Driving in My Car
Encyclopedia
"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. It reached number twenty on the Australian Singles Chart.
From the video and most of the lyrics, the track is about a Morris Minor
that was used by the group in the early years before band became famous as seen in the film Take It or Leave It
. The lyrics, however, do lend themselves to a little artistic license, e.g. the Morris was not built by the Tyne, it was built at Cowley
, Oxfordshire.
The B-side to the single was "Animal Farm", a mostly instrumental reworking of the song "Tomorrow's Dream". The 12" release of the single included the song "Riding on My Bike", which is basically a rewording of the main track, sung by Lee Thompson
.
"Driving in My Car" was the thirteenth in a run of twenty consecutive UK top twenty hits for Madness, and is the only one of those twenty never to have been officially released on a Madness album in the USA. It was later included on the 2010 re-release of the band's 1982 album The Rise and Fall, as well as its two b-sides.
The song was adapted for one of the band's adverts for Honda
Japan
, along with "In The City". The advert is included in the video version of Divine Madness.
. The members of fellow ska/pop group Fun Boy Three
make a brief appearance, trying (and failing) to hitch a ride to their home town of Coventry
, which the A45
mentioned in the song passes through.
It has been claimed that the video was an influence on U2
's video for "Sweetest Thing" in 1998.
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...
. It was released on 24 July 1982, and spent eight weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number four. It reached number twenty on the Australian Singles Chart.
From the video and most of the lyrics, the track is about a Morris Minor
Morris Minor
The Morris Minor was a British economy car that debuted at the Earls Court Motor Show, London, on 20 September 1948. Designed under the leadership of Alec Issigonis, more than 1.3 million were manufactured between 1948 and 1971...
that was used by the group in the early years before band became famous as seen in the film Take It or Leave It
Take It or Leave It (film)
Take It or Leave It is a 1981 film about the British ska/pop band Madness, directed by the owner of Madness label Stiff Records, Dave Robinson, who also directed the band's music videos. The film's budget was paid by the members of Madness, with £20 000 each and £250 000 by Stiff.The genre of the...
. The lyrics, however, do lend themselves to a little artistic license, e.g. the Morris was not built by the Tyne, it was built at Cowley
Cowley, Oxford
Cowley in Oxford, England, is a residential and industrial area that forms a small conurbation within greater Oxford. Cowley's neighbours are central Oxford to the northwest, Rose Hill and Blackbird Leys to the south, New Headington to the north and the villages of Horspath and Garsington across...
, Oxfordshire.
The B-side to the single was "Animal Farm", a mostly instrumental reworking of the song "Tomorrow's Dream". The 12" release of the single included the song "Riding on My Bike", which is basically a rewording of the main track, sung by Lee Thompson
Lee Jay Thompson
Lee Jay Thompson , nicknamed Kix or El Thommo, is an English musician, best known as the saxophonist and songwriter of the second wave ska band, Madness....
.
"Driving in My Car" was the thirteenth in a run of twenty consecutive UK top twenty hits for Madness, and is the only one of those twenty never to have been officially released on a Madness album in the USA. It was later included on the 2010 re-release of the band's 1982 album The Rise and Fall, as well as its two b-sides.
The song was adapted for one of the band's adverts for Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, along with "In The City". The advert is included in the video version of Divine Madness.
Video
The video shows Madness as car mechanics larking about in their workshop, and in their normal suits driving around in their "Maddiemobile" - a white 1959 model Morris MinorMorris Minor
The Morris Minor was a British economy car that debuted at the Earls Court Motor Show, London, on 20 September 1948. Designed under the leadership of Alec Issigonis, more than 1.3 million were manufactured between 1948 and 1971...
. The members of fellow ska/pop group Fun Boy Three
Fun Boy Three
Fun Boy Three were a short-lived but successful English New Wave Pop band which ran from 1981 to 1983 and was formed by singers Terry Hall, Neville Staple and Lynval Golding after they left The Specials.-History:...
make a brief appearance, trying (and failing) to hitch a ride to their home town of Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, which the A45
A45 road
The A45 is a major road in England. It runs east from Birmingham past the National Exhibition Centre and the M42, then bypasses Coventry and Rugby, where it briefly merges with the M45 until it continues to Daventry...
mentioned in the song passes through.
It has been claimed that the video was an influence on U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's video for "Sweetest Thing" in 1998.
Track listing
- 7" single
- "Driving in My Car" - 3:17
- "Animal Farm (Tomorrow's Dream Warp Mix)" -4:02
- 12" single
- "Driving in My Car" - 3:17
- "Animal Farm (Tomorrow's Dream Warp Mix)" -4:02
- "Riding On My Bike" - 4:35