74. I Chase The Devil (aka Ironshirt ) (New)

73. Land Of Hope And Glory (+8)

72. The Communicator (-10)

71. Taller Than You Are (New)

70. On The Town (New)

69. Idiot Child (New)

68. Saturday Night Sunday Morning (-16)

67. You’re Wonderful (-11)

66. Not Home Today (-42)

65. Mummy’s Boy (+31)

64. Crying Shame (+40) (Climbing in from the last charts bubbling under songs)

63. Benny Bullfrog (+32)

62. Simple Equation (New)

61. Sarah’s Song (New) (Highest new track from Our House The Original Songs)

60. Leon (New)

59. Nutty Theme (+26)

58. Sign Of The Times (-7)

57. Clerkenwell Polka (New)

56. Blue Skinned Beast (+18)

55. Sweetest Girl (+34) (The most “Turded” song is actually only just outside the top 40)

54. Day On The Town (-4)

53. Coldest Day (+35)

52. Overdone (-33)

51. Africa (New)

50. Believe Me (+56) (Climb into the chart from the last charts’ bubbling unders)

49. The Young And The Old (+54) (Climb into the chart from the bubbling unders)

48. I’ll Compete (-11)

47. You keep Me Hanging On (+8)

46. La Luna [ El Mariachi/Check Mate… ] (New)

45. Kitchen Floor [I Got You] (New)

44. Tarzan’s Nuts ( +38)

43. Big Time Sister (New) (Highest box set only bonus track)

42. Circus Freaks (New)

41. Tiptoes (+62) (Highest Climb into the chart from the last charts’ bubbling unders) which is ironic for a song about falling to make a massive jump upwards instead and nearly grab top 40 status

 

Expect some future feature articles on these 100 favourite songs in later MIS issues. For now here is the top 40, as revealed at DJ Events at The Big one3 and The House of Fun Weekender.

 

THE TOP 40

40. Victoria Gardens (+4)

39. Razor Blade Alley ( +34) (Highest Lee Sung Track)

38. Don’t Quote Me On That (+37)

37. In The City (-20)

36. Swan Lake (+2)

35. Take It Or Leave It (+11)

34. My Girl 2 (New)

33. Disappear (+6)

32. The Liberty Of Norton Folgate (New)

31. In The Middle Of The Night (+3)

 

30. Uncle Sam (+28)

29. Yesterday’s Men (+5) (Highest track from Mad Not Mad)

28. Drip Fed Fred (-19)

27. Shame and Scandal (+33) (Highest track from The Dangermen Sessions)

26. How Can I Tell You (New)

25. Never knew Your Name (New)

24. Forever Young (New)

23. Cardiac Arrest (+6)

22. Michael Caine (-4)

21. Misery (New) (Highest track from Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da, Highest New Entry)

Misery is also the highest charting song that was not released at the time of the last chart in 2008.

NW5 had already charted from single release last time around, so it means the Norton Folgate album gets a higher entry.

Despite being released three years before the last chart, The Dangermen sessions didn’t much penetrate the top 100 last time, its two songs, have both climbed in this chart and it’s managed three new entries. Butlins Dangermen live set is partially responsible for this, and last minute votes from the weekender page posting.

THE TOP 20

20. Tomorrow’s Just Another Day (-6)

19. Johnny The Horse (+6)

18. Wings of a Dove (+18)

17. One Step Beyond (+10) (Highest Carl sung track)

16. Shut Up (-10)

15. Madness (+28) (Highest first released as B-side)

14. Grey Day (-6) (Highest track from 7)

13. One Better Day (-1) (Highest track from Keep Moving UK)

12. Baggy Trousers (-10)

11. The Prince (+20)

THE TOP 10

10. The Sun and The Rain (-7) ( Highest track from Keep Moving USA)

9. House Of Fun (+4)

8. NW5 (+3) (Highest track from The Liberty of Norton Folgate)

7. Our House (-3) (Highest track from … Presents the Rise and Fall)

6. It Must Be love (+4) (Highest cover version)

5. Lovestruck (+11) (Highest track from Wonderful)

4. Bed And Breakfast Man (+45) (Highest non single track, highest chart climber)

3. Night Boat To Cairo (+4) (Highest track Work Rest & Play EP & US album Madness)

2. My Girl (+24) (Highest track from One Step Beyond )

…

 

