Happy New Year!

So, this is the last post by me this year.

I'm going for a two week vacation to my home-country, so I wish you all a happy new year and all the best in 2007 with this Amsterdam sunset!

I'll be back :)

Madonna - Nothing Really Matters (Club 69 Future Mix)

The fifth and last single of the album ''Ray of Light'' was ''Nothing Really Matters''.

This dance song describes how the birth of Lola makes all the rest in Madonna's life less important.

Released in the spring of 1999, a full year after the album came out, the single didn't chart too well. In the US it didn't go higher than no. 93, making it her lowest chart position in the Hot 100 ever. The highest position in the UK and Canada was respectively no. 7 and 6.

Madonna - Nothing Really Matters (Club 69 Future Mix)

The video (in my oppinion one of Madonna's top 5 videos), directed by Johan Renck, must be the most mysterious video since ''Bedtime Story''. Madonna plays a Geisha - inspired by Arthur C. Golden's book ''Memoirs of a Geisha'' - in a red kimono and a black wig. The other creatures in the video seem to be her followers. First they all treasure false forms of love, represented by the bags of water. But that's not what really matters. Slowly they get the insight, symbolized with the people rising in the air. Madonna herself is walking and dancing through a long corridor. She has left the typical Ray Of Light-dance moves and now does a mystical Geisha-choreography.
Superb!

The only time Madonna performed ''Nothing Really Matters'' live, was on ''The Grammy Awards'' in 1998.

Madonna - What It Feels Like for A Girl (Calderone and Quayle Dark Mix)

Madonna sure knows what it feels like for a girl, having made her way in an all-male world. Inspired by a scene from the movie ''The Cement Garden'' (the words are spoken by actrice Charlotte Gainsbourg) she wrote about the complexities of a girl's life.

The song was released in the spring of 2001 as the third single from ''Music''. It peaked at #7 (UK), #23 (US), #2 (Canada) and #6 (Japan). A spanish version, called ''Lo Que Siente La Mujer'', appeared on one of the maxi-singles.

Madonna - What It Feels Like for A Girl (Calderone & Quayle Dark Side Mix)

Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie had their first professional collaboration when they decided to let Guy direct the video for ''What It Feels...''. Since Guy has only done gangster movies so far, many fans reacted surprised after hearing he would direct the video for this beautiful ballad. The result of the three day video shoot in LA in February, was a little gangster movie of it's own. Not the ballad from the album was used, but instead the dancy Above & Beyond remix, which leaves out all the lyrics except the chorus.
"This is an angry song and I wanted a matching visual with an edgy dance mix", Madonna said. "In the video I play a nihilistic pissed off chick acting out a fantasy and doing things girls are not allowed to do." And quite some fantasy it is!
We see Madonna pick up an old lady from a retirement home (called Ol' Kuntz Guest Home) and then leave with a yellow Camaro sportscar (with licence plate 'pussy' in front and 'cat' in the back) for a joy ride. She crashes a guy's car, steals money using a stun gun, shoots cops with a squirt gun, blows up a gas station...
"It's a violent video, not something you want to see before going to sleep" Liz Rosenberg commented. In the US, MTV and VH1 decided to ban the video after only one airing on april 21st. AOL streamed the video at the same time. MTV Europe did play the video, but only after 10 pm. Other music channels showed it in the daytime. It was only the second M video to be completely banned by MTV US; ''Justify My Love'' being the first. ''Erotica'' got airplay after midnight.

The X Files - Dod Kalm (RTL7, 22:40)

When half the crew of a Navy ship abandon their boat in a life raft and are rescued 18 hours later looking about 60 years older than they should be, Mulder suggests that the ship is caught in a time field which is speeding up their aging.

Episode Number: 43
Season Num: 2
First Aired: Friday March 10, 1995
Prod Code: 2X19

Wired connection

The dreaded electrical octopus leads of the past have not only represented a fire hazard - they've been tripped over, tangled and torn. However, recently students from the Stuttgart National School of Fine Arts have developed their WIRED CONNECTION Project. These unique electrical extension cords and power packs come in a number of colors, shapes and simple designs which eliminate the frustrating experience of tangled cords and unstable connection. This is a wonderful example of when the beauty of simplicity in design meets practicality, resulting in an object that works.

