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''I'm Breathless'' is an album by American singer and songwriter
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, ...
, released on May 22, 1990, by
Sire Records Sire Records (formerly Sire Records Company) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Records. History Beginnings The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gotteh ...
to accompany the film '' Dick Tracy''. The album contains three songs written by
Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...
, which were used in the film, in addition to several songs co-written by Madonna that were inspired by but not included in the film. Madonna starred as Breathless Mahoney alongside her then-boyfriend
Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. He also received the Irving G. Thalberg Memor ...
who played the title role, Dick Tracy. After filming was complete, Madonna began work on the album with Sondheim, producer
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 ...
and engineer Bill Bottrell. She also worked with producer
Shep Pettibone Robert "Shep" Pettibone (born 10 July 1959) is an American record producer, remixer, songwriter and club DJ, one of the most prolific of the 1980s. Career Shep Pettibone surfaced after his work with Arthur Baker on Afrika Bambaataa & the Jazz ...
on the album's first single, " Vogue". The album was recorded in three weeks, at Johnny Yuma Recording and Ocean Way Studios, in Los Angeles, California. Musically, ''I'm Breathless'' consists predominantly of
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
, swing and pop songs. The tracks reflected Madonna's showgirl personality and were influenced by her relationship with Beatty. The singer wanted to create music that would fit the style and production of the film, set in the days of the Untouchables law enforcement, and sang the songs accordingly. In some areas she pitched her vocals and belted the notes when necessary. She smoked cigarettes in order to portray the vocals of her character Breathless. Beatty and singer
Mandy Patinkin Mandel "Mandy" Bruce Patinkin (; born November 30, 1952) is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television, and film. As a critically acclaimed Broadway (theatre), Broadway performer he has collaborated with Step ...
were featured as duet partners on three of the songs. In support of both ''I'm Breathless'' and her previous album, '' Like a Prayer'', Madonna embarked on the Blond Ambition World Tour where a section was dedicated to the songs from the album. It was critically acclaimed, winning an award at the 1990
Pollstar ''Pollstar'' is a trade publication for the concert and live music industry. The publication was purchased by Oak View Group, a venue consultancy founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, in July 2017. ''Pollstar'' holds an annual award ce ...
Concert Industry Awards. However, due to its use of
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
imagery,
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
called for a boycott of the show. After the tour was over, Madonna performed songs from the album at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards and the 1991 Academy Awards. "Vogue", the first single from ''I'm Breathless'', became one of Madonna's most successful releases, reaching number one in over 30 countries. It was also critically acclaimed and was seen as an influential song, while the video helped to bring vogueing into mainstream popularity. The second and final single, " Hanky Panky", was a top-ten hit in the United States and the United Kingdom.
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 ...
applauded the Sondheim numbers, along with Madonna's vocals and versatility. However, some deemed the non-film songs to be of little value. "Sooner or Later", one of the Sondheim tracks, went on to win the
Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the Film industry, motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who h ...
. ''I'm Breathless'' was commercially successful, peaking at number one on the
European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart was the European adaptation of the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart. It ran from March 1984 until December 2010. Also commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums, the chart showcased the sales of an act in 19 E ...
, as well as the national charts of Australia, Germany, and Japan—in the latter it became the country's best-selling foreign album of the year. It also reached number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart and was certified double platinum 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). ''I'm Breathless'' has sold more than seven million copies worldwide.


