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Madonna news - May 2005
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Madonna gets busy on new album
Source: Billboard - 31 May 2005Work is progressing on Madonna's next studio album, although details are scant at deadline. "If you haven't heard that Madonna is back in the studio recording, then you might be living under a rock," a statement on her official Web site says. "Madonna is busy in the studio collaborating with new producers that she has never worked with before."
At deadline, it was unknown when the as-yet-untitled album would be released, or with whom Madonna was working.
The set will be the follow-up to 2003's critically maligned album American Life, which debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200, but posted the lowest sales of any Madonna album to-date (656,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan). In contrast, 2000's Music has shifted more than 2.89 million units.
Although it didn't fare well at retail, American Life spawned the massively successful Re-Invention Tour, which grossed $125 million in box office receipts, according to Billboard Boxscore. "My Re-Invention Tour was by far the most creatively satisfying experience I have ever had," Madonna told Billboard in December. "I was able to put everything I love into one entertaining event: film, music and dance."
As previously reported, a DVD chronicling Re-Invention is due by the end of the year.
Grumpy Elton slams Madonna - again
Source: ContactMusic - 31 May 2005Sir Elton John has hit out at Madonna again - by warning fans she will probably not perform at this year's (05) LIVE 8 charity concert because she would rather attend a Kabbalah meeting.
The Rocket Man criticised the Material Girl last year (04) for miming during her Re-Invention Tour.
And now he has resumed their war of words, by accusing Madonna of caring more about her religious meetings than aiding poverty relief in Africa by singing at the fund-raising gig.
He says, "She's probably got a bl**dy Kabbalah meeting instead."
Madonna part of Live 8 line-up
Source: AFP - 31 May 2005A who's who of popular music including Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, U2, Madonna and Prince are scheduled to perform this July in a massive successor concert to the Live Aid charity event of 1985, according to a newspaper report.
The event is scheduled to be announced by Irish pop star-turned development activist Bob Geldof in London later Tuesday, Britain's Daily Telegraph reported.
It said that a series of stars had already been confirmed for the July 2 event, which will take place simultaneously in London, Philadelphia and, possibly, other countries worldwide.
Names already confirmed also include British girl group the Spice Girls, whose original five-member line up last performed together in 1998, and the classic line-up of veteran British rockers Pink Floyd, the paper said.
Although the concert is being seen as a successor to Live Aid, also organised by Geldof, which raised huge sums for African famine relief, the purpose of the new event is very different, the report said.
It will be called "Live 8", and is timed to take place just before the July 6-8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, of leaders from the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations' club.
Aligning itself with the Make Poverty History campaign, which is championing trade reform, debt relief and other development issues, the intention of the concert will be to raise awareness rather than money.
As well as the main concerts in London's Hyde Park and in Philadelphia, there were rumours of satellite events in places including France, Germany and South Africa.
The event is being organised at the last minute, according to U2 singer Bono -- also a noted campaigner on development issues -- who is helping persuade acts to take part in the concert.
"Geldof has been telling me 'no' for two years (about organising a Live Aid successor) and only finally agreed to it six weeks ago," Bono said, complaining about the pressure this had placed him under.
"Now I have to spend every spare minute hitting the phones to try to drum up support. American stars tend to plan six months ahead, not six weeks. It has been incredibly difficult," he told the paper
In a separate report, the Daily Mirror said that the Spice Girls, whose return has been much predicted in recent months, had actually been turned down by Live 8 organisers.
Citing a source in the BBC, which is to broadcast the show, the paper said the group were seen as too manufactured and not in keeping with the event's serious purpose.
Madonna pants sale banned
Source: Daily Record - 31 May 2005Internet auction site eBay have refused to sell a pair of knickers once worn by Madonna.
The owner of an Aberdeen lap-dancing club tried to flog the silk girdle-style pants worn in the star's film Body Of Evidence.
But the internet site banned the sale because the underwear had been used.
Tony Cochrane paid £800 for the pants, which were won by the star during a steamy sex scene in the film.
He kept them in a glass case on the wall in his Private Eyes club, alongside an autographed picture of the famous scene.
But when he decided to sell them during a club refit two weeks ago, he was shocked to discover that eBay cancelled the auction.
Tony said: 'We bought the pants in 1998. We thought they would be good for the club, as we had a picture of Madonna wearing them. They fitted in with the theme of the club. Our customers were thrilled to see them alongside undergarments from Striptease, Showgirl, True Lies and Baywatch.'
Tony said he was flooded with offers when he put the pants up for sale on the net. He said: 'After five days, we had an offer of £1000 from a buyer in the US.' But his plans were scuppered when he received an email saying that the auction had been terminated, as the site 'does not permit the sale of any used undergarments'.
He said: 'I don't even think we can wash them and put them on sale. But we have received a private offer to buy them.
