"I'll Remember" is a song by American singer
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
for the 1994 film ''
With Honors''. It was released by
Maverick and
Warner Bros. Records on March 8, 1994, as the
lead single
A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
A similar term, "debut ...
from the
film's soundtrack album. It was a radical change in image and style for Madonna, who had received huge backlash due to the release of her book ''
Sex'', the studio album ''
Erotica
Erotica is art, literature or photography that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erot ...
'' and the film ''
Body of Evidence''. Warner Bros. decided to release the song for the film after noting most of her previous soundtrack singles had achieved commercial success. It utilizes a synthesized keyboard arrangement to bring about a continuously reverberating
heartbeat sound. Madonna's voice is supported by backing vocals.
Music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
praised the song, hailing it as one of her best works. It was nominated for
Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television at the
37th Grammy Awards and
Best Original Song at the
52nd Golden Globe Awards. "I'll Remember" was also a commercial success, peaking at number two on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and becoming her fourth number-one hit on the
Adult Contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
chart. It also topped the singles charts in Canada and Italy. The music video of "I'll Remember", directed by
Alek Keshishian
Alek Keshishian (, born 30 July 1964) is an Armenian-American film and commercial director, writer, producer and music video director. His 1991 documentary, '' Madonna: Truth or Dare'' was the highest-grossing documentary of all time until 2002 ...
, portrayed Madonna singing the song in a stylized recording studio. Her look and style were compared to the imagery of the music video of previous single "
Rain
Rain is a form of precipitation where water drop (liquid), droplets that have condensation, condensed from Water vapor#In Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is res ...
". The androgynous portrayal of Madonna in the final shot was praised for breaking gender barriers. "I'll Remember" did not appear on any Madonna album, but was later included in the ballads collection ''
Something to Remember'' (1995).
Background
The year 1992 saw the release of the book ''
Sex'' by Madonna. However, the book, which contained explicit sexual imagery and pictures of voyeuristic fantasies, was negatively accepted by the critics as well as some of her fans.
Madonna's fifth studio album ''
Erotica
Erotica is art, literature or photography that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erot ...
'' and the film ''
Body of Evidence'' were released at the same time; both failed to garner critical and commercial acclaim. Hence she decided to re-invent her image, to connect with her fans and repair the damage that her provocative image had caused to her career.
"I'll Remember" was one of the songs that was developed for this purpose. The
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
was initially a collaboration between musician
Richard Page and
Patrick Leonard
Patrick Ray Leonard (born March 14, 1956) is an American songwriter, keyboardist, film composer, and music producer, best known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna. His work with Madonna includes her albums '' True Blue'' (1986), '' Who ...
, before Madonna reworked the track for
Alek Keshishian
Alek Keshishian (, born 30 July 1964) is an Armenian-American film and commercial director, writer, producer and music video director. His 1991 documentary, '' Madonna: Truth or Dare'' was the highest-grossing documentary of all time until 2002 ...
's film ''
With Honors'' (1994). According to Page, "Madonna was brought in... she changed all my lyrics for the better. She really did a great job." Regarding her feelings for the song, Madonna commented,
"I think most of the time when my records come out, people are so much distracted by so much fanfare and controversy that nobody pays attention to the music. ..I can't tell you how painful the idea of singing ' Like a Virgin' or ' Material Girl' (1984) is to me now. I didn't write either of those songs, and wasn't digging very deep then. I also feel more connected emotionally to the music I'm writing now, so it's more of a pleasure to do it."
Produced by Madonna and Leonard, "I'll Remember" was released as the
lead single
A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
A similar term, "debut ...
from the soundtrack album of ''With Honors''. Madonna's own label,
Maverick, was charged with the task of putting together the soundtrack album. They decided to include "I'll Remember", after noticing that all of her soundtrack releases have been commercially successful.
Composition
According to author Rikky Rooksby, the song is written in the style of
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock (AOR, originally called album-oriented radio) is an FM radio format created in the United States in the late 1960s that focuses on the full repertoire of rock albums and is currently associated with classic rock.
US rad ...
(AOR) by bands like
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
or
Foreigner. It is slowed down from the tempo of rock songs and utilizes a steadily reverberating
synth keyboard to bring on the effect of a
heartbeat. "I'll Remember" has characteristics of late Seventies song apart from the arrangement and the low
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Wood
* Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
. Madonna sings in a low-key voice which is almost overshadowed by the synth arrangement. Lyrically the song talks about Madonna looking back on a good love affair.
