"Into the Groove" was written and produced by Madonna and her then-boyfriend Stephen Bray. The singer had initially written the song for her friend Mark Kamins' protégée, Chyne, and recorded a demo which Kamins intended to modify later. However, Madonna believed that the song would be more suitable for her film "Desperately Seeking Susan", and recorded it with Bray for the film's soundtrack. When Kamins found out he was furious that Madonna did not inform him that she would use the song for the film. The singer retorted: "I'm tough, I'm ambitious and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, that's okay." "Into the Groove" ultimately did not appear on the soundtrack album of the film, but was released on the 1985 worldwide re-issue of Madonna's second studio album, "Like a Virgin".
Background
Into the Groove
Into the Groove | Background
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"Into the Groove" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for the 1985 film "Desperately Seeking Susan". It was featured on the re-issue of her second studio album, "Like a Virgin" (1984), outside North America. Sire Records released it on July 15, 1985, as the album's fourth single. Madonna's inspiration behind the song was the dance floor, and she wrote it while watching a handsome Puerto Rican man, across her balcony. Initially written for her friend Mark Kamins, Madonna later decided to use it as the soundtrack of the film "Desperately Seeking Susan". "Into the Groove" consists of instrumentation from synthesizers and drum machines.
Into the Groove | Introduction
Madonna and Bray started on the re-recording and changed some portion of the lyrics. Bray commented on the recording sessions as: "I've always kind of made the rib cage and the skeleton [music] of the song already – she's there for the last things like the eyebrows and the haircut [lyrics]. She writes in a stream of mood really." "Into the Groove" was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios. Madonna's friend Erika Belle was present during the recording and watched the whole process. In Andrew Morton's "Madonna" biography, she noted that at one point of the recording, Bray was facing difficulties with the bridge of the song, as the melody thought by him was not syncing with the rest of the composition.
Into the Groove | Recording
A dance-pop song, "Into the Groove" begins with a spoken introduction by Madonna, and the sound of drums and synth bassline being heard. This is followed by the chorus, where Madonna's voice is double tracked and the treble is increased by a notch. A synth line counterpoints the main tune, adding a contrast. The bridge, where Madonna sings the line "Live out your fantasy", features her vocals in a lower register alongside the main ones. According to the sheet music published in Musicnotes.com by Alfred Publishing Co. Inc., the song is set in the time signature of common time with a medium tempo of 116 beats per minute.
Into the Groove | Composition
"Into the Groove" was written and produced by Madonna and her then-boyfriend Stephen Bray. The singer had initially written the song for her friend Mark Kamins' protégée, Chyne, and recorded a demo which Kamins intended to modify later. However, Madonna believed that the song would be more suitable for her film "Desperately Seeking Susan", and recorded it with Bray for the film's soundtrack. When Kamins found out he was furious that Madonna did not inform him that she would use the song for the film. The singer retorted: "I'm tough, I'm ambitious and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, that's okay." "Into the Groove" ultimately did not appear on the soundtrack album of the film, but was released on the 1985 worldwide re-issue of Madonna's second studio album, "Like a Virgin".
Into the Groove | Background
The lyrics make reference to Madonna's 1985 single "Into the Groove" and have three parts to the vocal harmony. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Walt Disney Music Company, the song is set in the time signature of common time with a tempo of 192 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of B major with Madonna's voice spanning from the high-note of C to B. The song has a basic sequence of B–Fm7–B–F–B as its chord progression. "The Look of Love" starts off with a low bass synth line and a slow backing track.
Who's That Girl (soundtrack) | Composition
During an interview with "Time", Madonna said that she wrote the song while watching a Latin boy across her balcony. Describing the song as "dorky", Madonna further explained: "Into the Groove" had an accompanying music video, made up of clips from the film, with the lyrics often matching the images. Doug Dowdle of Parallax Productions, a company that pioneered in movie tie-in music videos during the 1980s, created this video from edited footage of the movie, directed by Susan Seidelman. This was done because there were five Madonna videos already on power rotation on MTV, and Warner Bros. did not want the audience to be saturated with any new video.
Into the Groove | Background
The song is set in the key of C minor with Madonna's voice spanning from the low-tone of C to the high-tone of D. It has a basic sequence of Cm7–B/C–Cm7–A as its chord progression. The song was remixed by Shep Pettibone for Madonna's remix compilation "You Can Dance" (1987). In the remixed version, overdubs are present with the continuous repetition of the phrase "c'mon". The first verse does not start until about ninety seconds into the remix. After the first "Now I know you're mine" line is sung, there is a percussion break, and repetition of the phrases "step to the beat" and "c'mon".
Into the Groove | Composition
Hence, they decided to use the shots from the film and made a music video. During a 2009 interview with "Rolling Stone", Madonna commented: "'Into the Groove' is another song I feel retarded singing, but everybody seems to like it."
Into the Groove | Background
Undeterred by his obvious difficulties, Madonna stepped up to the microphone and sang the words "Live out your fantasy here with me". Bray's problem was solved; Belle remembered the experience as: "[The song] seemed to come out of her, I was awestruck." Madonna re-tailored the song in 2003, and developed a remix called "Into the Hollywood Groove", which replaced the first verse of "Into the Groove" with the first verse of Madonna's single "Hollywood" (2003). The lyrics of the chorus were also slightly altered and it featured a rap by Missy Elliott. This version of the song was used for a Gap commercial in the summer of 2003, featuring Madonna and Elliot wearing Gap jeans.
Into the Groove | Recording
Towards the end, Madonna emotes in the voice of a soul singer. "Into the Groove" is the sixth track on the 1985 worldwide reissue of "Like a Virgin"; it has never been part of "Like a Virgin" on any North American release. Madonna's inspiration behind the song was the dance floor, and she wrote it while watching a handsome Puerto Rican man across her balcony. Initially written for her friend Mark Kamins, Madonna later decided to use it in the soundtrack of her 1985 film "Desperately Seeking Susan". Unlike the other songs on "Like A Virgin", "Into the Groove" was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios, and produced by Madonna and Steve Bray.
