Like A Prayer
Released: 18.03.89 Highest Chart Position: 1 Weeks on Chart: 12 Total Sales: 550,000
1988 was a quiet year on the recording front for Madonna. Following the lack of critical and commercial success of her 1987 film Who's That Girl, Madonna made her stage debut in the Broadway production Speed-the-Plow. Unfortunately unfavourable reviews once again caused her discomfort. Her marriage to actor Sean Penn ended and the couple filed for divorce in January 1989. Madonna turned 30, the age at which her mother had died, and thus the singer experienced more emotional turmoil. She commented in the May 1989 issue of Interview that her Catholic upbringing struck a feeling of guilt:
Because in Catholicism you are a born sinner and you're a sinner all your life. No matter how you try to get away from it, the sin is within you all the time. It was this fear that haunted me; it taunted and pained me every moment. My music was probably the only distraction I had.
Madonna also understood that as she was growing up, so was her core audience. Feeling the need to attempt something different, Madonna had certain personal matters on her mind that she thought could be the musical direction of the album. For lyrical ideas of the title track, she chose topics that until then had been personal mediations. Thoughtfully, she sifted through her personal journals and diaries, and began considering her options. She recalled, "What was it I wanted to say? I wanted the album and the song to speak to things on my mind. It was a complex time in my life."
As Madonna considered her alternatives, producers Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray experimented with instrumental tracks and musical ideas for her consideration. Both of them wanted to bring their unique style to the project, and they developed completely different music for the title track. Eventually, Madonna felt that the music presented to her by Leonard was more apt, so she started to work with him. Together they wrote and produced the title track, naming it "Like a Prayer"; it was the first song developed for the Like a Prayer album. Once Madonna had conceptualized the way she would interpose her ideas with the music, she wrote the song in about three hours. She described "Like a Prayer" as the song of a passionate young girl "so in love with God that it is almost as though He were the male figure in her life."
Madonna's further inspiration for writing the title song came from the Catholic belief of transubstantiation. She believed that the wine and wafer, which symbolize the Body of Christ during Mass, have transformative power and every word in the prayer has its precise meaning. For Madonna, 'Like a Prayer' similarly appeared to carry its own transformative power. While writing the lyrics, Madonna introduced liturgical words but changed the context in which they were added for a dual meaning. She wanted the song to have superficial pop lyrics about both sexuality and religion, but a different meaning underneath which she believed could provoke a reaction from her listeners. In author J. Randy Taraborrelli's book Madonna: An Intimate Biography, Leonard explained that he was not comfortable with the lyrics and the sexual innuendos present in it. He gave the example of the first verse for "Like a Prayer" which goes "When you call my name, It's like a little prayer, I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there." Leonard understood that the dual meaning of the lines referred to someone performing fellatio. He was aghast and requested that Madonna change the line, but she was adamant about keeping it.
Once Madonna and Leonard finished writing the lyrics of 'Like a Prayer', they decided to record it alongside a choir at the end of 1988. Madonna and Leonard met with musician Andraé Crouch and a member of his management team/vocalist Roberto Noriega and signed his choir as one of the background vocalists. Since Crouch was the leader of the Los Angeles Church of God choir, he researched the lyrics of the song, as he wanted to "find out what the intention of the song might be. We're very particular in choosing what we work with, and we liked what we heard." At Jonny Yuma recording studio, Crouch got his choir together and explained to them what they needed to do during the recording session. He had listened to the demo of "Like a Prayer" in his car, and directed his choir according to his own interpretations of the music. The choir was recorded separately, and Leonard wanted it to be added during post-production of the song.
Leonard worked on the chord changes for the verses and the chorus. Recording was briefly held up when Madonna and Leonard fought over the production of the bridge of the song. The next day, Leonard hired guitarist Bruce Gaitsch and bass guitar player Guy Pratt as musicians for 'Like a Prayer'. Pratt had in turn hired some additional drummers who were supposed to reach Jonny Yuma in the morning. However, the person cancelled at the last minute, which irritated Madonna greatly, and she started shouting and swearing profusely at Leonard. Pratt did not end up being fired, but as recording started for 'Like a Prayer', he realised that Madonna would not forgive him easily; she called him at late nights for his opinion, and urgently asking him to come to the recording studio, only to dismiss him. In the meantime, Leonard hired British drum and guitar players such as Chester Kamens, David Williams and Dann Huff. He commented that the choice was deliberate since he was a fan of British rock, and wanted that kind of attitude and quirkiness of the musicians in 'Like a Prayer', as well as the other songs of the album. Madonna had her own opinion of how the different musical instruments should be played to achieve the sound that she envisioned.
Pratt recalled that after the middle chorus of the song was recorded, Madonna notified the musicians of some changes in the production. She wanted drummer Jonathan Moffet to "do less of the high-hat in the middle eight, and more of a fill towards the end. Guy, I want duck eggs [semibreves] on the end, and Chester, bring in your guitar on the second verse." The team ran through her instructions once more, and did a final take with vocals and one with the string arrangements. Gaitsch heard Madonna telling Leonard that 'Like a Prayer' could not be improved further, and that the recording was finished.
