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Madonna Monday - The Finale.

What did I think I was getting myself in to when I decided to do a weekly Madonna post?! I've always been a huge fan of Madonna. I basically, like so many other folks, grew up to the sights and sounds of Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone (Ritchie). Only a few months in to my Madonna Monday trip, I realized that it was no small feat to write a lengthy weekly post about anything much less Madonna! However, 52 WEEKS later, my Madonna Monday journey is complete. It's not over in an official sense. I'll likely have Madonna Mondays, Thursdays, late Sundays and whatever you call it. Madge has a new album, two new movies and world tour coming up in 2008 so I know there will be much Madonna goodness to be had. I enjoyed the Madonna Monday posts because it was familiar territory. It was easy because Madonna has always been in my peripheral my entire life. She has always had a a hit single, movie (shut up, you!), tour, album, clothing line or something else that caught my attention that I continued to love. It was a trip down memory lane - a nostalgic journey. In my opinion, Madonna is still admired and loved because she has been anything and everything to everyone. We've either seen some of ourselves in the moves she has made or seen seen who we don't want to become. In her 25+ year career, Madonna has been the saint, the slut, the originator, the copy cat, the angel, the trollop, the lady, the tramp, the business woman, the prude, the enemy but ultimately and always the icon. She has taken the role of Pop Star and turned it on it's head. With the signing of her 120 million dollar 10 year venture with Live Nation, we know that Madonna isn't going any where. We have at least another decade to chat, write, blog, critique, despise, love and experience all things Madge. She/we wouldn't have it any other way. I started my Madonna Monday posts on January 1st of this year with the incredible video remix by videographer and editor Dustin Robertson. Dustin remixed Madonna's song Nobody Knows Me with a brilliant mash up of all of Madonna's looks and personas. It's the perfect beginning and ending.

Check out all of the past 53 Madonna Monday posts here!
It's pretty sweet.
XOX.

Madonna Monday!

It's Christmas Eve, y'all! It's also Madonna Monday! My post for today is going to be a bit brief. There are gifts to be given, presents to wrap and unwrap and my lil' nieces to spoil. Today's Madonna feature is the cute and lovable song Madonna sang for the 1987 charity album A Very Special Christmas. The song is called Santa Baby. The song was written by Joan Javits (the niece of Jacob K. Javits for all you New Yorkers), Philip Springer, and Tony Springer. The song is a tongue in cheek look at a young woman's indulgent Christmas Wish list. She wants extravagant gifts like a sable, a yacht and a few lil' decorations from Tiffany's and that is just the beginning. Santa Baby was originally recorded in 1953 by the legendary Eartha Kitt. Mrs. Kitt has said publicly that she did not like Madonna's version of the song. Ahh well. Whether you love it or hate it, it's still a cute rendition of a Christmas classic. There was never a video made for the song so some fans have taken it upon themselves to create their own. The one below features clips from Material Girl and Madge's Sooner or Later performance from the 1991 Oscars where she is dripping in diamonds. It's quite appropriate for the tone of this week's song. In some Madonna trivia, the Christmas holiday is quite an important time of year for Madonna. It was seven years ago on December 22nd that Madonna married English film director Guy Ritchie. Tis the season for love and good cheer! Happy Madonna Monday and Merry Christmas, baby. xoxox.

Madonna Monday!

The opening of the Geisha portion of Madonna's Drowned World Tour featured an innovative and beautiful video shot by director Dago Gonzalez. The video shows Madonna in a full kimono and Japanese Geisha inspired make up. The song is called Paradise (not for me) and was featured on Madge's 2000 Music album as well as on producer Mirwais Ahmadzaï's album Production. The song, like many of Madonna's tracks, has been interpreted in many ways. Some say it's a song about the loss of her mother while others say it's a song about her fans. The video for the song would imply that the song is about a woman's abuse. Gladly, the fan not the artist gets to dictate the meaning. This week's Madonna Monday post will not be as lengthy as many have been. Instead the focus is on the lyrics of the song and the video interpretation that Madonna created. The whole geisha look that Madonna rocked for the Drowned World Tour as well as various photo shoots was so beautiful. Her fascination with Japanese imagery worked so well. Madonna has said that this look was one of her favorites. It's also one of mine. Below you will find the video interlude as well as an amazing performance from the Confessions Tour. Enjoy. xoxo.

Paradise (Not For Me) ~ Video Interlude
Uploaded by tirukela

Paradise (Not For Me) ~ Confessions Tour
Uploaded by chriswarner

Paradise (Not For Me)
I can't remember
When I was young
I can't explain
If it was wrong
My life goes on
But not the same
Into your eyes
My face remains



(I've been so high)
I've been so down
(Up to the skies)
Down to the ground

I was so blind
I could not see
Your paradise
Is not for me



Autour de moi
Je ne vois pas
Qui sont des anges
Surement pas moi
Encore une fois
Je suis cassee
Encore une fois
Je n'y crois pas
All around me
I could not see
Who are the angels
Surely not me
Once more again
I am broken
Once more again
I don't believe it



I've been so high
I've been so down
Up to the skies
Down to the ground

There is a light
Above my head
Into your eyes
My face remains

I can't remember
When I was young
Into your eyes
My face remains

Madonna Monday!

The song featured in this week's Madonna Monday post is likely one that even the least of Madonna fans still really dig - the song is Live to Tell. The song was released in 1986 on Madge's True Blue album. The song was also featured in Madonna's then-husband Sean Penn's film At Close Range that was released that same year. Live to Tell topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in June of 1986 and is still considered to be one of Madonna's biggest hits. The video for the song was directed by James Foley who also directed At Close Range. The video featured a drastically different look for Madonna. Gone were the rubber bracelets, torn stockings and "underwear is outerwear" that was a trademark of the Like a Virgin era. The video was shot in minimal light and was mixed with footage from Sean's film and shows Madonna seated on a chair in a darkened space. Madonna almost seems chained to the chair - unable to rise up.  She remains seated through out most of the song until the interlude. Madonna is then seen standing in a strong beam of light singing...

"If I ran away, I'd never have the strength
To go very far
How would they hear the beating of my heart
Will it grow cold
The secret that I hide, will I grow old
How will they hear
When will they learn
How will they know"

Madonna's performances of the song have been some of her strongest. She featured the song on various tours including her Blond Ambition Tour as well as her Confessions Tour among others. The latter likely garnered Madonna some of her most outrageous press. Madonna sang the song mounted on a huge disco ball inspired cross causing everyone from the Vatican to the corner store in Kentucky to form a very vocal opinion. During the performance, Madonna highlighted the AIDS Pandemic in Africa. Flashing quickly above Madonna was a ticker counting up and finally reaching the 12,000,000. This final number corresponds to the estimated number of African children who have been orphaned by the AIDS in the country. When asked, Madonna stated that in order to make her point she figured "Jesus wouldn't mind". I certainly don't. It's these little twists that Madonna throws in to the mix that keep it interesting. Check out the various Live to Tell videos below. Enjoy. xox.

Live To Tell - Original Video
Uploaded by hakim93200

Live to tell/Oh Father - Blond Ambition Tour
Uploaded by bebepanda

Live to tell - Confessions Tour
Uploaded by bebepanda

I have a tale to tell
Sometimes it gets so hard to hide it well
I was not ready for the fall
Too blind to see the writing on the wall

A man can tell a thousand lies
I've learned my lesson well
Hope I live to tell
The secret I have learned, 'till then
It will burn inside of me

I know where beauty lives
I've seen it once, I know the warm she gives
The light that you could never see
It shines inside, you can't take that from me

The truth is never far behind
You kept it hidden well
If I live to tell
The secret I knew then
Will I ever have the chance again

If I ran away, I'd never have the strength to go very far
How would they hear the beating of my heart
Will it grow cold
The secret that I hide, will I grow old
How will they hear
When will they learn
How will they know

Madonna Monday!

