- Baggy Trousers
Infobox Single
Name=Baggy Trousers
Artist=Madness
from Album=Absolutely
Released=September 5 ,1980
Format=7"
Recorded=1980
Genre=Ska /Pop
Length=2:46
Label=Stiff Records
Writer = Graham McPhersonChris Foreman Mike Barson
Producer=Clive Langer Alan Winstanley
Reviews=
Artist=Madness
Last single="Work Rest and Play EP "
(1980)
This single="Baggy Trousers "
(1980)
Next single="Embarrassment"
(1980)
Misc = Extra musicsample |filename=Madness - Baggy Trousers.ogg |format=Ogg |title=Baggy TrousersExtra tracklisting
Album = Absolutely
Type = studio
Tracks = ;Side One
# "Baggy Trousers "
# "Embarrassment"
# "E.R.N.I.E."
# "Close Escape"
# "Not Home Today"
# "On the Beat Pete"
# "Solid Gone";Side Two
# "Take It or Leave It"
# "Shadow of Fear"
# "Disappear"
# "Overdone"
# "In the Rain"
# "You Said"
# "Return of the Los Palmas 7 "Extra tracklisting
Album = Divine Madness
Type = Compilation
prev_track = "Night Boat to Cairo "
prev_no = 4
this_track = "Baggy Trousers"
track_no = 5
next_track = "Embarrassment"
next_no = 6"Baggy Trousers" is a song by English ska/pop band Madness from their 1980 album "Absolutely". It was written by lead singer Suggs, Woodstra, Chris.cite web|url= http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:a9fixqq5ldhe |title= "Allmusic.com Absolutely Overview" Retrieved on
July 1 ,2007 .] and reminisces on school days.Mike Barson andChris Foreman also received writing credits (though Barson was credited in error, the correct McPherson/Foreman credit being used for subsequent releases). The band first began performing the song at live shows in April of 1980. cite web|url= http://www.madness.co.uk/time/1980/text.htm |title= "The Madness Timeline: 1980" Retrieved onJuly 1 ,2007 .]It was released as a single on
September 5 ,1980 and spent 20 weeks in UK charts, reaching a high of #3. It was the 11th best-selling single of 1980 in the UK.Music video
, and during the band's 2007 Christmas tour.
The video was met with a great critical response from the public, and was particularly important as it now allowed television shows such as
Top of the Pops to show the band's music video, taking strain off the band. Following the release of "Baggy Trousers", the public began to anticipate future Madness music videos.Usage in popular culture
The song was featured in the 2001 film "
Mean Machine ", and was included in the accompanyingsoundtrack . cite web|url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mean-Machine-Original-Soundtrack/dp/B00005Y48T/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/202-8716627-2828667?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1183260159&sr=8-2 |title= "Amazon.co.uk Mean Machine OST" Retrieved onJuly 1 ,2007 .]Colgate used a slightly different version of the song with different lyrics to sell their Blue Minty Gel toothpaste and Colgate Pump container for atelevision advertisement. cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdcVRueT2cw |title= "Colgate advertisement uploaded to Youtube.com" Retrieved onJuly 2 ,2007 .] It is also used continually throughout the play "The History Boys"A popular joke concerning the song is "Baggy trousers are the first sign of Madness."
Appearances
In addition to its single release and appearance on the album "Absolutely", "Baggy Trousers" also appears on the Madness collections "Divine Madness" (a.k.a. "The Heavy Heavy Hits"), "
Complete Madness ", "It's... Madness ", "Total Madness", "The Business" and "". Its only appearance on a US Madness compilation is on "Ultimate Collection".Track listing
#"Baggy Trousers" (McPherson/Foreman/Barson) - 2:46
#"The Business" (Barson) - 3:14Notes
External links
* [http://hvsc.tp2.be/C64Music/MUSICIANS/S/Shavitt_Guy/Baggy_Trousers.sid Baggy_Trousers.sid] , a SID cover of the song.
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