 | |
Madonna news - May 2002
← April 2002 | June 2002 →
Madonna to record second Bond track? *rumour*
Source: PeopleNews - 30 May 2002Madonna fans who are looking forward to seeing and hearing her on the new James Bond film, Die Another Day, will be chuffed to hear that her Madgeness will be taking a slightly bigger role in the flick than previously thought. Mrs R will record a cover of a song called 'If You Could Read My Mind, Love' for a spicy scene where Bond, played by Pierce Brosnan, seduces Halle Berry's character, Jade. The song was originally recorded in 1970 by Gordon Lightfoot and has been covered by Barbara Streisand, among others.
~ Can't You See My Mind and If You Could Read My Mind, now she's making it confusing, isn't she! ;-) I've done some research myself and you can read the original lyrics of the song at this page. Bear in mind though that this news hasn't been confirmed yet.
Die Another Day premiere
30 May 2002The new James Bond movie Die Another Day will premiere in the UK on November 18, 2002. (thanx to Clare for the info
Orbit to work on new album? *rumour*
28 May 2002According to fansite Madonnarama, William Orbit will be working on Madonna's new album as well. He supposedly had "meetings with Madonna to discuss his involvement in the album. They've not yet talked about styles, titles or what Madonna is looking for, but they will definitely be entering the studio in August."
~ If this is true, Orbit would be the third producer working on this album. Earlier Madonna reported she wanted to work with Mirwais and Stuart Price and last week Michel Colombier revealed he did string arrangements for the album.
Queen of Cool
Source: International Herald Tribune - 28 May 2002Madonna may not yet be the queen of London theater after last week's reviews of her performance in "Up for Grabs." But when it comes to fashion, the Material Girl is still queen of cool. Playing to fashion big shots from Tom Ford to Donatella Versace, she chose for a pivotal scene a plunge-front draped top and tuxedo pants by Catherine Malandrino, a New York-based Parisian.
Madonna had previously picked the French designer's Stars-and-Stripes print for her Drowned World Tour - just as she chose the unknown Olivier Theyskens to dress her for the 1998 Oscars. Malandrino, who worked at Louis Feraud and Et Vous before going to America five years ago, is the subject of a forthcoming exhibition, "A French Designer in New York," at Le Bon Marche in Paris.
Madonna scored another hip hit with the Missoni coat she wore to the after-show party, surprising Rosita Missoni who praised the "hard" play. Before Madonna gave her stamp of approval to the graphic, arty patterns, Margherita Missoni, a philosophy student from the fashion family's third generation, was starring at Cannes, dancing on stage alongside Sharon Stone at the AmfAR AIDS benefit, for which the Missonis had dressed the tables.
Nervous on purpose?
Source: PeopleNews - 28 May 2002While critics have been rather rude about Madonna's acting in Up for Grabs (one said that Madge had so little stage presence that 'there appeared to be a vacuum around her'), one of her friends has come up with a novel excuse for Mrs Ritchie's stiff performance.
'The character she plays is supposed to be nervous,' insisted Madge's pal and interior decorator, David Collins. 'She plays a woman who is taking a risk with her career.' How life imitates art, imitates life...
25 May - More (bad) reviews
In big contrast to the standing ovations that Madonna received after each performance of Up For Grabs, stand the reviews in the press, which are mostly pretty bad: read more of them at E! Online - Hollywood.com - Lycos - NY Daily News - Sky.com - BayArea.com - Canada.com - Boston Globe
Madonna is a good kisser says female co-star
Source: ic SouthLondon - 25 May 2002Madonna is a good kisser according to one of her co-stars in her new West End play. Madonna kisses Megan Dodds in Up For grabs which is currently running at Wyndham's Theatre in London.
Dodds says she was very nervous the first time the pair came to the kissing scene but says Madonna is "really good. She's great actually. It makes it easier that we get along well," Dodds tells the Daily Express. "It's really good working with her. She doesn't act any different or expect special treatment. She's just normal".
More on ASCAP Awards / Joe Henry on Don't Tell Me
Source: Launch - 24 May 2002Madonna's hit single Don't Tell Me, from her 2000 album Music, was among the songs honored as one of the most performed of the year at the 19th annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards on Monday (May 20) in Beverly Hills, California.
