MadonnaTribe's longtime friend and contributor Cr@zy4Mad*nna gives you a fresh photo update from New York City where Madonna : The MDNA Tour premieres tonight. Check out some exclusive images he took outside the Paris theater including some of the fans already queueing outside.
The Pet Shop Boys have compared their new album to Madonna's early work.
The duo said their upcoming LP Electric sounds like Madonna's first self-titled record, which was released in 1983.
"The album is meant to be pure enjoyment," Neil Tennant told Time Out. "We realised that it was sounding quite early '80s dance, like Madonna's first album.
"This album has got that '80s freshness but it still sounds, you know, modern."
The group's new LP - out July 15 - was executive produced by Stuart Price, who helmed Madonna's 2005 album Confessions on a Dancefloor.
Epix is bringing you another intimate look at the unique training and audition process for one of the coveted spots on Madonna's award winning tour in MDNA Workshop.
That’s the message of Madonna: The MDNA Tour, a documentary that chronicles her top-grossing 2012 worldwide tour. Ostensibly a concert film, The MDNA Tour also sheds light on the impact Madonna has had on a generation of artists, dancers, and general fans who refuse to conform for conformity’s sake.
Director Danny Tull, who’s edited several of Madonna’s recent projects, including W.E., took a close-up look at the icon’s legendary drive, cutting the best moments of 88 different shows into one cohesive documentary. “There was just a mammoth amount of footage to get through and find that perfect shot for her,” says Tull, who literally worked his fingers to the bone in the editing suite for six months. “On ‘Like a Prayer,’ there must be [cuts of concerts from] 50 countries inside that song alone. It was really intense. I think I looked down one day and I was like, ‘Oh, my fingers are about to fall off.’ But it was worth it.’”
By the end, Tull knew the ins and outs of the concert perhaps better than Madonna herself, but she still never ceased to surprise him. “The interesting thing with her is you never know what you’re going to get,” he says. “She always brings something different to the table. Maybe fans had known it before, but I think her Olympian spirit will be reinforced again [with the doc]. It’s just unbelievable, the pace of the show. It’s just non-stop. It’s very difficult to keep up.”
The pace slows down, however, for this very-slightly NSFW exclusive scene, in which Madonna auditions some of the show’s dancers, a talented group that is full of Madge admirers. Madonna still matters - you’d better believe it!
Madonna: The MDNA Tour, premieres Saturday, June 22 on EPIX, online at EpixHD.com and on EPIX Apps. Visit EW.com for an exclusive clip.
Today we can say the True Blue album showcases one of the most iconic covers ever!
But at the time of release in 1986 Warner US and Warner International took a different route on the album's logo. Warner US was so confident of Madonna's popularity that decided for a logoless final cover while internationally her name and album title were put on the cover.
"We used a sticker in the US, thinking it would be really cool if when you took off the shrink-wrap there was nothing left but the gorgeous photo of Madonna. It was so iconic" Jeri Heiden, the album designer explains.
"Other territories were less confident I suppose, and felt that her name HAD to be on the cover. This isn't unusual at all for territories to modify artwork for their needs. I remember providing International with the alternate cover"
The full Herb Ritts shot used on the cover was visible on the cassette version of True Blue but Jeri prefers the cropped 12" version: "The image was a 35mm b&w shot. I experimented with a variety of treatments, looking for a good compliment to the album title. I think the image became more interesting cropped into a square and at that time we always started with the album cover configuration.
It was like she was floating her clothing was not visible. She took on the appearance of a marble statue. Goddess like. In the vertical cropping you see her leather jacket and the wall, and it becomes more typical, editorial, earthly.
The wait is over!
The MDNA Tour video release premieres tonight at the Paris Theater in New York City ahead of its tv broadcast on Epix on June 22nd.
Are you one of the lucky fans attending the event together with the Queen herself? If so, please do not hesitate to share your story, images and videoclips - feel free to send them to share@madonnatribe.com to let the fans from all over the world be part of this experience with you!
Sunset Entertainment's newest instant-book "Portfolio Madonna 2013" focuses on Madonna's public appearances in year 2013 at the Glaad Media Awards, the Met Gala and the Billboard Music Awards.