Sin City photo on Madonna.com
27 May 2005The new Madonna.com splash page shows Madonna and Guy Ritchie arriving for the Sin City premiere in London, earlier this week.
Madonna.com on new album
26 May 2005After the rumours about the new album that have been circulating in the media, Madonna.com has posted a small comment. It doesn't reveal much, and it certainly doesn't confirm the rumoured tite "Defying Gravity", which is probaby nothing more than a working title. here's what they say:
"If you haven't heard that Madonna is back in the studio recording, then you might be living under a rock! Chatter & speculation about the new album has been non-stop. What will be the theme of the album? Who does Madonna collaborate with? When will the album be released?
Fans everywhere are dying to find out the truth. At this time, Madonna.com can confirm that Madonna is busy in the studio collaborating with new producers that she has never worked with before. Can't confirm any names yet, but stay tuned to Madonna.com for more insider information."
Madonna attends private screening for documentary *rumour*
26 May 2005According to fansite MadonnaTribe, Madonna has yesterday attended a private screening of the her Re-Invention documentary at a private cinema in London.
The Queen of Pop, the film's director Jonas Ackerlund and her manager Angela Becker were the only viewers. Guy Ritchie did not attend the screening.
Check Tribe for a photo, courtesy of Sorena Armani, of Madonna attending the private screening.
They also claim that Angela Becker is the new manager and the new personal assistant is Alix Graham.
Possible new album title
Sources: MegaStar, DotMusic - 6 May 2005After Madonna's surprise appearance at the Sin City premiere in London this week, some were left wondering why she suddenly showed up with hubby Guy in tow.
All is revealed. It was announced today that she is now working on her next album, entitled Defying Gravity. It's always good to show up at a big media event and steal the limelight when you've got a new project to flog.
The new disc isn't due for release until January but a source said she had played new tracks to record company execs and the response had been good.
"The record label are really excited and think it's full of hit singles," continued the unnamed source.
***
Madonna is believed to putting the finishing touches to her new album.
The Sun reports today [May 25] that the follow-up to 2003's American Life has the working title of "Defying Gravity".
A source told the tabloid: "Madonna has played her new material to Warner label bosses and they love it."
"There is a rockier edge and the usual electronic influence. The label are really excited and believe it is full of hit singles."
Only three singles were released from American Life - the title track, Hollywood and Love Profusion. Die Another Day was released the year before the album.
The Sun adds that eight tracks have been written and recorded for the album so far, including one entitled "Defying Gravity".
Madonna film 'Truth or Who Cares'?
Source: NY Daily News - 26 May 2005Madonna may have found inner peace - but will her kabbala-induced serenity put movie audiences to sleep?
Last summer, Her Madgesty hired Swedish director Jonas Akerlund and a small army of cameramen to make a documentary about her Re-Invention Tour. Word is she saw the film as a sequel to Truth or Dare, the 1991 concert film directed by her previous instrument, Alek Keshishian.
Madonna and Akerlund have spent much of the past six months editing the film, which tentatively has the catchy title "The Re-Invented Process."
Cannes Film Fest officials turned down a rough cut of the film - which doesn't surprise some who've seen it.
"More than half of the film is about how the kabbala has enriched her life," an insider tells us. "People do not want to see this from Madonna. They want to be shocked. All of the juicy stuff - like Madonna and [husband] Guy Ritchie arguing - was cut out by Madge herself because she wanted to show how much the kabbala has changed her."
The Cannes committee seemed to want to make it up to Madonna by inviting her to be a juror, but she reciprocated their rejection. Some say the whole experience has put her in a foul mood.
"Guy has been getting the Madge attitude 2-4/7," claims our source.
Madonna rep Liz Rosenberg says that, according to one person who saw the "Re-Invented" film, "There really isn't that much kabbala in it. The movie has terrific performance footage. And how could it be like 'Truth or Dare'? Her life is so much different now.
"She's already back in the recording studio. Her tracks are said to be incredible. Believe me, Madonna's never been one to wallow in depression."
More on Belgian plagiarism lawsuit
Source: E Online - 26 May 2005A European songwriter is looking to freeze Madonna out of some cold cash.
Belgian composer Salvatore Acquaviva is suing the Material Mommy, accusing her of ripping off parts of his song for her 1998 worldwide hit Frozen off the multiplatinum-selling album Ray of Light.
The suit, filed in the city of Mons, claimed Madonna's minor-key ditty plagiarized several bars of his track "Ma Vie Fout L'camp (My Life's Getting Nowhere)", written five years before.
"I was in the bath. I was listening to the radio, and thought that's strange, I know that melody. I said it's not possible," the European tunesmith told Belgium's RTL TV.
During a hearing last Wednesday, attorneys for Acquaviva alleged the pop diva may have heard his song after meeting with his producer. Madonna's local lawyers fired back, arguing that Acquaviva was simply looking to get money out of the singer.
