Revenge, the story behind the song (ROL Outtake)

[Agent Cooper 1,323]

I would love to hear Revenge in an expanded version of Ray of Light. I can perfectly imagine this song among others in the tracklist, but I understand some songs were discarded otherwise the album could become repetitive or too long.

This album have some amazing demos, it's not surprising they went to other artists (Ricky Martin, Laura Pausini, Sophie Ellis-Bextor) later.

[cosmic_system 3,380]

6 hours ago, Redha DBL said:

 

 

 

 

So we still have no answer as to who this guy Greg Engler who is posting on X is...

Oh god he’s just a fan! It’s not that deep to understand if you look at his profile 😂

[EgoRod 5,962]

I always like Revenge and Gone. I do think they fit in the album, the demos sounds aligned with the ROL demos. A cleaner version will be right in place.

Maybe as a B-side or Bonus track. I never care for Robert Miles music, I found it dull so I'm glad they didn't work together.

[Nahual 629]

If the song was just her way of working out her feelings about a producer turning her down, then I get why it didn't make the album. 

[Blue Jean 16,999]

15 hours ago, Anapausis said:

Now I wanna know the story why Revenge didn't make the cut.

Because it’s not that good

[DJ PHIBES 59]

Years ago I read that Robert Miles had written the song "enjoy" for Madonna but then the collaboration was broken ( "enjoy" then ended in his second album sung by another performer")

[OceanBlue 599]

3 hours ago, DJ PHIBES said:

Years ago I read that Robert Miles had written the song "enjoy" for Madonna but then the collaboration was broken ( "enjoy" then ended in his second album sung by another performer")

This is what I read, too. So, if he wrote a song for her, I doubt he said he didn't want to work wiith her, especially the rude part.

[DiegoLCL 5,706]

Revenge has a great topline melody but the lyrics are so... just a bunch of cliches grouped together. She did better with this concept on other songs. And of course the production sounds very bare as it was just a demo.

[Blue Jean 16,999]

Does anyone remember when radio stations briefly started playing Revenge thinking it was the new Madonna single? I think it may have been in 2002?

[Blue Jean 16,999]

Also I’d like to add I hated that awful Robert Miles song with the annoying piano. So glad he rejected her.

[Prayer 16,654]

8 minutes ago, Blue Jean said:

Does anyone remember when radio stations briefly started playing Revenge thinking it was the new Madonna single? I think it may have been in 2002?

Yes!! It was July-August 2002. Her last single had been in April 2001, which back then seemed like A LONG ago then with no singles from her (how innocent we were). "Die Another Day" had already been announced and there was some hype around it, but yet no new music. Europe charts had been taken over by the cheap Eurodance version of "Like A Prayer" by Mad'House. So when "Gone Gone Gone" and "Revenge" leaked it was like a gift from heaven! Proper new music! Proper her!

Some radios were also excited and started to play it.

Looking back they were not that great of course, but it felt like an event when they leaked. It was also one of her first leaks of this kind (unreleased "new" stuff). Of course later we would get used to those... big time.

[Redha DBL 7,824]

10 hours ago, cosmic_system said:

Oh god he’s just a fan! It’s not that deep to understand if you look at his profile 😂

So we have no proof if the story he reports is true. I could also make a post on X saying Revenge is about Vanilla Ice or Camille Barbonne. 

[Pootz333 2,896]

Revenge and GGG sound like Mozart compared to some of the material she's released in the last 15 years. Her vocals, the emotion and melody are all there. I'm sure you would all gag for them and the Offer Nissim Sarcophagus 12" Anthem mixes of said tracks had she released them. 

I wonder if we would have gotten a cheesier, trancier version of ROL in '96 if not for Mehvita. I'm sure I would have loved every bit of it. 

[sbrombolessio 1,521]

3 dance tracks, Revenge, Gone Gone Gone, and the third one? 

[luluthecat 1,221]

I love Revenge!! Wish it had been polished up for a b-side. 

[deathproof 11,097]

22 hours ago, cosmic_system said:

Black Fras produced the song (written with Rick).

Thank you. This is the first time i ever heard Black Fras was responsible for the production. Do you have a link to the interview?

[Drownedboy 1,862]

I heard it again and well, the song as heard is not any special for me but oh her vocals back then. Such a beautiful voice she has had. Underated by many. If only she would have trained it properly all the time.

[EgoRod 5,962]

3 hours ago, sbrombolessio said:

3 dance tracks, Revenge, Gone Gone Gone, and the third one? 

Like a Flower, I imagine

[cosmic_system 3,380]

5 hours ago, Redha DBL said:

So we have no proof if the story he reports is true. I could also make a post on X saying Revenge is about Vanilla Ice or Camille Barbonne. 

Ok. 

[cosmic_system 3,380]

3 hours ago, deathproof said:

Thank you. This is the first time i ever heard Black Fras was responsible for the production. Do you have a link to the interview?

Sorry I don’t, but he’s credited on Genius (I don’t know how much accurate they are but it’s clearly not a Rick production)

https://genius.com/Madonna-revenge-lyrics/q/writer

He also produced Fever by Kylie 

https://genius.com/artists/Black-fras

[Redha DBL 7,824]

9 hours ago, DJ PHIBES said:

Years ago I read that Robert Miles had written the song "enjoy" for Madonna but then the collaboration was broken ( "enjoy" then ended in his second album sung by another performer")

 

6 hours ago, OceanBlue said:

This is what I read, too. So, if he wrote a song for her, I doubt he said he didn't want to work wiith her, especially the rude part.

That's why i asked who this guy who is reporting it is. We have absolutely no proof what he says is true since he is, until proven wrong, a totally random guy with no link to the music business.

[Dance_Freak 490]

Greg produced both Madonna and Sophie Ellis-Bextor versions. His assistant got the Sophie acapella and stems a few years ago and shared a remix of her cut.

[cosmic_system 3,380]

Goldie was going to produce To Have And Not To Hold as he liked the demo, she sent it to him and she never heard back from him again. The Prodigy were also a little bit rude to her when she asked them to work on the album, and they were under Maverick. A producer acting rude to Madonna is not that shocking. I also read back in the day he wasn’t very nice to her. 

[LongIslandTea 1,872]

Sophie Ellis-Bextor version is equally as bad as M's demo.

[Prayer 16,654]

2 minutes ago, cosmic_system said:

Goldie was going to produce To Have And Not To Hold as he liked the demo, she sent it to him and she never heard back from him again. The Prodigy were also a little bit rude to her when she asked them to work on the album, and they were under Maverick. A producer acting rude to Madonna is not that shocking. I also read back in the day he wasn’t very nice to her. 

It's not shocking and she's had her share of that in the past (producers ignoring her or being rude to her) but until we have a proper link with the interview we all should treat that X post as a rumor.