The award meant accolades for acclaimed singer-songwriter Joe Henry, who wrote the song. Henry, who is also Madonna's brother-in-law, says that he originally had different plans for the song, but is not complaining about how things played out.
"Initially I wrote it for the Sopranos and they turned it down because I wasn't a Sony artist or a big enough star to override the fact that I wasn't a Sony artist," he says. "I think when Madonna covered it, I sent them all over there a case of Scotch because, you know, I don't have to tell you the difference between having her do the song and having it wind up on the Sopranos soundtrack."
Henry adds, "I knew she'd cut it but I [was thinking], 'Will it make the record?' It never occurred to me that it would be a single. I didn't think it was that kind of a song." The song also appears, if in drastically different form, on Henry's 2001 album, Scar, under the alternate title "Stop."
24 May - Up For Grabs reviews
Up For Grabs was officially opened last night and it was quite a star-full night; the play was attended by husband Guy Ritchie and his parents and many of Madonna's friends, Sting & Trudie Styler, Donnatella Versace and Stella McCartney to name a few. Today quite a few reviews appeared in the press: read them at BBC - Telegraph - Times Online - Reuters - Entertainment Tonight - ThisIsLondon.
Read a reaction of Madonna's mother-in-law at Ananova.
Bond theme: 'Can't You See My Mind?'!
Sources: Michel Colombier & Hollywood Reporter - 23 May 2002It has been revealed that the song that Madonna will record for the upcoming Bond movie 'Die Another Day' will be titled 'Can't You See My Mind?'. On the official website of Michel Colombier (who did string arrangements for Don't Tell Me) it is announced that the composer not only has been working on the 'Swept Away' soundtrack, but also on the Bond theme and some songs of Madonna's upcoming album: "Michel has just finished recording the score for 'Swept Away', written and directed by Guy Ritchie, starring Madonna.
This film is scheduled for release in the U.S. in September 2002. - Select songs from Madonna's new album, including 'Can't You See My Mind?', title song of the soon-to-be-released James Bond movie, have had string arrangements written by Michel."
Madonna play to get official opening
Source: Ananova - 23 May 2002Madonna will face the critics for the first time tonight when her new play stages its press night. She has already been appearing in preview performances of Up For Grabs at Wyndhams Theatre in London. David Williamson's new comedy sees Madonna playing an ambitious art dealer. She tries to break into the more exclusive buyers' market and bends the rules to get the highest bid for a Jackson Pollock picture.
Madonna lets it all hang out
Source: ThisIsLondon - 23 May 2002Once she was the world's most outrageous performer, for whom public nudity was just another image. But then Madonna experienced motherhood, marriage and country life and discovered a degree of modesty.
So when she inadvertently exposed her chest to a 1,000-strong West End audience, Madonna was clearly horrified. According to witnesses at the Wyndham Theatre, she blushed deeply and cursed before recovering her poise with an ad lib that drew mass applause.
The buttons of Madonna's waist-tied top came apart to reveal her bra last night at the start of the final preview performance of David Williamson's play, Up For Grabs, which opens tonight. There were gasps and titters from the audience until co-star Tom Irwin finally alerted her.
They were performing a blazing marital row when he finished a rant with an off-the-cuff: "And cover yourself up!" Madonna, 43, swore in her off-stage voice and silently mouthed, "Oh my God," to laughter and applause. As the laughter died away, she quipped in the style of her shopping-obsessed character : "Well, if you gave me more money to buy clothes..." The audience erupted into applause and the play continued as scripted.
Timo Maas about remixing for Madonna
Source: Knack, translation by Mad-Eyes - 23 May 2002You were asked to make a remix of Madonna's Don't Tell Me. That's almost like a status symbol, because she always knows to choose the best producers.
