The Madness (The Madness album)

The Madness
Studio album by
The Madness
Released25 April 1988 (1988-04-25)[1]
StudioLiquidator Studios, London
Genre
Length43:15 (LP version)
58:16 (CD version)
LabelVirgin
ProducerThe Three Eyes
The Madness chronology
Utter Madness
(1986) 		The Madness
(1988) 		It's... Madness
(1990)
Singles from The Madness
  1. "I Pronounce You"
    Released: 25 February 1988
  2. "What's That"
    Released: May 1988

The Madness is the only studio album by the British ska/pop band The Madness, a short-lived incarnation of Madness. It was originally released in mid-1988, on the label Virgin. The album was produced by the Three Eyes, a pseudonym, whose identities remain a mystery (although it's assumed to be Madness themselves, or possibly individual members of Madness). With the demise of Madness and the group's own label Zarjazz, the Madness were directly recruited under Virgin Records.

When the album was released in late April 1988, it received dismissive reviews and peaked at No. 66 in the UK, lasting within the Top 100 for only one week.[2] Two singles, "I Pronounce You" and "What's That", were released from the album, although like the album these were less successful than the original band releases. "I Pronounce You" was the lead single, released in the UK and Portugal.[3] Receiving lukewarm reception from the music press, it peaked at No. 44 in the UK, lasting on the charts for four weeks after originally debuting at No. 48.[4] "What's That", the album's second and final single, was released in the UK only.[5] It was the first release by Madness or any of its spin-off bands not to reach the Top 75 in the UK. It peaked at No. 92 and lasted two weeks on the chart, dropping to No. 98 the following week after its debut.[6]

  1. ^ Smith, Robin (23 April 1988). "News". Record Mirror. p. 4. ISSN 0144-5804.
  2. ^ "The Official Charts Company – The Madness by Madness Search". The Official Charts Company. 10 May 2014.
  3. ^ "Madness, The – I Pronounce You at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  4. ^ "The Official Charts Company – I Pronounce You by Madness Search". The Official Charts Company. 10 May 2014.
  5. ^ "Madness, The – What's That at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  6. ^ "The Official Charts Company – What's That by Madness Search". The Official Charts Company. 10 May 2014.