LoveGalore said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

After Drown World Madonna had singer replacements with the name Nikki

Nikki and Donna with M on the Confessions tour would have been perfect.

.

LOL @ Christopher and Luca

Niki was replaced by Siedah Garrett after DWT. Niki, sadly, had a drug problem at the time and that is one of the best ways to fuck up a friendship with Madonna (among other things).

I remember Niki being quoted as saying she turned down the RIT as she felt it was the 'Regurgitation' tour or something to that effect.

alphastreet said:

an unplugged set for mtv would have worked so well with this album

I can't tell you how perfect that would have been for that era, the album and what people wanted at the time. I think she would have had fun with set too - the odd cover or rearrangement of her decade-old hits.

TrivialPursuit said:

LoveGalore said:

Niki was replaced by Siedah Garrett after DWT. Niki, sadly, had a drug problem at the time and that is one of the best ways to fuck up a friendship with Madonna (among other things).

I don't believe that's true. Niki had family issues (it was a parent, if I'm not mistaken) and Madonna wanted her to put behind her and tour. Niki said she had to take care of family first. Niki had a baby in 2003, and Re-Invention Tour was 2004. I'm not sure she was even ready to leave her child that soon to tour. However, other sources says she was replaced during the RIT.

But as far as the drugs - I'd have to see more on that.

PS her baby daddy is Jay King from Club Nouveau. He's a major dickhead. That opinion is based on one-on-one action with him.

Shame on me for getting my info from the Org, lol: https://prince.org/msg/8/90311

I did know bout the baby, though - she even mentioned the baby in the farewell message.

Yet she and Donna reunited a few years ago to cover "Rain" and do an EP of other covers together. They musta really torched that bridge..? I do think their backing vocals on "Survival" are incredible.

[Edited 10/29/19 10:06am]

Cinny said:

StrangeButTrue said:

Yet she and Donna reunited a few years ago to cover "Rain" and do an EP of other covers together. They musta really torched that bridge..? I do think their backing vocals on "Survival" are incredible.

I don't believe anyone was trying to say a bridge was burned between M and the girls. But there seemed to be some temporary tension around the RIT time, etc. It passed. I don't believe most sane people don't hold grudges like that for long periods of time. They both talk openly about their time w/ Madge and seem to be happy to do so for reporters & journalists. They just have too much history to have long lasting bad blood. I mean, who knows if those girls won't show up on a future M album or tour.

StrangeButTrue said:

It seems Madonna is the one that tends to carry the grudges when it comes to people with substance issues or personal/relationship/business conflicts gone public. Me’shell Ndegeocello. I’ve read M cut off Stuart Price too. And her brother who was a huge collaborator, actually quoted in the Post saying she blacklisted his career and has a grudge still.

Oh wow! I didn't know about Stuart Price. I thought he was on Rebel Heart, but maybe not. I hated that album so my knowledge of it is miniscule, at best.

Too bad about Me'Shell, but I always felt like she got lost in the cracks when Maverick was eventually absorbed into Warner.

Christopher had drug issues, and Madge seems to have some aversion to that in that she ousts people. Yet she joked, in her less enlightened days, about Marty having 12 drinks at a bar. I believe she loves him, but she's paranoid about him. And it's likely safe to say she's written off any super closeness after he wrote that book. (which was a very interesting read, btw.) I'm not sure how you blacklist an interior decorator, but she probably bad mouthed him, at least.

Any level of realness to any of these things you've mentioned etc is sad on her part. It's almost some MJ level shit where once you're out, you're out. Prince at least kept in touch w/ folks or let them touch base with him to some degree. It almost seems cynical on M's part.

Brand: Versace Atelier
Year: 1995
Model: Madonna
Photographer: Mario Testino

In 1995 Gianni Versace chose Madonna to pose for the Versace Atelier ad campaign and catalogue. Steven Meisel shot the first set of photographs but Mario Testino was also asked to shoot the singer wearing the winter Versace collection.

