On March 29 1988, Madonna Live: The Virgin Tour home video was certified multi-platinum for sales of over 100,000 units in the U.S.
Category Archives: 1988
Today in Madonna History: March 23, 1988
On March 23 1988, Madonna (aka The First Album) was certified 4x platinum by the Record Industry Association of America in the USA for shipment of 4-million units.
Today in Madonna History: January 20, 1988
On January 20 1988, Madonna’s You Can Dance remix album was certified platinum in the USA for sales of 1,000,000 copies.
Patrick Leonard had this to say about working on the album:
“Remixing is a form of secondary creativity. Dance music elevates the DJ and the mixer to being almost on a level with the musician. In my opinion this is false. Manipulation of pre-recorded sound sources may be creative in a secondary sense, and may be valid in its own field, but it is pseudo musicianship. That’s why we tried to have a fresh approach to the songs for You Can Dance, as if we were developing and composing them for the first time.
Today in Madonna History: January 16, 1988
On January 16 1988, Spotlight entered Billboard’s Airplay chart at #37. The track would reach a peak of #32 three weeks later before falling to #40 in its final week.
Although Spotlight was not actively promoted to radio by Warner Bros. in the North America, radio’s eagerness to spin the cut regardless serves as a good indication that it likely would have continued Madonna’s hit streak at the time if it had been granted a proper single release.
Today in Madonna History: January 9, 1988
On January 9 1988, Madonna’s hit single, Causing A Commotion (from the Who’s That Girl soundtrack) enjoyed it’s final week on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (at position #98 after 18 weeks on the chart).
Today in Madonna History: December 28, 1988
On December 28 1988, Madonna filed assault charges against Sean Penn at the sheriff’s office in Malibu, California.
Versions of what happened on that date include:
- Sean scaled the wall surrounding their Malibu home and started a quarrel with Madonna in their bedroom
- Madonna threatened to leave the house
- Sean attempted to tie Madonna to a chair with the cord from a lamp, but she fled the bedroom
- Sean chased Madonna into living room and then tied her to a chair using twine
- Sean threatened to cut off her hair
- The police report indicates that Sean was “drinking liquor straight from the bottle” and that the abuse went on for several hours, according to Madonna
- Madonna was smacked several times while bound to the chair
- Sean eventually untied Madonna and she fled the house in her car and drove to the sheriff’s office
When she arrived at the sheriff’s office, Lieutenant Bill McSweeny is quoted as saying, “I hardly recognized her as Madonna. She was weeping, her lip was bleeding and she had obviously been struck.”
Sean was charged with inflicting “corporal injury and traumatic conditions” on Madonna as well as committing “battery”.
Madonna filed for divorce a few days later and withdrew the assault charges against Sean.
On December 17 2015, Madonna made this statement about the above mentioned rumours/speculation:
“I am aware of the allegations that have surfaced over the years accusing Sean of incidents of physical assault and abuse against me, which purportedly resulted in Sean’s arrest for domestic assault and battery against me. Sean has never struck me, ‘tied me up,’ or physically assaulted me, and any report to the contrary is completely outrageous, malicious, reckless and false.”
So .. according to Madonna in 2015, these stories are false. But, if you listen to Till Death Do Us Part and piece the story together bit-by-bit — you might think she’s re-writing history to save a long-time friend and life-long love. Either way, it’s her decision ..
Till Death Do Us Part:
Our luck is running out of time
You’re not in love with me anymore
I wish that it would change, but it won’t, if you don’t
Our luck is running out of time
You’re not in love with me anymore
I wish that it would change, but it won’t
‘Cause you don’t love me no more
You need so much but not from me
Turn your back in my hour of need
Something’s wrong but you pretend you don’t see
I think I interrupt your life
When you laugh it cuts me just like a knife
I’m not your friend, I’m just your little wife
They never laugh, not like before
She takes the keys, he breaks the door
She cannot stay here anymore
He’s not in love with her anymore
The bruises they will fade away
You hit so hard with the things you say
I will not stay to watch your hate as it grows
You’re not in love with someone else
You don’t even love yourself
Still I wish you’d ask me not to go
He takes a drink, she goes inside
He starts to scream, the vases fly
He wishes that she wouldn’t cry
He’s not in move with her anymore
He makes demands, she draws the line
He starts the fight, she starts the lie
But what is truth when something dies
He’s not in love with her anymore
You’re not in love with someone else
You don’t even love yourself
Still I wish you’d ask me not to go
She’s had enough, she says the end
But she’ll come back, she knows it then
A chance to start it all again
Till death do us part
Today in Madonna History: May 16, 1988
On May 16 1988, Madonna’s Spotlight reached a peak of #3 on the Oricon International Singles Chart in Japan. The single was released on 7″ vinyl and 3″ mini CD single by Sire and Warner-Pioneer Japan on April 25 1988.
Spotlight was originally planned to be included on the True Blue album, but was cut from the line-up and eventually appeared on Madonna’s You Can Dance remix album, released on November 17 1988.
The song was written by Madonna, Stephen Bray and Curtis Hudson. The song was remixed by Shep Pettibone, with additional mixing done by John “Jellybean” Benitez.