"Just because there are similarities between two songs it doesn't mean it has been plagiarized," attorney Fabienne Brison told RTL. "There are certain artists who hear songs on the radio, see that they are very successful and say to themselves, 'Why shouldn't I try it on?' "
In any case, the local court has frozen the royalties for Frozen until the dispute is settled. That could be awhile, as the judge recently postponed hearings on the case until next month.
Madonna's rep, Liz Rosenberg, declined to comment on the case.
Suing the singer has been in vogue for some time. A year ago, she settled another copyright-infringement suit, paying an undisclosed amount to the son of late French erotic photographer Guy Bourdin. The lensman's offspring claimed Madonna plagiarized several of Bourdin's images for her video for Hollywood, a cut off her 2003 album, American Life.
Aside from battling plagiarism litigation, Madonna was one of several defendants named in a sexual harassment and wrongful termination suit in March by a former employee of her Maverick Films company.
Not that the Artist Otherwise Known as Esther has let such nuisances bother her. Although American Life is long gone from the charts, her Re-Invention Tour has wrapped and her contract as the face of Versace is up (she was succeeded this week by Demi Moore), Madonna is still desperately seeking publicity.
She and her director husband Guy Ritchie caused a commotion among conservative Catholics earlier this year when they turned up at a bash celebrating the Jewish holiday of Purim dressed as a nun and pope, respectively.
And Monday night, she and Ritchie traipsed the red carpet for the London premiere of Sin City.
For her next trick, she'll join David Bowie and Snoop Dogg in the voice case of director Luc Besson's computer-generated children's tale, Arthur and the Minimoys, due to hit theaters in 2006. She's also planning on doing a movie version of one of her best-selling children's books, The English Roses.
Madonna: 'I'm not trying to conceive'
Source: ContactMusic - 26 May 2005Madonna has hit out at reports she is undergoing fertility treatment to conceive a [third] child.
British magazine STAR tuesday (24 MAY 05) claimed the Material Girl was trying out "Indian fertility treatments" to help her become a mother for the third time at the age of 47.
Madonna is quoted in the magazine saying, "I'm going to have fun with my husband and see what happens."
But a spokesperson for the star insists, "There is absolutely no truth to that story."
Israel official told to quit over Madonna debacle
Source: Fox News - 26 May 2005Israel's foreign minister, under fire for trying to oust his ambassador to Washington over "the Madonna scandal," was advised yesterday to quit.
Silvan Shalom "would have resigned in any properly governed state," legislator Ilan Shalgi fumed in Jerusalem.
It was alleged last week that Shalom wanted to fire Danny Ayalon because he failed to arrange a meeting between Shalom's wife and Madonna when the performer visited Israel last year.
Shalom, in his first public response, defended his wife on Sunday and said Ayalon would be allowed to finish his three-year term this summer — but would not be reappointed.
Le Bon still disgusted by Madonna and Britney kiss
Source: ContactMusic - 26 May 2005Duran Duran star Simon Le Bon lost all respect for his idols Madonna and Britney Spears after they shared a lesbian kiss at 2003's MTV Music Video Awards.
The 1980s star was disgusted by the pop beauties' shock embrace, because he's convinced it was a shameless publicity stunt to increase their fortunes.
He complains, "It worried me when Britney snogged Madonna. It looked a bit fake. It screamed 'We're in this for the money.'"
Madonna joins stars at premiere
Source: BBC - 24 May 2005The celebrity couple were a last minute addition to the guest list.
Madonna made an unexpected appearance on the red carpet at the UK premiere of Sin City on Monday, surprising some of the film's stars.
The singer turned up at the Empire Cinema in London's Leicester Square with film director husband Guy Ritchie.
The thriller Sin City stars Brittany Murphy, Bruce Willis and Clive Owen.
Murphy, who was signing autographs for fans outside the cinema when the famous couple arrived, admitted being star-struck.
"She's my idol," said the 27-year-old, who also appeared in 8 Mile with rapper Eminem. "If I meet her at the party, I will shyly and meekly shake her hand."
Madonna and Ritchie were reportedly a late addition to the Sin City guest list.
The film, based on a novel by comic book writer Frank Miller, was up for the Palme d'Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival last week.
Sin City director Robert Rodriguez and actors Jessica Alba and Michael Madsen were also at the screening.
Madonna The Coffee Trader
Source: Sky News - 24 May 2005Madonna has been turned from Material Girl to African coffee trader to help a campaign to boost fair trade.The amazing transformation is the result of hours of work by digital artists to morph Madge into real-life coffee trader Alivera Kilza.
The image, together with ones of Richard Branson and Bill Gates as fellow coffee traders are being used to promote a pop concert at the London Eye on June 21st.
The event, called Flight 5065 is being put on by CAFEDIRECT to help raise awareness so that growers of coffee and their communities get to SHARE in the profits of their labour.