Since Saturday was World AIDS Day around the globe, I thought I'd keep the theme going for my Madonna Monday piece. Madonna has been a constant supporter of organizations who are joined in the fight to find a cure for AIDS. She has donated countless amounts of money towards the cause. She has also given the profits of many of her performances, singles and books in support of AIDS organizations that have helped to bring us closer to the day when we can find a cure. Madonna had two very dear friends die of AIDS which made her crusade to bring awareness to the masses that much more important. The first of two pivotal deaths, related to AIDS, was her longtime mentor and friend Christopher Flynn. Flynn was Madonna's first dance instructor when she was growing up in Michigan in the Mid-70s. Flynn was instrumental in building Madonna's confidence as a dancer and performer. She has said she credits Christopher with much of her growth as a young performer. Flynn was also the first to introduce Madonna to the gay dance scene in Detroit. Christopher and Madonna would head to the clubs and dance in to the weeee hours of the morning. This was her first taste of the nightlife scene but certainly not her last. Flynn was ultimately the one who convinced her to move to New York and go for her dream. The second death, related to AIDS, that changed her life was the passing of her great friend Keith Haring. When they met, Keith was an up and coming artist who became a huge success in the 80s with his easily recognizable style. Wherever Madonna was in the 80s, Keith was by her side. His death in February of 1990 was a huge loss. Today's Madonna Monday piece features one of Madonna's most heart felt songs. The song is called In this Life. This song was featured on Madonna's 1992 album Erotica and is one of my favorite ballads. In a time where most of us know someone who is living with this disease, this song speaks volumes about what we have to lose until a cure is found. Check out the following videos. Enjoy. xox.

A Message from Madonna.
Madonna's song, In This Life, inspired by her dear friend Keith Haring.

IN THIS LIFE

Sitting on a park bench
Thinking about a friend of mine
He was only 23
Gone before he had his time
It came without a warning
Didn't want his friends to see him cry
He knew the day was dawning
And I didn't have a chance to say goodbye

In this life I loved you most of all
What for?
'Cause now you're gone and I have to ask myself
What for?

Driving down the boulevard
Thinking about a man I knew
He was like a father to me
Nothing in the world that he wouldn't do
Taught me to respect myself
Said that we're all made of flesh and blood
Why should he be treated differently
Shouldn't matter who you choose to love


People pass by and I wonder who's next
Who determines, who knows best
Is there a lesson I'm supposed to learn in this case
Ignorance is not bliss


Have you ever watched your best friend die [what for]
Have you ever watched a grown man cry [what for]
Some say that life isn't fair [what for]
I say that people just don't care [what for]
They'd rather turn the other way [what for]
And wait for this thing to go away [what for]
Why do we have to pretend [what for]
Some day I pray it will end

I hope it's in this life
I hope it's in this life time

Madonna Monday!

Madonna's name is a brand. It sells records and it sells merchandise. It has also been known to sell make up, pop drinks, watches and even apartments! Yes, apartments! Madonna has often linked herself to well-known products and companies by appearing in their commercials or by allowing her songs to be used in their advertisements. Many folks will say that Madonna is selling out but my opinion is WHO CARES if she is?! Madonna is striking while the iron is hot. Madonna has made a career out of pushing the barriers of what is considered right and wrong and in this fickle business, you can never guarantee that you'll be making the same amount of money in a year’s time. She has made shrewd business decisions time and time again that have helped her to be named one of the wealthiest women in the entertainment business since she launched herself in to the spotlight. However, Madonna isn't keeping all the earnings to herself. Madonna has been linked to major AIDS organizations which has raised monumental amounts of money for research. She has donated a ton to various environmental groups over the years. She has also dedicated astounding amounts of Madonna for her own charity, Raising Malawi. Her foundation helps to save hundreds of thousands of orphans in Malawi which is one of the poorest countries in Africa. (A future post will cover more about what the Raising Malawi is all about!) While the subject of money making and lucrative business decisions is some what of a less than exciting topic, Madonna's way of making a little cold hard cash is anything but chilly. Madonna has teamed up with various directors and artists to promote products and brands and in the process has made some pretty cool ads. I have selected a few of my fave clips below. From one of Madonna's first forays in to the advertising world with her 1989 Pepsi sponsorship to the combining of forces with the retail giant H&M, Madonna has been using her name and her reputation with increased creativity to broaden her exposure and keep her name on everyone's lips.

Madonna - Pepsi Commercial
Uploaded by hakim93200

Madonna - H&M Commercial
Uploaded by BloGraphiC

Madonna - Max Factor Commercial
Uploaded by floris-madonna-connexion

Madonna - Gap Commercial
Uploaded by bebepanda

Madonna - Ariake Commercial
Uploaded by jahlo

Madonna Monday!

Hey Mister D.J.
Put a record on
I wanna dance with my baby
And when the music starts
I never wanna stop
It's gonna drive me crazy!

These are the opening lines from Madonna's hit entitled Music. The song was the lead track from the album of the same name which was released in the summer of 2000. I had just moved to New York and it was a staple of me and my roommate Dan's music blasting in our apartment. The Music album was the follow up to Madonna's hugely successful Ray of Light Album. Madonna worked on the Music album with William Orbit as well as Mirwais Ahmadzaï who would also go on to work with Madge on her American Lfe album. The song was nominated for Record of the Year, but lost to U2's Beautiful Day. Music was one of Madonna's most fun songs to date. It was infectious and immediatly a dance floor filler. Madonna sings "Music makes the people come together. Music makes the bourgeoisie and the rebels". I love the whole message behind the song. It really is a true statement that music can bring people together. A good song can translate to the ears of any culture, any race, and any orientation. Madonna continues with her heavily vocoded voice to sing "Do you like to boogie-woogie? Do you like my Acid Rock?" The song is funky fresh and is still considered one of Madonna's biggest recent hits. Music has appeared in all three of Madonna's tours since it was released (Drowned World Tour, Re-Invention Tour, and Confessions Tour). In The Confessions Tour, it was brilliantly mixed with Trammp's Disco Inferno, thus creating the Saturday Night Fever inspired Music Inferno.

The Music Video, directed by Jonas Åkerlund, was filmed in Los Angeles and featured the releatively unknown (at the time!) English comic Sasha Baron Cohen as Ali G. Mr.Cohen would go on to be a huge success across the globe not only with his Ali G persona but also with his Borat character. The video is a bit of a Hip hop parody. Madonna jokingly plays the gangsta role along side her longtime pals Niki Haris and Debi Mazar. Madonna and crew visit a strip club and pick up some ladies and proceed to party in the back of her limo. A bit of trivia but in case you aren't able to tell, Madonna was five-months pregnant with her son Rocco during the filming of the video. You only see Madonna seated during the course of the video dressed in a baggy white ghetto fabulous coat or from the waist up behind the bar during the strip club scenes. The video won Best Pop Clip Of The Year at the Billboard Video Awards in 2000 and Best Dance Video at the International Dance Music Awards in 2000. I have featured various clips of Music below - the orginal clip and a few fun perfomances one of which is the most recent from The Confessions Tour, Music Inferno. Enjoy. xoxox.

Madonna Monday!

