1980

03/01/80      My Girl (Top of the Pops)

Madness open the shiny new decade for Top of the Pops, looking smart in white tuxedos and bow ties in front of a giant pink ‘1980’ backdrop just to remind us it’s no longer the seventies.  Within seconds, Lee has toppled off the stage before a lovelorn Suggs mimes with angst and Chas helps Mike out on piano.  It’s a classy performance to a classic song which was repeated a further two times on Top of the Pops later that month as the single rose to no. 3 in the charts.

Click here to see: My Girl (Top of the Pops) 03/01/80

05/01/80      My Girl/One Step Beyond (Multi-Coloured Swap Shop)

Two tone chequers are in vogue and in the BBC studio as Madness perform to their first two singles on Stiff Records, at a time when Keith Chegwin would spend Saturday mornings travelling the length of Britain to help kids swap their Bukaroo, Stretch Armstrong or Sindy for an Action Man.  This had actually been recorded a couple of weeks earlier.

17/01/80      One Step Beyond (Musikladen)

Madness get set to embark on their first European tour with a television appearance in Germany on the Radio Bremen-produced show, Musikladen and an energetic performance it is too.  The audience, in contrast, are forced to sit and clap along at best.  The tables and chairs are soon shifted though as most of the band can be spotted rockin’ out later on near the front of the stage with Jerry Dammers from The Specials (who also appeared on the show) during Matchbox’s ‘Rockabilly Rebel’.

Click here to see: One Step Beyond (Musikladen) 17/01/80

21/01/80      One Step Beyond (Midi Première)

After starting their European tour in Paris the previous night, Madness stick around to appear on this entertainment show and it’s saxaplenty with a severe dose of dancing led by Chas in his crombie out front. It’s not usual to see Suggs in the background and equally unusual to see him wearing a ‘pork pie’ (stingy brim); he’d only do so for a couple of appearances before later favouring a bowler, beret, flat cap or sweaty towel on his head.

Click here to see: One Step Beyond (Midi Première) 21/01/80

00/01/80      The Prince/Swan Lake/My Girl/Interview (Punk & it’s Aftershocks VHS/DVD)

This footage was recorded by young German director, Wolfgang Büld for a film documentary on the legacy of punk.  It features some sterling live clips of Madness shot on their first European tour and also includes some interviews in a pub where Suggs sips on his vodka and orange and garners some applause for his use of the word, “amalgamation”.  This film was released on VHS and later on DVD under various other titles including British Rock – Ready for the 80s and Punk in England.

Click here to see: The Prince/Swan Lake/My Girl/Interview (Punk and it’s Aftershocks) 00/01/80

27/01/80       One Step Beyond/My Girl/Swan Lake/Razor Blade Alley/Night Boat to Cairo/Madness/Don’t Quote me on that (Chorus)

Madness are on French TV again, this time with an edited live set for Antoine de Caunes’ music show.  It’s recorded at the Théâtre de l’Empire in Paris and captures the best of early Madness with generous measures of energy and fancy footwork on show.  Highlights are ‘Swan Lake’ which comes complete with Chas and Chalky’s head-butting dance dual and a rare outing for ‘Don’t Quote Me On That’ for the encore.

Click here to see: One Step Beyond (Chorus) 27/01/80

Click here to see: Swan Lake (Chorus) 27/01/80

Click here to see: Razor Blade Alley (Chorus) 27/01/80

Click here to see: Night Boat to Cairo (Chorus) 27/01/80

Click here to see: Madness (Chorus) 27/01/80

Click here to see: Don’t Quote me on that (Chorus) 27/01/80

00/01/80      Unknown (Måndagsbörsen)

It appears that Madness may have performed a live set on Swedish television, filmed at the Hamburger Börs in Stockholm during a flying visit there at the end of January.

31/01/80    Appearance (Folllies)

Chas gives Belgian television viewers a short demonstration in the art of dance!

Click here to see: Chas Smash Appearance (Folllies) 31/01/80

31/01/80    Interview (Unknown)

Madness give a short interview on Dutch TV, possibly prior to the gig that evening at the Trojan Horse in the Hague.

17/02/80    Land of Hope & Glory (Neon)

“Attentionnnn…na”…Madness up close and live for a terrific version of ‘Land of Hope & Glory’, most likely filmed at one of their Dutch gigs (De Melkeweg in Amsterdam?) a couple of weeks earlier.  Lee leads the roll call before dancing with Chas and playing his sax, leaving new recruit and poor poor sod, Suggs, to complete the vocals.

