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hate her, but chances are you have some strong opinion of Madonna. If you've read my other chartopper columns it comes as no surprise that, for the past 20 years, I've adored her! And she continues to inspire me with each new album. For the next few months, in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the release of her very first record, I'll be looking back at Madonna's amazing career and talking about each release! We'll have some fun trivia with great prizes so stay tuned and please keep reading Chartoppers: Madonna! Email me at chris@fredflare.com. I'd love to hear your stories about Madonna! Xxoo, Chris Click here for Chartoppers: the 80’s! |
 "Let’s get unconscious, honey," Madonna sings in the title track to her 1994 release Bedtime Stories. And when you think of all that she’s accomplished in her 20-year career, it could really make you unconscious… honey! I kinda look at Bedtime Stories as Madonna’s first fight back in the ring after critics and fans clobbered her on her previous sexed-up work like The Sex Book, Erotica and Body of Evidence. In the opening track "Survival," she sings about, well, surviving. In "Human Nature" she states, "I didn’t know I couldn’t talk about sex." Now, I’m not gonna give you my opinion of Madge’s trio of "in yo’ face!" sexcapades just yet but it’s clear that the resulting backlash had an effect on her. I love how she turned the negative press into a creative outlet on this record and, although it was a quieter release for her, it ultimately marked a lot of changes in her path as a musician and artist. Madonna’s music has always had some type of message – usually something along the line of "Get out there and dance!", "You can do it!" or "Express yourself!" – but I think Bedtime Stories has a softer, more gentle approach. With singles like "Secret", "Take a Bow", "Bedtime Story" and "Human Nature", you can tell she’s looking more into the soul of relationships. I use the word "soul" also because the record has a distinct R&B vibe, way before R&B and Hip Hop ruled the charts as they do today. I think her videos of this period also have a soulful style and grace. I love the video for "Secret" where she struts down the streets of Harlem with her platinum ‘do and a nose ring! And how about "Take a Bow", where she goes all Spanish and is obsessed with that hot bull fighter? (Did you know that this song is actually Madonna’s biggest #1 single ever? More about that later… ) Also, the "Take a Bow" video actually helped secure Madonna the role of Evita after she sent the director, Alan Parker, a copy of it along with a 20-page letter… I just love her drive and determination. It always inspires me. And then there’s the totally triphopped-out video for "Bedtime Story," directed by Mark Romanek. This big budget vid has twirling dervishes, rotating cubes of ancient mysticism and a pregnant Madonna giving birth to a flock of doves. Let’s also not forget "Human Nature" which, in my opinion, has one of the best dance sequences in a video, next to "Love is a Battlefield". It’s funny, sexy and simple, practically a post-modern revision to her early "Lucky Star". Madonna and a group of dancers in black bondage gear are all trapped in a grid of white boxes and must dance to escape. It’s a clear message: Box up Madonna and she’s gonna sass her way out for sure! The Bedtime Stories singles I’ve just described did some funny things on the charts, though. Like I mentioned before, "Take a Bow" was Madonna’s biggest #1 hit ever, spending about 6 weeks at the top. But "Bedtime Story" didn’t even crack the Top 40. This single, in fact, ended Madonna’s Top 40 winning streak. Written by Björk, its trance-induced electronic vibe is at clear odds with the rest of the album. Despite it’s lack of commercial success, this sparkling gem would take Madonna on a totally new path, into the musical realm of electronica. Now, in typical Chris fashion, I am going to look back and find the connection between what was happening in Madonna’s career with what I was going through at the same time in my life. Always searching for meaning am I... This quest brings me back to Chicago in 1994 when I was working at Urban Outfitters. I had recently graduated from architecture school and, at that time, the market was all dried up. My job search led me to a poster tacked up on a storefront under construction on Clark Street. Urban Outfitters was opening their first store in Chicago and was hiring for all positions. I was stoked. The company was young and creative, perfect for me make some money while I searched for that perfect job in architecture. As we opened that first store, and then a second one, I experienced the best and worst times of my life. While I worked at Urban I went from being a sales associate to a team leader to the display artist to area display supervisor and I think I had about 200 friends in the company at any given time. My co-workers were the best! We were like our very own party happening people society. It was a special time for all of us in Chicago at Urban and we all just clicked. We didn’t get paid very much then and had to work really hard so, as a reward, we partied down with any cash we had! It was so much fun and everyone had a special handpicked nickname that reflected their personality. I was Dirty (Don’t ask…) Then there was Tiara, Rhoda, Red Hot, Crazy Matt, Sushi, Super Blue, Glamour, Sandra Dee, Hank, Silver Backpack Girl, LaLa, Phone Girl, Cat Boy, Cokey, Glitter, Snobby Josh, Kitty and Lulu just to name a few. We were the poster children for Chicago’s post-Grunge glam rock 90’s teen angst elite and we loved every minute of it. With me, Kitty and Lulu as the core group, we ruled over everything glamorous and super cute while we sipped Chocolate Martinis at the Pepper Lounge, nibbled on artichoke fritters at Iggy’s, threw darts at the Sea of Happiness, gossiped at the Zebra Lounge, rocked out at the Metro and boogied at Berlin! This Pax Urbana lasted about 3 years and then things started to change. I slowly found myself not really liking my job anymore… Hey, hadn’t I wanted to be an architect? Where had all my dreams gone? They seemed so out of reach at the time. Until I found my very own Bedtime Story, my sparkling gem that would save me and take me on a new path. I had found Keith. We had traveled in similar circles for a while but had never met until I saw him in a little play in Chicago. His character was Casper Veggieburger with a Dolly Parton obsession. I loved him instantly and did everything I could to meet him. One night he showed up an Urban party with a co-worker of mine. We talked for hours and ended up staying out all night together to watch the sunrise. It rained. But, we’ve been together ever since. Like Madonna sings in "Secret," things haven’t been the same since you came into my life… 07/16/03 |
