I'm Breathless
Encyclopedia
I'm Breathless: Music from and Inspired by the film Dick Tracy is the second soundtrack album by American
singer-songwriter Madonna
, released on May 22, 1990, by Sire Records
. It was recorded to promote and accompany the film Dick Tracy, released in the summer of 1990.
With songs from or inspired by the film Dick Tracy, the album is an eclectic mix of soundtrack numbers and other songs. The album, musically, consists predominantly of Broadway
showtune-flavoured jazz
, swing and Big Band
numbers inspired by the music of the 1940s
; despite this, however, there are traces of contemporary pop
music within the album, including the final track, "Vogue", which is a dance-pop
song with a house
beat and disco influences. The album contains "Sooner or Later
", a jazz song from the film composed by Stephen Sondheim
which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song
at the 1991 awards. Overall, the album received a mixed to positive reception from music critics; reviewers applauded Stephen Sondheim numbers, as well as the final track "Vogue", and Madonna's vocals were praised; however, some deemed the non-film songs to be of little value. The album was commercially successful; it reached the top ten in the US
as well as in several other countries. The Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) certified it Gold, Platinum and 2x Platinum on July 30, 1990, denoting two million shipments in the United States and has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide.
The album spawned two singles. The first, "Vogue", was one of Madonna's most successful and one of the world's best-selling singles, having sold over 6 million copies globally, and reaching number one in over 30 countries. It was also critically acclaimed, featuring in several critic lists, and it has been deemed an influential song, considered to have helped bring house
into mainstream American popular music
. The video was also successful, helping bring vogueing
into mainstream popularity. The next single, "Hanky Panky
", also did well commercially, reaching the top ten in the US and the UK; the song was noted by critics for its double entendres and innuendos.
In support of both I'm Breathless and her previous album, Like a Prayer
, Madonna embarked on her Blond Ambition World Tour
; the concert tour was critically acclaimed, winning an award at the 1990 Pollstar Concert Industry Awards
; despite this, however, it was controversial for its sexual content as well as its usage of Catholic imagery, leading Pope John Paul II
to call for a boycott
, with one of Madonna's concerts in Italy
being cancelled. Madonna has performed songs from the album in numerous occasions; Madonna performed "Sooner or Later" at the 1991 Oscar Awards
wearing a dress inspired by American actress Marilyn Monroe
, and it was deemed the seventh "most awesome" Academy Award performance by Billboard
. Madonna also performed "Vogue" at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards
, wearing 18th century
Marie Antoinette
-inspired clothes alongside her dancers. Madonna has performed "Vogue" on four of her concert tours.
The success of the single "Vogue" (originally intended to be the B-side of "Keep It Together"), which was released prior to the album, combined with the publicity of Dick Tracy and Madonna's Blond Ambition Tour
, gave I'm Breathless a significant sales boost. I'm Breathless reached number two on the Billboard 200
, reaching platinum status in three months. The second hit, "Hanky Panky
", kept the album in the charts for several months, although it was eventually overtaken by Madonna's The Immaculate Collection
, released at the end of the year. As a consequence of this, two more planned single releases from the album, "Now I'm Following You" which was remixed by Grammy Award-winning remixer Mark Saunders but never released (12" remix can be heard on his website at www.marksaunders.com), and "Sooner or Later", were canceled in favor of "Justify My Love
" and "Rescue Me
". Madonna performed "Sooner or Later", "Hanky Panky", "Now I'm Following You", and "Vogue" on her 1990 Blond Ambition Tour
; that same year she also performed "Vogue" at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards
, and 3 years later she included "Vogue" and "I'm Going Bananas" on her 1993 Girlie Show Tour. Both "Vogue" and "Hanky Panky" were included on her 2004 Re-Invention Tour. Later she performed "Vogue" on her 2008-09 Sticky & Sweet Tour
.
"Sooner or Later
," one of three songs written for the soundtrack by Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim
, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1991, and Madonna performed the song live at the award show. The song "Something to Remember" was included in Madonna's ballads compilation album of the same name
. Rolling Stone
magazine stated: "No other pop star today could—or probably would - make an album like this." Madonna commented in a 1998 interview that this album is one of her favorites, saying: "I love every song on that album."
