My Girl (Madness song)
Encyclopedia
"My Girl" is a song by British ska
/pop
group Madness
from their debut album, One Step Beyond...
. It was written by Mike Barson
. The song was released as a single on 21 December 1979 and spent 10 weeks on the UK Singles Chart
peaking at number 3.
The song was reissued in 1992 following the success of the reissued "It Must Be Love". It reached number 27 in the UK Singles Chart.
took over the vocal duties before long, and sang the album version of the song.
When the group performed the song on Top of the Pops
in January 1980, they were the first band of the new decade performing on the TV show.
. For the video, the stage was extended especially, in order to ensure that the band could perform comfortably.
of "The Return of the Los Palmas 7
", featuring Mike Barson on vocals. In 2006, the Ordinary Boys released a live recording of the song at the Brixton Academy featuring Suggs, as the B-Side to their single "Nine-2-Five".
On 2 May 2008, Graham McPherson
(Suggs) and Carl Smyth
(Chas Smash) performed a new arrangement by the Pet Shop Boys
live at the Heaven
in London. They appeared as part of Pet Shop Boys' live set during the benefit evening for Dainton Connell
's family, "Can You Bear It?". A Pet Shop Boys version of the song appears on the Pet Shop Boys' Christmas EP
, along with a remix of the song.
(a.k.a. The Heavy Heavy Hits), Complete Madness
, It's... Madness
, Total Madness
and The Business
.
Perhaps surprisingly for such a well-known song in the UK, the song is largely ignored by the group's various US compilations, appearing only on Ultimate Collection.
12" vinyl single
The song "Precious One" is to date the only Madness original to have been released only as a live version and never in a studio version.
covered Madness's
"My Girl" in 1984. The title was changed to "My Guy", and the single got the title "My Guy's Mad at Me". Madness' Mark Bedford
played bass on the track. Her version was in the UK Top 40 at the same time as Madness' "Michael Caine
" and peaked at number 23. The music video featured the British politician, Neil Kinnock
, at the time the Leader of the Opposition. The single was also released as a 7" picture disc
, with a picture of Ullman and Kinnock sitting at a table.
12" vinyl single
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
/pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
group 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 debut album, One Step Beyond...
One Step Beyond...
One Step Beyond... is the 1979 debut album by the British ska group Madness. It was ranked 90th in a 2005 survey held by British television's Channel 4 to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time. The album peaked at number 2 and remained in the British record charts for over a year. One Step...
. It was written by 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:...
. The song was released as a single on 21 December 1979 and spent 10 weeks on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
peaking at number 3.
The song was reissued in 1992 following the success of the reissued "It Must Be Love". It reached number 27 in the UK Singles Chart.
Song history
The song first made its way into the band's set when they were performing as The Invaders. The first performance of the song came in July 1978, when it was performed by the band at the "Blind Alley Shop" and simply titled "New Song". Barson originally performed lead vocals, and even sang on the demo for the song. This is because Barson wrote the song, about his girlfriend at the time, [Kerstin Rodgers]http://marmitelover.blogspot.com/. However, SuggsSuggs (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:...
took over the vocal duties before long, and sang the album version of the song.
When the group performed the song on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
in January 1980, they were the first band of the new decade performing on the TV show.
Music video
The music video for "My Girl" features Madness performing the song at the Dublin Castle, LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. For the video, the stage was extended especially, in order to ensure that the band could perform comfortably.
Other versions
A demo version of "My Girl" was released on the B-Side of the 12" version12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
of "The Return of the Los Palmas 7
The Return of the Los Palmas 7
"The Return of the Los Palmas 7" is a song by British ska/pop band Madness, written by Mike Barson, Mark Bedford and Daniel Woodgate. The song was Woodgate's first credit as a songwriter, and was released as the band's 7th single on . The single reached number 7 in the UK, and remained in the...
", featuring Mike Barson on vocals. In 2006, the Ordinary Boys released a live recording of the song at the Brixton Academy featuring Suggs, as the B-Side to their single "Nine-2-Five".
On 2 May 2008, Graham McPherson
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:...
(Suggs) and Carl Smyth
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...