Like a Virgin (album) | Composition
Another remix version was created by Josh Harris and Omar Galeano as "The Passengerz", and was included in Madonna's remix album, "Remixed & Revisited" (2003).
Into the Groove | Recording
Ever since its release, "Into the Groove" has received critical acclaim. J. Randy Taraborrelli, author of "", said that the song demonstrated Madonna's ability to create infectious dance music. Rikky Rooksby, author of "Madonna: the complete guide to her music", said that "'Into the Groove' will make you feel like you're a winner either way. And that's one of the best things pop music can do for ya. [It's] Madonna's first great single." Clive Barker and Simon Trussler, authors of "New Theatre Quarterly", felt that the song was the first disco-anthem of the 1980s. Toby Cresswell, author of "1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time and the Artists, Stories and Secrets", said that the song is a "sweet, limited white tune on the top, and there's Madonna – all the right-shop chic – dragging the straight world into this subterranean paradise.
Into the Groove | Critical reception
In the Who's That Girl World Tour of 1987, "Into the Groove" was the second-to-last song before the encore. The outfit she wore during the performance was inspired by artist Andy Warhol. It consisted of a loose pant with a tin of Campbell's soup on the side, the letter U in the front and the word DANCE in the back; it was designed so that when she turned, audience were able to read 'U [Can] Dance]'. In the middle of her singing, a young boy joined her on stage to dance alongside. Madonna then wore a pink bolero jacket. At the end she is joined by her backup singers and dancers.
Into the Groove | Live performances
The last verse incorporates echoing on the vocals, causing overlap of the phrases. The remix ends with instrumentation from congas, whistles and timbales, giving it a Mexican ending. Pettibone also remixed the song alongside Goh Hotoda for "The Immaculate Collection" (1990) compilation. The lyrics of the song are simple, written as an invitation to dance with the singer. Despite the simple lyrics, it carries sexual innuendos and undertones in the meaning. Similar to Madonna's previous single "Like a Virgin" (1984), a lyrical hook is also present in "Into the Groove", directed at shy girls. The line "At night I lock the door so no-one else can see" implied that Madonna was not as brazen as her provocative image suggested.
Into the Groove | Composition
Madonna's voice is double tracked in the chorus; the song also consists of musical contrasts, overdubs, and Madonna's voice in lower register during the bridge. The lyrics of the song are simple, written as an invitation to dance with the singer. However, it carries sexual innuendos and undertones in the meaning. The song received positive response from music critics, and was a commercial success. "Into the Groove" topped the record charts in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, and became her first number-one song in the United Kingdom. The track was only available as the B-side of the 12-inch single of "Angel" in the United States, therefore it was ineligible to chart on the "Billboard" Hot 100 at the time.
Into the Groove | Introduction
Sal Cinquemani from "Slant Magazine" ranked it at twenty-nine on the list of "100 Greatest Dance Songs". He commented: "It's hard to imagine the most famous woman in the world dancing alone in her bedroom at night, locking the doors so 'no one else can see' (as she sings on 'Groove'), even 20 years ago, but you can't help but believe her. The song—and Madonna's performance—are that good." Alfred Soto from "Stylus" commented that "'Into the Groove' itself is as much wish-fulfillment as 'Crazy For You'. Austin Scaggs from "Rolling Stone" commented that the song had "an amazing bassline".
Into the Groove | Critical reception
Near the end of the song, Madonna performed a Double Dutch dance interlude. In 2015, "Into the Groove" was included in the set list of the Rebel Heart Tour, performed in a flamenco-style medley with "Dress You Up", "Everybody" and "Lucky Star". During the sequence the singer dressed by in a Latin and gypsy inspired dress, created by Alessandro Michele for Gucci consisting off a shawl, flamenco hat, lace, skirts and jacquard bodysuit.
Into the Groove | Live performances
There are also references to her older songs like "Into the Groove" (1985) with the line, "You're Travolta getting "into your groove"".
Superstar (Madonna song) | Background and composition
The song was covered by alternative rock band Sonic Youth under the pseudonym Ciccone Youth for a 1986 single, and re-titled "Into the Groove(y)"; this recording also appears on the 1988 release "The Whitey Album". Dale Bozzio, former lead singer of new wave band Missing Persons, covered the song for the Madonna tribute album "Virgin Voices: A Tribute To Madonna, Vol. 2" from 2000. Alternative pop singer Jeremy Jay covered the song in 2007; it was also included on "Through the Wilderness", a psychedelic-folk tribute album to Madonna. French pop/rock group Superbus covered "Into the Groove" for their 2002 album, "Aéromusical".
Into the Groove | Cover versions
"Into the Groove" was performed as the third song during The Virgin Tour in 1985. Madonna wore a blue see-through crop-top, revealing her characteristic black bra. She had lacy leggings and crucifixes around her ear and her neck. Her hair was tied at the top and fell in unkempt manner around her ears. She had a tambourine in her hand like her two male dancers, and together they sang the song while standing in front of a microphone, in tandem. The performance was included on the video release titled "", shot in Detroit. She also performed it on her Live Aid concert on July 13, 1985.
Into the Groove | Live performances
"Into the Groove" has appeared on three Madonna compilations: in a remixed form on "You Can Dance" (1987), "The Immaculate Collection" (1990) and in its original form on "Celebration" (2009). A music video, consisting of clips from the film, was released to accompany the song. The song has been performed by Madonna in most of her concert tours, most recently on the Rebel Heart Tour in 2015–2016. "Into the Groove" has been covered by a number of artists, including Australian singer Dannii Minogue, who combined the song with her single "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling". By the end of the 1980s, "Into the Groove" was honored by "Billboard" magazine as the Dance Single of the Decade.
