Dan Woodgate

{{Short description|English musician, songwriter, composer and record producer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}} {{Use British English|date=July 2015}} {{Infobox musical artist | image = Dan Woodgate with Madness.JPG | caption = Woodgate performing live with Madness at Manchester Arena, 2014 | alt = Woodgate sitting at a drum kit | birth_name = Daniel Mark Woodgate | alias = Woody Woodgate | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1960|10|19}} | birth_place = Kensington, London, England<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/10966051/Madness-Power-Point-001 |title=Madness Power Point 001 |publisher=Scribd.com |access-date=31 October 2011}}</ref> | genre = {{hlist|Ska|pop|reggae|new wave|alternative rock|pop rock|2-tone}} | occupation = {{hlist|Musician|songwriter|composer|engineer|record producer}} | instrument = {{hlist|Drums|keyboards|percussion}} | years_active = 1978–present | label = {{hlist|London|DW|Stiff Records}} | current_member_of = Madness | past_member_of = {{hlist|Voice of the Beehive|Magic Brothers}} | website = {{URL|woodywoodgate.co.uk}} }} '''Daniel Mark "Woody" Woodgate''' (born 19 October 1960) is an English musician, songwriter, composer and record producer. In a career spanning 45 years, Woodgate came to prominence in the late 1970s as the drummer for the English ska band Madness and went on to become a member of the Anglo-American alternative rock band Voice of the Beehive in the late 1980s. Woodgate began his solo career in 2015, while still a member of Madness, releasing the album ''In Your Mind''.

==Early years== Daniel Mark Woodgate was born on 19 October 1960, in Kensington, west London, England. As children, he and his younger brother Nick lived with their father in Camden Town, north London. They were looked after by nannies. Dan Woodgate attended Haverstock School<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=byCCDwAAQBAJ&q=Dan+woodgate+haverstock+school&pg=PT300|title=Before We Was We: Madness by Madness|isbn=9780753553947|last1=Barson|first1=Mike|last2=Bedford|first2=Mark|last3=Foreman|first3=Chris|last4=McPherson|first4=Graham|last5=Smyth|first5=Cathal|last6=Thompson|first6=Lee|last7=Woodgate|first7=Dan|date=10 October 2019|publisher=Random House }}</ref> from 1972–1978. After leaving school, he worked for a time as a sign writer/printer and then as a building work/labourer.

Woodgate received his first drum kit when he was 12 years of age.<ref name="About">{{cite web |url=http://www.magicbrothers.com/about/ |title=About |publisher=Magic Brothers |access-date=5 September 2015 |archive-date=23 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191023172738/http://www.magicbrothers.com/about/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> When he was 14, he and Nick started their first band called Steel Erection.<ref name="About" /> Interviewed by the ''Daily Express'' in 2013, Woodgate recalled: "We were really close and spent every hour of every day together. When Nick was about 10, dad realised he had a real talent for playing the guitar. I couldn't play a thing so I took up the drums and we formed a band together called Steel Erection."<ref>{{cite news|last=Hagan |first=Pat |url=http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/447776/Music-helped-Madness-drummer-Dan-Woodgate-and-his-brother-through-schizophrenia-struggle |title=Music helped Madness drummer Dan Woodgate and his brother through schizophrenia struggle |newspaper=Daily Express |access-date=5 September 2015}}</ref> The two went on to play in other bands.

Nick and Dan Woodgate continued to have associated music careers. Nick is credited as a co-writer on the Madness songs "No Money", "Kitchen Floor", "Leon"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.withguitars.com/madness-drummer-releases-debut-solo-record-with-mentally-ill-brother/ |title=MADNESS DRUMMER RELEASES DEBUT SOLO RECORD WITH MENTALLY ILL BROTHER • WithGuitars }}</ref> "Good Times",<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/30685651-Madness-Cant-Touch-Us-Now?srsltid=AfmBOorAuink2GdavHdwMcEmwo0ZmpKik_gSuHZSe95QBszlCVVJcaLY | title=Madness - Can't Touch Us Now | website=Discogs | date=10 May 2024 }}</ref> "Don't Leave the Past Behind You"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://genius.com/Madness-dont-leave-the-past-behind-you-lyrics/q/writer |title=Who wrote "Don't Leave the Past Behind You" by Madness? }}</ref> and "Another Version of Me".

==Madness== {{Main|Madness (band)}} Woodgate encountered Madness after being introduced at a rehearsal by their bass guitarist Mark Bedford. In 1978 he joined the band, replacing Gary Dovey.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://marcoonthebass.blogspot.com/2013/02/rare-live-footage-of-madness-pre-cursor.html |title=Marco on the Bass: Rare Live Footage of Madness Pre-Cursor Band the Invaders from 1976-78! |date=27 February 2013 }}</ref> After briefly changing their name from Invaders<ref>{{cite web |url=https://marcoonthebass.blogspot.com/2013/02/rare-live-footage-of-madness-pre-cursor.html |title=Marco on the Bass: Rare Live Footage of Madness Pre-Cursor Band the Invaders from 1976-78! |date=27 February 2013 }}</ref> to Morris and the Minors,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://reggae-steady-ska.com/the-lee-thompson-interview |title=The Lee Thompson Interview |publisher=Reggae Steady Ska |date=7 May 2013 |access-date=19 April 2014}}</ref> the band renamed itself as Madness in 1979.