Click here to see: Land of Hope and Glory (Neon) 17/02/80

28/02/80      One Step Beyond/Interview (The NewMusic/MuchMusic)

This was recorded during the band’s second North American tour and features about one minute of ‘One Step Beyond’ and one second of ‘Mistakes’ live from the Nickelodeon Tavern in Toronto before showing the band doing the nutty train through the Sheridan Shopping Mall, inspiring a Gorilla and pink rabbit to follow suit. There are also some interviews from backstage, a hotel room and the back of a tour van with Chris, Woody and Bedders grabbing some limelight for a change. Selected clips were later shown as part of a Canadian music programme on the history of ska which was broadcast in 1990/91, firstly under the title ‘MuchMusic’ and then as a different edit for ITV in the UK as ‘The New Music’.  

Click here to see: One Step Beyond/Interview (The NewMusic) 28/02/80

Click here to see: One Step Beyond/Interview (MuchMusic/The New Music) 28/02/80

00/03/80      One Step Beyond/Interview/Madness (American Bandstand)

Before their second North American jaunt comes to an end, Madness fit in an appearance on this long-running music show.  The M Train can be spotted steaming its way through the dancers on stage at the beginning of the show before the band later serve up another high-voltage performance.  In between the two tracks there’s a brief interview with host, Dick Clark during which Lee pinches the back of his ‘upper leg’.  And not for the last time but we’ll come to that later.  This show was first broadcast on 19th April 1980.

Click here to see: One Step Beyond/Interview/Madness (American Bandstand) 00/03/80

24/03/80      Un Paso Adelante/Night Boat to Cairo (Aplauso)

Back in Europe, Madness make their first appearance on this Spanish music show with its ‘cutting edge’ split-screen camera work. It’s a chance to perform not only their forthcoming single but also their Spanish version of ‘One Step Beyond’, ‘Un Paso Adelante’…excelente!  As there aren’t a lot of vocals on these tracks, there’s excessive dancing instead so it’s no surprise to see Suggs collapse at the end.

Click here to see: Un Paso Adelante (Aplauso) 24/03/80

Click here to see: Night Boat to Cairo (Aplauso) 24/03/80

26/03/80      One Step Beyond (Palmarès des Chansons)

Another typically upbeat studio performance to the rockingest sound around, this time back on television in France where this single was about to top the charts for two weeks!  Suggs has still got his pork pie on whilst Chas would give his own one away the following month to a lucky reader of UK teen magazine, FAB. He would also set free the much worn navy suit he’s in here, donating it as a raffle prize at the Hope & Anchor Blanket Festival in November.

Click here to see: One Step Beyond (Palmarès des Chansons) 26/03/80

27/03/80      One Step Beyond (Les Rendez-Vous du Dimanche)

Another day and another performance of ‘One Step Beyond’ on French television; that’s two on the bounce although it’ll be laid to rest at that…for a few months at least. It’s another stonking performance with more incessant leg motion on stage and some arm pumping from all near the end too. This would be broadcast three days later on the 30th March, presumably at lunchtime if the show title is to be believed . 

Click here to see: One Step Beyond (Les Rendez-vous Du Dimance) 27/03/80

00/00/80      Night Boat to Cairo (Unknown)

A knobbly knee-d Madness turn out in colonial safari gear and dance about in a park, circled by motor cyclists…possibly on French television in either April or May.

01/04/80      Sketch/My Girl (Plattenküche)

There seemed to be some strange music and entertainment shows on German television in the eighties and this was one of them.  It starts off with a short sketch featuring Lee as an undercover watch salesman before the band find themselves in a white room with clouds looming above and statuesque girls hanging around smoking cigars.  They get to play their instruments a bit but mostly spend their time climbing in and out of the window and generally messing about, probably assuming that this appearance would never be seen again.

