10 Ultimate Ska Anthems
7. Prince Buster – “Madness”
After finding success in Jamaica as a DJ with his sound system Voice of the People in the late 1950s, Prince Buster decided to form a band and record his own music.
In 1961, Buster signed with the London based record label Blue Beat, which become the go-to label for Jamaican groups looking to break the British market. Blue Beat released Buster’s debut album I Feel the Sprit in 1963, featuring the song “Madness”, which became an instant favourite with its bouncing rhythm and jazzy horn section.
As a Kingston native, Buster’s aim was to create a soundtrack to Kingston’s “ghetto” life, covering everything from spirituality, to politics, black pride, and sex, with “Madness” being no exception. The song’s overt political commentary in the lines “Propaganda ministers/I've got a aim in view/I'm gonna walk all over you”, stands as both a warning to those in charge, as well as a rallying cry to Buster’s fellow countrymen.
Prince Buster’s propensity for speaking of society’s ills, combined with his unique singing style, which often mixed spoken word with smooth vocals, served as a major influence to the British 2 Tone movement, with Madness (who took their name from Buster’s song) and The Specials covering and reworking other Buster classics, such as “One Step Beyond” and “Al Capone”.