Tag Archives: Dear Jessie

Today in Madonna History: December 30, 1989

December 30, 2022 By in 1989, December Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

Dear Jessie CD Single_Cover Dear Jessie CD Single_Back Cover

On December 30 1989, Dear Jessie peaked at number-five on the UK singles chart. The track was released as the fourth single from Like A Prayer in Europe (with the exception of France which instead opted to service the North American/Japanese fourth single, Oh Father) and as the fifth single in Australia.

Dear Jessie was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard and was inspired by Leonard’s young daughter, Jessie, with whom Madonna had developed a special connection.

The psychedelia-infused reflection on childhood fantasy and innocence was particularly poignant within the context of the Like A Prayer album’s sequencing, with its segue into Oh Father offering a stark musical and emotional contrast that is perhaps one of the most effective in Madonna’s body of work.

Today in Madonna History: December 16, 1989

December 16, 2022 By in 1989, December Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

dear-jessie-press-promo-600

On December 16 1989, Dear Jessie debuted at #9 on the UK Singles Chart.

The single would climb to its peak position of #5 on December 30th, where it remained for three weeks before beginning its descent.

Today in Madonna History: September 9, 2015

September 9, 2022 By in 2015, September Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

On September 9 2015, Huffington Post interviewed Patrick Leonard and asked about the possibility of them working together again:

If Madonna called you up for her next album, do you think you’re still in a mindset where you could direct her tour?

No. No, I couldn’t because the paths that our lives took are appropriate for what they are. When we met and did the work that we did, I was still in my 20s, or maybe my early 30s as we walked into Like a Prayer. I was still really interested in the pop form. I’m not disinterested in it now, but for the last few years I’ve been working with Leonard Cohen and writing piano music. I’m more of a composer. I just wouldn’t be interested in it, and I don’t think she’d be interested in my ideas anymore. I think we could still write a great song — I don’t think there’s any question about that. But my head just isn’t there at all. It would be fun to see her and fun to think together for a minute, because we were good at that at one point. But that was a long time ago, almost 30 years. I think she deserves better than what I would give her right now, for sure. If she wanted to write an opera, I’d be her guy.

Do you have a favorite Madonna memory?  

Yes. When we were on tour. We were in London and it was her birthday. There was a private party in a club, and all these people wanted to dance with her and hang out with her, and Jessie, my daughter, was with us on tour at that time. She was right around 2 years old. You can find things in the press that are still out there — Madonna sat her up on the bar and put half a glass of champagne in her, or a couple of sips or whatever it was, and danced with her pretty much all night. Jessie stood in the middle of the dance floor and spun in her dress, and the next day you saw all these things in all these tabloids with all these faces of celebrities who wanted to dance with her, and Jessie was their foil all night.That was really fun to just see her embrace my daughter and have fun like that. It was really, really special. There are a lot of memories. She’s a good girl. Madonna is a good girl.

Read the full interview here.

Today in Madonna History: December 30, 1989

December 30, 2020 By in 1989, December Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

Dear Jessie CD Single_Cover Dear Jessie CD Single_Back Cover

On December 30 1989, Dear Jessie peaked at number-five on the UK singles chart. The track was released as the fourth single from Like A Prayer in Europe (with the exception of France which instead opted to service the North American/Japanese fourth single, Oh Father) and as the fifth single in Australia.

Dear Jessie was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard and was inspired by Leonard’s young daughter, Jessie, with whom Madonna had developed a special connection.

The psychedelia-infused reflection on childhood fantasy and innocence was particularly poignant within the context of the Like A Prayer album’s sequencing, with its segue into Oh Father offering a stark musical and emotional contrast that is perhaps one of the most effective in Madonna’s body of work.

Today In Madonna History: March 27, 2012

March 27, 2020 By in 2012, March Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

0xBJY 120327-madonna-deadmau5

During a Twitter Q&A Madonna held on March 27, 2012, to promote her new album, deadmau5 tweeted her:

“You’re a role model to 100’s of millions. You have a powerful voice, EDM could use your positive influence, not ‘molly’ talk.”

Madonna responded by tweeting an old picture of herself wearing Mickey Mouse ears, captioned:

“From one mouse to another, I don’t support drug use and I never have. I was referring to the song called Have You Seen Molly written by my friend Cedric Gervais who I almost worked with on my album.”

Deadmau5 replied:

“Fair enough, i was just voicing my concerns as i usually do. +1 respect for clearing it up personally.”

Watch Madonna rehearse “I’m Addicted” from the MDNA World Tour in Florence:

Today in Madonna History: December 16, 1989

December 16, 2019 By in 1989, December Tags: , , , , 2 Comments

dear-jessie-press-promo-600

On December 16 1989, Dear Jessie debuted at #9 on the UK Singles Chart.

The single would climb to its peak position of #5 on December 30th, where it remained for three weeks before beginning its descent.

Today in Madonna History: April 2, 2005

April 2, 2019 By in 2005, April Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

magazine-april-2-madonna

On April 2 2005, Madonna was featured in Q magazine as one of the Five Essential Acts in Music, along with The Beatles, Bob Dylan, U2 and The Velvet Underground.

Q magazine listed Like A Prayer as her definitive album:

If you only buy one album….Like A Prayer. Always more interesting when not seeking novelty, Madonna hit artistic and commercial gold with Like A Prayer, her best and least contrived album. The title track, all swirling choruses and kitchen – sink production, remains her major statement, but Express Yourself was ferocious dance, while on the rarely lauded Dear Jessie she had never sounded so human.

Q magazine also listed what they considered to be Madonna’s essential singles:

Holiday, Borderline, Material Girl, Like A Virgin, Crazy For You, Into The Groove, Papa Don’t Preach, La Isla Bonita, Open Your Heart, Live To Tell, Who’s That Girl, Causing A Commotion, Vogue, Justify My Love, Ray Of Light, Frozen, Drowned World/Substitute For Love, Beautiful Stranger, Music, Hollywood.