On December 21 2006, the official sell sheet for Madonna’s Confessions Tour DVD/CD release was distributed to retailers. The street date for the release: January 30, 2007.
“The pop spectacle of the year—a politically charged combination of Cirque du Soleil, performance-art commentary and dance-party explosion that more or less sums up everything she has been striving to say and show this decade … it’s quite possibly the best production she’s ever concocted.” – Orange County Register
On July 3 2006, Madonna performed her Confessions Tour at Madison Square Gardens.
It was the last of four SOLD OUT shows at the Gardens (June 28, 29 July 2 and 3). In total Madonna performed in front of 91,841 fans in New York, generating $16,507,855 in ticket sales.
On June 18 2006, Madonna performed a third sold-out Confessions Tour concert at the United Center in Chicago. In total, Madonna performed four completely sold-out shows for 52,000 adoring fans in Chicago, generating $9.2 million in ticket sales.
Tom Young (BBC) had this to say about The Confessions Tour:
“[The show is] a big fat neon light of a pop-dance explosion. There’s a party going on, and unless you were there in the first place, you’re not invited. Whistles and whoops rarely cease and applause ripples throughout building into regular raptures for a consistently first-class performer. It’s almost enough to make those who weren’t there jealous. Almost.”
On April 8 2006, tickets for Madonna’s UK Confessions Tour shows sold out in 10 minutes!
Fans snapped up every ticket for the first two Wembley Arena gigs as soon as the box office opened at 9am. A further four Wembley dates were swiftly added – and all had sold out by lunchtime. Finally, a seventh gig was added for August 15, and also sold out!
On February 18 2006, Shaun Woodford spoke to the BBC about how he was challenged to transform the back of an everyday van into a ’70s nightclub on wheels for Madonna’s Sorry music video.
Shaun said that when his customized car firm in Wales first received the request to pimp out the van with pink neon lights, lilac shag carpet and mirror disco balls, he thought it was a joke.
“We weren’t sure what to think at first! And it was only when we got the go ahead, that we knew it was for Madonna’s video.”
Shaun’s team at AB Styling Ltd were given one week to complete the job.
“Everything we needed had to be ordered in and there was a couple of moments where I thought it was going to be touch and go, but we did manage it.”
Shaun delivered the van on time and spent the week on set.
“It was a brilliant experience and by far the biggest job we’ve ever done – you can’t get bigger than Madonna.”
MTV documented and aired the makeover of the van in an episode of Pimp My Ride.
On February 9 2006, Hung Up spent its final week at #1 on the Italian singles chart.
The single topped the chart in Italy for an unbelievable 14 consecutive weeks before finally descending to #2 for the week of February 16th.
The following week of February 23rd, Madonna’s second single from Confessions On A Dance Floor, Sorry, saw her return to #1 on the Italian singles charts for another 3 weeks – while Hung Up hung on at #3.
On November 28 2006, Jump peaked at #20 on the Austrian Ultratop 40 singles chart. The song was the fourth international single from Confessions On A Dance Floor.
The maxi-single featured remixes by Stuart Price (under the pseudonym Jacques Lu Cont), Axwell and Junior Sanchez; an Extended Album Version and Radio Edit (the US vinyl edition also added the “unmixed” Album Version); and a previously unreleased b-side, History, written and produced by Madonna & Stuart Price.
Recorded during the Confessions On A Dance Floor sessions, the released version of History was in actuality an uncredited Stuart Price remix of the otherwise shelved original production. An alternate version of the Price remix streamed on Madonna’s official website for a brief period but has yet to surface in quality above streaming grade. More of the song’s history came to light when an incomplete clip of the final non-remixed version, as well as several complete demo takes (featuring nixed chorus lyric “I thought that we were related” instead of “Defined by our greed and hatred”), leaked online in 2007 and 2008 respectively.
While the remix of History is a sparse and stripped-down slice of electro-house that recalls some of Stuart Price’s earlier solo work as Les Rythmes Digitales, the pulsating urgency of the original production with its heedfully hopeful bridge make it the more definitive rendering of the song.
Today In Madonna History 