THE BEER BOOK EFFECT

Lovestruck was top of the madchart in 2000, as fans were still riding high on it’s top 10 comeback smash hit status on it’s 1999 release. It dropped down in future charts into middling positions, doing a respectable OK at 16 last time out. There it stayed during the private voting stages of this chart as fans placed it thusly around 20ish. When voting was opened further to more public areas of facebook fans it still didn’t climb any. This all changed with the release of Lovestruck the beer, and it was at this point that facebook turned into a photographic scene to rival that of the milk bottle doorstep collection of a neglected fallen pensioner. A sea of bottles was on display and in chart voting Lovestruck then jumped a good thirty places into the top 5. Either every fan was reminded how good the song was, or you’ve all just auto suggestion voted a beer into a chart about songs.

Cheers! God save the p*sshead.

So, where does that leave us? The big reveal, of course! No Gladness isn’t number one! A dirty mac flashes open to display the winner around Lee’s nether regions.

 

THE NUMBER 1 – EMBARRASSMENT  

(Highest Absolutely track, and highest single. Third Madchart at Number 1…   Mad Hatter Trick!)

A very solid, tight Mike Barson/Lee Thompson collaboration, this song has (imho) the best sax solo in the whole of the Madness repertoire and was awarded a gold disc for sales in excess of 400,000 copies in the UK.

It has kept the top spot now for the hat trick of 3 Mad Charts in a row. We thought Our House might have taken it after the Buckingham palace, Olympics, Ally Pally versions, but no, that track just nicely takes the number 7 shirt. Bed and Breakfast man out performed it’s top 30 area places this time around being a perennial vote in many people’s charts. It was included, and near got top3 as being not vote a favourite so often but just always a definite top level choice.

This classic Madness single thoughtfully examined Lee’s family reaction to his sister’s mixed race child (it also subtly answered erroneous charges that the group was somehow allied with the National Front).

Says Lee: “This was written to the tune of Prince Buster’s ‘Ghost Dance’. I gave the words to Mr Barso and the following day he’d transformed her into a butterfly. A true life story of bigotry, verbal bullying and mixed race”.

It has also been suggested in some quarters that the song has a very similar melody to Maxine Nightingale’s 1975 hit ‘Right Back Where We Started From’ as well as rock band Foreigner’s ‘Cold As Ice’ from 1978, and questions have been raised since as to who plagiarised who.

Chrissy Boy elaborates: “Maxine Nightingale’s ‘Right Back Where We Started From’ got to #8 on the 1st November 1975. Foreigner’s ‘Cold As Ice’ got to #24 on the 15th July 1978! So ipso facto: Foreigner ripped Maxine and Barso told me it was ‘Right Back Where We Started From’ that begot ‘Embarrassment’. It could be possible however that Barso only said that because ‘Right Back Where We Started From’ is a far better song and he wished to appear cool!”

As a side comment (and not to discredit Mr Foreman!), the dates he mentions are the ones where said single entered the chart rather than necessarily hit its peak position. At any rate, with that hopefully settled, ‘Embarrassment’, released on November 22, 1980, was the band’s sixth single in a little over 14 months, and made its bow at UK #31, following that up with a run of 12-4-4-6-8-8-9-13-28-38-68, for yet another 11 weeks in the Top 40 out of 12 weeks in the Top 75.

According to Paul Weller’s biography ‘My Ever Changing Moods’ by John Reed (1996)) Paul stated that he had always wanted to do a song with a Motown beat (referring to The Jam’s 1982 #1 UK Chart hit ‘A Town Called Malice’) and he cited ‘Embarrassment’ as being a major influence.

Even Nicky Woodgate (Woody’s ‘kid’ brother) holds the song in very high esteem: “I used to play this song over and over again. I can’t describe exactly why this song is brilliant, but maybe it’s because of its driving rhythm. It has a 60’s Motown effect to it, but it could only be Madness that it came from!”

Suggs adds: “I think the song I’ve always enjoyed playing and I never get bored of is ‘Embarrassment’. To be honest, I love them all. We worked very hard to make them as special as we could. But it’s just kind of unusual that song. It doesn’t have a chorus and yet the chord changes take you up and down and round and round. It’s deceptively simple and it always gets me when we play it live, even though I didn’t write it… it’s a great song. People think of our songs as being perfectly pop, but that song had no chorus. It’s a strange song with a very long sax solo and quite dark lyrics, but it’s catchy nonetheless. I really think it’s a great mixture of everything we stand for!”