Yes, she works with the best. I can only be grateful to her. It's been about a year ago now. If I remember correctly, we were the first Germans to work with her. It's quite an honour. Especially at the very moment, it's a big deal. I saw the assignment as the confirmation that we were on the right track and that we have developed a unique style. If the biggest pop act wants you, you must be okay. It brought us from the hype into the business. After that we've done quite a few other remixes: Fatboy Slim, Placebo, Kelis, Garbage and Junior Sanchez. We will also work on the new single from Moby. Madonna was without any doubt our break-through. It felt like we turned from soldiers into knights.
Would you like the produce a whole album for a star like Madonna, like William Orbit and Mirwais did?
Of course I would! But right now I don't think we're ready for it yet. Some day we'll get to the point when a star wants a certain unique sound, and we can provide it. But first we need to get a few more doors open.
Madonna makes home a 'Fortress'
Source: Teen Hollywood - 23 May 2002Madonna has ordered workmen to turn her lavish country hideaway into a fortress following a security scare. Madonna and Guy Ritchie insisted that wrought iron gates be erected at the entrance of their £9 million home after three men were spotted acting suspiciously in the grounds.
The men had driven onto the estate and crashed through hedges in a bid to escape after being confronted by game keepers. One of the men was arrested and has been charged with criminal damage - but the other two escaped after the incident three weeks ago.
Madonna - who famously branded British builders lazy - chose a local firm to carry out the task at Ashcombe House, near Shaftsbury, on the Dorset, Wiltshire border in England. County Forge - which employs 25 staff - boast celebrities Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton and Elkie Brookes amongst their clients.
Mad Donna producer speaks out
22 May 2002When he got the call that a song from his "Mother Goose Rocks" CD set had hit the charts in England, Los Gatos computer consultant Richard Snee couldn't have been more surprised if he had seen the cow jump over the moon.
Snee began recording albums of rock star soundalikes doing children's songs while he was on sabbatical from a marketing job at Silicon Graphics. It was a passion, a quirk, something he just had to do, even if only his friends and family heard it.
Now the single was rocketing up the charts, faster than the mouse ran up the clock. But not just with children. His production of Mad Donna doing "The Wheels on the Bus" was being played in clubs and on the radio. The tune even turned up as a ring on cell phones. On the British charts, it got as high as No. 17, sandwiched for a week between J-Lo and Shaggy.
At a London disco you could hear Madonna doing Ray of Light and then a soundalike singing "The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round." The novelty song had people shaking their heads and then rushing out to buy it.
"I was absolutely taken aback," says Snee, 42, who sings songs in the voices of Dave Matthews, Ricky Martin, Andrea Bocelli and Lauryn Hill on his albums. "I wasn't shocked that someone said it was doing well, but when I started to understand the repercussions that it could chart on the official pop chart, that was mind-blowing. I did this just for fun. I wasn't doing it to make money."
He's also drawn some controversy. His Mad Donna (actually singer Michelle Chappel) sounds very similar to the Material Mother, the woman the English press dubs "Madge". An English tabloid reported that Madge was "furious" over the similarity and denied having anything to do with the goofy sendup. Snee, however, says Madonna's publisher, Warner/Chappell, didn't sound furious when it contacted him. It was seeking "participation" in the project.
For laymen, that means it wants to reap some of the profits, which Snee says he's happy to share. The lawyers are discussing the breakdowns, he says. "Not in a million years are we trying to convince people that these are the original artists," says Snee, who hired five musicians total to sing on the album. "They would never do these songs."
BMW ad wins award
Source: Miami Herald - 22 May 2002A leaner Clio Awards, touted as the Oscars of advertising, arrived in Miami Beach this year, wings clipped by the industry's cutbacks.
[...]
The awards and daily panels began Sunday at the Loews Miami Beach and wrap up today. Roughly 300 people attended the daily events, and between 400 and 500 were expected for Tuesday's TV, radio and agency of the year awards presentation and gala.
Fallon Worldwide's Minneapolis office was the year's top winner, awarded two Grand Clios and Agency of the Year for five film-like ads, each six minutes and up, created for the German automaker BMW.
The agency recruited five noted directors, including Guy Ritchie, who filmed his wife, Madonna, for one segment. The BMW ads aired on cable television and the Internet.