Into the Groove | Introduction
"Into the Groove" debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number four, on the chart dated July 27, 1985, becoming the highest debuting single for any female artist in the history of the chart at that time. It reached the top of the chart and stayed there for four weeks, and was present for a total of 14 weeks on the chart. The song was Madonna's first number-one single in United Kingdom. During its stay at number-one, Madonna's first UK hit "Holiday" was at number-two position. This made her the first female artist in UK chart history to hold the top-two positions of the chart simultaneously.
Into the Groove | Chart performance
Together they take a bow to the audience and finish the performance. Two different performances of the song on this tour can be found on the videos: "Who's That Girl – Live in Japan", filmed in Tokyo on June 22, 1987, and "", filmed in Turin on September 4, 1987. Three years later on the Blond Ambition World Tour, "Into the Groove" was again performed before the encore. Madonna, her backup singers Niki Haris and Donna De Lory were portrayed as being seduced by three macho guys in leather jackets. The girls asked the guys to "prove their love to them" and wondered if they would wear a condom when necessary.
Into the Groove | Live performances
All the magic of the eighties is right here." Matthew Rettenmund, author of "Totally Awesome 80s: A Lexicon of the Music, Videos, Movies, TV Shows, Stars, and Trends of that Decadent Decade", declared "Into the Groove" as the ultimate 1980s song and felt that it "cemented Madonna's place as the dancing queen of the era". Dawn Keetley and John Pettigrew, authors of "Public Women, Public Words: A Documentary History of American Feminism", called it a "mesmerizing theme song". Santiago Fouz-Hernández and Freya Jarman-Ivens, authors of "Madonna's drowned worlds: new approaches to her cultural transformations", commented that the song "taunted playfully".
Into the Groove | Critical reception
It was the third and final single from the album. In 2003, the song was combined with the vocals of Dannii Minogue's "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling", the fourth and final single from her album "Neon Nights". "Into the Groove"'s instrumentation and a small Madonna vocal sample were added to Minogue's vocals, though Minogue's pitch was altered to fit the tempo of the song. In 1985 and 2017, Hong Kong singer Anita Mui and Priscilla Chan covered this song in Cantonese.
Into the Groove | Cover versions
The demo version can only be heard in the movie. The song was a huge commercial success but was not included on the film's soundtrack, despite being heard in the film, because licensing restrictions involving Madonna's record label prohibited her songs from being mixed in with other artists. The video for "Into the Groove" consists of clips from the film compiled by Doug Dowdle of Parallax Productions.
Desperately Seeking Susan | Soundtrack
After that, they sing the Shep Pettibone extended remix of "Into The Groove". Two different performances were taped and released on video, the "Blond Ambition – Japan Tour 90", taped in Yokohama on April 27, 1990, and the "Blond Ambition World Tour Live", taped in Nice, France, on August 5, 1990. In the Re-Invention World Tour of 2004, Madonna included the song at the start of the final segment, which started with Scottish bagpiper players parading around the stage in kilts and playing drums and pipes. Madonna appeared onstage in similar long kilts and a white sleeveless T-shirt to perform "Into the Groove" with Scottish bagpiper group Lorne Cousin.
Into the Groove | Live performances
"Into the Groove" was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipment of 500,000 copies of the single. It has sold 957,000 copies there as of August 2018, and is Madonna's biggest selling song in the country. The song was the third biggest selling UK single of 1985, behind Jennifer Rush's "The Power of Love" and Elaine Paige's and Barbara Dickson's "I Know Him So Well". In Australia, "Into the Groove" charted as a combined single with "Angel" and reached the top of the Kent Music Report chart. It was the second-highest selling single of 1985 in Australia.
Into the Groove | Chart performance
Rapper Missy Elliott appeared on the video screen for a rap interlude. The song was again added to the setlist of 2008–09 Sticky & Sweet Tour. Elements of Cassius's "Toop Toop", Frankie Smith's "Double Dutch Bus", The Sugarhill Gang's "" and Madonna's own "Jump" were added to the performance. "Into the Groove" marked the beginning of the second segment titled Old School. It began with Madonna appearing on the stage in shorts and T-shirt, while skipping to a DJ station. She started singing the song while cartoon characters from late artist, and Madonna's friend, Keith Haring dance on the backdrops.
Into the Groove | Live performances
Sal Cinquemani from "Slant Magazine" called it Madonna's best dance track since "Vogue", also comparing it to her 1985 single, "Into the Groove". In his review of Madonna's 2001 compilation "GHV2", Cinquemani praised the single's "retro club beats and vintage synth sound". Giving it a B rating, he concluded that "only a former material girl living in a NASDAQ world could get away with a song like this". Dimitri Ehrlich from "Vibe" found "Music" to be "a bouncing parade of synthesizers that pose the question 'Do fortysomething baby-mamas still have the divine right to get down?' (The answer is yes)".
Music (Madonna song) | Critical reception
After four weeks, it reached the top of the chart and also reached number 19 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "Into the Groove" is Madonna's most played song on "Billboard"s Recurrent Airplay Chart. On July 30, 1985, "Angel/Into the Groove" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of one million copies across the US—the requirement for a gold single prior to 1989. It was the first 12-inch single to be certified gold since Frankie Smith's "Double Dutch Bus" (1981). The song placed at number 12 on the Dance year-end charts and sold approximately 600,000 copies of the 12"; it also reached number-one on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart.
Into the Groove | Chart performance
Credits adapted from the "Like a Virgin" (1985 re-issue) and "You Can Dance" album's liner notes.
Into the Groove | Credits and personnel
The song was written by Robert Ponger and Falco. They are also credited as the producers.