In October of 1992, Madonna released her hit Erotica. The song was the first single from Madonna's sexually charged album of the same name. The song, written and produced by Madonna and Shep Pettibone (think: Vogue), was a hit in the US and abroad. It climbed to only #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart but like numerous tracks before and after it, it would reach #1 on the U.S. Billboard Dance Music charts. It's tough to resist a new Madonna track coupled with the remix work of some of the most current and cutting edge DJs spinning. There are a few different versions of the song that have either been released or leaked but all of them are deeply sexy and provocative. The song opens with what sounds like a needle on a scratchy record. Madonna speaks saying "My name is Dita. I'll be your mistress tonight.". The stage is now set for a different sound that Madonna had never embarked upon. While she sings the chorus, most of the song is Madonna speaking seductively. The album version of Erotica contains a sample of the 1974 single Jungle Boogie which was a hit by the old school group Kool and the Gang. The song is very thumpy and dark. The video which accompanied the song was equally as gritty. The same year that the Erotica album was released Madonna released her infamous SEX book. The SEX book was a coffee table book that highlighted many of Madonna's sexual fantasies. The metal bound book was shot by fashion photographer Steven Meisel. Madonna wrote all of the erotic and graphic stories in the book. She penned the text as a character named Mistress Dita which was inspired by the silent film actress Dita Parlo. While the book was photographed by Meisel, Fabien Baron took live video of the photo shoots which was used for the Erotica video. The footage was also compiled and shown at the release party for the book. Today this film, known as the SEX Book Video is very hard to find and can go for prices as high as $500 - even more than the SEX book itself. MTV only aired the video a total of three times. Each time was after midnight. This would be the 2nd video to be banned by MTV - the first was Madonna's Justify My Love video. I don't need to describe the details of the video. All of that can be seen in the clip below. There were a few famous faces that appear in the video and also within the pages of the SEX book. Stripped down and posing with Madonna were model Naomi Campbell, actress Isabella Rossellini, rappers Big Daddy Kane and Vanilla Ice, gay porn star Joey Stefano, actor Udo Kier and the European socialite Tatiana von Furstenberg. Below you will find the original video as well as a few performances of the song which include the opening of her Girlie Show World Tour as well as the performance from the Confessions Tour. Enjoy. xoxo.

Madonna Monday!

This past weekend, me and my boyfriend went to visit his Mom (Cackles!) in Philly. We also took a lil' trip to see his fantastic and adorable grandparents. It was a really wonderful two days. One other plus besides getting to see these amazing folks was to get out of the city for a second to just breathe. We got to escape the concrete and the noise and see some of the beautiful fall landscape that was just outside the city limits. As we whizzed down the interstate, we were met with a vivid display of leaves which were changing colors. The fall palette was on all of the trees. It was an incredible sight. I was thinking on the way home what I was going to do for my Madonna Monday post and I was immediately struck with an image. In Madonna's video for You'll See - a song taken from the 1995 ballad compilation Something to Remember - there are some amazing shots of fall leaves tumbling down as the video opens. You'll See can be seen as a follow-up to Madonna's smash Take a Bow. The matador which appeared in that video also makes an appearance in this video. The video was directed by Michael Haussman who directed the Take a Bow video. In the Take a Bow video Madonna is scorned. Instead of wallowing in defeat, she flees the matador. The matador, now unable to forget her, goes after her. Madonna is having none of it.

Madonna sings...

You think that I can't live without your love
You'll see,
You think I can't go on another day.
You think I have nothing
Without you by my side,
You'll see
Somehow, some way

You think that I can never laugh again You'll see,
You think that you destroyed my faith in love.
You think after all you've done
I'll never find my way back home,
You'll see
Somehow, someday

Madonna's voice sounds stunning. At the time, Madonna was getting ready to film the movie version of the musical Evita. Her voice, newly trained, was stronger and more direct than ever. The following is the original video as well as a performance of the song on the English show Top of the Pops. Additionally, you will find another performance of the song - this one from the Drowned World Tour - which I actually prefer. Unfortunately, the sound quality is less than stellar. This is one of my favorite Madonna songs ever. It's one of the most touching and heart felt tracks that she has ever written. The Something to Remember album was a collection of love songs that Madonna wrote prior to 1995. Many of the songs included on that album are even more memorable than her huge dance hits - Crazy for you and Live to Tell are perfect examples. Enjoy. xox.

Madonna - You'll See - Original Video

Madonna - You'll See (TOTP)

Madonna - You'll See - DWT LIVE

Madonna Monday!

In early 2006, Madonna released her second single from the Confessions on a Dance Floor album entitled Sorry. The immediately catchy track was produced by Madonna and her very talented musical partner Stuart Price. Stuart worked on many of the songs on the Confessions album. While the song failed to make a huge impact on the Hot 100 Billboard Charts, it was a massive success on the Billboard dance charts. The song reached # 1 on the Hot Dance Airplay chart and the Dance Club chart. One great thing about new Madonna singles is all of the remixes that are born. Madonna has always kept a keen ear to what is is hot in the DJ world. For the Sorry mixes, she commissioned some of the best in the biz. Paul Oakenfold, Green Velvet and even the Pet Shop Boys put their unique twist on the song. The music video was directed by Madonna's longtime friend and choreographer Jamie King. Jamie began working with Madonna back in 1995 when he choreographed Madonna's Human Nature video which remains one of my favorites. The video is the sequel to Madonna's Hung Up video. The Sorry video picks right back up where Hung Up left off. As with Hung Up, Madonna is rocking the leotard and doing dance moves that many of the younger pop starlets couldn't dream of. The video is super duper fun. The song was featured twice within her Confessions Tour - once as a straight up performance and then a remix video was also put together as an interlude between songs. In the remix video there are images of Madonna against a neon electric background which are interspersed with footage of prominent world leaders, as well as visions of poverty, deforestation, and war. Madonna's spoken vocals emphasize the words "lies" and "talk is cheap". Featured below are various Sorry videos including the director's cut of the video, the performance of the song from the Confessions Tour as well as the interlude mentioned above. Enjoy. xoxox.

Madonna Monday!

In the early part of 1998, Madonna released the first single from her smash album Ray of Light. The song was called Frozen. I was in my senior year of college at that time and I remember listening to this album again and again with my roommate Ashby. We could not get enough of it. This song was the first of many big hits from the Ray of Light album which would highlight a drastically different sound from Madonna. Frozen was written by Madonna and Patrick Leonard (Think: Live to Tell) and was produced by Madonna, William Orbit and Leonard. William Orbit was the true mastermind behind the entire Ray of Light album. His funky plucky dance grooves mixed with drums and guitar were a new sound that Madonna had never tried and it has become a signature sound for her. Almost every album following the Ray of Light album has been a mix of high energy dance beats coupled with a slightly rock edge. A perfect example from Madonna's Confessions album would be I love New York. Frozen was a world wide hit when it was released. Many fans were hungry for new Madonna music. Her last album of all original music was her Bedtime Stories album released in 1994. The dark techno based beats, eastern strings, her new vocal range (thanks to her training on the film Evita) and slightly Goth appearance was a new direction that Madonna hadn't taken previously. Don't get too used to it though - she shed the dark look quickly for her follow up single Ray of Light! The video for the song was one of the most dark and elusive creations that Madonna had every done. In January of 1998, Madonna went to the Indian Well Valley of the Mojave Desert in California to shoot the music video. The clip was directed by Chris Cunningham. Chris was known for his video work with Aphex Twin, Björk and Portishead among many others. The video was inspired by the movie The English Patient as well as The Sheltering Sky. Madonna's character in the video is tough to explain and can be interpreted in many ways. In my head it appears that Madonna is a haunting and mystical character warning of lost love if her suitor doesn't open his heart and soul. You may get something else from the video. As always, what I love about much of her work is that it speaks to people in different ways. The special effects in the video, which include Madonna morphing in to a crow as well as a vicious doberman, won Madge an MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects in 1998. Madonna would go on to perform the song during her Drowned World Tour in early 2001 (among other tours) and was one of the most stunning songs in the show. The following clips are the actual video directed by Mr. Cunningham as well as that live performance from the DWT. I also found a clip of Madonna performing the song on Rosie's talk show. This song marked a new era for Madonna - the sexiness was no longer in the forefront - instead a more thoughtful and spiritual Madonna was born. xox.