Madonna - Holiday (Dens54 Live frome Piennes Remix)

''Holiday'' was the real first single from ''The First Album'', released in the fall of 1983. Although it's an anthem among fans, it didn't chart very well; it reached only #16 on the US Billboard chart. It did better in the UK (#6) and Australia (#4). It re-entered the UK chart in 1985 (when the debut album was re-issued), making it to the #2 spot.

There was a re-release to promote ''The Immaculate Collection'' in 1991 (with a #5 peak). Charting together with ''Lucky Star'', they became her first #1 on the Hot Dance / Club Play chart, holding the top spot for 5 weeks.

But it's the live performances that made the song so well known. This song was performed on all tours until the ''Confessions Tour'' (where ''Lucky Star'' took its place) and except for the ''Virgin Tour'' (where it was placed at the begining of the show as the second song at the set list), it was always used as one of the final songs to end the show with a dance classic.

Madonna - Holiday (Dens54 Live From Piennes Remix)

The original video for ''Holiday'' was reportedly so bad that it was never released. Instead the recording of a television performance was used. The performance of Holiday on the ''Blond Ambition Tour'' in Houston was taped by Alek Keshishian and released in 1991 (to promote the single re-release and the ''Truth or Dare'' documentary).

You have to listen to Holiday live and dance along.

Finally!

Well, now I can relax! Finally! I moved into a new apartment and although there are still a lots of things to do to make it a real enjoyment place, I very happy everything turned out well.

And I can continue with my everyday life......

This is wierd - cool...
As practically everything we use in the home – from TV sets to cell phones, ipods and computers – have shrunk in size and increased in efficiency, it was only a matter of time before the home itself became a transportable, order-in, pocket sized commodity. Ok, so it won’t fit in your pocket but the Micro-Compact Home can be easily craned into position and comes complete with a sound system, flat screen TV and air-conditioning. And at roughly 77 sq metres, the two level dwelling isn’t a whole lot smaller than your average inner city studio apartment. The thoroughly urban invention was a joint project between students at the Technical University of Munich and the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Plans for the first Micro-Compact village using prototype units are currently under way at the University of Munich campus. Or for 50,000 euros you can buy your own although we’re not sure how welcoming your local council would be.

Merry Christmas everybody!

My dear friends,

since I'm moving in a new apartment today, it won't be any new updates untill saturday (or sunday), so I wish you all a happy Christmas, have joy and fun!

Vjeko

Madonna - Get Together (Tiefschwarz Remix)

This clubby, feel-good song is the 3rd single from ''Confessions On A Dance Floor'', released commercially early June 2006 in the US and mid-June in Europe. The UK release date was July 24th to coincide with the British leg of the ''Confessions Tour'' (it reached #7 there).

The single cover features Madonna together with her band and dancers. Thanks to the remixes by Jacques Lu Cont, Danny Howells, Tiefschwarz and James Holden, ''Get Together'' became Madonna's 36th #1 hit on the Hot Dance / Club Play chart, confirming her status as the 'Dancing Queen'. It failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, but entered the Bubbling Under chart, peaking at #6.

Madonna - Get Together (Tiefschwarz Remix)

With Madonna performing on her ''Confessions Tour'', there was no time to make a studio video for ''Get Together''. Instead of opting for a live performance video, commercial and video director team Logan had an animation video made, using footage from her performance at London's Koko Club (Nov. 2005) which was digitally altered and animated onto a digital futuristic city/nature background, which is reminiscent to the video style of Daft Punk. The video premiered online and on music TV channels mid-June 2006.

What the heck went wrong with Madonna's highly addictive single, ''Get Together'' in the US? Most radio stations ignored the song. What's more, while the single has failed to crack Billboard's Hot 100, unsurprisingly, ''Get Together'' has done well on the radio and on charts in many countries outside of America.
Why? I mean, it's certainly not a matter of quality. "Get Together" is a far frothier summer treat than Paris Hilton's ''Stars are Blind'' or Rhianna's (awfull) ''Unfaithfull'', its pulsing dance beat serving as the foundation for Madonna's siren call to a potential lover. And I don't think it's an age thing, either, since veteran acts like Bon Jovi, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Busta Rhymes were all in the top 50. Not even the video clip that accompanies "Get Together" (ok, it is not "Like a Prayer" and "Express Yourself" like) can be blamed for radio's snub, leaving me at a loss for theories.
Could Madonna have contracted a case of Big-in-europeitis, a disease that's afflicted Robbie Williams, Anastacia, and Kylie Minogue? Is this all a case of widespread leotard-o-phobia? Or does anyone have a more plausible theory? I'm leaving it up to you, while I continue to enjoy mesmerasing sound of "Get Together."

