IN THIS ISSUE ...

1 - THE EDITOR WRITES - Latest news and information in brief

2 - EMINEM - OUR HOUSE - Following the news in last weeks MIS that an
    Eminem track called Our House was available on Napster I had to
    listen... Jonathan Young reveals more.

3 - COVERVERSION ST - The lads from Coronation Street have saluted
    their music heroes of yesteryear for a magazine photo shoot.
    Taken from The Daily Mirror web site.

4 - ROBBIE ROCKS THE BLOCKHEADS - Robbie Williams' tribute cover of
    Ian Dury is finally set to receive a release. Taken from the
    Dotmusic web site and kindly dug out by Sophie Nicolas.

5 - BLOCKHEADS, CAMDEN TOWN - Dingwalls Monday 4th December. Slightly
    off topic but given the lack of a Madness gig this Christmas a
    fun evening and a few Madness connections too. Jonathan Young
    reports.

6 - THE TOP TEN - Following last week's announcement by Andrew
    Langmead that he was ready to start another Madness poll, he
    makes a return to give all those who have yet to vote, a quick
    prod to wake up and get voting.

7 - MEMBERS OF MADNESS TO APPEAR AT CHARITY GIG - A flyer handed out
    at the Blockheads gigs said the following.... News from Jonathan
    Young

8 - GOOD NIGHT - Thanks and closing words.

[1] - THE EDITOR WRITES

Evening all,

I hope everyone is coping well during this pre-requisite Christmas
shopping rush and partying season.

Following last week's announcement from Chris Mountain that there
will be a major 2-tone reunion concert at Coventry Football Club's
Highfield Stadium, MIS Online subscriber Ian Wall has been in touch
with some further information. The concert will be held on the 22nd
December, and tickets are available from the Stadium, priced £18-£25.
Many thanks to Ian for the information. If anyone does manage to get
along to the concert, a brief review for the MIS would be much
appreciated by the rest of us unable to get along.

Something which may be of interest to those Madness fans out there
who are also into the defunct grunge band, Nirvana. Total Madness
Mailing List and MIS Online subscriber, Suggsylia tells us that;

     "A band called Balloon is using the intro to
      One Step Beyond for their song 'Monstersound',
      in which they combine Madness and Nirvana (!)
      samples to form a dance tune. It's sounds quite
      weird to say the least".

Many thanks to Suggsylia for that snippet.

Following last week's report where we announced the return of the
BBC's Watchdog Madness fan, it looks like he's been at it again. In
a recent article concerning Barrat's Housing we were treated to the
legendary `Our House` as the backing music. Many thanks to Jim the
copper for the news-bite.

Fancy bring some nutty Christmas cheer to your TV and video this
holiday season? If so, you may be interested in the tapes which
MIS Online subscriber, Dean Eaves has for sale. There are four tapes
in all, each full to bursting with live and rare Madness footage
which you won't be able to get hold of in the shops. For more
information, including pricing and track listings, please contact
Dean at the following address: dean at assessment.demon.co.uk

Now, without further ado, onto this week's collection of articles.

See you in the outro.

Robert Hazelby (MIS Online Maintainer)

[2] - EMINEM - OUR HOUSE

Following the news in last weeks MIS that an Eminem track called Our
House was available on Napster I had to listen... For anyone whose
not heard the track it begins:

     "Here is the story of a little boy growing up in a
      suburban home trying to cope with everyday life, he
      lives in a little house that was built in the middle
      of the street....."

The track is a typical Eminem story of a rough upbringing, about
drugs, rapping, and getting sh*t from his mother.

But the chorus which comes in about minute into the song is directly
taken from OUR HOUSE by madness, slowed down with none of the
actual music for the original. I don't think this is a sample
(although given the reverb I could be wrong) It sounds more like some
other rappers singing the famous words "Our house, in the middle of
our street"

Quite amusing that Madness painted a rosy picture of english
upbringing in their song that Eminem has chosen that song to do just
the opposite, with some quite funny lyrics of his own. Anyone who
doesn't like rap or Eminem (of which there are millions!) will
absolutely hate this! Although to my knowledge this tracks has not
been released yet and probably not cleared with madness, or indeed
that may be the reason it's not been released.

Expect in the future other classics such as:

My girls making me F**king Mad
Pulling the wings Off a Dove
Cardiac arrested
Drunk driving in my Car
Tomorrow's Just another Dre'

Although if we had poll about which song slim shady should cover,
the response would probably be "Shut up!"

Jonathan Young (jonsmad at hotmail.com)

[3] - COVERVERSION ST

CORRIE LADS ENJOY A MOMENT OF MADNESS

The lads from Coronation Street have saluted their music heroes of
yesteryear for a magazine photo shoot.

They turned back the clock to 1979 to recreate the album cover of
One Step Beyond, hit debut album of wacky Madness.

And it brought back varying memories. Like these:

Michael le Vell (Kevin Webster):
"Going to see Gary Numan with my mates and putting on mascara and
blusher in the car park because I was too embarrassed to put it on
at home."

Richard Standing (Danny Hargreaves):
"I was attracted by the group's anti-Thatcher attitude."

Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald): "My mum used to send me to school in
towelling shorts and a big velvet bow tie. I'd tell her I'd get
beaten up looking like that but she never took any notice."

Chris Bisson (Vikram Desai):
"The worst thing about the '80s was soap stars bringing out pop
records."

Kevin Kennedy (Curly Watts):
"Music was better then, less manufactured."

Steven Beckett (dishy Dr Matt):
"Everyone says I look like Suggs from Madness. I used to practice
being him."

Sean Wilson (Martin Platt) merely sighed:
"I fancied the pants off Patsy Kensit then."

Corrie's Super 7 are joined by other soap star impressionists in this
month's She magazine.

