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Japan:
Switzerland:
Rest
of Europe:
USA:
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February
22, 1998
February
27, 1998
March 2, 1998
March 3, 1998 |
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**
= Only included as a bonus-track on Japanese
Edition
=
Promo-Only Single (UK) |
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Produced
by: Madonna
and Willam Ørbit
Except: Tracks
5 and 6 prod. by Madonna, William Ørbit
and Marius De Vries, Tracks 7, 9, 10, and
11 prod. by Madonna, William Ørbit
and Patrick Leonard,
Track 12 prod. by Madonna
and Marius De Vries
All songs written by:
Madonna and Patrick Leonard
Except: Track
1 written by Madonna, W. Ørbit,
Rod McKuen, Anita Kerr and David Collins,
Track 2, 8 and 13 by Madonna and William Ørbit,
Track 3 by Madonna, W. Ørbit,
Clive Muldoon, Dave Curtis and Christine Leach,
Track 4 by Madonna, W. Ørbit
and Susannah Melvoin, Track 10, 11 and 12
by Madonna and Rick Nowels
Photographs by:
Mario Testino
Art Direction by:
Kevin Reagan
Design by: Kevin
Reagan & Kerosene Halo |
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'Ray
Of Light' is without a question Madonna's
most personal album since her 1989-album Like
A Prayer while being very up-front in
showing her interest in eastern spirituality.
She decided again to work with longtime collaborator
Patrick Leonard and with [back then] newcomer
William
Ørbit
who was responsible for the electronic feel
of the album. Ørbit
previously remixed the following songs for
Madonna: Justify
My Love, Erotica
and I'll
Remember.
Work on 'Ray Of Light' began first
in May 1997 when Madonna met with Babyface,
responsible for her biggest single-hit in
the '90s, Take
A Bow. They both came up with a couple
of songs before Madonna changed her idea about
the album's direction. Babyface was dropped
from the project and Madonna turned to Rick
Nowels, best known for his work with singers
such as Celine Dion, Stevie Nicks and Belinda
Carlisle. They wrote 7 songs in nine days,
3 of them ended up on the album. Still, there
was no sign of the future electronic direction
the album would take. Madonna wrote some more
songs with long time collaborator Patrick
Leonard and ended up producing the songs with
British techno-wizard William
Ørbit. |
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The
recording of 'Ray Of Light' was completed
over a four-and-a-half-month period, the longest
ever for a singer who likes to keep her artistic
process spontaneous, focused, and fast. Most of
the time there were only four people in the studio
- Ørbit,
Madonna, engineer Pat McCarthy, and his assistand
engineer Matt Silva - together with mountains of
machinery.
Before releasing songs from the album, Madonna tested
the songs by playing them at Club Liquid in Miami
which is owned by her friend Ingris Casares.
'Ray Of Light' contains exactly 13 songs
because Madonna believes that 13 is a lucky number
- according to the Kaballah. Only the Japanese Version
of the album contains 14 tracks. It is featuring
the song 'Has To Be' which otherwise is only
available as a B-Side on the Ray
Of Light-Single. Also notable is that 'Ray
Of Light' is Madonna's 13th album!
Madonna presented 3 songs from 'Ray Of Light'
live on stage at the Roxy
in New York City on Valentine's Day, February 14,
1998, in front of 2'000 people. It was her very
first club performance in 10 years! Performed songs
were: 'Sky Fits Heaven', 'Shanti / Ashtangi'
and 'Ray Of Light'.
Other considered titles for 'Ray Of Light'
were 'Mantra', 'Sutra' and 'Drowned
World' while the song 'Skin' was originally
to be called 'Flirtation Dance'.
A Remix-Album of 'Ray Of Light' was originally
planned for a Fall 1998-release. The Remix-Album
was tentatively named 'Veronica Electronica'
but somehow the project never finalized.
Plans to go on a Fall 1999 world-tour to promote
'Ray Of Light' were cancelled after Madonna
got signed up to star in the film The
Next Best Thing. 'Ray Of Light' is the
winner of numerous awards including Madonna's very
first Grammy Award for Best Pop Album and is up
to today considered as one of Madonna's best artistic
efforts!
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| Chart-Performance
& Sales (Selection): |
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| Switzerland: |
#01 |
| UK: |
#01 |
| USA: |
#01
(4x Platinum) |
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Sales &
Additional Info: --- |
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Collector's Links: |
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![[Buy it!]](../../welcome/releases/cd_ray-of-light-lim-edition.jpg)
![[Buy it!]](../../welcome/releases/cd_rol-album.jpg)
![[Buy it!]](../../welcome/releases/cd_ray-of-light-japan.jpg)