("More"), Latin music ("I'm Going Bananas"), power ballad ("He's A Man") torch
("What Can You Lose") and deep house
("Vogue").
gave the album an A grade, claiming that, when it comes to campiness, Madonna "knows how to do it right". Mark Coleman from Rolling Stone
gave the album a three-and-a-half out of five stars and positive review, claiming that Madonna "pulls it off with brass and panache", and that one of the album's tracks and singles, "Vogue", shows that she "can still deliver that indefinable something extra". Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine
also gave the album a favourable review, as well as four out of five stars, claiming that "I'm Breathless proves that Madonna is a true renaissance woman". J. Randy Taraborrelli
, in his book Madonna: An Intimate Biography
, gave the album a favourable review, writing that it was "one of Madonna's greatest musical moments", and praising her vocal performance.
Entertainment Weekly
gave the I'm Breathless a D grade as well as a negative review, claiming that it "sounds gruesomely forced", yet, asserting that "Vogue" is an album highlight. Furthermore, Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine
also gave the album a relatively mixed to unfavourable review, claiming that the album's songs are just "cutesy novelty numbers", yet, also writing that "Vogue" is a standout track.
, which spanned three different continents (Asia, North America and Europe). Consisting of 57 dates, the tour was divided into five sections, the first inspired by the 1927 German expressionist film
Metropolis
, the second by religious themes
, the third by the film Dick Tracy and cabaret
, the fourth by Art Deco
, whilst the fifth was an encore. The show, with sexual themes, also contained Catholic imagery, such as in Madonna's performance of "Like a Prayer
", which was based in church-like surroundings with Madonna wearing a crucifix
and her backup dancers dressed like priest
s and nun
s. The concert's sexual content and religious imagery proved controversial; in Toronto
Canada
, Madonna was threatened of being arrested for obscenity, and Pope John Paul II later called for a boycott, with one of the three Italian dates being cancelled. Despite this, the tour was a critical success, winning "Most Creative Stage Production" at the 1990 Pollstar Concert Industry Awards.
Songs from the album have been performed live in notable performances. At the 1991 Academy Awards
, Madonna performed the Oscar-winning "Sooner or Later", clad in a Marilyn Monroe-inspired gown and a set resembling classic Hollywood. The performance was ranked as the seventh "most awesome" performance in the history of the award show by Billboard. The song "Vogue" was also famously performed at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards, where Madonna and her dancers were clad in 18th century-inspired fashions. The performance of "Vogue" was later ranked by Billboard as the sixth best performance in the history of the award show. Madonna has performed "Vogue" in four of her concert tours, including the Blond Ambition World Tour, The Girlie Show Tour
, the Re-Invention Tour and the Sticky & Sweet Tour
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, released on May 22, 1990, by Sire Records
Sire Records
Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
. It was recorded to promote and accompany the film Dick Tracy, released in the summer of 1990.
With songs from or inspired by the film Dick Tracy, the album is an eclectic mix of soundtrack numbers and other songs. The album, musically, consists predominantly of Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
showtune-flavoured jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, swing and Big Band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
numbers inspired by the music of the 1940s
1940s in music
For music from a year in the 1940s, go to 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49This article includes an overview of the major events and trends in popular music in the 1940s....
; despite this, however, there are traces of contemporary pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
music within the album, including the final track, "Vogue", which is a dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
song with a house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
beat and disco influences. The album contains "Sooner or Later
Sooner or Later (Madonna song)
"Sooner or Later" is a song recorded by the American pop singer Madonna, and written by the American composer Stephen Sondheim, for the 1990 film, Dick Tracy...
", a jazz song from the film composed by Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
at the 1991 awards. Overall, the album received a mixed to positive reception from music critics; reviewers applauded Stephen Sondheim numbers, as well as the final track "Vogue", and Madonna's vocals were praised; however, some deemed the non-film songs to be of little value. The album was commercially successful; it reached the top ten in the US
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
as well as in several other countries. The Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) certified it Gold, Platinum and 2x Platinum on July 30, 1990, denoting two million shipments in the United States and has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide.