Madonna Monday!

Besides a hard nose for business, Madonna's image that accompanied each new song, video or movie has been a driving force behind her success. She has had a zillion incarnations and all of them still seem to spark public interest. In my opinion, the reason Madonna is still a relevant force is because she continues to change and grow and do new and exciting projects. It's also due to the fact that in our heads there have been different "Madonnas" that we have loved. It's tough to get tired of Madonna if she continues to take on new personas - new looks - new styles. As soon as you thought you had figured her out, she'd change. Looking back there have been so many truly unique and drastically different looks that it's almost as if they were different people all together. Think of all the "Madonnas" there were in the 80s alone - you had the Like a Virgin Madonna, the bleached blond True Blue Madonna, the kissin' a black priest Like a Prayer Madonna then came the Express yourself Madonna with the fitted men's suit and exposed severe conical bra. Her image became as talked about as her music, if not more. Madonna has stated that her constantly changing look had nothing to do with marketing or anything calculated like that - she said it was just her changing her mind. If she was inspired by something she saw or something she was working on, her look would follow suit. Regardless, it has worked for her. She's an iconic figure because she has captured the public's attention for decades and given them what they wanted when they wanted it. She has been the catholic rebel and then Kabbalah devotee, the vixen and then the saint, the sex object and then the mother figure, the know it all and then the fool. She has played each of these roles so well that it's tough to know who she really is. For this Madonna Monday post, I'm focusing my attention on videos and clips that highlight the ever changing icon. These clips below are all fan created mash ups of her songs featuring all of her truly brilliant looks. Each clip captures an ever changing woman who, whether you still agree or not, has been at the forefront of creativity and self-expression for over 25 years. It's funny to see all the different Madonnas that we've been introduced to over the years. Which is your favorite? Which did you like the most? Enjoy. xox.

Madonna Monday!

OK, so let's face it - besides a few movies like Desperately Seeking Susan and Evita, Madonna has not had a ton of success at the box office. She has been critically panned just about every time she makes a new film. I'm sure many of us can remember the whirl wind of slack Madonna caught when she worked with her husband on the movie Swept Away. It was a tremendously awful film. Well, even though Madonna might star in some real stinkers, every once in a while she'll do a movie that I just adore. Just over 20 years ago Madonna starred opposite Griffin Dunne in the film called Who's that girl. Who's that Girl, was a modern-day adaptation of the 1938 Howard Hawks film called Bringing up Baby. The movie features a very buttoned up conservative lawyer who is engaged to be married to a woman he doesn't love while a wild woman distracts him from his wedding preparations. The movie did very badly in the theaters but for some reason I thought it was SO FUNNY. I think Madonna is a great comedienne. Her character is so over the top that it just works. Madonna plays Nikki Finn, a recently paroled criminal who is dead set on clearing her name now that she out of prison. She was convicted of a crime she didn't commit and is eager to set the record straight. The film is a perfect example of so many bad cheese ball flicks made in the 80s. It was one of those silly films that were always fun to just turn on and laugh at. There was no deeper meaning to be found, nothing thought provoking or truly evocative - it was just silly 80s humor that sometimes is just needed. Despite the film's box office failure, Madonna still came out on top. Madonna did three songs for the film - two of them were world wide hits. Madonna sang the title track Who's that Girl, the catchy and infectious Causing a Commotion and the ballad The Look of Love - all of which can be found below. So I know I'm not going to convince anyone to run out and buy the DVD of the film but trust me, if one day you are flipping through the channels and you see that the movie is on - WATCH IT! You'll be pleasantly surprised. Trust me. xox.

Who's That Girl - Original Video

The Look Of Love - Original Video

Causing A Commotion (live)

Madonna Monday!

In super duper dope news, two of the best acts to be be born from the 80s - Madonna and The Beastie Boys - have been nominated for inclusion in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! To be eligible for nomination in to the Hall of Fame, the artist must have released their first single or album at least 25 years prior to their nomination. So that means that the eligible contenders must have released their first single no later than 1982! Way far back in '82, Madonna’s single Everybody and The Beastie Boys’ punk EP Polly Wog Stew came out. It's still amazing that both of these artists are still pushing the envelope in music to this day.

The press release for the Hall of Fame nomination said the following about Madge:
"Doors opened wide for Madonna Louise Ciccone in 1982, after five years as a singer and dancer on New York City’s competitive club circuit. She signed with Sire Records (her label for the next 14 years) where her idiosyncratic persona exploded onto turntables, dance floors and airwaves and captured the imagination of the first generation of MTV viewers. She went on to become the top female star of the 1980s with seven #1 hits, three #1 albums and seventeen top ten hits in that decade. In addition to molding her public image, Madonna is a meticulous studio craftsperson and completely uninhibited stage performer. From her first #1, 1984’s “Like A Virgin” (produced by Nile Rogers of Chic) to her most recent two year Confessions campaign, Madonna remains one of the most ferociously original artists in music today."

In the Spring of 1985, Madonna would embark on her first world tour - The Virgin Tour. Riding high on the success of her Like a Virgin album and making headlines with her trend setting outfits, Madonna kicked off her first tour in Seattle, Washington at the Paramount Theatre on April 10th 1985. Opening up for Madonna on her first tour was none other than The Beastie Boys! The 'Boys' accompanied the, then 27 year old, pop star all over the US for the next three months. One of the most memorable performances from the Virgin Tour was the song Dress You Up. Dress You Up was the fifth single from the Like a Virgin album. The song was a smash hit. The song reached # 5 in the UK and in the United States. The song would become Madonna's eighth Top 5 song of 1985, following Like a Virgin, Material Girl, Crazy for You, Into the Groove, Holiday, Angel, and Gambler. There was no actual studio filmed music video for the song. Instead, a live performance of the song, shot while on tour in Madonna's home town of Detroit, Michigan was used to promote the single. The video was nominated for three MTV Video Music Awards including Best Choreography, Best Editing and Best Cinematography. The live performance of the song is below. The opening of the video shows a legion of devoted Madonna fans arriving at the concert donned in their best Madonna-esque get up. You can truly see the influence Madonna had on her fans in the 80s. Truth be told, I wasn't really a fan of Madonna during this period. It was really until the Like a Prayer era that I really started giving Madonna a listen. You can tell that this was not the case for the ladies featured in the opening clip. They LOVED themselves some Madonna. They were truly taking Madge's word to heart and getting all "dressed up' in their love. Enjoy. xox.

Madonna - Dress You Up

(Thanks Rachel for reading and for the email! xox.)

Madonna Monday!

When I was in high school, I used to convince my buddies to perform songs with me at our choral spaghetti dinners. It was a little bit like a talent show but it was in front of an audience of our friends and family. The purpose was to raise money for our choral department so we could afford sheet music, performance outfits and that kind of thing. We would sing and perform songs that we weren't able to perform elsewhere. One year, me and my buddy Jason did a sweeeeeet version of Madonna's Deeper and Deeper. We knocked our performance out of the park that night (We thought so, at least!). We had back up dancers hitting every mark. We had lil' outfits that were spot on. We were having a gooooood time. I mean come on - it was high school. Who really cared one way or the other? Not us! Which brings me to the subject of this week's Madonna Monday post. This week it's about Madonna covers. Jason and I did our best back in the day to cover a little bit of Madonna goodness and today the story is the same. With the help of YouTube.com, we get to peer in to the bedrooms and basements of America and see the talent that wants to take a favorite track and make it their own. Although, it must be noted that covering Madonnasongs is not limited to the non-famous. Just last year, Kylie did her own version of Madonna's Vogue. Below you will find a selection of folks covering some really great Madonna tracks. The fact that a simple search on YouTube.com yields a ton of Madonna covers shows that these peeps had a connection to a Madonna song so much so that they had to do a version of their own. As I have said 100 times, what I totally dig about Madonna is that we all have a Madonna story, song or moment that lives in our memory. We all have some Madonna song that has made some impression on us in some way. For some folks, it has gone on to inspire them to pick up a guitar and rock out with their own version of the song. As long as Madonna continues us to inspire us to think a bit more, sing a bit more and dance a bit more then she is certainly doing her job. Mrs. Ciccone has been doing this for the past 25 years and I assume (or can hope!) she'll be doing it for many many more.