A brand new "Strike a Pose" tshirt is also available in both mens and womens designs, and they can all also be purchased in two different special packs:
Portfolio Madonna 2013 (20€) T-shirts 'Strike a Pose' Male or Female (20€) 2 special packs with 1 free t-shirt (55€ & 75€)
Epix is bringing you an intimate look at the unique training and audition process for one of the coveted spots on Madonna's award winning tour in MDNA Workshop.
Fact Of The Day: Madonna's most downloaded tracks ever in the UK
Madonna has sold over 300 million records worldwide, and in the UK she clocked up 13 Official Singles Chart Number 1s and 11 Official Albums Chart Number 1s.
In 2012 the Official Charts Company have compiled a special Top 40 of Madonna's most downloaded tracks of all time, based entirely on digital sales in the UK.
Madonna’s Top 40 most downloaded tracks of all time in the UK are:
01 4 MINUTES FT JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
02 HUNG UP
03 GIVE IT 2 ME
04 SORRY
05 LIKE A PRAYER
06 CELEBRATION
07 VOGUE
08 HOLIDAY
09 FROZEN
10 JUMP
11 CRAZY FOR YOU
12 MATERIAL GIRL
13 GET TOGETHER
14 INTO THE GROOVE
15 LIKE A VIRGIN
16 LA ISLA BONITA
17 PAPA DON'T PREACH
18 GIVE ME ALL YOUR LUVIN' FT NICKI
MINAJ AND MIA
19 RAY OF LIGHT
20 DIE ANOTHER DAY
21 TRUE BLUE
22 BORDERLINE
23 MUSIC
24 BEAUTIFUL STRANGER
25 LIVE TO TELL
26 ME AGAINST THE MUSIC W/ BRITNEY SPEARS
27 MILES AWAY
28 CHERISH
29 DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA
30 OPEN YOUR HEART
31 EXPRESS YOURSELF
32 REVOLVER
33 THE POWER OF GOOD-BYE
34 DON'T TELL ME
35 LUCKY STAR
36 DRESS YOU UP
37 DEAR JESSIE
38 JUSTIFY MY LOVE
39 RAIN
40 THIS USED TO BE MY PLAYGROUND
The Madonna MDNA week ended last year today with the third the last concert in Florence.
Here a look at some of our pictures from that day and big thank you to all the fellow Madonna fans from Italy, a die hard fan base that has ALWAYS loved and supported the Queen of Pop. Ciao Italia!
When Madonna was at Warners it happened a few times that a scheduled commercial release for a third or four
single from an album was cancelled at the last time, even if remixes of the song were already commisioned and produced.
A few times the remixes were even put out as advance promos and then the release was cancelled.
This happened with Buenos Aires, the third US single chosen from the Evita soundrack. This song and the
"Miami Mix" of Don't Cry For Me Argentina, were the only case of Madonna actually re-singing and re-recording
a song for a commercial remix along with back up singers Donna De Lory and Niki Haris.
In January 1997, in a Miami recording studio with remixer Pablo Flores and his studio engineer Javier Garza, Madonna
recorded was was originally called the "The World Mix" of Buenos Aires, and it indeed appears as The World Mix
on the first two track cd promo surfaced in late 1997 from Warner Germany.
A few weeks later a US 3 track promo cd and and a 6 track 12" vinyl were sent to US radios and the remixes were
already renamed as the "Te Amo Mixes"
Due to poor radio performance the commercial release was eventually cancelled but a clue of what the cover of the
single might have been comes the image on the sticker put on the promo vinyl.
It shows Madonna tangoing with Italian dancer Luca Tommassini straight from the "Buenos Aires" dance scene off the movie.
All three promos (German cd, US cd and US Vinyl) are quite rare now and depending on condition they might
cost you a little fortune on Ebay. I was lucky enough to buy the promos at "standard promo price" as soon
as a UK mail service had them and didn't realize the commercial release had been cancelled.
Here's a complete list of all the versions of the Buenos Aires remixes that came out of the Madonna/Pablo Flores session.
World Mix Edit
World Mix Edit - Shorter
Te Amo 12" Extended Vocal Version
Te Amo 12" Extended Instrumental Version
Te Amo 12" TV Dub
Te Amo 12" Acapella Version
Te Amo Single Edit
Te Amo Radio Version
Oopss I didn't know I couldn't talk about SEX!
