Pre-Madonna
Encyclopedia
Pre-Madonna is a collection of demos
by American recording artist Madonna
. The album was released in 1997 by Stephen Bray
, who was the producer of the songs when they were recorded, and was distributed by Soultone
. The demo album was titled In the Beginning in European countries. Madonna met up with Bray, her former boyfriend, in 1980 when she was trying to establish her musical career. She had left the band Breakfast Club
, and enlisted Bray's help to set up her new band. Together they started writing and composing songs, and recorded them at New York's Music Building studio. The songs recorded at that time were released in Pre-Madonna.
Although not authorized by Madonna, Bray decided to release them by remixing some of the tracks, and keeping the others in their original form. Included were the demo versions of "Everybody" and "Burning Up
" which Madonna used for her self-titled debut album. Bray chose to coincide the release of the album with the birth of Madonna's daughter Lourdes, to cash-in the publicity. The album received mixed reviews, with some critics deeming the release as unnecessary, while others were delighted to hear Madonna's original recordings.
was trying to establish her career in the music industry. She was the drummer
of a band called Breakfast Club
, which was headed by the Gilroy brothers, Dan and Ed. After their lead female vocalist left, Madonna was given the role of the lead female singer. However, she wanted to be the only female voice of the band, and opposed against the introduction of another female vocalist, Angie Smith. This led to a dispute between Dan and her, which resulted in Madonna leaving the band. She then formed a new band called Madonna and The Sky, but that also faced a major problem within a few weeks when its principal drummer Mike Shenoy, who had a full-time job and a fiancé, decided to leave the band.
Undaunted by Shenoy's departure, Madonna partnered up with her Michigan boyfriend Stephen Bray
. Bray and Madonna had met at the University of Michigan
in 1976, where he was working as a waiter in a club at Ann Arbor. Bray used to take Madonna on the tours of his band; after their romance ended, they remained good friends. When Madonna telephoned Bray to come and join the band, he immediately accepted and joined as the drummer replacing Shenoy. Madonna's main focus now was to become a professional singer, and she asked Bray to help her achieve that. Together they started writing songs and recorded them under Gotham Records, in New York's rehearsal studio called Music Building. The songs recorded included "Ain't No Big Deal", "Laugh to Keep from Crying", "Crimes of Passion" and "Stay". Bray was the producer of these recordings, along with some demos that Madonna had recorded, including "Everybody" and "Burning Up
". The latter two songs were accepted for Madonna's self-titled debut album, in a reworked version, however the demos were left with Bray.
". The track features Madonna's typical high-pitched vocal timbre
of that time, and talks about a carefree woman proclaiming her love. "Stay" and "Don't You Know" were combined into one song, "Stay", which was included on the Like a Virgin
album. The songs use triple-rhythms
and double-tracked vocals and includes a noise resembling someone slapping a microphone
and a spoken sequence which fades
away in the end. The 1981 versions of "Everybody", "Burning Up" and "Ain't No Big Deal" are the pure demo versions of officially released songs whose titles are tagged with the year in which they were recorded to differentiate them from the officially-released versions. According to Rikky Rooksby, author of The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna, "Everybody" demo version is more or less same as the single version, without the synth grooves added in it. Similarly, the demo "Burning Up" does not contain the guitar riffs of the single version. Larry Flick from Billboard
described "Crimes of Passion" as "disco-spiced". The song talks about how infidelity can actually set one free from a doomed relationship. Madonna's voice sounds fuller in the verses and chorus
, but takes a higher pitch in the bridge
. "Laugh to Keep from Crying" has a rock edge in it, where Madonna's voice sounds drunk according to Rooksby, and the drum machine
backs her voice in the chorus.
and her pregnancy with daughter Lourdes. Bray decided to cash-in the publicity for the release, although he knew that Madonna would never approve of the album. He said in an interview with Extra
that Madonna would receive royalties
for the release, and added "There's nothing in these tapes that would be embarrassing, and just hoping that she would like it as much as we do." The album was not released in music stores and was only available through home shopping
networks and by dialling an 800 number for a company called Harmony. In the European countries, the album was re-titled as In the Beginning, featuring a different artwork, and a re-arranged tracklist.