The X Files - Fearful Symmetry (RTL7, 22:40)

Mulder and Scully investigate strange attacks from invisible animals inside a zoo which is near a known UFO hot spot.

Episode Number: 42
Season Num: 2
First Aired: Friday February 24, 1995
Prod Code: 2X18

Confessions Tour DVD/CD - final update

The first ever network broadcast performance by the Queen of Pop which was aired the night before Thanksgiving last month will be available as a CD+DVD package with added bonus behind-the-scenes footage and photo gallery. The DVD features indeed the complete two-hour concert, including the uncensored version of ''Live to Tell'' and the four songs that didn't air on TV.

The confirmed tracklistings are as follows:
DVD

01. "Future Lovers/I Feel Love"
02. "Get Together"

03. "Like A Virgin"

04. "Jump"

05. "Confessions"

06. "Live to Tell"

07. "Forbidden Love"

08 ."Isaac"

09. "Sorry"

10 ."Like It Or Not"

11. "Sorry (Remix)"

12. "I Love New York"

13. "Ray of Light"

14. "Let It Will Be"

15. "Drowned World/Substitute For Love"

16. "Paradise (Not For Me)"1

7. "Music Inferno"

18 ."Erotica"

19 ."La Isla Bonita"

20. "Lucky Star"

21. "Hung Up"

CD

01. "Future Lovers/I Feel Love"

02. "Like A Virgin"

03. "Jump"

04. "Confessions/Live to Tell"

05 ."Isaac"

06. "Sorry"

07. "Sorry (Remix)"

08. "I Love New York"

09. "Let It Will Be"

10. "Music Inferno"

11 ."Erotica"

12. "Lucky Star"

13. "Hung Up"

The release date for The Confessions Tour remains set to January 30 in the US and Jaunary 29 for the rest of the world. A digital music download will also be available.

Madonna - Bad Girl (Extended Version)

It's beyond any doubt that controversy in Madonna's career peaked in the early nineties. Controversy had been around from the very beginning: rolling on the floor in the ''Like A Virgin'' wedding dress, promoting materialism in ''Material Girl'' (or that's what the critics thought), the peep show in ''Open Your Heart'', the pointy Gaultier corsets from the ''Who's That Girl Tour'' and ''Blond Ambition Tour'', singing about teenage pregnancy in ''Papa Don't Preach'', kissing a black priest in ''Like A Prayer'' and chaining herself to the bed in ''Express Yourself''...

But in the nineties the controversy became more sexual and more explicit. ''Justify My Love'' was the starting point of a raw sex period, where Madonna talked openly about all kinds of sex and sexuality. The ''Sex'' book and the movies ''Truth or dare'' and ''Body of Evidence'' showed a Madonna pushing the boundaries further than ever. It was in this period - on October 20th, 1992 - that Madonna released her ''Erotica'' album. After the concept album ''I'm Breathless'' Madonna wanted to make a real dance album, so she teamed up with producer Shep Pettibone, whom she collaborated with for ''Vogue'' and ''Rescue Me'', and who was a real expert in dance music. Later Andre Betts joined the team and added a hiphop sound to the album. The result was a catchy album with 14 tracks with R&B, house/trance, dance and hiphop influences.

The album was promoted by no less than six singles: ''Erotica'', ''Deeper And Deeper'', ''Bad Girl'' and ''Rain'' were released worldwide; ''Fever'' and ''Bye Bye Baby'' got a limited release. Unfortunately many people thought Madonna had gone too far this time.

Despite a great album and great videos the album and the singles weren't that successful. The title track was the first ever lead-off single from a Madonna album that failed to get to no. 1; the other singles failed to get to the top 5 in the charts. Only the club scene showed some appreciation: ''Erotica'', ''Deeper And Deeper'' and ''Fever'' were all no. 1 in the Hot Dance/Club Play chart.

''Bad Girl'', released worldwide as the third single from ''Erotica'' album, suffered the most from the Erotica & Sex controversy, reaching a poor no. 36 in the US, no. 10 in the UK, no. 5 in Canada, no. 11 in Japan and no. 32 in Australia.