The album spawned two singles. The first, "Vogue", was one of Madonna's most successful and one of the world's best-selling singles, having sold over 6 million copies globally, and reaching number one in over 30 countries. It was also critically acclaimed, featuring in several critic lists, and it has been deemed an influential song, considered to have helped bring house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
into mainstream American popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
. The video was also successful, helping bring vogueing
Vogue (dance)
Vogue or voguing is a highly stylized, modern house dance that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene in the 1960s. It gained mainstream exposure when it was featured in Madonna's song and video "Vogue" , and when showcased in the 1990 documentary Paris is Burning...
into mainstream popularity. The next single, "Hanky Panky
Hanky Panky (Madonna song)
"Hanky Panky" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was the second and final single release from her soundtrack album I'm Breathless on June 30, 1990 by Sire Records. The song caused some controversy because of its innuendo and racy lyrics...
", also did well commercially, reaching the top ten in the US and the UK; the song was noted by critics for its double entendres and innuendos.
In support of both I'm Breathless and her previous album, Like a Prayer
Like a Prayer
Like a Prayer is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 21, 1989 by Sire Records, three years after her previous studio album. Madonna worked with Stephen Bray, Patrick Leonard, and fellow icon Prince on the album while co-writing and co-producing all the...
, Madonna embarked on her Blond Ambition World Tour
Blond Ambition World Tour
The Blond Ambition World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Madonna. The tour was launched in support of her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer, and the soundtrack, I'm Breathless. The tour reached North America, Europe and Asia. It was a highly controversial tour,...
; the concert tour was critically acclaimed, winning an award at the 1990 Pollstar Concert Industry Awards
Pollstar
Pollstar is a concert tour industry's leading trade publication that gets its information primarily from the agents, managers and promoters who are producing concerts. Founded in 1981, it is based in Fresno, California and has an office in London with correspondents in six countries. Pollstar is...
; despite this, however, it was controversial for its sexual content as well as its usage of Catholic imagery, leading Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
to call for a boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
, with one of Madonna's concerts in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
being cancelled. Madonna has performed songs from the album in numerous occasions; Madonna performed "Sooner or Later" at the 1991 Oscar Awards
63rd Academy Awards
The 63rd Academy Awards were presented March 25, 1991 at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. The show was hosted by Billy Crystal.The prominent winner was Dances with Wolves which earned seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Joe Pesci winning Best Supporting Actor...
wearing a dress inspired by American actress Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
, and it was deemed the seventh "most awesome" Academy Award performance by Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
. Madonna also performed "Vogue" at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards
1990 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1990 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 6, 1990, honoring the best music videos from June 2, 1989, to June 1, 1990. The show was hosted by Arsenio Hall at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles....
, wearing 18th century
1750-1795 in fashion
Fashion in the 1750–1795 in European countries and North America was characterised by greater abundance, elaboration and intricacy in clothing designs, inspired by the Rococo artistic trends of the period...
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
-inspired clothes alongside her dancers. Madonna has performed "Vogue" on four of her concert tours.
Background
There are four songs from the film on the album: "Sooner or Later", "More", "What Can You Lose?" and "Now I'm Following You", although the latter song appears here in a version different from the one in the film (the film version was not performed by Madonna, but by the composer, Andy Paley). I'm Breathless can be considered another Madonna album, despite officially being a soundtrack album, or songs "from and inspired by" the film.The success of the single "Vogue" (originally intended to be the B-side of "Keep It Together"), which was released prior to the album, combined with the publicity of Dick Tracy and Madonna's Blond Ambition Tour
Blond Ambition Tour
The Blond Ambition World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Madonna. The tour was launched in support of her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer, and the soundtrack, I'm Breathless. The tour reached North America, Europe and Asia. It was a highly controversial tour,...
, gave I'm Breathless a significant sales boost. I'm Breathless reached number two on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, reaching platinum status in three months. The second hit, "Hanky Panky
Hanky Panky (Madonna song)
"Hanky Panky" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was the second and final single release from her soundtrack album I'm Breathless on June 30, 1990 by Sire Records. The song caused some controversy because of its innuendo and racy lyrics...
", kept the album in the charts for several months, although it was eventually overtaken by Madonna's The Immaculate Collection
The Immaculate Collection
The Immaculate Collection is the first greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 9, 1990 by Sire Records. It contains fifteen of her hit singles from 1982 to 1990, as well as two new tracks "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me"...
, released at the end of the year. As a consequence of this, two more planned single releases from the album, "Now I'm Following You" which was remixed by Grammy Award-winning remixer Mark Saunders but never released (12" remix can be heard on his website at www.marksaunders.com), and "Sooner or Later", were canceled in favor of "Justify My Love
Justify My Love
"Justify My Love" is the first single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 1990 greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection and was released on November 6, 1990, by Sire Records. It caused international controversy due to the accompanying music video which was sexually explicit...
