Keep Moving (Madness album)


Keep Moving is the fifth studio album by the English ska/pop band Madness. It was originally released in February 1984, and was their final album release on the Stiff label. It's notably the band's last studio album to feature their keyboardist and founding member Mike Barson, before the band originally split in 1986.
Keep Moving peaked at No. 6 in the UK album charts, and two singles from that album reached the Top 20 in the UK music charts. The album received some good reviews, with Rolling Stone magazine giving the album four out of five stars, applauding the band's changing sound, and NME ranked it number 13 among the "Albums of the Year" for 1984. This was an improvement as the last album reviewed by the magazine, Absolutely, was heavily criticised.
The album was re-released in the United Kingdom in June 2010 on Salvo/Union Square featuring bonus content. The reissue is a 2-CD set with the original album digitally remastered; the bonus content consists of associated singles, 12" mixes and B-sides. It also features liner notes written by comedian and Madness fan, Phill Jupitus.

USA/Canadian Version

This pressing has a different running order to the UK version and includes the singles "Wings of a Dove" and "The Sun and the Rain" in place of "Waltz Into Mischief" and "Time for Tea". The version of "The Sun and the Rain" used here, and also issued as a single in North America, has an edited outro, reducing the length by some 12 seconds. A vinyl picture disc version, using the USA/Canadian track listing, was also issued in the UK.

Album title

The album takes its name from a phrase used repeatedly in the 1970 post-apocalyptic film The Bed Sitting Room.

Background

On 5 October 1983 the band were rehearsing and discussing a possible television series, which was being written for them by Ben Elton and Richard Curtis. Barson then informed the band that he would not be able to take part, as he was tired of the music business and wanted to spend more time with his wife. They had recently relocated to Amsterdam. Barson agreed to finish recording the album Keep Moving, he left after playing for the last time with the band at the Lyceum Ballroom on 21 December 1983. After leaving the band James Mackie took Barson's place appearing with Madness on the US hit television show Saturday Night Live on 14 April 1984. After leaving the band, Barson returned to the UK for the filming of two music videos as he'd played on the tracks, "Michael Caine" and "One Better Day". He officially left the band in June 1984, following the release of "One Better Day", however finished live performance with the band in 1983, Paul Carrack took Barson's place whilst the band toured America in early 1984.

Track listing

UK Track list

US/CAN Track list

Personnel

;Madness