Madonna was a breakthrough for Versace and garnered endless press coverage for the label. The photographs were also a breakthrough for Mario Testino. The ad campaign and Madonna's very public endorsement of Testino's work changed everything. According to the photographer: "It made quite an impact... I was a no one. Who is this Testino? It did change the way people saw me. I became a brand."

"Because I don't necessarily entertain. Sometimes I enrage, sometimes I provoke, sometimes I disgust people, sometimes I make people cry. sometimes I touch people, sometimes I make people laugh. An entertainer is a whole different thing: an entertained doesn't necessarily deal with reality. It's someone to make you forget, it's like a drug, it's euphoric, and I think it has its place in the world. But that's not the only thing I do. I think I'm an educator - and I do think I'm an artist."

StrangeButTrue said:

It seems Madonna is the one that tends to carry the grudges when it comes to people with substance issues or personal/relationship/business conflicts gone public. Me’shell Ndegeocello. I’ve read M cut off Stuart Price too. And her brother who was a huge collaborator, actually quoted in the Post saying she blacklisted his career and has a grudge still. I’m sure both of the girls would sign right up for that reunion. Kinda reminds me of how strict Prince was about certain things. Probably a control thing. . Sorry if this is trailing from the topic. [Edited 10/29/19 15:23pm]

I don't think it's a case of cutting him off, I think they just both moved in different directions. He didn't like the R&B route of Hard Candy and bailed. He did remix 'Miles Away' in 2008. He also married Madonna's ex-manager, Angela Becker after the Confessions Tour which also may have been a reason they drifted from M. She now manages the Pet Shop Boys, who Stuart now produces/music directs.

[Edited 10/30/19 7:37am]

I don't think she holds grudges, she probably has a fear of being ghosted so doesn't get too attached in the first place.

Cinny said:

I don't think she holds grudges, she probably has a fear of being ghosted so doesn't get too attached in the first place.

I'm sure it's hard being a celebrity when it comes to friendships. Everyone is a clout chaser and a money grabber. Honesty goes out the window. Christopher talked about how Madonna always thought he was trying to cheat her out of more money. She would hire him to decorate her house. Decorators often charge a % on top of any item or service they get for their client. (If they buy a $1000 couch, then the decorator charges the client $150 on top of that as a fee.) According to Chris, Madonna thought it was an unreasonable way to make money. It's probably also, partly, because he's her brother. The rule is never depend on your family or friends to be your customers. They're not.

Also, when you have so many people around you, it's easier to not attach too much; you're totally right on that. It's all about survival.

Survival. Innit. x

TrivialPursuit said:

It's all about survival.

"Heyyyyyyyy" ( c) S. Wonder

Madonna's in town right now...but those ticket prices!

Madonna looks nice through this era I really enjoy "Bedtime Stories" and should go find some video collections surrounding the project. This is a Madonna thread I can dig!

I love the song Secret (I have it on my iPod Touch as part of my dance and electronica mix) but that's all I've heard of it (I have it because I own her greatest hits CD twofer set.) Maybe I'll buy it and listen to it in its entirety one day.

alphastreet said:

I’m sure you’ll love it, I consider her an albums artist

I'm not sure what that means. Opposed to a singles artist or __? I suppose it's a good thing, though. She's good on a record these days, whereas in the past she put out great records, but her singles really dominated the charts. Although in fairness, it's not a singles market the way it used to be. Singles come and go so quickly anymore, and albums aren't appreciated in the same way they used to be. (Just a weird time in music, really.)

But as with Prince often times, the album was truly a concept, and a journey front to back. It's where he and people like Madonna really end up thriving. They let themselves get immsersed in a sound or an idea and really let the music come out naturally; one idea spawns another, and it's all symbiotic and cohesive. Suppose maybe that's what an album artist is to me.

alphastreet said:

Not as opposed to a singles artist cause she has really good ones. I just feel whenever she puts out an album, it’s like an event

It is...and I went to the last two tours...but not this one. Just too expensive.