I'm not sure about the notion that she was everywhere in the period leading up to Erotica. The last we'd really seen of her was The Immaculate Collection Xmas 90 and while Truth or Dare grabbed headlines for a couple of weeks it was a curio and press fodder and not in the cinemas for very long at all. In fact I really only knew about it as a friend had mentioned going to see it and I was like "oh ok then" little did I know it would change my whole life.
This Used To Be My Playground was obviously another no 1 smasher in June 92 not long before Eroticas release, but it was subdued and low key. The movie was out but again. Radio and MTV were Madonnas prime format.
So really music wise her last big presence on radio and MTV was November 1990 when Justify My Love came out.
Rescue Me was never panned as single and didn't have a video as such. So music wise we were 18 months ...nearly two years away from her last musical release. I remember it seemed like an absolute age. Lets also not forget that by Oct 92 that her last studio album proper was 3 1/2 years before when Like A Prayer came out.
Being such a face of the 80's the record company 100% knew that there was a chance Madonna wasn't going to be accepted in the new decade. Which is probably why both her and Warner were throwing everything they could into that career crescendo at the back end of 1990 with The Immaculate Collection feeding off the back of the runaway success of Vogue and Blond Ambition. Immaculate could easily have been the gold watch of her career.
Literally nothing was based around a solid album campaign for nearly three years. It was contract closing, soundtrack, tour doc and re-release territory. Milk the cow for all it's worth before it's dead if you like. It was kind of chaotic.
so Erotica....Vogue through to Erotica are probably what I'd call her dog whistle years...and by dogs I mean gays. Yes 89-90 was her imperial phase in terms of art / headlines / touring and controversy but the album sales were in decline and Madonna was trying to eek out her core audience and ride or dies. The wannabes had moved on and stopped playing dress up and the heterosexual men were also stepping away. All those men in Caio Italia crowds were fast being replaced by gay men at concerts and by the time The Girlie Show came around the gays had set up camp in field Madonna.
So....yes the Erotica single charted high and Deeper & Deeper hit number 7 and Rain number 14 in the states..which was the region that reacted the worst to the campaign but the rest were either regioned (which is industry talk for hedging bets) or charted poorly. Us dutty UK sluts were loving the era and every single went top 10. but there was no number 1bUK or US. Which was her first project to not deliver since her breakout.
Like A Virgin, True Blue, Vision Quest, Who's That Girl, Like A Prayer, I'm Breathless, Immaculate Collection, A League Of Their Own all delivered US number 1 singles. Even Desperately Seeking Susan had spawned the colossal Into The Groove which let's face it would have been number one if it hadn't have been for the messy roll out.
Erotica album was an anomaly and maybe the public were sexed out. Justify My Love, Hanky Panky, the Evian Blow job, All The Way Mae, x rated Vogue poster and tits in video, Sean out...Warren, Tony, Vanilla Ice in, Madonna was starting to be branded as a nymphomaniac....so now what? I know let's do a film about kinky sex, a pornographic coffee table book and an album based around love but called Erotica.
A cynic would say she was running out of ideas and when the shit hit the fan, Bad Girl was pulled as the second single and Deeper & Deeper was the albums banker. "I know let's throw in a couple of lines from my last worldwide smasher Vogue to let them the old me is still in there somewhere". As i say..a cynic would have the knives sharpened.
Even in the UK the singles, while charting high, were a slight false economy, There sales were low. Most doing about the same or even half the number the largely after thought single from her flop film The Look Of Love had done a few years earlier.
Things weren't looking great.
I'm sure I read somewhere that Erotica had been planned as Warners greatest album ever. I'm sure they were looking to do Thriller type numbers, but the truth was that Erotica has shifted 25% of what True Blue did. That's a 75% decline in sales and I'm not even sure if the double vinyl sales were counted as two shipments back then, which none of he other albums would have counted as (immaculate aside).
Like A Prayers 15 million and lack of radio friendly hit singles past Cherish already had them knocking as Sheps door for an overhaul remix and a new track for a B side to shift units as they obviously felt Keep It Together was not strong enough to do the numbers on it's own. We really really can't under estimate the huge power of Vogue and just how essential it was to her career at the time.
From a fan perspective Like A Prayer to end of Erotica era was the absolute best time to be a fan but the men in suits were looking at the spread sheets and the numbers were not looking good.
Apart from the debut and the potential pre Madonna tracks they may include Erotica is 100% the re-issue I'm most looking forward to.
