Madonna's Confessions II

[Karin Schill]

I don't think I've heard Madame X enough yet. It's possible I'll grow to love it in time. But yeah so far I've heard it a couple of times and I am not crazy about the style. I wasn't too crazy about the song she performed at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019 either. I had expected more from Madonna.

 

[Ome]

Moving on from the Under the Covers malarkey, I am very much looking forward to this happening later in the year.

Madonna Partners With Warner Music for Career-Spanning Reissue Campaign​

On Madonna’s 63rd birthday Monday, the singer has announced a new partnership with Warner Music Group that will see her entire catalog reissued over the next few years.

The campaign begins in 2022, which marks the 40th anniversary of a recording career that began with Madonna’s 1982 single “Everybody.” Madonna will “personally curate expansive deluxe editions for many of her landmark albums,” WMG said of the reissue campaign, adding that the singer will also “introduce unique releases for special events, and much more.”

Madonna spent the first 25 years of her career at Warner and its subsidiaries — Sire, her own Maverick, and finally Warner Bros. Records — from her 1983 self-titled debut to 2015’s Hard Candy. She left the label in 2007 to sign her 360 deal with Live Nation. As part of the new partnership, the three albums that Madonna released during her Interscope tenure — MDNA, Rebel Heart, and 2019’s Madame X — will join the Warner catalog in 2025.

“All in all, the new pact includes 17 studio albums plus singles, soundtrack recordings, live albums, and compilations,” WMG said, noting that Warner Chappell Music has also long served the publisher for Madonna’s music.

“Since the very beginning, Warner Music Group has helped bring my music and vision to all my fans around the world with the utmost care and consideration,” Madonna said of the pact in a statement. “They have been amazing partners, and I am delighted to be embarking on this next chapter with them to celebrate my catalogue from the last 40 years.”

Warner Brothers CEO of Recorded Music Max Lousada added: “We’re honored to be forming a dynamic new partnership with an incomparable superstar whose influence on our musical and artistic landscape is immense and immutable. Madonna has changed the course of pop and dance music, while taking live performance to new heights of drama and invention. At the same time, she uses her fame to amplify some of the most important social issues and movements of our time. Constantly and fearlessly challenging convention, her four decades of music are not only an extraordinary body of work, but a playbook for creative and cultural evolution.”

 

[Rove]

⬆ Interesting but won't be buying it.​

 

[Ome]

⬆ Interesting but won't be buying it.​

Oh, that’s quite a blunt statement. What puts you off it?

I have no idea what the cost will be and I’ve decided to hold back on buying any more Madonna on vinyl until I see what is on offer. Im curious for the extra disc, will it contain more than the 12” versions? I’m also very intrigued for my favourite Madonna album I’M BREATHLESS. As long as it doesn’t go overboard on VOGUE, just what else could come from that album?

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Madonna will “personally curate expansive deluxe editions for many of her landmark albums,”

“All in all, the new pact includes 17 studio albums plus singles, soundtrack recordings, live albums, and compilations,” WMG said

I do like a good Deluxe Edition, and Madonna certainly has enough unreleased or long out of print material to make this worth the investment... if it's done well.

There are a few mixes that I remember having on vinyl singles that never seemed to have made it onto digital, so I'm hoping for some of those to show up.

Im curious for the extra disc, will it contain more than the 12” versions

I'm hoping at least some of the albums would have more than just one extra disc. With the number of b-sides and remixes some of them could comfortably be a three or four disc set.

 

[Ome]

With the number of b-sides

From what I remember, many of her b-sides were album tracks. I’m sure ‘I Know It’ appears on the back of a few of her singles. I also remember many instrumentals, so they could feature.

remixes some of them could comfortably be a three or four disc set.

Definitely when we moved to CDs. We went from your average vinyl 12” with one or two remixes, to the CD singles where we had up to 5 and more remixes. So there is definitely scope for the later albums to have 3 or more discs.

I wonder if we might be treated to brand new mixes of some of her 80s records.

Whatever happens, it’s all very exciting.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Definitely when we moved to CDs. We went from your average vinyl 12” with one or two remixes, to the CD singles where we had up to 5 and more remixes. So there is definitely scope for the later albums to have 3 or more discs.

Yeah. Donna Summer's PWL album was expanded a few years ago and went from a 10 track album to having two additional discs of remixes and instrumentals. That's the kind of treatment I'd like to see.

For nostalgic purposes, I've wanted this on CD for a looooooong time:

Could the new expanded CDs make it happen?

There are also tracks like Gambler which I don't believe have ever appeared on an official Madonna CD.

I wonder if we might be treated to brand new mixes of some of her 80s records.

That could be fun.

 

[Crimson]

the singer has announced a new partnership with Warner Music Group that will see her entire catalog reissued over the next few years.

Until there's more details available, I don't have much reaction. Reissuing remastered versions of the originals? That might be nice. I'm particularly eager for some of the albums to be more accessible on vinyl; some are expensive and hard to come by (I'm looking at you, "Confessions on a Dance Floor" which seems to average at around $300). However, I want the originals.

If she's going to muck around with her classic albums, I'm much less interested. Whether it's the Elton John route of duetting with contemporary, popular artists or modern remixes ... ehh. As a general rule, I don't care for remixes, which I find to be over-produced and excessively long. But the 2021 Sidekick remix of "Frozen" proves it's possible to do a remix that stays entirely true to the sound of the original. I just hope she doesn't muck around with the classics too much. Unfortunately, her last two albums are also my least favorite albums she's ever done, so the trajectory of her musical tastes doesn't thrill me.