Madonna - Bad Girl (Extended Version)

As a single ''Bad Girl'' might have scored rather poorly, but the video by David Fincher is a true masterpiece. Actor Christopher Walken is a guardian angel, watching over bad girl Madonna. But he can't stop her from enjoying that 'sex, drugs & rock 'n' roll'... and the video ends with a tragedy. The video has some cool visual effects; definitely among Madonna's best!

Madonna - X-Static Process (Electronic Mix)

On April 15th 2003, this hauntingly beautiful song premiered online on the website of Launch/Yahoo! It is No. 8 song in tracklisting of ''American Life'' album (released on April 22, 2003) and my personal No. 1 song of that album.

Madonna comments on this song: "This is my favourite song of the album because it's only me with my guitar and I sing all the melodies and the chorus. I don't know why, but this song reminds me of my childhood... it's a very simple song." The title of the song was later used for the exhibition of Madonna pictures by Steven Klein. These pictures and videos were also used during the ''Beast Within'' intro on the ''Re-Invention Tour'' and as opening sequence of the ''I'm Going to Tell You A Secret'' movie.

This remix of the song is also my favorite because it contains that ''something'' that original has and it is still hounting and beautiful.

Madonna - X-Static Process (Electronic Mix)

Why the righteous dislike Madonna (and the rest of us adore her)

Despite her undeniable fame, success, iconic and superstar status and groundbreaking career achievements, it is noticeable that since the beginning of her career, Madonna has been the target of constant criticism, being always far away from any possible type of unanimity. Reviews about her body of work have generally been mixed and many music critics have constantly put her artistry in doubt.

1) Very common criticism against Madonna regards her singing voice and her vocal range, which some consider to be weak, limited and mannered, and what they see as her egocentrism, her publicity stunts and her tendence to generate controversy.
Respected artists like Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, dismisses Madonna as being just a dancer and not a competent musician and Joni Mitchell (''She has knocked the importance of talent out of the arena. She's manufactured. She's made a lot of money and become the biggest star in the world by hiring the right people''), as well as other entertainers like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson once have openly expressed disapproval of her artistic habilities, disdain or criticism against her image and body of work.

2) Madonna's lyrics have also been frequently penned as simple or even dull, pretty ridiculous, even for a retard.

3) Examples of moments of her career in which Madonna has been more overtly criticised encompass her ''Like a Prayer'' video (1989), the publishing of her ''Sex'' book and her ''Erotica'' album (1992), the ''American Life'' album era (2002), her ''Live to Tell'' performance during her Confessions Tour and a little David Banda adoption (both 2006).

Many others have embraced her power to shock by claiming that she has changed the music industry and even the world, by allowing women to have an opportunity to empower themselves and be able to change their image whenever and however they want.

The Metro Times Detroit praised her ability by saying: "For a generation of young women — and gay men — her impact is simple: She proved that there were nonacademic, street-savvy ways to express yourself and find empowerment. For me and many other young ‘hip’ feminist women ... Madonna was a symbol of unrepressed female creativity and power — sexy, seductive, serious, and strong,” cultural critic bell hooks wrote of her early days, capturing exactly why the Material Girl so instantly became a phenomenon. “For a long while, her transgressive presence was a beacon, a guiding light, charting the journey of female ‘feminist’ artists coming to power — coming to cultural fulfillment.”

4) Many have also claimed that she was able to change the industry by using the best and most effective marketing techniques to promote herself in every way possible and by deviating from conventional techniques.
For better or worse, Madonna has forever changed how the world consumes pop music. By flipping traditional gender scripts and exposing — and reveling in — the artifice of fame by merging art and commerce in shockingly blatant ways, she’s always been a savvy businesswoman/artist. Madonna not only upended the industry’s conventional notions of marketing, but made an impact so huge, so overanalyzed and criticized in everything from tabloids to academic journals, that even attempting to articulate anything new about her is superfluous.

5) Madonna is admired, despised and feared because she’s a woman powerfully successful as an entertainer and an impresario, working and walking with more kahunas than the male in his natural domain. Madonna has never defined the times with her music in the way that, say, The Beatles did. She’s never been as amazing as Prince was before he lost his name and his plot. But she can spot a trend and go with it, adapting it to her shape and selling far more units than the collaborators she chooses (Mirwais, William Orbit). She may not be radical, nor revolutionary, but as a piece of cleverly marketed packaging she’s the full deal.

Madonna stated in an 1991 interview during her documentary, ''Truth or Dare'': “I know that I’m not the best singer, and I know that I’m not the best dancer, but I’m not interested in that. I’m interested in pushing people’s buttons.”