Madonna honored by ASCAP
Source: Hollywood Reporter - 22 May 2002Beyonce Knowles, Warner/Chappell and Dido were among the top honorees during the 19th annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards on Monday night at the Beverly Hilton.
[...]
Holly Lamar, Incubus' Dirk Lance, Desmond Child, Richie Sambora, Lenny Kravitz, Train, 'N Sync, Uncle Kracker, Staind, Alicia Keys, U2, BBMak and Madonna were also among those honored during the event, which was hosted by ASCAP president and chairman Marilyn Bergman.
Madonna pays visit to Mirwais *rumour*
22 May 2002According to MadonnaPlanet, Madonna has visited Mirwais in his recording studio in Paris. About two weeks ago she took the Eurostar from London to Paris and showed up in the studio to work with Mirwais on 6 tracks for her upcoming album.
Pet Shop Boys on Madonna
Source: Madonnaplanet - 22 May 2002When asked during a recent interview why they never collaborated with Madonna, the Pet Shop Boys answered: "Because she wants to cowrite the texts, and we are with two already. I don't think we'd accept her singing things like "love is a bird, she needs to fly" (excerpt from Frozen). We'd say something like "Madonna you can't sing things like that!".
I like her "Music makes the bourgeoisie and the rebel". For that piece, and the album by that name, she has collaborated with French producer Mirwais. We like Mirwais a lot. We were asked to remix his 'Naive Song' but there was nothing to be done; it was perfect already."
Williamson in Madonna's shadow
Source: Arts Telegraph - 21 May 2002"David Williamson's play Up For Grabs which opens on Thursday, has been hijacked by the celebrity of its star, but, he tells Jasper Rees, he soon found himself admiring her bravery. Who is David Williamson? Let the man tell you himself.
"I'll probably go down in history as the writer whose name they can't remember who wrote the play Madonna was in." Since the most famous pop star in the world was cast in Up For Grabs, Williamson has witnessed his effacement from a production with his name on it."
Download Madonna covers
19 May 2002One thing all the recent Madonna covers prove to us, is how fantastic the originals really are! Judge for yourself: you can download the Papa Don't Preach cover by Kelly Osbourne at Boomspeed and both the Like A Prayer and the Holiday cover of Mad'House at Madonnapower .
Pregnancy rumours persist
19 May 2002The past few weeks the British press has been hinting at a third pregnancy for Madonna, mostly based on a picture in which she shows her tummy to her son Rocco. Today Belgian Radio Donna claimed that Mo was four months pregnant already. However, not only has her publicist denied the story, those who have seen Up For Grabs say her belly looks far from pregnant. Only she knows for sure of course, so we'll have to wait and see. Would be great though, note that Madonna released a great album after both Lourdes' and Rocco's birth... ;-)
This is from the NY Daily News:
"Madonna's camp is denying a fresh round of pregnancy rumors. Next week's Star magazine says that the singer, who turns 44 in August, is expecting her third child. The tabloid quotes sources who claim that she and her husband, Guy Ritchie, will make an announcement once she reaches her fourth month.
Madonna's spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg, insisted yesterday the star does not have a playmate on the way for Lourdes, 5, and Rocco, almost 2. Rosenberg admitted she has lied in the past when her client was expecting. "The first time, she was in middle of shooting 'Evita,' and she knew it would become a big thing. Also, it was nobody's business."
It happens that Madonna is again under pressure as she launches a play in London, "Up for Grabs." But Rosenberg discouraged comparisons with the past. "I've 'fessed up to lying before, but I'm not lying now," she said."
On stage, Madonna gets physical
Source: MSNBC - 17 May 2002Madonna seems more comfortable exercising than acting. The singer is starring in the London production, "Up For Grabs," and some theater-goers were amused to see rather lengthy scenes in which Madonna practices pilates, one of her pet forms of working out. The buzz is that the scenes were among those that the singer reportedly demanded be added to the script.
"Her acting was a little stiff and shaky," one source told the Scoop, "but she certainly is limber in those workout scenes." It wouldn't be the first time Madonna has had her exercise of choice written into a script. "The Next Best Thing" called for Madonna's character to be a swimming instructor; she insisted it be changed to a yoga instructor, and the widely panned film showed scenes in which the camera lingered over Madonna in various yoga poses.
