7 (Madness album)



7 (also known as Madness 7) 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 a lot of the album was re-recorded in London when they returned from Nassau.

Side two
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

 * 1) "Cardiac Arrest"
 * 2) "Shut Up"
 * 3) "Sign Of The Times"
 * 4) "Missing You"
 * 5) "Mrs Hutchinson"
 * 6) "Tomorrow's Dream"
 * 7) "Grey Day"
 * 8) "Pac-a-Mac"
 * 9) "Promises Promises"
 * 10) "Benny Bullfrog"
 * 11) "When Dawn Arrives"
 * 12) "The Opium Eaters"
 * 13) "Day On The Town"


 * Promo Videos (Enhanced CD content):
 * 1) "Grey Day"
 * 2) "Shut Up"
 * 3) "It Must be Love"
 * 4) "Cardiac Arrest"

CD 2

 * The Richard Skinner Sessions
 * 1) "Missing You"
 * 2) "Sign of the Times"
 * 3) "Tiptoes" (McPherson, Barson)


 * The Bonus Tracks
 * 1) "Memories" (M.W. Barson) [B-side "Grey Day" single]
 * 2) "A Town With No Name" (C.J. Foreman) [B-side "Shut Up" single]
 * 3) "Never Ask Twice" (G. McPherson, M. Barson) [B-side "Shut Up" 12" single]
 * 4) "It Must Be Love" (Labi Siffre) [Single]
 * 5) "Shadow on the House" (C.J. Foreman) [B-side "It Must Be Love" single]
 * 6) "In the City" (McPherson, Barson, Smash, Foreman, Crutchfield, Inoue) [B-side "Cardiac Arrest" single]
 * 7) "Cardiac Arrest" [12" Extended Version]
 * 8) "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