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Written by Madonna and Shep Pettibone
Produced by Madonna and Shep Pettibone
Mixed by Shep Pettibone
Edited by Tony Shimkin
Programming by Alan Friedman
Background vocals by Niki Haris, Donna DeLory and Ndea Davenport
Many will be surprised to know that Vogue, one of Madonna's biggest hits, was originally written as a B-single for Keep It Together. Fortunately her record company realized the song had a lot of hit potential and they released it late March, 1990. They quickly added it to I'm Breathless, though it had nothing to do with Dick Tracy and had a completely different sound from the other tracks. Vogue, a tribute to the biggest stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, became one of her biggest #1 hits, topping the charts for several weeks in the US (reaching double Platinum), UK, Canada and Japan. In Australia it was released as a double A-side single with Keep It Together and was #1 for 5 weeks there. Vogue received an American Music Award as 'Favorite Dance Single'.
Strike a pose
Strike a pose
Vogue, vogue, vogue
Vogue, vogue, vogue
Look around, everywhere you turn is heartache
It's everywhere that you go (look around)
You try everything you can to escape
The pain of life that you know (life that you know)
When all else fails and you long to be
Something better than you are today
I know a place where you can get away
It's called a dance floor, and here's what it's for, so
Come on, vogue
Let your body move to the music (move to the music)
Hey, hey, hey
Come on, vogue
Let your body go with the flow (go with the flow)
You know you can do it
All you need is your own imagination
So use it, that's what it's for (that's what it's for)
Go inside, for your finest inspiration
Your dreams will open the door (open up the door)
It makes no difference if you're black or white
If you're a boy or a girl
If the music's pumping it will give you new life
You're a superstar, yes, that's what you are, you know it
Come on, vogue
Let your body groove to the music (groove to the music)
Hey, hey, hey
Come on, vogue
Let your body go with the flow (go with the flow)
You know you can do it
Beauty's where you find it
Not just where you bump and grind it
Soul is in the musical
That's where I feel so beautiful
Magical, life's a ball
So get up on the dance floor
Vogue (vogue)
Let your body move to the music (move to the music)
Hey, hey, hey
Come on, vogue (vogue)
Let your body go with the flow (go with the flow)
You know you can do it
Vogue (vogue)
Beauty's where you find it (move to the music)
Vogue (vogue)
Beauty's where you find it (go with the flow)
Greta Garbo, and Monroe
Dietrich and DiMaggio
Marlon Brando, Jimmy Dean
On the cover of a magazine
Grace Kelly, Harlow, Jean
Picture of a beauty queen
Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire
Ginger Rogers, dance on air
They had style, they had grace
Rita Hayworth gave good face
Lauren, Katharine, Lana too
Bette Davis, we love you
Ladies with an attitude
Fellows that were in the mood
Don't just stand there, let's get to it
Strike a pose, there's nothing to it
Vogue, vogue, vogue
Vogue, vogue, vogue
Oooh, you've got to
Let your body move to the music
Oooh, you've got to just
Let your body go with the flow
Oooh, you've got to
Vogue, vogue, vogue
David Fincher directed the magnificent video, which not only pays tribute to famous Hollywood stars, but also to 'vogue-ing', a dance style that until then was typical for the gay scene: it mimicks the poses of the models in Vogue Magazine. The black & white video shows Madonna in a daring see-through shirt, but also in very classy clothes and with different hair styles, while she's surrounded by male dancers 'striking a pose'. Much like the song, the video is a Madonna classic. Originally MTV wanted to cut out the shot where her breasts are clearly visible through her lace blouse. Madonna refused and MTV backed down. Late 1990, there was also a video from the famous VMA performance. On that award show, the original video received 8 nominations and won in the categories 'Best Editing in a Video', 'Best Cinematography in a Video' and 'Best Direction in a Video'. Why she lost in 'Best Video of the Year', 'Best Dance Video' and 'Best Choreography in a Video' to respectively Sinead O'Connor, MC Hammer (who?) and Janet Jackson remains a mystery.
Vogue was released only days before the launch of the Blond Ambition Tour so it got its performance premiere on tour. For the first time fans could see the very particular Vogue moves live. It started out with dancers striking a pose on stage. Then Madonna came on, wearing a black pointy Gaultier bra and black tights, and together they danced the now legendary choreography.
Madonna's tour was just finished when she performed Vogue at the 1990 MTV VMA (Sept. 6th, 1990). This performance actually topped the one of the tour. Although she used the same choreography with her tour dancers, they were now all dressed up in 18th century French court style, with Madonna as a pale Marie Antoinette in an extravagant court dress and a huge wig.
On the Girlie Show Madonna added another memorable version to Vogue's curriculum. The song received an Eastern vibe (inspired by a scene from 1956's musical The King And I), especially the beginning. As we can expect from Vogue, the costumes and choreography were again extraordinary. Madonna, Niki and Donna wore black hotpants and dito bra, and sported a tall and very special jewels-encrusted tiara. The dancers wore pants and only an open jacket, easily revealing chests & breasts. Typical were the no-touch handclaps and the amazing solo dances.
During the Ray Of Light era, Madonna implied she wouldn't perform her old songs anymore; "I can't see myself singing Like A Virgin anymore, even Vogue seems like a million years away." Fortunately she changed her mind later and opened her Re-Invention Tour with Vogue. And after 11 years of absence, this classic was more fabulous than ever. As part of the stage rose up, Madonna appeared in a beautiful golden (in Europe lilac) corset by Christian Lacroix. The crowd went wild as Madonna stood upside down on her head. It wasn't the only stunt: during another amazing but re-invented Vogue choreography, she and her dancers (again dressed in Louis XVI style) stood backwards on hands and feet and walked on stage like crabs. Like all the previous Vogue performances, Madonna lipsynched throughout the whole song, as she always preferred to concentrate on a perfectly timed choreography.
On top of all that amazing eye candy, the performance also included a hallucinating video backdrop, made by Pusher Media. It used all 4 screens to create a 3D effect, which seemed to enlarge the stage. The video used footage from the Steven Klein shoot for the tour book and was perfectly adapted to the choreography. When they were 'walking like crabs', the room in the video turned upside down as well.
"Ladies! Ladies! Ladies!" The performance at the Sticky & Sweet Tour is revolutionary in two ways: not only is it sung live for the first time, but it's also mixed with another song. The mash-up with 4 Minutes (and a sample from Timbaland's 'Give It To Me') brings Vogue into the 21st century with a matching brand new choreography, inspired by the tektonik dance technique. Madonna performs at the end of catwalk, flanked by 8 of her dancers, who wear a daring and bondage-inspired outfit. After the name-dropping rap, the original piano sample makes a comeback and Madonna and the dancers line up on the main stage for some classic vogue moves. Madonna then leaves the stage while the dancers give an encore on the catwalk to the enthusiastic crowd.
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