One Step Beyond… (Expanded Edition)

One Step Beyond…  was Madness’ seminal debut album, recorded in 3 weeks and originally released in October 1979. It peaked at number 2 in the UK and took up residency in the UK Album Chart, where it stayed for more than a year. The album – one of the most important in the 2Tone ska revival of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s – received much critical praise and includes the classic hit singles ‘One Step Beyond…‘, ‘My Girl‘, ‘Night Boat To Cairo‘ and ‘The Prince’.

The special 2CD reissue is housed in a 6-panel double Digifile with a 24-page booklet inside and includes 18 bonus tracks (including demos, B-sides and BBC John Peel Session tracks) alongside brand new liner notes, which include interviews with founder Madness members Chrissy Boy Foreman, Mike Barson, Mark Bedford and Daniel Woodgate.

This was the first album produced by the team of Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who would go on to produce more Madness albums and to work with artists including Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Morrissey, Dexys Midnight Runners, They Might Be Giants and David Bowie.

The “Nutty Train” photo on the sleeve, shot by Cameron McVey, was inspired by a photo of Kilburn and the High Roads roadie Paul Tonkin that appeared on the back cover of the band’s album Handsome.

The title track, released as a single, was originally written and recorded by the Jamaican ska musician Prince Buster, and its “Don’t watch that, watch this …” introduction is adapted from another Prince Buster song, “The Scorcher”. The track “The Prince” is a tribute to Buster and a re-recording of the band’s debut single, originally released on the 2 Tone Records label. Its B-side, “Madness“, another Prince Buster song, was also re-recorded for the album. “Madness” and “Bed and Breakfast Man” were released as singles in North America through Sire Records.