Background and development

In 1990, Madonna was part of the film '' Dick Tracy'' starring as Breathless Mahoney, with
Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. He also received the Irving G. Thalberg Memor ...
playing the titular character. Madonna told ''
Premiere A premiere, also spelled première, (from , ) is the debut (first public presentation) of a work, i.e. play, film, dance, musical composition, or even a performer in that work. History Raymond F. Betts attributes the introduction of the ...
'' magazine that initially she had waited for Beatty to call her for the film. But when he did not, the singer decided to involve herself voluntarily. She pursued the part of Mahoney, but offered to work for minimum wages to avoid favoritism.
Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
for ''Dick Tracy'' began on February 2, 1989, and ended three months later.Hughes, pp. 55 The filmmakers considered shooting the film on-location in Chicago, Illinois, but production designer Richard Sylbert believed that ''Dick Tracy'' would work better using sound stages and backlots at
Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...
in Universal City, California. Other filming took place at Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, California. Beatty often encouraged dozens of takes of every scene. The film was released in the United States on June 15, 1990, and was the third-highest opening weekend of 1990. ''Dick Tracy'' was the ninth-highest-grossing film in the US in 1990, and number twelve globally. The film also received positive reviews from critics.
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
from the ''
Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
'' praised the matte paintings, art direction and prosthetic makeup design, stating: "''Dick Tracy'' is one of the most original and visionary fantasies I've seen on a screen". Beatty had realized several positive aspects of hiring Madonna as an actress for the film. She would be inclined to develop a soundtrack for ''Dick Tracy'' and the film studio would see this as a promotional opportunity before the release of their product, since Madonna was popular as a recording artist. This would also benefit
Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...
, who would get a reason to release a new Madonna record. According to J. Randy Taraborrelli, author of '' Madonna: An Intimate Biography'', by the 1980s record labels started to release albums which were closely associated with a film, thereby gaining double promotion. These were mostly termed as soundtracks although many of them were not related to the film. After the shooting for ''Dick Tracy'' was over, Madonna started working on a soundtrack in the studio. She had begun recording three songs by
Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...
for the film—" Sooner or Later", "More" and "What Can You Lose"—which would be part of the album, but also had to write new songs comparable in style to the previous. Madonna also recorded "Now I'm Following You" whose version sung by Andy Paley appeared in the film. In her favor, she produced the entire album, including the Sondheim songs and thereby recorded them quickly in the studio. "I want people to think of me as a musical comedy actress. That's what this album is about for me. It's a stretch. Not just pop music, but songs that have a different feel to them, a theatrical feel,” she said at the time. Madonna was in a relationship with Beatty at that time, and her whole acting, recording and singing stemmed from impressing him with the album, which was important to her. Beatty and actor
Mandy Patinkin Mandel "Mandy" Bruce Patinkin (; born November 30, 1952) is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television, and film. As a critically acclaimed Broadway (theatre), Broadway performer he has collaborated with Step ...
also lent their voices for songs from the album. While ''I'm Breathless'' was being completed, it still needed a
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 ...
. At the same time, Madonna and producer
Shep Pettibone Robert "Shep" Pettibone (born 10 July 1959) is an American record producer, remixer, songwriter and club DJ, one of the most prolific of the 1980s. Career Shep Pettibone surfaced after his work with Arthur Baker on Afrika Bambaataa & the Jazz ...
decided to compose a new song called " Vogue" to be placed on the B-side of " Keep It Together", the final single from her fourth studio album, '' Like a Prayer'' (1989), to ensure that the song would fare better on the charts. When Warner executives heard the song, they decided to release it as an A-side, and was eventually included on the album. Despite not appearing in the film, "Vogue" was used in a commercial for ''Dick Tracy''. ''I'm Breathless'' is one of three soundtracks released alongside the film, the others being the '' Dick Tracy: Original Soundtrack'', and an orchestral score by
Danny Elfman Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film composer, singer, songwriter, and musician. He came to prominence as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since scoring his ...
.