All of the above is perhaps rather long-winded for a site such as this, but it has been included to illustrate just how much blood, sweat, tears - and swearing - went into producing what is widely believed to be the finest song of Madonna's career.
For the album artwork, Madonna chose to work with photographer Herb Ritts and initially photos from the session with Ritts were also to be used for the single's packaging. The image that was intended for the cover was a blurry shot of Madonna blowing smoke on her own face while holding a cigarette in her left hand. However, once she started shooting for the music video, she felt that one of the still shots of her in a field was extremely beautiful and decided to make it the cover art. A different piece of artwork was developed for the 12-inch single, featuring a painting by Madonna's brother Christopher Ciccone. He painted a classic (Catholic) Madonna, who wears a halo and is draped in a vine of thorns with a single blossoming flower. The painting features the letters MLVC, indicating the singer's full name Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone, with a prominently "fallen" letter P near the heart of the Madonna, suggesting Madonna's recent divorce from Penn. The singer was initially skeptic about the painting due to the media mayhem surrounding her relationship with Penn, and did not want to use it. However, once Ciccone presented her with a packaged version of the 12-inch single, where the painting was included along with the scent of patchouli, she was impressed.
Because in Catholicism you are a born sinner and you're a sinner all your life. No matter how you try to get away from it, the sin is within you all the time. It was this fear that haunted me; it taunted and pained me every moment. My music was probably the only distraction I had.
Madonna also understood that as she was growing up, so was her core audience. Feeling the need to attempt something different, Madonna had certain personal matters on her mind that she thought could be the musical direction of the album. For lyrical ideas of the title track, she chose topics that until then had been personal mediations. Thoughtfully, she sifted through her personal journals and diaries, and began considering her options. She recalled, "What was it I wanted to say? I wanted the album and the song to speak to things on my mind. It was a complex time in my life."
As Madonna considered her alternatives, producers Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray experimented with instrumental tracks and musical ideas for her consideration. Both of them wanted to bring their unique style to the project, and they developed completely different music for the title track. Eventually, Madonna felt that the music presented to her by Leonard was more apt, so she started to work with him. Together they wrote and produced the title track, naming it "Like a Prayer"; it was the first song developed for the Like a Prayer album. Once Madonna had conceptualized the way she would interpose her ideas with the music, she wrote the song in about three hours. She described "Like a Prayer" as the song of a passionate young girl "so in love with God that it is almost as though He were the male figure in her life."
Madonna's further inspiration for writing the title song came from the Catholic belief of transubstantiation. She believed that the wine and wafer, which symbolize the Body of Christ during Mass, have transformative power and every word in the prayer has its precise meaning. For Madonna, 'Like a Prayer' similarly appeared to carry its own transformative power. While writing the lyrics, Madonna introduced liturgical words but changed the context in which they were added for a dual meaning. She wanted the song to have superficial pop lyrics about both sexuality and religion, but a different meaning underneath which she believed could provoke a reaction from her listeners. In author J. Randy Taraborrelli's book Madonna: An Intimate Biography, Leonard explained that he was not comfortable with the lyrics and the sexual innuendos present in it. He gave the example of the first verse for "Like a Prayer" which goes "When you call my name, It's like a little prayer, I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there." Leonard understood that the dual meaning of the lines referred to someone performing fellatio. He was aghast and requested that Madonna change the line, but she was adamant about keeping it.
Once Madonna and Leonard finished writing the lyrics of 'Like a Prayer', they decided to record it alongside a choir at the end of 1988. Madonna and Leonard met with musician Andraé Crouch and a member of his management team/vocalist Roberto Noriega and signed his choir as one of the background vocalists. Since Crouch was the leader of the Los Angeles Church of God choir, he researched the lyrics of the song, as he wanted to "find out what the intention of the song might be. We're very particular in choosing what we work with, and we liked what we heard." At Jonny Yuma recording studio, Crouch got his choir together and explained to them what they needed to do during the recording session. He had listened to the demo of "Like a Prayer" in his car, and directed his choir according to his own interpretations of the music. The choir was recorded separately, and Leonard wanted it to be added during post-production of the song.
Leonard worked on the chord changes for the verses and the chorus. Recording was briefly held up when Madonna and Leonard fought over the production of the bridge of the song. The next day, Leonard hired guitarist Bruce Gaitsch and bass guitar player Guy Pratt as musicians for 'Like a Prayer'. Pratt had in turn hired some additional drummers who were supposed to reach Jonny Yuma in the morning. However, the person cancelled at the last minute, which irritated Madonna greatly, and she started shouting and swearing profusely at Leonard. Pratt did not end up being fired, but as recording started for 'Like a Prayer', he realised that Madonna would not forgive him easily; she called him at late nights for his opinion, and urgently asking him to come to the recording studio, only to dismiss him. In the meantime, Leonard hired British drum and guitar players such as Chester Kamens, David Williams and Dann Huff. He commented that the choice was deliberate since he was a fan of British rock, and wanted that kind of attitude and quirkiness of the musicians in 'Like a Prayer', as well as the other songs of the album. Madonna had her own opinion of how the different musical instruments should be played to achieve the sound that she envisioned.