As has been pointed out already, and according to a November 2005 Jonathan Duffy article on the BBC site, the song was a deeply personal response by Lee to the news of his teenage sister’s pregnancy by a black man. Written on tour in 1980, around the time the band were starting to break big after the big push they got through the success of ‘One Step Beyond’ and the singles that came off it, ‘Embarrassment’ sketches the unfolding turmoil as relatives and parents faced up to Tracy Thompson’s mixed-race pregnancy. Lee, who was on the road, picked up snippets of news over the phone, through letters and family crisis meetings. To fall pregnant, as Tracy had done, at 17, was frowned on – but out of wedlock, and to be carrying a “half-caste” baby, was beyond the pale for some in the family.

Its one-word title says a lot about the prevailing attitude of the day. “It was just not accepted in those days. She was shunned by a few people in the family. My father tried to talk her into getting it terminated,” says Lee. “My sister dug her heels in and I was caught in the middle, wanting everyone to be happy.”

‘Embarrassment’ also reached #24 in France, #4 in Ireland and #2 in The Netherlands.

But today it’s the track you voted the Number One Madness Song.

THE TOP ALBUM

When voting by album in head to head showdowns this summer fans voted One Step Beyond the honour of Best Madness Album. It took the title from 2006’s voted Absolutely. A fitting honour for the debut album in it’s 35th year as it was shortly re-released and entered the actual album charts again for Madness this year.

In the madchart 8 of it’s songs are Top 40, 2 Top 50. Only the throwaway Chipmonks  falls outside the top 100, and even by this chart’s rankings it’s still the best album.

 

UNCHARTED MADNESS

Here is roughly where the other 100 songs from the 200 eligible songs in the mad chart fell. A few “Could have been contenders”, and lot of low voted songs separated by three bands in the mediocre visiting lists, and the unlucky track that stayed bottom in the voting.

 

BUBBLING UNDER (17 Songs)

17 songs fell just a few votes up to a handful outside of the recorded top 100 track status. This Includes Dangermen single “Girl”.

So Alive, MK II, Tomorrow’s Dream [Animal Farm], Mr Speaker (Gets The Word), Burning The Boats, Brand New Beat, Pig Bag, Samantha, One Second’s Thoughtlessness, Time, Girl (Why Don’t You?), Powder Blue [ Reprise], Black And Blue, In The Hall Of The Mountain King, Dangerman (aka High Wire), Israelites, 1978

 

AVERAGE VOTES (28 Songs)

These were never going to make into the top half of the list, but they scored near a hundred or over in the lower table. Shadow of fear is the largest drop of the entire chart it was highly regarded for some reason last time out at 15 and now falls out of the recorded chart by more than 85 and onwards more than ghost train single. The lowest ranked double A-side is here in Elysium.

When Dawn Arrives, New Delhi, Calling Cards, If You Think There’s Something, 4.A.M, Going To The Top, Elysium, Dreaming Man, Bingo, Hunchback of Torianno, Stepping into line, That’s The Way To Do It ( aka Odd Job Man ), Shadow on The House, Mad Not Mad, All I Knew, John Jones, Rainbows, Shadow of Fear, Never Ask Twice (aka Airplane), Sunday Morning, Time for Tea, Tears You Can’t Hide, Fireball XL5, Sex And Drugs And Rock N Roll, You’ll Lose A Good Thing, Fish And Chips [Parade], One Fine Day, Love Really Hurts.

 

LOW VOTES (33 Songs)

These got into double figures but didn’t get over 50, the lowest voted released single “Sorry” is buried here, forgotten and unknown amongst singles voters, having never made it to a compilation. The lowest ranked tracks from seven, rise and fall, keep moving, Norton Folgate box set, One Step Beyond’s filler chanting track, Dangermen and rare B-sides and that Abba cover and a USB only cover version.

