On July 3, 1987, Madonna accepted a rare Canadian Diamond Album certification award at a press conference at Toronto’s Four Seasons Hotel on the eve of her sold-out concert at CNE Stadium. The certification award was presented by WEA Music Canada president Stan Kulin to commemorate over one million units sold of the True Blue album in Canada.
Madonna would receive a second Canadian Diamond Album certification for Like A Virgin in 1992.
On June 14 1987, Madonna’s Who’s That Girl World Tour 1987 opened at the Nishinomiya Stadium, in Osaka, Japan.
On June 9 1987, Madonna made her first TV talk-show appearance on NBC-TV’s The Tonight Show (hosted by Johnny Carson).
On June 4 1987, Madonna appeared on the fourth issue of Sky magazine (United Kingdom).
Sky Magazine was first published in April 1987 and the final issue was released in June 2001. During that time, Madonna was the celebrity most featured on the cover of the magazine.
On May 18 1987, Madonna was honored for Best Songwriting for Live To Tell at the 4th annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA; the award was accepted on her behalf by brother-in-law Christopher Penn.
On May 11 1987, Madonna and Griffin Dunne were featured on the cover of People Magazine with a photo taken from the then-forthcoming film, Who’s That Girl.
In May 2014, Griffin was asked the following question by Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine):
Was Madonna difficult to work with in Who’s That Girl?
Griffin Dunne: No, not at all. She was very funny. We actually had a lot of laughs making that movie. She was just enormously famous. I think all of our scenes that were shot outdoors had to be re-recorded because the sky was just filled with helicopters, and photographers followed her everywhere she went. But she had a real sense of humor about it. She enjoyed all that, I thought, in a pretty healthy way.
On May 9 1987, Nick Kamen’s self-titled debut album – featuring the Madonna/Steve Bray written & produced track, Each Time You Break My Heart – was reviewed in Billboard.
Madonna’s opinion of Nick Kamen in 1986? “I said, ‘wow, this guy’s got everything’,” she told the BBC’s Simon Bates in December that year. “He [Stein] sent me a tape of four of his songs and the Levi commercial and a demo video that he [Kamen] had done,” Madonna told Bates. “You know, he’s got so much charm and charisma and there’s something there in the eyes…”
Kamen’s debut single, Each Time You Break My Heart, on which Madonna also performed backing vocals – was an international hit in the autumn of 1986. “I called Seymour up and said ‘how about if I produce the record because if I don’t…they might change the character of it…and I want it to be really good…and he said, ‘I would have asked you but, I mean, I didn’t think you’d have the time’, but I figured it was only one song so it would only take about a week if we really organize ourselves.”
The video for the single had other Madonna connections, as it was directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino and featured her Open Your Heart video co-star, Felix Howard, while the U.S. maxi-single was remixed by future Madonna collaborator, Shep Pettibone.
Each Time You Break My Heart was originally demoed during the sessions for Madonna’s True Blue album but sadly did not make the final cut. Kamen’s version featured the same musicians and backing vocalists (including Siedah Garrett & Edie Lehmann) from those sessions. A low-quality recording of Madonna’s original demo leaked to the internet in the early 2000’s.
Madonna fans would certainly welcome a deluxe edition of the True Blue album featuring Madonna’s version of this excellent cut and other outtakes of the era!
Today In Madonna History 