Are you guys aware of this cd called Pre-Madonna? I guess it's music that she recorded before she hit it "big". You can hear samples here.... http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/madonna

How come she was more talented back then? Some of this shit is banging!

Yes...we know about it

"Pre-Madonna" is pretty awesome. It contains some songs that she would go on to rerecord (in the case of "Stay", the changes are dastric!). The "album" is stylistically all over the place with a track that sounds like the Pretenders to a song that is the such a tasty piece of bubble gum pop with an electronic twist, it might be one of the best in Madonna's entire catalog ("Don't You Know").. The title and even the lyrics suggest a song not fit for the "Madonna" album (more "I Know It" then "Borderline" or "Lucky Star") but there is something about the beat, Madonna's backed and sometimes distorted vocal and the catchy dance beat that makes the song a favorite.

Now those various collections often titled something like "Madonna: The Early Years"....that's some garbage!

VinnyM27 said:

Yes,I'm aware of it.This CD was released in 1997 and was compiled by Stephen Bray,Madonna's collaborator in those days.He took a handful of songs that they recorded in 1980/81 and compiled it on this CD.These songs were also released on a CD called 'In The Beginning'....same tracks but in a different sequence.My favorite track from these sessions is "Don't You Know",a lost classic as far as I'm concerned.This song really should have appeared on her debut album.Sadly,the sound quality on this song is very poor,I guess there isn't a clearer version? I also like the rock number "Laugh To Keep From Crying".The only downside to this CD is,Bray remixed a few of these tracks to give them a modern sound.I prefer the original versions from the early 80s.Madonna was pissed when she found out about this CD,so those of hoping for a Madonna/Stephen Bray reunion,forget about it,lol.

VinnyM27 said:

I agree,that CD is TERRIBLE! In 1979,Madonna recorded some vocals for a guy named Otto Von Wernherr.It was for some obscure project he was working on.After she became famous,he took these vocals,chopped them up and added them to some horrible,cheap dance music that is truly dreadful.I once tried to listen to this CD from beginning to end and I couldn't even get through it,lol.

SoulAlive said:

yeah, i read some pretty bad reviews on amazon trashing this cd so i guess i'll stay away.

SoulAlive said:

I think Stephen Bray is talented! Too bad she'd never work with him again. I heard some of the more "modern" remixes and don't like them. He should have stuck with the originals. Is this cd fairly easy to find? I would love to find a copy!

dancerella said:

It's dreadful I don't know any Madonna fan who actually likes it

dancerella said:

I thought you had already found a copy I'm sure it's still easy to find,look around.

dancerella said:

It's so bad! I remember it either came out or was stocked very well at the time I was really into Madonna...I thought I found gold. Not quite.

"Pre-Madonna" (and "In The Begining") both sell for more than your average used Cd on Amazon. Prehaps becuase they weren't the kind of things that most Madonna fans would part with if they bought it. I would probably sell off "I'm Breathless" before "Pre-Madonna".

The fight with Stephen Bray is a shame because he is one of my favorite Madonna collaborators. She went back to Pat a few times after their major collabos (1994 "I'll Remember" and a few tracks on "Ray of Light").
[Edited 8/4/07 11:11am]

"Pre-Madonna" is more a look at what could have been had M stuck with Stephen Bray as nearly every song on it was given a major face lift from the original track. Good listen, though. I like it.

I Pre-Madonna.