Today in Madonna History: March 3, 1989

On March 3 1989, Madonna’s Like A Prayer single was released.

Like A Prayer is a very important song to me. I felt the impact that it was going to make. That song means a lot more to me than Like A Virgin. I wrote it and it’s from my heart. It’s a very spiritual song. I think I was much more spiritually in touch with the power of words and music by the time I started recording the song and the album.”

Patrick Leonard had this to say about Like A Prayer:

“I think there was a point when we realized that it was the title track, and the lead track, and it was going to be a powerhouse. It became obvious that there was something unique about it. And that somehow we made this thing work: with its stopping and starting, and a minimalistic rhythmic thing, and the verses, and these bombastic choruses, and this giant choir comes in. This is ambitious, you know?”

Today in Madonna History: March 2, 1991

On March 2 1991, Rescue Me, the second single from Madonna’s first greatest hits collection, The Immaculate Collection, entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #15 in the USA – the highest entry by a female (at that time). Amazing! 

The double 12″ vinyl promo sent to deejays in the USA included the following remixes by Junior Vasquez, Goh Hotoda and Shep Pettibone:

  • Titanic Vocal
  • Lifeboat Vocal
  • Lifeboat Dub
  • Houseboat Vocal
  • Houseboat Dub
  • Demanding Dub
  • S.O.S Mix
  • Disaster Dub

Today in Madonna History: March 1, 1984

 

On March 1 1984, Madonna performed her massive dance hit Holiday on the German TV show Formel Eins (Formula 1) in Munich.

Do you remember the first time you heard Holiday? 

 

Today in Madonna History: February 28, 2001

On February 28 2001, Madonna announced she was going out on tour for the first time since The Girlie Show World Tour in 1993:

“I’m finally going to fucking drag my ass into a rehearsal studio. I never want to repeat myself. I don’t see the point of doing a show unless you offer something that is going to mind-boggle the senses. It’s not enough to get on the stage and sing a song. It’s all about theatre and drama and surprise and suspense. So I’m looking forward to it, but I’m also nervous about it.”

The Drowned World Tour started on June 9 2001, in Spain. The tour ended after 47 shows in Los Angeles on September 15 2001.

Today in Madonna History: February 27, 1995

On February 27 1995, Madonna’s chart topping single, Take A Bow, was certified Gold by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 copies.

Matthew Jacobs (The Huffington Post) had this to say about Take A Bow:

Take A Bow is Madonna’s most poetic ballad. Much in the way that such hits as Borderline and Into The Groove act as the fuselage of ’80s pop … a lost-love elegy that squares nicely with the burgeoning female singer-songwriter movement of the ’90s. Don’t mistake its sleepy quality for stuffiness. This song is Madonna at her loveliest.

Today in Madonna History: February 26, 1983

On February 26 1983, Madonna’s first single, Everybody, spent its 17th and final week on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in the USA. Everybody reached #3 on the chart on November 6, 1982. In addition to spending 17 weeks on the Hot Dance/Club Play chart, the classic dance hit also spent 8 weeks on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. Not bad for a first single!

Today in Madonna History: February 25, 1995

take-a-bow-madonna-car-1 take-a-bow-madonna-car-2 take-a-bow-madonna-car-3 take-a-bow-madonna-car-4

On February 25 1995, Madonna’s Take A Bow hit #1 in the USA on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.  The hit single remained #1 for 7 weeks, and became Madonna’s 11th single to top the charts in the USA.

Billboard called the song a “plush pop ballad” that was “as close to perfect as top 40 fare gets.” Adding that the lead vocal was “both sweet and quietly soulful.”