7 (Madness album)
7 (also known as Madness 7)[5] is the third album from the British ska/pop band Madness. Released in October 1981, it reached No. 5 in the UK album chart. All but one track was recorded at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas in the summer of 1981, the exception being "Grey Day" which was recorded in London earlier in the year. Although in 2011 co-producer Alan Winstanley stated in the Guided Tour of Madness boxed-set that much of the album was re-recorded in London when they returned from Nassau.
7 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 2 October 1981 | |||
Recorded | 1981 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 38:35 | |||
Label | Stiff | |||
Producer | Clive Langer Alan Winstanley | |||
Madness chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from 7 | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Record Mirror | [2] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [3] |
Smash Hits | 8/10[4] |
Track listing
Side one
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Cardiac Arrest" | C. Smash, C.J. Foreman | 2:52 |
2. | "Shut Up" | G. McPherson, C.J. Foreman | 4:07 |
3. | "Sign of the Times" | G. McPherson, M. Barson | 2:43 |
4. | "Missing You" | G. McPherson, M. Barson | 2:32 |
5. | "Mrs. Hutchinson" | M. Barson | 2:17 |
6. | "Tomorrow's Dream" | L. Thompson, M. Barson | 3:54 |
Side two
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
7. | "Grey Day" | M. Barson | 3:40 |
8. | "Pac-a-Mac" | L. Thompson, M. Barson | 2:37 |
9. | "Promises Promises" | L. Thompson, M. Barson | 2:52 |
10. | "Benny Bullfrog" | L. Thompson, C.J. Foreman | 1:51 |
11. | "When Dawn Arrives" | L. Thompson, M. Barson | 2:43 |
12. | "The Opium Eaters" | M. Barson | 3:03 |
13. | "Day on the Town" | G. McPherson, C.J. Foreman | 3:24 |
There were several different versions of the album released throughout the world. Some territories removed the not so tourist-friendly "A Day on the Town" while others replaced it with "Never Ask Twice (aka Aeroplane / Airplane)", which was issued on the "Shut Up" 12" in the UK. In Belgium "Never Ask Twice" was issued on a one-sided 7" single with initial copies of the album. France renamed "A Day on the Town" as "A Place in The City". Australia added "It Must Be Love" and "Never Ask Twice", Spain replaced "Cardiac Arrest" with "It Must Be Love" and Japan added "In The City", which was issued there as a single after it was initially written for and used to promote Honda City cars in TV commercials.
Initial vinyl pressings featured different mixes of some tracks (most notably "Mrs. Hutchinson" and "A Day on the Town"), which haven't been used since.
2010 re-release
In 2009 and 2010, Madness re-released their entire back catalogue of studio albums up until 1999's Wonderful with a bonus CD and extra tracks.
CD 1
- "Cardiac Arrest"
- "Shut Up"
- "Sign of the Times"
- "Missing You"
- "Mrs Hutchinson"
- "Tomorrow's Dream"
- "Grey Day"
- "Pac-a-Mac"
- "Promises Promises"
- "Benny Bullfrog"
- "When Dawn Arrives"
- "The Opium Eaters"
- "Day on the Town"
- Promo Videos (Enhanced CD content)
- "Grey Day"
- "Shut Up"
- "It Must be Love"
- "Cardiac Arrest"
CD 2
- The Richard Skinner Sessions
- "Missing You"
- "Sign of the Times"
- "Tiptoes" (McPherson, Barson)
- The Bonus Tracks
- "Memories" (M.W. Barson) [B-side "Grey Day" single]
- "A Town With No Name" (C.J. Foreman) [B-side "Shut Up" single]
- "Never Ask Twice" (G. McPherson, M. Barson) [B-side "Shut Up" 12" single]
- "It Must Be Love" (Labi Siffre) [Single]
- "Shadow on the House" (C.J. Foreman) [B-side "It Must Be Love" single]
- "In the City" (McPherson, Barson, Smash, Foreman, Crutchfield, Inoue) [B-side "Cardiac Arrest" single]
- "Cardiac Arrest" [12" Extended Version]
- "Grey Day" (live) [From NME Racket Packet Cassette]
Personnel
- Suggs (Graham McPherson) – Lead Vocals
- Mike Barson – Piano, Organ, Vibes, Marimba, Tubular Bells
- Chris Foreman – Guitar, Sitar
- Mark Bedford (Bedders) – Bass
- Lee Thompson – Saxophones, Burps, Squeaks, Lead Vocals on track 10
- Daniel Woodgate (Woody) – Drums, Congas
- Chas Smash (Cathal Smyth) – Backing Vocals, Trumpet
Chart performance
Album
Chart (1981) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
---|---|---|
Dutch Albums Chart[6] | 5 | 17 |
Swedish Albums Chart[7] | 41 | 1 |
UK Albums Chart[8] | 5 | 28 |
Singles
Date | Single | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|---|
Apr 1981 | Grey Day | UK | No. 4 |
Sep 1981 | Shut Up (edited to 3:26 for issue as a single) | UK | No. 7 |
Feb 1982 | Cardiac Arrest (remixed for issue as a single) | UK | No. 14 |
References
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "7 – Madness". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- Ludgate, Simon (3 October 1981). "Heaven 7". Record Mirror. p. 11.
- Considine, J. D. (2004). "Madness". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 508. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- Silverton, Pete (1–14 October 1981). "Madness: 7". Smash Hits. Vol. 3 no. 20. p. 19.
- "Madness - Madness 7". BPI. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- 7 at Dutch Charts Retrieved 18 June 2013
- Steffen Hung. "Swedish Charts Portal". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
- "UK Singles & Albums Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 September 2011.