A Lancaster musician has told the amazing story of how he was thrown in at the deep end for a live performance with Madness - in front of a TV audience of 60 million!
James Mackie played keyboards with the music legends during the 1980s, including an appearance on hit comedy show Saturday Night Live in America in 1984.
James stepped in, having previously played with their fellow 2 Tone legends The Selecter, when Madness' regular keyboard player Mike Barson left the band for a while.
And within 10 days of being invited to join Suggs and co in the band, he found himself performing to 60 million television viewers on one of the most popular American TV shows of the 1980s.
LISTEN to James Mackie talking about his American TV debut with Madness
"Madness had lots of commitments and we were all part of that 2 Tone movement, so I was invited down to their studio in Camden," said James.
"That was a stressful week!
"They said they were going to do a gig in 10 days' time, it's TV and we're only going to do four numbers.
"I said, tell me what the four numbers are, and I'll make sure I'm OK with them.
"They said, we haven't decided! They were naughty guys! So they gave me a stack of their albums and said, they'll be in that!
"It was a nightmare. Eventually we had a bit of a rehearsal, and they still wouldn't decide, then we got on a plane and flew to New York, and did Saturday Night Live with Steve Martin and other people. Sixty million people watched it live."
Madness are pictured below.
"The day before, they told me what the four numbers were, starting with 'Our House', which starts on the piano!
"I'm glad I wore my brown corduroy underpants, let's put it that way!
"They made me stand up, I didn't have a piano stool, on a Steinway grand piano. So I couldn't reach the sustain pedal. It sounded like ping-pong music!
"They were great guys, and amazing musicians, actually. I'm not sure sometimes they are given the credit. And they are superb songs.
"I didn't do lots with them, I didn't do any recording, just for TV and things like that, and some festivals in Europe. It was good fun."
Madness are one of Britain's most successful bands, with 16 UK Top 10 hits after forming in 1976.
James has continued to perform, now with blues band The Out and Outs.
Image credit: jamesmackie.art
He is also an artist, with a studio in Lancaster, and ran an interior design shop in Dalton Square for many years.
James studied Art to ‘A’ level and secured an unconditional offer to further his training at Goldsmiths University in London in 1979. However, his parallel interest in music prevented him from starting the course when he was asked to join The Selecter, famed for hits including 'On My Radio' and 'Three Minute Hero'.
He recorded two albums with the ska band and toured extensively playing Hammond organ, keyboards and tenor sax.
Before he had time to revisit his art training, a career in music that was to last many years had taken over.
After his stint with Madness, he built a reputation composing and creating music for theatre, dance, radio, TV and film that was to span two decades.
To keep his artistic ambitions and love of paint alive during this time, he learned the skills of specialist architectural painting and gilding. In 2001 he dedicated himself to this, starting a practice back in his home town of Lancaster.
Over the next 15 years his work took him all over the UK and onto the continent painting murals and restoring interiors. His painted furniture was featured in many magazines notably Country Life who heralded him as a ‘Master of the Art’.
He now paints full time.
James lives in Lancaster with his wife Christine, an actor best known for her role as Dr Gaddas in Coronation Street.
You can hear his full interview with Matilda Walden from Beyond Radio, for her Beyond Expectations podcast, HERE.
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