Data de Groove (song) | Background and writing
It is followed by the sound of percussion and a high register note, contrasting with the bassline. The song continues in this way until the last verse, which is backed by the sound of an acoustic guitar. A two-part vocal is found in the line "No where to run, no place to hide". Rooksby felt that Madonna's voice sounded "expressive" when she sings the line "From the look of love" and utters the word "look" over the D minor chord present underneath. The word is sung in a higher note of the musical scale, thus giving an impression of the suspension like quality of the minor ninth chord, dissociating it from the harmony of the other notes.
Who's That Girl (soundtrack) | Composition
According to "Billboard", Madonna's vocals "binds a mind-blowing melange of hyperactive beats, grooves, and stinging percussive elements" in the track. The magazine adds that the song is also "saturated" with the influence of Cameo, Herbie Hancock, Nitzer Ebb and Roger Troutman.
Music (Madonna song) | Recording and composition
A music editor from KpopBreak.com compared "Birthday"'s introduction to "Into the Groove" by American recording artist Madonna. Lyrically, the song celebrates Amuro's birthday and, according to McCarthy, highlights other anniversaries including weddings and parties.
Birthday (Namie Amuro song) | Background and composition
A mashup between "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" and Madonna's 1985 single "Into the Groove" was also issued. Inspired by the many bootleg recordings being made in the UK, Minogue sent Madonna a copy of the mashup for her legal approval. Madonna, an artist who rarely approves of others using her music, called it "brilliant". Minogue described Madonna's approval as "the biggest, most amazing thing".
Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling | Mashup
Though the album version was not recorded until 1990, the song was originally written in the late 1980s; it was performed live as early as 1989. The backing track was built around many samples, primarily the main riff from Herbie Hancock's track "Bring Down the Birds" from the "Blowup" soundtrack and Vernon Burch's "Get Up", which provided the drum track and also formed the basis for the breakdown featuring a slide whistle. Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins provided guest vocals, and the rap is provided by Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest.
Groove Is in the Heart | Background
The lyrics make reference to Madonna's 1985 single "Into the Groove" and have three parts to the vocal harmony. Andrzej Ciuk, one of the editors of the book "Exploring Space" noted that the proverbial status of the phrase "opposites attract" as a defining key ingredient of cultural concept of "love" and this was evident also in the song with the lyrics: "You met your match when you met me, I know that you'll disagree its crazy, But "opposites attract" you'll see, And I won't let you get away so easy".
Causing a Commotion | Recording and composition
For the groove part that defines the song, 4 bars of groove section was edited in over and over to create the format of the song as it exists today. Bob Blank, the engineer for this production, estimates that it took over 60 hours of mixing time to create the versions that exist today. In 1985, Salsoul Records removed all the multi-track masters from Blank Tapes (hundreds were stored in air conditioned storage areas in the studio) and destroyed them, except for some that were saved from destruction by John Morales. This master was among them.
I Got My Mind Made Up (You Can Get It Girl) | Song Background
According to the sheet music published by Alfred Publishing Inc., "Deeper and Deeper" is set in the time signature of common time with a fast tempo of 120 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of C minor, with Madonna's voice in a high register, spanning between F to G. The song has a basic sequence of G–Cm/G as its chord progression. Towards the end of the song, Madonna also quotes her previous hit song "Vogue" (1990); in the lines "You got to just let your body move to the music/You got to just let your body go with the flow".
Deeper and Deeper | Recording and composition
5 on the UK singles chart. Neïmo also did a mashup version of the single, merging it with Madonna's "Into the Groove". It was the only time Madonna allowed a sample of this song to be released commercially, and the track, called "Don't Wanna Lose This Groove", was a club hit.
Neïmo | History
The soundtrack was released on both vinyl and CD together with the soundtrack to the film "Making Mr. Right". The soundtrack does not feature any of the other songs in the film including Madonna's "Into the Groove," which can be found on the European 1985 re-release of "Like a Virgin". The film captures the feel of the underground Bohemian/new wave scene of the early to mid-1980s New York City, a scene that helped Madonna get her big break in the music business. Madonna recorded a song for the movie, titled "Desperately Seeking Susan." It ended up not being used in the film, and a demo she just finished at the time called "Into the Groove" was used instead.
Desperately Seeking Susan | Soundtrack
The song was engineered by Chris Godbey, with assistance from Alejandro Baima. The song was mixed by Jimmy Douglass, Godbey and Timberlake at Larabee Studios. The Benjamin Wright Orchestra and The Regiment played the horns, while Terry Santiel provided the percussions.
Let the Groove Get In | Background and production
In the United States, due to similar problems with "Crazy for You" and "Material Girl" being released at the same time and competing with each other, it was decided against releasing "Into the Groove" as a 7" single so it would not compete with "Angel", the third single from the "Like a Virgin". "Into the Groove" was eventually released as the B-side to the maxi-single of "Angel", therefore it was ineligible to enter the "Billboard" Hot 100 or Hot Singles Sales charts. The song debuted at number 40 on Hot Dance Club Songs chart, as a double A-side with "Angel", on the issue dated June 1, 1985.
Into the Groove | Chart performance
"People get upset because they think it is not natural to skip and stutter the music. But I do it because it is natural. The stuttering can help you create a new groove", he said. The track starts with a "strummy" acoustic guitar introduction, as described by Michael Paoletta from "Billboard", on the four-chord progression of Bm–Fm–A–E sequence. The folk rock inspired song has elements of electronica and folk at its core. Its rhythm is produced by a four piece bass drum—which fades in and out abruptly—and atmospheric synth-strings, which are added later in the song. Madonna sings in the first verse: "There are too many options/There is no consolation/I have lost my illusions/What I want is an explanation." According to "Rolling Stone", although not explicitly stated, the lines confirm Madonna's belief that American culture will not "give her an explanation", so she had rejected American values, and along with them her own values.