Madonna - Human Nature 1994
SEX not only is the book that marks the beginning of Madonna as a book-author, way before the English Roses, but it's a
true milestone in her career, the tangible proof she was brave enough to dare and risk it all at the climax of her career, to push people's buttons, to make people think about themes they would rather prefer keep under a carpet.
SEX is by far the most notorious book ever published in the last 20 years and its Mylar wrapping and spiral-bound metal cover has
indeed helped it becoming a legendary item so I'm happy that I personally own six copies of this book (in detail: 2 sealed US copies, 1 opened US copy, 1 open UK copy,
2 opened Italian copies).
All the world media criticised Madonna for making it and many tried to pass the book as flop release.
Sex was such a flop that it sold a record 150,000 copies on its first day of release in the United States and
over 100,000 copies in Europe in two days, for a total of
Worldwide sales of 1.5 million copies!
It entered the New York Times Bestseller List at #1 and even hit the #1 spot on the Washington Post non-fiction bestseller list on November 1st 1992.
Each and every year Sex is America's most sought after out-of-print title, according to BookFinder's annual
report.
The graphic coffee-table book, featuring – in the words of BookFinder, "photos of the Material Girl,
without the material" – has been one of the most popular out-of-print
titles in the US for years and a collector's item since it was first published in 1992.
Bookfinder also predicted that "since Madonna is never one to do something twice, and the fact that the once
highly controversial book is less edgy than it once was leads us to guess that Sex will
remain out of print". And this is likely to happen despite the silly rumours circulating sometime ago about
a possibile cheap reprint.
As for the artistic credits, photographs are by Steven Meisel, book design by Fabien Baron, and texts were
of course written by Madonna herself.
A promo cd with a unique version of the song Erotica, here titled "Erotic", with Madonna as Dita reciting
more sultry and allusive lyrics than the Album version, was included in the book within a small Mylar bag
similar to the main book wrapping.
Madonna released the following statement in February 2003 through her official website madonna.com following the controversy around her still-to-be-released video for "American Life".
"I feel lucky to be an American citizen for many reasons - one of which is the right to express myself freely, especially in my work."
"I understand that there have been reports about my upcoming video "American Life" in the media - much of which is inaccurate. I am not Anti-Bush. I am not pro-Iraq. I am pro Peace. I have written a song and created a video which expresses my feelings about our culture and values and the illusions of what many people believe is the American dream - the perfect life."
"As an artist, I hope that this provokes thought and dialogue. I don't expect everyone to agree with my point of view. I am grateful to have the freedom to express these feelings and that's how I honor my country."
As you remember, the original video for "American Life", directed by Jonas Akerlund, was withdrawn on April 1, 2003 - the day after the video was first shown on a few European music channels only.
"I have decided not to release my new video" - Madonna said in another note back then. "It was filmed before the war started and I do not believe it is appropriate to air it at this time. Due to the volatile state of the world and out of sensitivity and respect to the armed forces, who I support and pray for, I do not want to risk offending anyone who might misinterpret the meaning of this video"
The notorious alternate "flags" version of the video, which does not contain any images of war, was eventually sent to the television networks two weeks later and premiered on VH1 on April 16.
A different cut of the original video was then used as a backdrop projection for the "American Life" performance on the Reinvention Tour.
When the DVD release of "I'm Going to Tell You a Secret", the documentary about the 2004 tour was announced, Warner Brothers confirmed that the unedited director's cut version of the "American Life" video was going to feature on the release as an Extra. However, the DVD was eventually released, but the video was nowhere to be found.
To celebrate the Broadcast Premiere of the MDNA Tour on June 22, Premium TV network EPIX and Madonna have teamed up to provide an exclusive once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for dancers, performers and workout enthusiasts to personally dance and train with the queen herself!
Led by Madonna's personal trainer and fitness experts from the Hard Candy Fitness team, an open call will be held on Wednesday, June 19 at the Broadway Dance Center in New York City. Anyone can enter; but only 500 will be invited to audition. Hopeful participants can register online at epixhd.com/MDNAworkout beginning Wednesday, June 12, through Sunday, June 16 at 12noon EDT.
