Grey Day
Encyclopedia
"Grey Day" is a pop
song written by Mike Barson
and recorded by British
pop/ska
band Madness
. The song was the first single released from the band's third studio album 7
. It was a big departure from their early ska sound with a much darker, miserable feel.
The song was written prior to the band becoming a success in the UK music scene, and the first performance of the song came back in 1978 at the Acklam Hall while the band were known as "The North London Invaders". The song was finally recorded in 1981 and was released as a single in 17 April 1981. The song spent 10 weeks in the UK Singles Chart
, reaching a high of number 4. It was able to crack the charts in Australia as well, but only as high as number 82.
for the single was filmed in March 1981. The majority of the video was shot on an open top bus
as it drove around London, and in Bowmans shop window on Camden
High Street
, where the band performed the song. The street they are featured walking down is Royal College Street just off of Camden High Street, they are seen entering various of the houses between 115 and 125.
(a.k.a. The Heavy Heavy Hits), Complete Madness
, It's... Madness
, The Business
and Our House. It also features on all four US Madness retrospectives, Madness, Total Madness
, Ultimate Collection and The Millennium Collection.
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...
song 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 recorded by British
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...
pop/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...
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...
. The song was the first single released from the band's third studio 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...
. It was a big departure from their early ska sound with a much darker, miserable feel.
The song was written prior to the band becoming a success in the UK music scene, and the first performance of the song came back in 1978 at the Acklam Hall while the band were known as "The North London Invaders". The song was finally recorded in 1981 and was released as a single in 17 April 1981. The song spent 10 weeks in 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 ...
, reaching a high of number 4. It was able to crack the charts in Australia as well, but only as high as number 82.
Music video
The music videoMusic 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...
for the single was filmed in March 1981. The majority of the video was shot on an open top bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
as it drove around London, and in Bowmans shop window on Camden
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
High Street
High Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
, where the band performed the song. The street they are featured walking down is Royal College Street just off of Camden High Street, they are seen entering various of the houses between 115 and 125.
Appearances
"Grey Day" is one of Madness' most anthologised singles. In addition to its single release and appearance on the album 7, "Grey Day" 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.....
, 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...
and Our House. It also features on all four US Madness retrospectives, Madness, 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"...
, Ultimate Collection and The Millennium Collection.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Grey Day".- 7" Single / Cassette Single
- "Grey Day" (BarsonMike BarsonMichael "Mike" Barson is a British musician, best known as a founding member and keyboardist of the second wave ska band, Madness.-Biography:...
) - 3:37 - "Memories" (ForemanChris ForemanChris 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...
) - 2:24
- 12" Single
- "Un Paso Adelante!" (CampbellPrince BusterCecil Bustamente Campbell, O.D. , better known as Prince Buster, and also known by his Muslim name Muhammed Yusef Ali, is a musician from Kingston, Jamaica. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of ska and rocksteady music...
) - 2:18 - "Baggy TrousersBaggy Trousers"Baggy Trousers" is a song by English ska/pop band Madness from their 1980 album Absolutely. It was written by lead singer Suggs and guitarist Chris Foreman, and reminisces on school days....
" (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:...
/Foreman) - 2:46 - "Grey Day" (Barson) - 3:37
- "Take It Or Leave It" (ThompsonLee Jay ThompsonLee 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....
/Barson) - 3:27