Borderline (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Borderline


Artist = Madonna
from Album = Madonna
B-side = "Think of Me"
Released = February 15 1984
June 1984 (UK)
January 21, 1986 (UK re-entry)
Format = CD single
12" Maxi Single
7" Single
Recorded = 1983
Length = 5:17
Genre = Pop
Label = Sire, Warner Bros.
Writer = Reggie Lucas
Producer = Reggie Lucas for Kalisa, Inc.
Certification = Gold
Last single = "Holiday"
(1983)
This single = "Borderline"
(1984)
Next single = "Lucky Star"
(1984)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Madonna
Type = studio
prev_track = "Lucky Star"
prev_no = 1
this_track = "Borderline"
track_no = 2
next_track = "Burning Up"
next_no = 3Extra tracklisting
Album = The Immaculate Collection
Type = compilation
prev_track = "Lucky Star"
prev_no = 2
this_track = "Borderline"
track_no = 3
next_track = "Like a Virgin"
next_no = 3Audiosample
Upper caption = Audio sample
Name = Borderline
Audio file= BorderlineSample.ogg

"Borderline" is the fourth single by American singer-songwriter Madonna and was released on February 15, 1984 by Sire Records. It appears on her 1983 debut studio album, "Madonna", and on her 1990 hits compilation "The Immaculate Collection".

ong information

"Borderline" was both composed and produced by Reggie Lucas. The 7" Version, 12" Version & Dub Version were remixed by John "Jellybean" Benitez, Madonna's then boyfriend.

"Borderline" became a modest Adult Contemporary hit and another top five hit on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The single's sales were also strong, and eventually led to a gold certification.

"Borderline" became the first of a seventeen hit string of U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 singles (ending in 1989 with "Oh Father," which stalled at number twenty). Counting top twenty singles, "Borderline" was Madonna's second single of a twenty-six single-string of top twenty singles between 1984 and 1992 ("Deeper and Deeper" was Madonna's last consecutive U.S. single to crack the Top 20). "Borderline" slinked its way up the Billboard Hot 100 for a steady thirteen weeks, finally peaking at number ten the week of June 16, 1984.

In Australia, "Borderline" became Madonna's third consecutive top twenty single, reaching number twelve.

When first released in the UK, it had a very weak showing of number fifty-six as the third single from the parent "Madonna" album, following "Lucky Star". However, upon re-entry in January 1986, after a phenomenally successful UK chart year in 1985 which saw Madonna accrue 8 top ten hits, the track eventually peaked at number two and sold 298,388 copies. The 1984 release was packed in the UK with a 7" single of Holiday, and shrinkwrapped with a cover sticker. This is extremely rare, and sells for up to £350.

In 2003, Madonna fans were asked to vote for their Top 20 Madonna singles of all-time by "Q-Magazine". Borderline was allocated the #16 spot.

Until 2008, the song had only been performed on Madonna's debut tour, The Virgin Tour. The song made it's first appearance in twenty three years on the Sticky and Sweet Tour, with Madonna performing the song on an electric guitar.

The song has been rumored to be referring to the Borderline personality disorder, a hypothesis supported by the lyrics.

In 2005, the song placed at #84 on Blender Magazine's " The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born" [http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?ID=1771]

Music video

Borderline" was filmed on location in Los Angeles, California from January 30 to February 2, 1984 and was the first video that Madonna made with director Mary Lambert, who would later also direct the videos "Like a Virgin", "Material Girl", "La Isla Bonita" and "Like a Prayer". In this video Madonna is a colorful street girl, toying with one of the boys. A photographer then gets interested in her and she lets him take pictures while she sips champagne. [http://www.queenmadonna.com/image/screen-caps/borderline/19.jpg] However, Madonna quickly gets bored and tries to win back the heart of her boyfriend. Lambert creates a contrast with color scenes in the street (with the boyfriend) and black and white scenes during the photoshoots. It was the first Madonna video that received sustained play on MTV.Then unknown Actor John Leguizamo is in the video as one of Madonna's boyfriend's friends. [http://www.queenmadonna.com/image/screen-caps/borderline/12.jpg]

*Director: Mary Lambert
*Producers: Bruce Logan, Michele Ferrone
*Director of Photography: Andrea Dietrich
*Editor: Glenn Morgan
*Contributing Writer: Keith Williams
*Production Company: Bruce Logan Inc.