Chosen participants will audition for the Hard Candy Fitness team, who will whittle the group down to the top 50. This group will perform for Nicole Winhoffer for a chance to earn one of the coveted spots in the final group. On Thursday, June 20, the select 30 fitness and dance enthusiasts who remain will learn Madonna's exclusive dance-inspired "Addicted to Sweat" training routine, that she used to get MDNA ready, and later that day perform it with Madonna!
Ready to sweat? Here you go!
To learn more about Addicted to Sweat and Hard Candy Fitness, please visit www.hardcandyfitness.com and www.addictedtosweatdvd.com.
Epix are bringing you another exclusive clip from Madonna: The MDNA Tour, premiering June 22nd at 8pm ET.
Following a good bunch of viewers' comments on YouTube, discussing audio quality and a "Ciao Italia"-ish shiny pants/no shiny pants bit of a mess in the clip, Epix has commented as follows:
"Hi all - We love the comments and just want to let you know that this clip is NOT from the final edit. We wanted to give you a sneak peek before the show is completed. We hope you enjoy and don't forget to join us on 6/22 for the premiere on EPIX!"
Victor Calderone is known among Madonna fans for the great remixes he did for the Queen Of Pop.
His club versions of Beautiful Stranger, American Pie, Hollywood, What It Feels Like For A Girl and the now
classic masterpiece "Frozen" made most of us go wild on the dance floor, but, who do we have to thank for putting
the talents of Madonna and Calderone together?
The name of their mutual friend is Ingrid Casares
"I was working with Ingrid in Miami. At the time she had a night club and we were working together and Ingrid loved what I was doing and she said
'I'm gonna let Madonna hear what you're doing. Madonna is working on her new album right now. I'm gonna introduce you guys'.
But at the time I didn't think anything was going to happen. I thought she was just talking basically", Victor once told MadonnaTribe.
"One day Ingrid called me when I was in Miami and she said come and meet me at China Groove, a
restaurant in Miami and she didn't tell me why, I went there and when I got there Madonna was sitting there
with her.
That's how it happened. We met each other that night and she asked me if I was going to
remix her first single. And that first single then was 'Frozen'.
Flashback: Blast from the Past - MDNA in Rome - Part One
Last year today Madonna's Italian fans were at the beginning of an intense and magic week! The Queen Of Pop was back to her grandparents' homeland for three dates of her MDNA Tour (Rome - Milan - Florence, the only country to host 3 consecutive sold out stadium concerts) and surprisingly shooting the video for Turn Up The Radio in Florence.
The MadonnaTribe staff attended all three dates, so we are happy to take a walk down memory lane by posting some of our best images from each concert. So let's start today with a first bunch of pictures from the Rome concert that took place on June 12 2012. Click on images to enlarge.
There was a time, in 2004 to be exact, when Madonna fans were not used to see M rehearsing on stage during her show's soundcheck like it happens nowdays.
Today the fans would dance along with her while she rehearses Celebration or sing with her Turn Up The Radio, but her long time collaborator Donna De Lory recalls with us that during a European show of the re-Invention Tour the fans were let in
while the star was still rehearsing in the venue:
"Madonna was told to get off the stage after sound check so the crowd could start to come in. She was not ready yet so they started to let people in while we were rehearsing on stage because the seating was first come first serve. I wondered how everyone would react when they saw her there but they were fighting so hard for their place in the front that they did not see her."
She adds: "I couldn't believe it!!! There she was out of costume with no make up and they could not see her. She was eventually escorted off the stage easily by her body guards."
Z100 in New York is also giving the fans the opportunity to enter for their chance to win two tickets to join Epix and Madonna for the World Premiere screening of The MDNA Tour next Tuesday, June 18th at 8pm in NYC.
Check out more great pictures of Madonna greeting her friend Stella McCartney at the presentation of her Spring 2014 Collection at West 10th Street in New York City.
In pictures: Madonna attends Stella McCartney fashion show in NYC
A host of celebrity pals stepped out to support designer Stella McCartney on Monday as she unveiled her Spring 2014 collection.
Madonna was of course spotted giving her friend Stella a big hug as she arrived at the presentation, held at West 10th Street in New York City. The Queen of Pop had shunned the spring theme, opting for a black trench coat and black sunglasses.
Check out some great pictures on the online website of Hello! magazine.
Tue, June 11
Portfolio Madonna 2013 (20€)
The name of their mutual friend is Ingrid Casares