Pre-Madonna received mixed reviews from critics. Mark Egan from Rocky Mountain News
writes that "although the songs have soul in them, its the delivery that lacks in Madonna's voice; you just feel that something is really missing." Mark Zug from Chicago Tribune
comments that "the demos on Pre-Madonna are a delight to listen to. To all the Madonna fans, this is one album worth collecting and replaying." Jasmine Temple from Lexington Herald-Leader
calls the album, "a gloriously voyeuristic—and unauthorized—glimpse at Madonna's past, the woman she was then. You can actually sense the development of the icon she is today from the songs." Robin DeRosa from USA Today
was disappointed with the release, saying that "it feels forced. This release is as unneeded as the hoopla surrounding Madonna's new born. Every artist has demo recordings in their early phases of career and they are generally not good. This one is not different." After Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in 2008, Tony Sclafani from MSNBC
noted that none of Madonna's songs were in the rock music
genre, "but all use rock as a jumping off point. Audible evidence of Madonna’s rock roots can be found on the collection of early demos Pre-Madonna."
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|title=In the Beginning (Gravity)
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Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
by American recording artist 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...
. The album was released in 1997 by Stephen Bray
Stephen Bray
Stephen Bray is an American songwriter, drummer, and record producer from Detroit. Bray is best known for his collaboration with Madonna.Bray began studying music through private instruction in Detroit, and continued his education at Berklee College of Music in Boston.Bray owns and operates Saturn...
, who was the producer of the songs when they were recorded, and was distributed by Soultone
Soultone
Soultone , is an American guitar amplifier manufacturing company, based in Chandler, Arizona, and known for making hand wired instrument amplifiers using vintage and modern techniques, components, and features....
. The demo album was titled In the Beginning in European countries. Madonna met up with Bray, her former boyfriend, in 1980 when she was trying to establish her musical career. She had left the band Breakfast Club
Breakfast Club (band)
Breakfast Club was an American New Wave group. Their biggest hit single was "Right on Track", which went to #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.-Band history:...
, and enlisted Bray's help to set up her new band. Together they started writing and composing songs, and recorded them at New York's Music Building studio. The songs recorded at that time were released in Pre-Madonna.
Although not authorized by Madonna, Bray decided to release them by remixing some of the tracks, and keeping the others in their original form. Included were the demo versions of "Everybody" and "Burning Up
Burning Up
"Burning Up" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her self-titled debut album. It was released as the album's second single on March 9, 1983, in some countries as a AA side single with "Physical Attraction"...
" which Madonna used for her self-titled debut album. Bray chose to coincide the release of the album with the birth of Madonna's daughter Lourdes, to cash-in the publicity. The album received mixed reviews, with some critics deeming the release as unnecessary, while others were delighted to hear Madonna's original recordings.
Background
In 1979, 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...
was trying to establish her career in the music industry. She was the drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
of a band called Breakfast Club
Breakfast Club (band)
Breakfast Club was an American New Wave group. Their biggest hit single was "Right on Track", which went to #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.-Band history:...
, which was headed by the Gilroy brothers, Dan and Ed. After their lead female vocalist left, Madonna was given the role of the lead female singer. However, she wanted to be the only female voice of the band, and opposed against the introduction of another female vocalist, Angie Smith. This led to a dispute between Dan and her, which resulted in Madonna leaving the band. She then formed a new band called Madonna and The Sky, but that also faced a major problem within a few weeks when its principal drummer Mike Shenoy, who had a full-time job and a fiancé, decided to leave the band.
Undaunted by Shenoy's departure, Madonna partnered up with her Michigan boyfriend Stephen Bray
Stephen Bray
Stephen Bray is an American songwriter, drummer, and record producer from Detroit. Bray is best known for his collaboration with Madonna.Bray began studying music through private instruction in Detroit, and continued his education at Berklee College of Music in Boston.Bray owns and operates Saturn...
