Today in Madonna History: July 19, 1994

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On July 19 1994, Madonna contributed Goodbye to Innocence to the Just Say Roe benefit CD.

When Madonna went to record her vocals for Goodbye to Innocence during the recording of the Erotica album , she started singing Little Willie John’s song Fever instead of singing the original words. Shep Pettibone and Madonna decided to record it, as they felt it sounded good. As they did not know the words, Madonna called Seymour Stein from Sire Records, and within an hour, they had the Peggy Lee version, and the original version of the song.  Fever was the last song to be recorded for the album, in August 1992, and it was finished within a month later.

Lyrics:

I don’t wanna say goodbye

There are some who believe that I owe them something
But they’re wrong, I owe nothing to no one but myself
And there are some who say they created me
But only my parents will have that acclaim
I took it from there, I am to blame

Say goodbye to anonymity
I have to (have to, have to) say goodbye
To privacy, but most of all
To innocence
To innocence
To innocence

My life is not a game that I play to entertain you
And if you can do it better, then you’re welcome to my fame
I’m not gonna waste my time correcting myths and rumors
You believe what you wanna believe

Say goodbye to anonymity
I have to (have to, have to) say goodbye
To privacy, but most of all
To innocence
To innocence
To innocence

I don’t wanna say goodbye
I don’t need a reason to cry
Kinda makes me wanna
Kinda makes me hafta

Stop and think about it
Stop and think about it
Stop and think about it
Do I want to?

I don’t (getting up and down)
I don’t (getting up and down)
I don’t (getting up and down)

Up-up, d-d-down, up-up-up

I don’t (getting up and down)
I don’t (getting up and down)
I don’t (getting up and down)

Up-up, d-d-down, up-up-up

Listen up
It always comes down to this
It always comes down to this

Some people have a snake at the base of their spine
That would suck out your life, that would take all your time
They’re called feeders
They’re not believers but you must not fear it
They’re takers

You know you better stop, stop and think about it

Your innocence
Your innocence
Your innocence

I don’t wanna say goodbye to innocence
I don’t need a reason to cry, innocence

Hold on to your innocence
Hold on (hold on, hold on), hold on to innocence
Hold on

Stop and think about it, say goodbye, think about it

Today in Madonna History: June 18, 1994

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On June 18 1994, Madonna’s I’ll Remember spent a second week at #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in the USA.  I’ll Remember spent a total of 4 weeks at the top of the chart.

Today in Madonna History: May 28, 1994

On May 28 1994, I’ll Remember (Theme From The Motion Picture With Honors) peaked at #2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles Sales chart (one week), Hot 100 Airplay chart (five weeks) and Top 40 Mainstream chart (three weeks).

This combined push allowed the single to reach its overall peak of #2 on the Hot 100 Singles chart.

Had the single’s slower growing success on the Hot AC chart (which would peak at #1 for four weeks beginning June 11th) aligned with its sales peak on May 28th, I’ll Remember might have advanced to the top spot on the Hot 100. Instead, a very respectable four-week run at #2 would have to do.

Today in Madonna History: April 26, 1994

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On April 26 1994, The Girlie Show – Live Down Under was released by Warner-Reprise Video on VHS and laserdisc.

The concert – recorded on November 19, 1993 at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Australia – was a re-edited version of the concert special that had aired live on HBO. It was directed by Mark “Aldo” Miceli, who directed the live screens on Madonna’s 1990 and 1993 tours, as well as the Blond Ambition Japan Tour 90 VHS/laserdisc release. The Girlie Show – Live Down Under was nominated for a Grammy in 1995 for Best Long Form Music Video and was also one of the first concerts to be commercially issued on DVD in 1998.

Today in Madonna History: April 12, 1994

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On April 12 1994, Madonna sent a handwritten note to David Letterman wishing him a “Happy Fucking Birthday”.

Sent less than two weeks after her infamous profanity-laced appearance on the Late Show, the cheeky letter takes Letterman to task for having used the controversy to his advantage.

Today in Madonna History: November 19, 1994

On November 19 1994, Bedtime Stories‘ lead single, Secret, peaked at #2 on the Hot Adult Contemporary chart in the U.S.

Secret would spend a total of 26 weeks on the Hot AC chart.

Today in Madonna History: November 18, 1994

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On November 18 1994, Madonna released her second coffee table book, The Girlie Show, with 70-pages of photographs from the tour and a 3-song live CD, which included Like A Virgin, In This Life and Why’s It So Hard.

The book was published in the US by Callaway.  The book sold 140,000 copies (the book is now out of print). The Girlie Show was also published in the UK, France, Germany and Japan.