Recording and composition

''I'm Breathless'' is a
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
, swing and pop album where Madonna and Sondheim tried to recreate the music of the period portrayed in ''Dick Tracy''. According to Rikky Rooksby, author of ''The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna'', the harmonic and melodic styles were more "complex" than the songs which Madonna was accustomed to, hence she found it difficult and demanding. She spoke about the "wilderness" of the tunes, saying that she was not confident of doing justice to the songs, and neither was Sondheim. But he kept on encouraging the singer so that the recording sessions would not be affected. Madonna also recruited producer
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 ...
and engineer Bill Bottrell to help her with the project. She and Leonard toiled to create music that would fit the style and production of the film, set in the days of the Untouchables law enforcement. According to
Lucy O'Brien Lucy O'Brien (born 13 September 1961)Author Biography, O'Brien, Lucy – She Bop: The definitive history of women in rock, pop, and soul, London: Penguin, 1995 is a British author and journalist whose work focuses on women in music. Early musi ...
, author of '' Madonna: Like an Icon'', after Madonna's split from husband
Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He is known for his intense leading man roles in film. List of awards and nominations received by Sean Penn, His accolades include two Academy Awards, a Golden Gl ...
in 1989, the singer was comfortable in her new relationship with Beatty, which influenced the songs. The singer and Leonard enlisted a ten-piece live band and jazz musicians. The sessions took place at Johnny Yuma Recording and Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles, California, and concluded by three weeks. The songs on the album reflect Madonna's showgirl personality where her singing ranged from "rootsy, rocking" in nature to slow, "laid-back and soulful" vocals. A studied approach was evident in most of them, which O'Brien compared to "an actress playing a part and performing a vocal exercise in technique". Some of the songs had Madonna pitching her vocals and belting the notes only when necessary. A dryness was prevalent in most of the singing, which was required for the songs and the setting.
Guy Pratt Guy Adam Pratt (born 3 January 1962) is a British bassist. He has worked with artists including Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, Gary Moore, Madonna, Peter Cetera, Michael Jackson, the Smiths, Robert Palmer (singer), Robert Palmer, Echo & the Bunnymen, T ...
, who also played bass, said that the singer "was in character and started smoking. She actually ponced a cigarette off me. Her character smoked, so therefore she did." O'Brien said that the songs on ''I'm Breathless'' had a "coquettish" and "pandering nature", and was the polar opposite to Madonna's previous release, ''Like a Prayer'', which had an introspective composition. ''I'm Breathless'' opens with the sound of an intercom and a shuffle, and
power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner. Balla ...
"He's a Man" starts, a song which Madonna sings as if she was a "hooker stalking the boulevard". Also, Madonna's "haunting" vocals continue after the music has faded. One of the Sondheim songs, " Sooner or Later", evokes a 1930s jazz ballad with comping piano, brushed drum sounds, double bass, and horns. Conjuring the atmosphere of a smoky nightclub, the song finds Madonna in her lowest range as the melody shifts continuously. " Hanky Panky", the third song and second single, deals with
sadomasochistic Sadism () and masochism (), known collectively as sadomasochism ( ) or S&M, is the derivation of pleasure from acts of respectively inflicting or receiving pain or humiliation. The term is named after the Marquis de Sade, a French author known ...
themes centered on a girl celebrating the pleasures of a " good spanking". It is performed in an almost comical style, and stemmed from a line in the film, where Breathless says to Tracy, "You don't know whether to hit me or kiss me". The following track on the album, "I'm Going Bananas", is a
Carmen Miranda Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha (9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955), known professionally as Carmen Miranda (), was a Portuguese-born Brazilian singer, dancer, and actress. Nicknamed "The Brazilian Bombshell", she was known for her signature ...
-ish song done in a Spanish accent. A salsa rhythm is predominant, with Madonna squeezing her vocal cords while singing, backed by percussion and brass. In the fifth track, "Crybaby", Madonna mimics the vocals of
Betty Boop Betty Boop is a cartoon character designed by Grim Natwick at the request of Max Fleischer. She originally appeared in the '' Talkartoon'' and ''Betty Boop'' film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pic ...
. The melody is heard over the interlining synth strings, horns and trumpets, and a bass. Rooksby explained that Madonna sang about a guy who is "too sensitive and soft", and the chorus employs a
chromatic chord Diatonic and chromatic are terms in music theory that are used to characterize Scale (music), scales. The terms are also applied to musical instruments, Interval (music), intervals, Chord (music), chords, Musical note, notes, musical styles, ...
sequence. The next track "Something to Remember" deals with her failed marriage to Penn and was the source of inspiration for naming her 1995 compilation album. Musically, it has melancholy chords and rambling melody, which according to Taraborrelli made it the most compelling song by Madonna. Mark Coleman from ''Rolling Stone'' described "Back in Business" as a "nagging headache". It contains a "slow-verse-fast-chorus" sequence. According to Rooksby, "the chorus bursts into life, with Madonna clearly relishing the lyrics about good guys finishing last... the coldness of her delivery is apt for the topic." Her vocals are accompanied by muted trumpet sounds and a saxophone solo. "More" is the second Sondheim number where Madonna recites the materialistic-themed lyrics with irony, over a bouncy two-beat with tap-dancing during an instrumental break. The track consists of syncopated chord structure, tempo changes and lyrical rhymes. The arrangement switches between slow and fast
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
, requiring proper enunciation by Madonna. The final Sondheim song, "What Can You Lose", is the duet with Patinkin. It is a
torch song A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affect ...
where Patinkin supplies the male voice while Madonna sings during the second verse with strings and harmonics. Madonna sings a two-part duet with Beatty titled "Now I'm Following You". With beats atop a riff, Madonna reveals that "Dick" is an "interesting name". The first part has strings, brass and muted horns, with a tap-dancing sequence during the intermediate piano solo and
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
effect. At the last chord, the sound of the record getting stuck is heard, and a needle is drawn across the vinyl, leading into the much faster part two. The word "Dick" is continuously repeated in the main melody structure until the song ends with the sound of a record being snatched off a music player. Bill Meyers, who played piano during the recording, recalled that the song required only one take from Beatty. " Vogue" closes out the album and is musically different from the rest of the tracks. It is a dance number consisting of a "throbbing beat" and lyrically has a theme of escapism. The song talks about Vogueing, a dance form which reproduced poses from high-fashion modelling. The song also has a rap section, where Madonna names various "golden era" Hollywood celebrities, including
Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress and a premier star during Hollywood's Silent film, silent and early Classical Hollywood cinema, golden eras. Regarded as one of the g ...
,
Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...
and
Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however, Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...
.


