Rain (Madonna song)
Encyclopedia
"Rain" is a single by American
singer-songwriter Madonna
and was released on July 17, 1993 by Maverick Records
. It was the fifth single release (fourth in US) from her fifth studio album Erotica. The US maxi-single included a previously unreleased track, "Up Down Suite", which is a 12-minute dub version of "Goodbye to Innocence", an omitted track recorded during the Erotica sessions. This version of the single also included a Danny Saber
remix of the album track "Waiting" which features a rap by Everlast
. In the UK, the single included the 1986 track "Open Your Heart
" which was being used in a Peugeot
car commercial at the time.
chart. This was a noticeable jump from the preceding single "Bad Girl", which had peaked at #36. In Australia it was a big success, peaking within the top five, and is one of five Madonna songs that have spent twenty-five weeks or more on the charts, her last to do so.
For the UK release, "Open Your Heart
" was included as the B-side
due to it being used in a Peugeot
car commercial at the time. It peaked at number 7 on the charts, selling 130,771 copies. With "Rain", Madonna achieved the accolade of most top 10 singles released by a female artist from one album, a feat she also accomplished with the release of True Blue in 1986 and again in 1998 with Ray of Light
. "Rain" is also featured on Something to Remember
, Madonna's ballads collection, but was omitted from both 2001's GHV2
and 2009's Celebration
. According to The Official Charts Company, "Rain" has sold 130,771 copies in the United Kingdom, as of August 2008.
, was filmed from May 16–19, 1993 at a Santa Monica Airport
hangar in Santa Monica, California
. Romanek and Madonna set the video to look like Ryuichi Sakamoto
was directing it, giving it a backstage feel. It was entirely shot in black and white and then digitally colored with the blue tones. The video begins with Madonna in a studio, lying on a sofa with headphones on her ears composing a song, following a sequence in which she sings in front of a microphone, which is alternated with those of her receiving instructions from the director (played by Ryuichi Sakamoto). She then appears in front of a different background and different sets of lights representing the sky. The video ends with an air view of open umbrellas covering the entire floor. The video won two MTV Video Music Awards
for Best Art Direction
and Best Cinematography
. On Slant Magazine
's "100 Greatest Music Videos" list, it was ranked #70. This was also the second consecutive video in which Madonna wore a wig (the first one being "Fever"). The video was first made commercially available when it was included on Madonna's 1999 The Video Collection 93:99
and most recently when it was included on the 2009 Celebration
DVD.
' "Here Comes the Rain Again
" on her 2008-2009 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...
and was released on July 17, 1993 by Maverick Records
Maverick Records
Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
. It was the fifth single release (fourth in US) from her fifth studio album Erotica. The US maxi-single included a previously unreleased track, "Up Down Suite", which is a 12-minute dub version of "Goodbye to Innocence", an omitted track recorded during the Erotica sessions. This version of the single also included a Danny Saber
Danny Saber
Danny Saber is a Los Angeles, California musician, audio engineer, record producer, and remixer. A former member of Black Grape and Agent Provocateur, Saber plays guitar, bass, organ, and keyboards, and is also a prominent Los Angeles DJ....
remix of the album track "Waiting" which features a rap by Everlast
Everlast (musician)
Erik Francis Schrody , better known by his stage name Everlast, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper and songwriter, known for his solo hit "What It's Like" and as the front-man for rap group House of Pain. He is also part of the hip-hop supergroup La Coka Nostra, which consists of members of...
. In the UK, the single included the 1986 track "Open Your Heart
Open Your Heart (Madonna song)
"Open Your Heart" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the fourth single from her third studio album True Blue on November 12, 1986, by Sire Records. It has since appeared remixed on the compilation albums The Immaculate Collection and Celebration...
" which was being used in a Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
car commercial at the time.
Song information
Released in the summer of 1993, "Rain" received considerable airplay in the US and peaked at #14 on Billboard's Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart. This was a noticeable jump from the preceding single "Bad Girl", which had peaked at #36. In Australia it was a big success, peaking within the top five, and is one of five Madonna songs that have spent twenty-five weeks or more on the charts, her last to do so.
For the UK release, "Open Your Heart
Open Your Heart (Madonna song)
"Open Your Heart" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the fourth single from her third studio album True Blue on November 12, 1986, by Sire Records. It has since appeared remixed on the compilation albums The Immaculate Collection and Celebration...
" was included as the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
due to it being used in a Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
car commercial at the time. It peaked at number 7 on the charts, selling 130,771 copies. With "Rain", Madonna achieved the accolade of most top 10 singles released by a female artist from one album, a feat she also accomplished with the release of True Blue in 1986 and again in 1998 with Ray of Light
Ray of Light
Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 3, 1998 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records. After giving birth to her daughter Lourdes, Madonna collaborated with Patrick Leonard and William Orbit in developing the album...
. "Rain" is also featured on Something to Remember
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...