" and "Rescue Me
Rescue Me (Madonna song)
"Rescue Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was the second single to be released from her 1990 greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection on February 26, 1991 by Sire Records...
". Madonna performed "Sooner or Later", "Hanky Panky", "Now I'm Following You", and "Vogue" on her 1990 Blond Ambition Tour
Blond Ambition Tour
The Blond Ambition World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Madonna. The tour was launched in support of her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer, and the soundtrack, I'm Breathless. The tour reached North America, Europe and Asia. It was a highly controversial tour,...
; that same year she also performed "Vogue" at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
, and 3 years later she included "Vogue" and "I'm Going Bananas" on her 1993 Girlie Show Tour. Both "Vogue" and "Hanky Panky" were included on her 2004 Re-Invention Tour. Later she performed "Vogue" on her 2008-09 Sticky & Sweet Tour
Sticky & Sweet Tour
The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth worldwide concert tour by American singer Madonna to promote her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy. It began in August 2008 and was Madonna's first tour from her new recording and business deal with Live Nation. The tour was announced in February 2008, with...
.
"Sooner or Later
Sooner or Later (Madonna song)
"Sooner or Later" is a song recorded by the American pop singer Madonna, and written by the American composer Stephen Sondheim, for the 1990 film, Dick Tracy...
," one of three songs written for the soundtrack by Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1991, and Madonna performed the song live at the award show. The song "Something to Remember" was included in Madonna's ballads compilation album of the same name
Something to Remember
Something to Remember is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 7, 1995 by Maverick Records. It came after a controversial period of Madonna in the 1990s and at this time critics had deemed her career over...
. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine stated: "No other pop star today could—or probably would - make an album like this." Madonna commented in a 1998 interview that this album is one of her favorites, saying: "I love every song on that album."
Musical composition
I'm Breathless is essentially composed of 1940s popular music, with influences of Broadway showtunes, including Big Band, jazz, swing and traditional pop; despite this, however, some of the songs also incorporate elements of contemporary pop music. The song "Vogue", however, breaks from this type of jazz/pop nature of the album, being a disco-styled dance-pop song with house beats. Influences of other genres can be heard within the I'm Breathless, including jiveSwing (genre)
Swing music, also known as swing jazz or simply swing, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States...
("More"), Latin music ("I'm Going Bananas"), power ballad ("He's A Man") torch
Torch song
A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affected the relationship...
("What Can You Lose") and deep house
Deep house
Deep house is a subgenre of house music that fuses elements of Chicago house into the 1980s jazz-funk and touches of soul music. In the early compositions , influences of jazz music were most frequently brought out by using more complex chords than simple triads which are held for many bars and...
("Vogue").
Critical reception
I'm Breathless has received generally positive reviews. Critic Robert ChristgauRobert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
gave the album an A grade, claiming that, when it comes to campiness, Madonna "knows how to do it right". Mark Coleman from Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
gave the album a three-and-a-half out of five stars and positive review, claiming that Madonna "pulls it off with brass and panache", and that one of the album's tracks and singles, "Vogue", shows that she "can still deliver that indefinable something extra". Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
also gave the album a favourable review, as well as four out of five stars, claiming that "I'm Breathless proves that Madonna is a true renaissance woman". J. Randy Taraborrelli
J. Randy Taraborrelli
John Randall Taraborrelli is an American journalist and biographer.Taraborrelli is an author known for biographies of contemporary entertainers and political figures. He is a featured writer in several entertainment magazines in Canada, England, and Australia...
, in his book Madonna: An Intimate Biography
Madonna: An Intimate Biography
Madonna: An Intimate Biography is a book by American author J. Randy Taraborrelli, chronicling the life of American recording artist Madonna. The book was released in April 2001 by Sidgwick & Jackson in the United Kingdom, and in August 2001 by Simon & Schuster in the United States...
, gave the album a favourable review, writing that it was "one of Madonna's greatest musical moments", and praising her vocal performance.
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the I'm Breathless a D grade as well as a negative review, claiming that it "sounds gruesomely forced", yet, asserting that "Vogue" is an album highlight. Furthermore, Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
also gave the album a relatively mixed to unfavourable review, claiming that the album's songs are just "cutesy novelty numbers", yet, also writing that "Vogue" is a standout track.
