On November 3 1992, Madonna’s Sex book was banned in New Delhi, India, with police officials announcing that they would confiscate any copies of the book entering the country.
Today in Madonna History: November 2, 1987
On November 2 1987, Madonna’s True Blue won International Album Of The Year at the 17th annual Juno Awards at the O’Keefe Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
When did you last give True Blue a full listen?
Today in Madonna History: November 1, 1992
On November 1 1992, Madonna’s Sex book hit #1 on the Washington Post non-fiction bestseller list.
Here’s a snippet of Zoe Heller’s article on the Sex book in The Independent:
It starts out black and white, S & M, down and dirty. In various urban crypts and dungeons, we see Madonna bound up by multi-pierced lesbians (they point knives at her throat and crotch); Madonna biting at a male arsehole; Madonna whipping a large PVC-clad woman. There is Madonna as Weimar-style decadent, cavorting with gay strippers, and as cutie schoolgirl, being raped by skinheads in a school gym. You get the picture.
As Sex proceeds, colour photography is introduced – a washed-out, Fifties sort of pastel – and Madonna emerges from subterranea to expose herself on roadsides and in pizza parlours. Interspersed throughout are scraps of Madonna-think: a tribute to her vagina (‘It smells like a baby to me, fresh and full of life’), a horrifyingly cutesy account of masturbating for the first time (‘honey poured from my 14-year-old gash and I wept’). You get the prose.
Today in Madonna History: October 31, 2006
On October 31 2006, Jump was released as the fourth and final single from the album Confessions On Dance Floor. It was written by Madonna, Stuart Price & Joe Henry and produced by Madonna & Stuart Price.
In Canada, the CD maxi-single for Jump is notable for being Madonna’s last physical single to be issued domestically. The Hard Candy-era singles were imported from the U.S. by Warner Music Canada, while her Interscope singles have only been released in digital form for the North American market.
Today in Madonna History: October 30, 1995
On October 30 1995, You’ll See was released as the first single from the ballads compilation, Something To Remember. It was one of three tracks written and produced by Madonna with Canadian songwriter David Foster during a marathon writing/recording session in late September 1995, with One More Chance also making the album’s final cut. A shelved collaboration entitled I Can’t Forget was recorded by British electronic group Tilt (retitled Come Closer) in 2006 and later by Canadian vocalist Angelica Di Castro. Madonna’s original unreleased demo leaked to the internet in 2010.
A Spanish version of You’ll See entitled Verás (featuring lyrics by Paz Martinez) was recorded during a brief promotional push for the album and was included on the North American maxi-single alongside an instrumental version and a live recording of Live To Tell (taken from 1987’s Ciao Italia! concert release). An alternate version of the You’ll See video was serviced to Latin markets to promote Verás featuring in-studio footage of Madonna recording its vocals.
Today in Madonna History: October 29, 2012
On October 29 2012, Madonna was the special guest on The Ellen Show.
During the show, Ellen told the story of how Madonna sent her an inspiring quote from Martha Graham when Ellen was in the process of coming out on her show. Below is the full quote that Madonna sent her:
There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open… No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatsoever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.
Today in Madonna History: October 28, 2000
On October 28 2000, Madonna’s Music album spent its fourth and final consecutive week at #1 on Eurochart Top 100 Albums.
The album would slide two positions to #3 on the chart dated November 4th.
Today In Madonna History 