Versions - Whats the obsession ?

[Gazman237 228]

So I've been a fan for 40 years and I am completely lost on peoples obsessions over versions of her songs that take over this forum sometimes.

Oh that fade is 2 seconds less than that one

Oh that edit is all over the place

I need all 200 versions of Die another Day

I don't get it.  Peoples obsessions over this.  Doesn't it distract from just enjoying the tunes ?

........maybe its coz I'm GEN X ??  

[DiegoLCL 6,098]

If you don't care and enjoy the songs on surface level that's ok, some of us enjoy things differently. It's not an obsession and it does not "distract us to enjoy the tunes".

Most (if not all) of our complaints are about her team messing up things that already exist and were released on vinyl, cassette, CD and promos and have been out of print for decades. There's not much more to it.

[Rebel Hugo 19,051]

Maybe because many of us want new music and a new musical era (myself included obviously) and as these last few years have been somewhat dry in several aspects (with the exception of the recent Celebration Tour) in our desire to entertain ourselves with something in which we continue waiting for Madonna to give us something new, we have developed an obsession with the versions of many songs, It's like a kind of hobby to relieve stress, anxiety and, above all, impatience to be waiting for new things and it is understandable since there are other fandoms like Kylie Minogue's which constantly receives new things like new music for example and we don't....

[Inco 11,536]

Well, I want them all 

;)

[A. A. Aardvark 5,754]

it's called choice 
some people wanna hear every official version 
you don't 

[Rosita The chihuahua 3,333]

55 minutes ago, Inco said:

Well, I want them all 

;)

me 2

[BADonna 27,215]

Oh you know, it's like you taste one cock, then you want them all!

[wtg1987 10,945]

never gonna please all fans here - her career is so vast now and what with all the multiple formats that have existed during her reign(vinyl, cassette, laserdisc, betamax, VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray, 4K and digital streaming) is bound to cause heavy discussions/arguments/bitching - i do find the streaming obsession a bit tiresome though - ive said many times on here about fans wanting certain versions (Fever Edit one and Two) the most recent one seems to be DAD and especially the dubs - which i just didnt get - its not like fans cant find these tracks on youtube or even on here - why does it have to be exclusive to streaming - surely most of us do have these songs ripped from over the years( i do and i keep back up copies too) i think a lot of it is just boredom too - whenever i get tired of M and her refusal to give us something unreleased from this piss-poor warner "campaign" i just listen to other artists - there are plenty of them to choose from....

[clkelley39 1,191]

I mean, this is a fan forum so obsession's the name of the game. 

[Piksel8 872]

versions tell a different story, even if the fade is 2 seconds less or more. if you've been a fan you'd know each song and album don a different side of Madonna. Hence the term "she doesn't repeat herself" is passed frequently by anyone who's followed her career closely. Let alone demos and remixes she has approved and worked closely with has their own story as she's been prolific when it comes to distinguishing her music. 

[Roland Barthes 7,330]

Because sometimes the versions people grew up listening to, heard on the radio....are not available. 

As an example, for me The First Album version of Burning Up is the original version because it's the first one i heard and grew up listening to. And it is still not available in digital form.

[Eternal2015 5,491]

Some people "get it". Some people don't. Either is cool. 

I don't get why some wouldn't want to hear alternate versions of their fave songs. Or find that elusive track on some forgotten compilation album. Or that vinyl only mix/edit. Collecting this stuff is fun for me, and really chills me out during my down time. I get excited finding "new" versions I didn't know existed.

Being Gen X has nothing to do with it.

 

 

[A. A. Aardvark 5,754]

[Debord 2,008]

5 hours ago, Rebel Hugo said:

Maybe because many of us want new music and a new musical era (myself included obviously) and as these last few years have been somewhat dry in several aspects (with the exception of the recent Celebration Tour) in our desire to entertain ourselves with something in which we continue waiting for Madonna to give us something new, we have developed an obsession with the versions of many songs, It's like a kind of hobby to relieve stress, anxiety and, above all, impatience to be waiting for new things and it is understandable since there are other fandoms like Kylie Minogue's which constantly receives new things like new music for example and we don't....

If you look at many of Madonna's peers - Prince, MJ, Whitney, George Michael - we are lucky that she's still around doing anything at all!