A wealth of unused demos' the most controversial period of her career and a long awaiting time to shine. In my opinion it's the absolute perfect way to kick off her album re-issues campaign.
You have not understood me. I've said that it was dark to be a fan because even my friends insulted Madonna ("whore", "she is doing porn", "she disgusts me", "she does anything for fame", etc, etc, etc). For me Erotica is one of her best eras (Girlie Show, Album, Singles, Videos) but the hate was too much.
In my opinion, it was the combination of "Erotica" and "Sex". It was too much for ordinary people. For me "Erotica" is a masterpiece. I even remember classic fans (from "Like A Virgin" era) hating her for "Erotica" and "Sex". It was a really dark era to be a fan.
I think there's a level of attention to detail that's missing and I think that comes down to the music industry not making the money it used to. This means she doesn't have the expansive team of people she used to. It also accounts for the weird marketing strategies that are just out of touch with society like Meerkat, Grindr, WOW NFTs, and exorbitant ticket prices for an underfunded, underdeveloped theatre show. Instead of using choreographers, I'll just let my dancers be the choreographers. Instead of photoshoots for single covers, ill just have someone photoshop an iPhone pic from my instagram or get a fan artwork. Instead of getting a mastering engineer, ill just let the mixer also do the mastering. Instead of remastering tracks from the stems, I'll just have them remaster the audio file from these cds.
I think it's impossible for her to have this level of detail for herself while also having SIX kids. I dont think she's changed her approach. So yeah... I do think it's other people's fault. But it's also just a consequence of the failing music industry.
The 807-page book begins on November 24, 1976 and ends eleven years later on February 17, 1987, just 5 days before Andy Warhol's death. It is a condensed version of a 20,000 page diary that was edited by his friend Pat Hackett. Warhol didn't actually write the diary in a book himself. Each morning he spoke to Pat about events from the previous day and she transcribed his monologue. Hopefully, the full unedited version will be made available to read one day.
It will be interesting to see how Madonna depicts Warhol in her biopic and which actor she chooses to portray him. Madonna said Jean-Michel Basquiat introduced her to Warhol after she released her debut single, but she is not mentioned in the book until 1984. She is not mentioned by name in the new Netflix docuseries based on the book but there are a few quick flashes of pictures and a short clip or two of her performing. I've compiled all the mentions of her in the book below.
Wednesday, May 16, 1984:
Went down to the Paradise Garage for Keith Haring's party and there were kids outside selling tickets to it, although it was a free party. John Sex performed. Madonna didn't start until so late that I only heard the beginning. And that kid Bobby who lives with Madonna was there, the one I got the job for in Paul's movie. And he's in the hospital for a leg operation — he had his hospital bracelet on — but he snuck out for (laughs) this party. And all these kids were wearing Stephen Sprouse outfits, I don't know where they get the money. Keith's Juan was in Day-Glo and it was like the sixties. And they have a phrase that's like "Mark me," when they want you to sign their stuff. Maybe it is "Mark me."
Thursday, August 9, 1984:
Went to the movies with Keith and Bobby, Madonna's ex-boyfriend who's sort of Keith's friend now. I had to sign autographs and they were amazed that so many people yelled my name and would know an artist. I should have asked the people who yelled if they knew what I did for a living. All the blacks know me, I must be in their consciousness. It's the white hair.
It was almost empty in the theater but it should've been completely empty. This movie, NeverEnding Story, my God . . . and it's a big hit in Germany. It's sort of my philosophy — looking for the nothingness. The nothingness is taking over the planet. It was like Alice in Wonderland and E.T. and "Rumpelstiltskin."
Then afterwards Bobby knew all the places in the area, because Madonna had taken him to all of them. So we went to Jezebel's and then Jezebel came over and she was this fancy black lady. And then in walked guess who? Mickey Rourke. Who PH just interviewed for the cover of Interview. But he didn't see me and I didn't say hello.
Friday, September 14, 1984:
The MTV awards were so exciting, it was like the Brooklyn Fox shows in the sixties with so many stars. Diana Ross was my date, but she was in another row, the first row, because she was picking up Michael Jackson's awards. Lou Reed sat in my row but never even looked over. I don't understand Lou, why he doesn't talk to me now. Rod Stewart and Madonna and Cyndi Lauper and Bette Midler and Dan Aykroyd and Peter Wolf were there.