Pratt recalled that after the middle chorus of the song was recorded, Madonna notified the musicians of some changes in the production. She wanted drummer Jonathan Moffet to "do less of the high-hat in the middle eight, and more of a fill towards the end. Guy, I want duck eggs [semibreves] on the end, and Chester, bring in your guitar on the second verse." The team ran through her instructions once more, and did a final take with vocals and one with the string arrangements. Gaitsch heard Madonna telling Leonard that 'Like a Prayer' could not be improved further, and that the recording was finished.
All of the above is perhaps rather long-winded for a site such as this, but it has been included to illustrate just how much blood, sweat, tears - and swearing - went into producing what is widely believed to be the finest song of Madonna's career.
For the album artwork, Madonna chose to work with photographer Herb Ritts and initially photos from the session with Ritts were also to be used for the single's packaging. The image that was intended for the cover was a blurry shot of Madonna blowing smoke on her own face while holding a cigarette in her left hand. However, once she started shooting for the music video, she felt that one of the still shots of her in a field was extremely beautiful and decided to make it the cover art. A different piece of artwork was developed for the 12-inch single, featuring a painting by Madonna's brother Christopher Ciccone. He painted a classic (Catholic) Madonna, who wears a halo and is draped in a vine of thorns with a single blossoming flower. The painting features the letters MLVC, indicating the singer's full name Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone, with a prominently "fallen" letter P near the heart of the Madonna, suggesting Madonna's recent divorce from Penn. The singer was initially skeptic about the painting due to the media mayhem surrounding her relationship with Penn, and did not want to use it. However, once Ciccone presented her with a packaged version of the 12-inch single, where the painting was included along with the scent of patchouli, she was impressed.
The music video for "Like a Prayer" was directed by American film director Mary Lambert and was shot at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, California and at San Pedro Hills in San Pedro, California. Madonna wanted the video to be more provocative than anything she had done before. She decided to address racism by having the video depict a mixed-race couple being shot by the Ku Klux Klan. She interpreted the visual as:
[T]his story of a girl who was madly in love with a black man, set in the South, with this forbidden interracial love affair. And the guy she's in love with sings in a choir. So she's obsessed with him and goes to the church all the time. And then it turned into a bigger story, which was about racism and bigotry.
Lambert had a different visual aspect of the song on her mind. She felt that it was more about ecstasy, especially a sexual one, and how it related to religious ecstasy. She listened to the song with Madonna a number of times and came to the conclusion that the religious ecstasy part should be included. Therefore a sub-plot about Madonna as a homicide witness was included and became the trigger factor in the ecstasy part of the plot. Actor Leon Robinson was hired to play the role of a saint, which was inspired by Martin de Porres, the patron saint of mixed-race people and all those seeking interracial harmony.
In the final version, the viewers first see Madonna who runs on the street. She witnesses the murder of a young woman, but is too frozen in fear to protest. A black man walking down the alley notices the incident and goes to assist the woman but the police arrive and arrest him. The murderer gives a threatening look towards Madonna and leaves. She escapes to a church and sees a caged saint who resembles the black man on the street. As the song starts, Madonna utters a prayer in front of the saint, who appears to be crying.
Madonna lies down on a pew and has a dream in which she begins to fall through space. Suddenly she is caught by a woman, who tosses her back up and tells her to do what is right. Still dreaming, Madonna returns to the saint, who becomes the black man she had seen earlier. He kisses her forehead and leaves the church as she picks up a knife and cuts her hands, bleeding to resemble stigmata. As the chorus starts, Madonna sings and dances wildly in front of burning crosses. In the meantime a church choir sings around Madonna, who continues to dance with them. Madonna wakes up, goes to the jail and tells the police that the black man is innocent; the police release him. The video ends as Madonna dances in front of the burning crosses, and then everybody involved in the storyline takes a bow as curtains
The video was shot over four days, with an extra day allotted for re-shooting some of the scenes. Originally Lambert had a cast taken of Leon's face, hand and feet to create the statue of the saint which would be used as a decoration. The actor only enacted the live scenes. After post-production started, Lambert found that the statue did not look like Leon, who was asked to re-shoot the respective scenes. Leon had to act as the statue and required special make-up; he had to stand motionless during extended periods of shooting and retakes. The actor recalled that standing like a statue was difficult since "first of all, I didn't realize how hard it is on the back to stand absolutely tall and straight and not move. Secondly, as a performer you have this nervous energy—and my requirements here were total antithesis of that."