(Chas Smash) performed a new arrangement by the Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
live at the Heaven
Heaven (nightclub)
Heaven is a Superclub in London, England which appeals predominantly to the gay market. It is located underneath Charing Cross railway station in Central London, just off Trafalgar Square.-Early history:...
in London. They appeared as part of Pet Shop Boys' live set during the benefit evening for Dainton Connell
Dainton Connell
Dainton Connell , known as "Denton" or "The Bear", was a noted leader of one of the Arsenal's hooligan firms during the 1980s. Later in his life he served as a bodyguard, minder and manager to the Pet Shop Boys, appearing on albums and in music videos by the duo.-Biography:Connell was born in 1961...
's family, "Can You Bear It?". A Pet Shop Boys version of the song appears on the Pet Shop Boys' Christmas EP
Christmas (Pet Shop Boys EP)
Christmas is an EP by Pet Shop Boys, released on 14 December 2009.The EP contains a new version of their exclusive 1997 fan club single "It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas" and a new version of the track "All Over the World" from their tenth studio album Yes...
, along with a remix of the song.
Appearances
In addition to its single release and appearance on the album One Step Beyond... "My Girl" also appears on the Madness collections Divine MadnessDivine 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....
(a.k.a. The Heavy Heavy Hits), 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's... Madness
It's... Madness
It's... Madness is a compilation album by the British pop band Madness released in 1990. It combines some of the band's hit singles and b-sides. A sequel to this, It's.....
, Total Madness
Total Madness - the Very Best of Madness
Total Madness - the Very Best of Madness is a greatest hits album by a British ska/pop band Madness. It was released in 1997 in United States only.-Track listing:# "Our House"# "It Must Be Love"# "Tomorrow's "# "Shut Up"# "Grey Day"...
and The Business
The Business - the Definitive Singles Collection
The Business – the Definitive Singles Collection is a 3 disc box set by ska/pop band Madness released in 1993 . It contained all the band's singles up until that point with their respective b-sides and other bonus tracks, some rare. It also includes a 52 page booklet and snippets of interviews with...
.
Perhaps surprisingly for such a well-known song in the UK, the song is largely ignored by the group's various US compilations, appearing only on Ultimate Collection.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "My Girl".1979 release
7" vinyl single12" vinyl single
1992 release
7" vinyl singleThe song "Precious One" is to date the only Madness original to have been released only as a live version and never in a studio version.
Chart performance
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
3 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
3 |
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
27 |
My Guy's Mad at Me
Tracey UllmanTracey Ullman
Tracey Ullman is a British stage and television actress, comedienne, singer, dancer, screenwriter and author ....
covered Madness's
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...
"My Girl" in 1984. The title was changed to "My Guy", and the single got the title "My Guy's Mad at Me". Madness' Mark Bedford
Mark Bedford
Mark Bedford , nicknamed 'Bedders', is a bass guitarist and former member of the band Madness....
played bass on the track. Her version was in the UK Top 40 at the same time as Madness' "Michael Caine
Michael Caine (song)
"Michael Caine" is a song by British band Madness from their 1984 album Keep Moving, and was released as a single in the same year. "Michael Caine", written by the unique pairing of Carl Smyth and Daniel Woodgate, featured Smyth on lead vocals, which was unlike most Madness songs, which were sung...
" and peaked at number 23. The music video featured the British politician, Neil Kinnock
Neil Kinnock
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock is a Welsh politician belonging to the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995 and as Labour Leader and Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1983 until 1992 - his leadership of the party during nearly nine years making him...
, at the time the Leader of the Opposition. The single was also released as a 7" picture disc
Picture disc
Picture discs are gramophone records that show images on their playing surface, rather than being of plain black or coloured vinyl.-Development:...
, with a picture of Ullman and Kinnock sitting at a table.
Formats and track listings
7" vinyl single12" vinyl single
Chart performance
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
23 |
| Dutch GfK GfK The GfK Group, established in 1934 as Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung is Germany's largest market research institute, and the fourth largest market research organisation in the world, after Nielsen Company, Kantar Group, and IMS Health... chart |
19 |
| 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... |
23 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
7 |