Wednesday, November 7, 1984:
I went to Private Eyes (cab $7). Scott was at the door, so he let us right in. Madonna was on the platform and since Jean Michel had once been involved with her, we started to go up, and the bouncer said, "Step aside for Mr. Warhol," and then tried to block Jean Michel and I said that it was okay, he was with me. And Madonna kissed Jean Michel on the mouth but she was with Jellybean, who said he'd heard his pictures in Interview made him look 6' tall so he was thrilled because he's 2'. And Jean Michel was moody because Madonna got so big and he'd lost her. And Dianne Brill tried to get on the platform and the guy just pushed her back and I said, "Don't you know who that is? It's Dianne Brill," but he still wouldn't let her up. And she was so conspicuous in her rubber outfit and Frederick's of Hollywood stuff and everything, so she was really humiliated and that's the way things go — you think you have so much pizzazz and then something like that happens in front of your friends. It's happened to me. Sometime, someplace, it happens to everybody. And I told her I'd talk to the P.R. girl but she said no, that it was okay.
Saturday, November 17, 1984:
Cabbed downtown to Keith's ($5). Madonna arrived with a black wig on. Downstairs there were three limos and we went out to see the "Greener Pastures" thing at BAM in Brooklyn. Keith had done the sets and Willi Smith did the clothes. I was next to Stephen Sprouse and he's so hard to talk to, but I'm just crazy about him, he's adorable. And we were all wearing Stephen Sprouse. It was really a great show. And they had really good hair in the show. Like brown underneath and red on top and they used twine. I talked to Stephen about doing show-biz stuff. Then that was over.
We went to Mr. Chow's for dinner. Then we went to Area and saw Keith make dresses on John Sex. I asked Madonna if she would be interested in doing a movie and she was smart, she said that she wanted more specifics, that she just didn't want to talk and have her ideas taken. She's very sharp. She's really hot right now. Stayed till 3:00, too many people coming up to me to talk (cab $8).
Tuesday, March 19, 1985
Paige said she had tickets for Desperately Seeking Susan, which was screening on 86th Street. So she waited and then we went to Nippon (cab $4). Madonna doesn't have much to do. She doesn't talk in the first part. But later on she does some good things, she sleeps in the bathtub and dresses up and shoplifts. It's like those sixties movies but the opposite — the sixties movies.
Saturday, March 30, 1985:
Went to Spago for dinner. Gene Kelly was there with his son, and his son said he'd see us later at Brad Branson's party (dinner $300). So after dinner we went to Crenshaw Avenue way in the black area of L.A. where Brad Branson who does photographs for Interview was giving his second weekly party. He's doing it like a club, but with friends' names on the list. And it was actually great, he had all the cute kids there and it was two floors and a garden part and some people said that Madonna had been there right before we got there. Fred was with Rupert Everett, and Nando Scarfiotti was there, and Susan Pile and Paul Jasmin and Toni Basil.
Monday, May 6, 1985:
And Debbie Harry called and said that it was a big secret but that she just signed with David Geffen. And Stephen Sprouse is so happy about that because he's been turning down people like Madonna who wanted him to do clothes for her because Debbie was the one who really started Stephen and he wanted to be loyal to her, that's the kind of person he is. So now she'll be out there again.
Thursday, May 9, 1985:
I see there's a Soup Can dress in one of the shows on Broadway because I see it in the TV ad. I can't tell which show, maybe it's Grind. Went to Jean Michel's, picked him up (cab $6). And he's working again and his work is wonderful, it's so exciting, and I think he will last.
We went to the Odeon and had dinner and talked with Steve Rubell and Eric Goode about the club openings and everything and it was fun, and Steve is getting artists to do things for his new club, the Palladium, and Keith did a backdrop that can be lowered from the ceiling down to the dance floor and Steve is sitting there saying, "If it isn't any good we just won't bring it down too often." I mean . . . (dinner $240).
And then Steve's driver took us over to the Palladium and it's what the movies in the thirties were all about — dirty on the outside and then inside these white pristine columns, and everything big and lacquered, blue poles and stairs like Ziegfeld Follies girls would come down. And Clemente's painting a ceiling. But I mean, still, it's just another place to go, and Area is already so successful at this, and they change themes all the time, so I don't know. He and Ian are just "managing" the club because you can't have a police record and own a club. Like we had to be fingerprinted and checked out when we had our club. The Dom, in '65. Everyone went on to Area and I went home (cab $6).
Gee, Madonna was just a waitress at the Lucky Strike a year ago.
