Madonna (Madonna album)
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| Madonna | ||
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| Studio album by Madonna | ||
| Released | July 27, 1983 (US) August 1985 (Europe) May 21, 2001 (Remastered) |
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| Recorded | 1982 | |
| Genre | Pop/Rock, Dance, R&B | |
| Length | 40:47 | |
| Label | Sire Records Warner Bros. Records WEA International |
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| Producer(s) | Reggie Lucas, John "Jellybean" Benitez, Mark Kamins | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Madonna chronology | ||
| Madonna (1983) |
Like a Virgin (1984) |
|
Madonna is the self-titled debut album by dance-pop singer Madonna, released on July 27, 1983 (see 1983 in music). The album was remastered in 2001 (see 2001 in music), a release that included two bonus remixes.
The album was also re-issued as The First Album outside the United States with different packaging, similar to the Like a Virgin album.
Contents |
[edit] Production history
After the mildly successful release of her first two singles: "Everybody" and "Burning Up," Sire gave Madonna greenlit production of Madonna's first album. Though New York DJ Mark Kamins had discovered Madonna and produced "Everybody," she decided to work with Warner-suggested producer Reggie Lucas for the bulk of the album. After production on the album began, Madonna and Lucas clashed, as they each had different ideas of how they wanted the final product to sound. When the album was completed, a dissatisfied Madonna called upon her friend producer John "Jellybean" Benitez to retool it.
Madonna originally intended for the song "Ain't No Big Deal" to be included on the album—however, Stephen Bray, a former boyfriend and collaborator on the song, had sold the song rights to another label, leaving Madonna and her producers to find another track. The song that made it onto the album was "Holiday," written by Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens. "Holiday" had originally been offered to, but turned down by, singer Mary Wilson.
The artwork that was featured on the original release of the album started the public's fascination with Madonna. On the cover she has short-cropped, platinum hair and stretches a dog chain roughly around her throat (that says baby "Dita.") Madonna's navel is prominent on the inner sleeve of the album, which became one of her trademarks.
The album was originally slated to be titled Lucky Star, after the track of the same name. It is unknown why the title was changed, but the original artwork created for the album was scrapped and a new, darker direction was taken. The original album title was kept on early pressings of the LP in South Africa and contained a 3:41 version of "Burning Up".[1] The item has since become a must have item for Madonna record collectors.
Madonna dedicated the album to her father, Tony Ciccone.
[edit] Critical response
Madonna received mostly positive reviews from critics, but also drew many comments on a "girlish hiccup" in her voice. Don Shewey, in a review for Rolling Stone, called the album "an irresistible invitation to the dance." Sigerson also comments on Madonna's voice, calling it sometimes "irritating as hell," but one that grows on the listener. Madonna's simple pop lyrics were also praised, mostly for being so catchy and bare.[2] In 1989, it was ranked #50 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s. In a review for the All Music Guide, Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album five stars out of five and stated that Madonna's debut album "set the standard for dance-pop for the next 20 years" due to its combination of "great pop songs with stylish, state-of-the-art beats." He called the album, with its near-perfect pop songs and production "utterly irresistible" and "a terrific, nearly timeless, listen."[3]
[edit] Track listing
| # | Title | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Lucky Star” Writer(s): Madonna Producer(s): Reggie Lucas |
5:37 |
| 2. | “Borderline” Writer(s): Reggie Lucas Producer(s): Reggie Lucas |
5:20 |
| 3. | “Burning Up” Writer(s): Madonna Producer(s): Reggie Lucas |
3:45 |
| 4. | “I Know It” Writer(s): Madonna Producer(s): Reggie Lucas |
3:47 |
| 5. | “Holiday” Writer(s): Curtis Hudson, Lisa Stevens Producer(s): John ("Jellybean") Benitez |
6:10 |
| 6. | “Think of Me” Writer(s): Madonna Producer(s): Reggie Lucas |
4:54 |
| 7. | “Physical Attraction” Writer(s): Reggie Lucas Producer(s): Reggie Lucas |
6:39 |
| 8. | “Everybody” Writer(s): Madonna Producer(s): Mark Kamins |
4:57 |
[edit] Singles
| # | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Everybody" | October 1982 |
| 2. | "Burning Up" | March 1983 |
| 3. | "Holiday" | September 1983 |
| 4. | "Borderline" | February 1984 |
| 5. | "Lucky Star" | August 1984 |
[edit] Album credits
[edit] Personnel
- Madonna - vocals, background vocals, cowbell
- Tina B. - background vocals
- Christine Faith - background vocals
- Dean Gant - synthesizer, piano, electric piano
- Gwen Guthrie - background vocals
- Curtis Hudson - guitar
- Raymond Hudson - bass
- Anthony Jackson - electric bass
- Bashiri Johnson - percussion
- Reggie Lucas - guitar
- Bob Malach - tenor saxophone
- Paul Pesco - guitar
- Ira Siegel - guitar
- Ed Walsh - synthesizer
- Brenda White - background vocals
- Norma Jean Wright - background vocals
- Fred Zarr - synthesizer, piano, drums, electric piano, Moog synthesizer, Fender Rhodes, Moog bass
[edit] Production
- Producers: John "Jellybean" Benitez, Mark Kamins, Reggie Lucas
- Engineers: Jim Dougherty, Michael Hutchinson, Butch Jones
- Mixing engineers: Michael Hutchinson, Jay Mark
- Mixing: John "Jellybean" Benitez, Jay Mark
- Remixing: John "Jellybean" Benitez, Jay Mark
- Drum programming: Reggie Lucas, Leslie Ming
[edit] Design
- Arrangers: Curtis Hudson, Fred Zarr
- Art direction: Carin Goldberg
- Photography: Gary Heery
[edit] Chart performance
The album did quite well in the charts, reaching the Top 10 in Australia, France, Portugal, the UK, and US. In total, the album spent 168 weeks on the Billboard charts in the United States. In October 2000, it was certified 5 times Platinum in the USA, while selling over 8 million copies worldwide.
| Chart (1983) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australia albums chart | 10 |
| Austria albums chart | 15 |
| Brazil albums chart | 6 |
| Canada albums chart | 19 |
| France albums chart | 8 |
| Germany albums chart | 28 |
| Italy albums chart | 8 |
| Portugal albums chart | 5 |
| UK albums chart | 6 |
| USA Billboard 200 | 8 |
| USA Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 20 |
[edit] Certifications
Note: Certifications are based on the number of shipped copies and not the number of copies sold.
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia | 3x Platinum |
| Brazil | Gold |
| France | Platinum |
| Germany | Gold |
| Singapore | Platinum |
| Switzerland | 2x Platinum |
| UK | 3x Platinum |
| USA | 5x Platinum |
[edit] References
- "Chart Performance of Madonna Records - A Compiled History". MLVC.ORG - Charts. link - last accessed on December 11, 2005.
- "Madonna Tribe News: Pier Pinto's Charts Updates". Madonna Tribe News. link - last accessed on December 11, 2005.
- "The First Album". Mad-Eyes. link - last accessed on November 25, 2006.
[edit] External links
Studio albums: Madonna (1983) · Like a Virgin (1984) · True Blue (1986) · Like a Prayer (1989)
Erotica (1992) · Bedtime Stories (1994) · Ray of Light (1998) · Music (2000)
American Life (2003) · Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005)
Discography · Tours · Videography · Filmography · Achievements and Awards · Bibliography · Unreleased songs · Controversies