(And I'm not one of those folks stuck in the musical past. Most music I listen to is from contemporary, modern artists; I just don't like her recent music.)

 

[Jimmy Todd]

Yeah. Donna Summer's PWL album was expanded a few years ago and went from a 10 track album to having two additional discs of remixes and instrumentals. That's the kind of treatment I'd like to see.

For nostalgic purposes, I've wanted this on CD for a looooooong time:

Could the new expanded CDs make it happen?

There are also tracks like Gambler which I don't believe have ever appeared on an official Madonna CD.





That could be fun.

There were versions of "Gambler" on some CD's of extended versions of her songs.
Two of my favorite Madonna songs are ones never released as singles but definitely could have been hits: "Think of Me" from her first album and "White Heat" from True Blue.

 

[Karin Schill]

Interesting. I think I'm most likely to get the extended versions of her albums from the 1980s if they have unreleased/unusual songs on them. I only have one of her albums on Vinyl. "Like A Prayer". I got it a few years ago so it's a new release. I got most of her albums on CD. I already have the deluxe version of Rebel Heart. Yet there were some awesome songs that didn't make that album like "Two Steps Behind Me":

So if there's more treasures such as this one to discover there's definitely cause for celebration!

 

[Mel O'Drama]

There were versions of "Gambler" on some CD's of extended versions of her songs.

Oh really. I must've missed those. Which ones?

I have it on the Vision Quest soundtrack, but hadn't realised Madonna had officially included it on an album.

 

[Ome]

I'm particularly eager for some of the albums to be more accessible on vinyl.

That’s all I’m after. I don’t have a CD player so they are out of the game for me.

The only vinyl I have bought this time around is BEDTIME STORIES and that was after seeing it in your collection in a post you made a while back.

some are expensive and hard to come by (I'm looking at you, "Confessions on a Dance Floor" which seems to average at around $300)

I’ve seen some crazy prices, but this trumps them all.

Amazon have a lovely pink vinyl double album, though I have no idea if it will ever become available or what cost it would be

Whether it's the Elton John route of duetting with contemporary, popular artists or modern remixes ... ehh.

I don’t mind this happening as long as we get the originals too. Most probably won’t win me over, but I’m always curious to hear variations. I’m not a fan of overly long remixes.

(And I'm not one of those folks stuck in the musical past. Most music I listen to is from contemporary, modern artists; I just don't like her recent music.)

That thought never entered my head. I appreciate peoples taste vary and while it’s great to see her take on different styles, it’s always going to be a case of hit and miss.

We all have our favourites and least favourites, one of my least favourites that often surprises people is LA ISLA BONITA. I remember buying the 12” and loving it, but then it started to grate on me and now I avoid it altogether.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

Oh really. I must've missed those. Which ones?

I have it on the Vision Quest soundtrack, but hadn't realised Madonna had officially included it on an album.

I believe it was a cd of an extended dance version of "Open My Heart" that included "Gambler."

 

[Ome]

Madonna has confirmed that auditions for her upcoming biopic have officially begun.

Little is known about the film, aside from the fact that Madge is directing, producing and co-writing the project after years in development. No title has been revealed yet, but it's expected to cover Madonna's debutante years in New York, before becoming one of the biggest and most successful pop stars of all time.



Taking to her Instagram account, the Queen of Pop posted a clip of her singing along to her 1983 hit Burning Up.

"Auditions for my film are a surreal experience," Madonna wrote. "But I'm enjoying dancing to the classics!"

Although no casting decisions have been revealed yet, names such as Florence Pugh, Julia Garner and even Madonna's own daughter Lourdes Leon have been brought up as a possible headline star.

American actress Julia Fox, who recently hit headlines for her short-lived, turbulent relationship with Kanye West, has confirmed that she's auditioned for the part of Madonna's best friend, Debi Mazar.

Madonna originally was going to pen the script for the untitled biopic with Academy award-winning writer Diablo Cody (Juno, Jennifer's Body), although the most recent draft was authored with Erin Cressida Wilson.

Madonna has described the film as a "visual autobiography," perhaps in a move to distance the film from several other successful biopics in recent years, including Elton John's Rocketman and Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.

As for Madonna herself, she still holds the record for the most number one singles for any female solo act on the Official Singles Chart. Only Cliff Richard and Westlife (14), The Beatles (17) and Elvis (21) have more. She's also still the female solo act with the most UK Number 1 albums in UK chart history, with 12 in total.

 

[James from London]

A lovely new mix of Frozen:

 

[Willie Oleson]

Only Cliff Richard and Westlife (14), The Beatles (17) and Elvis (21) have more

This Westlife?

 

[Ome]

This Westlife?

Yes.

 

[Ome]

 

[Karin Schill]

Is that Madonna's daughter in the photo?

Also leave it to Madonna to be hands on in a movie about her life. She is so talented and I think she does the right thing to take charge of the process and be involved. That way the movie will be telling a story she approves of and can control.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Weirdly, this just makes me want to listen to the full-length You Can Dance Version (but perhaps that's the idea).

Whatever the case, I'm ordering the 3-disc version of the new compilation on which this appears. It'll be great to have some new edits of favourite mixes, plus a heap of other tracks.


And the cover is gorgeous...