In January 1989, while the music video was still being filmed, Pepsi-Cola announced that they had signed Madonna to a US$5 million deal to use her and 'Like a Prayer' in a television commercial for them. The agreement also called for Pepsi to financially sponsor Madonna's next world tour. Madonna would use the commercial to launch the 'Like a Prayer' single globally before its actual release. This was the first time such a double advert had been done - Pepsi would have their soft drink product associated with Madonna, Madonna would be promoting both her new single and album. According to the company's advertising head, Alan Pottasch, "the global media buy and unprecedented debut of this long awaited single will put Pepsi first and foremost in consumer's minds".
So far so good, but problems started when Madonna refused to dance, stating: "I ain't dancing and I ain't singing." However, Joe Pytka introduced her to choreographer Vince Paterson (from the Michael Jackson days) and she agreed to dance.
Titled "Make a Wish", the two-minute commercial portrayed Madonna back in time to revisit her childhood memories. It starts as Madonna watches a video of her childhood birthday party. As she reminisces, she interchanges places with her childhood self. The young Madonna roams aimlessly around the grown-up Madonna's room, while the latter dances with her childhood friends on the street and inside a bar. The commercial continues as Madonna dances inside a church, surrounded by a choir and her child-self discovering her old play doll. As both of their lives are interchanged again, the grown-up Madonna looks towards the TV and says, "Go ahead, make a wish". Both depictions of Madonna raise their cans of Pepsi towards each other, and the young Madonna blows out the candles on her birthday cake. An estimated 250 million people around the world saw the commercial, which was directed by Joe Pytka. Pepsi-Cola Company spokesman Todd MacKenzie said that the ad was planned to be aired simultaneously in Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. Bob Garfield from the Advertising Age observed that from "Turkey to El Salvador to anytown USA, around 500 million eyes [were] glued to the screen.
The day after the Pepsi commercial was premiered, Madonna released the actual music video for 'Like a Prayer' on MTV, who deemed it controversial. Religious groups worldwide protested against the video, which they deemed contained blasphemous use of Christian imagery. They called for the national boycott of Pepsi and PepsiCo's subsidiaries, including their fast food chains Kentucky Fried Chicken, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. Pepsi had decided initially to continue airing their commercial; however, they were taken aback by the protests. They explained the differences between their advertising methods and Madonna's artistic opinions in the video. Ultimately, Pepsi caved in to the protests, and cancelled the advertising campaign. According to Taraborrelli, Pepsi was so eager to extricate themselves from the venture that they even allowed Madonna to keep the five million dollars she had been advanced. In the meantime, the Pope involved himself in the matter and banned any appearance of Madonna in Italy. Protests from a small Catholic organization in the country prompted Italian state television network RAI and Madonna's Italian record company WEA to not air the video.
At the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards, 'Like a Prayer' was nominated in the Viewer's Choice and Video of the Year categories, winning the former. Ironically the award show was sponsored by Pepsi in 1989, and when Madonna came onstage to receive the award she added, "I would really like to thank Pepsi for causing so much controversy."
'Like a Prayer' was also number one on MTV's countdown of "100 Videos That Broke The Rules" in 2005, and for the 25th anniversary of MTV, viewers voted it as the "Most Groundbreaking Music Video of All Time". In a 2011 poll by Billboard, "Like a Prayer" was voted the second best music video of the 1980s, behind only Michael Jackson's "Thriller".
"Like a Prayer" is considered by both critics and fans to be one of Madonna's greatest songs. Here in the UK, Madonna fans were asked to vote for their "Top 20 Madonna singles of all-time", by Q magazine in 2003 - "Like a Prayer" took the number one spot.
Critics observed that ultimately the events and controversy surrounding 'Like a Prayer' only served to enhance Madonna's reputation as a shrewd businesswoman, someone who knows how to sell a concept. Before Madonna's deal with Pepsi, pop stars in general were not given much artistic freedom by sponsors but Madonna had said from the very first day that she would be doing the commercial in her very own way, which Pepsi had to accept. While she said that it was never her intention that Pepsi be the fall guy in the furore surrounding the video, it was argued that Madonna had stayed true to herself. It was further noted that after 'Like a Prayer', the recruitment of pop stars and athletes to sell soft drinks became commonplace but none of them generated the level of excitement on par with Pepsi's failed deal with Madonna.
[T]his story of a girl who was madly in love with a black man, set in the South, with this forbidden interracial love affair. And the guy she's in love with sings in a choir. So she's obsessed with him and goes to the church all the time. And then it turned into a bigger story, which was about racism and bigotry.
Lambert had a different visual aspect of the song on her mind. She felt that it was more about ecstasy, especially a sexual one, and how it related to religious ecstasy. She listened to the song with Madonna a number of times and came to the conclusion that the religious ecstasy part should be included. Therefore a sub-plot about Madonna as a homicide witness was included and became the trigger factor in the ecstasy part of the plot. Actor Leon Robinson was hired to play the role of a saint, which was inspired by Martin de Porres, the patron saint of mixed-race people and all those seeking interracial harmony.