Dallas Green sings Love Don't Live Here Anymore 


Rudi Douglas sings Get Together


Darren Hayes of Savage Garden sings Ray of Light


Adam Smith sings Take A Bow 





My buddy Jerry sent me the following clip this morning - See below. I had heard of this but forgot to actually look for it. In keeping with the Madonna cover theme, I bring you something quite similar. Kelly Ripa from Live with Regis and Kelly has never been shy about her love for Madonna. She admitted to Madonna, during the occasions that Madonna was on her show, that she attended her concert every time she could. I think she had said she went 9 times - something like that. Anyway, Kelly recently did her best Madonna impression on a her show and the results are stellar. Also, look out for Regis spinning some vinyl! There is no singing to be had but there is a ton of moving. Kelly has got a body on her!! Dang. Enjoy!

Madonna Monday!

In 2003, Madonna teamed up with the amazingly talented fashion photographer Steven Klein for a project that was part photography and part performance art. The project was called X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS. The duo set out to create something that was unique and bold. The result was a first for both of these artists and would set the stage for a working relationship that continues to spawn visually stunning results. It's quite difficult to describe what X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS is all about. The lengthy photo shoot which was also filmed resulted in a video and pictorial installation that would travel the world. I was fortunate enough to see the installation when it was showing here in New York at the Deitch Projects in SOHO back in 2003. The videos were edited in a very unnerving fashion. The clips are stuttered and choppy as they jump from frame to frame. A few of the clips from the project are included below as are some of my favorite shots from the installation. Klein shot Madonna in various locations with all of scenes more bizarre than the next. The photography is abstract, compelling and dark. With much of Klein's work, as well as Madonna's, what is presented is done so in a way that you can interpret in many ways.

The blog, Robjn.com, had this to say on the work: Madonna presents herself as a performer in a landscape where she creates and brings her ideas to life or death. Steven Klein's intention was to work with Madonna as a performance artist, creating a situation where she could respond directly to the camera without constraint. The project is not about photography of celebrity, but about the person and the passions beneath the surface. Klein sees Madonna as a messenger, asking people to wake up and confront the dehumanizing forces in the contemporary world. Rather than the packaged glamour that one might expect from the collaboration of a pop star and a top fashion photographer, the work is raw and menacing. The spirit is apocalyptic. Madonna and Steven Klein enter into a subconscious realm of primitive fears and desires. The work has a religious passion and a sexual charge. The theatricality increases with the intensity of the emotions.

This is one of my favorite things that Madonna has done. I love it so much because it was extremely cutting edge. This wasn't simply a new video for MTV. This project was new territory and she was delving in to another artistic realm. This was an art spectacle that would tour the globe and reach audiences that may not typically be interested in Madonna's work. For those of you who saw Madonna's  Reninvention Tour, the videos shot for X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS were used in the opening of the show. If you click HERE, you can download a PDF of photos from the installation. Thanks to Robjn.com for sharing your experience. It truly was a very very cool thing to see. Madonna's work with Klein continues. Madonna websites have stated she is planning another "large scale" project with Klein for release next year. I'm excited to see what the two will create again.

Madonna Monday!

Camille Paglia who is a modern social critic and author has never been one to hold her tongue when it comes to things she feels strongly about. Last year she had the following to say “A great promise was contained in the moment when Madonna kissed Britney at the MTV Awards. She in a sense was saying,”I’m passing the torch to you.” It was a fabulous moment. Britney looked toned, in control of her career and it was up to her to take the next step. Literally from that kiss, from that moment onward, Britney has spiraled out of control. It’s like Madonna gave her the kiss of death! Britney is throwing it away!” The kiss has been the subject of conversation for not just Camille but anyone who saw that (in)famous kiss on the evening of August 28th 2003. Madonna opened the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott. They performed Madge's 80s hit Like A Virgin as well as her most recent hit from the American Life album titled Hollywood. The show begins with two flower girls dressing the stage with flowers. Madonna's own daughter Lourdes was one of those lil' ladies. She made her stage debut that night looking adorable as ever. Britney and Christina began the show singing Like a Virgin giving it their own personal sound. Madonna then appeared atop the giant wedding cake that towered on the stage reminiscent of her 1984 VMA Like a Virgin performance. Instead of donning a wedding dress like Britney and Christina , Madonna appeared in a form fitting tuxedo-esque outfit playing the role of groom to her two brides. If you can get past Madonna's shaky first few notes (Everybody comes to Hollywood) then the rest is smooth sailing. Her routine with Britney and Christina is spot on from start to finish. During the performance Madonna gives quite a smooch to the young ladies in what has been called the "kiss heard around the world". Even though both Britney and Christina got kissed that evening, it was the kiss with Britney that made all the headlines. Also featured in the performance was Missy Elliot. Missy burst on to the stage directly following the kiss, taking the heat off the ladies for just a second, with her track Work It mixed sweetly with Madonna's Hollywood. While the marriage theme was only symbolic in regards to the performance, a marriage of talents was quite literal following the show. Madonna would later go on to work with Britney on her track Me Against The Music. She also worked with Missy on a remix for the song Hollywood as well as a new spin on an old Madonna hit which would be used in the GAP commercial the duo did together called Into the Hollywood Groove. What I love about the performance is the reaction they get from the crowd. The "Fab 5" of Bravo's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy are overjoyed with the events unfolding in front of then while Justin Timberlake and Mary J. Blige are less than thrilled. Mary J. Blige could not look any less repulsed by what she is watching. Madonna has said in interviews that she was passing the torch to the two young starlets that evening but I don't think she believed that one bit. I think if anything she was letting these ladies know who was boss. Since the kiss, Madonna has had two massive world tours and released a string of hits. While Christina has followed suit with her hit making track record, Britney has had obvious hiccups in her professional and personal life. While the lives and careers of these talented ladies have gone in various directions, it is quite amazing how the collaboration of talents created one of the most talked about pop culture events in history. Even if it caused quite the controversy, I say "Bravo ladies, bravo". xoxox.

THE PERFORMANCE.

Madonna Monday!