Thursday, June 6, 1985:
Went over to Macy's to judge the Madonna look-alike contest. They expected 200 girls but there were only 100. They'd spent a fortune, these girls, on the clothes and jewelry. It was over pretty fast, by 5:10, and it'd started at 4:30.
Went to Radio City Music Hall for Madonna's concert (cab $6). And the show was so great. Just so simple and sexy and Madonna is so pretty. Now she's thinner and just so great. And afterwards we went downstairs where there was a private party, the level with the ladies' rooms. And Madonna came down with Jean Michel — I guess he'd gone backstage. And she was fun. She said she was going to the Palladium and might go to Keith's dinner, and she was so sweet and nice. So we went and drove to Iso on 11th Street and Second and then Madonna did arrive, she came in a truck. And they sat her next to me, and she was just great. They were teasing her about her false eyelashes, saying they were bigger than Louise Nevelson's. And everyone was so thrilled, the waiters were on the floor. She was drawing cocks on Futura's pants.
Thursday, July 25, 1985:
Martin Burgoyne came over and invited me to be his date to the Madonna wedding in L.A. in August.
Saturday, July 27, 1985:
I called Keith to tell him I was invited by Martin to Madonna's wedding. Keith's invited, too. We cabbed with Paige down to Wooster and Broadway ($5). It was a party for Clemente that the Artforum girl was giving in a big beautiful loft. Bianca was there on crutches so I was glad I'd sent her flowers. She thanked me for telling her about Eizo because he helped her leg. Rammellzee the black graffiti artist was there and he threw me by saying, "Entertain me, show me why you're great." And I froze up. He has long long eyelashes. We decided to go to Il Cantinori to dinner.
Monday, July 29, 1985:
Keith called and said that Calvin told him that the Bel Air was for old ladies and that Steve Rubell was trying to get a deal at the Beverly Hills. For Madonna's wedding. I guess they want to be able to bring people home and I guess you can't at the Bel Air.
I went to see Dr. Li and she took everything out of my pockets and tested the phone numbers that I had there for black magic. She does do that stuff. She puts your hand on your chest and you see if the energy is there. You put your arm out in front of you and she tests for resistance — you're lying there like a horizontal Hitler youth. Last week she took the stuff out and it was the same stuff I always carry. Two keys, stuff from Japan that John and Kimiko Powers gave me, and some phone numbers.
Went over to Cafe Luxembourg (cab $4). Carl Bernstein was there and waved across the room. He was with three girls. And David Byrne the Talking Head was there but I never know how to talk to him. Martin Burgoyne was with us and he put his hair up and looks like a girl. He's twenty-one but he looks jaded. And Keith said that when Madonna was staying at Keith's, sleeping on his couch, the stories he could write about the people she had sex with. . .
Tuesday, July 30, 1985:
Ran to meet Patty Raynes and the baby. This is Marvin Davis's daughter (cab $4). She was sweet. She told me Tatum was also going to get her portrait done, so that was exciting.
Fred decided he'd go to LA for Madonna's wedding with us.
And later on that night Keith told me that he'd asked Yoko Ono for $200,000. I was shocked. He wanted it for his store. I said, "But Keith, you've got enough money," but he said he didn't want to sell his paintings now to get money because he thinks they'll be worth more later. And he said she said all her money was tied up, that yes, she had a lot but that it wasn't at her fingertips, and I was just shocked that he would ask, I really was, but he seemed to think nothing of it.
Monday, August 5, 1985:
And I want to do a Madonna headline — the Post one: "MADONNA ON NUDE PIX— 'SO WHAT?' " — and use a photograph of her from a different day that would fit right in, but Keith wants to use a photo he took of her and Sean Penn. Which is kind of grey. But I'll do it both ways. We're doing a painting together for her wedding present.
Wednesday, August 14, 1985:
Keith came by yesterday and he wanted to use my tracer, so I guess he knows I had one, so (laughs) I had to admit it. He had a baseball player with him. And my date for the Madonna wedding, Martin Burgoyne, is being wined and dined by People magazine because they're trying to get information about the wedding out of him — he and Madonna used to be roommates. Nobody knows where the wedding's going to be, yet. And Martin is going to have to be at the door to let all the right people in, like the important ones Sean and Madonna are running into and inviting at the last minute.
