prettydarq 8 Posted 20 hours ago Share Posted 20 hours ago 8 hours ago, steady75 said: No no no awful picture. it looks like her sleeping tablet hadn’t worn off in Truth or Dare Vibes.  I don’t really like the Bedtime Story artwork. I wish the Bedtime Story single had been the album cover tbh but I’m not sure it fits with the sound too well. I’d love it for a deluxe tho. I’ve been saying this!!! It gives more a more alternative vibe rather than R&B but I’ve always thought it was beautiful enough to be the album cover. steady75 and Boombox90 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adonna 21,551 Posted 18 hours ago Share Posted 18 hours ago 5 hours ago, Redha DBL said: Same. The artwork is absolutely not up to her level. To this day i still have a hard time understanding how such an intimate album has such a generic and cheap artwork. Madonna in the middle of the 90's could have done million times better. How could she validate that artwork is still a mystery to me. For Hard Candy i can blame it on the fact the 50yo crisis had just hit her but in 1994... Notice how they are her two rnb albums that have the two worst artworks (in my opinion). Are you and @steady75 referring to the original commercial released artwork of Bedtime Stories or this pic below which has been rumored to be the original proposed cover? I agree this doesn't do the album justice, but what was released commercially was beautiful. Burroughs 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregVsMatt 3,940 Posted 16 hours ago Share Posted 16 hours ago The black and white photo was rumoured on the internet since the early 2000's to be the original proposed cover for the album in 1994 Adonna, ChrisK, sbrombolessio and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbrombolessio 1,541 Posted 15 hours ago Share Posted 15 hours ago 1 hour ago, GregVsMatt said: The black and white photo was rumoured on the internet since the early 2000's to be the original proposed cover for the album in 1994 The first time I saw this was on the MCatalog website I remember Boombox90 and chaseturtle 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregVsMatt 3,940 Posted 14 hours ago Share Posted 14 hours ago 1 hour ago, sbrombolessio said: The first time I saw this was on the MCatalog website I remember Yes Steve posted it and said it was the original planned cover but no evidence - it is an outtake from the session later used for Bedtime Story (UK Hologram 12") but no evidence M or Warner ever intended it as the cover art ChrisK and Boombox90 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burroughs 929 Posted 13 hours ago Share Posted 13 hours ago 5 hours ago, Adonna said: I agree this doesn't do the album justice, but what was released commercially was beautiful. Agree. It's sophisticated and elegant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steady75 10,349 Posted 12 hours ago Share Posted 12 hours ago 6 hours ago, Adonna said: Are you and @steady75 referring to the original commercial released artwork of Bedtime Stories or this pic below which has been rumored to be the original proposed cover? I agree this doesn't do the album justice, but what was released commercially was beautiful. Both tbh. The Bedtime Stories artwork it pretty below average for M. It’s more of a Sunday magazine supplement shoot. I like the font and the pink and blue though. TOpher, Boombox90 and rlittler81 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redha DBL 7,892 Posted 11 hours ago Share Posted 11 hours ago 6 hours ago, Adonna said: Are you and @steady75 referring to the original commercial released artwork of Bedtime Stories or this pic below which has been rumored to be the original proposed cover? I agree this doesn't do the album justice, but what was released commercially was beautiful.  43 minutes ago, steady75 said: Both tbh. The Bedtime Stories artwork it pretty below average for M. It’s more of a Sunday magazine supplement shoot. I like the font and the pink and blue though. I'm talking about the released artwork (The back and white picture is mote interesting in my opinion). Sure the released picture is beautiful, i'm not denying it but the album artwork needed more than a "beautiful" picture. It needed a more artistic layer in my opinion. We know that the artwork went through some changes. What has been released was not Madonna's original idea and concept. Her original idea was way more original and artistic and for some reasons that i don't remember ( i'm sure some fans will explain to us) she had to modify her artistic vision and go for something beautiful but generic. Ironically that's excatly what happened too with Hard Candy, the artwork went through some changes and we also know Madonna has a strong idea and concept in mind while recording the album (The black Madonna concept wich in my opinion was genius. Controversially genius) and Guy O killed her artistic decision by saying to her "No you're not doin it it's too controversial" and as result she went through many