The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1
The Dangermen Sessions, Vol. 1 is a cover album by the British ska band Madness. It was released in 2005 (see 2005 in music). The album was successful and reached #11 in the UK which at the time was their highest chart position in the UK since 1984's Keep Moving.
The Dangermen
Prior to recording the album, Madness played a number series of low-key gigs under the alias The Dangermen, performing mostly cover versions which they had performed in their early days as The Invaders. A selection from the set list was then chosen to be recorded for the album. Some songs which were played live but not included on the album included "Skylarking" and "Dreader Than Dread" (both released as B sides on the Shame and Scandal single), "Wonderful World, Beautiful People", "Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag" and "It Miek", as well as the Prince Buster numbers "One Step Beyond" and "Madness", both of which the group had already released in 1979. The live concerts also included Dangermen "covers" of a few of Madness' more ska-influenced original compositions, such as "Night Boat to Cairo" and "The Prince".
Although Chris Foreman appeared on the record, he left the group after the sessions and was therefore not a member of the group at the time of the album's release and did not take part in promotion for the album. He would later re-join the group.
The album booklet contains both serious sleevenotes in which the various members of the group discuss their choice of songs, and fictional notes concerning the history of the group "The Dangermen", who are claimed to have been an influential reggae group formed in Havana in the 1960s, and who have reformed after 35 years to record the album.
Each member of Madness has an alter ego in The Dangermen:
- Mark Bedford - Lester Bernham, born at sea and washed-up on the shores of Cuba with a bass guitar made of driftwood.
- Chas Smash - Jimmy Oooh, an itinerant singer.
- Daniel Woodgate - Daniel Descartes, experimental percussionist born in Paris and leader of touring band, the Daniel Descartes Collective.
- Mike Barson - Professor Psykoticus, an Hungarian-born musician (his supposed birthplace being the small town of Mezőhegyes) who worked in sonic weapons research in the USSR before being introduced to the music of the Daniel Descartes Collective, which led to the formation of The Dangermen.
- Suggs - Robert Chaos "The Poet", found in a Gladstone bag at the feet of Miles Davis by Dexter Gordon, and a founding member of The Dangermen.
- Chris Foreman - Christofos Formantos, of whom nothing is known.
- Lee Jay Thompson - "Unnamed", atmospheric scientist and part-time sax player.
Track listing
- "This Is Where"
- "Girl Why Don't You?" originally performed by Prince Buster
- "Shame & Scandal" originally performed by Sir Lancelot as "Scandal in the Family"
- "I Chase the Devil A.K.A. Ironshirt" originally performed by Max Romeo
- "Taller Than You Are" originally performed by Lord Tanamo
- "You Keep Me Hanging On" written by Holland-Dozier-Holland and originally performed by The Supremes then adapted by reggae singer Ken Boothe
- "Dangerman A.K.A. High Wire" (theme song to British television series Danger Man), originally performed by Edwin Astley & His Orchestra then covered as "High Wire" by the Bob Leaper Orchestra
- "Israelites" originally performed by Desmond Dekker & The Aces
- "John Jones" originally performed by Rudy Mills
- "Lola" originally performed by The Kinks
- "You'll Lose a Good Thing" originally performed by Barbara Lynn and adapted for the reggae market by Audrey Hall
- "Rain" originally performed by José Feliciano although the hit reggae version was by Bruce Ruffin
- "So Much Trouble in the World" originally performed by Bob Marley & The Wailers
Chart performance
| Chart (2005) |
Peak
position |
Total
weeks |
| Belgian Albums Chart (Vl)[1] |
93 |
1 |
| Belgian Albums Chart (Wa)[2] |
39 |
8 |
| Dutch Albums Chart[3] |
59 |
3 |
| European Hot 100 Albums Chart[4] |
? |
3 |
| French Albums Chart[5] |
17 |
15 |
| German Albums Chart[6] |
81 |
2 |
| Swiss Albums Chart[7] |
67 |
4 |
| UK Albums Chart[8] |
11 |
4 |
Personnel
- Additional personnel
- Steve Turner - Saxophone
- Joe Auckland – Trumpet
- Mike Kearsey - Trombone
- Steve Dub – Synthesizer, Programming,Backing Vocals, Production, Mixing, Engineer
- Simon Wilcox – Trumpet
- Dennis Bovell – Timbales, Production
- Patrick Kiernan – Violin
- Boguslaw Kostecki – Violin
- Julian Leaper – Violin
- Perry Mason – Violin
- Jackie Shave – Violin
- Chris Tombling – Violin
- Gavyn Wright – Violin
- Warren Zielinski – Violin
- Ellie Hajee – Backing Vocals
- Janet Kay – Backing Vocals
- Jamie,Timothy and Joey Barson-Backing Vocals
- David Bedford – String Arrangements, MD
- Isobel Griffiths – String Contraction
- Ingo Vauk – Programming
- Steve Masters – Engineering
- Jason Olliffe – Engineering
- Ben Thackeray – Engineering
Reference