Today in Madonna History: August 14, 2012

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On August 14 2012, Madonna’s first make-up artist, and close friend, Debi Mazar spoke to Allure.com’s beauty editor, Sophia Panych about what Madonna’s hair and make-up was like for The Virgin Tour in 1985:

Her hair was long and wild, and she had just had her bangs cut. She had this thick, curly, gorgeous hair—thicker than anyone else I knew—and it didn’t really need much. I just tried to make sure her bangs nicely framed her face and make sure it moved well, rather than creating a polished look. Really, it was more about the music and the show. We just wanted her to look good, get on stage, and do the damn tour. Plus, she was in her twenties: Her skin was good, and as long as you had bright lipstick and good hair, the crowd didn’t care—they just wanted to dance.

Today in Madonna History: August 13, 1985

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On August 13 1985, Madonna’s Angel/Into the Groove single spent a 6th week at #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi Single Sales chart in the USA.

Check out the rare Into the Groove/Angel releases from the Philippines we’ve included above!

Today in Madonna History: August 12, 1989

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On August 12 1989, Madonna’s Express Yourself spent a fourth week at #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music and Maxi Single Sales chart.

Madonna explained to Becky Johnston in the May 1989 issue of Interview magazine:

“The ultimate thing behind the song is that if you don’t express yourself, if you don’t say what you want, then you’re not going to get it. And in effect you are chained down by your inability to say what you feel or go after what you want. No matter how in control you think are about sexuality in a relationship there is always the power struggle… always a certain amount of compromise. Of being beholden, if you love them. You do it because you choose to. No one put the chain around this neck but me. I wrote Express Yourself to tell women around the world that pick and choose the best for yourself, before that chain around your neck, kills you instead. It’s my take on how man can express what they want, the same prerogative should be there for a woman too.”

Today in Madonna History: August 11, 1987

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On August 11 1987, Madonna’s True Blue album was certified 5x platinum (for shipment of 5 million units) in the USA.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted that “True Blue is the album where Madonna truly became ‘Madonna the Superstar’—the endlessly ambitious, fearlessly provocative entertainer that knew how to outrage, spark debates, get good reviews—and make good music while she’s at it.”

Today in Madonna History: August 10, 1985

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On August 10 1985, Into The Groove spent the first of four weeks in the number-one position on the UK Singles Chart. It was Madonna’s first chart-topping single in the UK, where she has collected a total of thirteen number-one hits to date.

As an added validation, Into the Groove was Madonna’s first attempt at co-producing a song. While artists co-producing their own work is common today, it was relatively unusual at the time, particularly for female artists. The immense success of the single undoubtedly helped convince the powers at Sire/Warner to grant Madonna the artistic freedom to co-produce her next album, True Blue, together with her collaborators Stephen Bray and Patrick Leonard.

Today in Madonna History: August 9, 2005

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On August 9 2005, DJ Tracy Young released DANCECULTURE thorugh Ferosh Records. Young’s seventh CD release included exclusive remixes of Madonna’s Easy Ride (from American Life), Chaka Khan’s I Believe and Cyndi Lauper’s Walk On By.

The track listing for DANCECULTURE:

  1. Let The Rhythm – Cytric featuring Kieran
  2. I Believe – Chaka Khan (Tracy Young & Gomi’s Spiritual Dub)
  3. The Beats And The Drums – David Lara (D-Formation BF’s Remix)
  4. Easy Ride – Madonna (Tracy Young & Giangi Cappai’s Easy Remix)
  5. The Bass Drive – Roman Lieske
  6. Alone – Offer Nissim featuring Maya
  7. You Used To Hold Me – Ralphi Rosario featuring Xaviera Gold (Giangi Cappai Vocal Mix)
  8. New Love (Violets) – FC Nond
  9. Te Quiero – William Umana (The Message Mix)
  10. Home – Suzanne Palmer (Offer Nissim Mix Part I)
  11. The World Is A Stage – Terry Barber (Tracy Young’s Operatic Remix)
  12. Shelter Me – Stryke (Stryke’s Drum Loop)
  13. Walk On By – Cyndi Lauper (Tracy Young’s Losing You Remix)

When asked who has been her favourite artist to remix, Tracy responded:

Obviously Madonna. I owe a lot to her for supporting my career for so long, and playing such an important part of my life and career. I just remixed Cher’s I Walk Alone. Pink wrote that song. I also remixed Kylie Minogue Into the Blue. Madonna will always be my No. 1, but working with Cher and Kyle was a highlight.

Today in Madonna History: August 8, 1992

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On August 8 1992, Madonna’s This Used to Be My Playground (and the theme song for A League of Their Own) hit number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA, becoming Madonna’s tenth chart-topping single, breaking her tie with Whitney Houston to become the female artist with the most number one singles at that time.

The song was written and produced by Madonna and Shep Pettibone, and recorded prior to final sessions for Madonna’s 1992 studio album Erotica.