directions (the boxing ring theme, then the boxing wallpapers background, to end with the lollypop candy theme...). Record companies, managers etc... should never comprimise Madonna's artistic visions, especially when it comes to her visual image. If she had her way for Bedtime Stories and Black Madonna (her original title for Hard Candy) those two albums would be even more iconic to this day and for history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanK 12,607 Posted 10 hours ago Share Posted 10 hours ago Hard to judge this unreleased photo until we get to see it uncropped and in decent quality. But the released Roversi photos from that same shoot look rather wonderful, imo. Veronica-Electronica, Redha DBL, ChrisK and 3 others 4 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redha DBL 7,892 Posted 10 hours ago Share Posted 10 hours ago 30 minutes ago, DanK said: Hard to judge this unreleased photo until we get to see it uncropped and in decent quality. But the released Roversi photos from that same shoot look rather wonderful, imo. Way better than the released imagery. That is her original artistic vision for the album and it shows. Daxkoba and DanK 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosmic_system 3,392 Posted 10 hours ago Share Posted 10 hours ago 6 hours ago, GregVsMatt said: The black and white photo was rumoured on the internet since the early 2000's to be the original proposed cover for the album in 1994 Actually it was confirmed by her in the Aperture interview from 1999 (the magazine that published the photo).  I also had my photograph taken by this other photographer who I adored, but the photographs never got used: Paolo Roversi, he does beautiful work. They were going to be pictures for my album cover—not this record but the record before—but the people at the record company were all too freaked out; they thought the pictures were too blurry, they weren’t going to read well—whatever. https://archive.aperture.org/article/1999/3/3/madonna-with-vince-aletti Since Aperture published that picture I believe it was the one intended for the cover. Or maybe it was the one used for the BS limited vinyl. stefo, Redha DBL and sbrombolessio 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaseturtle 217 Posted 9 hours ago Share Posted 9 hours ago 6 hours ago, sbrombolessio said: The first time I saw this was on the MCatalog website I remember I miss that site & Steven Caraco! What ever happened to him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbrombolessio 1,541 Posted 9 hours ago Share Posted 9 hours ago 10 minutes ago, chaseturtle said: I miss that site & Steven Caraco! What ever happened to him? Really don't know. He closed the site, there was a sort of statement he made regarding M fans and moving forward, but it was so long ago, I don't recall exactly. chaseturtle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nito84bcn 3,005 Posted 8 hours ago Share Posted 8 hours ago 2 hours ago, Redha DBL said:  I'm talking about the released artwork (The back and white picture is mote interesting in my opinion). Sure the released picture is beautiful, i'm not denying it but the album artwork needed more than a "beautiful" picture. It needed a more artistic layer in my opinion. We know that the artwork went through some changes. What has been released was not Madonna's original idea and concept. Her original idea was way more original and artistic and for some reasons that i don't remember ( i'm sure some fans will explain to us) she had to modify her artistic vision and go for something beautiful but generic. Ironically that's excatly what happened too with Hard Candy, the artwork went through some changes and we also know Madonna has a strong idea and concept in mind while recording the album (The black Madonna concept wich in my opinion was genius. Controversially genius) and Guy O killed her artistic decision by saying to her "No you're not doin it it's too controversial" and as result she went through many directions (the boxing ring theme, then the boxing wallpapers background, to end with the lollypop candy theme...). Record companies, managers etc... should never comprimise Madonna's artistic visions, especially when it comes to her visual image. If she had her way for Bedtime Stories and Black Madonna (her original title for Hard Candy) those two albums would be even more iconic to this day and for history. Guy Oseary did the correct thing. No black face Madonna. stefo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stefo 7,707 Posted 7 hours ago Share Posted 7 hours ago I agree about the Roversi pic being much more interesting and coherent with the album. It was a simple and expressive idea: no make up, no masks. Intimacy, authenticity and softness. That's what Bedtime Stories is actually. Roversi is italian and he perfectly fitted the tone of the album as he's well known as a fashion photographer to be able to confer emotional layers to his pics. So, yes, the released one is more beautiful and glamourous but