| Madonna | |||||
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| Studio album by Madonna | |||||
| Released | July 27 1983 (US) August 1985 (Europe) May 21, 2001 (Remastered) |
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| Recorded | 1982 | ||||
| Genre | Pop | ||||
| Length | 40:47 | ||||
| Label | Sire, Warner Bros. | ||||
| Producer | Reggie Lucas, John "Jellybean" Benitez, Mark Kamins | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
| Madonna chronology | |||||
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| International cover | |||||
| Image:Madonna - the first album.jpg
The First Album
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| Singles from Madonna | |||||
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}} Madonna is the self-titled debut album by pop singer Madonna, released on July 27, 1983 by Sire Records. The album was re-released in 1985 for the European market and re-packaged as Madonna - The First Album. In 2001 Warner Bros. released a remastered version with two bonus remix tracks. It sold two million copies in the US at its time of release, and to date has sold an estimated 8 million copies worldwide[1][2][3].
Contents |
Album history
After achieving success on the dance charts (if not the pop charts) with the first two singles "Everybody" and "Physical Attraction," Sire Records gave Madonna the greenlight to record this full-length album. Though Madonna told New York DJ Mark Kamins she would let him produce the entire album if he got her a record deal (which he did), when it was time to record the full length album, she decided to go with a more experienced producer in Reggie Lucas. This left Kamins credited with producing one song, "Everybody". After production on the album began, Madonna and Lucas clashed, as they each had different ideas of how they wanted the final product to sound. When the album was completed, a dissatisfied Madonna called upon her friend John "Jellybean" Benitez for additional production. Madonna originally intended for the song "Ain't no big deal" to be included on the album, however, Stephen Bray, a former boyfriend and collaborator on the song, had sold the song rights to another label, leaving Madonna and her producers to find another track. The song that made it onto the album was “Holiday”, written by Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens. "Holiday" had originally been offered to, but turned down by, singer Mary Wilson. The artwork that was featured on the original release of the album started the public's fascination with Madonna. On the cover she has short-cropped, platinum hair and stretches a dog chain roughly around her throat. Madonna's navel is prominent on the inner sleeve of the album, which became one of her trademarks. The album was originally slated to be titled Lucky Star, after the track of the same name. It is unknown why the title was changed, but the original artwork created for the album was scrapped and a new, darker direction was taken. The original album title was kept on early pressings of the LP in South Africa and contained a 3:41 version of "Burning Up".[4] The European pressing of the LP contained a different mix of "Burning up", but the CD pressing had the same version as the American pressing. The sound of this album is said to have inspired the artistic direction for Madonna's forthcoming studio album.
Critical response
Madonna received basically decent reviews from critics, and also drew many comments on a "girlish hiccup" in her voice. Don Shewey, in a review for Rolling Stone, called the album "an irresistible invitation to the dance." Sigerson also comments on Madonna's voice, calling it sometimes "irritating as hell," but, "one that grows on the listener." Madonna's simple pop lyrics were also praised, mostly for being so catchy and bare.[5] In 1989, it was ranked #50 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s. In a review for the All Music Guide, Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album five stars out of five and stated that Madonna's debut album "set the standard for dance-pop for the next 20 years" due to its combination of "great pop songs with stylish, state-of-the-art beats." He called the album "utterly irresistible" and "a terrific, nearly timeless, listen."[6]
Track listing
| # | Title | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Lucky Star” Writer(s): Madonna Producer(s): Reggie Lucas |
5:37 |
| 2. | “Borderline” Writer(s): Reggie Lucas Producer(s): Reggie Lucas |
5:20 |
| 3. | “Burning Up” Writer(s): Madonna Producer(s): Reggie Lucas |
3:45 |
| 4. | “I Know It” Writer(s): Madonna Producer(s): Reggie Lucas |
3:47 |
| 5. | “Holiday” Writer(s): Curtis Hudson, Lisa Stevens Producer(s): John ("Jellybean") Benitez |
6:10 |
| 6. | “Think Of Me” Writer(s): Madonna Producer(s): Reggie Lucas |
4:54 |
| 7. | “Physical Attraction” Writer(s): Reggie Lucass Producer(s): Reggie Lucas |
6:39 |
| 8. | “Everybody” Writer(s): Madonna Producer(s): Mark Kamins |
4:55 (on original issue) 6:02 (on remastered issue) |
Singles
| # | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Everybody" | October 1982 |
| 2. | "Burning Up" | March 1983 |
| 3. | "Holiday" | September 1983 |
| 4. | "Borderline" | February 1984 |
| 5. | "Lucky Star" | August 1984 |
Certifications, peaks & sales
| Country | Peak position | Certification (if any) | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 15 | Platinum[7] | 100,000+ |
| Brazil | 3 | Diamond[8] | 500,000 |
| France | 8 | Platinum[9] | 300,000+ |
| Germany | 16 | Gold[10] | 150,000+ |
| Ireland | Gold | 9,195 | |
| Netherlands | 7 | Platinum[11] | 100,000+ |
| Sweden | 2 | Platinum[12] | 45,000+ |
| United Kingdom | 6 | Platinum[13] | 300,000+ |
| United States | 8 | 5x Platinum[14] | 5,000,000+ |
Album credits
Personnel
- Madonna - vocals, background vocals, cowbell
- Tina B. - background vocals
- Christine Faith - background vocals
- Dean Gant - synthesizer, piano, electric piano
- Gwen Guthrie - background vocals
- Curtis Hudson - guitar
- Raymond Hudson - bass
- Anthony Jackson - electric bass
- Bashiri Johnson - percussion
- Reggie Lucas - guitar
- Bob Malach - tenor saxophone
- Paul Pesco - guitar
- Ira Siegel - guitar
- Ed Walsh - synthesizer
- Brenda White - background vocals
- Norma Jean Wright - background vocals
- Fred Zarr - synthesizer, piano, drums, electric piano, Moog synthesizer, Fender Rhodes, Moog bass
Production
- Producers: John "Jellybean" Benitez, Mark Kamins, Reggie Lucas
- Engineers: Jim Dougherty, Michael Hutchinson, Butch Jones
- Mixing engineers: Michael Hutchinson, Jay Mark
- Mixing: John "Jellybean" Benitez, Jay Mark
- Remixing: John "Jellybean" Benitez, Jay Mark
- Drum programming: Reggie Lucas, Leslie Ming
Design
- Arrangers: Curtis Hudson, Fred Zarr
- Art direction: Carin Goldberg
- Photography: Gary Heery
- Photography: George Holy (The First Album)
References
- ^ Madonna Album Charts and Statistics
- ^ Madonna charts and sale figures
- ^ Amazon.co.uk: Madonna Discography
- ^ http://www.madonnadirect.co.uk/madonna.html Madonnadirect.co.uk
- ^ Rolling Stone : Madonna : Review 'Rollingstone.com
- ^ http://www.madonnavillage.com/work/albums/madonna.html Madonnavillage.com
- ^ IFPI Austria
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ IFPI Germany
- ^ NVPI
- ^ [3]
- ^ BPI
- ^ Billboard – Ask Billboard