Friday, August 16, 1985:
It was just the most exciting weekend of my life. Martin went down to the hairdresser earlier in the day to have his hair done. We rode in a limo out to Malibu and when we saw helicopters in the distance we knew we were at the wedding. Somebody had tipped the reporters off about where the wedding was and about ten helicopters were hovering, it was like Apocalypse Now. And one helicopter had a girl hanging off with a camera and they were all trying to get in close. And the security people found camouflage-outfitted photographers in the bushes. And I looked really close at Madonna and she is beautiful. And she and Sean are just so in love. She wore white, and a black bowler hat, I don't know what that was supposed to mean. And someone said that Sean had shot at the helicopters the night before. The only boring celebrity there was Diane Keaton, really. And it was the right mixture of nobodies and celebrities. Sean came over to say hello, and the good-looking family of Madonna was there, all the brothers. And you can see Madonna and Sean love each other so much. Really, it was the most exciting thing ever.
And at the wedding Steve Rubell was really out of it on I guess Quaaludes. And I think I saw Madonna kick him away from her and later he threw up in the car. She was dancing with the only little boy there. And you could see everybody who was there, it was under a tent, it wasn't too crowded. And those young actors seemed like they were in their fathers' suits, like Emilio Estevez and Tom Cruise. All those movie-star boys with the strong legs who're 5' 10" or so. I guess that's the new Hollywood look. Like the actors in Matthew Rolston's big photo spread in the Stallone issue. Have I said how great that looked? Matthew is our best photographer now — he uses good locations and gives the kids "a look." He made these new kids look stunning — like stars — he gave them all class. Oh, and as we were leaving I just couldn't believe my eyes because Tom Cruise jumped into our car to get away from photographers. His car was down the road. I took a picture of him.
Fred and I thought Marisa's wedding was more glamorous, but this one was spectacular because of the helicopters.
Saturday, August 17, 1985:
So we went over to Cher's and the door opened and they let us in, but we could see that Cher and her boyfriend were shocked to see us. And Cher served good pork and beans and she wouldn't say what the secret was, and finally she admitted it was that she opened a can of Campbell's and poured in a lot of hot sauce. The little Allman boy, Elijah, was being a brat and going around cutting the buds off every flower, any one that was just about to open. And Cher was funny, she told a story about this crane that came and stayed two days and ate all the fish. And then later on we went to Lisa Love's and she said, "Gee, a crane just landed in my yard and he's eating all the fish." So the crane gets around. And she told us that at the wedding Madonna had asked her how to cut the cake. Cher said, "As if I know." And then Madonna was asking people if she should put the cake on plates, and she was just handing it to everyone in her hand. You know, being "earthy."
Wednesday, September 4, 1985:
Went to Keith's party in his new loft (cab $3). And Keith had a good group, too, a lot of girls. Martin Burgoyne was there and he told me that Madonna was upset because we let People photograph the paintings Keith and I gave her for a wedding present. They'd called me and I said no but then I told them that if they wanted to try Keith they should just call him. So Martin said Madonna hates us for that and I told Martin he should've made her not hate us.
Saturday, September 7, 1985:
Wilfredo came by the office and helped me. It seems like Interview's doing Madonna for the Christmas cover. She'll be interviewed by Sean Penn and another person. I got my pictures of the wedding back from Chris's ex-assistant Terry who's making prints for me now, and Madonna really knows how to do her makeup in that great Hollywood way. Somebody must have showed her or always does it for her — everything painted just perfectly. Sean's going to be the new Dustin Hoffman. He'll be around a long time.
Thursday, October 24, 1985:
Cabbed to the Palladium for Debbie Harry's party ($6) for her song that Jellybean produced, "Feel the Spin." When Debbie arrived, she saw us in the balcony and came up there because she thought it was the place to (laughs) be, and then it was the place to be because all the photographers came after her. She looks great. Debbie actually was the first Madonna.
Thursday, November 14, 1985:
Yoko Ono's boyfriend or husband Sam called and said Yoko was having an impromptu dinner for Bob Dylan. I invited Sam Bolton, Fred's secretary, to go with me.
Went home and watched Entertainment Tonight while I got ready. And they had on the thing for Dylan at the Whitney the night before which I hadn't gone to, but after seeing this program I felt like I had. They were asking all these people how Dylan had influenced them. And I didn't know that he's sold thirty million records. Sam picked me up and we went over there (cab $8).
And we had to take off our shoes and now I do, but I had a hole in my sock. And we went in and it really was heavy-duty, everyone in a circle. The food was all store-bought — cut-up chicken. And David Bowie was there and I was disappointed, his suit was too modem. Everybody had champagne but nobody really drank it. Madonna arrived and she had just seen Paul's movie Mixed Blood because that friend of hers is in it. Bobby. She said she was so relieved her husband Sean wasn't with her so she could really have fun. And she felt uncomfortable without her shoes because she didn't have socks — she said she'd feel more comfortable with her top off than her shoes off.
