Like a Prayer (song)
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| “Like a Prayer” | |||||
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| Single by Madonna from the album Like a Prayer |
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| B-side | "Act of Contrition" | ||||
| Released | February 28, 1989 (North America, Europe) March 6, 1989 (UK) |
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| Format | Cassette, CD, 7", 12" | ||||
| Recorded | 1988 | ||||
| Genre | Dance-pop R&B/Soul Gospel |
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| Length | 5:39 (original album version) 5:49 (Immaculate Collection remix) |
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| Label | Sire, Warner Bros. | ||||
| Writer(s) | Madonna, Patrick Leonard | ||||
| Producer | Madonna, Patrick Leonard | ||||
| Certification | Platinum (US) Gold (Germany, Switzerland, UK) Silver (France) |
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| Madonna singles chronology | |||||
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| Like a Prayer track listing | |||||
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| The Immaculate Collection track listing | |||||
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"Like a Prayer" is the first single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 4th studio album. Like a Prayer and was released on February 28, 1989 by Sire Records. A power pop song by Madonna, it notably features a gospel choir.
In Japan, a Mini-album titled Remixed Prayers was released, which included remixes of the title track and also "Express Yourself". It later appeared remixed on the 1990 compilation album The Immaculate Collection.
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[edit] Song information
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"Like a Prayer" (dance version) A medium tempo dance song which features personal lyrics and a Gospel choir. It reached number-one in the UK, Australia, Japan and U.S., becoming her seventh number one. - Problems playing the files? See media help.
The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989. It was released in the UK on 6th March and entered the UK Singles Chart straight at #2 before climbing to #1 and remaining there for three weeks until Easter Sunday. The song was ranked #300 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.
The single version of "Like a Prayer" (7" remix) is slightly different from the album version in some extra background production, including a shorter and heavier guitar intro, louder bass, string arrangements in the verses and electric guitar at the song's climax. In addition, the album version features bass guitar played by Randy Jackson, while the 7" version uses an analogue bass synthesizer, which is the unmistakable sound of a Minimoog. Both versions feature electric guitar riffs by Prince.
"Like a Prayer" was also remixed as a dance song by Shep Pettibone for Madonna's 1990 compilation album The Immaculate Collection. The remix became almost as popular as the original album version, but is often not as highly regarded by critics and fans.
In 2003, Madonna fans were asked to vote for their Top 20 Madonna singles of all-time by Q-Magazine. "Like a Prayer" was allocated the Number 1 spot.
Several of the versions of "Like a Prayer", excluding that on the album, were included on Remixed Prayers.
Madonna has performed this song in two of her worldwide tours : the Blond Ambition Tour of 1990, and The Re-Invention Tour of 2004. Most recently, she performed this song in front of a worldwide audience at the Live 8 concert, backed by the London Community Gospel Choir.
The song has been covered and remixed by various artists worldwide, such as Bigod_20 Blue, H2O, Mad'House and John Wesley Harding. "Like a Prayer" was also covered by pop-punk band Rufio for the compilation Punk Goes Pop. The Mad'House version reached #1 in Germany in 2002, which the original narrowly failed to manage. Singer Tori Amos has also covered the song several times in concert. This has since been further remixed by Italian House DJ Gigi D'Agostino on his 2005 album Disco Tanz.
Madonna used the melody from part of the chorus in one of her newer songs off of her album Confessions on a Dance Floor called "Push".