According to Alex Balk from
The Awl, the lyrics were inspirational, especially the line "I learned to let go of the illusion that we can possess", which is answered by Madonna herself that "I remember, happiness".
The song starts with a
C major
C major is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and its parallel min ...
chord sequence and is used on the flattened seventh key of the sequence. But the actual key of the song is
D major
D major is a major scale based on D (musical note), D, consisting of the pitches D, E (musical note), E, F♯ (musical note), F, G (musical note), G, A (musical note), A, B (musical note), B, and C♯ (musical note), C. Its key signature has two S ...
. It is set in a
time signature
A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates th ...
of common time with a moderate tempo of 120
beats per minute
Beat, beats, or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact
* Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact
* Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...
. Madonna's voice spans from F
3 to G
4.
A much stronger arrangement of drums are used in the second
verse.
The
chorus uses the
chord sequence of D–G–Bm–A while the first two lines of each verse uses the chord progression of C–D–C–D
7–C–D–Bm–A. During the intermediate line "I learned to let go of the illusion that we can possess", the structure changes to D/F–Bm–G–D–A–G–A.
Backing vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
are used on the later choruses for support with the strings, cascading down to a minor arrangement before the third one. The song ends with fading out and devoid of any
musical climax.
A number of remixes were issued alongside the regular version. The maxi-single had four different versions, three being those of "I'll Remember" and the fourth being a live version of the ''Erotica'' track, "Why's It So Hard", performed on
The Girlie Show World Tour. According to Jose F. Promis from
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
, "the mixes of
he songwere conjured by
William Orbit
William Mark Wainwright (born 15 December 1956),"William Orbit." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 30. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2000. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, 7 May 2017. Available onlinvia ''Encyclopedia.com'' known ...
, giving each version an ethereal, spacey, and very mellow feel". The "Guerilla Beach" mix was different from the original version, making it more adult contemporary oriented, while the "Orbit Remix" remained similar to the actual version.
Critical response
Author Christopher Feldman in his book, ''Billboard Book of Number 2 Singles'', described the song as a "tender ballad."
''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' music editor
Timothy White called the song as lilting and one of Madonna's classics in his book ''Music to My Ears: The Billboard Essays : Portraits of Popular Music in the '90s''.
[ He also complimented the song for talking about a dead relationship. ]Larry Flick
Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the musi ...
stated that it finds Madonna "inside an easy-paced pop chugger that is etched with slightly Caribbean percussion. Subdued synth pulses frame Madonna's pensive performance." Troy J. Augusto from ''Cash Box
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' named it Pick of the Week, saying that "this tender, down-tempo stroll that will serve to re-introduce the ambitious one to her old friends at top 40 radio—folks who, based on some of her recent, questionable material, might have wondered if the girl’s best work was well behind her. Actually, the sky’s the limit with this smoothly textured, deliberately paced song (produced by Patrick Leonard and Madonna) that will perform well in all hit and adult formats. After a number of stinkers, it’s nice to hear her return to her greatest strength, the moody power ballad."
John Hamilton from '' Idolator'' called it a "pulsating ballad", adding it as "at once lilting and powerful". Author Rikky Rooksby noted the song as one of Madonna's biggest ever singles and a stronger cut. Pan-European magazine ''Music & Media
''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later m ...
'' commented that she "becomes more ambient with every release", adding that this song "further cements this impression." James Hamilton James Hamilton may refer to:
Dukes
*James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton (1606–1649), heir to the throne of Scotland
*James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton (1658–1712), Scottish nobleman
*James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton (1703–1743), Sco ...
from ''Music Week
''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future.
History
Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...
s ''RM'' Dance Update deemed it a "sweetly warbled quovery slow roller". John Kilgo from ''The Network Forty'' said that the song is "compared as a half-beat faster than the earlier Madonna smash, 'Live To Tell', the production grooves while the lyrics are ballad-like." Terry Staunton from ''NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' declared it as "a flat ballad about fond memories of days gone by." Sal Cinquemani from ''Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' praised it as a "soundtrack gem". Pete Stanton from ''Smash Hits
''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand ...
'' gave it three out of five, viewing it as "a slow, uneventful, but quite charming tune." Author J. Randy Taraborrelli in his biography of Madonna called the song a beautiful one. According to him, "it sounds like a flick theme too, equipped with smart chords and big emotion. It is reminiscent of another movie theme of Madonna's, ' Live to Tell' (1986)." Music critique Peter Buckley noted that the song was atmospheric and one of Madonna's best works, showing her ability to stay in touch with and adapt to musical developments.