Each of the 32 capsules on London's giant wheel will play host to artists and performers while the 20 passengers in each capsule watch in amazement.
There will be a different show in each capsule with exclusive live performances of music, theatre and comedy, including Damon Albarn, Beth Orton, Turin Brakes, as well as actors from the National and Royal Court theatres.
For more information about the event visit www.flight5065.com.
Celebrating 15 year Blond Ambition
21 May 2005Madonna.com celebrates the 15th anniversary of the Blond Ambition Tour with a great shot of Madonna in her Jean-Paul Gaultier corset.
Get well soon Princess
19 May 2005Less than two months ago the Sportpaleis in Antwerp, Belgium was fired up by the princess of pop, our dear Kylie. I was there at that wonderful show. It's sad and shocking to hear that that ravishing princess has been diagnosed with cancer. Our heart and mind are with her; stay strong Kylie!
Madonna has also posted a note of support on her official site:
"I was saddened to learn about Kylie Minogue's breast cancer diagnosis. I'm so grateful that they found it early. (Yet another reminder for all women to have annual mammograms.)
Aside from being tremendously talented, Kylie's a fighter and I know this is a battle she will win. Let's all pray for her speedy recovery and send all of our best wishes her way. With love and light to you Kylie...
Madonna"
Madge canned in Cannes
Source: The Mirror - 18 May 2005Never let it be said that Madonna lacks persistence.
Despite having her new documentary about herself - Re-Invented Process - turned down by Cannes big-wigs, the queen of pop remains determined to get it screened... somewhere.
We're told that the mum-of-two, 46, will jet in to Cannes later this week for meetings with organisers of the Venice Film Festival, in an attempt to persuade them to include her Jonas Akerlund-directed documentary in their programme.
"Madonna was very disappointed when Cannes organisers decided against showing the film," a festival insider reveals. "Especially after she hired a top director and then re-edited it especially for the festival."
Now Madge will hold back-to-back meetings in the Hotel Du Cap with Venice organisers. "She could have sent a flunkey but she knows that if anyone can twist their arms, it'll be her.
She can't trust someone else with something this important." Let's hope they're Swept Away by her powers of persuasion...
Court ruling in Belgium over possible plagiarism by Madonna
Source: Gazet van Antwerpen, translation by Mad-Eyes - 18 May 2005Music distributor MP Music has filed a lawsuit against record companies Sony, Warner and EMI over the song Frozen by Madonna.
They claim half of the song is similar to "Ma vie fout le camp" for which they bought authoring right in 1993, five years before the release of Frozen. the judge in bergen (Belgium) will behearing the case today.
"For us the plagiarism is beyond doubt. It has yet to be decided whether this happened on purpose.", explains the composer of the song "Ma vie fout le camp", Salvatore Acquaviva. "Why would we secure rights of a song if they're not protected?" he added.
Minister's wife desperately seeking Madonna?
Source: Reuters - 18 May 2005Pop star Madonna was at the center of a diplomatic tiff in Israel Sunday involving the foreign minister, his celebrity wife and the ambassador to Washington.
Channel Two TV said Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom's wife had an assistant to ambassador Danny Ayalon fired for failing to secure her an audience with Madonna when the singer, a follower of Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism, visited Israel last September.
Judy Shalom Nir Mozes denied the report, amid a flurry of headlines that rivalled the wall-to-wall coverage of Madonna's visit eight months ago.
"I don't meddle, that's not me," Shalom Nir Mozes, a popular television and radio host, told Channel Two.
The Foreign Ministry said diplomat Liron Petruzil's three-year tenure in Washington was not renewed for "professional reasons."
Madonna turns to Indian 'horse tablets'in a desperate bid for child at 46
Source: The Mirror - 18 May 2005Madonna will be taking giant fertility tablets flown in from India in her desperate attempt to have a third child.
The 46-year-old singer - who has two children, daughter Lourdes, eight, and four-year-old son Rocco - has turned to alternative therapies to try to get pregnant.
A stash of Ayurvedic tablets - a traditional Indian therapy - has been jetted in to help her conceive.
A source said: "Tablets were sent over from India for her. They looked like horse tablets - they were just so huge. The pills are supposed to increase potency."
Madonna is being advised by celebrity obstetrician Dr Gowri Motha. The singer has made at least two visits to her Viveka clinic in St John's Wood, North London, as well as being visited at home. Film director husband Guy Ritchie, 36, has also had to down the pills in an effort to boost the couple's chances of having a baby. Dr Motha was contacted at the clinic before Christmas.
Madonna had also visited the clinic in 2003 to see another baby doctor, Yehudi Gordon. But she returned on the recommendation of close friend, Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who had Dr Motha on hand when she delivered daughter Apple.
