Justify My Love
Video Single - Released December 1990
“Justify My Love” was the first ever VHS video single to be released by Madonna and was also the first time an artist had released a single in this format.
It was released by Warner Music Vision, Warner Reprise Video and Sire to capitalise on the controversy surrounding the music video to “Justify My Love”, which was subsequently banned by MTV. The video was highly controversial and sexually charged containing imagery of sadomasochism, voyeurism, and bisexuality.
It was certified four times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipment of 400,000 copies of the single. The video has sold 440,000 copies and is the best-selling music video single of all time.
Plot
The video was filmed primarily in grainy black and white in the style of a 1960s European art film. The action takes place in an elegant hotel that apparently caters to alternate-lifestyle couples. Madonna (or her character) enters looking tired and distressed as she walks down the hallway toward her room. There, she has a romantic fling with a mysterious man (played by Tony Ward). Some of the doors to the other rooms are ajar, and we catch glimpses of various couples cavorting in BDSM fetish outfits (leather, latex bodysuits, and corsets).
In a dream-like sequence, Madonna rolls around in bed wearing skimpy-lace underwear while various figures come and go. The only nudity (which led to the video being banned) occurs when a topless dominatrix-type woman (suspenders partly covering her breasts) appears and roughly grabs a bound man (the same man who is with Madonna) by the hair. Her outfit, which includes a peaked leather hat and black gloves, copies the iconic ensemble worn by Charlotte Rampling in the controversial film The Night Porter. (Both the film and the video share elements of sadomasochism.)
The overall presentation is surreal and deliberately ambiguous. The retinue of strange characters may be real or simply fantasies from Madonna’s imagination. In the end, a rejuvenated Madonna rushes out of the hotel room smiling and laughing. The video then fades to a black screening with a written phrase shown in white on the top left-hand corner, “poor is the man whose pleasures depend on the permission of another,” which later fades out.
Publicity
On 3 December 1990, ABC’s Nightline played the video in its entirety, then interviewed Madonna live about the video’s sexual content and censorship. When asked whether she stood to make more money selling the video than airing it on MTV, she shrugged and answered, “Yeah, so? Lucky me.” She also mentioned that the banning was hypocritical as male artists were able to show music videos on the channel that contained sexist and violent imagery. She also pointed out that in her “Vogue” music video, she had worn a see-through lace top that exposed her breasts, but this was passed by the channel.
Track listing
UK / European VHS version
1.”Justify My Love” – 4:54
2.”Vogue” (from 1990 MTV Video Music Awards) – 6:25
UK Video Releases
The video single was released exclusively in the United States and Europe, and was never released anywhere else in the world.
Released on VHS only, the packaging in North America was a plain black slip cover with a sticker around it, so that it resembled a “seedy video”. In Europe, it was given the full cover artwork treatment, and also included a bonus video of Madonna’s performance of “Vogue” at the 1990 MTV Music Video Awards, which was ironic as MTV had banned the title track.
In the UK, the video was given an “18” certificate by the BBFC, meaning no one under that age could legally buy or see the release.
For all promo items see the 'video' entry under the PROMO page
“Justify My Love” was the first ever VHS video single to be released by Madonna and was also the first time an artist had released a single in this format.
It was released by Warner Music Vision, Warner Reprise Video and Sire to capitalise on the controversy surrounding the music video to “Justify My Love”, which was subsequently banned by MTV. The video was highly controversial and sexually charged containing imagery of sadomasochism, voyeurism, and bisexuality.
It was certified four times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipment of 400,000 copies of the single. The video has sold 440,000 copies and is the best-selling music video single of all time.
Plot
The video was filmed primarily in grainy black and white in the style of a 1960s European art film. The action takes place in an elegant hotel that apparently caters to alternate-lifestyle couples. Madonna (or her character) enters looking tired and distressed as she walks down the hallway toward her room. There, she has a romantic fling with a mysterious man (played by Tony Ward). Some of the doors to the other rooms are ajar, and we catch glimpses of various couples cavorting in BDSM fetish outfits (leather, latex bodysuits, and corsets).
In a dream-like sequence, Madonna rolls around in bed wearing skimpy-lace underwear while various figures come and go. The only nudity (which led to the video being banned) occurs when a topless dominatrix-type woman (suspenders partly covering her breasts) appears and roughly grabs a bound man (the same man who is with Madonna) by the hair. Her outfit, which includes a peaked leather hat and black gloves, copies the iconic ensemble worn by Charlotte Rampling in the controversial film The Night Porter. (Both the film and the video share elements of sadomasochism.)
The overall presentation is surreal and deliberately ambiguous. The retinue of strange characters may be real or simply fantasies from Madonna’s imagination. In the end, a rejuvenated Madonna rushes out of the hotel room smiling and laughing. The video then fades to a black screening with a written phrase shown in white on the top left-hand corner, “poor is the man whose pleasures depend on the permission of another,” which later fades out.
Publicity
On 3 December 1990, ABC’s Nightline played the video in its entirety, then interviewed Madonna live about the video’s sexual content and censorship. When asked whether she stood to make more money selling the video than airing it on MTV, she shrugged and answered, “Yeah, so? Lucky me.” She also mentioned that the banning was hypocritical as male artists were able to show music videos on the channel that contained sexist and violent imagery. She also pointed out that in her “Vogue” music video, she had worn a see-through lace top that exposed her breasts, but this was passed by the channel.
Track listing
UK / European VHS version
1.”Justify My Love” – 4:54
2.”Vogue” (from 1990 MTV Video Music Awards) – 6:25
UK Video Releases
The video single was released exclusively in the United States and Europe, and was never released anywhere else in the world.
Released on VHS only, the packaging in North America was a plain black slip cover with a sticker around it, so that it resembled a “seedy video”. In Europe, it was given the full cover artwork treatment, and also included a bonus video of Madonna’s performance of “Vogue” at the 1990 MTV Music Video Awards, which was ironic as MTV had banned the title track.
In the UK, the video was given an “18” certificate by the BBFC, meaning no one under that age could legally buy or see the release.
For all promo items see the 'video' entry under the PROMO page
UK Video Single
This is a webpage created purely by collectors for collectors, and is not endorsed by Boy Toy Inc., Geffen Records, Madonna, Maverick, Sire, or Warner Music Group. All logos, images and pictures on this site are the property of their respective owners.
© madonna-decade 2013
© madonna-decade 2013