Yoko had Sean bring out a poster for everybody to sign, a donation for someplace, and he looked closely at every signature because he was confused who all the people were.
Friday, December 6, 1985:
Worked till 8:30, then went to Schnabel's at 20th and Park. It was so glamorous, the Christmas tree was up. Fred was there, in an art mood. Dinner was catered by Il Cantinori. The girls were absolutely all wearing the shortest shirts ever and then the Madonna stockings. Marisa Berenson was in a black miniskirt. She has the right body. Those boy asses. And Schnabel's wife, too, she had one twenty inches above her knee.
Wednesday, January 1, 1986:
Sam is so devoted to me, and I guess it's because I've spoiled him. Fred warned me not to turn Sam's head, but on our first outing I took him to Yoko Ono's and he got to sit there with Dylan and David Bowie and Madonna and that put the zap on his head and now he's starstruck.
Saturday April 26, 1986:
And Christopher Kennedy was around, he's so cute. Jackie was sitting with Bettina. And Marc Bohan. I didn't look at Jackie, I felt too funny. Then there was dancing and music. Peter Duchin and his wife. He was (laughs) going off to do another party. He works so hard. Grace began dancing and it was like in a movie, everybody stopped to watch. She was dancing with a little boy. We were at Joe Kennedy's table with his wife. Talked to Nancy Collins. I asked her if she was covering it and she said, "Oh no no no. This is a personal thing. " She was best friends with Maria, I don't know when. We talked about the Stallone piece she did for Rolling Stone, which wasn't much, and she was annoyed with Stallone, she said he put her off six times and then didn't give her much time. But he only gave PH an hour and Interview's was really great, unusual. I was trying to take pictures but I couldn't get in there and really shove. Arnold's body-building friends had cameras and so the Kennedys couldn't really stop them, but they had their own photographer and they would say, "Oh, Chuck, would you come and take this picture?" And so then the pictures all belonged to the Kennedys.
Like at Madonna's wedding, they should have let guests take pictures because people at a wedding, they'd just be doing it for themselves anyway. Maybe years later you'd use them but you wouldn't rush them to the New York Post in the morning.
Wednesday, August 6, 1986:
The day got strange when Kenny Scharf called and said that Martin Burgoyne was with his family in Florida, sick. That what they thought was the measles wasn't. And I said that the people we knew who had "it" had had the best care money can buy, and they were the first to go, so I didn't know what to say. And Florida seems like a healthy place to be. Madonna was in the papers buying books on Columbus Avenue for "a sick friend" so I guess that was Martin.
Tuesday, August 26, 1986:
Martin Burgoyne called and said he'd come over with a photograph of him and Madonna that I could use for my drawing, but I said he should rest and save his energy, that I'd have it picked up for him.
Thursday, August 28, 1986:
Linda Stein cancelled my tickets to see Madonna in the David Rabe play. Goose and TomTom. She said her ex-husband Seymour said I was "press" and wouldn't let me come. They're all alike, those record people, so she's on my shit list now. Martin and Keith are going.
Saturday, August 30, 1986:
Martin called me in the morning and he wanted to give me his ticket to Madonna's play. He'd already seen it and was too tired to sit through it again, but he said he'd meet me afterwards and take me to the party at Sardi's. Worked till 7:00. Went to the Mitzi Newhouse Theater (cab $6).
The best thing about the play was the costumes which were done by Kevin Doman who was once the fashion editor at Interview, our first. Madonna changes outfits all the time, from one beautiful one to another one. And Sean Penn wore a gun holster and fuschia socks and shoes. The play was like a Charles Ludlam, abstract. Madonna was good when she wasn't trying to be Judy Holliday or Marilyn. She chewed gum through the whole two hours and I did, too. She was blowing bubbles and everything. They didn't do any curtain calls. Liza was there and I went over and said hello, and after reading in the Enquirer that she weighed 200 pounds, she wasn't fat at all, really. Marc Balet was there and I got mad at Kevin because here he'd gotten Marc two tickets and hadn't offered me one.
After the play Martin met me backstage and there was a big candy chocolate leg there from Krön and everybody was eating it, and Martin was, too. And it's so sad, he has sores all over his face, but it was kind of great to see Madonna eating the leg, too, and not caring that she might catch something. Martin would bite and then Madonna would bite. I like Martin, he's sweet.
