Holiday
Original Release
Released: 14.01.84 Highest Chart Position: 6 Weeks on Chart: 11 Total Sales: see 1991 reissue
In 1983, Madonna was recording her eponymous debut album
with Warner Bros. Records with producer Reggie Lucas, after Sire Records
green-lighted it when her first single "Everybody" became a club hit.
However, she did not have enough material for the album so Lucas brought two
new songs to the project. John
"Jellybean" Benitez, a DJ at Funhouse disco was called to remix the
available tracks. In the meantime, due to conflict of interest, Madonna's
collaborator on "Everybody", Steve Bray had sold another song
"Ain't No Big Deal" to an act on another label, rendering it
unavailable for Madonna's project. It
was Benitez who discovered a new song written by Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens
of the pop group Pure Energy. The song, titled "Holiday", had been
turned down by Phyllis Hyman and Mary Wilson, formerly of The Supremes.
Jellybean and Madonna sent the demo to their friend, Fred Zarr so he could
embellish the arrangement and program the song with his synthesizer magic.
After the vocals were added by Madonna, Benitez spent four days
enhancing the commercial appeal of the track before the April 1983 deadline. Just
before it was completed, Madonna and Benitez met Fred Zarr at Sigma Sound in
Manhattan where Zarr added the now familiar piano solo towards the end of the
track.
This is the first song where Madonna does not have any musical credit (apart from contributing the 'cowbelle' as credited on the LP!). Taking a step back and accepting a song by an established writing team would be an astute decision as Madonna was still learning the craft of song writing and her abilities, at this stage, were somewhat limited. No doubt Madonna recognised that in order to progress she would need to enlist the skills of a more experienced writing team. Of course control was not entirely relinquished as she was, by now, dating Jellybean.
The original cover art for "Holiday" came in a rather staid b/w sleeve with the picture of a steam train and holidaying couple. Apparently, this is because 'Holiday' was to have been the second single in the US and at that time Sire did not want people to find out that she was not a R&B artist.
'Holiday' was, ironically, released amid the depths of winter in January 1984. Yet despite that, it was to become the cross-over hit that Sire UK had been striving for. Not only did it break into the commercial charts, it also made it into the all-important Top Ten, peaking at no. 6.
Ironically, Madonna's first proper hit song was also the first not to have any sort of official video. This was due to Madonna being unavailable as she was travelling abroad making personal appearances. As these appearances included a performance of 'Holiday', there are several recordings which went on to become ‘videos’. The one that became the unofficial ‘official’ video, at least in Europe, is the performance in Germany where Madonna performed in a studio with a pink background. However, in the UK, Madonna performed ‘Holiday’ on Top Of The Pops and this became the version that was subsequently selected for inclusion on the ‘It’s That Girl’ promo video compilation in 1987. Further clips showing her dancing against a white background, on Channel 4's 'Tube', and by a swimming pool in a very fetching luminous citrus coloured jumper, also exist.
In 2005, during an interview with CBS News, Madonna admitted that "Holiday" was her favourite among all her songs.
This is the first song where Madonna does not have any musical credit (apart from contributing the 'cowbelle' as credited on the LP!). Taking a step back and accepting a song by an established writing team would be an astute decision as Madonna was still learning the craft of song writing and her abilities, at this stage, were somewhat limited. No doubt Madonna recognised that in order to progress she would need to enlist the skills of a more experienced writing team. Of course control was not entirely relinquished as she was, by now, dating Jellybean.
The original cover art for "Holiday" came in a rather staid b/w sleeve with the picture of a steam train and holidaying couple. Apparently, this is because 'Holiday' was to have been the second single in the US and at that time Sire did not want people to find out that she was not a R&B artist.
'Holiday' was, ironically, released amid the depths of winter in January 1984. Yet despite that, it was to become the cross-over hit that Sire UK had been striving for. Not only did it break into the commercial charts, it also made it into the all-important Top Ten, peaking at no. 6.
Ironically, Madonna's first proper hit song was also the first not to have any sort of official video. This was due to Madonna being unavailable as she was travelling abroad making personal appearances. As these appearances included a performance of 'Holiday', there are several recordings which went on to become ‘videos’. The one that became the unofficial ‘official’ video, at least in Europe, is the performance in Germany where Madonna performed in a studio with a pink background. However, in the UK, Madonna performed ‘Holiday’ on Top Of The Pops and this became the version that was subsequently selected for inclusion on the ‘It’s That Girl’ promo video compilation in 1987. Further clips showing her dancing against a white background, on Channel 4's 'Tube', and by a swimming pool in a very fetching luminous citrus coloured jumper, also exist.