[Scottyx 9,666]

Kiss me arse if people don't like it. I want EVERYTHING. Not harming anyone. People's hobbies do not bother me. If they do, I have issues lol

[LX54 2,215]

Guess it's all about collectin, completeness... Some fans collect photos outtakes; some collect vinyl records, different countries, different hype stickers... When you're into M music, like really into it and you really dig it, then you're obsessed by the slightest change or edit  of a song... I cannot express the joy I had when they released the remix/edit of ''Open Your Heart'' coz it's the mix I grew up with (I'm french)... It even made me love the song more... And why are we obsessed with those mixes on streaming? coz in order to get some rare and yet unreleased in master quality versions of the songs, that's the only source we got... Until they release them in box sets, cds or 12''... But we all know by now that's not gonna happen anytime soon if at all... Here"s my two cents about this topic, I hope it'll be of help..

[missberic 1,381]

We're aging homos, why would you expect anything other than greed, hysteria and nitpicking?

[Would You Like To Try 10,397]

1 hour ago, Eternal2015 said:

Some people "get it". Some people don't. Either is cool. 

I don't get why some wouldn't want to hear alternate versions of their fave songs. Or find that elusive track on some forgotten compilation album. Or that vinyl only mix/edit. Collecting this stuff is fun for me, and really chills me out during my down time. I get excited finding "new" versions I didn't know existed.

Being Gen X has nothing to do with it.

 

 

It has nothing to do with age but instead dedication and love put into that specific thing we want such as remixes etc as you said it!

[A. A. Aardvark 5,754]

 

[rodri_seb 38]

I don't see anything wrong with searching for and listening to different versions of any artist's songs, not just Madonna as in this case. Personally, I've been interested in Madonna's career since this year (I used to listen to her most famous songs, but only recently I got into her discography), and if it weren't for my interest in the different versions I wouldn't've discovered my favorite of all: the Like a Prayer 7" Version or the original version of 'Crazy for You' which fades out much later than the version on 'The Immaculate Collection'.

If you keep it simple, that's fine, just don't want everyone else to do the same thing as you.

[godonna 168]

I believe extreme standom is actually a neurodivergent trait. Whether its obsessing over minor differences in 10 versions of the same song, or merch collecting, photo archiving, collating timelines, sourcing fonts, analysing charts/sales/streams - they're all special interests that 'normal' casual fans usually don't understand. 

So that's probably why fan forums are extra concentrated with such niche atypical interests. Nothing to do with age.

I think this is a wonderful thing, by the way. Stans like this are the only reason I'm here.

[Celebration 1,549]

Sometimes a remix elevates the song, and the expreience of listening to it. I discover new layers of the song, and I find that exciting.

The 7" remix of Express Yourself for example, has added instruments and a heavier bass, which makes the song more fun to dance to at a nightclub, and a ittle better in my ears.

Some remixes has added vocals that aren't on the abum. True Blue is one of them.

[MDNA22 1,414]

Alot of her remixes are incredible

[Dita 3,278]

14 minutes ago, MDNA22 said:

Alot of her remixes are incredible

One remix of hers that is probably my favorite (and doesn't seem to be anybody else's) is Talvin Singh's Vikram remix of Nothing Really Matters. I'd love to see her perform this version! I wish she'd worked more with Talvin after Cyberraga, another less popular song from her catalog that I love. 

[Would You Like To Try 10,397]

1 hour ago, godonna said:

I believe extreme standom is actually a neurodivergent trait. Whether its obsessing over minor differences in 10 versions of the same song, or merch collecting, photo archiving, collating timelines, sourcing fonts, analysing charts/sales/streams - they're all special interests that 'normal' casual fans usually don't understand. 

So that's probably why fan forums are extra concentrated with such niche atypical interests. Nothing to do with age.

I think this is a wonderful thing, by the way. Stans like this are the only reason I'm here.

Exactly! I believe it may be why I am so crazy with American Life. It must be a fixation for no reason that a weird brain choice 

I'm also too a REALLY young fan (younger than Confessions Lightside) and also became a fan in 2022 due to Finally Enough Love, so there might be my obsession with her remixes..?!

Edited December 9, 2024 by Would You Like To Try (see edit history)