Supermodels Kate Moss, Elle Macpherson and TV presenter Donna Air are also among Dr Motha's fans.
Dr Motha shot to fame more than a decade ago when she pioneered a project which saw a mother give birth amongst dolphins in Eilat, Israel.
After working in conventional obstetrics for several years, she studied alternative therapies, such as reflexology, and developed a cult celebrity following by integrating them with traditional medicine.
Madonna has made no secret of her desire to have a third child. It would be her second by Guy.
Last year she was spotted making a return visit to a fertility clinic in California. And she recently said: "I'm going to have fun with my husband and see what happens."
But a gruelling exercise regime and her Re-Invention Tour have taken their toll on her body.One friend said: "It's no secret she wants another baby. She has talked about it. Having children has transformed her life and she really wants to have a big family.
"She and Guy are very happy together and their friends are hoping she gets pregnant again." Madonna has reportedly even talked to her Kabbala counsellor, Rabbi Yehuda Berg, about having a third child.
But not everything has gone smoothly and last November, just a month before her visit to Dr Motha's clinic, Madonna told how she was having problems juggling her busy life.
She said: "I need to calm myself. I don't have a manager anymore, so now I'm my own everything."
Madonna's piper unveils Glasgow festival line-up
Source: Scotsman - 18 May 2005Glasgow will play host to some of the world's best pipers later this year, when it holds its annual International Piping Festival.
More than 5,000 musicians of two dozen different nationalities will gather in the city during August to showcase the wide diversity of styles possible from the instrument.
In addition to the traditional Highland bagpipes, there will be techno piping from Australia, the Uilleann pipes from Ireland, ceilidhs and the culmination of the event in the World Pipe Band Championships at Glasgow Green.
The programme for the festival, which takes place between 8 and 14 August, was unveiled yesterday at the National Piping Centre by Lorne Cousin - who toured the world as the piper on Madonna's Re-Invention Tour - local councillor Alex Mosson and Piping Live director Roddy MacLeod.
This will be the second time that the festival has taken place and the organisers aim to make it bigger and better, building on the success of last year's event, which attracted 10,000 visitors to the city. [...]
Cousin, who toured with Madonna last year, said that the festival audience would be tougher than the one's he had become used to.
"Both audiences are equally demanding, the traditional audience knows exactly what they are listening for," he said.
"Madonna's audience are perhaps open to different things."
Councillor Mosson, Glasgow City Council's spokesman for events and marketing, said: "Following the success of 2004's event, Piping Live will continue to be a notable addition to the calendar of major events and festivals being hosted by our city and reinforces Glasgow's reputation as a major European cultural centre."
Madonna puts faith before film
Source: Daily Mail - 13 May 2005Madonna was offered a spot on the prestigious Cannes Film Festival jury, but turned it down because she would have missed two Kabbalah meetings back in London.
Her religious obligations represented a no-Cannes-do scenario for festival officials; they would have meant the singer making two trips from the South of France back to London during the festival panel's busiest periods.
Madonna has turned down other social engagements in the past because of conflict with her commitment to Kabbalah.
"We talked about her being on the jury, but her religion meant this could not happen. It is a regret because she has valuable nowledge," festival chief Thierry Fremaux told me.
"She would have to return to London every Saturday, or maybe it was every Friday, so for two days during our festival she would not be here and that could not work.
"The jury has much to see and much to discuss," Mr Fremaux added, during a conversation with me at a dinner to launch the 58th festival.
Initial discussions with the Material Girl (as this column was the first to reveal to you a month ago) centred on her taking a documentary film based on her last tour to Cannes, but it was not finished in time.
"We had many talks," Mr Fremaux said. "Madonna takes the cinema world seriously, she doesn't treat it in a superficial way. I saw three hours of film from the documentary in the form of rushes and some completed footage, but it wasn't ready," he explained.
Not only would Madonna's obvious glamour have been most welcome but, as Mr Fremaux remarked, "to have her on the jury would have been fascinating. She has so many thoughts on her mind."
Madonna has been a Kabbalist for nearly eight years and attends weekly meetings at the Kabbalah Centre in London.
There are just 14 or so such places scattered around the world, and none in Cannes or the surrounding region.
David Foster on Madonna
Source: CTV, DrownedMadonna - 13 May 2005It's no secret that David Foster is a legend in the music business. The musician, songwriter and producer has been nominated for a Grammy 42 times and has won 14 times.
He's worked with just about everyone you think of when you think of a "diva" -- Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston -- the list goes on. He's also helped launch the careers of a few current bright young things, including Michael Buble and Josh Groban.
Canada AM's Seamus O'Regan had a chance to sit down with Foster and his 22-acre, $70 million estate in Malibu, California. It is on that estate where Foster has worked with some of the biggest names in music in his custom-built music studio creating No. 1 albums.
Like an athlete who can remember every moment of every great game, Foster says he can remember all his great moments at his studio. [...]
