Mike Barson
{{Short description|Scottish-born multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer}}
{{BLP sources|date=March 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{distinguish|Mike Balson}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| image = Mike Barson with Madness..JPG
| caption = Barson performing live with Madness at Manchester Arena in 2014
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name = Michael Barson
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1958|04|21}}
| birth_place = Edinburgh, Scotland
| genre = {{hlist|Ska|pop|new wave}} 2-tone
| occupation = {{hlist|Multi-instrumentalist|songwriter|composer}}
| instrument = {{hlist|Keyboards|piano|organ|harmonica|vibraphone|guitar|saxophone}}
| years_active = {{hlist|1976–1984|1992–present}}
| label = {{hlist|2 Tone|Stiff|Virgin|V2|Go! Discs|Lucky 7}}
| associated_acts = {{hlist|Madness|Suggs}}
| website = {{URL|www.madness.co.uk}}
}}
Michael Barson (born 21 April 1958) is a British multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer. In a career spanning 45 years, Barson came to prominence in the late 1970s as the keyboard player for the band Madness.
Early years
Barson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He grew up in North London with his two brothers, Dan and Ben, who are also musicians{{Cite web|url=https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/the-magnificent-7|title=The Magnificent 7 - Record Collector Magazine}} (with Ben being one of Roland Gift's collaborators).{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-roland-gift-9256822.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220514/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-roland-gift-9256822.html |archive-date=14 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Album: Roland Gift|website=Independent.co.uk|date=8 March 2002}} He is often known by the nicknames "Monsieur Barso" or "Barzo".{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bUba45txcJ8C&q=mike+barson+brothers&pg=PA153|title=Ska: An Oral History|author=Augustyn, Heather|date=2010|publisher=McFarland |isbn=9780786461974|access-date=10 November 2015}}
Prior to forming Madness, Barson and fellow future Madness member Lee Thompson gained some notice as graffiti artists in the mid-1970s. After reading about the emerging New York graffiti scene, they spray-painted their nicknames ("Mr B" and "Kix") along with two friends' names "Cat" and "Columbo" around north London. They managed to spray their nicknames on George Melly's garage door, prompting Melly to write a newspaper article declaring: "If I ever catch that Mr B, Kix and Columbo, I'm going to kick their arses".{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/feb/03/the-writing-on-the-wall-1970s-pioneers-of-british-graffiti|title=Spraying the 70s: the pioneers of British graffiti|last=Petridis|first=Alexis|author-link=Alexis Petridis|date=3 February 2015|website=Theguardian.com|access-date=4 February 2015 }}
Barson co-founded a band called The Invaders in 1976.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/totp2/features/top5/madness.shtml|title=BBC – Top of the Pops 2 – Top 5|website=Bbc.co.uk}} The band later changed their name to Madness after the song by Prince Buster.{{cn|date=May 2022}}
Music career
{{Main|Madness (band)}}
Madness became a successful British band during the late 1970s to mid-1980s, having initial success as part of the Two-Tone movement. Barson was and is a prominent songwriter in the band, and effectively the musical director.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dK-F43T8V0wC&q=barson+music+director+for+madness&pg=PT291|title=Rip it Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984|author=Reynolds, Simon|date=2006|publisher=Faber & Faber |isbn=9780571252275|access-date=10 November 2015}} He left in 1984 after the recording of their fifth studio album, Keep Moving, and emigrated to the Netherlands.{{cite web |title=The Magnificent 7 |url=https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/the-magnificent-7 |website=Record Collector |access-date=31 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250222173430/https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/the-magnificent-7 |archive-date=22 February 2025 |date=13 October 2009}}{{Cite web|url=http://sevenraggedmen.com/nme-interview-1984/|title=Seven Ragged Men | NME interview 1984|website=Sevenraggedmen.com}} Two years later, Madness disbanded, but Barson did join them for the recording of their final single, "(Waiting For) The Ghost Train".
Madness reunited in their original line-up in 1992, and Barson still plays with them. In 1995, he co-wrote and produced a number of songs for Suggs' first solo album The Lone Ranger. When No Doubt were recording songs for their fifth studio album Rock Steady, Barson was asked to play piano on the London version of the song "Everything in Time". Barson obliged and the track was produced by Madness producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley. The track was not included on the album,{{cite web |url=http://ndifc.net/phpwebsite/phpwebsite_1_7_0/vlist/listing/42|title=Everything in Time (London)|website=Ndifc.net|access-date=10 November 2015}} but was released a year later in 2003 on the compilation album Everything in Time (B-sides, Rarities, Remixes).
Both Barson and his bandmate, Suggs, have contributed to Audio Bullys' album Higher Than the Eiffel. They both appear on the tracks "Twist Me Up" and "Goodbye".
Political views
In September 2016, Barson told the website The Canary that he was a member of the left-wing campaigning group Momentum and voted for Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour Party leadership election. He said: "I heard all these unpleasant people on the news saying how terrible Momentum was so I thought I'd give it a go! I also heard how Jeremy could never win an election so I thought I'd have to vote for him too..."{{cite web |url=http://www.thecanary.co/2016/09/19/momentum-truth-hard-left-group/ |title=Momentum: here's the truth about the 'hard-left' group |last1=Topple |first1=Steve |date=19 September 2016 |website=The Canary|access-date=19 September 2016}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.myspace.com/mikebarson Mike Barson's official MySpace]
- [https://www.myspace.com/madnessofficial Madness official MadSpace]
{{Madness}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barson, Mike}}
Category:Scottish keyboardists
Category:Scottish male songwriters
Category:British expatriates in the Netherlands
Category:British ska musicians
Category:Madness (band) members
Category:Musicians from Edinburgh
Category:Labour Party (UK) people
Category:British graffiti artists
Category:20th-century male pianists