Stuart Price on why Madonna didnt work with him after COADF

[loomer]

Stuart Price in Attitude Magazine on Madonna not working with him after COADF: "Madonna felt that COADF hadn't been a success in the US. Warner records were also saying the same thing. She needed that voice that was telling her to do that and she looked at what was really successful in the US and although I think it wa...s a little late in the curve, she worked with Timbaland and Pharrell."

http://www.facebook.com/#!/MadEyesNet

Well what did she expect. A Euro disco album was never going to translate well to America. And wasn't Confessions made anyway to gain back her core audience of Euro fags after the disastrous American Life? So she got them back by making a Kylie Minogue dance album.

[loomer]

The two big points against her were her age (which she could do nothing about) and jumping on the Pharrell and Timbaland/Timberlake bandwagon a few years too late

And the album cover. Don't forget the album cover.

If she was so desperate for US success as he implied, why would she do that grotesque album cover to alienate everyone and undo all she did. Does not compute.

[Supernatural]

Are you honestly saying that Hard Candy's subpar performance was due to lack of promotion?

Did Madonna or Warner seem the least bit interested to you? Might not have made a big difference if they were, I guess. I know no one will agree with me but Hard Candy doesn't sound American friendly to me anyway (outside of 4M). Just sounds like more pop/dance music.

[Supernatural]

And the album cover. Don't forget the album cover.

If she was so desperate for US success as he implied, why would she do that grotesque album cover to alienate everyone and undo all she did. Does not compute.

Madonna seems to enjoy alienating, lol.

[funkydita]

He also said they'd discussed doing a Confessions part 2 and that you've got to know your limitations, the American sound she wanted wasn't his strength.

[boy skeffington]

Once and for all...Justin Timberlake being on the record did NOT make 4 MINUTES the absolute worldwide smash that it was. It was and is a GREAT song.

Timberlake and Timberland have both been featured on many songs by many artists in the past few years that were nowhere NEAR as popular or successful in America as 4 MINUTES.

HARD CANDY is a fantastic album.

[Apples388]

When will people understand that that was because Justin Timberlake was on board. Madonna alone singing that song would have been a flop. Give It To Me is made for USA market and wasn't even on radiostations.

Not strictly true. Timberlake was on Duran Duran's record which bombed spectacularly. Not everything he touches turns to gold. It was more the case of the collaboration with Madonna being more than the sum of its individual parts, and she certainly brought in her weight. Plus, "4 Minutes" was a genuinely great and catchy pop song - it had "hit" written all over it, regardless of whoever did it. So the point you're raising is a bit silly.

[mnation09]

I don't know why everyone gives M such a hard time about working with the latest big producers.. she did not release a duet as a single until 20 years into her career.. ALL of her competition has been working with big names doing duets before they even get half way to 20 years.. Mariah and Janet have been working with big name rap stars the whole time.

4 Minutes did amazingly well, double platinum and very nearly US #1.. and there have been so many times before when female artists have worked with big names and the song has still flopped.. People have worked with Justin and it doesnt guarantee a hit.

[GimmeSomeMo]

Once and for all...Justin Timberlake being on the record did NOT make 4 MINUTES the absolute worldwide smash that it was. It was and is a GREAT song.

HARD CANDY is a fantastic album.

IF YOU SAY SO

[Lucky guy]

Once and for all...Justin Timberlake being on the record did NOT make 4 MINUTES the absolute worldwide smash that it was. It was and is a GREAT song.

Timberlake and Timberland have both been featured on many songs by many artists in the past few years that were nowhere NEAR as popular or successful in America as 4 MINUTES.

HARD CANDY is a fantastic album.

That's right Christie, keeeep telling yourself that.

[5iVe Elements]

I love Hard Candy. It will always have a special place with me as the first M album I bought during the time of its release. I can enjoy it for what it was and still love the other more artistic discs.

[scottyenzed]

That's right Christie, keeeep telling yourself that.

