Take a Bow (Madonna song)

Infobox Single
Name = Take a Bow


Caption =
Artist = Madonna
from Album = Bedtime Stories
A-side =
B-side = "Take a Bow" (InDaSoul Mix)
Released = December 6, 1994 (Worldwide)
December 11, 1994 (U.K.)
Format = CD, CD maxi
Recorded = 1994
Genre = R&B
Length = 5:21
Label = Maverick, Sire,
Warner Bros.
Writer = Babyface
Madonna
Producer = Madonna
Babyface
Certification = Gold (US)
Last single = "Secret"
(1994)
This single = "Take a Bow"
(1994)
Next single = "Bedtime Story"
(1995)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Bedtime Stories
Type = studio
prev_track = "Bedtime Story"
prev_no = 10
this_track = "Take a Bow"
track_no = 11
next_track =
next_no = Extra tracklisting
Album = Something to Remember
Type = compilation
prev_track = "I'll Remember"
prev_no = 2
this_track = "Take a Bow"
track_no = 3
next_track = "You'll See"
next_no = 4Extra tracklisting
Album = GHV2
Type = compilation
prev_track = "Frozen" (Edit Version)
prev_no = 9
this_track = "Take a Bow" (Edit Version)
track_no = 10
next_track = "Ray of Light" (Radio Edit Version)
next_no = 11

"Take a Bow" is a song by American singer Madonna from her 1994 album "Bedtime Stories", and her longest running #1 hit ever in the United States. The song was released as a single in December 1994. Madonna performed "Take a Bow" with Babyface at the 1995 American Music Awards.

Background

"Take a Bow", the second single from the "Bedtime Stories" album, became Madonna's eleventh number one single in America, remaining at the summit of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a seven-week run, the longest of her career thus far. Co-written by Babyface (who also provides backing vocals), the ballad became the singer's first United States number one in almost three years and became the highest-selling single of 1995.

Marking a significant departure in her musical style, the song was widely seen as being her best recorded vocal yet when released Fact|date=June 2007. The song has been rumoured to be about Madonna's ex-boyfriend Warren Beatty.

Despite its overwhelming success on the charts and critical acclaim in Madonna's discography, the pop star has never played the song on tour. Indeed, Madonna planned to sing, and had rehearsed a few lines of "Take a Bow" (and thus giving it it's premiere on a Madonna world tour) during her performance of "Mother and Father" on the Re-Invention Tour in 2004, however just before the first date of the tour she chose to instead sing a few lines from her "American Life" song, "Intervention", to continue her family theme - "Mother and Father" focuses on her parents, and "Intervention" focuses on her children, thus making "Take a Bow" seem irrelevant.

Chart performances and awards

Conversely, although the single was a major hit in the United States, garnering gold accreditation, it became one of only a handful of her releases not to reach the United Kingdom Top 10 and ended a ten year run of consecutive Top 10 hits. Sales, however, were buoyed by the Christmas period, "Take a Bow" sold 102,739 copies this was more than several of Madonna's other Top 10 hits.

"Take A Bow" became Madonna's fifth #1 single on the Adult Contemporary chart in the U.S., following "Live To Tell", "La Isla Bonita", "Cherish", and "I'll Remember". The song is also notable as Madonna's last single (to date) to make the Top 40 on the U.S. R&B chart. The single received the remix treatment from prominent DJ and record producer Steve Hurley. Madonna won Best Female Video honors at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards.

Track listings

*Single
#"Take a Bow" [Indasoul Remix] - 4:58
#"Take a Bow" [Indasoul Instrumental] - 4:58
#"Take a Bow" [Album Version] - 5:21
#"Take a Bow" [Instrumental] - 5:21
#"Take a Bow" [Silky Soul Mix] - 4:12
#"Take a Bow" [Silky Soul Instrumental Mix] - 4:20

Official versions and remixes

*Album Version (5:21)
*Album Version - Edit (4:31)
*Album Version - Instrumental (5:21)
*In Da Soul Remix (4:57)
*In Da Soul Remix - Edit (4:02)
*In Da Soul Remix - Instrumental (4:57)
*Silky Soul Remix (4:10)
*Silky Soul Remix - Instrumental (4:10)

Music video

Production

The music video (directed by Michael Haussman) was a lavish period-style piece filmed from November 3-8, 1994 in Ronda, Spain. The plot sees Madonna as a bullfighter's (played by real-life Spanish bullfighter Emilio Muñoz) neglected lover, yearning for his presence. Madonna's 1995 single "You'll See" could be considered a follow up to "Take a Bow" as the singer and Emilio Muñoz reprise their roles in the music video.

Madonna requested that Haussman give the video a Spanish theme because, at the time, she was lobbying for the role of Eva Peron in the film version of "Evita".

Critical reception

The video generated some controversy with animal rights activists who accused the singer of glorifying bull fighting. In Australia, music video program "Video Hits" ran a ticker along the bottom of the screen when the video was playing, stating that the producers of the program did not endorse the glorification of the sport portrayed in the video, while ABC TV video program Rage simply refused to play the video at all during their G-rated Top 50 program.

Some consider the music video for "Take a Bow" to be when Madonna officially toned down the strongly sexualized "Erotica"-era image. However, a lingerie-clad Madonna is still seen lying on a bed.

This video was ranked #27 on VH1's "50 Sexiest Video Moments".

Credits

*Director: Michael Haussman
*Producers: Paul McPadden, Donnie Masters
*Executive Producer: Roberto Cecchini
*Director of Photography: Harris Savides
*Editor: Robert Duffy at Spot Welders
*Production Company: The A+R Group

Uses in the media

"Take a Bow" was featured in the final episode of the first season of "Friends" ("The One Where Rachel Finds Out") when Rachel goes to the airport to tell Ross that she knows he's in love with her. "Take a Bow" was also used for promos for the final season of "Beverly Hills 90210".

Cover versions

*Philippine bossa nova singer Sitti recorded a cover of this song for her second album "My Bossa Nova".
*Korean rock band Jaurim covered the song on their album "The Youth Admiration".
*Trisha Yearwood and Babyface covered the song on CMT "Crossroads" airing September 21 2007.
*Melissa Totten did a Hi-NRG cover for her 2008 dance album, Forever Madonna.

Charts

External links

* [http://www.mad-eyes.net/disco/bs/take-a-bow.htm Mad-Eyes.net - "Take A Bow" Single Page]

References