In the final version, the viewers first see Madonna who runs on the street. She witnesses the murder of a young woman, but is too frozen in fear to protest. A black man walking down the alley notices the incident and goes to assist the woman but the police arrive and arrest him. The murderer gives a threatening look towards Madonna and leaves. She escapes to a church and sees a caged saint who resembles the black man on the street. As the song starts, Madonna utters a prayer in front of the saint, who appears to be crying.
Madonna lies down on a pew and has a dream in which she begins to fall through space. Suddenly she is caught by a woman, who tosses her back up and tells her to do what is right. Still dreaming, Madonna returns to the saint, who becomes the black man she had seen earlier. He kisses her forehead and leaves the church as she picks up a knife and cuts her hands, bleeding to resemble stigmata. As the chorus starts, Madonna sings and dances wildly in front of burning crosses. In the meantime a church choir sings around Madonna, who continues to dance with them. Madonna wakes up, goes to the jail and tells the police that the black man is innocent; the police release him. The video ends as Madonna dances in front of the burning crosses, and then everybody involved in the storyline takes a bow as curtains
The video was shot over four days, with an extra day allotted for re-shooting some of the scenes. Originally Lambert had a cast taken of Leon's face, hand and feet to create the statue of the saint which would be used as a decoration. The actor only enacted the live scenes. After post-production started, Lambert found that the statue did not look like Leon, who was asked to re-shoot the respective scenes. Leon had to act as the statue and required special make-up; he had to stand motionless during extended periods of shooting and retakes. The actor recalled that standing like a statue was difficult since "first of all, I didn't realize how hard it is on the back to stand absolutely tall and straight and not move. Secondly, as a performer you have this nervous energy—and my requirements here were total antithesis of that."
In January 1989, while the music video was still being filmed, Pepsi-Cola announced that they had signed Madonna to a US$5 million deal to use her and 'Like a Prayer' in a television commercial for them. The agreement also called for Pepsi to financially sponsor Madonna's next world tour. Madonna would use the commercial to launch the 'Like a Prayer' single globally before its actual release. This was the first time such a double advert had been done - Pepsi would have their soft drink product associated with Madonna, Madonna would be promoting both her new single and album. According to the company's advertising head, Alan Pottasch, "the global media buy and unprecedented debut of this long awaited single will put Pepsi first and foremost in consumer's minds".
So far so good, but problems started when Madonna refused to dance, stating: "I ain't dancing and I ain't singing." However, Joe Pytka introduced her to choreographer Vince Paterson (from the Michael Jackson days) and she agreed to dance.
Titled "Make a Wish", the two-minute commercial portrayed Madonna back in time to revisit her childhood memories. It starts as Madonna watches a video of her childhood birthday party. As she reminisces, she interchanges places with her childhood self. The young Madonna roams aimlessly around the grown-up Madonna's room, while the latter dances with her childhood friends on the street and inside a bar. The commercial continues as Madonna dances inside a church, surrounded by a choir and her child-self discovering her old play doll. As both of their lives are interchanged again, the grown-up Madonna looks towards the TV and says, "Go ahead, make a wish". Both depictions of Madonna raise their cans of Pepsi towards each other, and the young Madonna blows out the candles on her birthday cake. An estimated 250 million people around the world saw the commercial, which was directed by Joe Pytka. Pepsi-Cola Company spokesman Todd MacKenzie said that the ad was planned to be aired simultaneously in Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. Bob Garfield from the Advertising Age observed that from "Turkey to El Salvador to anytown USA, around 500 million eyes [were] glued to the screen.
The day after the Pepsi commercial was premiered, Madonna released the actual music video for 'Like a Prayer' on MTV, who deemed it controversial. Religious groups worldwide protested against the video, which they deemed contained blasphemous use of Christian imagery. They called for the national boycott of Pepsi and PepsiCo's subsidiaries, including their fast food chains Kentucky Fried Chicken, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. Pepsi had decided initially to continue airing their commercial; however, they were taken aback by the protests. They explained the differences between their advertising methods and Madonna's artistic opinions in the video. Ultimately, Pepsi caved in to the protests, and cancelled the advertising campaign. According to Taraborrelli, Pepsi was so eager to extricate themselves from the venture that they even allowed Madonna to keep the five million dollars she had been advanced. In the meantime, the Pope involved himself in the matter and banned any appearance of Madonna in Italy. Protests from a small Catholic organization in the country prompted Italian state television network RAI and Madonna's Italian record company WEA to not air the video.
At the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards, 'Like a Prayer' was nominated in the Viewer's Choice and Video of the Year categories, winning the former. Ironically the award show was sponsored by Pepsi in 1989, and when Madonna came onstage to receive the award she added, "I would really like to thank Pepsi for causing so much controversy."
'Like a Prayer' was also number one on MTV's countdown of "100 Videos That Broke The Rules" in 2005, and for the 25th anniversary of MTV, viewers voted it as the "Most Groundbreaking Music Video of All Time". In a 2011 poll by Billboard, "Like a Prayer" was voted the second best music video of the 1980s, behind only Michael Jackson's "Thriller".
