On March 10 1984, Madonna’s self-titled debut album, Madonna (aka The First Album) debuted at #87 on the Canadian Top 100 Albums Chart. Canada LOVES Madonna!
Monthly Archives: March 2022
Today in Madonna History: March 9, 1983
On March 9 1983, Madonna’s second single, the classic double A-side Burning Up/Physical Attraction, was released on 12″ vinyl.
The sleeve of the single featured a series of sketches of Madonna created by her close friend, Martin Burgoyne.
Today in Madonna History: March 8, 2012
On March 8 2012, British singer-songwriter Mika tweeted his reaction to hearing Madonna’s recording of Gang Bang, which was based on a song he co-wrote, titled Bang Bang:
“Weird as fuck, underground and lyrically cool; it’s amazing and bizarre. I love it, she sounds so good singing words so harsh.”
Madonna had originally recorded a demo that was faithful to Mika’s original vision for the song but later gave it a drastic overhaul, stripping it down to a pulsating beat with panning sound effects and violent ad libbed vocals – although its original core lyrics remained intact.
Gang Bang was produced by Madonna, William Orbit and Demolition Crew and appeared on the 2012 album, MDNA. Due to its violent overtones, the track was excluded from the “clean” version of the album.
Today in Madonna History: March 7, 1996
On March 7 1996, Madonna’s One More Chance was released as the third single in the UK and several other European countries, and the second single in Australia and Japan, from her ballads collection, Something to Remember.
The song received positive response from music critics overall, who praised its musical simplicity and Madonna’s nuanced and emotive vocal delivery. Since Madonna was busy filming the Evita, the song received little promotion and no original music video was produced to accompany the release.
The Spanish version of You’ll See, titled Verás, appeared as the B-side of the single release.
In a January 1996 interview with Spin magazine, Madonna said of the song: “Often in my songwriting, I take things people say to me and turn them around, and put it in the first person. So it’s actually something that was said to me.”
One More Chance was written and produced by Madonna and David Foster. Foster initially did not expect Madonna would collaborate with him, as he believed that his music was not “really hip enough for her.” Madonna and Foster worked on the song during the writing and recording session for Something to Remember, in the third weekend of September 1995. They wrote and recorded three songs for the project, but only You’ll See and One More Chance made the final cut.
Their third track from the sessions, titled I Can’t Forget, was later offered by Madonna’s songwriting publisher to the to the UK electronic/dance group, Tilt, to record. Their version, retitled Come Closer, was released on their 2006 rarities collection, Vaults. Several years after Tilt’s version was issued, Madonna and Foster’s original demo recording of I Can’t Forget surfaced on the internet.
Today in Madonna History: March 6, 1998
On March 6 1998, Madonna spent the day in Toronto, Canada conducting a press conference and various print interviews to promote her new album, Ray Of Light, released earlier that week. She ended the day with a live, hour-long interview on Much Music hosted by VJ’s Master T (personally selected by Madonna herself after viewing reels of the station’s on-air personalities) and Geneviève Borne (a self-proclaimed Madonna fan and VJ from Much Music’s French-language sister station, Musique Plus).
The much-hyped event, which marked Madonna’s first and only visit to the Much Music studios, was prefaced by the Canadian music video channel’s second Madonnathon – a day of all-Madonna programming. The first, which featured her 1992 interview with Jonathan Ross and a then-recent press junket interview with The New Music’s Jana Lynne White (and all of her music videos), aired in January of 1993 at the height of the Sex/Erotica/Body Of Evidence backlash.
After the appearance was announced, fans seeking a limited hot spot inside the studio for the interview were asked to call in and were queried a series of Madonna-related trivia questions to prove their worthiness, while others who didn’t make it inside lined the streets of the Queen St W studios on the day of the event to welcome the Queen of Pop to Toronto.
Today In Madonna History: March 5, 2000
On March 5 2000, The Next Best Thing, starring Madonna and Rupert Everett hit #2 at the box-office in the USA with $5.8 million for its opening weekend.
Today In Madonna History: March 4, 1987
On March 4 1987, Shanghai Surprise was released on home video.
The Philadelphia Inquirer gave the film a 1 star rating:
“Shanghai Surprise is so dismally scripted and directed that no one could redeem it… an atmospheric, handsomely shot and, sadly, utterly empty piece of work.”
Today In Madonna History 