ALL THE MADMEN

CHRIS BAILEY – vocals, MICK RICHARDSON – synths, NEALE DOWN – synths, RICHARD SMITH aka CAVALIER aka JAH SMITH – drum machine.

Cavalier aka Ricgard Smith — Cavalier aka Richard Smith

The brain child of MICK & NEALE, ALL THE MADMEN were formed in 1980 from the ashes of punk bands DEDKATZ and BEYOND THE WALL, taking off in a completely different direction, with an electronic sound reminiscent of The Human League, Gary Numan, & Depeche Mode.
After initially approaching former DISCHARGE drummer ACKO as a potential front man, the duo recruited former BEYOND THE WALL singer CHRIS BAILEY. Debuting at a house party in August 1980 supporting STRANGE BROOD, the band went on to play a number of gigs in the Newcastle area – The Bear, El Syds, Ritzy’s, etc. All The Madmen live
Recorded a three track demo at Bumble Studio in August 1980, including a cover of Alice Cooper’s Schools Out with JULIE VAUGHAN on ‘schoolgirl backing vocals’, one track – Superior Life – was eventually released on the Slip Records compilation CRY HAVOC in February ’81. By this time the band had split up due to ‘musical differences’. The track was played a number of times on John Peel’s Radio One show.
MICK & NEALE worked on a number of further projects together including DECADES BY NIGHT, THE FRIENDLY CAMPAIGN, RED FETISH, and THE CONE; CHRIS & RICHARD left the local music scene, CHRIS occasionally working as a roadie for DISCHARGE.
In 2006 ALL THE MADMEN were approached by Obscure Identities 1980, a Californian independent record label, with a view to releasing a vinyl album! Around the same time, Superior Life appeared on an unofficial German release ‘None Night of Flexipop Vol. 6’ : http://www.discogs.com/release/1103672
In 2010, the track Living Is A Nightmare opened an unofficial American download only release, CRISPY NUGGETS VOL.1: http://crispynuggets.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/various-artists-crispy-nuggets-vol-1.html
The album DO YOU HEAR THE SIRENS CALLING was eventually released in August 2010.http://www.discogs.com/All-The-Madmen-Do-You-Hear-The-Sirens-Calling/release/2502873
A follow up – IN A DIFFERENT PLACE – came out in 2011.
http://www.discogs.com/All-The-Madmen-In-A-Different-Place/release/3283766
Another unofficial release containing Superior Life – NOW THATS WHAT I CALL MINIMAL 80’S VOL 12 -appeared in 2010.
CHRIS BAILEY died on New Year’s day 2011.