"Like a Prayer" is considered by both critics and fans to be one of Madonna's greatest songs. Here in the UK, Madonna fans were asked to vote for their "Top 20 Madonna singles of all-time", by Q magazine in 2003 - "Like a Prayer" took the number one spot.
Critics observed that ultimately the events and controversy surrounding 'Like a Prayer' only served to enhance Madonna's reputation as a shrewd businesswoman, someone who knows how to sell a concept. Before Madonna's deal with Pepsi, pop stars in general were not given much artistic freedom by sponsors but Madonna had said from the very first day that she would be doing the commercial in her very own way, which Pepsi had to accept. While she said that it was never her intention that Pepsi be the fall guy in the furore surrounding the video, it was argued that Madonna had stayed true to herself. It was further noted that after 'Like a Prayer', the recruitment of pop stars and athletes to sell soft drinks became commonplace but none of them generated the level of excitement on par with Pepsi's failed deal with Madonna.
UK Variations and Collectables
For collectors, there had been considerable technological advances resulting in format changes during Madonna's year of chart absence. The CD single was now established along with the cassette single while the 7" vinyl single had began its inevitable decline. 'Like a Prayer' was accordingly made available in standard 7", 12", cassette single, and CD single. These were supplemented with a limited 12" with alternative remixes and a limited edition 12" picture disc.
The 7" single still provided the basic format and 'Like A Prayer' was issued in five variations of which three are rare enough to be collectable. The standard 7" pressing is the UK pressing with a large logo and this is widely available along with what was to become a new standard release for future singles, a German pressing with the UK catalogue number on both labels and sleeves. Unlike the only previous German 7" singles to carry a UK catalogue number ('Into The Groove' and 'La Isla Bonita') these singles were manufactured in Germany but intended for, and widely distributed in, the UK. This can be seen by the fact that most these German pressings are still 'whole' as opposed to having the large 'jukebox' centre hole which exists in the singles manufactured for distribution in Germany.
In addition to these standard pressings, there are two rare UK variations and two rare German variation. The first UK variant is the standard pressing but in a rare alternative sleeve which has a 'Powers That Be' credit for the b-side track 'Act Of Contrition'. The second comes with an alternative label, the once common but now rarely used small logo 'A' label. It is worth noting that this is one of only three releases (along with 'Into The Groove' and 'Angel'), where this particular label design is rare. The first rare German variation is a slightly different rear sleeve design with one less line of text and an additional logo. Credit to the sharp eyes that spotted that! The second rare German variation is easier to distinguish as not only does it have a different 'fade' credit on the record label, it also comes in an alternative sleeve which only has credits for 'Like A Prayer' on the rear.
The standard 12" UK pressing comes with a white background and most - but not all - came with 'Madonna' added on in a sticker format. A second, more limited, 12" was released shortly after in a sand coloured sleeve with alternative dance mixes.
There are also three German 12" variations to look out for " which, unlike the 7" were not distributed in the UK but were nonetheless issued with the UK catalogue number (NB German 12"s with UK catalogue numbers would be issued for all Madonna singles from hereon until 'Erotica' in 1992). As with the UK releases, they came in both white and limited sand-colour sleeves. Unlike the UK release, the white sleeve was issued in two sleeve formats; the first with a black 'Sire' logo on the rear of the sleeve and the second, possibly a top-up, with a gold 'Sire' logo. Interestingly, the German sleeve also has an additional 'C' in the bottom left hand corner.
Easier to track down than the label variations is the official limited edition 12" picture disc. Although related to this is a definitely not easy to track down 12" white vinyl test pressing.
Ironically, it is the other standard formats, not marketed as official limited editions, have proved to be more limited i.e. the cassette single and the first ever CD single, trialling the new mini-disc size of 3", which came in a sealed package
Of interest to note is the fact that this cassette single remains, as far as is known, the only one to be issued in clear plastic, a similar format to the cassette album. All subsequent cassette singles are manufactured on solid black or (in rare cases) white plastic.
The centrepiece item for any collector - not just for this release but for any serious collection - comes from the promotional section as 'Like A Prayer' spawned one of the most collectable UK rarities for any Madonna release, namely the UK promotional box set. Although this item is technically a promotional item for the album, it is of such importance that it has to be the centrepiece for any aspect of 'Like A Prayer'.
A new addition to this section (and also to 'Express Yourself' and Cherish singles pages) is the recent discovery of 'German long box' releases relating to these singles, which also contain UK catalogue numbers as the German releases often did. Unfortunately, as most collectors now know (some to their cost), any 'exciting new discovery' is likely to be a recent forgery (see in particular the 'newly discovered' Japanese promo 7" singles). Assuming these are unofficial it does have to be said that they appear to be of exceptionally good quality and, as happens with these item, on first being made available to buy, do attract eye-wateringly high bids. This website does not endorse unofficial releases so while these items are included for the sake of completion, they are flagged as 'bootlegs'. Let the buyer beware!
