Our House (Madness song)

Released in November 1982, it peaked at #5 in the UK singles chart. In 1983, "Our House" was their biggest hit in the USA, reaching #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. On the USA dance chart the song peaked at #21.^[1] Though Madness produced many successful singles over a period of 20 years especially in their native United Kingdom, the enormous American popularity of "Our House" means that they are often regarded as a one hit wonder in the USA (though their version of "It Must Be Love" also subsequently entered the USA top 40). "Our House" won Best Song at the May 1983 Ivor Novello awards.^[2]

The satirical program Spitting Image did a version of "Our House" with the lyrics altered to be about the collapse of the real estate market, and a video parodying Madness' style. A musical called Our House, featuring Madness songs, ran in London's West End between October 2002 and August 2003. A recording of the show was broadcast on BBC Three and was released as a DVD. An altered version of the song was used in a Maxwell House commercial and the real version was featured in a montage for an episode of the BBC comedy, My Family. The original recording was also used as the theme for a 1998 ITV docusoap series, The Estate Agents, as well as for a 2004 American reality game, House of Dreams. The song also featured in a 2007-08 series of TV advertisements for Bird's Eye in which Suggs appeared, as well as an advertisement for the 2008 ABC reality game show Opportunity Knocks, and in episode 4 of season 3 of US TV show Brothers & Sisters, during the yard sale scene. In 2010, a mashup of "Jingle Bells" and "Our House", created by New York music and audio branding company Expansion Team, was used in a Christmastime commercial for Verizon. In 1985 "Our House" was the theme song for a children's drama series, Dodger, Bonzo and the Rest. The version featured on the show was performed by the cast members. At the 2012 Olympic Games Madness performed "Our House" in the closing Olympic ceremonies during an elaborate light show with scores of dancers. It receives constant airplay by radio stations.

The B-side, "Walking With Mr. Wheeze", is an instrumental with occasional scratch mix effects. The title is a play on "Groovin' With Mr. Bloe", an instrumental hit of 1970 by the session group Mr. Bloe. In 1984, Madness performed Our House on the episode "Sick" of The Young Ones.

Music video

The video depicts the band acting out the song's lyrics in an old Victorian terraced house. The song's lyrics mostly describe the working-class family lifestyle, and the band acts them out by portraying such a family in the video. The band plays their instruments in the living room, prepares for work and school as the family plays squash and relaxes in a hot tub. The video also includes exterior shots of various other houses including Buckingham Palace. It was filmed near Willesden Junction.

Track listing

7" single

"Our House" – 3:23
"Walking with Mr. Wheeze" – 3:31

French 7" single

"Our House (Stretch mix)" – 3:45
"Walking with Mr. Wheeze" – 3:31

("Stretch mix" is a mostly instrumental edit of the extended mix)

12" single

"Our House (Extended Mix)" – 6:00
"Our House (7" Version)" – 3:23
"Walking with Mr. Wheeze" – 3:31

U.S. 12" single

"Our House (Dance mix)" – 5:02
"Mad House (Our House dub mix)" – 4:35

Charts

Country	Peak position
Australia	17
Canada	30
Norway	4
Sweden	1
Switzerland	4
United Kingdom	5
USA	7
USA Hot Dance Club Play	21

References

↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 163.
↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3994606/bio

External links

Madness

Chris Foreman Mike Barson Lee Thompson Chas Smash Suggs Dan Woodgate Mark Bedford

Studio albums	One Step Beyond... Absolutely 7 The Rise & Fall Keep Moving Mad Not Mad The Madness Wonderful The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1 The Liberty of Norton Folgate Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da

Compilation albums	Complete Madness Madness Utter Madness It's... Madness It's... Madness Too Divine Madness The Business Total Madness (1997) Our House Total Madness (2009) Ultimate Madness A Guided Tour of Madness Forever Young The Ska Collection

Live albums	Madstock! Universal Madness Madness Live: To the Edge of the Universe and Beyond

Box sets	The Business The Lot The Singles Box: Vol. 1 A Guided Tour of Madness

Singles	"The Prince" "One Step Beyond" "My Girl" "Work Rest and Play EP" "Baggy Trousers" "Embarrassment" "The Return of the Los Palmas 7" "Grey Day" "Shut Up" "It Must Be Love" "Cardiac Arrest" "House of Fun" "Driving in My Car" "Our House" "Tomorrow's (Just Another Day)" / "Madness (Is All in the Mind)" "Wings of a Dove" "The Sun and the Rain" "Michael Caine" "One Better Day" "Yesterday's Men" "Uncle Sam" "Sweetest Girl" "(Waiting For) The Ghost Train" "Night Boat to Cairo" "The Harder They Come" "Lovestruck" "Johnny the Horse" "Drip Fed Fred" "Shame & Scandal" "Girl Why Don't You" "Sorry" "NW5" "Dust Devil" "Sugar and Spice" "Forever Young" "My Girl 2" "Never Knew Your Name"

Related articles	Discography Lucky 7 Records Our House the Musical 2 Tone Zarjazz Records Starvation/Tam Tam Pour L'Ethiopie The Madness Take It or Leave It The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra Boring (The Young Ones) Sick (The Young Ones)