7 (Madness album)

7
Studio album by Madness
Released	October 1981
Recorded	1981
Genre	Ska/Pop
Length	38:35
Label	Stiff
Producer	Clive Langer Alan Winstanley
Madness chronology
Absolutely (1980) 7 (1981) Complete Madness (1982)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic

7 is the third album from the British ska/pop band Madness. Released in October 1981, it reached #5 in the UK album chart. All but one track was recorded at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas in the summer of 1981, the exception being Grey Day which was recorded in London earlier in the year. Although in 2011 Co-producer Alan Winstanley stated in the 'Guided Tour Of Madness' boxed-set that a lot of the album was re-recorded in London when they returned from Nassau.

Track listing

Original release

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Cardiac Arrest"	Smyth/Foreman	2:52
2.	"Shut Up"	McPherson/Foreman	4:07
3.	"Sign of the Times"	McPherson/Barson	2:43
4.	"Missing You"	McPherson/Barson	2:32
5.	"Mrs. Hutchinson"	Barson	2:17
6.	"Tomorrow's Dream"	Thompson/Barson	3:54
7.	"Grey Day"	Barson	3:40
8.	"Pac-A-Mac"	Thompson/Barson	2:37
9.	"Promises Promises"	Thompson/Barson	2:52
10.	"Benny Bullfrog"	Thompson/Foreman	1:51
11.	"When Dawn Arrives"	Thompson/Barson	2:43
12.	"The Opium Eaters"	Barson	3:03
13.	"Day on the Town"	McPherson/Foreman	3:24

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 was issued on a one sided 7" single with initial copies of the album. France renamed A Day On The Town as A Place In The City. Australia added It Must Be Love as the first track on side one, and Japan added In The City, which was issued as a single in that country.

Later vinyl pressings featured different mixes of some tracks (most notably Mrs Hutchinson and A Day On The Town). When first issued on CD in 1989 these were the mixes used, and have been ever since.

2010 re-release

In 2009 and 2010, Madness re-released their entire back catalogue of studio albums up until 1999's Wonderful with a bonus CD and extra tracks.

CD 1

1. "Cardiac Arrest"
2. "Shut Up"
3. "Sign of the Times"
4. "Missing You"
5. "Mrs Hutchinson"
6. "Tomorrow's Dream"
7. "Grey Day"
8. "Pac-a-mac"
9. "Promises Promises"
10. "Benny Bullfrog"
11. "When Dawn Arrives"
12. "The Opium Eaters"
13. "Day on the Town"

Promo Videos (Enhanced CD content)

1. "Grey Day"
2. "Shut Up"
3. "It Must be Love"
4. "Cardiac Arrest"

CD 2

The Richard Skinner Sessions

1. "Missing You"
2. "Sign of the Times"
3. "Tiptoes"

The Bonus Tracks

1. "Memories" - (B-side "Grey Day" 7")
2. "A Town With No Name" - (B-side "Shut Up" 7")
3. "Never Ask Twice" - (B-side "Shut Up" 12")
4. "It Must Be Love" - (Single)
5. "Shadow On The House" - (B-side "It Must Be Love" 7")
6. "In the City" - (B-side "Cardiac Arrest" 7")
7. "Cardiac Arrest" - (12" Extended Version)
8. "Grey Day" (live) - (From NME Racket Packet Cassette)

Personnel

• Suggs (Graham McPherson) – Lead Vocals
• Mike Barson – Piano, Organ, Vibes, Marimba, Tubular Bells
• Chris Foreman – Guitar, Sitar
• Mark Bedford (Bedders) – Bass
• Lee Thompson – Saxophones, Burps, Squeaks, Lead Vocals on track 10
• Daniel Woodgate (Woody) – Drums, Congas
• Chas Smash (Cathal Smyth) – Backing Vocals, Trumpet

Chart performance

Album

Chart (1981)	Peak position	Total weeks
Swedish Albums Chart	41	1
UK Albums Chart	5	28

Singles

Date	Single	Chart	Position
Apr 1981	Grey Day	UK	No. 4
Sep 1981	Shut Up (edited to 3.26 for issue as a single)	UK	No. 7
Feb 1982	Cardiac Arrest (remixed for issue as a single)	UK	No. 14