Promotion and live performances
I'm Breathless, alongside Madonna's previous album, Like A Prayer, was promoted in Madonna's third concert tour, the Blond Ambition World TourBlond Ambition World Tour
The Blond Ambition World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Madonna. The tour was launched in support of her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer, and the soundtrack, I'm Breathless. The tour reached North America, Europe and Asia. It was a highly controversial tour,...
, which spanned three different continents (Asia, North America and Europe). Consisting of 57 dates, the tour was divided into five sections, the first inspired by the 1927 German expressionist film
German Expressionism
German Expressionism refers to a number of related creative movements beginning in Germany before the First World War that reached a peak in Berlin, during the 1920s...
Metropolis
Metropolis (film)
Metropolis is a 1927 German expressionist film in the science-fiction genre directed by Fritz Lang. Produced in Germany during a stable period of the Weimar Republic, Metropolis is set in a futuristic urban dystopia and makes use of this context to explore the social crisis between workers and...
, the second by religious themes
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, the third by the film Dick Tracy and cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
, the fourth by Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
, whilst the fifth was an encore. The show, with sexual themes, also contained Catholic imagery, such as in Madonna's performance of "Like a Prayer
Like a Prayer (song)
"Like a Prayer" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna on her fourth studio album of the same name . It was released on March 21, 1989, by Sire Records as the album's lead single...
", which was based in church-like surroundings with Madonna wearing a crucifix
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
and her backup dancers dressed like priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
s and nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s. The concert's sexual content and religious imagery proved controversial; in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Madonna was threatened of being arrested for obscenity, and Pope John Paul II later called for a boycott, with one of the three Italian dates being cancelled. Despite this, the tour was a critical success, winning "Most Creative Stage Production" at the 1990 Pollstar Concert Industry Awards.
Songs from the album have been performed live in notable performances. At the 1991 Academy Awards
63rd Academy Awards
The 63rd Academy Awards were presented March 25, 1991 at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. The show was hosted by Billy Crystal.The prominent winner was Dances with Wolves which earned seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Joe Pesci winning Best Supporting Actor...
, Madonna performed the Oscar-winning "Sooner or Later", clad in a Marilyn Monroe-inspired gown and a set resembling classic Hollywood. The performance was ranked as the seventh "most awesome" performance in the history of the award show by Billboard. The song "Vogue" was also famously performed at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards, where Madonna and her dancers were clad in 18th century-inspired fashions. The performance of "Vogue" was later ranked by Billboard as the sixth best performance in the history of the award show. Madonna has performed "Vogue" in four of her concert tours, including the Blond Ambition World Tour, The Girlie Show Tour
The Girlie Show Tour
The Girlie Show World Tour was the fourth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna, in support of her fifth studio album, Erotica. The tour visited the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Madonna's inspiration for the name of the tour was a painting called "Girlie Show" by Edward Hopper...
, the Re-Invention Tour and the Sticky & Sweet Tour
Sticky & Sweet Tour
The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth worldwide concert tour by American singer Madonna to promote her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy. It began in August 2008 and was Madonna's first tour from her new recording and business deal with Live Nation. The tour was announced in February 2008, with...
.
Track listing
Additional notes- "Sooner or Later", "More" and "What Can You Lose" are from the motion picture Dick Tracy
- "Sooner or Later" has an official title of "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)"; this credit was used at the 1991 Academy AwardsAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
- "Vogue": *denotes Executive Producer
Album credits
- Vocals: MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
- Additional vocals: Warren BeattyWarren BeattyWarren Beatty born March 30, 1937) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and director. He has received a total of fourteen Academy Award nominations, winning one for Best Director in 1982. He has also won four Golden Globe Awards including the Cecil B. DeMille Award.-Early life and...
(Parts I & II of "Now I'm Following You"), Mandy PatinkinMandy PatinkinMandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin is an award-winning American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. He is a noted interpreter of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim, and is best-known for his work in musical theatre, originating iconic roles such as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park...
("What Can You Lose") - Drums: Jeffrey Porcaro, Carlos Vega and John Guerin
- Percussion: Luis Conte
- Drum programming: Patrick LeonardPatrick LeonardPatrick Raymond Leonard is an American songwriter, keyboardist and music producer, known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna on many different recordings....
