Madhouse was an American
jazz fusion
Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...
band from
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, United States, created by
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
. Two Madhouse albums (and several singles) were officially released, both in 1987.
History
Prince had considered the idea of an instrumental jazz–funk album ever since he recorded his first tracks with
Eric Leeds
Eric Leeds is an American saxophone player, mostly known for his work with Prince. He has recorded mostly music in the pop and funk genres, but is a studied jazz musician.Cole, George.Eric Leeds: Interviews: The Last Miles: The Music of Miles Da ...
for his 1985 side-project,
The Family.
In late 1985–early 1986, he recorded hours of instrumental music with Leeds and other musicians from his band,
Sheila E.
Sheila Cecilia Escovedo (born December 12, 1957) better known under the stage name Sheila E., is an American percussionist and singer. She began her career in the mid-1970s as a percussionist and singer for The George Duke Band. After leaving t ...
and musicians from her own band, as well as members from
Wendy & Lisa
Wendy & Lisa (briefly known as Girl Bros.) are a music duo consisting of Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman. They began working with Prince in the early 1980s and were part of his band the Revolution, before branching out on their own and releasin ...
's families. From these sessions, Prince compiled an album called ''
The Flesh'', supposed to be released by an eponymous pseudo-band, but the project was abandoned and its concept modified to become Madhouse.
The Japanese LP release of "8" credits the band members of Madhouse as: Eric Leeds - Saxophone, John Lewis - Drums, Bill Lewis - Bass, Austra Chanel - Keyboards. The band "members" are listed and mentioned on both sides of the Obi issued with the Japanese LP release, as well as in the contained insert. And stated on the backside of the Obi: "In the U.S., rumors have arisen that 'Austra Chanel' is a pseudonym for Prince." More biography from the Obi: "The group leader is Eric Leeds of The Revolution" and came to be formed after the Prince and The Revolution tour in Japan (summer 1986) when Eric Leeds returned to Atlanta to join old friends John Lewis, his brother Bill Lewis, and Austra. As noted on the Prince Estate official website, the background story of the Madhouse project was presented as a fictional band. Prince and Eric Leeds were the only participants in "8."
The title of each song on each album is also its numerical designation on the record (e.g., the third song on the first album is titled, “Three”).
Cover art for both albums featured Maneca Lightner playing with a small dog, reminiscent of a 1940s pinup photograph. The videos from ''16'' were more 1940s gangster-themed. The cover of ''16'' features the subtitle "new directions in
garage music", an homage to
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...
' ''
Directions in Music
''Directions in Music'' is a Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connection ...
'' series (in 2002–2003, Prince would dub a jazz album series of his own: ''New Directions In Music''). The only vocals on either album consists mainly of audio snippets lifted from the first two ''
Godfather'' films and samples of
Vanity
Vanity is the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others. Prior to the 14th century it did not have such narcissistic undertones, and merely meant ''futility''. The related term vainglory is now often seen as an archaic ...
simulating an orgasm (from the
Vanity 6
Vanity 6 was a short lived American female vocal trio that gained popularity in the early 1980s. They were protégés of musician Prince. Led by singer Vanity, they are known for their song " Nasty Girl."
History
Formation
In 1981, Prince, hi ...
outtake "Vibrator", later used on Prince's own song "Orgasm" from ''
Come
Come may refer to:
*Comè, a city and commune in Benin
*Come (Tenos), an ancient town on Tenos island, Greece
Music
*Come (American band), an American indie rock band formed in 1990
*Come (UK band), a British noise project founded in 1979
**Come ...
''.) There is also a short unreleased 1987 movie, entitled "Hard Life", featuring Madhouse.
At least two other Madhouse albums were later recorded and remain unreleased,
both albums entitled "24".
The first "24" was recorded in 1988, mostly by Prince and Eric Leeds. Only one track eventually emerged, heavily edited, on Leeds' 1991 solo-album ''
Times Squared
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events, and a fundamental quantity of measuring systems.
Time or times may also refer to:
Temporal measurement
* Time in physics, defined by its measurement
* Time standard, civil time specific ...
'' and only bootlegged copies of the whole album are available. This album is more "electronic" than the first two, with a lot of drum programming, samples and keyboards. "21" through "24", also known as "The Dopamine Rush Suite", also feature vocals.
The second "24" was recorded in 1993 with a line-up consisting of Prince (keyboards), Leeds (saxophone), Levi Seacer, Jr. (guitar),
Sonny T.
Sonny T. (born Sonny Thompson) is an American bass player. He was a member of The New Power Generation, Prince's recording and stage band, from 1991–1996.
Sonny T. was a member of the Minneapolis bands Back to Black and The Lewis Connectio ...
(bass) and
Michael B. (drums). Only two tracks were officially released, "17 (Penetration)" (as "17" on the ''
1-800-NEW-FUNK
''1-800-NEW-FUNK'' is a compilation album by Prince's NPG Records, meant to showcase artists signed to the record label. It was released on July 20, 1994. The title of the album was also a toll-free phone number in North America for customers t ...
'' 1994 compilation) and on the CD single "Standing at the Altar", the other one "Asswoop" (or "Asswhuppin' in a Trunk") in 2001, via Prince's website. There was also a limited release on the "NPG Sampler Experience" promo cassette, handed out during the 1995
Gold Tour, which contains excerpts from three tracks from this album: "Asswoop", "Ethereal Segue", and "Parlour Games". The album in its entirely is circulating on bootleg.
Discography
Albums
''8''
# "One" – 7:16
# "Two" – 5:31
# "Three" – 3:16
# "Four" – 2:24
# "Five" – 1:15
# "Six" – 4:28
# "Seven" – 4:09
# "Eight" – 10:05
Produced and written by Madhouse, label: Paisley Park/Warner Bros., released: 1987
''16''
# "Nine" – 2:06
# "Ten" – 5:04
# "Eleven" – 6:14
# "Twelve" – 5:14
# "Thirteen" – 4:46
# "Fourteen" – 5:12
# "Fifteen" – 3:49
# "Sixteen" – 4:17
Produced and written by Madhouse, label: Paisley Park/Warner Bros., released: 1987
Singles
*"Six" b/w "6 and 1/2"
*"Ten" b/w "Ten and 1/2"
*"Thirteen" b/w "Four"
12"
*"Six" – "Six", "Six (End of the World Mix)", "6 and 1/2"
*"Ten" – "Ten (The Perfect Mix)", "Ten and 1/2", "Two".
*"Thirteen" – "Thirteen (The Paisley Park Mix)", "Thirteen and 1/4", "Four".
See also
*
Unreleased 24 album
References
External links
Madhouse 8at goldiesparade.co.uk
Madhousein Prince Vault
{{DEFAULTSORT:Madhouse
American jazz ensembles from Minnesota
Prince (musician)
Paisley Park Records artists