Night Boat to Cairo
Encyclopedia
"Night Boat to Cairo" is a song by British
ska
/pop
band Madness
from their debut 1979 album One Step Beyond...
. It was written by Mike Barson
and Suggs (Graham McPherson
), and was also included on the Work Rest and Play
EP
, which peaked at #6 in the UK music charts. The song was later re-issued as a single in 1993
, following the success of the re-issued version of "It Must Be Love," but failed to reach the top 40, peaking at number 56. The song has an unusual structure, with a single long verse followed by an even longer instrumental section, heavily sax-based. At one point the instrumental slows right down and momentarily stops, then the opening notes of the song are repeated before the tempo picks up again. It was remixed slightly for inclusion on the band's eponymous 1983 album compiled for the US market.
EP, a promotional music video
was needed. However, there was a lack of time before the release, and not enough to make an effective video. Therefore, Madness filmed a karaoke type video in front of a blatantly chroma key
ed backdrop of an Egyptian pyramid, with the lyrics appearing on screen in "bouncing ball" style as Suggs
sang them. During the long instrumental sections of the song, the band often ran around the set, marching and performing their signature "Nutty Train".
Despite the video's poor effects and unprofessional feel, it became very popular with fans., possibly due to the carefree nature and fooling around of the band onscreen (likely attributable to the large amount of alcohol
they consumed while filming).
However, this music video was not used with the 1993 reissue and remixes.
(a.k.a. The Heavy Heavy Hits), Complete Madness
, It's... Madness Too
, The Business
, Our House, Madness and Ultimate Collection. Most compilations contain the album version of the track.
i hit "Rakevet Laila Le-Kahir" Hebrew for "Night Train to Cairo", by the Israeli rock group Mashina
. "Night Boat to Cairo" has an interplay between major and minor chords, some arpeggio echoes, and some soaring fiddles in the fade-out. These themes are reminiscent of East European Yiddish refrains; and coupled with an irrepressible syncopated ska rhythm.
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...
ska
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...
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 debut 1979 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:...
and Suggs (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:...
), and was also included on the Work Rest and Play
Work Rest and Play
Work Rest and Play is an EP by British ska/pop band Madness. The EP was headlined by the song "Night Boat to Cairo", from the band's debut album One Step Beyond......
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, which peaked at #6 in the UK music charts. The song was later re-issued as a single in 1993
1993 in music
This is a summary of significant events in music in 1993.-January–February:*January 8 – The U.S. Postal Service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. The design was voted on in February 1992....
, following the success of the re-issued version of "It Must Be Love," but failed to reach the top 40, peaking at number 56. The song has an unusual structure, with a single long verse followed by an even longer instrumental section, heavily sax-based. At one point the instrumental slows right down and momentarily stops, then the opening notes of the song are repeated before the tempo picks up again. It was remixed slightly for inclusion on the band's eponymous 1983 album compiled for the US market.
Music video
After the decision to issue the Work Rest and PlayWork Rest and Play
Work Rest and Play is an EP by British ska/pop band Madness. The EP was headlined by the song "Night Boat to Cairo", from the band's debut album One Step Beyond......
EP, a promotional music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was needed. However, there was a lack of time before the release, and not enough to make an effective video. Therefore, Madness filmed a karaoke type video in front of a blatantly chroma key
Chroma key
Chroma key compositing is a technique for compositing two images together. A color range in the top layer is made transparent, revealing another image behind. The chroma keying technique is commonly used in video production and post-production...
ed backdrop of an Egyptian pyramid, with the lyrics appearing on screen in "bouncing ball" style as 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:...
sang them. During the long instrumental sections of the song, the band often ran around the set, marching and performing their signature "Nutty Train".
Despite the video's poor effects and unprofessional feel, it became very popular with fans., possibly due to the carefree nature and fooling around of the band onscreen (likely attributable to the large amount of alcohol
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
they consumed while filming).
However, this music video was not used with the 1993 reissue and remixes.
Appearances
In addition to its EP release and appearance on the album One Step Beyond... "Night Boat to Cairo" 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 Too
It's... Madness Too
It's... Madness Too is a compilation album by the British pop band Madness, released in 1991. It combines some of the band's hit singles and b-sides and is a sequel to It's.....
, 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...
, Our House, Madness and Ultimate Collection. Most compilations contain the album version of the track.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Night Boat to Cairo".- 7" Single
- "Night Boat to Cairo" (BarsonMike BarsonMichael "Mike" Barson is a British musician, best known as a founding member and keyboardist of the second wave ska band, Madness.-Biography:...
/McPhersonSuggs (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:...
) - 3:31 - "Night Boat to Cairo (Paul Gotel Rude Edit)" (Barson/McPherson) - 3:45
- 12" Single
- "Night Boat to Cairo (Paul Gotel Rude Mix)" (Barson/McPherson) - 7:59
- "Night Boat to Cairo (Paul Gotel Rude Edit)" (Barson/McPherson) - 3:45
- "Night Boat to Cairo (Well Hung Parliament Dub Edit)" (Barson/McPherson) - 5:35
- "Night Boat to Cairo (Paul Gotel Rude Instrumental)" (Barson/McPherson) - 7:54
- CD Single
- "Night Boat to Cairo (Barson/McPherson)" - 3:31
- "Night Boat to Cairo (Paul Gotel Rude Mix)" (Barson/McPherson) - 7:59
- "Night Boat to Cairo (Paul Gotel Rude Edit)" (Barson/McPherson) - 3:45
- "Night Boat to Cairo (Well Hung Parliament Dub Edit)" (Barson/McPherson) - 5:35
- "Night Boat to Cairo (Paul Gotel Rude Instrumental)" (Barson/McPherson) - 7:54
Influence
The song inspired the IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i hit "Rakevet Laila Le-Kahir" Hebrew for "Night Train to Cairo", by the Israeli rock group Mashina
Mashina
Mashina are an Israeli pop rock band which was active from 1984 to 1995, and then again from 2003 to the present. The band is considered by many to be Israel's most important and influential rock band...
. "Night Boat to Cairo" has an interplay between major and minor chords, some arpeggio echoes, and some soaring fiddles in the fade-out. These themes are reminiscent of East European Yiddish refrains; and coupled with an irrepressible syncopated ska rhythm.