M's plan was more ... M. Especially from that kinda rough esthetic period, wich remains the most inspired and interesting of her career imo. Said that, I sooo agree with @steady75 about the helvetica font and the pastel chromatic range, it's the most elegant she ever used. Imagining that on the Roversi blurry pic really makes a great cover for me! I suddenly looked for the name of the font when I had my first computer in my teen years as obsessed as I was with that  I still remember the lettering animated effect of the italian tv promo, where the letters originally separated moved to grow on each other getting the cover shape so softly and romantically, with the Secret beats and guitar sound on the background. It all looked like an elegant cloud, unfortunately I can't find the adv on YT. About Hard Candy, I have to say that I'm not sure honestly the black Madonna being a good idea. It could have caused controversy, wich is a very good thing IF there's a real content, something meaningful, behind it imo. In that case the album was lirically (and musically) so ordinary and flat that it would have not fitted. And in a fan like me it could have created much higher expectations ... at least that trashy cover was honest: I had to do this, I had no ideas and no ispirations so let's just make some generic trandy noise and let's hope I'll get some more US sales back   The pic with the papers on her back would have been better though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adonna 21,551 Posted 7 hours ago Share Posted 7 hours ago 3 hours ago, DanK said:   I love this photo, but I don't think this would have made for a good album cover. However, I think it would have been awesome as a lithograph inserted in the album if not part of the booklet. I personally loved what was actually released and thought she looked very beautiful on that cover and throughout the booklet along with other press images coming out during that era. I would have no issue with the above (or other rare images) being included in part of some new re-issue or some other curated project surrounding this album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha 2,043 Posted 5 hours ago Share Posted 5 hours ago It's a shame she never worked with Roversi again. Looking though his work, HE should've been the one for the MX shoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutdec 10 Posted 4 hours ago Share Posted 4 hours ago Redha DBL, TOpher, Boombox90 and 2 others 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongIslandTea 1,902 Posted 3 hours ago Share Posted 3 hours ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathproof 11,281 Posted 2 hours ago Share Posted 2 hours ago 1 hour ago, LongIslandTea said: But it's never been 100% confirmed that specific photo was the one intended for the cover. The Aperture magazine interview includes that photo, but theres no anecdote to confirm it. I wouldn't be surprised if the limited edition UK 12" for Bedtime Story was the original cover. cutdec, ChrisK and Redha DBL 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutdec 10 Posted 2 hours ago Share Posted 2 hours ago 1 minute ago, deathproof said: But it's never been 100% confirmed that specific photo was the one intended for the cover. The Aperture magazine interview includes that photo, but theres no anecdote to confirm it. I wouldn't be surprised if the limited edition UK 12" for Bedtime Story was the original cover. It has to be. Storyboards by Grant Shaffer for the Bedtime video were based on the original cover sent by Madonna before it was changed. These drawings clearly resemble the UK 12" image: deathproof and Redha DBL 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redha DBL 7,892 Posted 2 hours ago Share Posted 2 hours ago 1 hour ago, LongIslandTea said: Compared to the black and white pic the released one looks like a bootleg. Would You Like To Try and Anapausis 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boombox90 4,575 Posted 2 hours ago Share Posted 2 hours ago 11 hours ago, Burroughs said: Agree. It's sophisticated and elegant. She looks like a cheap hooker. There were so many other better pics from this era that they could have chosen. Would You Like To Try 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boombox90 4,575 Posted 2 hours ago Share Posted 2 hours ago 8 hours ago, DanK said: Hard to judge this unreleased photo until we get to see it uncropped and in decent quality. But the released Roversi photos from that same shoot look rather wonderful, imo. She looks like a wet chihuahua that just woke up. She looks silly Would You Like To Try 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Would You Like To Try 9,518 Posted 2 hours ago Share Posted 2 hours ago Just now, Boombox90 said: She looks like a wet chihuahua that just woke up. She looks silly Her nose looks bigger on that photoshoot or at least the "original" cover Boombox90 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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