There are some Madonna songs that the moment I hear them, I know they are going to be hit. Then there are times when, well, they aren't. The song Jump was the fourth and final single from Madonna's critically acclaimed album, Confessions on a Dance Floor. The song only got a luke warm reception in the States. It faired very well all over the globe but only made it to # 105 in the US. 105!?! I still loved it. I was immediately smitten with the song when I heard it. I had recently left my job at a small direct marketing firm to a big advertising agency in the city. It was a scary step because I was leaving a group of friends that I had spent years learning and laughing with to go to an agency where I knew one person and had to prove my worth from scratch. The beginning of the song Madonna speaks "There's only so much you can learn in one place. The more that I wait, the more time that I waste." This spoke to me strongly. I knew my big jump was not a mistake but it just felt so lonely. I needed to start focusing on my career and i knew it was not going to be found where I was at that small firm. I considered this new job a new chapter in my working career. I was jumping in to the big leagues and I needed to know that I was going to be ok. I made the "jump". Now I just needed to survive. Jump was written by Madonna, Joe Henry and Stuart Price. Stuart was Madonna's producer on the Confessions album and musical director on all Madonna's recent world tours. If Joe Henry seems at all familiar, that is because he penned one of Madonna's biggest hits Don't Tell me. Joe is also the husband of Madonna's sister, Melanie. While finishing up The Confessions Tour in Japan in September of 2006, Madge shot the video with in Tokyo with the director Jonas Åkerlund. Jonas directed Madonna's tour documentary I'm Going To Tell You A Secret. Madonna is seen in a striking blond wig looking fit and fierce. The video is a mix of shots of Madonna on a sound stage with neon signs beaming in the background. The rest of the video consists of her dancers from The Confessions Tour doing Parkour through the streets of Tokyo. Parkour or l'art du déplacement (Translation: The Art of Displacement) is freestyle dance/gymnastics creation that is tough to describe. The aim of this is move from point A to point B as efficiently and quickly as possible. Taken from Wikipedia, Parkour is "meant to help one overcome obstacles, which can be anything in the surrounding environment — from branches and rocks to rails and concrete walls — and can be practiced in both rural and urban areas." The Male Parkour artists are called traceurs and females are traceuses. The traceurs in Madonna's video are seen jumping and leaping from building to building with no fear of height or distance. They scale walls, swing from signs and ravage the landscape as if it were flat ground. That is truly the art of Parkour. The use of their bodies is amazing and fluid. Only watching the video will you be able to understand what I mean. The tracuers are featured both in the video as well as on tour with Madonna. Madonna tries, quite conservatively, her hand at Parkour in the video and on stage. Madonna is no spring chicken so she leaves the truly mind boggling moves to the young guys. Check out the following videos. If you haven't seen these before, you'll be amazed.  Enjoy. Happy Madonna Monday. xoxox.

Madonna - Jump - Original Video

MADONNA - JUMP - Confessions Tour

There's only so much you can learn in one place
The more that I wait, the more time that I waste

I haven't got much time to waste, it's time to make my way
I'm not afraid of what I'll face, but I'm afraid to stay
I'm going down my own road and I can make it alone
I'll work and I'll fight till I find a place of my own.

Madonna Monday!

As we approach the 10th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana, I wanted to feature a video by Madonna that was inspired by the August 1997 tragedy. In the summer of 1998, Madonna released the song Drowned World/Substitute for Love from her seventh studio album Ray of Light. The track was produced by Madonna and the extremely talented William Orbit. The song was originally called No Substitute For Love which had slightly different lyrics from the final version that was released. The demo of the song with the original lyrics and overall sound was leaked to internet prior to the song's official release. While the original song was quite good, the final version was far more beautiful. Listen to the original version HERE. The video for the track was directed by Walter Stern. Mr. Stern has directed videos for other big acts like Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie, Massive Attack and The Prodigy. The video was filmed in the summer of '98 in and around London's famous Savoy Hotel and the touristy Piccadilly Circus. The video features Madonna in several scenes being pursued and chased by the paparazzi. No matter where Madonna goes, she is never left alone. In the video, Madonna's public and private life blend in to one. The video and song both deal with fame and fortune and the sacrifices of being in the spotlight. The video caused quite a lot of controversy - nothing new to Mrs. Ritchie - when it was released. This video was shot the year after the death of Princess Diana and the imagery used in the video is obvious. On the night of Princess Diana's death, there is a shot of Diana, captured through surveillance camera footage, being whisked though a revolving door in to a waiting car. This car would crash in a tunnel just minutes later resulting in her untimely death. The shot of Madonna leaving her hotel in the video bears a striking resemblance to the shot of the late princess. Madonna is chased by a team of photographers who pursue the car in a mad chase. Madonna was deeply touched by Diana's death, as was the rest of the world, and the video is her own statement on those tragic events. At the end of the video, Madonna is seen running back to her apartment and in to the arms of her daughter who is waiting for her at home. The striking video ends with Madonna holding her daughter, looking deep in to the camera singling the line "And now, I find, I've changed my mind...this is my religion." The following videos are the original video shot by Walter Stern followed by a live performance of the song from her Confessions Tour in 2006. Enjoy. xoxox.

Madonna - Drowned World / Substitute For Love - Original Video

Drowned World / Substitute For Love - Live

Madonna Monday!

Madonna has had plenty of folks poking fun at her over the years. She has been the brunt of jokes for as long as I can remember. While some are down right rude and cold, there are some that, because they are so witty, funny, and well done, should be forgiven. The old saying goes that "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em". One of the great things about Madonna is that she has always been able to make fun of herself as well. She has made fun of herself endlessly in interviews and various special clips and so I didn't think there was anything wrong with featuring a duo who have made Madonna parody an art. Madonna has been the focus of an offbeat English show called French & Saunders for a long while now. The sketch show is written and performed by Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. You may know Jennifer from her amazing work on the global cult hit Absolutely Fabulous. Dawn is just as talented and brilliant. They have poked fun at Madonna for yeeeeears now. They did hilarious spoofs on Madge's Truth or Dare movie, they joked on Madonna's release of children's books and didn't let a little thing like making out with Britney Spears go unnoticed. Check out the following clips. They are too funny to be missed. Happy Madonna Monday! xoxox.

Madonna's Gap Commercial + Brit and Madonna's Duet Parody

Madonna - Truth or Dare Parody #1


Madonna - Truth or Dare Parody #2


Madonna - Truth or Dare Parody #3

Madonna - The English Roses Parody

French & Saunders brainstorm for Madonna Ideas

Madonna Monday!

One of Madonna's biggest hits to date almost never came to be. The song is the mega hit Vogue. To boost sales of Madonna's last single on her Like a Prayer album, Warner execs asked Madonna to create a B-Side track to accompany the song's release. She initially intended to include Vogue on the flip side of her single for Keep It together but all that would change when they got a first listen to the new track. The Warner execs were in agreement that this song was hot on it's own. Madonna would go on to release the track as a single and include it on her next album, I'm Breathless. I'm Breathless was her album that was inspired by the film Dick Tracy which she had a major role with then boyfriend and director and star of the film, Warren Beatty. Madonna tapped in to what was current and electric in the New York dance clubs by bringing the world of "vogueing" in to the mainstream vernacular. Madonna was in the beginning stages of planning the video for the Vogue single as well as planning a world tour, The Blond Ambition Tour. Inspired by the film Paris is Burning, Madonna would visit many uptown New York dance haunts looking for just the right guys to help bring vogueing from the depths of New York urban culture to the doorstep of America. Enter Jose and Luis. Jose and Luis were both seen dancing at a late night dance club and Madonna had to have them on her tour. Vogueing was born in the Harlem ballrooms back in the early 1930s. It continued through out the century and would go on to define a generation of underground gay culture in New York. The definition of what vogueing looks like has changed with time but the movements, style and execution is an homage to the fashion industry and the ladies of the catwalk. What was seen on the runways across the globe was being presented in the dance clubs with as much ferocity as one could create. The video for the song featured all of the dancers that Madonna hired for her Blond Ambition Tour. Her entire troupe would be featured heavily in her 1990 film Truth or Dare. The completely black-and-white video was shot by the amazing director David Fincher. He directed some of Madonna's best videos such as Oh Father and Express Yourself and would later go on to direct such smash films as Seven starring Brad Pitt. Madonna borrowed much for this song and its accompanying video. Obviously the song was inspired by the dance craze in Harlem, the look of the video was inspired by 1930's Hollywood Era with many of the close up shots of Madge recreating noted portraits of stars like Marilyn Monroe, Veronica Lake and Marlene Dietrich. The set design and paintings featured in the video were inspired by Art Deco artist Tamara de Lempicka. The skill Madonna has always had is making each of these borrowed assets her own. Madonna's performance of the song at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards is still one of the fine and amazing ever. Madonna and her dancers dressed up in 18th-century French costumes, with Madonna bearing resemblance to Marie Antoinette, and wowed the audience. Hot Hot Hot. Check out the original Fincher directed video below as well as the MTV performance. Each of these are examples of why Madonna was queen of the 90s. No one was doing what she was doing - at least not as well. Enjoy. xoxox.