Love Profusion | Recording and composition
"He's the Groove" is a 1980 novelty song by Snuky Tate, the stage persona of American funk and punk rock musician Lionel White. The song is about Pope John Paul II.
He's the Groove | Introduction
In 1986, Madonna was shooting for her third motion picture "Who's That Girl", known at the time as "Slammer". Needing songs for the soundtrack of the movie, she contacted Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray, who had written and produced her third studio album "True Blue" in 1986. Madonna explained to them that she needed an uptempo song and a downtempo song. She came to the studio one Thursday as Leonard developed the chorus of the song. He handed over that cassette to Madonna, who went to the backroom and finished the melody and the lyrics of the song, while Leonard worked on the other parts of the song.
Who's That Girl (Madonna song) | Background and composition
"Pray / Get into a Groove" is a song by the J-pop group Every Little Thing, released as their fourteenth single on January 1, 2000. The single was released with Avex Music Creative, Inc.
Pray/Get into a Groove | Introduction
The song is set in the time signature of common time, with a moderate tempo of 80 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of D minor, with Madonna's voice spanning the notes C to B. "The Look of Love" has a basic sequence of C–Dm–Fm–B as its chord progression.
Who's That Girl (soundtrack) | Composition
"Let's Get Excited" was written by Dixon, Kuk Harrell, Sean Hall and Todd Herfinda and is an up-tempo dance track. After writing with Dixon, Harrell and Sean K produced the song on behalf of RedZone Entertainment, the company which he is managed by. Harrell was also the song's vocal producer and engineer. Lyrically, the song namechecks Madonna, and makes a reference to "Into the Groove", a 1985 Madonna song. Dixon later stated that "Growing up Madonna was my idol and I loved dressing up like her and so she has definitely been a big influence on my career".
Let's Get Excited | Background
Most of the song was written by him with Stevens suggesting few alterations like the line "It would be so nice".
Holiday (Madonna song) | Background and writing
"Rolling Stone"'s Carrie Grant described the track as a "melodic synth-a-palooza with the plunky low end", also noting that Madonna's vocals were restrained on the song, but sounded emotional. "The radio remix, which trims nearly three minutes from the tune, boasts one of Madge's most iconic fade-outs, standing by as she "la la la"s into the void."
Borderline (Madonna song) | Critical reception
Madonna's friend Erika Belle was present during the recording and watched the whole process. In Andrew Morton's "Madonna" biography, she noted that at one point of the recording, Bray was facing difficulties with the bridge of the song, as the melody thought by him was not syncing with the rest of the composition. Undeterred by his obvious difficulties, Madonna stepped up to the microphone and sang the words "Live out your fantasy here with me". Bray's problem was solved; Belle remembered the experience as: "[The song] seemed to come out of her, I was awestruck." The song consists of instrumentation from drums, percussion, congas and whistles.
Like a Virgin (album) | Composition
Madonna turned to her old friend and producer John "Jellybean" Benitez to help her remixing the songs, and also enlisted the help of Patrick Leonard, the producer of "True Blue". Together they chose six of Madonna's old songs and decided to give it a remixed form. The songs chosen were "Holiday", "Everybody" and "Physical Attraction" from "Madonna" (1983), "Into the Groove" and "Over and Over" from "Like a Virgin" (1984), and lastly, "Where's the Party" from "True Blue". Along with the pre-released tracks, a never-before released song called "Spotlight" was included as a bonus. Madonna said that she was inspired by the song "Everybody Is a Star" (1970), by American rock band Sly and the Family Stone.
You Can Dance | Development
The authors noted that the music was the central identification for the song, with its "splashes of electronica and production tricks" from reverse cymbal crescendo, and "tightly quantized" pitch and sounds from a Hammond organ. Madonna sung with her mouth close to the recording microphone, which Fouz-Hernández found gave the track a natural sound. Barry Walters from "Billboard" found the composition to also contain a blend of French electronica and 1970s electro funk, while Richard S. He of the same publication described the record as "postmodern, escapist dance-pop". The instrumental riff in the track is created by a 1970s analogue Moog synthesizer, which ultimately leads to the song fading out.
Music (Madonna song) | Recording and composition
"Angel" was the third released single from the album, in April 1985. Critics gave mixed review of the song, with one group denoting it as a classic while the others felt it was sub-par compared to the other Madonna singles. "Angel" became Madonna's fifth consecutive top-five single on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and reached the top of its dance chart. "Into the Groove" was released as the album's fourth single outside North America in July 1985. The song was appreciated by contemporary critics as well as authors, who have frequently called it "Madonna's first great single". "Into the Groove" reached the top of the charts in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, where it was Madonna's first number-one single.
Like a Virgin (album) | Singles
"New York Groove" is a song written by English singer/songwriter Russ Ballard, which was a hit for two different artists: the band Hello in 1975, and Ace Frehley in 1978.
New York Groove | Introduction
Composed as a dance-oriented song, the intro of "Like a Virgin" consists of two hooks. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Publishing, the song is set in common time, with a moderately dance-groove tempo of 118 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of F major with Madonna's voice ranging from the tonal nodes of low-tone G to high-tone C. According to Rikky Rooksby, the bassline on the intro is a re-working of the three-note bass motif present in the Four Tops' 1965 song "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)", where Chuck Berry provided the chord arrangement.
Like a Virgin (song) | Composition
I mean, it really moved me," she told "Rolling Stone"s Jancee Dunn. "And I thought, 'That's what music does to people'". This experience inspired Madonna to write the primary hook of the song, "Music makes people come together / Music, makes the bourgeoisie and the rebel".
Music (Madonna song) | Background and writing
"Vogue" is a house song with disco influence. The song has been noted by Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine to have a "deep house groove" and to have a "throbbing beat" by Mark Coleman of "Rolling Stone". The backing track also features elements of salsa-influenced soul music, including in the form of samples of horns and strings from the 1982 Salsoul Orchestra track "Ooh I Love It (Love Break)", the inclusion of which was later the subject of a lawsuit. J. Randy Taraborrelli, in his book "", wrote that the song was a "pulsating dance track". According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com at Alfred Publishing, the song is written in the key of A♭ major, has a tempo of 116 beats per minute, and in it, Madonna's vocal range spans from C to E♭.