She also stated in a 2006 Time Interview regarding her adoption of a Malawian boy, "There is a part of me that is secretly enjoying pissing people off, because I know that when you're pissing people off you're often doing the right thing. What I hope I'm doing better now than I used to do is picking the right battles to fight, and not just being provocative for the sake of being provocative."

Madonna - Santa Baby (Remixmaniac's Boxing Day Mix Edit)

A little bit of Christmas feeling.....

Madonna contributed her cover of Eartha Kitt's ''Santa Baby'' to the album ''A Very Special Christmas''.

This classic Christmas track, covered by Madonna in 1988 is also going strong as a "digital single" at # 109 in the Hot 200 Digital Songs chart, with 7,484 downloads this week.

Madonna - Santa Baby (Remixmaniac's Boxing Day Mix Edit)

Madonna - Express Yourself (Local Mix)

After the huge no. 1 success of ''Like A Prayer'', Madonna didn't chose for second best, but released ''Express Yourself'' as second single. It seemed like Madonna wanted to get back on her critics by saying everybody should 'express himself' like she does; a message she would repeat in 1994's ''Human Nature''.

Madonna - Express Yourself (Local Mix)

While ''Like A Prayer'' caused controversy in the Catholic church, ''Express Yourself'' stirred up opinions about feminism. Whether or not the song and the video pushed feminism forward or backwards was subject of discussion.
Though very popular, the song didn't reach no. 1 and stalled at no. 2 in the US (Gold; it was kept from no. 1 by Martika's Toy Soldiers) and in Japan, no. 4 in Canada and no. 5 in the UK and Australia. It did get to no. 1 on the Hot Dance/Club Play though.

David Fincher directed what became one of Madonna's biggest video projects.
With a price tag of $2 million it's also her most expensive.

Based on Fritz Lang's movie Metropolis (1927), Madonna uses the distinction between lower working class (the slaves) and the upper high-society class (the director and Madonna herself) to symbolically turn around the classic stereotypes between men and women. Madonna is sexy, independant and in control, but on the other hand gives in to the advances of the slave (played by Cameron, the good-looking model of the Guess jeans ads). Dressed both in a stylish green dress and in a male suit (with sexy corset underneath), one moment in control and the other crawling on the floor on hands and knees, Madonna ridiculed stereotypes and pushed the boundaries. The true meanings of the video are still an interesting subject for discussion today. Fact is that the video won awards for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Direction at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards, where Madonna performed the song as well.

Madonna performed ''Express Yourself'' on her ''Blond Ambition Tour, ''The Girlie Show'' and ''Re-Invention Tour''.

Confessions Tour DVD release delayed

Warner Music Group have announced that the Confessions Tour: Live From London CD/DVD will have it's release delayed by one week to Tuesday 30 January 2007 for the US and Monday 29 January 2007 for the majority of the rest of the world.

Madonna - You Must Love Me (Orchestral Version) + Ten years of ''Evita''

December 2006 marks the 10th anniversary of the most Iconic movie Madonna starred in: ''Evita''.
Based on the musical by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Evita the film, directed by Alan Parker, follows the storyline of the play using stunning locations and memorable settings. Shot in Argentina, Budapest and London, the movie gave Madonna the chance to win a Golden Globe award for Best Actress in the Musical/comedy category while the brand new composition ''You Must Love Me'' won an Oscar for best song in 1997.

According to many, Evita is indeed Madonna's best cinematic adventure, the role of a life time she knew it was made for her. The film follows the story of a woman who made something special of her life, coming from nothing to become an Icon both adored and criticized by millions of people. This parallel between the life of the actress and the character is indeed fascinating.

Madonna - You Must Love Me (Orchestral Version)

Billboard: Top Grossing Tour of 2006 list

Madonna's Confessions Tour was the second highest grossing tour of 2006 according to Billboard Boxscore (from numbers compiled from Boxscores November 16. 2005 to November 14 2006).
The Confessions Tour officially became the Top Grossing Tour ever by a Female Artist! Taking in just under $195 million from 60 shows that drew more than 1.2 million in paid attendance!