Promotion

Madonna first performed "Vogue" during her Blond Ambition tour (April–August 1990), followed by the September 6 performance at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards, clad in 18th-century-inspired fashions. Madonna's performance recreated the royal court of
Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette (; ; Maria Antonia Josefa Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last List of French royal consorts, queen of France before the French Revolution and the establishment of the French First Republic. She was the ...
, dripping with sexual innuendo; at one point the singer flipped open her large skirt, allowing one of the dancers to crawl inside. Her dancer Carlton Wilborn explained that "
uch Uch (; ), frequently referred to as Uch Sharīf (; ; ''"Noble Uch"''), is a historic city in the Pakistan's Punjab province. Uch may have been founded as Alexandria on the Indus, a town founded by Alexander the Great during his invasion of t ...
level of production had never been done on MTV. The costumes, the fans, the drama... MTV just had no idea, we just came out and rocked." O'Brien described the performance as a "moment of inspired brilliance", while Taraborrelli noted it as a "classic, camp show that elevated the standards of future performances on that program". It was later ranked by ''Billboard'' as the sixth best performance in the history of the award show. At the 1991 Academy Awards, Madonna appeared with singer
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
as her date and performed "Sooner or Later". According to journalist Liz Smith, Madonna had promised to perform at the award show if either "Sooner or Later" or "More" was nominated in the Best Original Song category. She wore a long, tight, white dress designed by
Bob Mackie Robert Gordon Mackie (born March 24, 1940) is an American fashion designer and costumier, best known for his dressing of numerous entertainment personalities for television, movies, concerts, and live stage shows. He was the costume designer f ...
and covered in sequins and pearls. On her neck she wore $20 million worth of jewelry from
Harry Winston Harry Winston (né Weinstein; March 1, 1896December 8, 1978) was an American jeweler. He donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958 after owning it for a decade. He also traded the Portuguese Diamond to the Smithsonian in ...
. Taraborrelli recalled that Madonna had appropriated every move and mannerisms of
Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...
for the performance, making it a tribute to the actress. When she appeared onstage, there was technical difficulty resulting in the microphone not rising from below the stage, and a stage-hand supposedly passing it to her, though it is clear from the video that a microphone was already on stage before her entrance. However, one of her earrings did come undone, prompting her to toss it away dramatically as part of her act. ''Billboard'' ranked it as the seventh "most awesome" Oscar performance of all time, saying that "Madonna gave a performance that took us back to the glamorous days of old Hollywood."


Tour

''I'm Breathless'', alongside Madonna's previous album, ''Like a Prayer'', was majorly promoted in Madonna's third concert tour, the Blond Ambition World Tour, which visited Asia, North America and Europe. Consisting of 57 dates, the concert was divided into five sections, the first inspired by the 1927
German expressionist film German expressionist cinema () was a part of several related creative movements in Germany in the early 20th century that reached a peak in Berlin during the 1920s. These developments were part of a larger Expressionist movement in Northwester ...
''
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...
'', the second by religious themes, the third by ''Dick Tracy'' and
cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...
, the fourth by
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
, and the fifth was an encore. The show contained sexual themes and Catholic imagery, such as in Madonna's performance of " Like a Prayer", which was based in church-like surroundings with Madonna wearing a
crucifix A crucifix (from the Latin meaning '(one) fixed to a cross') is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the (Latin for 'body'). The cru ...
and her backup dancers dressed like
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
s and
nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 5 ...
s. The concert was criticized for its sexual content and religious imagery; in Toronto, Canada, Madonna was threatened of being arrested for obscenity, and
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
later called for a boycott, with one of the three Italian dates being cancelled. Despite this, the tour was a critical success, winning "Most Creative Stage Production" at the 1990
Pollstar ''Pollstar'' is a trade publication for the concert and live music industry. The publication was purchased by Oak View Group, a venue consultancy founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, in July 2017. ''Pollstar'' holds an annual award ce ...
Concert Industry Awards. The performance of the ''I'm Breathless'' songs began with "Sooner or Later" sung atop a grand piano, followed by "Hanky Panky", with Madonna standing in front of a microphone. She was dressed in a striped vaudeville-style
corset A corset /ˈkɔːrsɪt/ is a support garment worn to constrict the torso into the desired shape and Posture correction, posture. They are traditionally constructed out of fabric with boning made of Baleen, whalebone or steel, a stiff panel in th ...
, playing the part of a
nightclub singer A nightclub act is a production, usually of nightclub music or comedy, designed for performance at a nightclub, a type of drinking establishment, by a nightclub performer such as a nightclub singer or nightclub dancer, whose performance may ...
. Near the end Madonna joked: "You all know the pleasures of a good spanking, don't you? ..When I hurt people, I feel better, you know what I mean?" The final song of the segment was "Now I'm Following You" where Madonna danced and lip-synched with dancer Salim Gauwloos, dressed as Dick Tracy. Regarding the "shameless promotion" of ''Dick Tracy'' in this segment, O'Brien said that "along with her yen for artistic expression, Madonna has always had an eye on the bottom dollar... utthe ''Dick Tracy'' section is the least dynamic part of the show".