Promises Promises, Memories, That Face, The National Anthem, Sarah, Maybe In Another Life, Precious One, I Was The One, Money Money Money, My Obsession, Skylarking, Chipmonks are go, Missing You, Walking With Mr Wheeze, Turning Blue, Waltz Into Mischief, Give Me A Reason, Behind The 8 Ball, (You) Can’t Keep A Good Thing Down, Please Don’t Go, No Money, Crying, Let’s Go, Sorry, Pac-a-Mac, The Opium Eaters, Guns, My Old Man, Oh My Love, Mission From Hell, Seven Dials, Bittersweet, Mother And Child Reunion

 

TOKEN VOTES (21 Songs)

A few lone fans voted these for greatest, more than 2 vote but less than 10 votes, they remain some of the most obscure released Madness songs, B-sides, rare formats and album side two skipped tracks. Hardly anyone chose them, but they are just off the bottom of this barrel. This includes the lowest scoring B side, Dangermen track, Mad Not Mad track, Absolutely’s duffest track, Wonderful’s cover version, and an obscure wesbite download not many have heard, The forever young bonus tracks lowest ranking is here, and the rarist heard b-side. and the lowest ranked cover version.

So Much Trouble In The World, Small World, Inanity Over Christmas, Call Me, Jennie (A Portrait Of), A Town With No Name, Are You Coming ( With Me ), White Heat, Light Of The Way, Vietnam, Rain, Solid Gone, Don’t Look Back, Gabriel’s Horn, Perfect Place, If I Didn’t Care, Round And Round, We Are Love, Dreader Than Dread, The Kiss, The Roadette Song

JUST TWO BULLETS LEFT IN THE GUN

Deolali (Lowest score box set track, lowest from Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da, lowest attention in entire voting sessions)

It went out and shot itself in the head, on hearing the news that it was the bottom ranking track. Too dark maybe?, mad but hidden away perhaps like the camp itself, It’s certainly a new track yet to establish perhaps and only available on the box set of the last album. But do those triumphant Butlins performance mean nothing? We think it might be the victim of it’s weird spelling in recognition of song title in the public voting and also victim of being near bottom of the list. A shell shock syndrome in effect when it comes to voting by reaching down this far in the list, fans couldnt cope with running out of votes for songs. Low on ammo, they bailed on Deolali.

Every war needs a hero. It was saved from the humiliation of zero votes by Sean Gaskin & Scott Lightfoot in the private email voting stages of the chart.

Sean says… “Real life topics from Mr Thompson, it reminded me of It ain’t half hot mum sitcom, where they portrayed the boredom of sitting around an army camp in heat, and the deer hunter when they play russian roulette”

Scots says “I chose it because of that deafening drum intro, and sadistic singing from the man of steel himself Lee Thompson, and a Barson solo that has be seeing stars.”

And there you have the wideness of Madness fandom. Articulate love of the lowest ranked track from two Madness fans 12,000 miles from each other. One a diehard listening fan from the 80’s pop era, the other a fresh face highly enthusiastic teenager devouring all of Madness’s music for the first time, in recent years, to the very last track he can find. Both in agreement, and the only two fans left on the train as we pull into the station and depart the mad chart.

Thank you for voting and reading, here are some bonus charts nominated by MIS just for additional fun.

THE TOP 5 “THE” MADNESS

This time around “The” Madness songs were not allowed in the main chart. (Gabriel’s Horn being an exception as it has B-side Madness demo release status appearing on The House of Fun single CD, that mix only was counted as Madness.) In previous Madcharts voting on “The” Madness was allowed. Though it has to be said they never charted in high positions. For 2014 we felt that as the album is un-re-released and deleted, available only on Youtube streaming from Madness.co.uk, and because Madness had enough main band songs now to vote on 200, it was time to sideline this album into the status of spin off or solo bands.

Here is that spin off bands top 5 chart, chosen by The Madness facebook group runner Rob Kaismier

1. Nail down the days

2. Beat the bride

3. Song in red

4. Gabriel`s Horn

5. I Pronounce You

THE TOP 5 REMIXES

The main 200 song chart did not include released variations of songs. No alternate mixes counted as different tracks, only the song in it’s general sense counted. All mixes were classified as same track when counting or polling. Here in a seperate chart, our top five alternate mixes that Madnes have officially released, chosen by Scott Lightfoot.

1. The Sun and The Rain 12″ Mix

2. Cardiac Arrest 12″ Mix

3. NW5 (German Single Version)

4. Le Grand Pantalon (Baggy Trousers Reworking)

5. Night Boat (US Geffen Album Mix)

Worst remix. Sweetest Girl 12″ Dub Mix. “It goes on and on and on…..”

THE TOP FIVE ONLY LIVE

The main 200 chart includes songs played and released as official live versions. Some tracks though only exist as live bootlegs or performances. Here is a top five of those such tracks. Chosen by Jonathan F Young.