Pilates aside, Madonna's performance did not wow the critics. Several commented on the singer's stiff acting and apparent nervousness. A reviewer for the London Evening Standard, for example, wrote of the "shock of discovering that Madonna has a little voice. Add to this a certain nervousness of demeanour, and you might be forgiven for thinking that her first half-dozen lines were repeated requests to be allowed to visit the toilet."
Nevertheless, Madonna's first stage performance in 13 years caused much excitement in London. The role calls for a lesbian kiss which brought the paparazzi out in force; several of them got booted for trying to take pictures during the performance.
Madonna fans — some of whom paid as much as $750 per ticket — wildly welcomed Madonna from the moment she went on stage. As one commented, "It's the only time I've ever seen an actor receive a standing ovation before uttering a single word." Madonna's spokeswoman didn't return calls for comment.
Die Another Day trailer
14 May 2002You can see a teaser trailer of Die Another Day at Yahoo! Still no word whether or not Madonna has accepted to do the cameo or not.
Mad'House covers Holiday
14 May 2002After their hit with Like A Prayer it was expectable that Mad'House would try the same trick again. And yes, they'll be releasing a cover of Holiday pretty soon, trying to trick the audience again. Please someone free us of these jokers! (thanx to Madonna Electronica
Fans queue hours in hope of seeing Madge
Source: Guardian Unlimited - 14 May 2002She is not officially royalty, but queues for returned tickets on the opening night of Madonna's foray into West End theatre resembled early morning stake-outs for Charles and Diana's wedding or the Harrods sale.
Fans arrived at 11am and waited in drizzle for eight hours for a chance to see the 43-year-old singer's West End debut in David Williamson's Up For Grabs - an arts-world satire in which she plays Loren, a ruthless dealer going to any length to shift a Jackson Pollock.
Queueing was a tiresome process, but cheaper than paying between £150 and £400 on the black market. By yesterday evening, only a few punters were queueing for return tickets to get into last night's preview of the sell-out satire. The run sold out months ago, with all matinees cancelled due to the singer's recording commitments.
After the play the audience - some of whom had come from the US to queue for tickets - said Madonna had cut a nervous figure who appeared to have fluffed a few lines. However she had impeccable comic timing and raised laughs during a two-minute kiss with another female character.
Michael Harrigan, a London-based actor, who had got a ticket after queueing, said: "She was clearly nervous and was moving her hands a lot which is a sign of nerves and the one thing you must never do as an actor. But she got stronger throughout the performance and she was clearly working the audience who were very receptive of her. I think her acting process will improve as the run continues."
Andrea Pastorelli, an Italian student, said: "She was slightly stuttery but she was great and she was very at ease with the sexual nature of her role. She is playing a highly strung character so her jumpiness came across as part of the role."
Madonna's choice of London venue gives her a hard act to follow - the Wyndham's Theatre previously hosted The Play What I Wrote, which had rave reviews and broke records for the highest advance ticket sales of any play in West End history.
Fans pay upwards of £500 to see Madonna's West End debut
Source: Hello Magazine - 14 May 2002Madonna took to the stage for the first time in over a decade on Monday night, in the West End debut of Up For Grabs at London's Wyndhams Theatre. Hundreds of fans had queued in the rain to secure one of the 700 tickets available for the first night performance – and some had even paid touts upwards of £500 for a coveted seat.
The performance, Madonna's first since she appeared in David Mamet's Speed The Plow Stateside in 1988, was held under the tightest of security and members of the press were not allowed.
Among those not in the audience were Madonna's husband Guy Ritchie and her young son Rocco, who stopped by earlier in the evening to wish the singer good luck, but left about 30 minutes before the performance.
Throngs of screaming fans greeted the 43-year-old pop music icon as she left the building by the front entrance after the play. And while audience members outside the theatre gave mixed reviews, many thought the star had shaken off the jitters to eventually give a strong performance by the end of the play.
"I thought she was a lot better than expected," said one audience member. "She was excellent." Another added, "She was nervous to start with but got better."