01 - Rolling Stones - $437,000,000 (2005 & 2006 combined)

02 - Madonna - $195,000,000

03 - BonJovi - $131,000,000

04 - U2 - $96,000,000

05 - Tim McGraw & Faith Hill - $88,800,000

06 - Cirque du Soleil's Delirium - $78,500,000

07 - Barbara Streisand - $76,000,000

08 - Kenny Chesney - $66,000,000

09 - Dave Matthews Band - $58,000,000

10 - Aerosmith - $58,000,000

Madonna - The Look of Love (Idaho's Hide and Seek Mix)

This lovely ballad (written by Madonna and Patrick Leonard) was released late 1987 only in Europe and Japan.

In the UK it didn't get higher than no. 9 and in Japan it stalled at no. 20.

There was no official video to support the single release of ''The Look Of Love''.

Madonna - The Look of Love (Idaho's Hide & Seek Mix)

The song was performed live only on Madonna's second tour: ''Who's That Girl World Tour''.

The X Files - End Game (RTL7, 22:40)

The alien bounty hunter kidnaps Scully and wants to trade her for Mulder's sister, who is revealed to be a clone herself.

After the trade goes badly and Mulder discovers the truth about Samantha, he tracks the bounty hunter to his ship buried in the arctic ice and demands the whereabouts of his real sister.

Trivia:

The first takes of the fight between Skinner and X were rather weak as both actors were too preoccupied with not hurting the other. However, after a few takes, the director asked them to heat things up and both decided to just go for it. In the next take, the fight became so real that Mitch Pileggi threw Steven Williams against the (fake) elevator wall so hard that he went right through the back of the set piece.

Episode Number: 41
Season Num: 2
First Aired: Friday February 17, 1995
Prod Code: 2X17

Madonna - Has To Be (Pander's Outerspace Mix)

Originally Madonna and William Orbit had recorded 14 tracks for the album ''Ray of Light''. However Madonna insisted only 13 tracks would appear on the album, because that's a lucky number according to the Kabbalah. That's why this beautiful track was cut from the album. It did appear as a bonus track on the Asian/Australian edition and as a B-single on the ''Ray Of Light''-single (US and Europe).
This song is based on a track by Orbit, called ''Stereo Odyssee'', which is an instrumental featuring only a high female voice and the credits goes to Madonna, William Orbit and Patrick Leonard.

Madonna - Has To Be (Pander's Outerspace Mix)

In the Mood for Romance....

Madonna's "Justify My Love" has been picked as on of the ten best song to get two people in the mood for romance in a 2,000 people survey looking at music from the last four decades. Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" topped the list with U2's "With or Without You" as second best and Barry White's "My First My Last My Everything" and Serge Gainsbourg's "Je t'aime (Moin non plus)" joint third.

Madonna's "Justify My Love" made the list at #8.

Music psychologist Tomas Chamorro- Premuzic, who carried out the poll for Yahoo Music is quoted as saying in The Mirror newspaper: "Music has arousing effects. One of its functions is to seduce. For this it must have a single lead voice and romantic or sensual lyrics the listener can identify with." He also disclosed that the musician and the music video were crucial.

Here is the special "Top 10 hits":

1. Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing

2. U2 - With or Without You

3. Barry White - My First, My Last, My Everything and Serge Gainsbourg - Je t'aime

4. Chris Isaac - Wicked Game

5. Al Green - Let's Stay Together

6. Nelson Phyllis - Move Closer

7. INXS - I Need You Tonight

8. Madonna - Justify My Love

9. Kylie Minogue - Slow

10. Justin Timberlake - Sexy Back

Madonna - If You Forget Me (Desperate Mix)

This is a poem written by Pablo Neruda, read by Madonna, which appears on the soundtrack of the drama-romance ''Il Postino'' (The Postman).

Madonna - If You Forget Me (Desperate Mix)

I want you to know one thing
You know how this is
If I look at the crystal moon
At the red branch of the slow autumn at my window
If I touch near the fire the impalpable ash
Or the wrinkled body of the log
Everything carries me to you
As if everything that exists
Aromas
Light
Metals
Were little boats that sail toward those isles of yours
That wait for me

Well nowIf little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving youLittle by little
If suddenly you forget me
Do not look for me
For I shall already have forgotten you

If you think it long and mad
The wind of banners that passes through my life
And you decide to leave me at the shore of the heart
Where I have roots
RememberThat on that day
At that hourI shall lift my arms
And my roots will set off to seek another land

But If each day
Each hour
You feel that you are destined for me
With implacable sweetness
If each day a flower climbs up to your lips to seek me
Ahh my love
Ahh my own
In me all that fire is repeated
In me nothing is extinguished or forgotten
My love feeds on your love beloved
And as long as you live
It will be in your arms without leaving mine

Madonna - Amazing (Cannot Stop Myself Dreamy Percussion Dub Mix)

For a long time ''Amazing'' was rumoured to be the fourth single of the album ''Music''. Although some radio stations played it, Warner decided to pull back the commercial single release. The song, often criticized for its striking resemblance with ''Beautiful Stranger'', is the only track on the ''Music'' album that has never been performed live.