The 7" single still provided the basic format and 'Like A Prayer' was issued in five variations of which three are rare enough to be collectable. The standard 7" pressing is the UK pressing with a large logo and this is widely available along with what was to become a new standard release for future singles, a German pressing with the UK catalogue number on both labels and sleeves. Unlike the only previous German 7" singles to carry a UK catalogue number ('Into The Groove' and 'La Isla Bonita') these singles were manufactured in Germany but intended for, and widely distributed in, the UK. This can be seen by the fact that most these German pressings are still 'whole' as opposed to having the large 'jukebox' centre hole which exists in the singles manufactured for distribution in Germany.
In addition to these standard pressings, there are two rare UK variations and two rare German variation. The first UK variant is the standard pressing but in a rare alternative sleeve which has a 'Powers That Be' credit for the b-side track 'Act Of Contrition'. The second comes with an alternative label, the once common but now rarely used small logo 'A' label. It is worth noting that this is one of only three releases (along with 'Into The Groove' and 'Angel'), where this particular label design is rare. The first rare German variation is a slightly different rear sleeve design with one less line of text and an additional logo. Credit to the sharp eyes that spotted that! The second rare German variation is easier to distinguish as not only does it have a different 'fade' credit on the record label, it also comes in an alternative sleeve which only has credits for 'Like A Prayer' on the rear.
The standard 12" UK pressing comes with a white background and most - but not all - came with 'Madonna' added on in a sticker format. A second, more limited, 12" was released shortly after in a sand coloured sleeve with alternative dance mixes.
There are also three German 12" variations to look out for " which, unlike the 7" were not distributed in the UK but were nonetheless issued with the UK catalogue number (NB German 12"s with UK catalogue numbers would be issued for all Madonna singles from hereon until 'Erotica' in 1992). As with the UK releases, they came in both white and limited sand-colour sleeves. Unlike the UK release, the white sleeve was issued in two sleeve formats; the first with a black 'Sire' logo on the rear of the sleeve and the second, possibly a top-up, with a gold 'Sire' logo. Interestingly, the German sleeve also has an additional 'C' in the bottom left hand corner.
Easier to track down than the label variations is the official limited edition 12" picture disc. Although related to this is a definitely not easy to track down 12" white vinyl test pressing.
Ironically, it is the other standard formats, not marketed as official limited editions, have proved to be more limited i.e. the cassette single and the first ever CD single, trialling the new mini-disc size of 3", which came in a sealed package
Of interest to note is the fact that this cassette single remains, as far as is known, the only one to be issued in clear plastic, a similar format to the cassette album. All subsequent cassette singles are manufactured on solid black or (in rare cases) white plastic.
The centrepiece item for any collector - not just for this release but for any serious collection - comes from the promotional section as 'Like A Prayer' spawned one of the most collectable UK rarities for any Madonna release, namely the UK promotional box set. Although this item is technically a promotional item for the album, it is of such importance that it has to be the centrepiece for any aspect of 'Like A Prayer'.
A new addition to this section (and also to 'Express Yourself' and Cherish singles pages) is the recent discovery of 'German long box' releases relating to these singles, which also contain UK catalogue numbers as the German releases often did. Unfortunately, as most collectors now know (some to their cost), any 'exciting new discovery' is likely to be a recent forgery (see in particular the 'newly discovered' Japanese promo 7" singles). Assuming these are unofficial it does have to be said that they appear to be of exceptionally good quality and, as happens with these item, on first being made available to buy, do attract eye-wateringly high bids. This website does not endorse unofficial releases so while these items are included for the sake of completion, they are flagged as 'bootlegs'. Let the buyer beware!
Promotional Items
Not surprisingly for such an 'event' single there is a plethora of promotional items. In addition to the usual UK 7" with circular promo sticker on the rear, this circular sticker also appears on the standard German 7" too adding to the impression that the German pressing was now an equivalent standard UK release.
Unusually, there is also a German 12" with the generic rectangular promo sticker normally used on LPs. Perhaps the German pressings were produced prior to the UK versions as advance promos. A more conventional promotional item is a UK promotional 12" white label although the label is actually light pink.
'Like A Prayer' also appears on the new-style WEA in-store promo compilation cassette which, unlike earlier versions, now came in customised sleeves with track listing. 'Like A Prayer' has the honour of being included twice on this particular cassette appearing in both 7" and 12" Extended Remix versions. It is worth noting that it is very unusual for 12" versions to be included on these in-store cassettes.
In addition to the music-based promotional items there are also a large number of paper-based paraphernalia. The centrepiece is the counterstand for the 7" single and while this is a rare item, it is not as scarce as the earlier counterstands no doubt due to having been issued to far more record shops. There is however a very rare counterstand for the cassette single which sold recently for £200.
There are also two rare display flats in relation to the single - one for the 12" picture disc and another promoting the Pepsi advert that was screened across the ITV network. There are also a set of 12" colour display flats which are not shown on this website.
