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Question: Madonna's first months in the industry


Régine Filange
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  • Régine Filange changed the title to Question: Madonna's first months in the industry
34 minutes ago, Régine Filange said:

Where was the first time she performed a song live? Did she perform Everybody anywhere before the release? I also would like to see articles during the first months of her career, what they thought of her etc. Does anyone have photos from newspapers etc?

Yeah she performed Everybody for the first time in 1982, Madonna did her time in clubs and worked really hard to learn as much as she could in those times. Her work ethic was pretty intense, if she has spent less time on crappy movies and even more on her studio albums, who knows how many other masterpieces she could have put out in the 80's and 90's. The thing I have always admired about Madonna is how fearless her attitude was then. These days. she seems to be more bothered by criticism, I am glad that with Madame X though, that she did something she was really inspired to create, its her first album in awhile that has not tried to chase trends at the cost of compromising her art, although it could have done without the horrible collaborations. 

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Her first solo performance was at Uncle Sam's Blues Club in Roslyn, Long Island in October 1981, before she was signed to Sire. Photographer George Dubose documented the show.

George Dubose:

I was contacted by John Phillips, the bouncer at Hurrah's who was sidelining as a radio promotions man, shopping Madonna's first demo to radio stations. He put me together with Camille, of Empire Management, Madonna's manager. Camille asked me to go to Uncle Sam's Blues, a club in Roslyn, Long Island and make live photographs of just the singer who was fronting a band called "The Breakfast Club". Just the singer, not the band. Hmmmm? There was this sexy, young woman wearing barely-concealing costumes of chamois skin and foxtails. She was oozing sexuality, but seemed shy or unsure of herself. I went back stage between sets to meet her. I asked her what her real name was. "Madonna." I offered her encouragement and wrote a short list of suggestions regarding her performance. I was trying to be supportive. When her manager, Camille, discovered the note, she was furious and ejected me from the dressing room, screaming, "How dare you speak to my artist!" I stayed in the club and shot the second set. I took the train back to Manhattan and never heard from Camille again. I referred Madonna to the promoters of Club NY and we saw her shows at the Underground, Danceteria and the Roxy, without a band. My negatives of Madonna's first gig sat in my files for 15 years before anyone had any interest in publishing them. I have since recouped my expenses and then some from my first meeting with Madonna.

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She first performed "Everybody" live at Danceteria as part of Haoui Montaug's No Entiendes cabaret revue on December 16, 1982.

 

She performed it on TV for the first time on the show Dancin' on Air, which aired on January 9, 1983.

 

Edited by Vogue Italia (see edit history)
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M's 1982 shoot with Laura Levine was probably her first for a publication.

Laura Levine:

Madonna (1982, NYC) - I was assigned to photograph Madonna for Interview Magazine. Her first single (Everybody) was about to be released and no one really knew what she looked like. She (like most of my subjects back then) arrived alone, sans any kind of entourage. She was incredibly professional and cooperative. Even when I asked her to do seemingly ridiculous things like wrap herself in my curtains. (All in the name of a good photo, of course).

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Here's an interview from the UK magazine Record Mirror (February 26, 1983)

Record-Mirror-February-26-1983_resize.jp

 

An article from the UK magazine Black Echoes (March 5, 1983)

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A picture of M and Basquiat was published in the  March 1983 issue of GQ in an article about the downtown club scene.

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They were also photographed by Dianne "Patisse" Radler for Interview magazine in 1983

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Edited by Vogue Italia (see edit history)
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33 minutes ago, Vogue Italia said:

M's 1982 shoot with Laura Levine was probably her first for a publication.

Laura Levine:

Madonna (1982, NYC) - I was assigned to photograph Madonna for Interview Magazine. Her first single (Everybody) was about to be released and no one really knew what she looked like. She (like most of my subjects back then) arrived alone, sans any kind of entourage. She was incredibly professional and cooperative. Even when I asked her to do seemingly ridiculous things like wrap herself in my curtains. (All in the name of a good photo, of course).

83de819cba8f0f8c681dc09c1a25a3d73c5c4241

0dcb998efabf6bd0e6a7195640987e91194775ec

670daad4b17cf198725398bc41a4f94bfcdb9df6

 

Here's an interview from the UK magazine Record Mirror (February 26, 1983)

Record-Mirror-February-26-1983_resize.jp

 

An article from the UK magazine Black Echoes (March 5, 1983)

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Ejgxb0SXcAQ2mb1?format=jpg&name=medium

 

A picture of M and Basquiat was published in the  March 1983 issue of GQ in an article about the downtown club scene.

s-l1600.png

304a3447394931327756.jpg.b8c65772e089653f3a505bbb76829def.jpg

They were also photographed by Dianne "Patisse" Radler for Interview magazine in 1983

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poparttrio_20220112_002150_0.thumb.jpg.635f1947f6165c1352b4cb6bc0c40818.jpg

I love that 4th picture of Madonna, she looks beautiful there.

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