"I'll Remember" earned nominations for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television at the 37th Grammy Awards and Best Original Song at the 52nd Golden Globe Awards. Robbie Daw from Idolator listed it as one of "Madonna’s 10 Best Songs That Radio Forgot", saying that "Madge has lost many friends and lovers over the years, but here she turns lemons into lemonade by cherishing the good times and learning from 'the way that you changed me'." Journalist Matthew Rettenmund listed the "Guerilla Beach" remix of the song at number nine on his list of "The 25 Best Madonna Remixes", describing it as "spacey" and believing it to be "markedly superior to the lovely but unassuming original". In 2014, Graham Greymore from ''Queerty
''Queerty'' is an online magazine and newspaper covering gay- and LGBTQ-oriented entertainment and news, founded in 2005 by David Hauslaib. As of June 2015, the site had more than five million monthly unique visitors.
History
''Queerty'' was ...
'' listed "I'll Remember" as one of the "12 Most Underrated Madonna Songs Of All Time". While ranking Madonna's singles, in honor of her 60th birthday, ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
''s Jude Rogers placed "I'll Remember" at number 42, praising its "atmospheric" verses.
Chart performance
In the United States, the song debuted at number 35 on the Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...
chart for the ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' issue dated April 2, 1994, and it sold 12,000 units in the first week. After eight weeks, the song reached a peak of number two on the chart on May 28, 1994 behind " I Swear" by All-4-One
All-4-One is an American male R&B and pop group best known for their hit singles " I Swear", " So Much in Love" and " I Can Love You Like That". The group is composed of Jamie Jones, Delious Kennedy, Alfred Nevarez, and Tony Borowiak, all fro ...
. It stayed there for four weeks. The song became the fifth single by Madonna to peak at the number two position and tied her with Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
for the most number two songs on the Hot 100. However, this record was broken by Madonna in 1998, when her single " Frozen" peaked at two. The song also topped the Adult Contemporary chart for four consecutive weeks, becoming Madonna's fourth number-one for this chart following " Live to Tell", " La Isla Bonita", and " Cherish". The single spent a total of 26 weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was certified gold
Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) on June 14, 1994. It was one of the best-selling singles of 1994, having sold 500,000 copies within that year.
In Canada, the song debuted at 52 on the ''RPM
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or r⋅min−1) is a unit of rotational speed (or rotational frequency) for rotating machines.
One revolution per minute is equivalent to hertz.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 def ...
'' 100 Hit Tracks chart. After seven weeks it reached the top of the chart for the ''RPM'' issue dated May 16, 1994. The song was present on the chart for 24 weeks, and was ranked at number two on the year-end ''RPM'' chart for 1994. In the United Kingdom it debuted at ten on the chart and reached seven the next week. It was present for a total of eight weeks on the chart. According to the Official Charts Company
The Official UK Charts Company Limited (formerly Music Industry Chart Services Limited), trading as the Official Charts Company (OCC) or the Official Charts (formerly the Chart Information Network), is a British inter-professional organisation ...
, "I'll Remember" has sold 100,090 copies in the United Kingdom, as of August 2008. Across Europe, the song became a top 40 hit in Belgium, France and Netherlands. The song reached the top-twenty in Iceland and Switzerland, and the top-ten in Australia, Ireland and Sweden. It peaked just outside the top 40 in Germany.
Music video
The accompanying music video for "I'll Remember" was directed by Alek Keshishian
Alek Keshishian (, born 30 July 1964) is an Armenian-American film and commercial director, writer, producer and music video director. His 1991 documentary, '' Madonna: Truth or Dare'' was the highest-grossing documentary of all time until 2002 ...
, who had previously directed the live performance versions of " Like a Virgin" (1984) and "Holiday
A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...
" (1983) from the '' Truth or Dare'' documentary and also the music video of her single " This Used to Be My Playground" (1992). The video featured production credits by Diane Greenwalt, editing by Patrick Sheffield and photography by Stephen Ramsey. According to Jerry Ryan from creative production team Steele,
"I'll Remember" had multiple projection screen fills and classic theatre atmospherics (like smoke haze and the flickering light beams from a projection booth) added. The theatre walls and ceiling had digital enhancements. A sound booth was completely created from scratch to accompany a crane shot down to Madonna. All the movie inserts were treated to appear to be within the theater and all Madonna's close ups and medium shots were individually treated for facial beauty enhancements.