We went in Madonna and Sean's limo to Sardi's. The big bodyguards were with them and they said to the photographers, "If you take one picture we'll kill you." And there was Ron Galella and I felt bad, but what could I do?
Warren Beatty came over and said, "Hi, how are ya?" He looks old, he doesn't look good, but I think he looks unattractive on purpose, because if he just did a few things he could be a knockout again.
At 2:00 I left and went to Broadway myself and got a cab, and none of the photographers cared because I was alone (cab $6).
Thursday, September 4, 1986:
Worked till 8:00. Took Wilfredo and Sam with me to dinner at Castellano with Philip Johnson and David Whitney. David wasn't drinking so he was reserved. Philip was thrilled with the young kids. We walked back to Philip and David's apartment and they invited us up, it was the first time they were having people, and some kids were coming out of the building as we were going in and they yelled dirty things like, "You're going up to fuck."
It was great up there, my Cow wallpaper in the bathroom. And it's kind of great, their life, eating at the same restaurant every night. Then we went downtown to the benefit for Martin Burgoyne at the Pyramid on Avenue A (cab $8, admission $30). Martin gave us big kisses and that threw me for a loop. Stayed five minutes. Madonna had been there and left.
Thursday, September 25, 1986:
Called Keith to get Martin Burgoyne's number. I said we really wanted Sean Penn for the cover and Martin offered to talk to him.
Cabbed to 52nd Street to meet Sam to see Shanghai Surprise ($5). I was the only one awake in the theater but the movie isn't bad. Madonna was beautiful, the clothes were great. Sam dropped me (cab $4).
Monday, October 13, 1986:
I got the Enquirer with Sean and Madonna on the cover and it was about Martin, how he was once Madonna's roommate and how he now has AIDS. And then Martin called me, and it must be so horrible to read this article about yourself where it says you're dying.
Sunday, November 9, 1986:
Watched MTV — the rebroadcast of our Fifteen Minutes show — to see if it had aged well, and it did still look current, it looked modem. We've got to get the colors brighter, though. I've got to work on that. It should look the way Madonna looks in her "Papa Don't Preach" video where she's dancing like Marilyn or Kim Novak. Those strong colors. Blond hair and orange lipstick on black.
Monday, November 10, 1986:
It was the night of the Barneys fashion show benefit for AIDS in the women's shop. Wilfredo was going and at first Sam said he didn't want to go but then when he heard Madonna was going to be there he felt he might.
We went over (cab $8) and we asked if Madonna was there yet and they said no, but she must have come in some disguise because when Iman came down the stairs. Madonna swooped in front of her and then all the photographers swooped after Madonna. The show was good, great jackets. Good ideas. Everybody was in the show — Joey Arias and John Sex and the girl with the shape, Dianne Brill, and Teresa Scharf. Madonna had on Martin Burgoyne's denim jacket. And then as we were leaving Chris Makos shoved some nuns at me for a picture and then somebody else started to take the picture and he screamed at the guy, "It's my picture, I set it up!" They were from St. Vincent's, the benefit was for them.
Saturday, November 29, 1986:
Then Katy Ford and her husband Andre Balazs took me to the Miss Olympia contest at the Felt Forum, and afterwards we went to Tommy Tang's down on Duane Street. It was fun. Richard Johnson of Page Six was with us and he said that when he was working at the newsroom of the Post he got a phone call and it was Timothy Hutton saying, "Hello, this is Timothy Hutton. Did anyone there call me?" And Richard asked around and everybody said no. And then Timothy Hutton asked, "Well did anyone call Madonna?" I guess she was with him. You know how these things are, you get a message with a number. And they said no. And so then he said, "Well where is it that I'm calling?" And they said, "The New York Post. And since we've got you on the phone, what are you doing with Madonna?" And he hung up fast.
Tuesday, December 2, 1986:
Worked with Rupert then the rains came and they went on all day. I asked Wilfredo to Cornelia's birthday party so he had to go home and change. Cornelia's on the cover of Spy. Worked till 8:30. Talked to Keith. There was a wake for Martin that I guess Madonna was giving. It was too hard to get around, though, so I skipped all that. Put black tie on, and Wilfredo picked me up and we went to Cornelia's and it was such a horrible party (cab $8). They treated Wilfredo badly, he had to sit on the side and I was next to Tony Peck. He said he'd been on a cruise with Dianne Brill and when I just asked if he fucked her he got upset, I don't know why.