Click here to see: Sketch (Plattenküche) 01/04/80

Click here to see: My Girl (Plattenküche) 01/04/80

 03/04/80      Night Boat to Cairo (Top of the Pops)

Sailing into the charts as the highest new entry at no. 14, Madness raid either the BBC costume department or their favourite theatrical costumiers, Berman and Nathan’s.  Either way, they’re well prepared for a trip to Cairo or somewhere over that direction. Suggs turns out in his safari outfit complete with pith helmet whilst others wear fezzes and Arabian headdresses.  Suggs would later recall glancing across the studio at Dexys Midnight Runners who were looking On the Waterfont cool and feeling that maybe things had gone a bit far with his own band’s wardrobe choices.  The playback track finishes early at the false ending, allowing no time for Suggs to don that sweaty towel or for the band’s families to jump on stage; maybe just as well as there’s an explosion behind Woody’s kit at one point.

Click here to see: Night Boat to Cairo (Top of the Pops) 03/04/80

19/04/80      Appearance (Tiswas)

The video for new single, ‘Night Boat to Cairo’ gets shown and some of the lads talk with presenter, Sally James amidst the usual Tiswas chaos.  The Nutty Boys design on Woody’s T Shirt gets an early run out, many months before it graces the front cover of “The Return of the Los Palmas 7”. Chas falls victim to the Phantom Flan Flinger, with an unexpected pie in the mush.

00/04/80      The Prince/Swan Lake/Razor Blade Alley/Madness/Night Boat to Cairo/One Step Beyond (Dance Craze/Skabeatz VHS)

This concert film captures ‘The Best of British Ska Live’ and features six tracks from Madness, recorded during their UK tour at St. Georges Hall in Bradford on 27/4/80 and at the Mayfair in Sunderland on 30/4/80.  The footage is shot mostly on a dimly lit stage with a steadicam; stage lighting rigs could be quite basic back then.  However it’s a brilliant, high octane performance from Madness, capturing their ‘One Step Beyond’ phase perfectly.  Production troubles delayed the film’s release and it finally previewed at Midem in France in January 1981.  It opened in the UK the following month, by which time the ‘ska-boom 2-Tone bubble’ had burst.  Alternate takes of ‘One Step Beyond’ and ‘Night Boat to Cairo’, which seem to be taken from the Dance Craze vaults, later appeared in 1989 on the pirate American video cassette release, Skabeatz. 

Click here to see: Dance Craze (Full Film) 1980

Click here to see: Skabeatz (Video Release) 1980

 21/05/80      Night Boat to Cairo (Collaro Show)

Madness are touring Europe again and are back at the Théâtre de l’Empire in Paris, this time to appear on this comedy-entertainment show.  Here, they interrupt a round table discussion and kick (literally in Chas’ case) the guests off stage, creating some space for them to cavort around in their khaki shorts and doc martins.  There is a mysterious bassist aboard the night boat this time whose identity remains hidden under his over-sized pith helmet…looks like it could be the band’s roadie, Chalky.

Click here to see: Night Boat to Cairo (Collaro Show) 21/05/80

02/06/80      Appearance/Night Boat to Cairo (Rock Planet/TROS Top 50)

There’s a double dose of ‘Night Boat to Cairo’ on board this Dutch TV chart show which opens with the lads in the studio and the video of the single before ending with a performance in the studio by which time the track has lost much of its instrumental section, the band have lost their instruments and Suggs has lost a molar. Suggs and Chris have gained a pair of moustaches though which Chris has complimented with a meaty looking unibrow.

Click here to see: Night Boat to Cairo (Rock Planet/TROS Top 50) 02/06/80

11&12/08/80     Night Boat to Cairo/E.R.N.I.E/Mistakes/Close Escape/Crying Shame/Razor Blade Alley/Baggy Trousers/My Girl/Bed and Breakfast Man/Embarrassment/On the Beat Pete/The Prince/One Step Beyond/Madness (Rockstage)

This live concert was filmed over two days at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham.  Judging from the audience profile, most of the footage is taken from the second concert which was a matinée show for under 16s.  The Face magazine at the time surprisingly claimed that Madness mimed to some of their previous night’s performance so that the film crew could capture close-ups of the band. Either way, it all just came out a tad dull with even the band themselves admitting it wasn’t their best performance, partly due to sound and bouncer issues. Anyway, Madness weave their way through a selection of tracks from ‘One Step Beyond’ and next month’s newbie, ‘Absolutely’ but most interestingly, there are a couple of b-sides in the mix too. Chas makes his trumpet debut on television here although this programme wouldn’t be broadcast until almost a year later, in July 1981.