Trivia

*This video was ranked number twenty-four on Rolling Stone magazine's The 100 Top Music Videos.
*This video was ranked number eighty-four on VH1's 100 Greatest Videos.

Tracklistings and formats

*US 7" Single
#"Borderline" (7" Remix)
#"Think of Me"Some copies in poster sleeve (alternate 'bangles' shot of the US 12" maxi)

*UK 7" Single & UK Limited Edition Shaped Picture Disc
#"Borderline" (7" Remix)
#"Physical Attraction" (actually an early fade of the LP version - although this is not described as such on the release)Picture disc 'A' side features the shot of Madoona as used on the reverse of the UK/German 'map' sleeve. Some rare copies were 'uncut' and still retain 12" circular shape.

*UK 12" Single
#"Borderline" (US Remix)
#"Borderline" (Dub Remix)
#"Physical Attraction" (Full-Length Version)Clear vinyl, red vinyl and black/red marble vinyl 'test pressings' are known to exist.

*European 5" CD Single Re-Issue
#"Borderline" (Dub Version)
#"Borderline" (US Remix)
#"Physical Attraction" (LP Version)Some (if not all copies with the first issue 'yellow' label) mispressed with the album version playing instead of the 'dub' mix.

*US 12" Maxi Single
#"Borderline" (New Mix) (same as the US Remix)
#"Lucky Star" (New Mix)

*US 12" promotional Maxi Single
#"Borderline" (New Mix) (same as the US Remix)
#"Borderline" (Instrumental)

*Australian 12" Single
#"Borderline" (Extended Remix) (this likewise is actually identical to the US Remix - just re-titled)
#"Borderline" (7" Remix)
#"Borderline" (Instrumental) (this is actually identical to the 'Dub' Version - just re-titled)

*German 12" Single
#"Borderline" (US Remix)
#"Borderline" (Dub Remix)
#"Physical Attraction" (Full-Length Version)Same 'map' picture sleeve as UK edition (cat no: 920 218-0)

*German 12" Single
#"Borderline" (New Mix) (same as the US Remix)
#"Lucky Star" (New Mix)Same 'bangles' sleeve as US maxi single (cat no: 920 212-0)

Together with the US promotional 12" maxi single (which was not meant for public sale), the Borderline 12" maxi was issued around the world in 4 distinctly different picture sleeves. Some countries issued the sleeves with slight variations, for instance, the Mexican edition has the usual US 'bangles' sleeve, but has the subtitle "La Frontera/Estrella de la suerte". The Canadian edition has either white lettering (1st edition) or black lettering (later pressings) on the reverse side of its 'bangles' sleeve. The Portuguese edition has the US 'bangles' sleeve with the top part cut away (removing the 'specially-priced 2-cut maxi single' banner). Interestingly, the German market offered pressings of both the UK and US variants (as well as a 'map' sleeve with a white border: a 'borderline'?). The Australian edition has a completely unique 'sunglasses' picture of Madonna, is subtitled 'triple mix' and is sought after by Madonna collectors.

Chart performance

Charts

Included on

*"Madonna"
*"The Immaculate Collection"

Official versions

Official versions
* Album Version (5:16)

Remixes
* US Remix a.k.a. New Mix (6:56)
* 7" Remix Edit (3:56)
* Dub Remix (5:40)
* Instrumental Dub (5:44)
* Extended Dance Remix '99 (10:55)
* Shep Pettibone/Goh Hotoda Remix from "The Immaculate Collection" (4:00)
* First Album Sessions-Demo (4:38)

Cover versions

* An electronica cover of the song by Ogre was included on the 2000 tribute compilation "Virgin Voices: A Tribute To Madonna, Vol. 2".
* Chicago pop punk band Showoff recorded a cover for the 2002 compilation "Punk Goes Pop".
* In 2006 Grammy Award-winning singer Jody Watley covered the song for her album "The Makeover".
* An acoustic folk cover of the song by The Chapin Sisters was included on the 2007 Madonna tribute album "Through the Wilderness".
* In 2008, Duffy (singer) performed "Borderline" at Radio 1's Big Weekend in Mote Park, Maidstone, Kent, England.