[Genevieve Vavance]

Once and for all...Justin Timberlake being on the record did NOT make 4 MINUTES the absolute worldwide smash that it was. It was and is a GREAT song.

Timberlake and Timberland have both been featured on many songs by many artists in the past few years that were nowhere NEAR as popular or successful in America as 4 MINUTES.

HARD CANDY is a fantastic album.

[Kurt420]

I understand people have their own opinion of the actual music on HC. Her fans are so dismissive of the FACTS though, like.... it's actual success. Some fans like to pretend like the WHOLE WORLD shared their opinion when that's not the case. Look to the "success" of AL for an album that was CLEARLY not liked by many. HC was actually a pretty big album....not a PEAK for her no, but for an album by Madonna released in 2008 it did pretty fucking well. One of the top sellers of the year, producing one of the biggest worldwide hits of her career....not to mention for the first time in a DECADE nearly I heard Madonna on the radio again. And before anyone throws it out there NO I DON'T THINK SALES/MASSIVE AIRPLAY EQUAL QUALITY but, it shows that the whole project wasn't a bust despite the picture that some fans who HATED the musical direction she went in like to paint. I know I've said this a lot but fans let their own personal opinion of the music on the album cloud the actual facts and the fact is HC was a hit. What's funny is that even if everybody here loves her next album and it's critically acclaimed to the heavens, it's going to struggle to reach the worldwide success of HC.

[ryan]

The big No-No was that the album was a bunch of bad songs. Had she released "I got a feeling" or "Meet me halfway" or "Gimme More" or even that new Timbaland song with Kate Perry and she would have been on top. But she wrote silly words and choose cast offs from Pussycat Dolls. And openend the album with a song so retard that even a 10 year old would have shelved as a possible b-side. And she even had the megastupid idea of choosing that song as opening concert.

What the heck are you talking about?????

[spazz]

COADF is better than Hard Candy

NUFF SAID

[acko]

Eh. Bedtime Stories had unknown (Nellee Hooper) and superstar (Babyface, Dallas Austin) and even though I personally love it, its a bit of a mish mosh.

No, circa 1993 Nelle Hooper was the hippest producer in all of Europe. Before Madonna, he did

Soul II Soul, Björk & Massive Attack. He had that 'cool'..see also the 'Bristol Sound'.

About Hard Candy..have no delusions please. I like the album 4 what it is..a succesful day at office in the Madonna factory.

when I asked Madonna about Hard Candy she told me:

'You know what acko, contractwise it was basically time 2 make another record. But I was also planning a divorce, another adoption..

ending my contract with my record company & trying

2 come up with a new business model that would revolutionize the music industry..So my friend Ingrid told me it

was okay 2 give up a reasonable amount of creative control..After all those years I figured I'd earned the privilige.

I had so much on my plate that year professionally & privately & I wanted this record 2 b a reasonable succes. In order 2 that I decided 2 hire the hottest names in pop..

don't get me wrong, I genuinely liked their work..but I didn't completely invest in it creatively. & I kinda

continued that process 4 my greatest hits record. In my mind I'd already closed that chapter.'

[Skin]

Looking back Confessions did great in America when you consider the lack of airplay and the fact that the airwaves were drowned out in nothing but hip hop. Dance music was extinct. The fact that a woman pushing 50 even got added to Z100s playlist at the time is a pretty big deal. I just think its funny how the airwaves have totally changed since then. Every song played now has a dance beat to it and Madonna is nowhere to be found. Now would be the perfect time for her to come out with an amazing dance record to show these chicks how its done. Get on it woman.

[Supernatural]

she is always between albums when pop/dance is big on the radio!

[GimmeSomeMo]

No, circa 1993 Nelle Hooper was the hippest producer in all of Europe. Before Madonna, he did

Soul II Soul, Björk & Massive Attack. He had that 'cool'..see also the 'Bristol Sound'

Um, I am aware of Nellee Hoopers credits pre Madonna but he is exactly what Orbit or Stuart Price were before her. Hot underground dance producers that did their first mainstream work with Madonna.

[GimmeSomeMo]

Looking back Confessions did great in America when you consider the lack of airplay and the fact that the airwaves were drowned out in nothing but hip hop. Dance music was extinct. The fact that a woman pushing 50 even got added to Z100s playlist at the time is a pretty big deal. I just think its funny how the airwaves have totally changed since then. Every song played now has a dance beat to it and Madonna is nowhere to be found. Now would be the perfect time for her to come out with an amazing dance record to show these chicks how its done. Get on it woman.

The dance music popular now is very different than what Madonna didi with COADF though. The closest thing she did to what is popular now is Revolver which tried to straddle that dance/urban line but that was kind of a mess.

[acko]

Um, I am aware of Nellee Hoopers credits pre Madonna but he is exactly what Orbit or Stuart Price were before her. Hot underground dance producers that did their first mainstream work with Madonna.

Um, No. Nellee Hooper was a critics darling. Part of a scene that was considered hot shit.

What global top ten hits, influential smash albums/bands/singers did Stu & Orbit produce pre Madonna?

William Orbit, by his own account was ready 2 call it quits..'till Madonna called.

[GimmeSomeMo]

Critics darling and commercially succesful are two different things. Orbit had a UK #1 song and was a CRITICAL DARLING as was Stuart with several high profile mixes. Are you seriously saying Nellee was a COMMERCIAL CHOICE? She got him because of Bjork for chrissakes. The only work that he did that was somewhat commercial was his Soul II Soul work.

[HolidayGuy]

If she would have released "Gimme More"? That track almost makes "Me Against the Music" seem like a masterpiece. (*utters "Gimme gimme gimme..." 80-something times in less than four minutes*)

"4 Minutes" did about as well as Madonna can do in the USA at this stage of the game, barring an otherworldly lack of ageism at U.S. top 40 radio. It's OK as a track, but nowhere near the level of Madonna's own best work.

[acko]

Critics darling and commercially succesful are two different things. Orbit had a UK #1 song and was a CRITICAL DARLING as was Stuart with several high profile mixes. Are you seriously saying Nellee was a COMMERCIAL CHOICE? She got him because of Bjork for chrissakes. The only work that he did that was somewhat commercial was his Soul II Soul work.

Sweetie he produced 'Nothing Compares 2 u' by Sinéad O' Connor..how big do u want him 2 be?

There were 2 hot sounds in '94..Swing/R'n'B in the US...& Nelle fuckin Hooper in the U.K.

That's what Madonna was after.

Do u want a cookie?

[Nikki]

JOE HENRY PLEASE

now theres an interesting idea.

[GimmeSomeMo]

But Madonna was obviously going for a US centric album with heavyweights like Dallas Austin, Babyface and Dave Hall. How does Nellee Hooper fit into this equation other than giving her some of the indie cred Bjork had in spades? I honestly dont understand what your argument is. That Nellee Hooper was a superstar producer equivalent to what Babyface was then or Timbaland a couple of years ago? And Im sure Nothing Compares 2 U is the sound Madonna was after.

[acko]

But Madonna was obviously going for a US centric album with heavyweights like Dallas Austin, Babyface and Dave Hall. How does Nellee Hooper fit into this equation other than giving her some of the indie cred Bjork had in spades? I honestly dont understand what your argument is. That Nellee Hooper was a superstar producer equivalent to what Babyface was then or Timbaland a couple of years ago? And Im sure Nothing Compares 2 U is the sound Madonna was after.

it's very simple..she knew what was hot & went 4 it.

Now lick my nuts little boy.

[GimmeSomeMo]

Ok.

[HolidayGuy]

That was one hit for Hooper in the USA, whereas Dallas Austin, Dave Hall, Babyface, as well as the two Timb's, had multiple hits, so I would not lump Hooper in with them as far as mainstream producers.