Singles

" Vogue" 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, on March 27, 1990. A
deep house Deep house is a subgenre of house music that originated in the 1980s, initially fusing elements of Chicago house with the lush chords of 1980s jazz-funk and touches of soul music. Its origins are attributed to the early recordings of Larry Heard ...
influenced song, it became Madonna's eighth single to top the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. It also reached the top of the
Hot Dance Club Play The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...
chart. Internationally, "Vogue" reached the top the charts in 30 countries, such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Finland. It became the world's best-selling single of 1990, selling over six million copies. "Vogue" has been continuously acclaimed since its release; reviewers have praised its anthemic nature, calling it a "funky" and "catchy" song, and listed it as one of the singer's musical highlights. The music video for "Vogue", directed by
David Fincher David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. Often described as one of the preeminent directors of his generation, David Fincher filmography, his films, of which most are psychological thrillers, have collectiv ...
, showed Madonna paying homage to various golden era Hollywood actresses. Shot in
black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...
, the video takes stylistic inspiration from the 1920s and 30s; in it, Madonna and her dancers can be seen
voguing Vogue, or voguing, is a highly stylized, modern house dance originating in the late 1980s that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene of the 1960s. It is inspired by the poses of models in fashion magazines. It gained mainstream exposure whe ...
different choreographed scenes. Critics noted the way in which Madonna used her
postmodern Postmodernism encompasses a variety of artistic, cultural, and philosophical movements that claim to mark a break from modernism. They have in common the conviction that it is no longer possible to rely upon previous ways of depicting the wo ...
influence to expose an underground subcultural movement to the masses and for making the sex and gender roles ambiguous in its portrayal of people. The video has been ranked as one of the greatest of all times in different critic lists and polls, and won three awards at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards, out of a total of nine nominations. The album's second single, " Hanky Panky", was released on June 30, 1990. Critical response for the song was positive, with ''The New York Times'' calling it "a calculated bid for outrage". It enjoyed commercial success, reaching the top ten in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it peaked at number ten in the week of July 28, 1990. "Now I'm Following You", the two-part duet with Warren Beatty, was intended to be the third single, but was ultimately canceled. Several remixes were commissioned and promos and test pressings were issued.


Critical reception

J. Randy Taraborrelli gave ''I'm Breathless'' a favorable review in his book '' Madonna: An Intimate Biography'', writing that it was "one of Madonna's greatest musical moments", and praising her vocal performance. Authors Allen Metz and Carol Benson wrote in their book ''The Madonna Companion'' that the album suited Madonna well, but questioned her decision to make it a subsidiary for ''Dick Tracy'' instead of an independent release. Lucky Lara from ''
Manila Standard Today The ''Manila Standard'' is a broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines which, as of 2017, is owned by the Romualdez family. The Romualdezes, through incumbent speaker of the House Martin Romualdez, also own Journal Publications, Inc., the owner ...
'' denoted the album as a "surprise career decision" for Madonna and found that it showcased the singer's versatility and other facets of her pop personality. She added that the album was able to prove that Madonna "is cut out to do many other things, not just the trashy stuff". Writing for the ''
Sarasota Herald-Tribune The ''Sarasota Herald-Tribune'' is a daily newspaper, located in Sarasota, Florida, United States, founded in 1925 as the ''Sarasota Herald''. History The newspaper was owned by The New York Times Company from 1982 to 2012. It was then owned by ...
'', Liz Smith gave another positive review, calling the album "excellent, different from anything adonnahas ever attempted", and listing the Sondheim songs as highlights. Ray Boren from ''
Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is a multi-platform newspaper based in Salt Lake City, published by Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation, which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS ...
'' was impressed with Madonna's vocals, calling them "sultry" and "cutesy", listing "Vogue" and "Something to Remember" as highlights. Greg Sandow of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' gave ''I'm Breathless'' an A rating, praising Madonna for "invent nga new Broadway vocal persona, built around a chest voice not yet perfectly under control but still much richer and duskier than her low range sounded before."
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...
from ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'' said the record's "show-tune-pop-shlock" suits Madonna "with its pedigree of wit and musicality", as does the music's campiness, which she "sure knows how to do right". He listed "Cry Baby", "He's a Man" and "Hanky Panky" as the best tracks. Mark Coleman from ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' gave the album a rating of three-and-a-half out of five stars and positive review, claiming that Madonna "pulls it off with brass and panache". He added that "Vogue" showed the singer "can still deliver that indefinable something extra". 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 ...
gave it four out of five stars, declaring: "''I'm Breathless'' proves that Madonna is a true renaissance woman". According to
Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', "after all the nuances Madonna has brought to the role of the bad girl, it's strange that she would settle now for such a restricted, unexamined version of respectability" and "for the first time, Madonna has let the deal dictate the music". Tan Gim Ean from ''
New Straits Times The ''New Straits Times'' is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print (though not the first), having been founded as a local offshoot of Singapore-based ''The Straits Ti ...
'' noted that Madonna played against her strengths on the songs of the album. He described her vocals as "competent", but felt that the songs required "more range and agility than Madonna has at her disposal." Dave Tianen from ''
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper and also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely read. It was purchased by the G ...
'' described the album as a "mixed bag of period pieces, some of them too cute for their own good", adding that "''I'm Breathless'' never becomes more than the sum of its mannerisms".
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 ...
critic
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
claimed that the songs are just "cutesy novelty numbers", and listing "Vogue" as a standout track. Rooksby panned the album, saying that it "failed to transcend the sterile, preserved-in-amber quality of pastiche". Mark Cooper from '' Q'' magazine lamented, in its June 1990 review, "It's something of a disappointment because the lady herself stays so firmly committed to a character who's less original than the persona she evolved during the '80s." Nonetheless, in the same magazine's December 1994 issue, Madonna declared: "I would have to say the favorite record that I've made is the soundtrack to ''Dick Tracy''. I love every one of those songs... My judgment is never based on the world's reaction." ''
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 ...
'' staff called a "mediocre soundtrack album". While reviewing the album on its 30th anniversary, Mike Wass from
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolator or Idolater may also refer to: * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), a 2005 album by Blood Stain Child * ''Idolator'', a 1986 album by Ole Evenrud * "Idolater", a ...
wrote that its "genius" lied in the ability to "find the middle ground between Broadway fare and top 40 pop", concluding that " adonnawasn't trying to bend and twist into another genre, she simply dismantled it and took the bits and pieces that pleased her". ''Rolling Stone''s Joe Blistein deemed it one Madonna's most "fascinating" albums; "she could have easily recorded the three Sondheim songs for ''Dick Tracy'' and called it a day. Instead, she chose to deliver a record of big-band jazz and musical-theater pastiche". Nonetheless, he opined it wouldn't become a "forgotten classic", as the singer hasn't performed any songs from the album in any of her tours since Blond Ambition. He did finish his review by expressing: " 'I'm Breathless''remains a compelling snapshot of a pivotal moment in Madonna's life and career, when the world rolled in ecstasy at her feet and she had the power to push it any which way she wanted, to mold it to suit her ideal".


