My Girl (Madness song)
"My Girl" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Madness | ||||
from the album One Step Beyond... | ||||
B-side | "Stepping into Line", "In the Rain" | |||
Released | 21 December 1979 | |||
Recorded | 1979 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:44 | |||
Label | Stiff | |||
Songwriter(s) | Mike Barson | |||
Producer(s) | Clive Langer, Alan Winstanley | |||
Madness singles chronology | ||||
|
"My Girl" is a song by British
The song was reissued on 27 July 1992 following the success of the reissued "
Song history
Mike Barson was working driving a van and delivering bananas teamed with a co-worker who was always talking about “My girl did this” and “My girl did that”.[6][7] Barson used this phrasing to write a song about his own experiences with his girlfriend at the time, photographer Kerstin Rodgers.[8] Barson originally performed lead vocals on the song and sang on the original demo.
The song first made its way into the band's set when they were performing as The Invaders.
When the group performed the song on Top of the Pops in January 1980, they were the first band of the new decade performing on the TV show.[11]
Music video
The music video for "My Girl" features Madness performing the song at the Dublin Castle, Camden.[10] For the video, the stage was extended especially, in order to ensure that the band could perform comfortably.[10]
Critical reception
Mike Nicholls of Record Mirror noted the contrast between "My Girl" and the band's previous single, "One Step Beyond". He felt "My Girl" to be a "Cockney/Dury-style lament" and "more indicative of the Kilburn and the High Roads side of Madness' sound".[12]
Other versions
A demo version of "My Girl" was released on the
On 2 May 2008,
Barson wrote a follow-up song, "My Girl 2", which was recorded by Madness and released as a single in 2012. Though it contains the phrase "my girl", "My Girl 2" is otherwise musically and lyrically quite distinct from "My Girl".
Appearances
In addition to its single release and appearance on the album One Step Beyond... "My Girl" also appears on the Madness collections
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "My Girl".
1979 release
- 7" vinyl single
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "My Girl" | Mike Barson | 2:41 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Stepping into Line" | John Hasler, Graham McPherson, Chris Foreman | 2:16 |
- 12" vinyl single
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "My Girl" | Barson | 2:41 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Stepping into Line" | Hasler, McPherson, Foreman | 2:16 |
2. | "In the Rain" | McPherson, Lee Jay Thompson | 2:44 |
1992 release
- 7" vinyl single
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "My Girl" | Mike Barson | 2:41 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Madness" (live) | Cecil Campbell | 3:05 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "My Girl" | Barson | 2:41 |
2. | "E.R.N.I.E." (live) | McPherson, Foreman | 2:17 |
3. | "Embarrassment" (live) | Thompson, Barson | 3:15 |
4. | "Tomorrow's Dream" (live) | Thompson, Barson | 4:05 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "My Girl" | Barson | 2:41 |
2. | "Precious One" (live) | Thompson, Smyth | 3:40 |
3. | "My Girl" (live) | Barson | 3:20 |
4. | "Disappear" (live) | McPherson, Bedford | 2:33 |
Chart performance
Chart (1980) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Singles Chart[3]
|
3 |
Irish Singles Chart[15] | 3 |
Chart (1992) | Peak position |
UK Singles Chart[5]
|
27 |
Certifications and sales
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[16] | Silver | 250,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
My Guy's Mad at Me
"My Guy's Mad at Me" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Tracey Ullman | ||||
from the album You Caught Me Out | ||||
A-side | "My Guy" | |||
B-side | "Thinking of Running Away" | |||
Released | March 1984 | |||
Recorded | January 1984 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 2:54 | |||
Label | Stiff | |||
Songwriter(s) | Mike Barson | |||
Producer(s) | Peter Collins | |||
Tracey Ullman singles chronology | ||||
|
Tracey Ullman covered Madness's "My Girl" in 1984.[17] The title was changed to "My Guy", and the single was titled "My Guy's Mad at Me". Madness' Mark Bedford played bass on the track. Her version was in the UK Top 40 at the same time as Madness' "Michael Caine" and peaked at number 23.[18] The music video featured the British politician Neil Kinnock, at the time the Leader of the Opposition.[19] The single was also released as a 7" picture disc, with a picture of Ullman and Kinnock sitting at a table.
Formats and track listings
- 7" vinyl single
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "My Guy" | Mike Barson | 2:54 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Thinking of Running Away" | Phil Chapman, Peter Collins, Tracey Ullman | 2:03 |
- 12" vinyl single
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "My Guy" (Extended version) | Barson |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "My Guy" | Barson | 2:54 |
2. | "Thinking of Running Away" | Chapman, Collins, Ullman | 2:03 |
Chart performance
Chart (1984) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Singles Chart[18]
|
23 |
Dutch GfK chart[20] | 19 |
Dutch Top 40[21] | 23 |
Irish Singles Chart[15] | 7 |
References
- ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- Allmusic. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ^ a b "The Official Charts Company - Madness - My Girl". Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- New Musical Express. p. 3.
- ^ a b "The Official Charts Company - Madness - My Girl 1992". Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ^ "Suggs and Mike Barson of Madness: how we made One Step Beyond". The Guardian. 25 Nov 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ "Madness - My Girl - Explained". YouTube. 18 Jan 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ Rodgers, Kerstin (18 June 2011). "For those about to rock: we sauté you!". Retrieved 22 August 2012.
- ^ a b "The Ascent of Madness, 1978". Archived from the original on 13 April 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ^ a b c "The Ascent of Madness, 1979, part 2". Archived from the original on 16 July 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ^ "The Ascent of Madness, 1980". Archived from the original on 16 July 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ISSN 0144-5804.
- ^ "Pet Shop Boys official website, see News section, 23 April 2008 and 3 May 2008". Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ^ Back to Mine: Audio Bullys liner notes
- ^ a b "irishcharts.ie search results". Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ^ "British single certifications – Madness – My Girl". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- Allmusic. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ^ a b "The Official Charts Company - Tracey Ullman - My Guy". Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ^ Phibbs, Harry (1989). "A Decade of Revolution the Thatcher Years" (PDF). London: Adam Smith Institute. p. 76. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ^ "dutchcharts.nl - Tracey Ullman - My Guy's... ...Mad At Me (in Dutch)". Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40, week 15, 1984 (in Dutch)". Retrieved 13 June 2009.