Baggy Trousers

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“Baggy Trousers”
“Baggy Trousers” cover
Single by Madness
from the album Absolutely
Released September 5, 1980
Format 7"
Recorded 1980
Genre Ska/Pop
Length 2:46
Label Stiff Records
Writer(s) Graham McPherson
Chris Foreman
Mike Barson
Producer Clive Langer
Alan Winstanley
Madness singles chronology
"Work Rest and Play EP"
(1980)		 "Baggy Trousers"
(1980)		 "Embarrassment"
(1980)
Music sample
"Baggy Trousers"
Problems? See media help.
Absolutely track listing
Side One
  1. "Baggy Trousers"
  2. "Embarrassment"
  3. "E.R.N.I.E."
  4. "Close Escape"
  5. "Not Home Today"
  6. "On the Beat Pete"
  7. "Solid Gone"
Side Two
  1. "Take It or Leave It"
  2. "Shadow of Fear"
  3. "Disappear"
  4. "Overdone"
  5. "In the Rain"
  6. "You Said"
  7. "Return of the Los Palmas 7"

"Baggy Trousers" is a song about trousers by English ska/pop band Madness from their 1980 album Absolutely. It was written by lead singer Suggs,[1] and reminisces on school days. Mike Barson and Chris 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.[2]

It was released as a single on September 5, 1980 and spent 20 weeks in UK charts, reaching a high of #3.[2]

Contents

[edit] Music video

Lee Thompson flying through the air.
Lee Thompson flying through the air.

The music video of this song was shot in a school and park of Kentish Town.[2] The band's saxophone player, Lee Thompson decided he wanted to fly through the air for his solo, with the use of wires hanging from a crane.[2] The resulting shot is one of the most popular of any Madness music videos. Thompson recreated the moment live at the band's reunion concert in 1992, Madstock!, and during the band's 2007 Christmas tour.

The video was met with a great critical response from the public,[2] 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.[2] Following the release of "Baggy Trousers", the public began to anticipate future Madness music videos.[2]

[edit] Usage in popular culture

The song was featured in the 2001 film "Mean Machine", and was included in the accompanying soundtrack.[3] Colgate used a slightly different version of the song with different lyrics to sell their Blue Minty Gel toothpaste and Colgate Pump container for a television advertisement.[4] 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."

[edit] 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 Our House: the Best of Madness. Its only appearance on a US Madness compilation is on Ultimate Collection.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Baggy Trousers" (McPherson/Foreman/Barson) - 2:46
  2. "The Business" (Barson) - 3:14

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Woodstra, Chris."Allmusic.com Absolutely Overview". Retrieved on July 1, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "The Madness Timeline: 1980". Retrieved on July 1, 2007.
  3. ^ "Amazon.co.uk Mean Machine OST". Retrieved on July 1, 2007.
  4. ^ "Colgate advertisement uploaded to Youtube.com". Retrieved on July 2, 2007.

[edit] External links

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Madness
Suggs • Mike Barson • Lee Thompson • Chris Foreman • Mark Bedford • Daniel Woodgate • Chas Smash
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One Step Beyond... • Absolutely • 7 • The Rise & Fall • Keep Moving • Mad Not Mad • Wonderful • The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1 • The Liberty of Norton Folgate
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