Divine Madness (Madness album)

Divine Madness
Greatest hits album by
Madness
Released24 February 1992
Recorded1979–1986 (re-release 1979–1999)
Genre
Length71:30
LabelVirgin
Madness chronology
It's... Madness Too
(1991) 		Divine Madness
(1992) 		Madstock!
(1992)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic link
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[1]
NME9/10[2]

Divine Madness is the 1992 greatest hits album from the British ska/pop band Madness.

Content

The album presents the group's UK single A-sides from 1979 through 1986 in chronological order, though their version of "The Sweetest Girl" is omitted. ("The Sweetest Girl" was the only Madness single of this era to miss the top 30.) Also, some tracks are presented in their LP rather than single versions. The 1992/1995 Japanese CD versions add "In The City", which was a single there.

Releases

The album peaked at number 1 in the UK charts, and it eventually led to a Madness reunion and their first concert in six years (which was recorded for their Madstock! album).

Divine Madness was also released as a video and eventually DVD with all Madness music videos, including the album track "Bed & Breakfast Man", the omitted single "Sweetest Girl", and the 1988 single "I Pronounce You" (issued as by The Madness). The group's Japanese TV adverts for Honda City cars were also included.

The album was re-packaged in 1998 as The Heavy Heavy Hits with the addition of the single version of "The Sweetest Girl" (placed in its correct chronological position after "Uncle Sam").

In 2000 it was re-issued, under its original title of Divine Madness, with the further 1999 singles "Lovestruck" and "Johnny the Horse" included, but once again omitting "The Sweetest Girl". The album versions of "The Prince", "One Step Beyond...", "The Return of the Los Palmas 7", "Cardiac Arrest", "Shut Up" and "Tomorrow's Just Another Day" were replaced with the single versions, although the heavily edited version of "Shut Up" was used, which, at 2:51, fades out more than 30 seconds short of the actual single version.

Track listing

  1. "The Prince" from One Step Beyond...
  2. "One Step Beyond" from One Step Beyond...
  3. "My Girl" from One Step Beyond...
  4. "Night Boat to Cairo" from One Step Beyond...
  5. "Baggy Trousers" from Absolutely
  6. "Embarrassment" from Absolutely
  7. "The Return of the Los Palmas 7" from Absolutely
  8. "Grey Day" from 7
  9. "Shut Up" from 7
  10. "It Must Be Love" Single release only
  11. "Cardiac Arrest" from 7
  12. "House of Fun" from Complete Madness
  13. "Driving in My Car" Single release only
  14. "Our House" from The Rise & Fall
  15. "Tomorrow's Just Another Day" from The Rise & Fall
  16. "Wings of a Dove" Single release only
  17. "The Sun and the Rain" Single release only
  18. "Michael Caine" from Keep Moving
  19. "One Better Day" from Keep Moving
  20. "Yesterday's Men" from Mad Not Mad
  21. "Uncle Sam" from Mad Not Mad
  22. "(Waiting for the) Ghost Train" from Utter Madness

Chart performance

Chart (1992) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart 37
Dutch Albums Chart[3] 56
New Zealand Albums Chart 7
UK Albums Chart 1

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[4] 2× Gold 200,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[5] 3× Platinum 900,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
  2. ^ Staunton, Terry (22 February 1992). "Long Play". New Musical Express. p. 31.
  3. ^ Divine Madness at Dutch Charts Archived 11 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 20 June 2013
  4. ^ "French album certifications – Madness – Divine Madness" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 12 March 2022. Select MADNESS and click OK. 
  5. ^ "British album certifications – Madness – Divine". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 March 2022.