- Bass: Guy Pratt, Abraham LaborielAbraham LaborielAbraham Laboriel, Sr. is a Mexican bassist of Garifuna descent who has played on over 4,000 recordings and soundtracks. Guitar Player Magazine described him as "the most widely used session bassist of our time". Laboriel is the father of drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. and of producer, songwriter, and...
and Bob Magnusson - Bass synth by Patrick LeonardPatrick LeonardPatrick Raymond Leonard is an American songwriter, keyboardist and music producer, known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna on many different recordings....
- Keyboards: Patrick LeonardPatrick LeonardPatrick Raymond Leonard is an American songwriter, keyboardist and music producer, known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna on many different recordings....
- Piano: Bill Schneider
- Kazoo: Steph Harmon
- Acoustic piano: Randy Waldman
- Tenor sax: Bob Cooper
- Alto sax: Abe Most
- Tambourine: Nicole Fossati
- Saxophone: Dave Boruff and Jeff Clayton
- Flute: Paul Capolupo and Thomas Gilmore
- Oboe: Luke T. Death
- Clarinet: Abe Most and Mahlon Clark
- Trumpet: Tony TerranTony TerranAnthony Terran or Tony Terran is an American trumpet player and session musician.Regarded as one of the most versatile trumpet players in the music business, Terran had an impact on the Los Angeles music scene for more than four decades as a specialist of many musical styles...
- Trombone: Charlie Loper
- Hi hat: Jonathan Moffett
- Bells: Ken Leanfore
- Mariachis: Samuel Nolasco and Xavier Serrano
- Background vocals: Nathan Jolly, Donna DeLoryDonna DeLoryDonna De Lory is an American singer, dancer and songwriter. Part of a musical family, De Lory has been performing since a young age. Her voice can be heard on albums by Carly Simon, Ray Parker, Jr., Kim Carnes, Santana, Laura Branigan, Belinda Carlisle, Mylène Farmer and Madonna...
, Niki HarisNiki HarisNiki Haris is an American actress, dancer, and singer of pop, R&B, Dance music and jazz, perhaps best known for having been one of Madonna's backing vocalists from 1987 to 2001.-Early life and family:...
, Jennie Douglas McRae, and N'Dea DavenportN'Dea DavenportN'Dea Davenport is an American recording artist, dancer, performer and producer, best known for her work as a vocalist in the UK funk band, The Brand New Heavies, and her pioneering contributions to the genre of acid jazz.-Biography:... - Production: MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Patrick LeonardPatrick LeonardPatrick Raymond Leonard is an American songwriter, keyboardist and music producer, known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna on many different recordings....
, and Bill BottrellBill BottrellBill Bottrell is an American record producer, songwriter and musician, probably best known for his Grammy Award-winning collaborations with Michael Jackson, E.L.O. and Sheryl Crow.- Biography :... - Mixed by Brian Malouf
- Arranged by Jeremy Lubbock
Singles
| # | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Vogue" | March 20, 1990 |
| 2. | "Hanky Panky Hanky Panky (Madonna song) "Hanky Panky" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was the second and final single release from her soundtrack album I'm Breathless on June 30, 1990 by Sire Records. The song caused some controversy because of its innuendo and racy lyrics... " |
June 30, 1990 |
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
1 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 5 |
| Brazilian Albums Chart Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos The Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos is an official representative body of the record labels in the Brazilian phonographic market.- About :... |
1 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
2 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
8 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
3 |
| German Albums Chart | 1 |
| Hungarian Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
19 |
| Italian Albums Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
2 |
| Japanese Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
1 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 2 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
4 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 2 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
4 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
3 |
| U.K. Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
2 |
Sales and certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Austria | Gold |
| Brazil Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos The Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos is an official representative body of the record labels in the Brazilian phonographic market.- About :... |
Gold |
| Canada Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
2× Platinum |
| Finland | Gold |
| France Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
2× Gold |
| Germany Bundesverband Musikindustrie The Bundesverband Musikindustrie or simply BVMI represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 350 labels and music industry related enterprises.... |
Gold |
| Netherlands NVPI The NVPI is the Dutch tradeassociation of the entertainment industry... |
Gold |
| Spain | 2× Platinum |
| Switzerland | Gold |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
2× Platinum |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
2× Platinum |