"Take A Bow" by Madonna

Did she date Tom Cruise?

Nobody ever mentioned how she ripped off The Carpenters.

[quote]When you get to the part, Where you're breaking my heart

And Freda Payne went there first with "Band of Gold"

R2=R3= deluded cheetos eater

Rhyming heart and part is one of the most cliched lyrics of all time.

R2, Madge said "Rain" was her tribute to Karen Carpenter. Maybe TaB was as well.

I always thought it interesting that TAB spent 7 weeks at #1 and the follow up Bedtime Stories only peaked at #41 and the cutting edge video was incredibly expensive.

This is her longest running number 1 in America, yet she has never performed it on tour. When you don't perform one of your biggest hits ever on any tour since it was released 21 years ago, this leaves me to believe the song is too difficult vocally for her to perform live and more proof of how limited her abilities are.

[quote]I always thought it interesting that TAB spent 7 weeks at #1 and the follow up Bedtime Stories only peaked at #41 and the cutting edge video was incredibly expensive.

TAB was produced by Babyface, and in the late 80s'/early 90's, EVERYTHING he touched was a hit. That's why everyone wanted to work with him back then, especially Madonna after the Erotica flop.

Madonna sounded very Karen Carpenter on her last album, Rebel Heart, which I don't think any critic noted.

Thanks, but I only wear barrettes.

R8, I think the only time she sang in live was on the AMAs in '95.

Such a beautiful, soundly produced piece of music. Compare that with the crap of today. Thank you, R12, for finding that for us.

The video is beautiful.

And the "You'll See" video is its follow-up.

Exquisite, R14.

Take a Bow was the crown jewel in Madonna's post-"Sex" career recovery, alongside Secret and the subsequent You'll See. What an elegant trilogy in her mid-90s career.

[quote]What an elegant trilogy in her mid-90s career.

MARY!!!

That's the Madonna I love...Now she's such a transager mess.

This is how you kill it. Sugar.

She was actually beautiful in those 2 must videos

I loved the "Bedtime Stories" song and video. Weird so few connected with it.

"Secret" is one of my favorite Madonna songs. So is "Human Nature" (and I love that video too).

"Take a Bow" seems to be a book-end with "This Used To Be My Playground" as two very depressing songs of love that died. Both are absolutely beautiful, but so full of pain.

R12 - I remember watching that AMA performance of Take A Bow when I was in middle school. Her voice was extraordinarily strong there (by Madge standards, of course). Shame she wasn't able to ever replicate that performance elsewhere.

Bump

R20, ya know she sang that song on the Academy Awards and it went on to win the Oscar that year. Not like that loser, Janet Jackson, who was nominated and lost.

"Bedtime Stories" was Madonna's end of her R&B flavored Pop phase, which was always sad to me because her best songs, even from the beginning of her career, always had a soulful element to it. She ditched that and went to Electronica after "Bedtime Stories," which has a colder and atmospheric sound, and her singing even reflected a more detached effect as well. I could never get into her music post-"Bedtime Stories," even though "Ray of Light" had some wonderful singles such as "Frozen," "Ray of Light," "The Power of Good-Bye." She went completely Euro and abandoned her soulful American roots, IMO.

So yeah, to me, she reached her peak with "Bedtime Stories" and it was the last time she ever sounded like the great American pop icon that everyone loved.

Evolution is a constant windmill.

The song reminds of Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe."

[quote]TAB was produced by Babyface, and in the late 80s'/early 90's, EVERYTHING he touched was a hit. That's why everyone wanted to work with him back then

You're right, till Olivia Newton-John asked him to work with her on her "I Honestly Love You" remake and killed his career, just like she killed John Denver's string of hits with "Fly Away." ONJ=kiss of death.

What was Andy Gibb's last hit Desire reaching #4 then he dueted with ONJ on "I can't help it." which only hit #12 and that was it for his career too. ONJ=kiss of death.

I've been rewriting the same song for 35 years

bump

Babyface's career started to go down the drain because he split with La Reid. Reid's production input gave their work an edge. Without it 'Face proved to be only adequate as a producer though he was still a good songwriter.

John Travolta worked with Olivia Newton-John on Grease. Then Travolta spent the next two decades churning out crap movies. ONJ = kiss of death.

Her voice actually sounds decent on the track

I always thought of that video as her audition for Evita

Can't you people get your own site for demented people? Can't you?

Madge's best work was the song "Live To Tell." After that, it was all downhill.

A man can tell a thousand lies, I've learned my lesson well.

You preach it gurl!

"Live To Tell" is another song that could be about a closet case

"Secret" is kind of forgotten now, but it was a big hit at the time and it's one of the best songs Madonna's ever done.

I've heard that Live To Tell was written based on Angela Lansbury's reaction of what she saw in Steven Sondheim's basement.

Can't you just hear Angela singing the song?

Though this song was one of her biggest hits in the US (#1 for seven weeks as mentioned above), it was a rare flop for her in the UK, her lowest-charting single (tied with Oh Father) until the god-awful Miles Away in 2008.

I loved the single and video for Bedtime Stories, it was written by Bjork. This was just before "Post" wasn't it? Both were from 1995.

Her vocals are fantastic on this track, and I am surprised at how strong she is live in the clip from the American Music Awards. She's a better singer than she's given credit for.

R44 - she's a better RECORDING artist than she's perhaps given credit for, but as a live singer, I don't think so. The reason that AMA clip is so notable is because it's such a rare strong, live vocal recording without dozens of layers of backing tracks supporting her.

You haven't witnessed her sing live then in her concerts, R45. She is talented. Very talented vocally.

r45 is correct. I saw her current tour, and while she hit some bad notes - mostly when she was dancing and jumping all around - when she stopped and sang 'La Vie En rose' accompanying herself with a ukulele; and 'Love Don't Live Here Anymore' she sounded great. I'm not saying you could compare her voice to Whitney Houston or Mariah Carey, and yes, she obviously benefits greatly from the control of a studio and recording equipment. But, when she has the right song, and uses her instrument correctly, she's a darn good singer. To me anyway. And I'm a singer.

La vie en rose

Her cover of Marvin Gaye’s I Want You is one of the best things she’s done and , rare for her, genuinely affecting. Especially credit-worthy seeing as its’ a sacrilege for ANYONE to even consider touching that masterpiece. The Massive Attack collab probably accounts for a great deal of it.

Still love This Used To Be My Playground from the baseball movie in which Madonna was actually quite good.

Omg I love her version of I Want You too and the video is haunting. But [R49] is right, most of it is due to Massive Attack.

Agree.

Eargasm

The BET awards are on this weekend and will feature a tribute to Babyface.

Robert Palmer also did a popular version of I Want You.

I think she sounds terrible in that Take a Bow clip from the American Music Awards. She's pitchy throughout the entire song.

A tribute to....Baby Face? Bwahahahahaha! Are they running out of people to give tributes to?

r54 thinks he's Randy Jackson.

R54, you still using "pitchy" as an adjective? You posting from 2010 and taking a break from the X-Factor?

Criticizing my use of the word pitchy doesn't take away from the fact that she sings off key at various points throughout the entire song. It's most evident at the beginning of almost every line in the verses.

I know she was lipsynching, but her Marie Antionette "Vogue" at the MTV awards was probably the best live performance I've ever seen.

R55, he is an extremely successful songwriter - why the hate?

R6 I thought “Rain” was a cum metaphor.