The Evita star's West End debut, which sold out in four days when tickets went on sale in February, had been delayed by technical problems. Up For Grabs officially opens on May 23, and is set for a 10-week run.
Who's girl kissing Madge?
Source: The Sun - 14 May 2002Madonna set pulses racing last night - as she enjoyed a steamy kiss with another woman. Fans flocked to see the pop superstar on her West End theatre debut, with £38 tickets changing hands for £200. And there were gasps from the audience as Madonna, 43, played out her lesbian scene.
Madonna, whose hits include Who's That Girl, is a ruthless art dealer in the comedy Up For Grabs. She admits "I've never done it with another woman," before her kiss with leather-clad co-star Megan Dodds. The play opens officially at London's Wyndham Theatre on May 23 - and is already heavily booked.
It's hard not to love Madge
Source: ThisIsLondon - 14 May 2002I've strolled into a few places before to confront Madonna. Mostly, these have been large auditoria with thousands of people baying for entertainment. She has usually obliged by appearing with hordes of raunchy backing singers and brassieres to make Howard Hughes become centrifugal in his grave. On other occasions, we have crossed paths in the cinema. The most discreet of veils must be drawn over these encounters.
Last night, she popped up in the theatre. I was taken aback by the sheer intimacy of seeing the woman in what, for the first time in my experience, might adequately be described as the flesh.
There was cleavage, a lesbian kiss and a sex aid, but before any of that came something I have never seen in a lifetime of attending soirées dedicated to the art of greasepaint: I have never before witnessed an actress receiving an ovation before she had uttered a word. Madonna appeared somewhere around centre stage, to lapse into technical jargon, performed a step or two in the direction of the paying public, smiled, and the house came down.
It must be emphasised that the play she is appearing in, Up For Grabs, has not been cynically thrown together as a star vehicle. The story concerns a bidding war for a painting by Jackson Pollock, one of those American guys whose life, work, and death can all be summed up in a single phrase: car crash.
Madonna needs to get $20 million for the picture in question, for reasons that need not detain us here. Suffice it to say that she has to work her magic on three potential buyers. There is the inevitable couple who have made vast sums of imaginary money as a dot.com ensemble. There is the big, fat bloke and his screechy wife, who have made vast sums of money by more conventionally thuggish means. There is an etiolated red-haired woman who acts for people who have made vast sums of money, quite possibly by rebranding the Third Reich.
Into this atmosphere of greed and degredation steps Madonna. She is no angel. There is cleavage in this performance, and also a kicking off and putting on of shoes, that strongly suggests that Loren, the character Madonna is impersonating, is no stranger to the dark side. Incidentally, I should mention at this point that, even with shoes removed, there was no suggestion of the patter of tiny feet.
She realises that in order to make deals with the devils that inhabit the unacceptable warrens of the art world, the places where money actually changes hands, then certain sacrificies are necessary. These include, in no particular order, French-kissing, a mild session of lesbianism, the turning down of a line of cocaine, and an episode with a gigantic dildo.
Which brings me to the most extraordinary aspect of the evening's performance: Madonna is the nearest thing I've seen to a little girl since Shirley Temple. For a start, there is the voice. This is a woman who has commanded the open spaces of Wembley Stadium. Obviously, amplification is involved on these occasions, but there is still the shock of discovering that Madonna has a little voice. Add to this a certain nervousness of demeanour, and you might be forgiven for thinking that her first half-dozen lines were repeated requests to be allowed to visit the toilet.
Then there is the habit of resorting to the hands-on-hips posture when all other thoughts of acting have flown into the wings. The lady is not a stage natural. Yet something quite peculiar happens in the course of Up For Grabs, which is that I ended up loving the dame.
Possibly because it is not a realistic possibility with such an assured supporting cast, there is no attempt at scene stealing or upstaging. Perhaps, it's because her face looks sweet, at least from the gods. Maybe, it's because she's got a terrific American accent for an English bird. Anyway, the girl done good.