Vogue (Madonna song) | Composition
Having some specific ideas in her mind about the music of the film, Madonna contacted Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray, who had helped to write and produce her third studio album "True Blue" in 1986. Madonna explained to them that she needed an uptempo song and a downtempo song. As per her demands, Leonard developed the uptempo song. Madonna came to the recording studio one Thursday, and Leonard handed her a cassette of a recording of the chorus, which he had just finished working on. Madonna went to the backroom and completed the melody and the lyrics of the song, while Leonard worked on the other parts of it.
Who's That Girl (soundtrack) | Development
It also charted on a number of "Billboard" charts, such as reaching the top of the Hot Dance Singles Sales and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at position 71. On July 30, 1985, "Angel" and "Into the Groove" were together certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for the shipment of one million copies across United States—the requirement for a gold single prior to 1989. It was the first 12-inch single to be certified gold, since Frankie Smith's "Double Dutch Bus" (1981). "Angel/Into the Groove" placed at number 81 on the year-end chart for 1985, with Madonna becoming the top pop artist for the year.
Angel (Madonna song) | Chart performance
"Keep It Together" is a pop, funk and deep funk song with an upbeat rhythm and groove. It was produced by Madonna and Bray, and features Paulinho da Costa on percussion, brass playing by David Boruff and Steven Madaio, Bill Bottrell as the audio engineer and guitars by Chester Kamen. Prince also played guitar on the song according to Madonna, though he was not credited. Sal Cinquemani of "Slant Magazine" noted that the song is influenced by the Sly and the Family Stone track "Family Affair" (1971). It starts as the sound of slap bass plays along with sequenced synth bass, as Madonna sings the opening lines, "Keep, keep it together, keep people together forever and ever".
Keep It Together (song) | Recording and composition
Madonna started singing the song, as her dancers started running around, displaying routines in parkour. Madonna climbs on blocks to sing the song as well as to strike poses. As the final chorus approached, Madonna went to the front of the stage and struck poses while holding on to the steel rods. The song continued with Madonna swiveling around the rods and the dancers continuing their routine. The performance ends with Madonna disappearing through the middle of the stage and her dancers doing a final vault before the lights are turned off. In the Sticky & Sweet Tour, "Jump" was sampled in the song "Into the Groove" during which Madonna performed stunts in the air.
Jump (Madonna song) | Live performance
According to academic Georges Claude Guilbert, author of "Madonna as Postmodern Myth", the quote from "Vogue" "enhance[s] the ending of the song, in an ultimate post-modern twist." On the addition of the line from "Vogue" into the song, Madonna commented that "when we were actually recording doing the final vocals, I just went off into that for a second because to me it's just one of those great kind of feel good dance songs", and she saw it as a tribute to that song. She also described "Deeper and Deeper" as "not terribly intelectual, I just did and it sounded good to me".
Deeper and Deeper | Recording and composition
"Let's Groove" was produced by Maurice White for Kalimba Productions. With a duration of five minutes and thirty nine seconds, the song has a tempo of 126 beats per minute.
Let's Groove | Overview
According to "NME"s Priya Elan, "the song continues [Madonna's] career-spanning themes of getting into the groove, of uniting the bourgeoisie and rebelling." O'Mancey called it an "escapist anthem" and the ability of the lyrics to leave real life behind and accept freedom.
Turn Up the Radio (Madonna song) | Recording and composition
All songs were written and arranged by Joshua Redman.
Freedom in the Groove | Track listing
All tracks written by Tal Bergman / Joe Bonamassa / Ron DeJesus / Michael Merritt / Renato Neto unless indicated
We Want Groove | Track listing
Williams' vocals range from C to G and the track has a s basic sequence of F–A–Gm–C as the chord progression. "She's Madonna" was the subject of a controversy after singer Ashley Hamilton claimed that he came up with part of the song with Williams.
She's Madonna | Composition
"Into You" was written by Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Alexander Kronlund, Ilya Salmanzadeh and Ariana Grande, with production, programming, keys, guitar, bass, percussion and background vocals handled by Martin and Ilya; Kotecha also provided background vocals. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Universal Music Publishing Group, "Into You" is written in the key of F minor in common time with a tempo of 108 beats per minute. Grande's vocals span two octaves, 5 notes, and 1 semitone, from F to E. "Into You" is a dance-pop, house, electro and EDM song, "a thudding club beat, lurking synths and sharp clicks." It starts with "a minimal club beat", before "crescendoing into [a] thumping chorus," where "an uptempo disco backline explodes into a monstrous club-ready hook," as noted by "Complex" Jessie Morris.
Into You (Ariana Grande song) | Background and composition
Across Europe, Oceania and Africa, the song was able to reach the top of the charts in Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain, and inside the top five in France, Germany, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and European Hot 100 Singles chart. According to "Music & Media" magazine the song had sold around 1.5 million copies by September 1985.
Into the Groove | Chart performance
The title track is composed in Madonna's typical style—mixing a drum machine, bubbling bass synth line, and the sound of stringed instruments. According to Rikky Rooksby, author of "The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna", the three parts of the song, namely the bridge, where Madonna sings "what can help me now", the chorus and the verse flow together in a coherent manner, with the chorus incorporating a haunting effect. The song epitomized Madonna's interest with Hispanic culture that continued after the release of her 1987 single "La Isla Bonita". Leonard and Madonna had added Spanish phrases in the chorus, over the trumpets of the second verse, and also in the added instrumental break in the middle.