[edit] Artwork
The cover artwork for the 7" single featured Madonna in a praying pose. The 12" artwork featured a painting by Madonna's brother Christopher of a classic (Catholic) naked Madonna wearing a halo and draped in a vine of thorns with a single blossoming flower. Of special note on this painted version of the cover - it features the letters MLVC (Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone) with a prominently "fallen" letter P near the heart of the Madonna, indicating Madonna's recent divorce and distancing from husband Sean Penn. The 7" single features a unique version of the famous black & white photo (also found on the back cover of the album of the same same.) This 7" cover version has a "hand tinted" colour wash applied which gives the artwork a dream-like quality. The same photograph in monochrome was used in shops in poster format to promote both the album and the single. Of special note, it is extremely rare for a 12" copy of a single to bear significantly if not altogether different artwork from its 7" counterpart. The original 3" CD single of the song was released with the original 7" artwork and is now quite rare and collectable. The two 5" reissue CDs of the song from the mid 90s feature the original 12" artwork plus an additional version with different mixes which has the background of the artwork altered to a mustard yellow color. The 12" Limited Edition Picture Disc of the release featured a photograph of Madonna wearing jeans with a purple sheer blouse, she has straight dark hair and is posed in the throes of uninhibited dance. The reverse features a faded purple tinged photo of the original 7" with an overwritten tracklist. A maxi "Cassingle" was also issued featuring original "praying pose" artwork.
[edit] Music Video
The highly controversial music video for the song was directed by Mary Lambert, who also directed "Borderline", "Like a Virgin", "Material Girl" and "La Isla Bonita". It was shot at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, California and Madonna's scenes with burning crosses was filmed on San Pedro Hills in San Pedro, California. The video depicted a black man (played by actor Leon) who comes to the aid of a white woman being raped by white men and is falsely arrested for the crime. Madonna plays the role of a girl who has witnessed the crime and, after going to pray to a local church, decides to testify in his favor and secures his release. The video premiered on MTV on March 3, 1989, it later went on to win the Viewer's Choice Award at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards.
It attracted criticism for its subplot of Madonna making love to Saint Martin de Porres - which some perceived as being a black version of Christ[1] -, its use of Catholic iconography, including a scene where Madonna develops stigmata, and cross burning imagery, but also garnered praise for its interpretation on discrimination, rape, and faith. The video topped MTV's countdown of "100 Videos That Broke The Rules" in 2005, and for the 25th anniversary of MTV (August 1, 2006), viewers voted the video as the "Most Groundbreaking Music Video of All Time". In addition, the video was ranked #20 on Rolling Stone magazine's "The 100 Top Music Videos" and #2 on VH1's 100 Greatest Videos. On November 27th 2007 Fuse named "Like a Prayer" as one of its ten "Videos That Rocked The World".
- Director: Mary Lambert
- Producer: Sharon Oreck
- Director of Photography: Steven Poster
- Editor: John Travers
- Production Company: O Pictures
[edit] Pepsi commercial controversy
Madonna was paid $5 million by Pepsi-Cola to appear in a commercial that would predominantly feature the world premiere of "Like a Prayer". The commercial, titled "Make a Wish", was filmed at MGM Studios in Culver City, California in late January 1989 and was directed by Joe Pytka. Depicting Madonna drinking Pepsi and watching a home video of her eighth birthday, the tone that the commercial sought to convey sharply contrasted with the official music video for the song. When Pepsi executives saw the completed video, they quickly yanked the advertisement after only two airings in an attempt to dissociate themselves from the controversy Madonna had created. (The two-minute commercial was shown just once on March 2, 1989 during The Cosby Show, and, in the UK, after much publicity, on March 2 during a commercial break on ITV 12 minutes into The Bill.)
Though her contract with Pepsi called for three future commercials, Madonna got to keep her five-million-dollar endorsement fee, without fulfilling her contractual obligations. When Madonna won the Viewer's Choice Award for "Like a Prayer" video at the MTV Video Music Awards in September 1989, in her acceptance speech she thanked Pepsi-Cola "for causing so much controversy!".
It should also be noted that during the commercial Madonna herself does not drink from a can of the beverage.
Interesting to note: In the commercial, Madonna has her hair dyed brown with a blonde streak in the front. Around this time, Cyndi Lauper was making a music video for her single "I Drove All Night" and her hair was platinum blonde with a black streak in the same spot where Madonna had her blonde streak. Their images were very similar during this time period, emphasizing glamorous retro movie star looks. The brown plain dress Madonna wears in her "Like A Prayer" video is similar to the simple red one Cyndi wears in her "I Drove All Night" video.