1. It Mek

2. Shop Around (A rehearsal version now released after this chart was compiled)

3. Natural Act (Of Love)

4. London Calling (One off strummerville performance)

5. Culture Vulture

THE TOP 5 FLEXI/FAN CLUB RELEASES

Madness did songs for the MIS fanclub in the 80’s, often joke versions of songs through flexi disc magazines or the fan club were a bit tongue in cheek and so they had to go from this chart a bit to make the 200 idea work. Here is there own top five chosen by Jonathan F Young.

1. The Ghost Train (The Final Goodbye)

2. Release Me (Patches)

3. Carols on 45

4. MIS Radio players present 30 Minutes of culture.

5. What The World Needs Now Is Love Sweet Love ( Unreleased patches session bootleg. MIS online christmas download)

THE TOP 5 LEE THOMPSON SKA ORCHESTRA

Darren Dixon runner of The Ska orchestra facebook page chooses his top five tunes from the band’s debut album and singles. This much loved ska band contains a lot of Madness players and wasn’t around when the last chart was being voted.

1. Fu Man Chu

2. Soon You’ll Be Gone

3. Bangarang (Featuring Dawn Penn)

4. Ali Baba

5. Midnight Rider

THE TOP 5 SUGGS SOLO

Chart chosen by Lynn Lawlor. Animal comes from the film The final frame but made it out as a B-side bonus EP track. The rest are single releases from The Lone Ranger album.

1. Animal

2. I’m Only Sleeping

3. Camden Town

4. Off On Holiday

5. Cecillia

THE TOP 5 CRUNCH!

Chosen by MIS editor Looby Loo, here is the top five Crunch! songs, by the Nutty Boys band. Many of which are still waiting to ever hear an official release. Driving Me has existed as a demo since 1988 and the last days of The Madness work. Hereditary and Birthday girl are B-sides. Saints and Sinners a perennial live favourite and Here He comes a download from Crunch.uk official website.

1. Driving Me

2. Hereditary

3. Saints and Sinners

4. Birthday Girl

5. Here He comes

THE TOP 5 WOODY SOLO

Chosen by Mark Bryant. Covering Woody’s stint in a chart topping band and his recent self penned album with Nick woodgate.

1. You don’t have to hide your love away (Magic Brothers)

2. Always be with you (Magic Brothers)

3. Monsters and Angels (Voice Of The Beehive)

4. They Tell You (Magic Brothers)

5. Sit Down (James cover live, Voice of the Beehive)

THE TOP 5 CATHAL SMYTH SOLO

Chosen by French MIS Judge Fredd, taken from Carl’s recently released album on vinyl, and his previous decade online juxebox website album.

1. Love Song Number 7

2. Reqiuem for Common Sense

3. Bewdley street

4. She’s got the light

5. As Star’s Above

THE TOP 5 SUGGS COLABORATIONS

Suggs Moonlighting with other bands/artists. Chosen by Declan Sparrow

1. Oranges and Lemon’s again – Jools Holland and his Orchestra

2. The girl who truly loves herself – Little Massive

3. Let’s go crazy – Radio Riddler (Prince cover)

4. This Road – The Audio Bullies

5. Love is All Around – Guilty Pleasures and the BBC Concert orchestra

THE TOP 5 BEDDERS SESSIONS

Beyond his Ska Orchestra work, into the jazz appearances, and one off session work titles.

Chosen by Dave Minston.

1. Watermellon Man – BUtterfield 8

2. Antheme for Twitter – Near Jazz Experience

3. My Coo Ca Choo – Department S

4. Madness – The Values Featuring Neil Innes & Bedders (Specialized: Mad Not Cancer)

5. Double Bournbon biscuit barrel – The Biscuit Men

THE TOP 5 SHOWTIMES

Since the last madchart in 2008, a new kind of Madness song has stepped forward in the form of Chris Foreman’s karaoke spot live tracks or “Showtime” as they are known. While we clearly weren’t going to include them within the serious business of Madness song releases it’s worth pointing out that one is on a tracklisting on an official DVD now!!! and with humour such as “The National Anthem” making the cut, who’s to say one day a showtime could be considered includable under future mad chart rules! For now though we present a separate top 5 of Chris’s greatest moments in the spotlight, chosen by Sharon Staite.