Madonna - Vogue

Madonna Monday!

In early 1999, Madonna released the single and video for her song Nothing Really Matters. The song was featured on her critical smash Ray of Light. The song is an thumpy dance floor groove written by Madonna and her long time collaborator, Patrick Leonard. The track was produced by Madonna, William Orbit and Marius De Vries. The video for the track was directed by Johan Renck. Mr. Renck would later go on to direct Madonna's Hung Up video many years later. (See my previous Madonna Monday post on Hung Up) The video was filmed in January of 1999 at Silvercup Studios in New York City. Silvercup Studios is the place where many NY based shows are shot including Sex and the City when it was still in production. The video featured Madonna as a Japanese geisha. The look and feel for the video was strongly inspired by Arthur Golden's book called Memoirs of a Geisha. The imagery in the video is unlike any other that Madonna had ever ventured in to previously. I'm quite a fan of this look. Madonna has said that she also loves this look and marks it as one of her favorites. Madonna has always looked so amazing yet severe with darker hair. The razor straight hair and the kimonos looked absolutely flawless. Make what you will of the imagery in the video. As I was looking online there were many ideas about what various pieces of the video meant. On one site, it is said that the bags of water that Madonna holds at the beginning represented false forms of love. Another says that the Japanese men in the video are ghosts of her past loves. What I love is that the imagery and story behind the video can be construed in many many different ways. That has been a staple of many Madonna tracks. The lyrics and video are up for interpretation. What one song may mean to me, may not mean the same thing to you. Madonna would go on to perform the song at the 1999 Grammy Awards in one of her most stunning live Grammy performances to date. The look inspired by this video would also go on to fuel the Geisha portion of Madonna's 2001 Drowned World Tour. The following two videos are the original video by Renck and the '99 Grammy performance. Also included are the lyrics to the song. While they lyrics may not be ground shaking, they are some of Madonna's most sincere and hopeful. Enjoy. xoxox.

When I was very young
Nothing really mattered to me
But making myself happy
I was the only one

Now that I am grown
Everythings changed
I'll never be the same
Because of you

Nothing really matters
Love is all we need
Everything I give you
All comes back to me

Looking at my life
Its very clear to me
I lived so selfishly
I was the only one

I realize
That nobody wins
Something is ending
And something begins

Nothing really matters
Love is all we need
Everything I give you
All comes back to me

Nothing takes the past away
Like the future
Nothing makes the darkness go
Like the light

You're shelter from the storm
Give me comfort in your arms

Madonna Monday!

Whenever there is a new Madonna single released, it's like Christmas. Well, for me, anyway. The best part, though, about a new single's release is that Madonna also commissions a string of super hot DJs to remix the track. Often the remix is even better than the original song. This Madonna post is all about Madonna's music - remixed. Madonna's history with DJs has been an ongoing love affair. Her early collaborations with Junior Vasquez put Madonna squarely in the middle of the dance floor where she has stayed ever since. She has gone on to work with the biggest and the best DJs such as Peter Rauhofer, Victor Calderone and Paul Oakenfold. What keeps Madonna fresh is her willingness to turn over her music to these DJs. These DJs are in the thick of what is current. They see first hand what an audience responds to. They know what is going to get someone on the dance floor and keep them there. The marriage of a hot Madonna song and cutting edge DJ is what has sent her singles straight to the top of the dance charts and in to the memories of a group of friends on a packed dance floor. While some of her tracks do not fair so well on the Billboard Top 100 Pop Charts, her singles always top the Dance Charts. Madonna has had a whopping 37 number 1 dance hits. Some of my favorites are below.

Hey Mister D.J.
Put a record on
I wanna dance with my baby
And when the music starts
I never wanna stop
It's gonna drive me crazy

Madonna - Impressive Instant - Remix by Peter Rauhofer

Madonna - Hung Up - Remix by Bill Hamel

Madonna - Hollywood - Remix by Paul Oakenfold

Madonna - Nobody Knows Me - Remix by Peter Rauhofer

It's a Madonna Monday Happy Birthday!

My Madonna Monday post is going to be quite short today because IT'S MY BIRTHDAY, Y'ALL!! Hello! Me and my boyfriend are enjoying time AWAY from the city with a trip to Providence, RI. However, Madonna Monday rolls on as usual and I thought that I'd highlight a clip of Madge on Saturday Night Live in 1993. On the show, Madonna sings a revamped version of Happy Birthday to the newly elected Bill Clinton played by the late Phil Hartman. Instead of singing Happy Birthday, Madonna looking like Marilyn Monroe during her serenade to JFK back in the day, sings "Happy Inauguration" instead of "Happy Birthday"! It's quite hilarious. Madonna loves to dabble in politics and current affairs but with a good measure of humor. The following video is awesome. Enjoy your Madonna Monday ! Oh and Happy Birthday to me! xoxox.

Madonna Monday!

Take a Bow - the song was a smash and the video was one of Madonna's best to date. The song climbed to Number 1 across the globe in early 1995 and stayed there for quite some time. She was at the top of the Billboard charts for 7 weeks in the US. The song was written by Madonna and the producer/singer of the moment, Babyface. Babyface also supplied vocals for the track and would go on to perform the track with Madonna at various award shows. The video was shot in Rhonda, Spain and was directed by the talented director, Michael Haussman. The song eludes to an actor she has fallen in love with however the video takes a different angle. Madonna's character in the video becomes infatuated with a Spanish bullfighter. The man in the video was not an actor - he is an actual bullfighter named Emilio Muñoz. He appears in this video as well as Madonna's follow up and sequel to this video, You'll See. This was a different and more serious side of Madonna - a far cry from the sexiness and controversy of the Erotica period. The song and video became quite important to Madonna. She ended up sending this video along with a 10 page letter to director Alan Parker who was looking for an actress to play Evita in the film version of the long running Broadway play. Madonna wanted the role and she wasn't going to take no for an answer. She felt the video showed her range and wanted, with all of her heart, to show him she could take on this role like no one else. She was cast as the lead in the film. Her performance was a hit with fans and critics alike. The original video is below which is followed by a performance of the song on the American Music Awards with Babyface. Anyone who has a doubt that Madonna is the queen of the small screen should look no further. Enjoy. xoxo.

Madonna - Take A Bow

Madonna and Babyface - Take a bow (Live at the AMAs)

Madonna Monday.

On Saturday, Madonna played the Live Earth Concert from the UK. I always get nervous when Madonna performs because her vocals can be spot on or they can be a bit of a mess. This time, out of the gate, Madonna was full on rockin'! Madonna performed 4 songs - her Live Earth inspired Hey You, the '98 hit Ray of Light, the 80's classic La Isla Bonita with special guest and cult New York Gypsy punk band, Gogol Bordello, and her smash from the Confessions album, Hung Up. She looked amazing and the stage show was as amazing as any Madge fan would have expected. In regards to Live Earth, I'm always trying to find new ways to improve the life that I live as well as improve the world around me. While I always don't live a GREEN life, the concerts and the PSAs that were presented between each act on the show got me to start thinking about how I could make a difference. The World Watch Institute suggests 10 ways to go green and save green. Do at least one of these and you are moving in the right direction. It's the very very least we can do. We are running out of time. The crisis is now. As a Madge fan. I'm happy to see her putting her name and her money where her mouth is. The four clips of the Madge performance are below. Enjoy. xox.

Madonna Monday!