Commercial performance

''I'm Breathless'' debuted at number 44 on the ''Billboard'' 200 during the week of June 9, 1990, peaking at number 2 two weeks later. In total, the album remained on the chart for twenty-five weeks. ''I'm Breathless'' was certified double-platinum 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), denoting shipment of over two million copies throughout the country. On June 2, 1990, ''I'm Breathless'' entered the Canadian ''RPM'' Albums Chart at number 39, eventually peaking at number three. During the week of November 10, 1990, the album spent its last week on the chart, exiting at number 99, after spending 24 weeks on the album's chart. To date, the album has been certified double-platinum by the
Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 in Toronto to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It also offers benefits to some of Canada's leadin ...
(CRIA) for shipment of 200,000 copies. In Australia, the album debuted at number one on the
ARIA Charts The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA beca ...
, during the week of June 3, 1990, where it remained for three consecutive weeks, and a total of twenty-three weeks on the chart. It was certified platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
(ARIA) for shipment of 70,000 copies. ''I'm Breathless'' entered the
New Zealand Albums Chart The Official Aotearoa Music Charts, formerly the Official New Zealand Music Chart (), is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Mu ...
at number twenty-eight during the week of June 3, 1990. The next week, it peaked at number two, spending a total of twenty-two weeks in the chart. In Japan, ''I'm Breathless'' became Madonna's second number-one album on the
Oricon Albums Chart The Oricon Albums Chart is the Japanese music industry standard albums popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Oricon originally published LP, CT, Cartridge and CD charts prior to the establishment of the Oricon A ...
and had sold an estimated 329,382 units by the year end. At the 1991
Japan Gold Disc Awards The is an award presented by the Record music Industry Association of Japan in the field of music. The Japan Gold Disc Awards have multiple Grand Prix categories, including: Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year (download and ...
, Madonna was honored by the
Recording Industry Association of Japan The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969. The RIAJ's activities include pro ...
(RIAJ) with Best Album of the Year – Pop Female, Grand Prix Album of the Year, and Grand Prix Artist of the Year; the last two were given for the best-selling international album and the best-selling international artist of the year, respectively. The album also experienced success in European markets. In Germany, ''I'm Breathless'' topped the
Media Control The GfK Entertainment charts are the official charts for music, home video, and video games in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on be ...
albums chart and was certified gold by
Bundesverband Musikindustrie The ( English: Federal Music Industry Association), or simply BVMI, represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 280 labels and music industry related enterprises, which comprise 90% of the music i ...
(BVMI) for shipping 250,000 copies. In France, the album peaked at number three, and was certified double-gold by the
Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique SNEP (, in English National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym SNICOP, the organisation was established in ...
(SNEP). In the Netherlands, ''I'm Breathless'' entered the
MegaCharts Dutch Charts, GfK Dutch Charts, MegaCharts is a chart company responsible for producing a number of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Single Top 100 and the Album Top 100 are the most known ones. It is owned by German market researc ...
at number twelve during the week of June 3, 1990. It eventually peaked at number five, staying a total of nineteen weeks on the chart. The Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers (NVPI) certified the album gold for shipment of 50,000 copies. On the
Swiss Albums Chart The Swiss Hitparade () is Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland. The Swiss charts include: * Singles Top 75 (released since 1968) * Singles T ...
dated June 3, 1990, ''I'm Breathless'' debuted on its peak position of number three. After nineteen weeks, it was certified gold by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for shipment of 25,000 copies. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted and peaked at number two on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
, during the week dated June 2, 1990. Soon after, ''I'm Breathless'' was certified platinum by the
British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
(BPI), denoting shipments of over 300,000 units. In Spain, the album peaked at number two, and was certified double platinum for shipping 200,000 copies. The album has sold seven million copies worldwide.