1. The Gap Band – Burn Rubber On Me (Aired at Butlins)

2. Falling in Love Again / Can’t Touch This (A medley of tunes to mock lee returning after falling off stage on the tour)

3. AC/DC – King Of Rock (Chris rocks!)

4. Human League – Don’t You Want me Baby (Sheffield a tribute to the local band )

5. Tom Jones – Delilah (Cardiff gig welsh singer tribute became a regular tour turn)

THE TOP 5 LEE THOMPSON PUB BAND COVERS

Like Father Like Son, Damaged Goods, Camden Cowboys, The Silencerz. I’ve seen them all, mostly in pubs around Barnet. Here are the best covers these bands have done. Chosen by Jonathan F Young.

1. Monkberry Moon Delights (McCartney)

2. Hey Bulldog (The Beatles)

3. Get it on (T-Rex)

4. No lights on the Christmas Tree Mother, They’re burning big louie tonight. (Sensational Alex Harvey Band)

5. In The Middle of the Night (Madness)

THE NEXT MAD CHART…

Since this 6th Mad Chart project began. Madness have uncovered and released versions of “Sunshine Voice”, “My Mates”, “There’s Always Something There to Remind Me”, “Shop Around” and “Lost My Head” and with new writing like the “Last rag and bone man” session taking place or talk of “Pam the hawk” it looks like more releases are on the way. Madness could be a 220 to 250 song band by the time the 7th Mad Chart looms up on fandom’s horizons perhaps. Until then enjoy your own choices of top songs. Play on.

 

THE TOP THANK YOU’S

Thank you to Paul Willo for this entire year’s Specialized 3 run, helping MIS weekly, while running your project for the great cause Teenage Cancer Trust and all who helped Specialized this year. Thank you to Mark Bowen, Owen Collins, Garry Saunders, Garry Scurfield, Tony Bass & The Inflatables, Ray Gudge and Swagga, Darren Fordham and Reece. Darren Jones, Harry Wandsworth, Rev Toon, David Lawerance. Madness management and all at Anglo, for the mad chart shows. Sharon Staite, Scott Lightfoot, Warren Moyle, Hazel Foster, Alan Flyn, Monika Cooper, Geo adam, Clare Marshal for the Madheader. Paul Smart and The Magic Brothers.

Thank you all to our generous sponsors for donations.

Graham Yates x2.

Mick Allen, Alistiar Shand, Thomas O Shea, Karen Buckingham, Phil Smith, Michael Baber, Stephen Dean, Owen Collins, Brian Laker, Darren Dixon, Jacqueline Eaglestone Hazel Foster, Richard North, Kelly Louise Springer, Kenneth Warner, Peter Holland, Mark Bryant, Steve Hine, Craig Vivash, Kevin Scott, John Miles, Helen Searle, Geo Adam, Steve Hine, Kevin Crowther, Natalie Fitzgerald, Karen Le Cras,Sarah Wright, Richard Crosby, Linsay Boyce, Judge Fredd, Simon Roberts, Phillip Toogood, Darren Balsdon, Peter Edwards, Vincent Carden, Looby Loo Buckley,Ian Taylor, Chris Carter Pegg, Rachel Escott, Fiona Linnell, Lisa Ellis, Helen Boyd, Kim Ashby, Stephen Sturrock, Gary Saunders, Gary Balsdon, Nigel Pluck, Warren Moyle, Em Southerby, Lawrence Werrett, Suzanne Gilmour, Vince Foley, Robert Wardlaw,Colin Galbraith, Iain Mason, Gordon Davidson, Iain Palmer, Rob Kasimer, Allie Mayor, Sarah Shaw, Ray Gudge, Maria Ashe, Sean Gaskin, Lynn lawlor, Nicky Evans, Patrick Clifford, Mark Bowen, Andy Stav Davarias, Lee Swandale, Tony Stratton, Sunday Munoz, Braxton hole, Ian Hanning, Paul Rodgers, Duff Kelly, Garry Scurfield (And the koast train team, Ken Thomson, Craig, Mark, Neil Dickinson and all ), Andy Coulter. Paul littlewood.

Paul Muscat, Andrew Langmead and Looby Loo for historic Mad Chart’s help.

Thank you to all the participating Madness fans for the thousands of your votes. From the private seeding stages, to the public interface voting.

 

Jon Young, Rob Hazelby, Simon Roberts, Paul Williams