Like a Prayer (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Like a Prayer


Caption =
Artist = Madonna
from Album = Like a Prayer
A-side =
B-side = "Act of Contrition"
Released = February 28, 1989 (North America, Europe)
March 6, 1989 (UK)
March 16, 1989 (Japan)
Format = Cassette, CD, 7", 12"
Recorded = 1988
Genre = Dance-pop
R&B/Soul
Gospel
Length = 5:39 (Album Version)
5:49 ("Immaculate Collection" Remix)
5:07 (7" Version)
Label = Sire, Warner Bros.
Writer = Madonna, Patrick Leonard
Producer = Madonna, Patrick Leonard
Last single = "Spotlight"
(1988)
This single = "Like a Prayer"
(1989)
Next single = "Express Yourself"
(1989)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Like a Prayer
Type = studio
prev_track =
prev_no =
this_track = "Like a Prayer
track_no = 1
next_track = "Express Yourself"
next_no = 2Extra tracklisting
Album = The Immaculate Collection
Type = compilation
prev_track = "La Isla Bonita"
prev_no = 11
this_track = "Like a Prayer"
track_no = 12
next_track = "Express Yourself"
next_no = 13

"Like a Prayer" is the first single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 4th studio album, "Like a Prayer". It 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".

ong information

The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989. It was released in the UK on 6 March 1989 and entered the UK Singles Chart straight at #2 before climbing to #1 and remaining there for three weeks until Easter Sunday (26 March). 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."

"Like a Prayer" would eventually become one of Madonna's highest-selling singles in her career, selling over five million copies at the time of its release. The song can be considered her fourth most-successful single, behind "Hung Up", "4 Minutes" and "Vogue".

Surprisingly, Madonna has performed the song, considered by many as her most iconic, on only three of her seven world tours. Debuting the song on the Blond Ambition Tour in 1990, Madonna did not perform the song again until fourteen years later on her Re-Invention Tour, before performing it most recently on 2008's Sticky and Sweet Tour. While the first two performances were slightly altered incarnations of the album version, the 2008 version saw the song include elements of dance classic "Don't You Want Me" by Felix, and "Feels Like Home" by Meck, which in turn sampled "Don't You Want Me". The song was also performed during the Live 8 concert in London.

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.

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 UK and Germany also released a 2nd 12" in a mustard yellow colour version of the original 12" sleeve featuring three remixes including the Churchapella Mix. 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 features 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.

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 [http://www.raleighstudios.com 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 murdered 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, and later 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 [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5209714.stm BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Madonna video 'top rule-breaker' ] ] -, 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 27 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

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 [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PpzKw_8FUI Madonna's "Like a Prayer" commercial from Pepsi-Cola] . Retrieved on August 27, 2008.] , 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.

During an MTV interview with Kurt Loder entitled "Breakfast with Madonna" in 1990, Loder asked Madonna about the "brouhaha" 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

Official remixes/versions

Certifications

ee also

*Hot 100 number-one hits of 1989 (United States)
*Hot 100 number-one hits of 1989 (Europe)

References