In 2005, during an interview with CBS News, Madonna admitted that "Holiday" was her favourite among all her songs.
UK Variations and Collectables
'Holiday' is available in standard 7" and 12" formats.
'Holiday' is unusual in that while it was only issued in the basic 7" and 12" formats they each had different picture sleeves. As noted above, the 12" was housed in a deliberately nondescript sleeve while the 7" pressing appears in an attractive colour sleeve with an image of Madonna. It perhaps illustrates that in Europe there was no such desire to portray Madonna as anything other than what she was.
For collectors, the 7" single is unique in that it would turn out to be the only 7" not to have at least one format manufactured in the UK. Perhaps after the commercial failures of both previous singles, Sire UK had decided not to incur UK pressing plant costs and instead the single was pressed at the main plant in Germany. Collectors therefore need to be wary to distinguish the UK version from its far more plentiful German cousin. The pressing intended for release in the UK has a UK catalogue number printed both on the label and the back of the picture sleeve.
In addition, there are two versions of the UK 7" label to look out for as it also appears with a black dot. This 'black dot' appears quite regularly on German pressings and would indicate that, due to the unexpected success of the single, this was a subsequent pressing. It is the more common of the two labels.
Given that the single was a hit, and despite the two different pressings mentioned above, both UK versions are surprisingly scarce. This may be because Sire, not expecting such a big hit, only ordered a small batch with UK coding and, in response to the surge in demand, shipped over the standard German pressing. Collectors can expect to pay up to £15 for a UK version depending on the condition of the sleeve, which unfortunately seems to have been printed on particularly flimsy paper.
Interestingly, whereas 'Holiday' was not manufactured in the UK, the Irish version was most definitely pressed in Ireland! Indeed it is the only Irish label that actually proclaims 'Made in Ireland'! Collectors should note that there are two versions of the Irish label which is probably due to the single being reissued in 1985. The label that appears here is the 'small logo' version. It would also appear that the Irish release was not issued in a picture sleeve.
The 12" single was only available in one format and it is at this point that distinguishing between originals and re-issues becomes complicated. Whereas 'Lucky Star' was reissued with new sleeve designs for both 7" and 12", the reissue of the 12" version of 'Holiday' in 1985 was repressed with an identical sleeve design and catalogue number. However, astute collectors spotted a label variation and so there is a belief that a 'Copyright Control' credit denotes an original release. However, assuming this is correct, this label design would appear to plentiful enough to have been repressed, at least initially, as it can be found easily on eBay for those with the tenacity to inquire.
It is rather slim pickings from which to allocate a centrepiece item therefore this goes to the Irish 12" due to it's scarcity although special mention should also be made of an early promotional LP which includes 'Holiday'. See below.
'Holiday' is unusual in that while it was only issued in the basic 7" and 12" formats they each had different picture sleeves. As noted above, the 12" was housed in a deliberately nondescript sleeve while the 7" pressing appears in an attractive colour sleeve with an image of Madonna. It perhaps illustrates that in Europe there was no such desire to portray Madonna as anything other than what she was.
For collectors, the 7" single is unique in that it would turn out to be the only 7" not to have at least one format manufactured in the UK. Perhaps after the commercial failures of both previous singles, Sire UK had decided not to incur UK pressing plant costs and instead the single was pressed at the main plant in Germany. Collectors therefore need to be wary to distinguish the UK version from its far more plentiful German cousin. The pressing intended for release in the UK has a UK catalogue number printed both on the label and the back of the picture sleeve.
In addition, there are two versions of the UK 7" label to look out for as it also appears with a black dot. This 'black dot' appears quite regularly on German pressings and would indicate that, due to the unexpected success of the single, this was a subsequent pressing. It is the more common of the two labels.
Given that the single was a hit, and despite the two different pressings mentioned above, both UK versions are surprisingly scarce. This may be because Sire, not expecting such a big hit, only ordered a small batch with UK coding and, in response to the surge in demand, shipped over the standard German pressing. Collectors can expect to pay up to £15 for a UK version depending on the condition of the sleeve, which unfortunately seems to have been printed on particularly flimsy paper.