"Madonna was great to work with because -- I never really understood her mystique although I always liked her music. We met in New York, had dinner to discuss the album. And there was something so intoxicating about her. We were just the two of us at dinner and I was looking at her going, 'Wow, she totally sucks you into her world. It's like there's nobody else in the restaurant.'
She had a great work ethic. A lot of artists, they want to be co producers just because they can. She wanted to be a co producer, but she earned it. She really knows her way around a studio. She works hard."
~ David Foster collaborated with Madonna on You'll See and One More Chance.
Like I just got home...
13 May 2005Check the Madonna.com news for the latest on the Classic Collection Contest. The splash page now shows a nice action shot from the Ray Of Light video.
New York book signing
13 May 2005Fansite DrownedMadonna found out that Madonna will be promoting her new children book Lotsa De Casha mainly in the US. She will hold a book signing.
Madonna will be signing her latest book Lotsa De Casha on June 7, 2005 (4PM) at Borders in New York City. More details will be announced next week, but they'll probably work with a lottery system, which allows 150 people to attend the signing session.
McFadden vs Madonna
Source: Yahoo! Launch - 13 May 2005Sounds like someone's bit frustrated...
Former Westlife star Brian McFadden has launched a perplexing attack on Madonna - claiming the Queen of Pop is talentless.
The Irish singer, having moderate success with his solo career, said he cannot understand how she has had so much worldwide success.
"People are saying Madonna makes great music," said Brian. "It's really rubbish. She doesn't have a good voice and she is boring.
"Just because she's Madonna everybody says 'brilliant' and 'genius'."
And he wants to know why Madge, who has had unprecedented chart success since the early 1980s, shifts so many records.
"I don't know think she's ever been a good musician," he is quoted in the Sun.
"I don't know what she's got. Maybe it's because she's been naked in some movies and excited a lot of men."
~ Brian who?
Madonna keeps court with Kylie
Source: The Mirror - 10 May 2005The love-in between Madonna and Kylie Minogue continues apace. We're told Madge, who once wore a Kylie T-shirt during a gig, pitched up at the Aussie pop pixie's sell-out London concert on Saturday.
A reveller says: "She arrived a bit late, so someone was in her seat. But she didn't seem fazed - she went to sit with Rupert Everett and looked like she really loved the show."
So did Kylie, 36. She was given an award for selling the most tickets for any solo artist at Earls Court - beating, you guessed it, her pal Madonna.
Report from Warsaw exhibition
9 May 2005Madonnafan and photographer Marcin kokowski, who organised last week' Madonna exhibition in Warsaw, poland, has writtn his own report on this successful event, and likes to share it with Mad-Eyes readers:
"Hello everyone,
I'd like to share with you the report from my exhibition Madonna: Re-Invented which had a great opening followed by a mega "Madonna Visits Poland" Party on April 30th 2005. It turned out to be a huge success as hundreds of people came to participate in the biggest Madonna Event in Poland ever organised!
Despite several problems that appeared just hours before the opening, everything was finished just on time. Without help from my Polish friends and my dear friend Bart from Belgium (the mad-eyes.net webmaster) my task would be much harder if not impossible to complete. Polish press and radio showed some real interest. So the whole capital and even country learned about the Event!
We organised with Le Madame Gallery a sort of competition for the best Madonna look-alike whom i chose from the audience at 2 a.m. Some people had fantastic outfits!
The upper floor hosted the exhibition plus a great video installation made by DJ LadyBoy. The dance floor was located in the underground as well as 2 smooth lounges with slow, sexy Madonna music. :)
Plenty of my friends came from Lublin, Pulawy, Warszawa in Poland and Paris, France and Leuven, Belgium!
Finally Madonna "appeared " in Poland, true, only in pictures but we can only hope that one day this big country will host at least one concert!
For the pictures please visit www.mad-eyes.net where Bartie put some pictures for you,
kisses
Marcin Kokowski / Paris"
Pictures from Warsaw exhibition
6 May 2005Madonnafan, photographer and good Mad-Eyes friend Marcin Kokowski took some fantastic pictures during the European Re-Invention shows. They were already available on Mad-Eyes, but now Marcin has selected his 20 best shots for an exclusive exhibition in Warsaw.
The opening on Saturday April 30th was followed by a groovin' Madonna party at Le Madame. Mad-Eyes was there to enjoy this successful event and is proud to present you some pictures from that evening.
More on Arthur
6 May 2005A first ad for Luc Besson's animation film 'Arthur and the Minimoys' has appeared in Variety Magazine (thanks to DrownedMadonna for the scan)
Movie website IMDB gives us a few more details on this movie. Madonna will be voicing the character of Princess Selenia. Apparently there are other singers in the cast as well: David Bowie will lend his voice to Maltazard and Snoop Dogg is Max.