Mixed reactions after first Up For Grabs preview
Source: Ananova - 13 May 2002Madonna has made her first stage performance for 13 years. The 43-year-old singer appeared in a preview performance of Up For Grabs at Wyndhams Theatre in her West End debut. She last appeared on stage in 1988 in US playwright David Mamet's Speed-The-Plow on Broadway.
Madonna left the theatre by the front entrance shortly after the performance and was driven away in a waiting car. There were screams from the crowd as she scrambled for the car and the road outside was blocked by photographers and camera crews.
Those who saw the play had mixed views on Madonna's performance, with most saying she improved in the second half once she had got over her nerves.
Victoria Bateman, 32, said she thought the pop star was "fantastic". "I thought she was a lot better than expected, she was excellent."
Malva Green, 41, said she thought the actress "put on a convincing performance". "She was nervous to start with but got a lot better."
Theatregoers with tickets and others hoping to catch any returned tickets queued down Charing Cross Road in the rain before the show.
In the play Madonna plays Simone, an ambitious art dealer whose attempts to break into the more exclusive buyers' market finds her bending the rules to get the highest bid for a Jackson Pollock picture.
~ Notice that it was reported earlier that the name of Madonna's character was changed to Loren.
New album on hold
Source: MTV.com - 10 May 2002Madonna will put the recording of her next album on hold while she makes her London theater debut in "Up for Grabs" this summer, her spokesperson said. She will return to the studio in August.
10 May - Up For Grabs advert
Below you find the advert for Up For Grabs that appeared in yesterday's London Evening Standard; click to enlarge.
Like A Prayer voted 5th in British All-Time Best Single poll
Source: Reuters - 8 May 2002Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" was named Britain's favorite pop single of all time Wednesday in a poll by Guinness World Records. More than 31,000 people voted in the poll for GWR's "British Hit Singles" book.
Madonna's Like A Prayer made it to no. 5, while Vogue is on no. 24.
The top 10 is as follows:
1. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
2. Imagine - John Lennon;
3. Hey Jude - The Beatles;
4. Dancing Queen - Abba;
5. Like a Prayer - Madonna;
6. Angels - Robbie Williams;
7. Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles;
8. Wannabe - Spice Girls;
9. Yesterday - The Beatles;
10. Let It Be - The Beatles.
Swept Away release date
8 May 2002According to UpcomingMovies, Swept Away will be released on September 27th, 2002.
Madonna trivia book
8 May 2002
Just how well do you know Madonna, the most famous woman in the world? Read 'Who's That Girl? The Ultimate Madonna Trivia Book' and find out!
What Madonna hit was featured in a television ad for The Gap?
Which Madonna sibling danced along side his sister in her "Lucky Star" music video?
What snack food is reportedly Madonna's favorite?
Which Madonna album is her biggest seller?
From Material Girl to Mother of Two, Who's That Girl? The Ultimate Madonna Trivia Book explores the fascinating life of the world's most outspoken, controversial and celebrated superstar.
Written with respect and admiration by best-selling author and pop culture expert Michael-Dante Craig, it is the ultimate trivia book for Madonna's legion of fans around the globe. Who's That Girl? The Ultimate Madonna Trivia Book is the perfect book for all True Blue Madonna fans. Buy it at Amazon.
Kylie sexier than Madonna?
Source: Ananova - 8 May 2002The co-author of Kylie Minogue's new biography says the star is set to become a living legend. Nigel Goodall believes her girl-next-door quality is unique and makes her even sexier than Madonna. [...]
Nigel told Ananova: "Despite her suggestive dances, Kylie's girly appeal is very refreshing. It's all done very tongue in cheek and naturally - that's the quality that makes her unique. Madonna is much more controversial which I believe doesn't make her as sexy."
Relaunched Ashram hosts exclusive demo files
6 May 2002Madonna's Ashram was relaunched today and contains quite some goodies! If you simply register (for free) you'll be able to hear (in .asx) demo files from the Ray Of Light recording sessions.
Four of them are demos of the tracks that Madonna did with Patrick Leonard: 'The Power Of Good-Bye' (original demo), 'To Have And Not To Hold' (acoustic original demo, very impressive), 'Little Star' (original demo) and 'No Substitute For Love' (original demo, quite different from Drowned World).