. Bray and Madonna had met at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1976, where he was working as a waiter in a club at Ann Arbor. Bray used to take Madonna on the tours of his band; after their romance ended, they remained good friends. When Madonna telephoned Bray to come and join the band, he immediately accepted and joined as the drummer replacing Shenoy. Madonna's main focus now was to become a professional singer, and she asked Bray to help her achieve that. Together they started writing songs and recorded them under Gotham Records, in New York's rehearsal studio called Music Building. The songs recorded included "Ain't No Big Deal", "Laugh to Keep from Crying", "Crimes of Passion" and "Stay". Bray was the producer of these recordings, along with some demos that Madonna had recorded, including "Everybody" and "Burning Up
Burning Up
"Burning Up" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her self-titled debut album. It was released as the album's second single on March 9, 1983, in some countries as a AA side single with "Physical Attraction"...
". The latter two songs were accepted for Madonna's self-titled debut album, in a reworked version, however the demos were left with Bray.
Composition
When Bray decided to release the demo tracks in an album, he remixed some of them for a more contemporary appeal. "Ain't No Big Deal" was re-recorded and released as the B-side to her singles "True Blue" and "Papa Don't PreachPapa Don't Preach
"Papa Don't Preach" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. The song was written by Brian Elliot with additional lyrics by Madonna, and produced by Stephen Bray and Madonna for her third studio album True Blue, released in June 1986...
". The track features Madonna's typical high-pitched vocal timbre
Timbre
In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
of that time, and talks about a carefree woman proclaiming her love. "Stay" and "Don't You Know" were combined into one song, "Stay", which was included on the Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 12, 1984 by Sire Records. It was re-released worldwide in 1985, with the inclusion of the bonus track "Into the Groove". In 2001, Warner Bros. Records released a remastered version with two bonus...
album. The songs use triple-rhythms
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
and double-tracked vocals and includes a noise resembling someone slapping a microphone
Microphone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
and a spoken sequence which fades
Fade (audio engineering)
In audio engineering, a fade is a gradual increase or decrease in the level of an audio signal. The term can also be used for film cinematography or theater lighting, in much the same way ....
away in the end. The 1981 versions of "Everybody", "Burning Up" and "Ain't No Big Deal" are the pure demo versions of officially released songs whose titles are tagged with the year in which they were recorded to differentiate them from the officially-released versions. According to Rikky Rooksby, author of The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna, "Everybody" demo version is more or less same as the single version, without the synth grooves added in it. Similarly, the demo "Burning Up" does not contain the guitar riffs of the single version. Larry Flick from 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...
described "Crimes of Passion" as "disco-spiced". The song talks about how infidelity can actually set one free from a doomed relationship. Madonna's voice sounds fuller in the verses and chorus
Chorus effect
In music, a chorus effect occurs when individual sounds with roughly the same timbre and nearly the same pitch converge and are perceived as one...
, but takes a higher pitch in the bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
. "Laugh to Keep from Crying" has a rock edge in it, where Madonna's voice sounds drunk according to Rooksby, and the drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
backs her voice in the chorus.
Release and reception
At the time the compilation was released, Madonna was riding a wave of publicity as a result of the film EvitaEvita (film)
Evita is the 1996 film adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the same name based on the life of Eva Perón. It was directed by Alan Parker and written by Parker and Oliver Stone. It starred Madonna, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce...
and her pregnancy with daughter Lourdes. Bray decided to cash-in the publicity for the release, although he knew that Madonna would never approve of the album. He said in an interview with Extra
Extra (TV series)
Extra is an American entertainment television news program covering events and celebrities which debuted on September 5, 1994 in syndication. It is produced at Victory Studios in Glendale, California by Telepictures Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television Distribution...
that Madonna would receive royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
for the release, and added "There's nothing in these tapes that would be embarrassing, and just hoping that she would like it as much as we do." The album was not released in music stores and was only available through home shopping
Home shopping
Home shopping commonly refers to the electronic retailing/home shopping channels industry, which includes such billion dollar television-based and e-commerce companies as HSN, QVC, eBay, ShopNBC, Buy.com, and Amazon.com, as well as traditional mail order and brick and mortar retailers as Hammacher...
networks and by dialling an 800 number for a company called Harmony. In the European countries, the album was re-titled as In the Beginning, featuring a different artwork, and a re-arranged tracklist.