The idea for the movie is by Céline Garcia; writing and producing credit goes to Luc Besson (who co-produced Guy Ritchie's Revolver and who's also known for directing Taxi, Léon, Le Grand Bleu and Madonna's Love Profusion video).
The plot is as follows: "We can learn Ten-year-old Arthur, in a bid to save his grandfather's house from being demolished, goes looking for some much-fabled hidden treasure in the land of the Minimoys, a tiny people living in harmony with nature."
The release of 'Arthur and the Minimoys' is set for december 2006. So far we know two exact release dates (subject to change):
France: 13 December 2006
USA: 25 December 2006
There's already an official French site.
Madonna says no to Britney
Source: HecklerSpray - 6 May 2005Pop starlet Britney Spears has tried to re-kindle relations with Madonna (CDs), in hope that she would be Britney's first baby's godmother. Pregnant Britney wanted the queen of pop to be her first kid's next of kin. However, Madonna politely declined as she told her that she is way too busy.
An insider said: "Britney was so disappointed but told Madonna she understands".
Madonna currently isn't recording a new album and she is not even set to star in any up coming films. So why this sudden no to being a Godmother?
Britney, who recorded Me Against the Music with Madonna, and also shared a French kiss at the MTV Awards with the beret-wearing star, is now believed to be feeling betrayed.
With her pregnancy kit being auctioned, there is nothing too personal it seems, that would make Britney be put off from making more money.
Britney Spears whose got her UPN program Britney and Kevin: Chaotic, starting on May 17th , will now have to find someone else to take up the honorary role. Our guess is that it's not going to be Christina Aguilera.
Madonna, who introduced the 23 year-old to Kabbalah, seems as if she is trying to put a bit of distance between them. After all, Madge probably has enough on her hands with her own children already. Let's not forget Guy Richie as well!
So don't expect any future smooches between the two sultry pop divas! Will Justin Timberlake be chosen as the godfather?
All we know is that Britney is none too pleased with rejection. Imagine how hard it is for a girl to hear ‘no', when what she usually hears is ‘yes'.
Trust only Madonna to be able to put Britney in her place, one doubts Kevin has the power to do anything but languish around whilst Britney breeds.
It's a tough job but someone has to do it, right? Will Jamie Lynn not make a good enough god mother?
Try again Britney!
~ And try again HecklerSpray; Madonna IS recording a new album and working on several movie projects right now. So yes, she IS a busy lady!
Lotsa book signing in Lisbon?
6 May 2005Brazilian fansite MadonnaOnline reports about an article from the magazine Dom Quixote that Madonna will be promoting her new children book Lotsa de Casha with a book signing in Lisbon, Portugal on June 1st. 200 book fans will receive their copy from the lady herself at the Centro de Cultural de Belém, Lisbon at 2pm.
Other sources however claim that there's no Portugal trip planned for Madonna, so we'll have to wait for an offical announcement.
According to fansite DrownedMadonna Madonna will be promoting the book in New York during a 5-day visit in early June. Details have yet to be finalized, but she will probably be doing some major television appearences, possibly including Letterman, The View, and/or Live With Regis & Kelly. Stay tuned for more!
Madonna shocked by book fans
Source: ContactMusic - 6 May 2005Madonna was shocked at a recent signing appearance to promote her children's books - because the crowd was almost entirely made up of gay men. The singer expected to see a host of young children with their parents queuing up to have their The Adventures Of Abdi copy signed - but only spotted one youngster during the whole session.
She moans, "It was all gay men apart from one woman with her child. I was so shocked."
~ Madonna sweety, accept it: your fanbase consists largely of gay men, and although they are fan of your music in the first place, they support your other projects. That's something to be grateful about, not shocked.
Virgin Tour 20th anniversary
4 May 2005
Madonna.com has gone back in time with an action shot from the Virgin tour, which kicked off 20 years ago (in april 1985).
Stuart Price hints at '80s dance pop'
Source: Herald Sun, DrownedMadonna - 4 May 2005During his Australian Tour, last february, Stuart Price aka Jacques Lu Cont talked with The Herald Sun , about his current works with Madonna. Here is part of the interview featured in The Melbourne Hit section.
He has Madonna on his speed dial and a day job in her band, and New Order liked his take on their trademark sound so much they hired him to work on their new album. Yes, life is good when you are Jacques Lu Cont.
Price was recruited by Madonna to play guitar and all-important keyboards on her Drowned World and Re-Invention world tours. Madonna reinvented some of her biggest hits for the latter, and Price wore a huge grin for most of it.
"It's hard not to have a ball when you're standing on stage in a kilt hitting a drum next to Madonna," he says. "That tour was an amazing opportunity to play that kind of music to that many people. Even if you're responsible for making only 20 per cent of it have a lot of dance music integrity, you're doing something right."