Madonna - Amazing (Cannot Stop Myself Dreamy Percussion Dub Mix)

Jump still reigns on Billboard

Jump remains at #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales chart.

Confessions On A Dance Floor moves up another place to #2 on the Top Electronic Album charts - the album has been on this chart for 56 weeks!

Madonna - Human Nature (Live from Drowned World Tour)

In the summer of 1995, the fourth and final single was released from ''Bedtime Stories'' album. With ''Human Nature'' Madonna gets back on her critics, who slagged her off during the ''Erotica'' period.

She ridicules the taboos surrounding sex; "why do people get hung up over something most of us do and enjoy? Get over it, handle it. Express yourself, don't repress yourself." Great message, but it didn't sell: with a #46 in the US it scored even worse than ''Bedtime Story'' single . In the UK, Canada and Japan it scored a bit better with respectively a #8, #9 and #10 position. In the Hot Dance / Club Play it stalled at #2 for three weeks.

On the other hand, it's one of just a few Madonna songs that scored on the R&B airplay chart.

It is still one of my favourite Madonna's songs.

Madonna - Human Nature (Live from Drowned World Tour)

A surprise on the Drowned World Tour was ''Human Nature''. Dressed in a shirt with US flag-motive, Madonna wrapped herself and her dancers up in ropes again for this fantastic song. She climbed on a mechanical bull, dancing on top, while a vocoder played with the lyrics 'oops I didn't know we couldn't talk about seeeeeeeeex!'.

With ''Justify My Love'' and ''Open Your Heart'' photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino had already proven to be a great director. For ''Human Nature'' he filmed Madonna and her dancers in a fantastic choreography. Though they're all dressed in a leather SM-outfit, the video is rather humorous than erotic.

Madonna - Fever (Edit One)

This fourth ''Erotica'' single was released in March 1993, only outside the US and Canada. The dancy cover of the classic Peggy Lee song climbed the charts to #6 in the UK and #7 in Japan. In Australia it stalled at a disappointing #51. In the US Fever was played heavily in clubs, so it became a #1 in the Hot Dance / Club Play chart.

It wasn't released in the US because it was the B-single for ''Bad Girl''. The maxi-single of that song featured several remixes of Fever. The Edit One remix (used in the video) only appeared as a B-single for ''Rain'' in Europe.

Madonna - Fever (Edit One)

The video by Stephane Sednaoui is quite an extraordinary one. Using red as dominating colour, the video shows fast images of a dancing Madonna and a male dancer. Madonna is seen either wearing a red wig and a red dress, or a golden Gaultier outfit with gold-painted hair and skin. The use of bodypaint is typical for Sednaoui's work. The video is set to the Edit One remix of the song.

Madonna - Don't Cry for Me Argentina (Miami Alternate Ending Mix)

As second single from the ''Evita'' soundtrack, Warner released ''Don't Cry For Me Argentina'' late 1996. It was a big hit, reaching #1 in France, Japan, Canada and reaching #3 in the UK and Germany. In the US, the Miami Mix of the song (remixed by Madonna, Pablo Flores and Javier Garza) was promoted to radio and the single was released two months later (maxi-single only, without the album version), in February 1997. This decision made the single reaching only #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 because airplay was already fading.

It did climb to the top of Hot Dance / Club play chart though. Madonna's rendition hit the charts 20 years after Julie Covington got a UK #1 with the very first recording, but it was also covered by numerous other artists, as being the most famous song of the musical.

There was no video made for this song. Instead the original scene from the movie, with Evita singing on the balcony of the Casa Rosada, was used.

Madonna - Don't Cry for Me Argentina (Miami Alternate Ending Mix)

Madonna - Gone Gone Gone

Madonna and William Orbit during recording of ''Ray of Light''

Madonna - Gone Gone Gone

Madonna recorded this song during the Ray Of Light recording sessions, but didn't select it to be on the album. The demo surfaced on the Internet mid 2002.

The song is written by Madonna and Rick Nowless.