Pre-Madonna received mixed reviews from critics. Mark Egan from Rocky Mountain News
Rocky Mountain News
The Rocky Mountain News was a daily newspaper published in Denver, Colorado, United States from April 23, 1859, until February 27, 2009. It was owned by the E. W. Scripps Company from 1926 until its closing. As of March 2006, the Monday-Friday circulation was 255,427...
writes that "although the songs have soul in them, its the delivery that lacks in Madonna's voice; you just feel that something is really missing." Mark Zug from Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
comments that "the demos on Pre-Madonna are a delight to listen to. To all the Madonna fans, this is one album worth collecting and replaying." Jasmine Temple from Lexington Herald-Leader
Lexington Herald-Leader
The Lexington Herald-Leader is a newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company and based in the U.S. city of Lexington, Kentucky. According to the 1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook, the Herald-Leaders paid circulation is the second largest in the Commonwealth of Kentucky...
calls the album, "a gloriously voyeuristic—and unauthorized—glimpse at Madonna's past, the woman she was then. You can actually sense the development of the icon she is today from the songs." Robin DeRosa from USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
was disappointed with the release, saying that "it feels forced. This release is as unneeded as the hoopla surrounding Madonna's new born. Every artist has demo recordings in their early phases of career and they are generally not good. This one is not different." After Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
in 2008, Tony Sclafani from MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
noted that none of Madonna's songs were in the rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
genre, "but all use rock as a jumping off point. Audible evidence of Madonna’s rock roots can be found on the collection of early demos Pre-Madonna."
Pre-Madonna
- Tracks 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 produced by Stephen BrayStephen BrayStephen Bray is an American songwriter, drummer, and record producer from Detroit. Bray is best known for his collaboration with Madonna.Bray began studying music through private instruction in Detroit, and continued his education at Berklee College of Music in Boston.Bray owns and operates Saturn...
. - Tracks 2, 3, 4 and 10 are produced by Stephen Bray and Tony Shepperd.
In the Beginning
Credits and personnel
- 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...
– vocals, writer, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, drums - Stephen BrayStephen BrayStephen Bray is an American songwriter, drummer, and record producer from Detroit. Bray is best known for his collaboration with Madonna.Bray began studying music through private instruction in Detroit, and continued his education at Berklee College of Music in Boston.Bray owns and operates Saturn...
– writer, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, guitar, drums, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Tony Shepperd – producer, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Nick Matzorkis – artworkArtwork (album)Artwork is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Used, released through Reprise in the United States and the UK on August 31, 2009.-Writing and recording:...
, executive producer - Robert RichRobert Rich (musician)Robert Rich is an ambient musician and composer based in California, United States. With a discography spanning over 30 years, he is widely regarded as a figure whose sound has greatly influenced today's ambient, New Age, and even IDM music.-Early life:At an early age he thought he disliked music...
– executive producer - Paul Pesco – guitar
- Jamie MuhoberacJamie MuhoberacJamie Muhoberac is a session keyboardist with numerous credits, including The All-American Rejects, Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones , Backstreet Boys, Aly & AJ, Bob Dylan, Goo Goo Dolls, Chris Cornell , My Chemical Romance, Paradise Lost, Girlfriend, Carmen Rizzo and Pet Shop Boys...
– keyboard - Kevin Gray – audio masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Viveka Davis – booklet photography
- Dr. KEB Rhythm – drum programming
External links
|title=Pre-Madonna|publisher=Allmusic
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|title=In the Beginning (Gravity)
|publisher=Allmusic
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