This year Price is no longer just the hired help on tour: he's started writing songs with Madonna for her new album. He's coy when asked about the direction in which Madonna will head after the lukewarm reaction to her American Life record.
"We don't actually talk about other people she's working with,'' he says, but hints she may be embracing the '80s dance pop he makes.
"Stylistically I'm certainly not doing anything I wouldn't normally do."
He's quick to praise his boss and her often-ignored musical prowess. "She's brilliant to work with. She often doesn't get credit for the fact she's an amazing producer. She'll carry her vision right through from beginning to end without ever dithering or losing sight of what's going on.
"The one thing you'll never hear Madonna say is, `Hmm, I don't really know what to do'. She always knows where she wants to take things and she'll push you until she gets it. She's an amazing musician.''
On the cover of B&W Magazine
4 May 2005Madonna features the cover of the latest issue of B&W Magazine, an American magazine dedicated to black&white photography. Inside there's an interview with Curtis Knapp, who took this Madonna shot in 1983, originally for Island Magazine.
Twenty years ago, leaving a career as portrait photographer to New York City's in-crowd, Knapp moved to Japan, where he rose to the top of its competitive world of commercial photography. Now he has returned to the U.S. preparing for a comeback, he is curious to find out if his minimalist style is still in vogue. (thanks to Brant for bringing this to our attention)
Madonna the most wanted on the web
Source: ContactMusic - 4 May 2005Madonna's ever-increasing notoriety has been reflected on the internet - she was the most searched celebrity on website Google last month (APR 05).
The glamorous 46-year-old is continually looked up on the popular internet search engine, beating out pop rivals such as Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez to the position of the most demanded celebrity on the web.
Other popular celebrities on Google include Ozzy Osbourne, George Michael and Hollywood beauty Angelina Jolie.
Interview with Jamie King
4 May 2005
Fansite MadonnaTribe posted an interesting interview they had with Jamie King, the stage director of the Drowned World Tour and the Re-Invention Tour. Jamie talks about his his collaborations with Madonna (he choreographed the 2 latest tours, as well as several music videos).
When asked about the DVD extras of the Re-Invention Tour DVD, he replied: "All I can say is that the fans will be very pleased when the DVD does come out because they will really get what they desire."
In related news:
" The choreographer who put Madonna and Ricky Martin through their paces is now offering fitness classes to all at a Los Angeles gym.
Jamie King, who most recently choreographed Shakira's sexy new dance routine for her latest video La Tortura, is showing the health conscious how to shake their booty at Los Angeles' famous Crunch gym.
King's classes, the Nike Rock Star Workout, specialise in dance moves from his ancestral Brazil.
He says, "If you like the way Madonna and Rocky move when you see them, then these classes are for you. They're also a great way to shape-up." Source: ContactMusic
Madonna recruits Henshall for new new movie
Source: ContactMusic - 4 May 2005British designer Scott Henshall is Hollywood's new darling since designing costumes for Madonna's new film.
The 29-year-old style guru is famed for his glamorous creations for the rich and famous - including the stunning $9 million (GBP5 million) diamond studded dress worn by Samantha Mumba at the premiere of Spider-Man 2 last summer (04) - so he was the first choice to work on the pop queen's movie Material Girls.
He says, "I've just got back from designing the outfits for Madonna's new film, Material Girls. "She's producing it and decided to get me involved. It stars Hilary Duff and will go on general released later this year (05)."
But he admits the excitement of Hollywood has made his life in London seem boring. He adds, "It feels weird being back. London seems really dull in comparison."
Live Aid II going ahead?
Source: Digital Spy - 4 May 2005A second Live Aid concert is rumoured to be going ahead, according to a report in The Sun. The newspaper claims that organisers hope acts such as U2, Coldplay, Madonna and Robbie Williams will sign up to perform at the concert. Sir Bob Geldof is being tipped to organise the event.
A source told the newspaper, "Everyone is working toward a possible date in the summer. If it comes off, the biggest names in music will be taking part. Sir Bob has been asked to step in and put the concert together. He thinks it's a great idea but knows it is a race against time to get it organised - and there's a chance it won't happen.
"Bob would want the event to be really special if it goes ahead. There is no point in a poor sequel to the original, so it is touch and go with these plans.
"It is no coincidence to try and time the concert around the G8 summit when world leaders have the chance to help fight poverty in Africa."
Boy George slams 'ruthless' Madonna
Source: Ireland Online - 4 May 2005Veteran pop star Boy George has hit out at Madonna for her ambitious streak - and insists the Material Girl is as cold as ice.
George, 43, has a bitter and long-running feud with the famously business- minded Madonna, and has previously admitted to being jealous of the megastar.
He says: "If Madonna were a drag queen, she would be called Ruth Less.
"I don't think the word 'warm' comes to mind with Madonna. Ice is the word that springs to mind."
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