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Bedtime Stories (Madonna album)

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Bedtime Stories is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on October 25, 1994 by Maverick Records. In 1995 it was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Pop Vocal Album category. The RIAA certified it gold and platinum on January 5, 1995 and then three-times platinum on November 21, 2005, denoting 3 million shipments throughout the United States. Worldwide, the album has sold an estimated 8 million copies.[1].

Album history

The album began as a collaboration with Shep Pettibone, and was to have been stylistically similar to Erotica. However, due to Madonna's wish to soften her public image, as well as her admiration for Joi's Pendulum Vibe album (which contained tracks produced by Dallas Austin), she decided to change to a more R&B sound. She did thank Pettibone in the album sleeve notes for accepting her decision to change the album's direction. This would be the last time she would collaborate with Pettibone.

While the album is intended to be stylistically more mainstream than its predecessor, and less controversial in terms of its lyrical content, it includes perhaps some of Madonna's most confrontational work. The song "Human Nature" appears to be a scathing commentary directed towards the media for its treatment of her during the Erotica and Sex book controversies with lyrics like, "Did I say something wrong? Oops, I didn't know I couldn't talk about sex". Indeed, though Madonna sought to restore her image through the album, she has also stated that this period of her life was designed as a "vengeance period" for all the people (in particular the media) who were trying to invade in her private life, and that once it was all out in the open, she hoped that they would stop and focus on her music.

The album is unusual in Madonna's long career as was one of the very few occasions where she collaborated with well-known, established producers (the other exceptions being Nile Rodgers on Like a Virgin, David Foster on Something to Remember and Timbaland, Pharrell Williams and Nate "Danja" Hills on Hard Candy). Stylistically, the album harkens back to Madonna's roots as an R&B singer and her choice of producers reflected this: Dallas Austin, who was well-known at the time for his work with TLC; Babyface, who had worked with many of Madonna's own contemporaries, including Whitney Houston and Toni Braxton; Dave Hall, who had produced Mariah Carey; and Nellee Hooper, who had produced Soul II Soul. Björk co-wrote the title track.

Out of all her albums, this has become the least represented on her tours and live shows, however she did include "Secret" and "Human Nature" on the setlist of her 2001 Drowned World Tour and a remix version of "Bedtime Story" on her 2004 Re-Invention Tour.

Commercial reception

Despite the large success of lead single "Secret", Bedtime Stories got off to a mild start. It debuted at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200, with 145,000 units shifted in its first week. Soon after, the album began to lose steam and descend the charts. It was not until the release of the second single, "Take a Bow", that the album picked up pace and made a noticeable rebound.

The album was eventually certified triple platinum in the United States, shifting over ten million copies worldwide, and was nominated for a Grammy Award. In the UK, reaction was similar; it debuted at number two behind Bon Jovi's Cross Road: Greatest Hits'.

Credits

Production

  • Producers: Madonna, Dallas Austin, Babyface, Marius DeVries, Dave Hall, Nellee Hooper
  • Engineers: Michael Fossenkemper, Brad Gilderman, Darin Prindle, Alvin Speights, Mark "Spike" Stent
  • Mixing: Jon Gass, Daniel Abraham

Track listing

# Title Composers Production credits Time
01 "Survival" Madonna, Dallas Austin Nellee Hooper and Madonna 3:31
02 "Secret" 1 Madonna, Dallas Austin, Shep Pettibone Madonna and Dallas Austin 5:04
03 "I'd Rather Be Your Lover"
(Special guest on bass and rap: Me'Shell NdegeOcello)		 Madonna, Dave Hall, Isley Brothers, Christopher Jasper
contains a sample of "It's Your Thing" performed by Lou Donaldson.		 Madonna and Dave "Jam" Hall 4:39
04 "Don't Stop" Madonna, Dallas Austin, Colin Wolfe Madonna and Dallas Austin
Additional Production and Remixed by Daniel Abraham		 4:38
05 "Inside of Me" Madonna, Dave Hall, Nellee Hooper
contains the following samples: "Back and Forth" performed by Aaliyah;
"Outstanding" performed by The Gap Band and
"The Trials of Life" performed by The Guttersnypes		 Nellee Hooper and Madonna 4:11
06 "Human Nature" Madonna, Dave Hall, Shawn McKenzie, Kevin McKenzie, Michael Deering
contains a sample of "What You Need" performed by Main Source		 Madonna and Dave "Jam" Hall 4:53
07 "Forbidden Love" 2 Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Madonna
contains a sample of "Down Here On The Ground" performed by Grant Green		 Nellee Hooper and Madonna 4:09
08 "Love Tried to Welcome Me" Madonna, Dave Hall Madonna and Dave "Jam" Hall 5:21
09 "Sanctuary" Madonna, Dallas Austin, Anne Preven, Scott Cutler, Herbie Hancock
contains a sample of "Watermelon Man" performed by Herbie Hancock		 Madonna and Dallas Austin
Remixed by Nellee Hooper		 5:03
10 "Bedtime Story" Nellee Hooper, Björk Guðmundsdóttir, Marius DeVries Nellee Hooper and Madonna 4:52
11 "Take a Bow" Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Madonna Babyface and Madonna 5:21

1 Shep Pettibone has been added as co-songwriter of this track. In 2001 he is included in the inlay sleeve of GHV2 Remixed: The Best of 1991-2001
2 not to be confused with the very Late 2005 track on the album Confessions on a Dance Floor.

Certifications, peaks & sales

Country Peak position Certification (if any) Sales/shipments
Austria 7 Gold[2] 10,000+
Brazil Platinum[3] 250,000+
Canada 2x Platinum[4] 200,000+
France 2 2x Gold[5] 200,000+
Germany 4 Platinum[6] 500,000+
Netherlands 13
New Zealand 5
Sweden 5
Switzerland 7 Gold[7] 25,000+
United Kingdom 2 Platinum[8] 300,000+
United States 3 3x Platinum[9] 2,300,000+[9]

Miscellanea

  • Several songs from this album found their way onto the cutting room floor for one reason or another, including "Your Honesty", which later surfaced on the 2003 EP Remixed & Revisited. "Freedom" was used for a rainforest benefit album entitled Carnival! and "Let Down Your Guard" (rough mix edit) appeared on the UK and Australian CD single for "Secret" and the DARP (Dallas Austin Recording Projects) Greatest Hits Volume One promotional CD. See the list of unreleased Madonna songs for details.
  • "Forbidden Love" is an entirely different composition from another song with the same title on Madonna's 2005 album Confessions on a Dancefloor.
  • Upon initial release, the CD cover's picture of Madonna was right-side up. This was a mistake and was corrected on subsequent pressings, all of which feature the picture of Madonna upside-down.
  • Tupac Shakur originally performed the rap on the song "I'd Rather Be Your Lover". This was during the time they dated in 1994. It was removed due to criminal charges he was facing at the time and his rap was replaced by one from Me'shell Ndegéocello.

References

  1. ^ AbsoluteMadonna.com - Album Charts & Stats
  2. ^ IFPI Austria
  3. ^ ABPD
  4. ^ CRIA
  5. ^ Disque en France
  6. ^ IFPI Germany
  7. ^ IFPI Switzerland
  8. ^ BPI
  9. ^ a b Billboard – Ask Billboard

External links

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