I was trying to figure out exactly what I should do for my Madonna Monday post and I decided that I'd tackle one of my toughest critics, my friend, Rebecca. When I was home in May, visiting my friends and family, I mentioned Dashusland to Rebecca and she said something like "oh...I don't usually read the site on Monday's...I don't like Madonna Mondays!..blah, blah, blah" I kinda diverted my attention at that moment. EVERYONE has a Madonna Moment - Rebecca was no different. It was just a matter of finding that Madonna song or moment that she'd connect to. Each and everyone one of us has at least one Madonna song that when you hear it played, you connect it to some memory or time in your life. I was in a bar the other night, after attending my company's Community Service Day after-party, and Madonna's song, Holiday, came on. Not a person was seated. Everyone was out of their seat with excitement. Obviously, they had some connection to this old school Madonna song. We all do - Madonna is a culteral staple - still. I asked the illustrious Rebecca to think for a second and give me a few Madonna songs that I should consider for Madonna Monday. I figured that, even though she wasn't a big Madge fan, she could still provide me with at least one Madonna track that I could highlight for Madonna Monday. Rebecca quickly responded with not one but three gems - Deeper and Deeper, Fever and Rain. I had done Rain back in February, Fever was a goody but not one I wanted to highlight just yet and finally Deeper and Deeper...brilliant. In late 1992, Madonna released her second single from one of her most underrated albums, Erotica, entitled Deeper and Deeper. The video for the song was directed by relatively unknown video director Bobby Woods. Bobby directed Madonna along side her long time friend Debi Mazar and fledgling film director and screenwriter Sofia Coppola. The song's video was supposed to be an homage to Andy Warhol which featured Madonna as the young Warholian starlet, Edie Sedgwick. The video is to me, and to many others, one of Madonna's most mysterious, unexplained and captivating to date. This time was during, what most Madonna fans would consider, her darker period. Madonna had released her string of sexually charged releases, to much critical folly, during the course of 1992. The coffee table book, Sex, the movie Body of Evidence and her Erotica album were too much for the American public to handle. The controversy surrounding the triad of releases almost negated the significance of each. This song was one of my favorites from the album. My friend Jason and I actually performed this song during one of our high school choral spaghetti dinners. I made my friends do the damnedest things for me! Thankfully redoing hit Madonna tracks in front of our friends and family was one of those things they didn't mind doing. Dang though, I wish I had that on tape somewhere! It was sweeeeeeeet. I bet folks didn't touch their overcooked pasta for over a minute or so...we were that good. ;-) Anyway, I won't go any "deeper and deeper" (yes, that was awful!) in to the actual video for the the song, Deeper and Deeper. It's one of those videos that defined Madonna as the small screen video maverick that she was. Coincidentally, Madonna filmed a few of the shots from the video outside of her Maverick Record Label offices in L.A. Madonna had founded the Maverick label in 1991 with past manager Freddy DeMann. Anyone who has seen Madonna's movie Truth or Dare, know who Freddy is! Enjoy! xoxo. Thanks Rebecca!

The following video is the Bobby Woods directed clip.

Madonna - Deeper and Deeper

The next video is a performance of the song from the Reinvention Tour which is super good.

Madonna - Deeper and deeper LIVE

Madonna Monday!

At the very beginning of Madonna's song What it feels like for a girl, you hear a young English woman, Charlotte Gainsbourg, speaking. The song was featured on Madonna's 2000 Music album and was released on April 21 2001.

In the song, Charlotte says...
Girls can wear jeans
And cut their hair short
Wear shirts and boots
cause its ok to be a boy
But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading
cause you think that being a girl is degrading
But secretly you'd love to know what its like...Wouldn't you?
What it feels like for a girl.

The quote above is from a 1994 film entitled the The Cement Garden. It's unknown exactly how Madonna came across the movie but it's obvious that it's influence was strong. Watch the scene from the movie that features the quote above to get a quick understanding of the source. It looks amazing.

Madonna's video for the song was directed by her husband Guy Ritchie. The video features Madonna as an ex-con who goes on a crime spree with her grandmother. She pulls up to the Ol Kuntz Guest Home to free her grandmother and off they go wreaking havoc. A bit of Dashus trivia - the cop featured in the video is the uncle of the first girl I ever dated (Shhh...yes, I dated girls. No Really! And they were cute, y'all!) Anyway, his name is Price Carson. He's a been a working actor for many many years who appeared in...Oh, who cares - he was in a Madonna Video! I swear, that is all I would have on my resume! That is super hot! The video is below and it caused a ton of controversy. The video features quite a bit of violence (nothing new to Mr. Ritchie) which showed Madonna tasering a man withdrawing cash from an ATM, shooting a fake gun at two police officers and blowing up a gas station before finally crashing her car at full speed into a telephone pole. Death and destruction never looked so good. Enjoy. xox.

 

Madonna Monday!

In 1991, MTV celebrated it's 10 Year Anniversary. Who better to wish MTV well than it's video darling, Madonna. The following video was shot by Madonna's friend and Truth or Dare director Alek Keshishian and was part of the MTV anniversary special that featured performances and appearances by folks like Michael Jackson, George Michael and Cher. The premise of the video is supposed to be a love letter from Madonna to MTV. It's quite tongue in cheek. In typical Madonna style, she takes jabs at Michael Jackson, Paula Abdul, Axl Rose but more importantly - herself. This is the Madonna that I love. It's Madonna - the commediane. I have always thought that Madonna's best roles have been ones where she has gotten to be funny. Many will think I'm crazy but Who's that Girl is still one of my favorite movies - ever. She so rocks in that film. Here she shines, too. Happy Madonna Monday, y'all. xoxo.

Madonna - Mtv anniversary '91
Uploaded by bebepanda

Madonna Monday!

As I mentioned yesterday, the BF and I are heading to Las Rocas, Mexico for a friend's wedding. I'm so looking forward to getting away, spending time with my fabulous friends and relaxing far away from the hustle and bustle of NYC. I was thinking what Madge song would be appropriate for getting away. I, of course, thought of Holiday but not too long ago I did a Madonna Monday post about that song. So what else? I thought of Where's the Party but hello - I'll know where the party will be ;-) I then thought Act of Contrition? No no - I'll save that for once I return. How about La Isla Bonita? Yes - that would perfect. Even though I'm not traveling to an island, I am leaving one so that half counts and where I'm going is most defintily beautiful so there ya go. La Isla Bonita translated means The Beatuiful Island. This song was featured on Madonna's True Blue album and was released in 1987 - almost 20 years ago. The music to the song was written by Patrick Leonard and Bruce Gaitsch and originally intended for Michael Jackson for his Bad album. Michael turned down the song and later when Madonna was working with Patrick on the True Blue album, she accepted the offer, wrote the song's lyrics and created a huge world wide hit. The music video was directed by Mary Lambert. Mary directed many of Madonna's hugely successful videos in the 80s including the Like a Prayer video as well as the videos for Madonna's song Borderline, Like a Virgin and Material Girl. A young Benicio Del Toro appears in the video as well but only as a background character. He was relatively unknown at this time. I've always loved this song and it remains a true Madonna classic. Many of Madonna's iconic songs were co-written by Patrick Leonard (Cherish, Dear Jessie, Oh Father, Hanky Panky, I'll Remember, Frozen, Nothing Really Matters). Even though Madonna has had string of huge hits post-Leoneard, I wish she'd team back up with him again. A new and huge Madonna Ballad would be amazing. This new Pharrel Williams track Hey You doesn't count - at all. Happy Madonna Monday, Kids. Until my lil' vacation begins on Thursday, the beautiful island that Madonna sings about will have to do. xoxo.

In addition to the original video, I wanted to also post two worthy performances of the song. The first is my favorite from the Drowned World Tour and the second is from the Confessions Tour - both are amazing.