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"Driving in My Car" is a song by Madness. It was released as a stand-alone single on 16 July 1982[1] and spent eight weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number four. It reached number 20 on the Australian Singles Chart.
| "Driving in My Car" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Madness | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | 16 July 1982 | |||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||
| Genre | New wave, pop | |||
| Length | 3:17 | |||
| Label | Stiff Records | |||
| Songwriter | Mike Barson | |||
| Producers | Clive Langer Alan Winstanley | |||
| Madness singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The writer Colin Larkin contends that the song was novel for its use of sampling, as it "[makes] use of motor car noises (revving engine, honking horn etc.) turned into percussion and musical instruments, using the Fairlight synthesizer" – he adds that this was an exception to how, outside of underground hip-hop music, "there was little interest taken by anyone in the format" of sampling at that time.[2]
The B-side to the single was "Animal Farm", a mostly instrumental reworking of the song "Tomorrow's Dream" from the album 7. The 12" release of the single included the song "Riding on My Bike", which is basically a rewording of the main track, sung by Lee Thompson.
"Driving in My Car" was the 13th in a run of 20 consecutive UK top 20 hits for Madness, and is the only one of those 20 never to have been officially released on a Madness album in the USA. It was later included on the 2010 re-release of the band's 1982 album The Rise & Fall, as well as its two B-sides.
Video
editThe video shows Madness as car mechanics larking about in their workshop, and in their normal suits driving around in their "Maddiemobile" – a white 1959 model Morris Minor. The members of fellow ska/pop group Fun Boy Three make a brief appearance, trying (and failing) to hitch a ride to their home town of Coventry, which the A45 mentioned in the song passes through.[3]
Track listing
edit- 7" single
- "Driving in My Car" – 3:17
- "Animal Farm (Tomorrow's Dream Warp Mix)" -4:02
- 12" single
- "Driving in My Car" – 3:17
- "Animal Farm (Tomorrow's Dream Warp Mix)" -4:02
- "Riding on My Bike" – 4:35
Certifications and sales
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[4] | Silver | 250,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Charts
edit| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[5] | 4 |
References
edit- ↑ "Record News". New Musical Express. 10 July 1982. p. 35. ISSN 0028-6362.
- ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7 (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 238. ISBN 0-19-531373-9.
- ↑ Video on YouTube
- ↑ "British single certifications – Madness – Driving in My Car". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 March 2022. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Driving in My Car Madness in the "Search:" field.
- ↑ "Madness Songs and Albums | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
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