Interestingly, whereas 'Holiday' was not manufactured in the UK, the Irish version was most definitely pressed in Ireland! Indeed it is the only Irish label that actually proclaims 'Made in Ireland'! Collectors should note that there are two versions of the Irish label which is probably due to the single being reissued in 1985. The label that appears here is the 'small logo' version. It would also appear that the Irish release was not issued in a picture sleeve.
The 12" single was only available in one format and it is at this point that distinguishing between originals and re-issues becomes complicated. Whereas 'Lucky Star' was reissued with new sleeve designs for both 7" and 12", the reissue of the 12" version of 'Holiday' in 1985 was repressed with an identical sleeve design and catalogue number. However, astute collectors spotted a label variation and so there is a belief that a 'Copyright Control' credit denotes an original release. However, assuming this is correct, this label design would appear to plentiful enough to have been repressed, at least initially, as it can be found easily on eBay for those with the tenacity to inquire.
It is rather slim pickings from which to allocate a centrepiece item therefore this goes to the Irish 12" due to it's scarcity although special mention should also be made of an early promotional LP which includes 'Holiday'. See below.
Promotional Items
UK promotional items, at this early stage in Madonna's career are rather thin on the ground although at least 'Holiday' follows its predecessor in appearing in a white label compilation promo LP (SAM 238). This items does not appear often but when it does it sells for a very reasonable £20 or so.
There is also a promotional advert, which it would appear is the first official advert in the UK music press. This appeared in the NME, not a publication normally associated with a commercial artist such as Madonna, but this is perhaps indicative of her rather niche appeal in the early years.
ALL PROMOTIONAL ITEMS CAN BE VIEWED IN THE PROMO SECTION - FOR ITEMS RELATING TO THIS RELEASE CLICK HERE
There is also a promotional advert, which it would appear is the first official advert in the UK music press. This appeared in the NME, not a publication normally associated with a commercial artist such as Madonna, but this is perhaps indicative of her rather niche appeal in the early years.
ALL PROMOTIONAL ITEMS CAN BE VIEWED IN THE PROMO SECTION - FOR ITEMS RELATING TO THIS RELEASE CLICK HERE
Update on 'Holiday' 1984/85 from Jason Scott Shergold
With "Holiday" I was always under the impression that the train sleeve was used for the original UK 7" and 12" pressings, and that the "red border" sleeve was a second pressing of some sort. This was because that was what I had read, I think, in the likes of "Record Collector" and also the fact that it took me years before I stumbled across a red border one with the W9405 catalogue number.
For a single that charted so highly, I would have thought that more of these red bordered copies would have been in circulation had they been the ones that had propelled it into the top 10. I also do my own record collecting blog, and I have assumed on there that the double pack version of "Borderline", which includes a red bordered "Holiday", included one with the W9405 cat pressed specifically for the set - hence the low numbers that turned up for sale over the years when I was tracking down my Madonna singles. However, I see that your website has a scan of a German copy, so that might be my theory blown out of the water!
The 1985 release, though, makes me convinced that the train sleeve was first issued in 83. This is because the 12" uses the same image as the picture disc, so I would have thought that any "new" 7" pressing would have gone down the same route. But also, the 12" has a 1983 publishing date, and a 1985 copyright date. My train 7" just shows the 1983 date. If it had been pressed specifically in 85 only, it should have shown a 1985 date...in my opinion!
Jason Scott Shergold
Jason – many thanks for your comments. I completely agree regarding the original 7” release of ‘Holiday’ as it makes no sense for the sleeve of a top ten single to be so scarce – particularly during a time when it took a substantial number of copies to be sold for a single to break into the top ten. Clearly the image with Madonna on it was not the standard pressing. Although whether that colour sleeve was a limited initial run, or a limited later run as a further push once the single became a hit, I am not sure and we will probably never know.
As for its presence - or not - in the 'Borderline' double pack that is also slightly mysterious. Most double packs are sealed so it is not possible to see, while those that have been opened can, of course, be manipulated by having a UK copy replace the German copy. My own - opened - copy of the double pack has the German release. If we believe that the 'Holiday' with UK catalogue is just a limited pressing for the UK market it makes sense the 'Borderline' would be packaged up with a German copy as it was created by the pressing plant in Germany. But again, as with everything on this webpage, this is just a view, definitely not stated as fact!
