Today in Madonna History: November 7, 1998

November 7, 2022 By sonicboy19 in 1998, November Tags: Charts, Demo, Little Star, Nothing Really Matters, Ray Of Light (Album), Remix Videos, The Power of Good-Bye 3 Comments

On November 7 1998, The Power of Good-Bye advanced one position to #13 in what would be its final bulleted week on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. The single would nonetheless manage to sneak its way up to #11 on November 28th, sans bullet. It is worth noting that one of the most significant changes to eligibility rules in the Hot 100’s history at the time took effect during the single’s initially rapid ascent, causing an immediate rush of non-commercially released radio hits to storm the chart and seemingly disrupt the ballad’s momentum.

A decision by Warner Bros. to withhold a maxi-single release for The Power Of Good-Bye in the U.S., compounded by the lack of any non-album content on the standard single despite earlier reports, suggests that the changes to the Hot 100 may have created a larger ripple than Warner had anticipated. Including the Oprah performance of Little Star, as previously reported in Billboard, or even the Dallas Austin remix of The Power Of Good-Bye on the b-side certainly would have given fans more incentive to pick up the 2-track single in the U.S.

It’s difficult to fully frown on Warner Bros.’s seemingly uncontainable enthusiasm for the brilliant remixes of Ray Of Light‘s fourth single, Nothing Really Matters, despite the highly unconventional timing of servicing them to clubs six months ahead of their commercial release.

Today in Madonna History: October 25, 2004

October 25, 2022 By Jay in 2004, October Tags: Arthur and the Invisibles, Love Profusion, Luc Besson, Movies, Remix Videos 1 Comment

On October 25 2004, it was announced that Madonna would lend her voice to the cast of the animated film Arthur and the Invisibles (then titled simply Arthur), written & directed by French filmmaker Luc Besson.

The film tells the story of ten-year-old Arthur, who, while trying to save his grandfather’s house from developers, goes on a treasure hunt in the land of the Minimoys, a tiny people living in coexistence with nature, informed The Malaysia Star. According to ABC News, Arthur was adapted from a series of children’s books written by Besson, who also wrote the screenplay for the movie. Madonna was said to be voicing the part of Princess Selenia, a character who travels with Arthur to a mysterious forbidden city where an evil being dwells. “The recording is being done at the moment,” a source was quoted by ratethemusic as saying.

Madonna had previously collaborated with Besson earlier in 2004 when he directed her music video for Love Profusion. She was also in the midst of writing songs for a proposed musical film to be directed by Besson, but she later withdrew from the project after being dissatisfied by the finished screenplay.

Today in Madonna History: October 6, 1982

October 6, 2022 By sonicboy19 in 1982, October Tags: 12-inch Single, Ain't No Big Deal, Everybody, First Single, Remix Videos 4 Comments

On October 6 1982, Everybody – the debut single by Madonna – was released by Sire/Warner Bros. Records in the U.S. on 7″ and 12″ single formats.

After signing Madonna on the strength of a 4-track demo tape she had recorded with Steve Bray, Sire Records’ Seymour Stein initially suggested Ain’t No Big Deal as lead single backed by Everybody, but the latter track ended up being featured on both sides (the North American 12″ single was backed with an extended dub version, while the U.S. 7″ included a radio edit with a unique instrumental edit on the flip).

Written by Madonna and produced by Mark Kamins, Everybody would resurface in the summer of 1983 as the closing cut on Madonna’s self-titled debut LP.

Happy 40th anniversary, Everybody! And thank you Madonna for 40 years of musical magic!

Dance and sing, get up and do your thing!

Today in Madonna History: September 11, 2000

September 11, 2022 By sonicboy19 in 2000, September Tags: Canadian Singles Chart, Cyber-Raga, Don't Tell Me, Fever, Jean-Baptiste Mondino, Justify My Love, Mirwais Ahmadzaï, Music (Album), Music (Single), Paradise (Not For Me), Remix Videos, RPM Magazine, Stéphane Sednaoui 1 Comment

On September 11 2000, Madonna’s Music single hit #1 on the Top Canadian Singles chart in RPM magazine. The single spent an incredible nine weeks at #1 on the chart, making it Madonna’s biggest hit during the RPM chart era in Canada.

Music also holds the distinction of being the final song ever to reach the top of the RPM Top Canadian Singles chart, as the magazine ceased publication during the song’s ninth week at #1. RPM served as the voice of the Canadian music industry and its official chart authority for over thirty-five years.

Madonna’s Music album also hit #1 on RPM’s Top Albums chart during the first two weeks of October, 2000.

In an unusual move, Warner Canada chose to issue the Music single commercially in three different CD configurations: a two-track with non-album b-side Cyberraga, a standard CD maxi-single with full-length remixes, and finally as a set of remix edits – something that would more commonly be reserved for radio in promo-only form.

Both the song and much of the album of the same title bore the fruit of Madonna’s first collaboration with French electronic artist, Mirwais Ahmadzaï. His second solo album, Production, released a few months earlier, featured Madonna’s Paradise (Not For Me) – which would also resurface on Music.

Mirwais worked with Madonna collaborators Jean-Baptiste Mondino (Naïve Song) and Stéphane Sednaoui (Disco Science & I Can’t Wait) on music videos for the Production album, while the latter director also photographed its cover. Madonna, meanwhile, selected Mondino to shoot the cover of her Music album and to direct the video for its second single (Don’t Tell Me).

Several years before directing her Fever video, Sednaoui first captured Madonna as a photographer on the set of the Justify My Love video – directed by Mondino.

Today in Madonna History: August 29, 1987

August 29, 2022 By sonicboy19 in 1987, August Tags: Canadian Singles Chart, Remix Videos, Who's That Girl (Single), Who's That Girl (Soundtrack) 1 Comment

On August 29 1987, Madonna’s Who’s That Girl single reached #1 on the Canadian Top 100 Singles chart by RPM magazine.

Today in Madonna History: August 21, 2000

August 21, 2022 By Jay in 2000, August Tags: Canadian Singles Chart, Mirwais Ahmadzaï, Music (Single), Remix Videos 2 Comments

“Hey Mr. DJ, put a record on, I want to dance with my baby.”

On August 21 2000, Madonna’s Music single was released. Music was the lead single from her eighth studio album of the same name. It was written and produced by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï.

Music peaked number one in 22 other countries, including Australia, Canada, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Music was the longest running number-one single on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart for the decade (five weeks). The song was the second most successful dance single of the decade in the United States, behind Madonna’s own Hung Up (2005). Music was the last number one hit on the Canadian RPM singles chart.