OTHER TRACKS

The following tracks are not included on any Madonna album, but she is a lead vocalist on all of them.

Aint No Big Deal - 1983
Gambler - 1885
Santa Baby - 1987
Supernatural - 1989
Erotic - 1992
Goodbye To Innocence - 1994
Let Down Your Guard (rough mix edit) - 1994
Freedom - 1997
Guilty By Association - 1997 (with Joe Henry)
Be Careful (Cuidado Con Mi Corazon) - 1999 (with Ricky Martin)
Beautiful Stranger - 1999
American Pie - 2000
Time Stood Still - 2000

Ain't No Big Deal - Track that lives up to its name; Aint No Big Deal was supposed to be included on MADONNA but was dropped. It resurfaced as the b-side to True Blue. Its a simple, silly dance track about a woman's unabashedly telling of her love for another, Aint No Big Deal is a good example of Madonna's chirpy, early vocals.

Santa Baby - Campy, vampy version of the Eartha Kitt classic, this song was donated to the charity album A Very Special Christmas.

Supernatural - Odd song about a love affair with a ghost, Supernatural was the b-side to Cherish in 1989 where it sounded twinkly and sweet. Three years later, it was remixed for the benefit album Red Hot + Dance where it became a great dance track with a creative intro and some good vocals. The odd relationship described in the song has some unique imagery and if you contort it enough, the song is actually a sly nod to masturbation.
Erotic - The version of Erotica contained in a cd inside the Sex book. Its basically the same, but with more sexual and rough lyrics. A mix on the Erotica maxi single by William Orbit called "WO 12" Mix" contains these explicit lyrics and is one of the best Madonna remixes ever!

Goodbye To Innocence - This began its life as an acidic dance track for EROTICA, but was dropped and its music was used for Fever. A dub version of this anti-fame track was contained on the Rain maxi-single. This dub version is called Up Down Suite.
Let Down Your Guard (rough mix edit) - The Secret b-side in the UK, this funky, original track was recorded during the sessions for BEDTIME STORIES but it didn't fit that album's mood. It sounds like no other Madonna track!

Freedom - A funky, unusual track, Freedom is a plea for just that. Madonna's defiant vocals help make Freedom a new, quieter and less known companion to Why's It So Hard. No topic suits Madonna better (except lonliness) than when she just stands up and tells everyone to fuck off!

Guilty By Association - Dealing with another person's fame seems like an odd topic for a folk-sounding song, but its a fitting one for a duet between Madonna and brother in law Joe Henry. A magnificent recording even if Madonna's beautiful vocals are merely glorified back-up vocals.sdafjkl

Be Careful(Cuidado Con Mi Corazon) - This latin-techno ballad written and produced by Madonna and William Orbit is a gorgeous track with Spanish and English vocals. Martin's vocals seem strained to reach those high notes and Madonna seems to be singing deeper than normanl to compensate, but still in the end a pretty song.

Beautiful Stranger - This track for the soundtrack to Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me is a great 60's inspired dance track that spills over with energy. Co-written and co-produced by William Orbit the song is full of great hooks and I say its about time Madonna released a single with "Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da" as a main hook. The video, co-starring Mike Myers is very funny as Myers is Austin Powers out to stop Madonna from seducing agents in a club. Of course he falls in love and the shots of Madonna coming on to him are hysterical! The best part comes at the end when Austin tells her she'd headed the right way for a smacked bottom to which she replys "I hope so." A huge hit in the summer of 1999 it topped the dance charts and reached #19 in the US on the strength of airplay alone. This was Madonna's first domestic single that was only released to airplay, but I can't say I'm too upset because I'm Canadian and we got a single and the Calderone remixes are great!

American Pie - It was certainly an odd choice for Madonna and William Orbit to follow up Beautiful Stranger with a remake of an eight minute novelty hit, but Madonna's remake of the Don McLean classic is absolutely fantastic! It remains faithful to the beloved original and adds some new textures and sounds while keeping the mournful but upbeat tone. While the original was eight and a half minutes long, Madonna cut half of them to make her version more radio friendly and it made a splashy debut in the states but quickly peaked at #29. Ironically, American Pie was a #1 hit just about everywhere except America including the UK and Canada where it reigned for eight weeks! I find Rupert Everett's back-up vocals wanting, but other than that this track is spectacular, honoring and reinventing a classic for the film The Next Best Thing. The video is very similar to Beautiful Stranger with Madonna dancing in front of an American flag intercut with images of all sorts of Americans. Entertaining, but meaningless, its a decent video for a soundtrack song and the hiking up of the hiphuggers is adorable! In September of 2000 American Pie reappeared as a bonus track on some international versions of MUSIC, where it fit perfectly as a celebration of American music.

Time Stood Still - Madonna's second new track for The Next Best Thing is simple, elegant ballad. A moving song with gorgeous vocals and a mournful refrain "All the things we might have been..."

Go Back To RAY OF LIGHT - 1998

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