FEATURE:
An Immaculate Collection
IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 1983/PHOTO CREDIT: Gary Heery
Madonna and My Introduction to Pop Music
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THIS is not tied to any anniversaries…
PHOTO CREDIT: Madonna
but I wanted to use one of thew last feature of 2021 to discuss a Pop icon. I have been a fan of Madonna since the 1980s. Whereas The Beatles were probably the first Pop act I heard as a child, Madonna was someone who opened my eyes and mind to something else. Mixing accessibility and something commercial with a very distinct sound and set of lyrics, she is still someone very much in the public eye and affection. Her eponymous debut album is forty next year. It was released the same year I was born, so I always feel a slightly attachment to it because of that. Also, at some point next year, the Madonna biopic is going to be released. Starring Julia Garner, Madonna is directing the film (I believe she has also co-written the screenplay). I have written about Madonna a lot through the years but, as I am forty next year, I have been thinking more about the artists who inspired me and got me into music. There is no doubt Madonna is among the most important. Whereas a lot of artists I grew up listening to are no longer recording or has died, Madonna continues on strong. Maybe she will not tour much going forward, but we will definitely hear more music from her. It is great that there is always news. Something is always happening. A remastered and beautiful video for Rain (from 1992’s Erotica) is on YouTube.
As I have said before, Material Girl (from 1984’s Like a Virgin) was my first taste of her music. People will celebrate the fortieth anniversary of her debut album in July, and I will write a series of features in the lead-up. A song that has evaded streaming sites for years is finally available. The lesser-known but great track, Gambler, is available. Originally released in 1985, fans can finally get to experience it digitally. Billboard explain more:
“Three versions of the high-energy tune — the 7” version, an extended dance mix and an instrumental mix — are all now available globally on streaming providers and digital storefronts via Rhino and Warner Music Group. Previously, the song (in its 7” version) was only available on the Vision Quest film soundtrack (released by Geffen Records), while the dance mix and instrumental mix were previously available decades ago on physical singles outside of the U.S. “Gambler” has never been included on any Madonna album.
So why now for this long-awaited debut? “It was Madonna’s personal request,” according to a representative at Rhino. It’s the latest release in the ongoing catalog campaign announced in 2021. While “Gambler” is the final Madonna reissue from Rhino/Warner in 2022, Rhino promises “more fun things to look forward to in 2023” and that “Gambler” is “just a small glimpse of what fans can expect” next year.
Of note, while there is an official music video for “Gambler,” it will not receive a remastered digital HD upgrade (as some of her videos have garnered in the past). And there are no current plans to issue “Gambler” on physical single formats – such as a 12” vinyl single.
“Gambler” – written by Madonna and produced by John “Jellybean” Benitez – was one of two songs Madonna contributed to the Vision Quest album. The other was her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit ballad “Crazy for You,” also produced by Jellybean. (Madonna has a cameo in the film as a club singer, and she’s seen performing both songs briefly in the movie.)
While “Gambler” was never released as a single in the United States, it was a hit outside America, reaching the top 10 on Billboard’s European Hot 100 Singles chart and on the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart.
Though American fans did not get a proper single release for “Gambler,” an official music video was played by U.S. MTV in 1985 from late January through late February, and again from late June through early July. Fans who attended Madonna’s The Virgin Tour concert that summer also saw her perform the track live. The trek was commemorated on the longform home video Madonna Live: The Virgin Tour, which was released in November 1985. The Virgin Tour spent five weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Music Video Sales chart in early 1986”.
An artist who remains so crucial in my life, it is a time of year to look forward, but also to look back. I have been thinking about music and its meaning. How it can help you cope with hard times in the current time, but also connect you to your childhood. Someone whose music has given me so much happiness through the years, I think next year will be a big one for her. In addition to the biopic, there are a couple of big anniversaries. Ray of Light, one of her best albums, is twenty-five in February. I am going to mark that anniversary closer to the time. I think a lot of music fans have Madonna to thank for giving them so much through the decades. There is no doubt that the Queen of Pop will go down in history as…
ONE of the all-time greats.