During an MTV interview with Kurt Loder entitled "Breakfast with Madonna" in 1990, Loder asked Madonna about the "brou-haha" surrounding her own video for the song and Pepsi's reaction to it. Madonna said, "[Pepsi's spokespeople] said they just didn't like it."
- Director: Joe Pytka
- Producer: Vincent Joliet
- Director of Photography: Joe Pytka
- Editor: Rob Watzke
- Production Company: Pytka Productions
- Agency: BBDO, New York
[edit] Official remixes/versions
| Remix/Version | Run Time | Notes |
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| Album Version | 5:40 | |
| Japanese 7" Version | 5:10 | with Fade - Japanese 7" Version |
| QSound Version | 5:49 | Remixed by Shep Pettibone and Goh Hotoda for The Immaculate Collection |
| 12" Dance Mix | 7:56 | |
| 12" Extended Remix | 7:26 | Featured on iTunes' The Immaculate Collection in place of QSound Version |
| 12" Club Version | 6:38 | Featured on iTunes' Like a Prayer in place of "Act of Contrition" |
| 7" Remix Edit | 5:45 | |
| 7" Intro Edit | 4:59 | with Fade |
| 7" Dance Edit | 5:25 | |
| 7" Version | 5:19 | US 3" CD Single |
| 7" Version | 5:07 | with Fade |
| Instrumental Dub | 6:01 | |
| Bass Dub | 5:31 | |
| Dub Beats | 4:39 | |
| Churchapella | 6:09 |
[edit] Included on
[edit] Charts
| Chart (1989) | Peak Position |
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| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play Chart | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 20 |
| Australia | 1 |
| Austria | 2 |
| Belgium | 1 |
| Brazil | 1 |
| Canada | 1 |
| Chile | 1 |
| Denmark | 1 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 | 1 |
| France | 2 |
| Germany | 2 |
| Ireland | 1 |
| Italy | 1 |
| Israel | 1 |
| Japan | 1 |
| Sweden | 1 |
| Norway | 1 |
| Netherlands | 2 |
| New Zealand | 1 |
| South Africa, Republic of | 1 |
| Spain | 1 |
| Sweden | 1 |
| Switzerland | 1 |
| United Kingdom | 1 |
[edit] Certifications
| Country | Certification |
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| Australia | 2x Platinum |
| France | Silver |
| Germany | Gold |
| UK | Gold |
| USA | Platinum |
| Preceded by "Too Many Broken Hearts" by Jason Donovan |
UK Singles Chart number one single (Madonna version) March 19, 1989- April 2, 1989 |
Succeeded by "Eternal Flame" by The Bangles |
| Preceded by "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" by Marc Almond & Gene Pitney |
Euro Hot 100 number-one single (Madonna version) March 25, 1989 - June 10, 1989 |
Succeeded by "The Look" by Roxette |
| Preceded by "She Drives Me Crazy" by Fine Young Cannibals |
New Zealand RIANZ singles chart number one single (Madonna version) April 7, 1989 - April 14, 1989 |
Succeeded by "Wild Thing" by Tone Loc |
| Preceded by "This Is Acid (A New Dance Craze)" by Maurice |
Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one singles (Madonna version) April 15 - April 22, 1989 |
Succeeded by "Buffalo Stance" by Neneh Cherry |
| Preceded by "She Drives Me Crazy" by Fine Young Cannibals |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single (Madonna version) April 22, 1989 - May 6, 1989 |
Succeeded by "I'll Be There for You" by Bon Jovi |
| Preceded by "Whenever, Wherever" by Shakira |
Dutch Top 40 number-one single (Mad'House version) April 13, 2002 - April 20, 2002 |
Succeeded by "Trackin'" by Billy Crawford |
| Preceded by "Engel" by Ben featuring Gim |
Austrian number-one single (Mad'House version) May 5, 2002 - May 19, 2002 |
Succeeded by "If Tomorrow Never Comes" by Ronan Keating |
| Preceded by "Underneath Your Clothes" by Shakira |
Irish Singles Chart number-one single (Mad'House version) August 24, 2002 |
Succeeded by "The Tide Is High (Get The Feeling)" by Atomic Kitten |
[edit] See also
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