OK ........ The DIVA And The Virgin - Part One!
Click to viewHAYYYYY!! OK ........ On September 29th, Madonna will release her "ultimate" [ie .. she's leaving Warner Bros Records to begin her new contract with Live Nation] greatest hits package, CELEBRATION, which contains over 35 [if you buy the "deluxe version" cd] of her top hits. You can listen to Madonna grow from "Holiday" to "Four Minutes."
As I was watching the above commercial for CELEBRATION, I realized how much this woman and her music have been a part of my life, since I was 14 and through present day. So, in the spirit of "celebrating" [you know I had to] my life with Madonna, a few of my September blog entries will reflect on those hot mess moments with Miss M!
SPRING SEMESTER OF MY FRESHMEN YEAR AT CHURCHILL HIGH SCHOOL [SHOUT OUT TO MY FRIEND KRISTI QUINN, WHO STILL LOOKS 16!] - I am sitting in Biology class [bored out of my mind], listening to the girls in front of me talk about the upcoming try outs for the dance and drill teams. Not to be mean, but you know my inner monologue, one of these ladies had no business trying to fit into the drill team's skirt and blouse combo - but that is another story. Anyway, one of the girls mentions that she just loves the new album by Madonna. Loves that it sounds different, thought Madonna was actually black, etc. The seed has been planted, and I eventually receive that first album, creatively called MADONNA, in the summer of '84.
CHRISTMAS MORNING 1985 - Santa thought the DIVA had been good, so I received a VCR, and a copy of Madonna's first concert video, THE VIRGIN TOUR. Loved this show and can still "perform" M's dance steps at the beginning of "Dress You Up." THE VIRGIN TOUR was filmed when "Madonna Mania" was at it's peak. All the teenage girls and queens were trying to copy her bra outerwear / Maripol jewelry look. Little did the teens and queens know that the lady had already left all that behind.
Jump ahead a few years to 1989. Madonna has released MADONNA, LIKE A VIRGIN, and TRUE BLUE [as well as the remix collection, YOU CAN DANCE], but the "mania" is over and upstarts like Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, Jody Watley and Whitney Houston are aiming to be the next pop princess, while the Material Girl was off performing in David Mamet's SPEED THE PLOW. I remember PEOPLE magazine proclaiming that Paula was bigger than Madonna [as if!]. Was the girl from Detroit washed up?
And then she released, LIKE A PRAYER, and the pop / dance world just was never the same ........
The above video is from M's STICKY AND SWEET TOUR, which I saw in Atlanta. She shows pure genius by remixing the song with Felix's 'Don't You Want!" I remember my boss and I were screaming and singing along when she performed [and sang live - Hello Britney!] this in November 2008.
Part Two to follow!
** PET SHOP BOYS IN CONCERT COUNTDOWN - 6 DAYS!! **
Meanwhile, back at the Hall of Justice ........