Cardiac Arrest (song)
Encyclopedia
"Cardiac Arrest" is a song by British
band Madness
from their third album 7
and other compilation album called Complete Madness
. It spent 10 weeks in UK charts peaking at number 14.
The song was written by Chas Smash
and Chris Foreman
and tells a story of a workaholic who suffers a fatal heart attack on his way to work. The song received little if any airplay, other than on the Top 40 show, on BBC Radio 1
due to deaths in the families of two DJs; this was cited as one reason for the record's disappointing chart position. It was the first Madness single since "The Prince
" not making it to the top 10.
The album version of the song ends after the second chorus with a dramatic cut to a coda representing the man's heart thudding and then stopping, however the single version replaces this with a repeat of the more optimistic first chorus, which fades out.
The music video for "Cardiac Arrest" featured Chas Smash as a person having a heart attack and the remaining band members playing roles of people advising him not to work so hard. The video follows the single version of the song rather than the album version.
The B-side, "In the City", was originally written by Bill Crutchfield, Chas Smash, Chris Foreman, Daisuke Inoue
, Suggs
, and Mike Barson
for a Japanese television advertisement for Honda City
cars. The various versions of the advert, including variations using "Driving in My Car
" instead of "In the City", appear between tracks on the Divine Madness
video.
In the Netherlands the single was released as a double A-side, and peaked at number 15 in the Dutch Top 40
. In the US, "Cardiac Arrest" was released on the US compilation album Madness and the B-side of their "Our House
" single.
12" single
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
band Madness
Madness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
from their third album 7
7 (Madness album)
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...
and other compilation album called Complete Madness
Complete Madness
Complete Madness is the first greatest hits album by ska/pop group Madness. It was released in 1982 and included Madness' biggest hits from their first three studio albums and all the stand-alone singles. Complete Madness spent 99 weeks on the UK charts peaking at number 1...
. It spent 10 weeks in UK charts peaking at number 14.
The song was written by Chas Smash
Chas Smash
Cathal Smyth, also known as Chas Smash is an English musician, best known as the backing singer and dancer in the ska/pop band Madness. He also plays trumpet, acoustic guitar and various percussion instruments...
and Chris Foreman
Chris Foreman
Chris Foreman , nicknamed Chrissy Boy, is an English guitarist, best known as a member of a second wave ska band, Madness.Foreman started Madness with Mike Barson and Lee Thompson in 1976...
and tells a story of a workaholic who suffers a fatal heart attack on his way to work. The song received little if any airplay, other than on the Top 40 show, on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
due to deaths in the families of two DJs; this was cited as one reason for the record's disappointing chart position. It was the first Madness single since "The Prince
The Prince (song)
"The Prince" is a song by British ska/pop band Madness. It was written by Lee Thompson, and was the band's first single. On 10 August 1979 the single was released through 2 Tone Records and peaked at number 16 in the UK singles chart, spending a total of 11 weeks in the charts."The Prince" is a...
" not making it to the top 10.
The album version of the song ends after the second chorus with a dramatic cut to a coda representing the man's heart thudding and then stopping, however the single version replaces this with a repeat of the more optimistic first chorus, which fades out.
The music video for "Cardiac Arrest" featured Chas Smash as a person having a heart attack and the remaining band members playing roles of people advising him not to work so hard. The video follows the single version of the song rather than the album version.
The B-side, "In the City", was originally written by Bill Crutchfield, Chas Smash, Chris Foreman, Daisuke Inoue
Daisuke Inoue
is a Japanese businessman best known as the inventor of the karaoke machine. Inoue, a musician in his youth employed in backing businesspeople who wanted to sing in bars, invented the machine as a means of allowing them to sing without live back-up...
, Suggs
Suggs (singer)
Graham McPherson , better known as Suggs, is an English singer, actor, former radio DJ, TV personality, and most famous as the frontman of the band Madness.-Early life:...
, and Mike Barson
Mike Barson
Michael "Mike" Barson is a British musician, best known as a founding member and keyboardist of the second wave ska band, Madness.-Biography:...
for a Japanese television advertisement for Honda City
Honda City
The Honda City is a subcompact car manufactured by the Japanese manufacturer Honda since 1981. Originally made for the Japanese, European and Australasian markets, the City was retired without replacement in 1994...
cars. The various versions of the advert, including variations using "Driving in My Car
Driving in My Car
"Driving in My Car" is a single by Madness. It was released on 24 July 1982, and spent eight weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number four...
" instead of "In the City", appear between tracks on the Divine Madness
Divine Madness (Madness album)
Divine Madness is the 1992 greatest hits album from the British ska/pop band Madness. It presents the group's single A-sides in chronological order, though sometimes in their LP rather than single versions....
video.
In the Netherlands the single was released as a double A-side, and peaked at number 15 in the Dutch Top 40
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...
. In the US, "Cardiac Arrest" was released on the US compilation album Madness and the B-side of their "Our House
Our House (Madness song)
"Our House" is a single by English ska/pop band Madness, from their UK album The Rise & Fall and their US compilation Madness.-About:...
" single.
Track listing
7" single- "Cardiac Arrest" - 2:58
- "In the City" - 2:56
12" single
- "Cardiac Arrest" (Extended 12" Version) – 4:10
- "In the City" - 2:56