, Madonna's ballads collection, but was omitted from both 2001's GHV2
GHV2
GHV2 is the second greatest hits compilation album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 12, 2001, by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records. It contains the most popular songs from the 1990s up until 2001. It is the follow-up to the 1990 release, The...
and 2009's Celebration
Celebration (Madonna album)
Celebration is the third greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, and the closing release under her contract with Warner Bros. Records, her record company since 1982. The release follows her two previous greatest hits albums, The Immaculate Collection and GHV2...
. According to The Official Charts Company, "Rain" has sold 130,771 copies in the United Kingdom, as of August 2008.
Music video
The video, directed by Mark RomanekMark Romanek
Mark Romanek is an American filmmaker, whose directing work includes feature films, music videos and commercials.He wrote and directed the critically acclaimed 2002 film One Hour Photo starring Robin Williams...
, was filmed from May 16–19, 1993 at a Santa Monica Airport
Santa Monica Airport
Santa Monica Airport , also known as Santa Monica Municipal Airport, is a general aviation airport located largely in Santa Monica, California, United States. The airport is located about from the Pacific Ocean and north of LAX...
hangar in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
. Romanek and Madonna set the video to look like Ryuichi Sakamoto
Ryuichi Sakamoto
After working as a session musician with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi in 1977, the trio formed the internationally successful electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978. Known for their seminal influence on electronic music, the group helped pioneer electronic genres such as...
was directing it, giving it a backstage feel. It was entirely shot in black and white and then digitally colored with the blue tones. The video begins with Madonna in a studio, lying on a sofa with headphones on her ears composing a song, following a sequence in which she sings in front of a microphone, which is alternated with those of her receiving instructions from the director (played by Ryuichi Sakamoto). She then appears in front of a different background and different sets of lights representing the sky. The video ends with an air view of open umbrellas covering the entire floor. The video won two 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...
for Best Art Direction
MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Award winners for Best Art Direction in a Video. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are the biggest winners in this category with three wins in 1992, 2000, and 2006....
and Best Cinematography
MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Award winners for Best Cinematography in a Video. Madonna is the biggest Winner in this category with 3 wins....
. On 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 :...
's "100 Greatest Music Videos" list, it was ranked #70. This was also the second consecutive video in which Madonna wore a wig (the first one being "Fever"). The video was first made commercially available when it was included on Madonna's 1999 The Video Collection 93:99
The Video Collection 93:99
The Video Collection 93:99 is the second music video compilation by American singer-songwriter Madonna. Released by Warner Music Vision on November 2, 1999, it contained the music video of Madonna's singles released between 1993 to 1999...
and most recently when it was included on the 2009 Celebration
Celebration: The Video Collection
Celebration: The Video Collection is a greatest videos DVD compilation by American singer-songwriter Madonna. Released by Warner Bros. Records on September 29, 2009, the release accompanied the greatest hits Celebration. The collection follows on from her other greatest videos compilations The...
DVD.
- Producer: Krista Montagna
- Director of Photography: Harris Savides
- Editors: John Murray, Jim Haygood
- Production Company: Satellite Films
- Props shown:
- Lockheed Lounge by Marc NewsonMarc NewsonMarc Newson was born in Sydney, Australia. Now based in London, he is a successful industrial designer who works in aircraft design, product design, furniture design, jewellery, and clothing. He incorporates a design style known as biomorphism to his various designs...
- Arriflex 535Arriflex 535The Arriflex 535 is a movie camera product line created by Arri in 1990 to replace the Arriflex BL line. As such, its potential applications are widespread, and thus it is regularly used on music videos, commercials, second unit work on features, special effects work, and motion control, among...
camera - NeXTstationNeXTstationNeXTstation was a high-end workstation computer developed, manufactured and sold by NeXT from 1990 until 1993. It ran the NeXTSTEP operating system. The NeXTstation was released as a more affordable alternative to the NeXTcube at about US $4,995 or about half the price...
computers
- Lockheed Lounge by Marc Newson
Live performances
Madonna first performed the song during the Girlie Show Tour in 1993, and 15 years later it was used as a video interlude remixed with The EurythmicsEurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
' "Here Comes the Rain Again
Here Comes the Rain Again
"Here Comes the Rain Again" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics. It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart. The song was released as the third single in the UK from the album Touch and in the United States as the first single. It became...
" on her 2008-2009 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 listings and formats
- US 7" / Cassette Single
- "Rain" (Radio remix) – 4:35
- "Waiting" (Album version) – 5:45
- US 12" / CD Maxi-single / Canadian CD Maxi-single
- "Rain" (Radio remix) – 4:35
- "Waiting" (Remix) (featuring EverlastEverlast (musician)Erik Francis Schrody , better known by his stage name Everlast, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper and songwriter, known for his solo hit "What It's Like" and as the front-man for rap group House of Pain. He is also part of the hip-hop supergroup La Coka Nostra, which consists of members of...
