Erotica (album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Erotica
Type = Album
Artist = Madonna


Released = October 20, 1992
Recorded = July 8, 1991 - August 15, 1992
Genre = Pop, R&B, dance-pop, jazz
Length = 75:24
Label = Maverick, Sire, Warner Bros.
Producer = Madonna, Shep Pettibone, André Betts
Reviews =
*Robert Christgau (A) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=madonna link]
*Rolling Stone Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/130835/rid/6067636/ link]
*Slant Magazine Rating|4|5 [http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=396 link]
*Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fcfqxqu5ldde link] |
Last album = "The Immaculate Collection"
(1990)
This album = "Erotica"
(1992)
Next album = "Bedtime Stories"
(1994)Singles
Name = Erotica
Type = studio
single 1 = Erotica
single 1 date = October 13, 1992
single 2 = Deeper and Deeper
single 2 date = November 27, 1992
single 3 = Bad Girl
single 3 date = February 2, 1993
single 4 = Fever
single 4 date = March 22, 1993
(U.K/Australia/Japan only)
single 5 = Rain
single 5 date = July 1, 1993
single 6 = Bye Bye Baby
single 6 date = November 15, 1993
(Australia/Germany/New Zealand/Japan only)

"Erotica" is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on October 20, 1992 by Maverick Records. The album was released simultaneously with Madonna's first book publication, "Sex". The RIAA certified it Gold, Platinum & Double Platinum on January 6th 1993, recognising two million shipments throughout America. The album has went onto sell more than five million copies worldwide. [ [http://www.world4madonna.com/charts/ Madonna- Latest Madonna music, charts, awards, CDs, Confessions on a dancefloor, Madonna, American Life, Erotica, sales figures ] ] [ [http://www.mad-eyes.net/disco/erotica/index.htm Mad-Eyes - Madonna albums info - Erotica ] ]

Album information

"Erotica" is a concept album about sexuality and relationships. Each track explores a different facet of sexuality, usually involving sexual relationships. Lyrically, the album does not tie sex and sexual relationships with the traditional ideals of romance. A dance record by all accounts, the album showcases hip hop and jazz-affected club production from co-producers Shep Pettibone and André Betts. It is interesting to note that the song "In This Life" is based on George Gershwin's "Prelude No. 2".

Madonna's intentions were that the album would be an accompaniment to her book "Sex", which share the same cover photograph - a colored reverse negative of Madonna's face done à la Andy Warhol, from whom Madonna found much inspiration during her so-called "Erotica period" (for example, her "Erotica" and "Deeper and Deeper" videos were shot in near identical style to many of Warhol's films, with Madonna paying obvious homage to Edie Sedgwick in the latter). The photos included in the album's liner notes also come from the Steven Meisel Studio photographs shot for the "Sex" book.

The album is Madonna's first album to bear a "Parental Advisory" label (the only other albums to do so being 2003's "American Life" and 2007's live concert album, "The Confessions Tour"). A separate "clean" version was released, the only difference being the omission of the sexually explicit "Did You Do It?".

Originally, "Bad Girl" was planned as the second single from the album with an X-rated video to match the '"Erotica" single, but it was changed due to the backlash of the "Sex" book and instead it was released as the third single. Madonna performed "Erotica", "Fever", "Bye Bye Baby", "Deeper And Deeper", "Rain", "Why's It So Hard" and "In This Life" on her 1993 The Girlie Show Tour.

Early versions of some of the songs on the album, as well as demo versions of songs that were not included, were included in The Rain Tapes - a collection of songs registered during the album development stage.

Original Artwork

Originally, the album was to feature completely different artwork. Warner Bros. Records refused to use it, as it was too explicit. The original image is now seen in the final inlay sleeve of the album; Madonna licking a whip.

The final image used is identical to the "Sex" book foil cover; if you place the CD on the cover it is the same size and fits perfectly. Up until near the release date, the finished artwork did not include any writing on the cover. At the last minute a "Madonna" font sticker was added to the bottom right corner using the same font as the "Bad Girl" single.

The completed track listing was not what Madonna originally had planned, if the Maverick Records press information is to be believed:
#"Erotica"
#"Waiting"
#"Rain"
#"Deeper and Deeper"
#"Thief of Hearts"
#"Bad Girl"
#"Why's It So Hard"
#"Where Life Begins"
#"In This Life"
#"Words"
#"Bye Bye Baby"
#"Secret Garden"
#"Goodbye to Innocence"
#"Fever". [ [http://www.madonnatribe.com/news/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=159 Madonna Tribe News - Erotic-a(lmost) ] ]

"Did You Do It?" does not appear and "Goodbye to Innocence" was included on the various artists compilation, "Just Say Roe". The catalogue number for this track listing is the Parental Advisory version.

Track listing

Credits

Personnel

*Madonna - vocals
*André Betts - synthesizer, bass, piano, strings, drums, keyboard, synthesizer strings
*Emile Charlap - contractor
*Donna De Lory and Niki Haris - background vocals
*Jerome Dickens - guitar
*Glen Dicterow - conductor, concert master
*Anton Fig - drums
*Mark Goodman - voices
*Joe Moskowitz - drums, keyboard
*Dave Murphy - voices
*New York Philharmonic Orchestra
*Paul Pesco - guitar
*Shep Pettibone - keyboard
*James Preston - piano, keyboard, synthesizer strings
*Jimmy Preston - piano
*Tony Shimkin - keyboard, background vocals
*Danny Wilensky - saxophone
*Doug Wimbish - bass

Production

*Producers: Madonna, André Betts, Shep Pettibone
*Engineers: Mike Farrell, Robin Hancock, George Karras, P. Dennis Mitchell, Shep Pettibone, Tony Shimkin
*Assistant engineer: Mark Goodman
*Mixing: Goh Hotoda, George Karras
*Mastering: Ted Jensen
*Sequencing: Shep Pettibone, Tony Shimkin
*Programming: Joe Moskowitz, Shep Pettibone, Sander Selover
*Drum programming: Andre Betts, Tony Shimkin
*String arrangements: Jeremy Lubbock
*Contractor: Emile Charlap
*Art direction: Siung Fat Tjia
*Design: Siung Fat Tjia
*Photography: Steven Meisel

References

External links

* [http://www.madonna-online.ch/m-online/interviews/interview-sites/92-10_the-erotica-diaries.htm Producer Shep Pettibone's "Erotica Diary"]

succession box
before = "Love Symbol"
by Prince and the New Power Generation
title = Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album
years = November 1 - November 14 1992
after = "Keep the Faith" by Bon Jovi