Click here to see: Live in Nottingham (Rockstage) 11&12/08/80

22/09/80      The Business/Baggy Trousers (White Light)

Madness debut not one but both sides of their new single on this youth programme which was filmed in Hatfield and presented by Daley Thompson (that’s the Olympic Champion, not Lee’s yet to be born son) and a crop haired, teenage Gary Crowley.  The instrumental B-Side gets a 45 second preview at the start and with some future Absolutely front cover wear on show, they do indeed look the business.  For ‘Baggy Trousers’, Suggs wears one of those party eye masks and during the harmonica solo, he gives a shout out to Woody for the consummation of his nuptials which hints that this was recorded about three weeks earlier.  It’s a live vocal from both Suggs and Chas with this version ending more abruptly, in a similar way to how they played it live back then.

Click here to see: Baggy Trousers (White Light) 22/09/80

27/09/80      Appearance (Tiswas)

According to an article in NME, the ‘Baggy Trousers’ video got played which was followed by some chat about the band’s concerts for Under 16s.  It’s reported afterwards that Suggs and Chas got Madness ‘banned’ from the show for spraying presenter, Sally James in the eye with silly string and removing one of her false eyelashes.  The ‘Coco Twins’ had been out partying in Coventry with the Specials all the previous night and were apparently still tripping on acid.  Stiff Records head honcho, Dave Robinson would also claim that one of James’ frocks was stolen that day and left at a motorway service station.  Anyway, all is later forgiven as Madness would go on to appear on the show again.  With many of the Tiswas master tapes wiped for re-use, this is one of the episodes from 1980 not held in the official archives so it is possible that this appearance may never be seen again.

02/10/80      Baggy Trousers (Top of the Pops)

A cheeky Chas has already interrupted one of the links between songs earlier in the show and here he is at it again, prompting presenter, Dave Lee Travis to warn viewers to “lock up your daughters”….ha!  Over on stage, Madness look like they’ve jumped off the sleeve of their ‘Absolutely’ LP as they prepare to build up a sweat in their crombie overcoats.  It’s arguably their best look from over the years and it inspires another top performance for Top of the Pops.  Any issues the BBC had with the word “fight” (which had been oddly replaced by the word “not” when the video was shown previously, creating a line which made absolutely no sense – “Gone to not with next door’s school”) seem to have been resolved as Suggs mimes to the proper lyrics.  At the end, naughty boys Suggs and Chas interrupt DLT again.  This performance was repeated two weeks later.

Click here to see: Baggy Trousers (Top of the Pops) 02/10/80

15/10/80      Un Passo Avanti (Discoring)

Madness close off the Italian leg of their European tour by taking their heavy heavy monster sound onto this popular music show in Rome.  It’s great that they’re doing the Italian version of ‘One Step Beyond’ on TV but unfortunately it’s the first of one or two couldn’t carelessness performances.  They had attempted this sitting down during the rehearsal in some sort of protest against the expectation to act ‘nutty’ alas some sense prevailed in the end. Chas and suedehead Suggs play toy guitars, staying mostly rooted to the spot although Chris makes an effort and goes rushabout once or twice.  This programme was broadcast four days later.

18/10/80      One Step Beyond/Embarrassment/My Girl/Baggy Trousers/Madness/Night Boat to Cairo (Countdown Live)

Next stop on the ‘Madness Monster Tour’ is the Netherlands and a festival appearance at the Jaap Edenhal in Amsterdam.  An edited version of this concert was aired on Dutch television which I think also included a short interview.  Chas is at the top of his game for the opener before adding some trumpet for ‘Embarrassment’. Curiously, a Dutch address for a Madness fan club crops up on the screen during what is a belting version of ‘Night Boat to Cairo’ with Woody driving not one but two false endings.

Click here to see: One Step Beyond (Countdown Live) 18/10/80

Click here to see: Embarrassment (Countdown Live) 18/10/80

Click here to see: Night Boat to Cairo (Countdown Live) 18/10/80

01/11/80      One Step Beyond/Night Boat to Cairo (Top Club)

Madness are on French television again, filming three tracks in three different studios on the 23rd of October which ended up being shown on three different episodes of the show during the first three weeks week of November. First up there’s a nut-nut-nutty performance of ‘One Step Beyond’ as Chas plays a ‘marionette’ with Suggs standing behind him on a box as the ‘marionettist’ (yep, that’s a word!). Both had been clearly playing in the makeup room beforehand with Chas looking especially ghoulish. And Mike looks especially energetic here, bashing away on a xylophone with drumsticks before they all seem to enter Mr. Benn’s magic door and land in what looks like the ‘Night Boat to Cairo’ video! Alas…it’s not! There may be no pyramids but there are palm trees, a camel and more k-naked knobbly knee-d dancing. Lee though looks like he’s lost something and goes a ramblin’ instead. The full outro to the song ends up going missing too unfortunately.

