# Mike Barson > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mike_Barson > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mike_Barson.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Barson > Source revision: 1356664089 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{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](/source/Madness_(band)) at [Manchester Arena](/source/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](/source/Edinburgh), Scotland | genre = {{hlist|[Ska](/source/Ska)|[pop](/source/Pop_music)|[new wave](/source/New_wave_music)}} [2-tone](/source/2_Tone_(music_genre)) | occupation = {{hlist|Multi-instrumentalist|songwriter|composer}} | instrument = {{hlist|Keyboards|piano|organ|harmonica|vibraphone|guitar|saxophone}} | years_active = {{hlist|1976–1984|1986|1989–present}} | label = {{hlist|[2 Tone](/source/2_Tone_Records)|[Stiff](/source/Stiff_Records)|[Virgin](/source/Virgin_Records)|[V2](/source/V2_Records)|[Go! Discs](/source/Go!_Discs)|[Lucky 7](/source/Lucky_7_Records)}} | associated_acts = {{hlist|[Madness](/source/Madness_(band))|[Suggs](/source/Suggs_(singer))}} | website = {{URL|madness.co.uk}} }} '''Michael Barson''' (born 21 April 1958) is a British multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer. In a career spanning more than 45 years, Barson came to prominence in the late 1970s as keyboard-player for the band [Madness](/source/Madness_(band)). == 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}} (Ben being one of [Roland Gift](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Lee_Thompson_(saxophonist)) gained some notice as graffiti artists in the mid-1970s. After reading about the emerging [New York graffiti scene](/source/Graffiti_in_New_York_City), 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](/source/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=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)|access-date=4 February 2015 }} Barson co-founded a band called The Invaders in 1976.{{cite web|url=https://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](/source/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](/source/Two-tone_(music_genre)) 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](/source/Faber_%26_Faber) |isbn=9780571252275|access-date=10 November 2015}} However, after increasing exhaustion from the music business, he left the band in 1984 after the recording of their fifth studio album, ''[Keep Moving](/source/Keep_Moving_(Madness_album))'', and emigrated to the Netherlands.{{cite web |title=The Magnificent 7 |url=https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/the-magnificent-7 |website=[Record Collector](/source/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 farewell single, "[(Waiting For) The Ghost Train](/source/(Waiting_For)_The_Ghost_Train)". {{Quote box | quote = I’ve been breathing, eating, sleeping, just getting along. Living off the fruits of the past. It’s difficult to say what I do. Time goes by and it seems to get filled. But it’s good to be writing songs with Suggs again. We’re pleased with what we’ve done so far. The plan is to release them when we’re ready. I’ve no idea when that will be. | author = Barson, ''[Q](/source/Q_(magazine)): [https://web.archive.org/web/20100430155738/http://www.madnesstradingring.com/InPrint/1992/QMar1992.html|The Magnificent 6 and a Half Ride Again]'', March 1992 | align = right | width = 44% }} From the mid-80s to early 90s, Barson spent this time out of the public eye, remaining effectively retired from the music business. However, he was still writing and producing songs with some of his former bandmates, namely [Suggs](/source/Suggs) and [Lee Thompson](/source/Lee_Thompson_(saxophonist)), between in his houseboat in Amsterdam and in Liquidator Studios in London, which Madness still owned. Most of these songs ended up on Suggs' eventual solo album, such as "She's Gone" and "Alcohol", and on subsequent Madness albums, such as "[Lovestruck](/source/Lovestruck_(Madness_song))" and "[Mr. Apples](/source/Can't_Touch_Us_Now)".{{Cite web |date=2025-11-28 |title=HIT PARADE, International, 2025 |url=https://madnessography.com/hit-parade-international-2025/ |access-date=2025-12-28 |website=Madnessography |language=en-GB}}{{Cite book |last=Reed |first=John |title=House of Fun: the story of Madness |date=2010 |publisher=Omnibus |isbn=978-1-84772-619-3 |location=London |pages=368}} Madness reunited in their original line-up in 1992, and Barson still plays with them. In 1995, he collaborated with [Suggs](/source/Suggs_(singer)) on his first solo album ''[The Lone Ranger](/source/The_Lone_Ranger_(album)),'' having co-wrote and produced a number of songs with Suggs since 1989. When [No Doubt](/source/No_Doubt) were [recording](/source/sound_recording_and_reproduction) songs for their fifth studio album ''[Rock Steady](/source/Rock_Steady_(album))'', 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](/source/Clive_Langer) and [Alan Winstanley](/source/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](/source/compilation_album) ''[Everything in Time](/source/Everything_in_Time) (B-sides, Rarities, Remixes)''. Both Barson and his bandmate, Suggs, have contributed to [Audio Bullys](/source/Audio_Bullys)' album ''[Higher Than the Eiffel](/source/Higher_Than_the_Eiffel)''. They both appear on the tracks "Twist Me Up" and "Goodbye". == 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:1958 births Category:Living people 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 Category:21st-century male pianists Category:Pop keyboardists --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mike Barson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Barson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Barson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.