Our House (Madness song)



"Our House" is a single by English ska/pop band Madness, from their UK album The Rise & Fall and their US compilation Madness.



Contents
[hide]  *1 About  ==About[edit] == Released in November 1982, it peaked at #5 in the UK singles chart and was their biggest hit in the United States, reaching #7 in the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983. Though Madness produced many successful singles over a period of 20 years especially in their native United Kingdom, the enormous American popularity of "Our House" means that they are often regarded as one hit wonders in the USA (though technically they are two hit wonders in America, as their version of "It Must Be Love" also subsequently entered the US top 40). It won Best Song at the May 1983 Ivor Novello awards.[1]
 * 2 Music video
 * 3 Track listing
 * 4 Charts
 * 5 References
 * 6 External links

The Satirical program Spitting Image did a version of "Our house" with the lyrics altered so they'd be about the collapse of the real estate market. The video parodies everything Madness were known for (Most notably: The flying Saxophone player.) and several music videos of the band. A musical called Our House, featuring Madness songs, ran in London's West End between October 2002 and August 2003. A recording of the show was broadcast on BBC Three and was released as a DVD. An altered version of the song was used in a Maxwell House commercial and the real version was featured in a montage for an episode of the BBC comedy, My Family. The original recording was also used as the theme for a 1998 ITV docusoap series, The Estate Agents, as well as for a 2004 American reality game, House of Dreams. The song also featured in a 2007-8 series of TV advertisements for Bird's Eye in which Suggs appeared, as well as an advertisement for the 2008 ABC reality game show Opportunity Knocks, and in episode 4 of season 3 of US TV show Brothers & Sisters, during the yard sale scene. In 2010, a mashup ofJingle Bells and Our House, created by New York music and audio branding company Expansion Team, was used in a Christmas time commercial for Verizon. In 1985 'Our House' was the theme song for a children's drama series, 'Dodger, Bonzo and the Rest. The version featured on the show was performed by the cast members. At the 2012 Olympic Games Madness performed "Our House" in the closing Olympic ceremonies during an elaborate light show with scores of dancers.[citation needed] It receives constant airplay by Radio Stations.

The B-side, "Walking With Mr. Wheeze", is an instrumental with occasional scratch mix effects. The title is a play on "Groovin' With Mr. Bloe", an instrumental hit of 1970 by the session group Mr. Bloe. In 1984, Madness performed Our House on the episode Sick of The Young Ones. ==Music video[edit] == The video depicts the band acting out the song's lyrics in an old mews house. The song's lyrics mostly describe the working-class family lifestyle, and the band acts them out by portraying such a family in the video. The band plays their instruments in the living room, prepares for work and school as the 'family,' plays squash, and relaxes in a hot tub. The video also includes exterior shots of various other houses including Buckingham Palace. It was filmed near Willesden Junction. ==Track listing[edit] == ("Stretch mix" is a mostly instrumental edit of the Extended mix)
 * 7" single
 * 1) "Our House" – 3:23
 * 2) "Walking with Mr. Wheeze" – 3:31
 * French 7" single
 * 1) "Our House (Stretch mix)" – 3:45
 * 2) "Walking with Mr. Wheeze" – 3:31

==Charts[edit] ==
 * 12" single
 * 1) "Our House (Extended Mix)" – 6:00
 * 2) "Our House (7" Version)" – 3:23
 * 3) "Walking with Mr. Wheeze" – 3:31
 * U.S. 12" single
 * 1) "Our House (Dance mix)" – 5:02
 * 2) "Mad House (Our House dub mix)" – 4:35