Impact

In ''The Soundtrack Album: Listening to Media'' (2020), editors explained that the trend of releasing albums with the concept "Music From and Inspired By" began "in large part due to the success of Prince's ''Batman'' album (1989) and Madonna's ''I'm Breathless''". In his article titled, "Madonna puts '30s in vogue", music critic
Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.triple play In baseball or softball, a triple play (denoted as TP in baseball statistics) is the act of making three out (baseball), outs during the same play. There have only been 739 triple plays in Major League Baseball (MLB) since 1876, an average of ju ...
, with the album, tour, and film promoting "one another". However, upon release, '' Cashbox'' magazine referred the album marked the kick-off to "the most opportunistic and protacted film soundtrack strategy ever mounted". With this release, Madonna brought back the glamour of the
Prohibition era Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacturing, manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption ...
. Joe Blistein from ''Rolling Stone'' explained the album "recalled the Prohibition era more than anything in the contemporary zeitgeist". Contemporary and retrospective assessments specifically praised the results despite her musical reinvention, seen as departure from her "main mass-market albums", according to O'Brien. Blistein described "it was a decisively dizzying left turn for an artist who'd already built a solid career out of them". In at least one interview, she herself calls ''I'm Breathless'' her "best" and "favorite" of her albums because it was "different". Macmillan Educational's publication, ''International Year Book: Covering the Year 1990'', deduced that the album performed "surprisingly well, considering that its musical roots were in the
1940s File:1940s decade montage.png, Above title bar: events during World War II (1939–1945): From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching Omaha Beach on Normandy landings, D-Day; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of ...
". In ''Madonna: The Biography'' (1991), Robert Matthew-Walker notes the record contained the most songs on a Madonna's album up to that point, also arguing it shows the "immense outpouring of her talent". Others discussed how Madonna would introduce
Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...
to a newer audience in her generation, including Elizabeth Wurtzel from ''New York'' and ''Rolling Stone''s Mark Coleman. In 2021, ''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 185 ...
'' editor Sophie Gilbert, explicitly states she was introduced to Sondheim's material thanks to Madonna. Albert Montagut from ''
El País (; ) is a Spanish-language daily newspaper in Spain. is based in the capital city of Madrid and it is owned by the Spanish media conglomerate PRISA. It is the second-most circulated daily newspaper in Spain . is the most read newspaper in ...
'' called a "novelty" the fact
Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. He also received the Irving G. Thalberg Memor ...
recorded a song for an album for the first time in his career.


Rankings

''I'm Breathless'' was included in a number of critics' lists. The album appeared at number five in the 1990 Pazz & Jop: Dean's List of ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
''. The staff of ''
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 ...
'' recognized the release as one of "The 10 Best Albums of 1990", commenting that it is in this album "where she truly started pushing outside her vocal comfort zone". ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. ...
'' and Stacker named it one of the "100 best movie and TV soundtracks of all time".
Russell Ash Russell Ash (18 June 1946 – 21 June 2010) was the British author of the '' Top 10 of Everything'' series of books, as well as ''Great Wonders of the World'', ''Incredible Comparisons'' and many other reference, art and humour titles, most not ...
included ''I'm Breathless'' in his Madonna's albums ranking section in the book '' The Top 10 of Everything'' (1999). Entertainment website ''
E! Online E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable television network. It is owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. The channel focuses primarily on pop culture, celebrity based reality shows and movies. ...
'' commented: "The album is most fondly remembered for spawning one of Madge's most successful and influential tracks, 'Vogue'". The song "Something to Remember" was included in
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
's list of "Madonna's 25 Most Underrated Deep Cuts And B-Sides". 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 ...
also included "Back in Business" and "I'm Going Bananas" among Madonna's best deep cuts. Album's tracks "Sooner or Later", "Something to Remember" and "Vogue" were included in a rank of the best 100 Best Madonna Songs by ''Parade'' in 2023, with the latter topping the list.


Track listing

Notes *Track list per the end booklet of the ''I'm Breathless'' album. *"Sooner or Later" is officially titled "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)" in the film credits and
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
.''Dick Tracy'' (Media notes). Warren Beatty. Santa Monica, California: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. 1990.


Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's booklet. *
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, ...
 –
vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...
,
songwriter A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...
, producer *
Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. He also received the Irving G. Thalberg Memor ...
 – 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 ...
 – keyboards, producer *
Shep Pettibone Robert "Shep" Pettibone (born 10 July 1959) is an American record producer, remixer, songwriter and club DJ, one of the most prolific of the 1980s. Career Shep Pettibone surfaced after his work with Arthur Baker on Afrika Bambaataa & the Jazz ...
 – producer * Niki Haris –
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 ...
*
N'Dea Davenport N'Dea Davenport (born September 22, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and producer. She was the lead vocalist in the UK acid jazz band The Brand New Heavies and made pioneering contributions to the genre of acid jazz. Early life ...
 – backing vocals *
Donna De Lory Donna De Lory is an American singer, dancer and songwriter. Part of a musical family, De Lory has been performing since a young age. Her voice can be heard on albums by Carly Simon, Ray Parker Jr., Kim Carnes, Santana (band), Santana, Martika, La ...
 – backing vocals *Rev. Dave Boruff –
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...
* Bill Bottrell – producer, mixing engineer *Ned Claflin – songwriter *Mahlon Clark –
clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...
*Jeff Clayton – saxophone *Luis Conte –
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...
*Bob Cooper –
baritone saxophone The baritone saxophone (sometimes abbreviated to "bari sax") is a member of the saxophone family of instruments, larger (and lower-pitched) than the tenor saxophone, but smaller (and higher-pitched) than the bass saxophone, bass. It is the lowe ...
* Kevin Gilbert – producer *
John Guerin John Payne Guerin (October 31, 1939 – January 5, 2004) was an American percussionist. He was a proponent of the jazz-rock style. Biography Guerin was born in Hawaii and raised in San Diego. As a young drummer, he began performing with Buddy ...
 –
drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...
s *
Abraham Laboriel Abraham Laboriel López (born July 17, 1947) is a Mexican-American bassist who has played on over 4,000 recordings and soundtracks. ''Guitar Player'' magazine called him "the most widely used session bassist of our time". Laboriel is the fathe ...
 –
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 ...
*Charles Loper –
trombone The trombone (, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's lips vibrate inside a mouthpiece, causing the Standing wave, air c ...
*Bob Magnusson – bass *Jennie Douglas McRae – backing vocals *
Jonathan Moffett Jonathan Phillip "Sugarfoot" Moffett (born November 17, 1954) is an American drummer, songwriter and record producer from New Orleans, Louisiana. Beginning in 1979, Moffett collaborated with the Jackson family, particularly Michael Jackson, ove ...
 – drums,
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...
*Abe Most – clarinet,
alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgians, Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in the key of E♭ ( ...
*
Mandy Patinkin Mandel "Mandy" Bruce Patinkin (; born November 30, 1952) is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television, and film. As a critically acclaimed Broadway (theatre), Broadway performer he has collaborated with Step ...
 – vocals *
Tim Pierce Tim Pierce (born 1958 in Albuquerque) is an American session guitarist. He has worked for artists such as Joe Cocker, Crowded House, Goo Goo Dolls, Michael Jackson, Beth Hart, Roger Waters, Alice Cooper, Johnny Hallyday, Phil Collins, and th ...
 –
guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
*
Jeff Porcaro Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro (April 1, 1954 – August 5, 1992) was an American drummer. He is best known for being the co-founder and drummer of the rock band Toto, but is also one of the most recorded session musicians in history, working on hundr ...
 – drums *
Guy Pratt Guy Adam Pratt (born 3 January 1962) is a British bassist. He has worked with artists including Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, Gary Moore, Madonna, Peter Cetera, Michael Jackson, the Smiths, Robert Palmer (singer), Robert Palmer, Echo & the Bunnymen, T ...
 – bass * Bill Schneider –
piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
*Bill Meyers – piano * Tony Terran – trumpet * Carlos Vega – drums *
Randy Waldman Randy Waldman (born September 8, 1955, Chicago, Illinois, United States) is an American pianist, arranger, composer, and conductor. He has frequently collaborated with Barbra Streisand, serving as her pianist and conductor since 1984. Waldman has ...
 – piano


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications and sales


See also

*
List of number-one albums in Australia during the 1990s The following lists the number-one albums on the Australian Albums Chart, during the 1990s. The source for this decade is the ARIA Charts. 1990 1991 * 1 The ''Grease'' soundtrack spent nine of its weeks at number one in 1978, and four ...
* List of European number-one hits of 1990 * List of number-one hits of 1990 (Germany) * List of number-one albums of 1990 (Portugal)


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links

* * {{Authority control 1990 soundtrack albums Albums produced by Bill Bottrell Albums produced by Patrick Leonard Albums produced by Madonna 1990s concept albums Dick Tracy Film soundtracks Jazz albums by American artists Madonna soundtracks Sire Records soundtracks Swing albums Warner Records soundtracks Albums recorded at United Western Recorders