Who's That Girl (soundtrack) | Composition
As she begins to sing the first verse, the bass pedal changes to C major, changes back to F during the chorus, and back to D minor during the chorus closure. This process is repeated during the second verse and chorus, which abruptly ends in a silence, with only the low and lifeless sound of the synthesizer, set in D minor. Madonna then starts to sing the bridge (or middle part)—"If I ran away, I'd never have the strength"—between the tonal keys of D and F, closing with the repetition of the chorus until the song gradually fades out. The original composition of the song did not have the background synths, instead Leonard created a basic structure on piano, and Madonna added the words on top of it.
Live to Tell | Composition
After finishing the lyrics, Madonna decided to name the song "Who's That Girl", and changed the title of "Slammer" to the same, considering it to be a better name. In Fred Bronson's book "The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits", Leonard explained that the song was recorded in one day with Madonna recording her vocals only once. Additional guitar and percussion tracks were added later by Leonard and Bray. The downtempo song was developed on the following day, with Madonna writing the lyrics and Leonard composing the melody. Named "The Look of Love", the song contains the line "No where to run, no place to hide.
Who's That Girl (soundtrack) | Development
"Who's That Girl" also makes use of the sonic effect brought about by the combination of multiple vocal lines, which had been previously used by groups like The Beach Boys in their singles "God Only Knows" (1966) and "I Get Around" (1964) as well as R.E.M.'s singles "Fall on Me" (1986) and "Near Wild Heaven" (1991). "Who's That Girl" employs this effect on the last chorus where three or four different vocal hooks are intertwined. The second track "Causing a Commotion" has a danceable, up-tempo groove. The musical arrangement consists of a number of hooks interpolating with each other. It begins with the chorus, where Madonna sings the line "I've got the moves baby, You've got the motions, If we got together we be causing a commotion." The verses are accompanied by a four-note descending bassline and interjecting staccato chords.
Who's That Girl (soundtrack) | Composition
All compositions by Dorothy Ashby except where noted
In a Minor Groove | Track listing
In order to promote "Everybody," Madonna performed the track with backup dancers at Haoui Montaug's "No Entiendes" – a roving cabaret revue. In The Virgin Tour of 1985, Madonna wore a blue see-through crop-top which revealed her black bra, a purple skirt, lacy leggings and a brightly patterned jacket. She also wore crucifixes in her hair, and on her ears and neck. As the performance of "Into the Groove" ended, Madonna took the microphone and danced around the stage while singing "Everybody". The performance was included in the home video release titled "". Madonna sampled "Everybody"'s line, "Dance and sing, get up and do your thing" during the opening bars of "Express Yourself" for the Blond Ambition World Tour.
Everybody (Madonna song) | Live performances
The song is set in common time with a moderate tempo of 120 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of D major with Madonna's vocal range spanning from F to B. The song follows in the chord progression of D–C–G in the first verse to Bm–Em–A–F in the pre-chorus, and changes to A–F–Bm–A–E and G–D–A in the chorus.
Borderline (Madonna song) | Recording and composition
It opens with a keyboard rich intro and a catchy synth melody provided by Fred Zarr. Bass player Anthony Jackson doubled Dean Gant's synth bass to provide a solid and more complex texture. The chords in the song were inspired by Seventies disco sound in Philadelphia as well as Elton John's musical style during the mid-seventies. The chord sequences cite from Bachman–Turner Overdrive's song "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" while the synth phases display her typical musical style. The third track "Burning Up" has a starker arrangement, brought about by bass, single guitar and Linn drum machine. The drum beats used in the song were reminiscent to the records of singer Phil Collins.
Madonna (Madonna album) | Music and lyrics
The song starts with a C major chord sequence and is used on the flattened seventh key of the sequence. But the actual key of the song is D major. It is set in a time signature of common time with a moderate tempo of 120 beats per minute. Madonna's voice spans from F to G. A much stronger arrangement of drums are used in the second verse. The chorus uses the chord sequence of D–G–Bm–A while the first two lines of each verse uses the chord progression of C–D–C–D–C–D–Bm–A. During the intermediate line "I learned to let go of the illusion that we can possess", the structure changes to D/F–Bm–G–D–A–G–A.
I'll Remember | Composition
All tracks produced by Nile Rodgers, except "Into the Groove". Notes
Like a Virgin (album) | Track listing
When Madonna decided to create "You Can Dance", she and Stephen Bray reworked the demo composed by Hudson and Madonna asked Shep Pettibone, who had remixed her songs from "True Blue", to remix "Spotlight" and included it on the album. John "Jellybean" Benitez, who had recorded the original demo during the "True Blue" sessions, assisted Pettibone in remixing the song. Hudson, who was given credit as a songwriter since he had the demo copyrighted, recalled that much of the demo's production was changed in the final version, including the rhythm and the basic groove. "Spotlight" begins with the sound of drums, bass synths and handclaps, followed by Madonna uttering the words "Spotlight, shine bright".
Spotlight (Madonna song) | Composition
According to Barker, the nostalgic people would instantly recognize the song's lyrics at night clubs. He added that the line, "Only when I'm dancing can I feel this free," expresses the freedom that a dance floor brings about, with the dancers happy to find freedom in the music. A neume is visible in the line "Live out your fantasy here with me", which Barker believed, blurred the boundaries of reality and brought one closer to the world of fantasy.
Into the Groove | Composition
Credits adapted from the liner notes of the CD single and "Music".
Music (Madonna song) | Credits and personnel
According to author Rikky Rooksby, Madonna changed the composition of the original version by adding drum rhythms, accompanied by a beatbox sound like snare drums. Removing the chord progression of the original, Madonna introduces original lyrics into the song. Instrumentation of the track includes strings, marimba and finger-pops at various intervals throughout. Rooksby noticed that Madonna sang with a distant and disembodied voice, and relegated it to the dance music accompanying the lyrics.
