Madonna (Madonna album)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Madonna | ||
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| Studio album by Madonna | ||
| Released | July 27, 1983 (US) August 1985 (Europe) |
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| Recorded | 1982 | |
| Genre | Pop/Rock, Dance | |
| Length | 40:47 | |
| Label | Sire / Warner Bros. | |
| Producer(s) | Reggie Lucas, John "Jellybean" Benitez, Mark Kamins | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Madonna chronology | ||
| Madonna (1983) |
Like a Virgin (1984) |
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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.
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[edit] Release history
After the successful release of her first two singles, "Everybody" and "Burning Up", Warner Bros. Records gave Madonna the permission to create her first album. Though New York DJ Mark Kamins had discovered Madonna and produced "Everybody", she decided to work with Warner producer Reggie Lucas for the rest of the album. They started recording "Lucky Star", a song written by Madonna, and "Borderline", which was a composition by Lucas. Soon, both realised they did not get along very well - Lucas produced the album his way, while Madonna complained that she had different concepts and ideas. She took the finished, but unsatisfactory, album to her friend, John "Jellybean" Benitez, who remixed and rearranged the entire album.
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, a previous members of The Supremes, Mary Wilson. The inclusion of "Holiday" proved to be a good choice, however - the song reached number sixteen on the Billboard "Hot 100" and number six in the U.K.
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"). Most importantly, Madonna's navel is prominent on the inner sleeve of the album, which became one of her trademarks.
The album was originally titled "Lucky Star", after its first track. 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 artwork was released as a rare 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 a review for the All Music Guide, Stephen Thomas Erlewine 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" (Madonna) | 5:37 |
| 2. | "Borderline" (Reggie Lucas) | 5:20 |
| 3. | "Burning Up" (Madonna) | 3:45 |
| 4. | "I Know It" (Madonna) | 3:47 |
| 5. | "Holiday" (Curtis Hudson, Lisa Stevens) | 6:10 |
| 6. | "Think Of Me" (Madonna) | 4:54 |
| 7. | "Physical Attraction" (Reggie Lucas) | 6:39 |
| 8. | "Everybody" (Madonna) | 6:02 |
| 9. | "Burning Up" [12" version]*+ (Madonna) | 5:59 |
| 10. | "Lucky Star" [New Mix]* (Madonna) | 7:15 |
* Bonus tracks on remastered version.
+ There's also a rare 3:41 version of this song (Only in South Africa)
[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 10 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 |
| France | Platinum |
| Germany | Gold |
| Singapore | Platinum |
| UK | Platinum |
| USA | 5x Platinum |
[edit] References
For charts and certifications:
- "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.
[edit] External links
| Madonna |
|---|
| Discography · Tours · Videography · Filmography · Achievements/awards · Bibliography · Unreleased songs · Controversies |