Madness went on to achieve most of their success in the early to mid-1980s. The band spent 214 weeks on the UK Singles Chart during that decade, holding the record for most weeks spent by a group in the 1980s UK Singles Chart.<ref>Rice 1990. p286. For Madness, the figure of 214 weeks does not include the 4 weeks on the charts by spin-off band "The Madness".</ref> Since forming, Madness have had 15 singles reach the UK Top 10. One of these is the UK number-one single ("House of Fun") and two were number-ones in Ireland, "House of Fun" and "Wings of a Dove".

Woodgate is one of the less regular songwriters in the band, but is credited as co-writer on the hits "The Return of the Los Palmas 7" and "Michael Caine", as well as on the 2009 single "Dust Devil", which reached #64. He is the sole credit on "Sunday Morning" from ''The Rise & Fall'' album, and "Small World" on ''Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da''. Most recently, he was the sole writer of "Round We Go", "Hello Sun" and "Long Goodbye"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sevenraggedmen.com/writing/ |title=SEVEN RAGGED MEN | Madness talk about writing }}</ref> for the band's 2023 album, ''Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie''.

==Voice of the Beehive== {{Main|Voice of the Beehive}} Woodgate also played drums with Voice of the Beehive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Daniel+M.+Woodgate?anv=Daniel+Woodgate |title=Daniel M. Woodgate Discography |website=Discogs.com |access-date=9 September 2015}}</ref> American sisters Tracey Belland (vocals/guitar) and Melissa Belland (vocals) formed the band in 1986 with Woodgate and fellow British members Martin Brett (bass guitar) and Mike Jones (guitar). Woodgate's Madness bandmate Mark Bedford also participated in the group during its formative stages. The band had initial success in the UK, US and Australia, releasing five Top 40 singles from two albums in the UK.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 588}}</ref>

Their biggest commercial success was with the singles, "Don't Call Me Baby", "Monsters and Angels", "I Think I Love You", "I Walk The Earth" and "I Say Nothing" from their first two albums ''Let It Bee'' and ''Honey Lingers''. Woodgate left the band in 1992 when Madness reformed, with the band continuing without him. In 1996, the band released a third album ''Sex & Misery'' and then disbanded. The band reformed in 2003 and played a two-week UK tour. In 2008 they released tracks from the tour on a live CD titled "Don't Call Me Baby."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Voice-Of-The-Beehive-Dont-Call-Me-Baby/release/5727683|title=Don't Call Me Baby Live CD|website=Discogs.com|access-date=9 September 2015}}</ref>

==Later career== From 1992–95 Woodgate worked with his own band Fat,<ref name="About"/> playing clubs in England, France and the US. He signed to London Records and released the single "Downtime."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.woodywoodgate.co.uk/about-me|title=Woody Woodgate, Madness Drummer|website=Woodywoodgate.co.uk|access-date=9 September 2015}}</ref>

In 2014, the Magic Brothers, Woodgate's duo with his brother Nick, released an album titled ''The Magic Line'' on Woodgate's DW Records label. The album was dedicated to the brothers' father Crispin Woodgate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.magicbrothers.com/the-magic-line-contributors|title=The Magic Line Contributors|website=Magicbrothers.com|date=28 April 2013 |access-date=9 September 2015}}</ref>

On 1 June 2015, Woodgate released a solo debut ''In Your Mind'' on the DW Records label. The album began life as the second release for the Magic Brothers but eventually became more of a solo project for Woodgate. Guest vocalists on the album include the Velveteen Orkestra's singer Dan Shears.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.classicpopmag.com/2015/03/madness-drummer-woody-woodgate-goes-solo/ |title=Madness drummer Woody Woodgate goes solo - Classic Pop |date=30 March 2015 }}</ref>

==Personal life== Woodgate grew up in Camden and was previously married to Jane Crockford of the Mo-dettes, and remarried in 1997 to Siobhan Fitzpatrick with whom he had one daughter, Mary.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pennyblackmusic.co.uk/Home/Details?id=21536 | title=Magic Brothers - Interview }}</ref> In 2009, he completed the London Marathon in a time of 3 hours and 37 minutes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.marathonguide.com/results/browse.cfm?MIDD=16100425&Gen=B&Begin=5654&End=5753&Max=36553 | title=London Marathon Race Results 2010 }}</ref>

Woodgate's brother Nick has struggled with schizophrenia and in 2013 Woodgate became an ambassador for the charity Rethink Mental Illness.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/417955/Madness-star-Dan-Woodgate-I-saw-my-schizophrenic-brother-turn-into-a-living-corpse|title=Madness star Dan Woodgate: I saw my schizophrenic brother turn into a living corpse|author=Buckland, Danny|newspaper=Daily Express|date=28 July 2013|access-date=9 September 2015}}</ref>

==Discography== {{Main|Madness discography}} ;Studio album *''In Your Mind'' (2015)

;Single *"In Your Mind" (2015)

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Official website|1=http://www.woodywoodgate.co.uk/}} * {{discogs artist|artist=Daniel M. Woodgate|name=Dan Woodgate}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodgate, Dan}} Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:English male drummers Category:Madness (band) members Category:English male songwriters Category:English record producers Category:20th-century English male musicians Category:English reggae musicians Category:British ska musicians Category:New wave drummers Category:20th-century English drummers Category:21st-century English drummers Category:21st-century English male musicians