Fever (Little Willie John song) | Background and composition
Although sounding icy, the chorus is contemporary in style, and the song's vocal range was later used by Madonna as her own personal range through her whole music career. It opens with a keyboard-rich intro played on a Fender-Rhodes electric piano and a catchy synth melody provided by Fred Zarr. Bass player Anthony Jackson doubled Dean Gant's synth bass to provide a solid and more complex texture. The chords in the song were inspired by the 1970s disco sound in Philadelphia, as well as Elton John's musical style. The chord sequences evoke Bachman-Turner Overdrive's song "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", while the synth phases display Madonna's typical musical style.
Borderline (Madonna song) | Recording and composition
Mark "Spike" Stent recorded the song on a SSL 9000J console using a Sony 3348 HR and a BASF 931 tape. He mixed it at London's Olympic Studios using SSL G Series Quantegy magnetic tapes. Tim Young mastered the track at Metropolis Studio at Chiswick, London. According to Rikky Rooksby, author of "Madonna: The Complete Guide to her Music", the whole production has a dry sound with heavy usage of equalization which created contrast in the vocal, continuing till the first chorus. Guitar flicks can be heard with keyboard chords on the bridge. The music travels from right to left and vice versa when heard on a headphone.
Music (Madonna song) | Recording and composition
Several remixes of "Hollywood", done by DJs such as Jacques Lu Cont, The Micronauts, Paul Oakenfold, Deepsky and Victor Calderone, were included on physical releases of the single around the world. In August 2003, the song was remixed with "Into the Groove" and performed with Missy Elliott under the title "Into the Hollywood Groove" as part of a promotional campaign for clothing retailer, GAP. Copies of the promotional CD were given to customers and were not available for individual purchase. An extended version, "The Passengerz Mix", was also included on the remix album "Remixed & Revisited" (2003). A promotional video for the remix was also shot.
Hollywood (Madonna song) | Remixes
All tracks written by Tal Bergman / Joe Bonamassa / Ron DeJesus / Michael Merritt unless indicated.
The Groove Cubed | Track listing
Musician Stuart Price, who worked the song for Madonna's 2001 Drowned World Tour, added that the rhythmic structure of "Music" was inspired from Kraftwerk's 1977 single, "Trans-Europe Express". Harmonically, "Music" has a time signature of common time, and its composition is based on a static key of G minor with a moderate tempo of 120 beats per minute. Madonna's vocals range from G to two-lined note of D, with a basic sequence of Gm–F–Gm–F as its chord progression. According to the book "Madonna's Drowned Worlds", written by Santiago Fouz-Hernández and Freya Jarman-Ivens, "Music" is a "disco anthem, and the beat commands [the people] to get up and dance".
Music (Madonna song) | Recording and composition
In the track, she mixed pop and Contemporary R&B genres. It begins with the sound of an acoustic guitar and wah-wah and just the sound of Madonna's voice singing over it, before opening up to a sparse, retro rhythm section. A descending chord sequence follows and around the one minute mark, the drums start with Madonna singing the chorus "Something's coming over, mmmmmmmm". It is entirely supported by the strings. According to Rikky Rooksby, author of "The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna", the descending chords are supported by the ascending strings—an example of contrary motion used in music.
Secret (Madonna song) | Recording and composition
She also played the title role in the 1985 comedy "Desperately Seeking Susan", a film which introduced the song "Into the Groove", her first number-one single in the UK. Her popularity caused the film to be perceived as a Madonna vehicle, despite how she was not billed as a lead actress. "The New York Times" film critic Vincent Canby named it one of the ten best films of 1985.
Madonna | 1982–1985: "Madonna", "Like a Virgin", and first marriage
"Love Is the Groove" is the first single by the singer/songwriter Betsy Cook. Released in 1991 by East West Records, it was the first track to be taken from her debut album "The Girl Who Ate Herself" (1992).
Love Is the Groove | Introduction
"All tracks written by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers unless otherwise noted." Disc one: Disc two:
The Definitive Groove Collection | Track listing
As the song progresses, the listener realizes that through the lyrics the singer was talking about herself—"One lonely star and you don't know who you are". According to Musicnotes.com, the song has a moderate calypso feel and is set in the time signature of common time and progresses in 80 beats per minute. The composition is set in the key of A major with Madonna's vocal ranging from E to C. "Take a Bow" contains a basic sequence of A–Bm/E–A–Fmaj during the opening strings, and A–A/G–Fm during the verses as its chord progression.
Take a Bow (Madonna song) | Recording and composition
In 1986, Madonna was shooting for her third motion picture "Who's That Girl", then known as "Slammer". Needing songs for the soundtrack of the movie, she contacted Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray, with whom she had written and produced her third studio album "True Blue" in 1986. Madonna explained to them that she needed an uptempo song and a downtempo song. She came to the studio one Thursday, as Leonard developed the chorus of the songs. He handed over that cassette to Madonna, who went to the backroom and finished the melody and the lyrics of the songs, while Leonard worked on the other parts.
The Look of Love (Madonna song) | Background and development
[...] The songs aren't necessarily about Nikki [her character name in the movie] or written to be sung by someone like her, but there's a spirit to this music that captures both what the film and the characters are about, I think."
Who's That Girl (Madonna song) | Background and composition
"I don't write dance music and I don't see it as contributing to the cultural growth of the world," grumbled Pat Leonard in 1992. "At the time we were doing the groove stuff on the "True Blue" album, it was semi-innovative. There wasn't a precedent that made you gag. God forbid that I might have contributed to the mess we're in now." On ballads like "Live to Tell" there is background instrumentation from a keyboard, a synthesizer, a funk guitar and a mix of synthesized and real drumming. "Where's the Party" is a standard dance track with arrangements of bass drums, synthesizer, clattering rhythms and a remixed approach to the whole composition.
True Blue (Madonna album) | Composition