The show was REALLY good. The remixes are lit and the performances on point.
It probably took a lot of effort from her side and it shows she worked really hard for this.
If you love her, please understand that this kind of performance has a toll on the body. She pulled through.
Stop judging her, stop living in the distance past and be there for her. You can live in Madonna's past when she's gone.
Celebrate her now that she's around, that she still cares and that keeps proving that only herself can top her.
Thank you
When I read the comments in this Forum, I really cannot believe that we are the same gay people who out there in the world are advocating for inclusion and woman rights, fighting against body shaming and ageism, looking for compassion and empathy. It really shocks me how judgemental and mean gay men can be.
I just watched Celebration in full and honestly, I cried. This was what I wanted to see. Sure I wanted her to do Into The Groove, Deeper and Deeper, Vogue... etc. Who cares. This seemed well choreographed, well thought out. This is where she shines. And holy fuck did she shine. Sure her movements were simple, but maybe that is what she can do now. I would take this type of performance over anything that could put her in danger or be too strenuous on her body. She slayed.
This was so funners. I'm still mad this had nothing to do with Pride. lolololol
Totally agree - and isn’t allowed to dance in heels.
This is a total 360 from the mess of Medellin - it shows that she’s still got it - which is great!
She was 50 in the first video. 54 in the second. 57 in the third video. And let’s get real, Brixton in 2000 wasn’t that different. She’s 64 now and had major surgery just last year.
It makes me sad reading bullishit like this on a day like today.
My entire heart jumped into my mouth and the world stopped for a second.
It physically hurt me to watch that happen. I’ve never wanted to throw my arms around her more….and I just knew because of the lyrics people would think it was a set up.
she did the damn thing.
but I do wonder if this was the beginning of the knock on her confidence at performing live. It can take one major event to throw you off something you’ve been doing for years especially when you think your life is at risk. People who have car crashes are often prone to more accidents afterwards through lack of confidence at the wheel etc.
I thought she was agonna. Broke her back or something.
An absolute hero
People thought it was a stunt cause, like @Andreosaid, any other person of performer would have been injured and not able to finish the song. The superhuman way she was able to get up and finish the performance like nothing happened... my God, only her.
But I agree that maybe that was the "beginning of the end" in terms of her live performances, the "Rebel Heart Tour", while still a great show, was more relaxed and intimate than ever.
A few things they could have done differently… Create remix edits for ‘Like a Virgin’ and ‘Material Girl’. Here are two good fanmade edits:
Wouldn’t it be more interesting? They also could have remixed ‘Physical Attraction’ somehow (so we finally have an actual official remix of the song). That way, all tracks would be remixed, but it’s still good the way it is.
Well.
When I was the house DJ in a club some 25 years ago I played lots of 80s records. Lots of Madonna mixes, but one 12" that always stayed home was Angel.
I refused to play that remix, cause I didn't think it was good enough. I think I've listened to that vinyl maybe two-three times.
Of course I always had the 12" Into The Groove. That one was always a floorfiller.
Now the album version of Angel is wonderful, and I totally understand why the radio played it. But it doesn't belong on this compilation.
Neither does that boring Physical Attraction. Not if Causing A Commotion was sacrificed for it.
Causing A Commotion elevated my fandom from casual fan to True Blue Madonna Fan!
This cover is just beautiful.
The other one is just... mediocre at best. Celebration without the charisma of the original release. And don't get me started on the fonts Aldo used... Why does she keep hiring him? I know for a fact that she has fans who would do a much better job (and I include myself there because I can, tbh), so why not looking for fresh blood?
Hi all
Yesterday Fighter and I transferred the forum over to the new server. I want to give a HUGE thank you to @Fighterfor guiding me every step of the way. If it wasn't for them, there'd be no forum as I really was 'like a virgin' - I think I'm now still a 'baby' Madonna with this, but certainly know a lot more than I did yesterday!
Nothing will change, all the same rules, expectations, community standards will remain the same. All moderators will stay the same and I hope @Fighteralso stays as a member/admin!
I also want to thank each and everyone one of you for keeping this place alive, dynamic, respectful and a great place to come together to share anything really!
Lot's of love
Rebecca Carlson
Am I the only one who’s seeing that the new cover doesn’t respect the colors of the original?
Also the shadow is really ugly and cheap looking. There’s plenty of covers out there where the text is not easily readable
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