Then there are three unknown demos, which Madonna supposedly wrote with Robert Miles, Rick Nowels and Greg Fitzgerald, but which she ditched for the Ray Of Light album. They are 'Gone Gone Gone' (part of which we heard before), 'Revenge' (heard some of that too) and... 'Like A Flower' (my personal favorite, imagine a third 'Like A..' song!!).
In the Words section you'll find the lyrics for these demos and also a letter from Madonna to Patrick Leonard about her decision to drop the songs.
Finally, in the Video section you can find several videos from the Drowned World Tour, most interestingly the one for Paradise. (Oh and do notice where the webmaster got his inspiration for the eyes-concept and the background color! ;-)
Madonna tiara in new exhibition
Source: Madonna.com - 3 May 2002The jet encrusted tiara worn by Madonna in her Max Factor campaign is currently on display at London's Victoria & Albert Museum. For more information on the exhibition or to make an online booking, click here.
Up For Grabs rumours denied - again
Source: LA Times - 3 May 2002"All my work is based on trying to free up actors' creativity, to release their story. I'm not interested in imposing a singular vision," says the boomingly popular British director Laurence Boswell.
Boswell is the director of choice for American stars who yearn for London's West End stages. He's directing Matt Damon and his pals in "This Is Our Youth" and also Madonna in her coming "Up for Grabs" drama.
He debunks rumors about Madonna being "difficult." "Not much is being said officially, so people are making it up," Boswell says. "The stage being raised by 5 feet to prevent fans mobbing her--that is total, total rubbish. And people not being allowed to look her in the eye is nonsense.... Whenever any group of people get together, of course there are arguments. But nothing out of the ordinary."
Tickets for the 10-week run of Madonna's starring turn, starting with previews May 13, sold out overnight. She plays a scheming art dealer with three sets of clients. Boswell says, "It's a crackling tale with an element of thriller. I liked the play and thought she would be good in the part. She's well known as an art collector."
Moby on collaborating with Madonna
Source: Madonnarama - 2 May 2002In a recent interview for Top of the Pops, Moby has admitted that he was to record a track with Madonna last year: "I've know Madonna forever, for a really long time. She'd asked me to work on her last record with her, and I couldn't because I was on tour. Then my tour finished and her tour started, so I asked her to work on my record and she couldn't because she was on tour.
The song I wanted her to work on is called 'Jam For The Ladies' and it's this throw-your-hands-in-the-air, sexy, fun hip hop track. Because she and I both came from this underground New York club culture, I thought her vocals would really suit that track, but she was on tour, so she couldn't do it. Maybe we could meet up one day and do a speed-metal song together."
Swept Away needs work
Source: PageSix - 2 May 2002Looks like the Oscar will elude Madonna for another year. Her new film - a remake of Lena Wertmuller's 1975 classic 'Swept Away' - has been yanked from its planned premiere at Cannes this month after test audiences called it a stinker. Written and directed by husband Guy Ritchie, the film has been recalled by Sony Pictures for improvements.
Madonna covers all around
Sources: NME, AbsoluteMadonna, Madonna-Electronica & Madonnarama - 1 May 2002We reported it before; covering Madonna seems more trendy than ever:
There are three Like A Prayer covers in the German charts right now; the one by Mad'House even made it to no. 1. Ironically the fantastic original only made it to no. 2 in 1989...
British rock band Glitterbug also jumps on the Like A Prayer band wagon with their rock version of the song, which will be free for download on their website.
Meanwhile the internet joke 'The Wheels On The Bus', a parody of Ray Of Light, surprisingly entered the UK charts at no. 17 and will feature on this friday's Top Of The Pops in the UK.
Also this week, Kelly Osbourne will be filming the video for her Papa Don't Preach cover.
The band My Vitriol announced they'll release a rarities album called 'Between The Lines', which also features a cover of Oh Father.
And finally there's the rumour that Kylie intends to collaborate with the Pet Shop Boys on a cover of The Look Of Love, which would feature on her next single 'Love At First Sight', which arrives in stores in June. Talking about Madonna, she supposedly said: "She's the queen and I'm happy to be the princess".