Today in Madonna History: December 12, 2001

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On December 12 2001, Madonna participated in a MSN Live Chat, to promote GHV2 (Greatest Hits Volume 2), which was released on November 12.

Here are some GHV2 related questions from Madonna’s fans and her answers from the live chat:

 

Do you think that the journey that the Immaculate Collection covers is greater than GHV2?

No, actually the opposite. I experienced a much greater journey later, and I was paying attention more.

Which song do you wish was on GHV2 but was left off?

I don’t. At the end of the day, if people want to hear a song, they can go get the record it was on. I don’t regret not having anything else on it (GHV2).

I am really pleased to have a new greatest hits collection from you but why aren’t there any new songs in GHV2?

Because they are my greatest hits. New songs would be false advertising because if it’s a new song, it wouldn’t be considered a greatest hit. That’s a little presumptuous isn’t it?

I found some Japanese expression in the cover of your GHV2. That reads “mo-dzi-ji-ra-mi-mi-dzi” (this is how we pronounce it). What does it mean?

It’s supposed to be my name in Japanese.

Madonna, thank you for joining us today to talk with your fans from around the world. Continued success with GHV2 and from all your fans and from all of us here on MSN, happiest of holidays.

Thank you! I enjoyed it immensely, happy holidays!

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Today in Madonna History: November 4, 2001

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On November 4 2001, Madonna was named Britain’s highest-earning woman with an annual income of 30 million pounds ($43.8 million).  The Sunday Times newspaper placed Madonna above J.K. Rowling, creator of the Harry Potter books.  Rowling earned 24.8 million pounds ($36.2 million) in the year ending October 1 2001.  

Today In Madonna History: March 30, 2001

On March 30 2001, Madonna’s Drowned World Tour was confirmed via this announcement:

For the first time in eight years since The Girlie Show, Madonna promises to take the stage live in a extensive international concert tour this summer. The exhilarating itinerary promises to take her in a series of shows in Europe beginning in June and all across America starting in July. The tour will be promoted by SFX. A complete schedule of these landmark events will be announced within weeks. Madonna is expected to perform material from her smash hit electrifying Cowboy Punk album Music as well as signature songs spanning the length of her incredible stunning career in a cutting edge concert setting that will continue the tradition of trend setting innovation that Madonna is famous and known for on the stage!

Today in Madonna History: March 22, 2001

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On March 22 2001, Madonna’s What It Feels Like For A Girl music video premiered.

The video was directed by Madonna’s then-husband, Guy Ritchie, and was deemed to be “Too Hot for TV” by MTV and VH1 because the video depicted gunplay, assault and suicide.

MTV released this statement about the video and their decision to ban it:

It’s been some time since Madonna ruffled the feathers of MTV or VH1 execs with a controversial video — perhaps not since 1992’s Erotica clip — so just under a decade later, the first lady of shock pop is out to prove she can still make ’em sweat.

Unlike the steamy segments of Erotica, 1990’s Justify My Love, and the one that started it all, Like a Prayer, it’s not the sexual content of What It Feels Like for a Girl that raises the red flag, it’s the violence — a concerted no-no in the post-Columbine, and more recently post-Santana, decision-making process.

The music in the video, it should be noted, is a dance remix of the version found on Madonna’s latest album, Music. The album cut will serve as the LP’s third single.

 Directed by her husband, British filmmaker Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), the clip depicts gunplay, violent assault and suicide — elements MTV and VH1 prohibit in any videos they air. In it, the pop diva portrays a self-described “nihilistic pissed-off chick” who cruises around town inflicting damage on any man that crosses her path.
After picking up Grandma at the “Ol Kuntz Guest Home,” Madonna crashes into a car full of men who wink at her, threatens male police officers with a squirt gun before sideswiping their vehicle, and mugs a man at an ATM with a stun gun before wrapping her stolen car around a lamppost in what appears to be an intentional act.

The video “shows my character acting out a fantasy and doing things girls are not allowed to do,” Madonna said in a written statement distributed by her record label, Warner Bros. “This is an angry song and I wanted a matching visual with an edgy dance mix.”
Although What It Feels Like for a Girl won’t be added to the music channel’s regular rotation, MTV and VH1 will air the clip just once.

Today In Madonna History: March 16, 2001

On March 16 2001, MTV and VH1 networks announced that Madonna’s new video for What It Feels Like For A Girl would be broadcast only once on March 20 at 11:30 pm because of the controversy over its violent content.

Madonna later released What It Feels Like For A Girl as a DVD single.

Madonna biographer Andrew Morton had this to say about the video:

“The video is entirely consistent with the themes that she has been exploring for the last twenty years, namely the relationship between the sexes, the ambiguity of gender, and the unresolved conflict, for women in a patriarchal society of being fully female and sexual while exercising control over their lives.”

Today In Madonna History: March 14, 2001

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On March 14, 2001, Madonna held open auditions for dancers for her Drowned World Tour at Musical Theatre Works in New York, NY.

Today in Madonna History: January 16, 2001

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On January 16 2001, Don’t Tell Me was released commercially in North America as the second single from Music.

Written by Madonna, Mirwais & Joe Henry, the song was Madonna’s first collaboration with her brother-in-law, whom she had known since high school. Henry sent a demo (then titled Stop) to Madonna after his wife, Melanie, insisted that her sister would love the song. Madonna & Mirwais drastically altered the music and melody and renamed the song Don’t Tell Me. Henry released his version on his eighth studio album, Scar, in May 2001.

The maxi-single featured remixes by Thunderpuss, Timo Mass, Victor Calderone, Richard “Humpty” Vission and Tracy Young. Don’t Tell Me was the last Madonna release to be issued on cassette single in the U.S. and was also available on 2-track CD single, CD Maxi-Single (enhanced with the music video) and as a double 12″ vinyl set. In Canada, it was released only on CD maxi-single.