The video features Madonna in a stylized recording studio singing the song with back up singers. The video was compared to the music video of Madonna's single "Rain
Rain is a form of precipitation where water drop (liquid), droplets that have condensation, condensed from Water vapor#In Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is res ...
" (1993). Her look in the video consists of blue-black icy hair, bright blue eyes and a long dark dress with a beaded necklace around her neck. Madonna's face was mainly shot above her head, with her face looking up just ahead of the camera focus. Sometimes she looks to a video screen behind her which plays the scenes from the film, as if to take inspiration for her singing. Other times she is accompanied by her back-up singers, mainly during the chorus, and sometimes she sings alone.
The music video ends with a shot of Madonna watching herself recording the song. In this last scene she is dressed in a long black coat and holds a cigarette in her hand. Scholars noted that this last shot clearly illustrates the gender paradox of Madonna, because as she watches her female form singing the song, she herself is dressed in an androgynous way, holding a cigarette, which is associated as one of the symbolic forms of male supremacy. Feminist writer Martha Leslie Allen lauded the video, as well as Madonna, "for breaking free of the conventional portrayal of women yet again, and displaying their duality." The video can be found on Madonna's 2009 compilation, '' Celebration: The Video Collection''.
Track listings and formats
* US CD single and 7-inch vinyl; UK cassette single and 7-inch vinyl
# "I'll Remember (Theme from ''With Honors'')" – 4:19
# "Secret Garden" – 5:32
* US CD maxi-single
# "I'll Remember (Theme from ''With Honors'')" – 4:20
# "I'll Remember (Theme from ''With Honors'')" (Guerilla Beach Mix) – 6:18
# "Why's It So Hard" (live from the Girlie Show) – 5:12
# "I'll Remember (Theme from ''With Honors'')" (Orbit
In celestial mechanics, an orbit (also known as orbital revolution) is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an ...
remix) – 4:19
* UK CD single
# "I'll Remember (Theme from ''With Honors'')" – 4:19
# "I'll Remember (Theme from ''With Honors'')" (Orbit remix) – 4:19
# "I'll Remember (Theme from ''With Honors'')" (Guerilla Beach mix) – 6:18
# "Why's It So Hard" (live from the Girlie Show) – 5:12
* UK 12-inch single
# "I'll Remember (Theme from ''With Honors'')" (Guerilla Beach mix) – 6:10
# "I'll Remember (Theme from ''With Honors'')" (Guerilla Groove mix) – 6:07
# "I'll Remember (Theme from ''With Honors'')" – 4:22
# "I'll Remember (Theme from ''With Honors'')" (Orbit alternative remix) – 4:30
* International digital EP (2024)
# "I'll Remember (Theme from ''With Honors'')" – 4:20
# "I'll Remember" (Guerilla Beach mix) – 6:18
# "I'll Remember" (Guerilla Groove mix) – 6:03
# "Why's It So Hard" (live from the Girlie Show) – 5:12
# "I'll Remember" (Orbit remix) – 4:18
# "I'll Remember" (Orbit alternative remix) – 4:30
Credits and personnel
Credits are adapted from "I'll Remember" 7-inch vinyl single liner notes.
* Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
– songwriter, vocals
* Patrick Leonard
Patrick Ray Leonard (born March 14, 1956) is an American songwriter, keyboardist, film composer, and music producer, best known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna. His work with Madonna includes her albums '' True Blue'' (1986), '' Who ...
– songwriter, drums, keyboard, production
* Richard Page – songwriter
* Dean Parks – acoustic guitar
* Jimmy Johnson - fretless bass
* Suzie Katayama – cello
Charts
Weekly charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
Release history
See also
* List of number-one singles of 1994 (Canada)
* List of number-one hits of 1994 (Italy)
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
* 1994 (U.S.)
References
Bibliography
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{{Authority control
1994 songs
1994 singles
1990s ballads
Madonna songs
Number-one singles in Italy
Pop ballads
RPM Top Singles number-one singles
Songs written by Richard Page (musician)
Songs written by Madonna
Songs written by Patrick Leonard
Song recordings produced by Madonna
Song recordings produced by Patrick Leonard
Songs written for films
Music videos directed by Alek Keshishian
Maverick Records singles
Sire Records singles
Warner Records singles