Today in Madonna History: January 11, 2005

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On January 11 2005, Madonna.com announced that Madonna would perform during NBC’s Tsunami Aid: A Concert Of Hope, to air on January 15th:

“More than a dozen musical acts have signed on to perform in NBC Universal’s tsunami benefit special, which will raise money for the American Red Cross’s relief efforts. Among those scheduled to perform in the special, titled Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope, are Madonna, Sheryl Crow, Lenny Kravitz, Eric Clapton, Mary J. Blige, Kenny Chesney, Brian Wilson, India.Arie, John Mayer and Gloria Estefan. A number of other stars, including George Clooney, Usher, Halle Berry and Uma Thurman, are also set to appear. The concert, airing ET Saturday (Jan. 15), will be broadcast on NBC and all its cable networks. The PAX network, which is partly owned by NBC, and Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo will also air the benefit. During the benefit, viewers will be directed to a phone number and web site for the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which is working to provide victims of the Dec. 26 disaster with food and water and to prevent disease in the areas hit by the tsunamis. The Red Cross is at work on long-term aid efforts that include mental health counseling and disaster preparedness initiatives.”

Madonna performed a cover of John Lennon’s Imagine during the broadcast, which had been part of the set-list of the previous year’s Re-Invention Tour.

Today in Madonna History: November 29, 2005

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On November 29 2005, Andrew G’s spirited interview with Madonna aired on pay-TV Channel [V] in Australia. The interview was recorded in London during a press junket to promote Confessions On A Dance Floor.

Madonna had hoped to bring her 2006 Confessions Tour to Australia during its final leg, which saw her perform her first full concerts in Japan since 1993. Shows in Australia, however, did not materialize during the tour.

Today in Madonna History: November 15, 2005

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On November 15 2005, Madonna’s tenth studio album, Confessions On A Dance Floor, was released in North America by Warner Bros Records. The majority of the album was co-produced and co-written by Madonna & Stuart Price, with additional contributions by Mirwais, Bloodshy & Avant, Joe Henry and Anders Bagge & Peer Åström. It featured the singles Hung Up, Sorry, Get Together and Jump.

Madonna performed a small club show at Koko in London, UK on November 15th to celebrate the album’s release, with the set being streamed online to fans around the world. The live webcast was preceded by an exclusive mini-documentary titled Confessions…On A Promo Tour.

 

Today in Madonna History: November 8, 2005

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On November 8 2005, Madonna recorded an interview with Michael Parkinson for an episode of the British television series Parkinson, for broadcast on November 12th.

Madonna was in great spirits during the appearance, which also included performances of two songs from her soon-to-be-released album, Confessions On A Dance Floor: lead single Hung Up along with the very first live performance of Get Together.

(Thanks Amalio for sharing the video!)

Today in Madonna History: October 18, 2005

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On October 18 2005, the lead single for Madonna’s Confessions on a Dance Floor album, Hung Up, was released.

Rolling Stone magazine had this to say about the release:

Going back to disco, as she always does and always should, the queen hustled up a chintzy-sounding Abba sample, a drag queen’s wet dream of a chorus, and Stuart Price’s electrobeats. The result? One of her most captivating hits ever — and thanks to those deceptively hard-hitting lyrics, one of her most personal.

The following tracks were included on the Hung Up CD maxi-single:

Radio Version
SDP Extended Vocal
Tracy Young’s Get Up and Dance Groove Edit
Bill Hamel Remix
Chus & Ceballos Remix
SDP Extended Dub

Today in Madonna History: October 3, 2005

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On October 3 2005, the official Madonna web site was updated to promote the release of Confessions on a Dance Floor.

Do you remember how exciting it was to learn Madonna was returning to her disco roots with Confessions? 

 

Today in Madonna History: September 28, 2005

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On September 28 2005, the double-A-sided 12″ promo for Madonna’s Hung Up was released. SDP’s Extended Dub (7:56) was included on both sides of the promo vinyl.

Rolling Stone magazine included Hung Up as one of the 100 Best Songs of the 2000s. Here’s what Rolling Stone had to say:

Going back to disco, as she always does and always should, the queen hustled up a chintzy-sounding Abba sample, a drag queen’s wet dream of a chorus, and Stuart Price’s electrobeats. The result? One of her most captivating hits ever — and thanks to those deceptively hard-hitting lyrics, one of her most personal.