Madness’ cover of Jamaican Ska singer Prince Buster’s “One Step Beyond” is now certified Gold in the UK, 45 years after it was released.
According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the song was issued a BritCertified Gold award on Friday June 7, 2024 for sales and streams combined amounting to 400,000 units in that country as measured by the Official Charts Company.
Released on October 26, 1979, from their eponymous debut album, the song was originally a B-side instrumental by Jamaican ska singer Prince Buster in 1964 and the Madness version features a spoken intro by Chas Smash and background chants. The intro includes lines from Prince Buster’s “Scorcher” and Dave and Ansell Collins “Funky Funky Reggae”, which also became a trademark in early MTV promos.
Produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, the final release was a rough mix extended with an Eventide harmonizer. The song is a staple opener for Madness’ live performances.
Madness, originally known as The Invaders, formed in 1976 by Mike Barson, Chris Foreman, and Lee Thompson. They evolved into Madness in homage to a Prince Buster song after recruiting Graham ‘Suggs’ McPherson, Mark Bedford, Carl ‘Chas Smash’ Smyth, and Dan Woodgate. They were ska enthusiasts influenced by Clive Langer’s band, Deaf School.
Their debut album, One Step Beyond, was produced in three weeks across different studios. It was Stiff Records’ Dave Robinson, who wanted the titled track to be the first single.
This decision led to an unconventional production method where the track was lengthened by putting “the second half through [an Eventide] Harmonizer to make it sound a little bit different to the first half” . Producer for the album, Alan Winstanley recalls, “Clive shoved the tape through the Stiff Records letterbox on his way home that morning, and then we returned to the studio to mix it properly at double the length.”
The music video for the song directed by Chuck Statler featured a performance film on October 1979 at the Hope And Anchor Stage in Islington UK.
Over the years the Madness has paid tribute to Prince Buster at their concerts including in 2016 when appeared at Radio 2’s Festival in a Day in Hyde Park, London, and dedicated a rendition of their first single, “The Prince,” to Buster, who passed away the same year.
Madness singer Suggs talked about Prince Buster’s vital influence on the group during a BBC interview. “The fact he came from the streets and he had a terrific sense of humour and energy – it really appealed to us and it had a huge impact on everything we did, really.”
Reflecting on Buster’s contributions, Suggs added: “It’s like the Monty Python thing about the Romans: ‘What did Prince Buster ever do for us?’ A great deal indeed.”
Madness’s second single, “One Step Beyond,” a cover of a Prince Buster song, became their first top 10 hit. They also covered his song “Madness.”
