The recording sessions

I must repost this!
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Originally posted on February 8, 2010


We all know the story. After The Breakfast Club and Emmy, she decided to do it on her own. She put post-punk and new wave aside to embrace pop and dance music.

The new - and definite - journey began in 1981, the year when Madonna wrote "Everybody", "Ain't No Big Deal" and "Burning Up". She recorded the songs with Steve Bray in a demo tape and carried it in her pocket, while dancing the night away in Danceteria, somewhere in 1982. She met DJ Mark Kamins, he took her to Sire Records and a record deal was signed.

On October 6th, "Everybody" was released. Madonna's first single passed the test: it was a hit, at the underground club scene. An album had to follow. On November, she teamed up with Reggie Lucas to redo "Burning Up" and record "Physical Attraction" (written by him).

Exactly 27 years ago, on February 1983, the recording sessions were officially taking place at Sigma Sound Studios, in New York city. Although Madonna wanted Mark Kamins to produce the album, it was decided that Lucas, a more experienced producer, would do the job. He wrote a second song, called "Borderline". Madonna would also write "Lucky Star", "Think of Me" and "I Know It".

During the sessions, both would disagree about how the final product ought to sound. Madonna called her friend John "Jellybean" Benitez to help achieving the sound she wanted. He remixed the entire album and also produced "Holiday", the song that would replace "Ain't No Big Deal" - Madonna intended to include it on the album, but Steven Bray sold the rights to another label. Written by Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens, "Holiday" had originally been offered to Mary Wilson, one of the original Supremes. Wilson turned it down, Madonna took it and it would become an all-time classic in pop music.

The recording sessions lasted for 20 days. Here is one of my favourite soundbytes, captured by Madonna's microphone: