Bedtime Stories EP - The Untold Chapter

Love Won't Wait has never been a favourite of mine and the vocal sounds borderline unlistenable in this.

It might be that I listened to it in the shower, but it sounded a bit FUZZY still to my ears.

Anyway, nice to have it out properly, I guess, but yes, much prefer Right on Time.
 
Well I always quite liked the Gary Barlow version so its good to have this on streaming. Yes the vocal sounds a bit odd but I was just thinking its OLD and a DEMO. It sounds a bit CLUNKY but its charming I think it suits her breezy throwaway pop sound rather than R&B/BTS
 
I forgot this was recorded by Gary Barlow. Her version is certainly more appealing than his!

It would be good if she released her version of 'Each time you break my heart' too.
 
This and Right on Time are low key delicious. I'd Rather and Welcome both probably getting ousted in the playlist I'll make. Why she tossed out Your Honesty all those hears ago when there was better. And quite honestly, there's probably still more.
 
But yes, the vocal. They've managed to make it sound like her current voice!

Surely some fan will make a version with the juicier original untouched vocal.
 
I mean we got a really good leak of it that sounded a million times better than this already




Of course, 25 years ago the only copy we had was the one recorded on cassette while it was being played at Lucky Records in Paris. That version was around the trade circles until the one above leaked about 16 years or so ago
 
The song just doesn't suit her voice anyway, period. She was right to give it away to a crooner. It sounds like a Barry Manilow song.
 
First thoughts -

I'm glad they went back and mixed Survival to prevent it from being a blantant "Creep" rip-off. The finished album version still plays homage obviously but this demo is basically a Creep rehash and wouldn't have done her any favours.

I'm not sure what they've done to the vocal on the Secret mix but it seems like the raspy lower register is more dominant and I like the effect. Still prefer the majestic and perfect original but this was an interesting alternate.

OMG is it just me or is this Don't Stop demo BETTER? The stripped back drum machine effects and the emphasis on the funky guitar/bass and vocals make for a better mix. I'd love a polished version of this. I guess they wanted something smoother and softer to fit the overall effect of the album, but I would actually take this version, it feels less throwaway for the song that's arguably the only throwaway on the album.

Has this Freedom leaked before? I've never heard it. Not a big fan of acapella songs personally beyond interludes, so this feels like a wasted "new" song :(

Never heard Let Down Your Guard either, and this is clearly the link to Meshell Ndegeocello and Joi's Pendulum Vibe and the early neo-soul / 90s funk that Madonna was reportedly influenced by at the time. I like it!
 
The original Dont Stop slaps hard and I prefer it to the album version
 
Well I for one am loving that they’re opening the vaults

Never thought I would see this in my lifetime
Veronica electronica
Bedtime stories EP
Confessions part 2
Etc etc

And to think that it actually took her a near death experience to finally embrace her catalogue

I see a lot of fans are still moaning but some people are never happy

Of course it could be better and there can be more content etc. but there does seem to be some proper effort behind these releases and for that I am grateful
 
Oh I’m overjoyed with what we’re getting but, yes, tempered slightly by the fact it does feel a bit like a cash grab when we know there’s more they could do. I don’t think that’s “never being happy”, it really is a fairly weak curation of a catalogue of all time importance.

But yeah, minor gripes. Glad we’re getting something at least.
 
funky said:
First thoughts -

I'm glad they went back and mixed Survival to prevent it from being a blantant "Creep" rip-off. The finished album version still plays homage obviously but this demo is basically a Creep rehash and wouldn't have done her any favours.
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Didn’t Survival technically pre date Creep?
 
POP! said:
Didn’t Survival technically pre date Creep?
Click to expand...

Both Dallas Austin…so he’d have heard both before release.

CSC was recorded in 93/94 and Survival was one of the later tracks on Bedtime Stories if the Madonna Songbook is to be believed. Hard to tell!
 
