Biography
After the 1986 dissolution of the British ska-pop outfit Madness, most of its seven members showed little inclination to regard the split as permanent. Four of them regrouped two years later under the slightly altered moniker The Madness, thereby distinguishing the new project from its predecessor solely through the addition of a definite article. Their sole release was a self-titled album dominated by keyboards and aligned with Britpop rather than ska. Graham “Suggs” McPherson, the longstanding frontman of the original group, handled lead vocals on half the songs, while the remaining tracks were attributed to “Cathal,” whose voice closely resembled that of Carl “Chas Smash” Smyth—the trumpet player, backing vocalist, and multi-role contributor from Madness. Guitarist Chris Foreman and saxophonist Lee Thompson continued in their established positions. Steve Nieve, who had substituted for founding pianist Mike Barson after the latter’s 1985 departure from Madness, also contributed keyboards. The only single issued by The Madness was titled “I Pronounce You.”