The opener for this collection of ballads of Madonna's begins with this track taken from Inner City Blues - Music of Marvin Gaye album. There was a video but no single anywhere. Good, because the song would have failed. The picture above is a shot from the video. Opinion of this song varies from great to terrible. What's my opinion? Umm I listen to this song about 4 times a year. The video is alright, some people feel it is one of her best, I disagree. Black and white video where she waits in her bedroom the whole song for her lover to call. She goes for the phone to dial a couple of time but then resists and hangs up. She turns off the light at the end of the video after waiting and waiting and waiting.. and finally the phone rings! Halleiluyah! But, she picks it up and hangs it up and then leaves it off the hook. I guess he wasn't good enough.
I'll remember - Originally on the Joe Pesci movie With Honors soundtrack. This song was released after Rain and before Secret (in between the albums Erotica and Bedtime Stories). It was her 5th single to get to # 2 and go no higher (thanks to "i swear by the moon and the stars in the sky"). The only difference with this # 2 was that it sat there for 4 friggin weeks and never took the top position. Video wasn't all that. Her hair looks like puke and there was a whole concept involved where one Madonna watches, from the director's chair, what the other Madonna is singing. Her necklace looks like a diamond chandelier and those 2 annoying girls who are on her side for a second singing backup really annoy me. But after all, the song is specatcular!
Take a bow - This song was taken from her Bedtime Stories album. It was at # 1 for 7 weeks back in the days it was released. It beat Like a virgin's 6 weeks reign at # 1. The song/video is about being in love with a famous person (a bull fighter in the video) and it doesn't work out in the end. Madonna has not had a # 1 single in the U.S. since this song, it was her 11th. #12 still awaits us!
You'll see - 1st single off this album which was a new track. It made it all the way to # 6 and then proceeded down hill. I know what was in the top 5 that week but I will not say. The song is beautiful and we all can relate in some way. Especially when are alone/depressed after a break up. Video is a continuation from the Take a bow video where the bull fighter seems very pissed that Madonna's out of his life. He tries to get her back but she gets away on the train and the plane. Point is he realized he messed up but it was too late. I guess she was right... You'll See. There was a spanish version of this song where she sings it all in Spanish with the same music, that can be found on the maxi single of this song, also on the maxi is Live to tell live. The Spanglish (half English half Spanish) version of this song can be found on the One more chance single which was released outside the U.S..
Crazy for you - Madonna's 2nd song to hit # 1 (her first # 1 ballad). This song was taken from the Vision Quest soundtrack 1985. The B-side of this song was a non-Madonna track titled "No more Words". Crazy for you was re-released in 1991 outside the U.S.. This song knocked We are the World out of the # 1 spot back in 1985. We weren't so 'crazy' for the video though. Clips from the movie along with Madonna singing in a bar/lounge from the movie weren't too interesting. The video for Gambler (released outside the U.S. (from the same movie)) is basically the same except theres a split screen for like 2 seconds and some censuring of advertisements in the bar can be pointed out.. Great Special Effects!
This used to be my playground - # 1 song from the moive A league of their own. However, it was NOT on the soundtrack. Good move! You had to buy the single. It was available a little later on an olympic benefit album, but I will not promote that garbage. The single contains the radio version (what we're all used to) and the "long version" which had an extra verse which was only really played during the ending credits of the movie. This song was released after Rescue Me and before Erotica. The video is quite drooling to watch today, but back in 1992 I thought it was really cool to turn pages of a book and each page has different videos from the movie and Madonna doing whatever. A man, whose face we never see, opens the book and turns the pages. I'm not sure who he's supposed to represent and at the end he closes the book. Funny how this video was in between the highly sexually themed Justify my love and Erotica videos. This song is one of her most touching, sentimental, and is responsible for many many tears.
Live to tell - Taken from the At close range soundtrack / True Blue album (whatever you prefer), this song went to # 1 back in 1986. It's great to put this song right after This used to be my playground because you are still in that depressing mood. The video is majorly boring where she sits on a chair and sings, looking like a kindergarten teacher. Clips from the movie At close range are shown periodically through out the video. This song seems to never end.
Love don't live here anymore - This was the 2nd single that the U.S. got off of this album (4th released outside U.S.). It was originally on her Like a virgin album. Why she released this in 1995? I don't think anyone knows. Maybe Madonna can come up with a good explanation for it. This song got all the way up to # 78. I can't believe it beat some of her other songs on the chart. It did hit # 1 on the bubbling under chart, LOL. (that sort of sounds good for those who don't know what bubbling under chart is). Surprisingly, this is not her worst chart peak.. Nothing really matters, Everybody, and Burning up all did worse. The video is horrible according to like 99% of people. It's one lonnnngggg shot containing a 3 minute zoom in and a 1 minute zoom out of her walking around a poll and a room looking VERY similar to the room in the Like a virgin video.
Something to remember - Originally on the I'm Breathless - music from Dick Tracy album. This was never released as a single anywhere, don't get me wrong, I am NOT complaining, just informing. This could have made a cool video in 1995, like a looking back at a failed relationship or something. It's a good song lyrically, it's a good growing/advancing in life experience.
Forbidden love - Funny how Madonna remembers it now, but when it comes time for releasing singles the previous year, she didn't remember it. This is the 2nd song taken from the Bedtime Stories album. It is a beautiful song which we all love, resembles Take a bow in a way. Why is the love forbidden? Is it a homosexual thing? an incest thing? an age thing? Use your imagination!
One more chance - 3rd single outside the U.S., not a single here. It definately would have done better then Love don't live here anymore if it was released here. A good video could have been made for this story telling song. This song is nothing specatcular but it sounds like 'more then words' by Extreme. Who is she referring to in this song? An old relationship? or her fans? The public after all the controversy that went on?
Rain - Originally on the Erotica album. It hit #14 back when it was released. I'm still a little skeptical in believing that that is her on the single cover. I don't understand the whole meaning behind this song. Ok, I don't have a fondness for Rain as a song and as a video. Supposedly, I'm not a true fan for not like either of them I've been told. Whatev.
Oh father - 2nd single released after this album was,(outside U.S. b/c we already got it in 1989). The single cover in 1996 contained a shot from the video in 1989. I think she looks terrible in that shot. A fantastic song but I would be a little hesitant in releasing it as a single ESPECIALLY in the U.S.. The video was magnificent and fit ths song perfectly. Great storyline!
I want you (orchestral) - A waste of space. The look of love would have fit perfectly here. I don't see why she opened and closed this album with the same track.
SOMETHING TO REMEMBER - 1995
