Released 29 October 1983 Recorded 1983 | Format vinyl record 7", 12" | |
B-side "Fireball XL5" / "Time For Tea" (USA/Canada) Length 3:28 / 3:18 (USA/Canada) | ||
"The Sun and the Rain" is a single by Madness. It was released in 1983 as a stand-alone single and in 1984 it was included on the American/Canadian version of their album Keep Moving. The single spent 10 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 5.
Contents
"The Sun and the Rain" was the last Madness single written solely by Mike Barson until 2009's "Sugar and Spice". It was also the last original release of theirs to reach the UK top 10 until "Lovestruck" in 1999.
Music video
The music video for the song showed Madness performing in a rainy street. Toward the end they are joined by a number of Madness fans who join in the dancing. There are also scenes showing the band dressed in red with umbrella hats, supposedly wreaking havoc inside Suggs' ear, and shots of Lee Thompson running around with a rocket strapped to his back, a reference to the single's b-side.
Cover Painting
The cover is a detail from the painting 'The Storm' by the French artist Narcisse Virgile Diaz De la Pena. Painted in 1871, it can be seen in the National Gallery in London.
Track listing
- "The Sun and the Rain" - 3:28
- "Fireball XL 5" - 1:44
- "The Sun and the Rain" (extended version) - 4:35
- "Fireball XL 5" - 1:44
- "My Girl" (live) - 3:10