Interview from this past December. Shame on Madonna, Lenny and the music label execs for trying to rip her off. At least she got significant money but I hate how Lenny and Madonna keep lying about it, acting as if what they did was original.
What was the original inspiration for ‘Justify My Love’?
The song was a letter that I had written that I happened to have on me when I was hanging out in the studio with Lenny and Andre. After they sampled that beat and laid the synth down, Lenny asked me if I wanted to try laying a vocal down. I said sure and pulled out the letter and just spoke over the top of the music.
Can you give a snapshot of what happened with the songwriting credit controversy?
The snapshot is this: Lenny, Andre and I create this amazing song in the studio. Lenny and I take it to the head of Virgin Records to let him have a listen. He asks me for my copy. I hand it over thinking I will get another one. I never got another one. A few months later, Lenny asks me to hang with him in NYC where he tells me Madonna is doing the song and that if I want any money for writing credit I would have to sign an agreement to stay silent about my roll. The song comes out, Prince called me up and said, “What’s up with that Madonna song, I know that’s you.” I, for the first time admit to having written the lyrics and recording the original track. Prince is disappointed as we are just about to release a spoken word record on Paisley Park Records. He says that people are going to think that I am copying Madonna. I hire a lawyer and sue for credit.
Where does ownership of the song stand now?
I own twice the amount I was offered in our ‘hotel room deal’; but most importantly, my name is in the writers’ credits.
Did you like Madonna’s version?
It is exactly like the version I recorded. I couldn’t even tell if she had used my original background vocals in the chorus it was so close. Every word placement and expression was like the original.
Did you record this version as a way of “taking the song back,” so to speak? Or because you just wanted to do something different with it?
I have never looked back or felt like I needed to take anything back. I am fully in the moment of my life. I happened to be in Copenhagen rehearsing for a show in Bremen, Germany a couple of years ago, and the guys I was performing with asked me if I would consider doing ‘Justify My Love’ live. I said I don’t know, we can try it and see how it sounds. That live performance is on Youtube. It felt good and natural so we decided to record a version of it for potential release one day…and here we are.
Tell us a bit about your musical approach to the song.
My approach to the song was to read the letter I had on me. It was very personal. I just imagined I was speaking to the person on the other end of that letter.
Your version eschews that in-your-face sexuality of Madonna’s version. Is there a different message you think the song needs to convey?
Not really. She understood my passion and delivery from the original. That is why the song is so powerful. My version captured the raw emotion of a deep love affair and Madonna did an incredible job replicating it.
How do you feel about the song and its history now that you’ve finally recorded this new version?
I think that everything about the song is perfect. How it was written, why, that it landed in Madonna’s hands, that it was so stylistically mine that Prince knew it was me upon hearing it, and that I ultimately wound up with credit. I’m very proud to call the song mine and to be able to perform it. I wish people could hear the original, but it’s exciting to be sharing this new version with everyone.
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