I’d put Creep being first but yeah it doesn’t matter - same producer and the last thing Madonna would want is the first song on her album sounding exactly like a huge hit single that came out a few months prior (and probably still on radio)

This was still a time when Madonna was very good at emulating trends that were more underground, either in the clubs or by alternative dance/pop acts. The album does carry a lot of threads from other Babyface and Dallas Austin albums but I think she mostly does well to make it entirely her own, and celebrate deeper-cut R&B rather than the mainstream TLCs and Toni Braxtons. The trip-hop elements (that might have been Nelle Hooper’s doing moreso) and the Madonna-specific lyrical content kept it nicely in her own lane.
 
I’d imagine the two were released fairly similarly time wise, but Madonna would obviously have known through Dallas what TLC were planning as the lead single.

It’s also quite possible the brass loop that is common to both the demo and Creep was discarded from Survival and reused on Creep, where it fits/ works much better.
 
Wiki says Bedtime Stories was out a week before “Creep”. And I don’t think it taking off in the way it did was a given, particularly as some of the group (Left Eye specifically) were vocal about not wanting it to be the lead. I hear the similarities but doubt it was at the forefront of Madonna’s mind, although yes Dallas could’ve anticipated it
 
POP! said:
Wiki says Bedtime Stories was out a week before “Creep”. And I don’t think it taking off in the way it did was a given, particularly as some of the group (Left Eye specifically) were vocal about not wanting it to be the lead. I hear the similarities but doubt it was at the forefront of Madonna’s mind, although yes Dallas could’ve anticipated it
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Because she doesn't feature in it probably.

Anyhoo - I've run some things through AI and it has found that Creep was one of the first tracks recorded for the album, so that places it in 93 whereas Survival was one of the later tracks for BS, so that places it in 94.

:WellThereWeAre:
 
Well, whether an intentional/unintentional rehash of Creep or not, I don’t think Survival was ever intended to light up the charts. It’s hardly a Halo/Already Gone or Firecracker sample level drama is it
 
Not at all you’re right, but the point was more about Madonna sounding exactly like another famous song, which was not her schtick (until about 2008). And the opening track is important, single or not - it sets the tone.

Anyway - they’re both incredible tracks so it all worked out well.
 
I'm loving this EP now. I think 'Right on time' should have been on the original album - it's good enough to have been a single even!
 
Right On Time would’ve made a cute b side but I wouldn’t have fought to replace it with anything aside from maybe Don’t Stop. I do prefer the Survivor demo though to the final version.
 
I'd slide Ride where Love Tried To Welcome Me wasn't all that welcome in the first place. I'd Rather isn't my jam and could have went a little harder (a more rowdy bedroom tale of tail if you will), but is more of a sonic standout. Whilst I think Don't Stop is ultra cute, I think it was an attempt to bridge together the album with her more lustrous disco diversions of the (recent) past and ultimately is too tame to go side by side with those particular former glories. So it gets judged in strict Madonna terms of what a dance uptempo ought to evoke, whereas if it was a more unexpected gear change on a TLC record it would easily be a fan fave that the current crop of Internet gays would be chanting to "get its flowers" etc.
 
It turns out very few were interested. Chart position unavailable.

I must pop it on, Bedtime Stories is probably my favourite Madonna album.
 
#61 Bedtime Stories
#95 Bedtime Stories - The Untold Chapter
 
It is astonishing that Madonna peak-era “reissues” are doing this mediocre.
 
Madonna has started to make some inroads on Spotify in the last 12 months to get her catalogue numbers closer to where they should be - but it's very specifically the singles from the 80s and Rebel Heart/MDNA era. Her 90s music must still be a GenX / fanbase thing. Even songs from ROL and Music are way below where they should be. I doubt reissues of that era would raise much interest beyond hardcore fans.
 
keep the change ya funky animals! said:
Madonna has started to make some inroads on Spotify in the last 12 months to get her catalogue numbers closer to where they should be - but it's very specifically the singles from the 80s and Rebel Heart/MDNA era. Her 90s music must still be a GenX / fanbase thing. Even songs from ROL and Music are way below where they should be. I doubt reissues of that era would raise much interest beyond hardcore fans.
Click to expand...

I entirely disagree. A well done era reissue should fly. The argument here, I guess, is that these are far from what people want.

But still, a bare bones Kylie reissue of her lowest charting album on vinyl went top ten. We’re in a world where Louise can score a top ten album, FFS…
 
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