Madness – One Step Beyond

In the 1980s, I was watching MTV, and I came across this band playing a song called Our House and I loved it. Not only did I like the song, but the bands irrevelant humor wore off on me. They didn’t take themselves seriously at all, and I respect that.

When this song came out in 1979, it sounded like a party breaking out in the middle of the British charts. Madness was part of the late-1970s ska revival that grew out of London clubs. Their version of this was actually a remake of a 1964 instrumental by Jamaican artist Prince Buster. Madness kept the structure but turned it into something louder and more chaotic. The song begins with Chas Smash shouting “Don’t watch that, watch this!” before the band launches into the riff. From that moment, it feels like a call to the dance.

It’s a fast ska rhythm, brass sounds, and a repeating organ line. Unlike many pop songs of the time, there is very little singing. Instead, the horns carry the melody while the band pushes the tempo forward. It captures the mix of Jamaican ska and British pub-rock attitude that defined the early Madness sound. The record was produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who helped give the band a tight but lively sound.

The video, with the group dancing and marching through London streets, helped define their image. Madness were not trying to be serious rock stars. They looked like a gang of friends who started a band and brought the party with them. This was the title cut off of their debut album, released in 1979. The album peaked at #2 on the UK Album Charts and #27 in New Zealand that year. The song peaked at #7 in the UK. 

Here is a later live version. The crowd was ready!

One Step Beyond

(Hey you, don’t watch that,
Watch this!
This is the heavy heavy monster sound
The nutsiest sound around
So if you’ve come in off the street
And you’re beginning to feel the heat
Well listen buster
You’d better to start to move your feet
To the rockin’est, rock-steady beat
Of Madness
One step beyond!)

(One step beyond!…)

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

40 thoughts on “Madness – One Step Beyond”

  1. Pingback: Madness – One Step Beyond – MobsterTiger

      1. Good rowdy fun.

        Early due to a touch of insomnia in the night, dammit. I don’t usually get insomnia but last night left me restless. Guess I’m going to be tired and grumpy this merry frikkin’ morning. (For a change…🙄)

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      5. I’m off back to bed… pull the dark curtains even closer against the dawning light, rearrange the pillows, settle down under the duvet, close my eyes- and ears and ignore the cat yowling for his breakfast…

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  6. Fun to watch that video again! Like you said, they didn’t take themselves all that seriously but were a bit of , the word again, ‘fun’ on the charts back then. I’m gonna step on a few toes to say a bit over-rated there and under-rated here

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  7. Ir was such a novel, and exciting sound back then. It still brings people to their feet. And for folk like who likes ska and reggae, and also the raucous sound of punk, Madness brought it all together ..

    Their ‘Nutty Boy ‘ identity and image (like a Cockney version of the Blues Brothers) was such fun.

    I don’t think anyone could possibly have disliked them. 😃

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  10. Ive caught some great concert openings but this takes the cake. Was this the show they opened up for Leonard Cohen? Max I wanted more of that record after this first cut and i wanted to be on stage with those guys. It’s called FUN!

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    1. That crowd gave me chills as well…I mean it was tremendous… it was in 1998 called “Madstock” with all original members. And yes…with a heaping of fun!
      I never knew they opened for Cohen…wow….thats a contrast that would have been very cool.

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      2. LOL…I thought…man…but you know what? I would have bought a ticket! I should have known but there are odd pairings out there…that is why I didn’t bat an eye (Ramones opening for Poco).
        Oh yea…the sax separated them from many others…the whole brass thing they had. This was right before the sax regained popularity in the 80s.

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      3. “Poco/Ramones”? There you go. Crazy. There were some odd concert combos for concerts. I think you did a take on that.
        I hung in for the next few records but in my opinion they struck lightning with the first one. Not just one song. ‘Our House’ probably payed some bills.

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      4. See? That is why I didn’t blink an eye. Jimi/Monkees…what the hell? But you know what? Again I would have bought a ticket just to see it!
        Yea…Our House is what made me notice them for sure…because of MTV which I have very mixed feelings over.

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      5. Oh yeah there was that. Bruce and Ann? Ive been to some shows where it got nasty with the different audiences and when the opener wasnt well know it was embarrassing the no-respect they got.

        ‘Our House ‘ worked for them.

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      6. Yes I’ve been to those as well…not real bad but I always feel for the opening band. I’m like…give them a chance! Prince was booed off the stage opening up for the Stones.
        Yes it did…and they didn’t “sell out” either…it’s their style.

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