There are also promotional posters, one of which, in colour, was specifically for the single and featured a still from the video. Another poster, with a b/w shot (as seen on the rear of the album sleeve) was used to promote both the single and album. This poster came in two different sizes.
Finally in the paper-based section, there is a plethora of promotional adverts - no fewer than five which is more than for any other Madonna single. Interestingly, it would appear three of these, the full page adverts, were given different background colours and/or logos according to which magazine they appeared in, the magazines being 'Smash Hits', 'No. 1' and 'Just Seventeen'.
As a testament to the 'event' single that 'Like A Prayer' was, it has also featured on several promotional videos. These are listed here but can be seen in the 'VIDEO' section.
1. 'Like A Prayer' - WEA in-store promotional video (which also includes the Pepsi TV advert);
2. 'Like A Prayer' - WEA in-store promotional video (which also includes the Pepsi TV advert) with US flag logo on the spine
3. 'June 1989' - compilation in-store promotional video (also includes and 'Express Yourself');
4. 'Twelve Titles To Fall For' - 1989 compilation promotional video
5. 'Instore 1990' - Madonna-only compilation promotional video containing twelve videos
6. 'Ten Titles To Fall For' - 1991 compilation promotional video (also includes 'Vogue' and 'Justify My Love').
All of which only reinforces the sense of occasion that accompanied one of Madonna's most successful and critically acclaimed songs
ALL PROMOTIONAL ITEMS CAN BE VIEWED IN THE PROMO SECTION - FOR ITEMS RELATING TO THIS RELEASE CLICK HERE
Unusually, there is also a German 12" with the generic rectangular promo sticker normally used on LPs. Perhaps the German pressings were produced prior to the UK versions as advance promos. A more conventional promotional item is a UK promotional 12" white label although the label is actually light pink.
'Like A Prayer' also appears on the new-style WEA in-store promo compilation cassette which, unlike earlier versions, now came in customised sleeves with track listing. 'Like A Prayer' has the honour of being included twice on this particular cassette appearing in both 7" and 12" Extended Remix versions. It is worth noting that it is very unusual for 12" versions to be included on these in-store cassettes.
In addition to the music-based promotional items there are also a large number of paper-based paraphernalia. The centrepiece is the counterstand for the 7" single and while this is a rare item, it is not as scarce as the earlier counterstands no doubt due to having been issued to far more record shops. There is however a very rare counterstand for the cassette single which sold recently for £200.
There are also two rare display flats in relation to the single - one for the 12" picture disc and another promoting the Pepsi advert that was screened across the ITV network. There are also a set of 12" colour display flats which are not shown on this website.
There are also promotional posters, one of which, in colour, was specifically for the single and featured a still from the video. Another poster, with a b/w shot (as seen on the rear of the album sleeve) was used to promote both the single and album. This poster came in two different sizes.
Finally in the paper-based section, there is a plethora of promotional adverts - no fewer than five which is more than for any other Madonna single. Interestingly, it would appear three of these, the full page adverts, were given different background colours and/or logos according to which magazine they appeared in, the magazines being 'Smash Hits', 'No. 1' and 'Just Seventeen'.
As a testament to the 'event' single that 'Like A Prayer' was, it has also featured on several promotional videos. These are listed here but can be seen in the 'VIDEO' section.
1. 'Like A Prayer' - WEA in-store promotional video (which also includes the Pepsi TV advert);
2. 'Like A Prayer' - WEA in-store promotional video (which also includes the Pepsi TV advert) with US flag logo on the spine
3. 'June 1989' - compilation in-store promotional video (also includes and 'Express Yourself');
4. 'Twelve Titles To Fall For' - 1989 compilation promotional video
5. 'Instore 1990' - Madonna-only compilation promotional video containing twelve videos
6. 'Ten Titles To Fall For' - 1991 compilation promotional video (also includes 'Vogue' and 'Justify My Love').
All of which only reinforces the sense of occasion that accompanied one of Madonna's most successful and critically acclaimed songs
ALL PROMOTIONAL ITEMS CAN BE VIEWED IN THE PROMO SECTION - FOR ITEMS RELATING TO THIS RELEASE CLICK HERE
7" Single - Standard UK Release
7" Single - Standard UK Release with rare indented label
7" Single - UK release with rare 'A' label variation
7" Single - UK release in rare sleeve with 'Powers That Be' credit on rear
7" Single - German pressing for UK release
7" Single - German pressing for UK release with (slightly) different rear sleeve design
7" Single - German rare alternate 'fade' version in sleeve with alternative rear design
12" Single - Standard Release
12" Single - Limited edition UK release in cream sleeve with alternate remixes
12" Single - German release with UK catalogue number and black logo on rear
12" Single - Alternate German release with UK catalogue number gold logo on rear
12" Single - Limited alternate cream German release with UK catalogue number
12" Single - Limited edtion picture disc in barcode stickered sleeve
12" Single - UK white vinyl test pressing for picture disc
Cassette Single
CD Single - sealed
BOOTLEG - German CD Longbox
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© madonna-decade 2013
© madonna-decade 2013