) – 4:41 - "Up Down Suite" (Previously unreleased) – 12:13
- "Rain" (album version) – 5:24
- US / Australian / Canadian Cassette Maxi-single
- "Rain" (Radio remix) – 4:33
- "Rain" (Album version) – 5:24
- "Up Down Suite" (Previously unreleased) – 12:13
- "Waiting" (Remix) (featuring Everlast) – 4:41
- UK 12" / 12" Picture Disc / CD single
- "Rain" (Radio remix) – 4:35
- "Open Your HeartOpen Your Heart (Madonna song)"Open Your Heart" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the fourth single from her third studio album True Blue on November 12, 1986, by Sire Records. It has since appeared remixed on the compilation albums The Immaculate Collection and Celebration...
" (Album version) – 4:13 - "Up Down Suite" (Previously unreleased) – 12:13
- UK 7" / Cassette single
- "Rain" (Remix edit) – 4:17
- "Open Your Heart" (Album version) – 4:13
- German CD Single
- "Rain" (Remix edit) – 4:17
- "Fever" (Edit One) – 4:03
- "Rain" (Radio remix) – 4:33
- "Up Down Suite" (Previously unreleased) – 12:13
- German 12" Maxi-single / French CD Maxi-single
- "Rain" (Album edit) – 4:17
- "Rain" (Remix edit) – 4:33
- "Fever" (Edit One) – 4:03
- "Fever" (Edit Two) – 4:27
- German 7" Single
- "Rain" (Remix edit) – 4:17
- "Rain" (Album version) – 5:24
- French Cassette Single
- "Rain" (Remix edit) – 4:17
- "Fever" (Edit Two) – 4:27
- Japanese / Australian EP
- "Rain" (Radio remix) – 4:35
- "Waiting" (Remix) (featuring Everlast) – 4:41
- "Up Down Suite" (Previously unreleased) – 12:13
- "Rain" (Album version) – 5:24
- "Bad Girl" (Extended mix) – 6:29
- "Fever" (Extended 12") – 6:08
- "Fever" (Shep's Remedy Club) – 4:29
- "Fever" (Murk Boys Miami Dub) – 7:10
- "Fever" (Oscar G's Dope Mix) – 4:53
- "Rain" (Video edit) – 4:23
Official versions
- "Rain" (Album version) – 5:25
- "Rain" (Video edit) – 4:31
- "Rain" (Radio remix) – 4:33
- "Rain" (Remix edit) – 4:17
- ”Rain” (Razor and Guido Mix) (unofficial; for Junior Vasquez' birthday event)
- "Rain" (Thee Werq'n B!tches Unplugged Mix) a.k.a. (Joel DickinsonJoel DickinsonJoel Dickinson is a remixer, electronic music producer, recording engineer and DJ based in Minneapolis, MN. He has worked for Junior Vasquez on a number of projects in recent years. He is a founding member of the remix team Audio Assembly who have produced for artists such as Katy Perry and Lady...
Unplugged Mix)
Personnel
- Writers and producers – Madonna, Shep Pettibone ("Rain", "Up Down Suite")
- Remix and additional production – Daniel Abraham ("Rain" Radio remix, Remix edit)
- Writers and producers – Madonna, André Betts ("Waiting", "Waiting" Remix)
- Remix and additional production – Danny SaberDanny SaberDanny Saber is a Los Angeles, California musician, audio engineer, record producer, and remixer. A former member of Black Grape and Agent Provocateur, Saber plays guitar, bass, organ, and keyboards, and is also a prominent Los Angeles DJ....
("Waiting" Remix) - Rap and additional vocals – EverlastEverlast (musician)Erik Francis Schrody , better known by his stage name Everlast, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper and songwriter, known for his solo hit "What It's Like" and as the front-man for rap group House of Pain. He is also part of the hip-hop supergroup La Coka Nostra, which consists of members of...
("Waiting" Remix) - Post-production and mix – Shep Pettibone ("Up Down Suite")
Release history
| Country | Date |
|---|---|
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
Peak positions
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... Singles Chart |
5 |
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
24 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders) Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... |
13 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
2 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
36 |
| German Singles 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... |
26 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
7 |
| Italian Singles 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.... |
9 |
| Japanese Oricon 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... International Singles |
2 |
| Swedish Singles 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 .... |
16 |
| Swiss Singles 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... |
11 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
14 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay | 11 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Singles Sales | 31 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 7 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
7 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1993) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 67 |
| Australia ARIA Singles Chart | 39 |
Cover versions
- The 2000 compilation Virgin Voices: A Tribute to Madonna, Vol. 2. contains a cover of the song by British gothic rockGothic rockGothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
band Rosetta StoneRosetta Stone (band)Rosetta Stone were a British goth band formed in the mid 1980s by Porl King and Karl North , plus their drum machine and synthesizer rack nicknamed "Madame Razor"....
. - A hi-NRGHi-NRGHi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
/eurodanceEurodanceEurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
cover by Who's That Girl was released during the 2000s through Almighty Records. An audio sample can be heard on the official Almighty Records website.
Footnotes
- Mad-eyes.net - "Rain" Single Page - last accessed on October 24, 2005