Finally, you state the 12” of the 1985 uses the same image as the picture disc. Yes it did but I do not believe this was the standard 12” release as the picture sleeve with the ‘Madonna’ image is also relatively scarce (although in the age of eBay not that scarce anymore!). Instead the boring old ‘train’ image was the standard 12” sleeve in the record stores at the time. I remember because I was gazing at it at the time, wanting to buy the 12" but being disappointed, thinking 'Oh, why so boring!'. I believe the full colour picture sleeve was pressed as a top up, at the same time as the picture disc, probably as a push to try and get it to the top spot (which of course it was prevented from doing so by 'Into The Groove').
‘Holiday’ is an odd release as the ‘train’ image dominates both 7” and 12” releases of both original and reissue. But the original has a scarce 7” sleeve with her image while the reissue has a relatively scarce 12” sleeve with her image. Collecting Madonna in the 80s was nothing if not interesting!
Thank you for your comments.
For a single that charted so highly, I would have thought that more of these red bordered copies would have been in circulation had they been the ones that had propelled it into the top 10. I also do my own record collecting blog, and I have assumed on there that the double pack version of "Borderline", which includes a red bordered "Holiday", included one with the W9405 cat pressed specifically for the set - hence the low numbers that turned up for sale over the years when I was tracking down my Madonna singles. However, I see that your website has a scan of a German copy, so that might be my theory blown out of the water!
The 1985 release, though, makes me convinced that the train sleeve was first issued in 83. This is because the 12" uses the same image as the picture disc, so I would have thought that any "new" 7" pressing would have gone down the same route. But also, the 12" has a 1983 publishing date, and a 1985 copyright date. My train 7" just shows the 1983 date. If it had been pressed specifically in 85 only, it should have shown a 1985 date...in my opinion!
Jason Scott Shergold
Jason – many thanks for your comments. I completely agree regarding the original 7” release of ‘Holiday’ as it makes no sense for the sleeve of a top ten single to be so scarce – particularly during a time when it took a substantial number of copies to be sold for a single to break into the top ten. Clearly the image with Madonna on it was not the standard pressing. Although whether that colour sleeve was a limited initial run, or a limited later run as a further push once the single became a hit, I am not sure and we will probably never know.
As for its presence - or not - in the 'Borderline' double pack that is also slightly mysterious. Most double packs are sealed so it is not possible to see, while those that have been opened can, of course, be manipulated by having a UK copy replace the German copy. My own - opened - copy of the double pack has the German release. If we believe that the 'Holiday' with UK catalogue is just a limited pressing for the UK market it makes sense the 'Borderline' would be packaged up with a German copy as it was created by the pressing plant in Germany. But again, as with everything on this webpage, this is just a view, definitely not stated as fact!
Finally, you state the 12” of the 1985 uses the same image as the picture disc. Yes it did but I do not believe this was the standard 12” release as the picture sleeve with the ‘Madonna’ image is also relatively scarce (although in the age of eBay not that scarce anymore!). Instead the boring old ‘train’ image was the standard 12” sleeve in the record stores at the time. I remember because I was gazing at it at the time, wanting to buy the 12" but being disappointed, thinking 'Oh, why so boring!'. I believe the full colour picture sleeve was pressed as a top up, at the same time as the picture disc, probably as a push to try and get it to the top spot (which of course it was prevented from doing so by 'Into The Groove').
‘Holiday’ is an odd release as the ‘train’ image dominates both 7” and 12” releases of both original and reissue. But the original has a scarce 7” sleeve with her image while the reissue has a relatively scarce 12” sleeve with her image. Collecting Madonna in the 80s was nothing if not interesting!
Thank you for your comments.
7" Single - Standard German pressing with UK catalogue number
7" Single - Alternative German pressing with additional 'dot' label variation
7" Single - Irish pressing with small logo (see 1985 reissue for large logo version)
12" Single - Original release with 'Copyright Control' credit on label
12" Single - Irish pressing in 'Train' sleeve with 'Chrysalis Music Ltd' credit on label
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© madonna-decade 2013
© madonna-decade 2013