Michael Caine (song)

"Michael Caine" is a song by British band Madness, released on 30 January 1984 as the first single from their album Keep Moving.[1] The song was written by Carl Smyth and Daniel Woodgate,[2] and features Smyth on lead vocals in place of usual Madness vocalist Suggs. "Michael Caine" spent eight weeks on the British chart, peaking at number 11.

For other uses, see Michael Caine (disambiguation).

"Michael Caine"
Single by Madness
from the album Keep Moving
B-side"If You Think There's Something"
Released30 January 1984
Recorded1983
GenreSophisti-pop
Length3:39
LabelStiff
Composer(s)Daniel Woodgate
Lyricist(s)Carl Smyth
Producer(s)
Madness singles chronology
"The Sun and the Rain"
(1983)		 "Michael Caine"
(1984)		 "One Better Day"
(1984)
Audio sample
  • file
  • help

Lyrical content
Michael Caine (pictured in 1979), who the song is named after.

The song is about an informer during the Troubles, and the lyrics suggest a state of paranoia and mental disintegration.[3] It is named after English actor Michael Caine and includes his vocal samples, recorded specifically for this song. The song's hook, a repetition of Caine introducing himself by name, recalls his role in the 1960s spy film The Ipcress File, in which his character, Harry Palmer, repeats his name while trying to stay sane under torture.[4]

When he was approached to appear on the record, Caine initially turned it down, but his daughter on hearing his decision made him change his mind, telling him how popular they were.[5]

Music video

The music video was also based on The Ipcress File, and featured a lightbulb being shot, as seen in the title sequence from the television spy series Callan.[6] A photograph of Michael Caine from the 60s is also seen being shredded in the video.[4] The video took longer to complete than usual, due to being shot on 35mm film as opposed to 16mm.[6] As a result, Mike Barson is absent for much of the video; he had a plane to catch, and could not stay for the whole filming session.[6]

Formats and track listings
  • 7" single
  1. "Michael Caine" (Smyth/Woodgate) - 3:39
  2. "If You Think There's Something" (Barson) - 3:08
  • 12" single
  1. "Michael Caine (extended version)" (Smyth/Woodgate) - 4:08
  2. "Michael Caine" (Smyth/Woodgate) - 3:39
  3. "If You Think There's Something" (Barson) - 3:08

Chart performance
Chart (1984) Peak
position		 Total
weeks
UK Singles Chart[7] 11 8

References
  1. "Record News". NME. London, England: 37. 28 January 1984.
  2. "Allmusic.com Keep Moving Overview". Retrieved on June 27, 2007.
  3. John Reed (30 August 2014). House of Fun: The Story of Madness. Omnibus Press. pp. 253–6. ISBN 978-1-78323-334-2.
  4. "Why did Madness release a song about Michael Caine? (Plus four other Hollywood name dropping hits)". 8 April 2021.
  5. "Michael Caine meets William Orbit". The Guardian. 14 October 2007.
  6. "The Madness Timeline: 1984". Archived from the original on 14 November 2008. Retrieved 27 June 2007.
  7. Madness at Official Charts Company Retrieved 21 June 2013
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