East Ender Lucy Speed (Natalie Evans) does a lovely job on her 80s
idol Madonna.

While Brookside's Steven Pinder (Max Farnham) and Micky Poppins
(Lance Powell) lie back and think of Wham!

Steven sighed:
"The worst thing about the 80s was Margaret Thatcher. She launched
yuppies like Max."

Taken from the Daily Mirror web site, and dug out by Simon Roberts
and Simon Walshe. Simon (Walshe) has kindly scanned the One Step
Beyond re-enactment photo which can be viewed at the following
address: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/swalshe/corrie.JPG

[4] - ROBBIE ROCKS THE BLOCKHEADS

Taken from the Dotmusic web site and kindly dug out by Sophie Nicolas.

Robbie Williams' tribute cover of Ian Dury is finally set to receive
a release.

As dotmusic first reported in June, a version of the late singer's
'Sweet Gene Vincent' was recorded by pal Williams as part of a
tribute LP. Other featured artists include Madness, Shane McGowan
and Billy Bragg.

It is set for release on March 26th, a day before the first
anniversary of the singer's death. All the songs come from Dury's
album 'New Boots And Panties', which was first released in 1977.

Williams recorded the track with Dury backing band The Blockheads
and has already performed it live in Brixton Academy with the band
at a Dury tribute gig.

The artwork will be supplied by Peter 'Sgt Peppers' Blake, with all
proceeds going to the charity Cancer Bacup. It was a cause Dury
championed when alive.

[5] - BLOCKHEADS, CAMDEN TOWN

Dingwalls Monday 4th December.

Slightly off topic but given the lack of a Madness gig this Christmas
a fun  evening and a few Madness connections too..

Dingwalls isn't much bigger than The underworld in Camden, similar
venue, we got there at nine o'clock and Phil Jupitus was there DJ'ing
much like he did for Madness last December. Then the Blockheads took
to the stage, despite the obvious chasm left by Ian Dury's Death the
evening was still great musically. The blockheads really have a blast
to their sound, bass, guitar and mainly sax. I think Chaz Jankell
(co-writer of most songs) took on vocals with occasionally the
keyboard player having a go. With One time Madness stand in bass
player in Norman Watts doing backing Vocals.

The evening was too short but I guess they were just testing the
water to see if life without Ian can go on for the band, this being
practically their first public gig without him. Reasons to be
Cheerful, Wake up make love, Partial to your Abracadabra, A couple of
new songs were aired one of which I think might have been called
Funky Monkey. One song was said to be the last Ian recorded with
them. The band said an Album of unreleased stuff with Ian would be
out next year as would the Tribute album featuring Madness.

Funnily enough It was at this point I noticed Lee Thompson creeping
into the gig at the back, sadly this was only to lend support or
perhaps for the back stage party as he never made it to the stage.

The two encores saw Phil Jupitus take on Vocals for Hit me with your
rhythm stick and then Sex and Drugs and Rock and roll. Before the gig
ended and Phil going back to DJing. (playing F*ck off noddy a rare
Dury track into the bargain) Top gig. I hope they carry on playing
and next time play a longer set.

Jonathan Young (jonsmad at hotmail.com)

[6] - THE TOP TEN

Evening All,

First, I'd like to say thank you to everyone that has already sent
in their Top Tens. It's been a very good response so far. I'm even
getting votes from 'lurkers', which is great! The only way to compile
a truly representative chart is if EVERYONE on the list votes, even
those of you that don't have anything to say on a regular basis.
Your anonymity is safe with me :-)

I'll just clear one thing up though... I want this to be a Madness
chart, but I am accepting tracks by THE Madness.

I'm already beginning to see a major change to opinions since the
last chart, but it's early days yet. The new songs have obviously
had an impact on us all, and it's interesting that two of the songs
in the Top 5 last time, haven't yet made it into the Top 20!

No more clues, as I don't want to influence the voting.

If you do want to submit a Top Ten, please email me OFF LIST  at
andrew at alangmea.freeserve.co.uk with Top 10 in the subject.

I look forward to your emails.

Goodnight.

Andrew Langmead

[7] - MEMBERS OF MADNESS TO APPEAR AT CHARITY GIG 8TH DECEMBER

A flyer handed out at the Blockheads gigs said the following.......

Charity Benefit Gig

Featuring:

members of MADNESS

D.W.Love and Larry Love (Alabama 3)

Danniella Westbrook

Mark Bannerman

Clown Warfare

7pm till 11pm (five pounds)

The windmill, Blenheim gardens, Brixton.

This is in : London SW 2 Off of Brixton Hill road (a23), the flyer
did not mention which members of Madness would be in appearance or
indeed what they would be singing or for how long their part of the
evening would be.

Jonathan Young.

[8] - GOOD NIGHT

Another issue of the MIS draws to a close. Only two more editions to
go before the Christmas gorging season is upon us.

Many thanks go to Jonathan Young who seems to have been in Madness
overdrive this week with reams of info gushing from his mailbox and
into mine. I'm sure we all agree his contributions have been
excellent, as they are not only full of great info, but it also means
you don't have to read my inane wafflings all the time.

A big thank you to everyone else who also supplied material for this
issue too. Please keep it coming!

Just a quick mention that this week on the 15th, the legendary
Selecter will be playing at The Dome in Whitley Bay. If you're in the
area, this looks like being something well worth going along to. Many
thanks to Jeff Sharp for the reminder.

If any of you managed to get along to the charity gig which featured
a few members if Madness, please put the rest of us out of our misery
by letting us know who turned-up and what exactly went on.

Finally, if you've yet to take part in Andrew Langmead's Madness top
10 poll, please take 5 minutes of your time to submit your fave song
list.

Until next week. All the best,

Robert Hazelby