Click here to see: One Step Beyond (Top Club) 01/11/80

Click here to see: Night Boat to Cairo (Top Club) 01/11/80

04/11/80      Baggy Trousers (Top Club)

Madness and their xylophone are hauled off to another studio at Antenne 2 with yet another costume change en route…this time they’re looking Absolutely-esque. Suggs has also found time to quickly grow a pencil thin moustache or to dip into his cosmetics bag again. Fed up with always being hidden at the back, Woody takes over on bass with Bedders vanishing into the darkness behind; he does however manage to emerge from the abyss in time for the outro to practice a few swimming strokes.

Click here to see: Coming Soon (Top Club) 04/11/80

07/10/80      Night Boat to Cairo (Top Club)

There can of course be multiple takes of performances in the studio and fortunately on rare occasions, different ones can get shown as in the case here. Suggs takes on some additional conga playing for this one whilst the camel behind Woody seems to have pinched the drummer’s hat. The full version of the single has been found in time for this take too.

Click here to see: Night Boat to Cairo (Top Club) 07/11/80

11/12/80      Embarrassment (Top of the Pops)

Madness appear in their collection of coloured tartan jackets from the promo video.  Bedders is armed with his double bass for this one and Chas is on trumpet again.  It’s a slightly downbeat performance, compared to their previous Top of the Pops appearances at any rate and understandably so as “this is a serious matter”.  There is a funny, awkward moment at the beginning though as presenter, Richard Skinner introduces the song and puts Jermaine Jackson on the spot by asking him about Madness.  Jermaine has to admit he has never heard Madness.  A trademark non-rehearsed Top of the Pops interlude.

Click here to see: Embarrassment (Top of the Pops) 11/12/80

25/12/80      Madness/Interview/Night Boat to Cairo/One Step Beyond (Video Stars Enfants)

It may be Christmas Day when this was broadcast but Lee is dreaming of sunnier times in his sombrero.  This show was in fact recorded some months earlier and is not a French “Mini-Pops” without the toothpaste as one may fear from its title. There’s a 3 course Christmas dinner sized helping of Madness though; starting off with the track ‘Madness’ and Suggs putting in minimal effort, until Lee’s solo. Suggs then clatters some boy on the back of the head before the kids try to interview the band; not an easy task with Suggs, Bedders and a peppy Chas walking off to their whistles of “The Magnificent Seven” before it’s done. Suggs and Chas ditch their dance moves again for most of ‘Night Boat to Cairo’ before mustering some enthusiasm towards the end. A discussion with French Philosopher, François Châtelet formed a chunk of this programme but the mind boggled kids finally get to have some fun, joining Madness on stage for a danceabout and a nutty train in Nutty Boys t-shirts (except for one renegade in a Madness ‘M’ tee) to an extended version of ‘One Step Beyond’.

Click here to see: Night Boat to Cairo (Video Stars Enfants) 25/12/80 

25/12/80      One Step Beyond/Interview (Christmas Runaround)

It’s an outbreak of Madness in Santa suits on an ice rink in Torquay!  There’s a polar bear there too (well, a large prop) although admittedly, this is a kid’s TV game show.  And one of these kids in the audience is excitedly giving the fingers to the camera (see boy in blue on the right at 2:00 on the video clip)…the ultimate rude boy!  There’s a short sharp interview with Santa Suggs too.  This was recorded the previous week, smack in the middle of the band’s ’12 Days of Christmas’ tour and they had used these Santa suits for the tour’s promotional shots.  It’s a bit of a surprise that they played this particular single on the show, considering it had been out over a year previous.  Nothing wrong with that though, it’s not as if they were miming to recordings over 30 years old on TV!  They’d erm never do that. Ho, ho, ho.

Click here to see: One Step Beyond (Runaround) 25/12/80