Mark Bedford
| Mark Bedford | |
|---|---|
Bedford performing live with Madness
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mark William Bedford |
| Also known as | Bedders |
| Born |
24 August 1961 Islington, London, England |
| Genres | 2-Tone |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1978–present |
| Associated acts | |
Mark William Bedford (born 24 August 1961), nicknamed "Bedders", is an English musician, songwriter and composer. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Bedford came to prominence in the late 1970s as the bass guitarist for the English ska band Madness.
Mark William Bedford was born on 24 August 1961, in Islington, London, England. He had started to buy records at the age of 11 or 12. Around this time he was listening to music in the charts and North American artists such as Neil Young. He began to play bass guitar to accompany friends who played the guitar when he was 13.
Bedford attended William Ellis School in Kentish Town and met members of the North London Invaders when they played a live gig there. He was asked along to a band rehearsal and found that the musicians could play quite well. Bedford was friends with Gary Dovey who was playing drums with the band, but after a confrontation with saxophonist Lee Thompson, Dovey left the band. Bedford knew a drummer, and Dan Woodgate was introduced as the final member of the then six-piece band which became Madness.
Although not a major songwriter in Madness, Bedford co-wrote one of the band's more emotive songs "One Better Day" with Suggs. He was also responsible for co-writing "Not Home Today", "Disappear", "Return of the Los Palmas 7", "Deceives The Eye", "Stepping into Line" and "Maybe in Another Life". The only song he ever wrote entirely on his own was "Mummy's Boy", which appeared on the band's debut album One Step Beyond....
Bedford played double bass on Robert Wyatt's recording of the Elvis Costello song "Shipbuilding" in 1982.
After Madness split up for the first time in 1986, Bedford played bass with Voice of the Beehive, and in 1991 played bass on Morrissey's second studio album Kill Uncle. He played double bass on some tracks on the album.
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