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Madonna news - June 2002
← June 2002 | July 2002 →
30 June - Air to produce track for new album? *rumour*
AIR are supposed to produce a track for the new Madonna album, cliams brasilian site Madonna Online, stating that their information is exclusive and official (no source added). The recordings may start in August. This means that Madonna will be having a french feeling to her album again, not only working with the french duo but also with Mirwais and composer Michel Colombier. AIR are used to collaborate with big starts, being their latest work a remix for the track "I Deserve a Better Future" from the new David Bowie album ("Heathen"). (source: Madonnapower )
30 June - Bond director confirms cameo
BBC reports that director of Die Another Day Lee Tamahori has confirmed that Madonna will be making an appearance in the Bond movie, though only a short one.
30 June - Madonna to perform Die Another Day at MTV Awards? / Album rumours *rumour*
MTV is speculating that Madonna may be performing at the MTV Video Music Awards in September. The chosen song would be Die Another Day. They also hinted that two tracks from her up coming CD will be named 'Trick' and 'Unless It's You'. They supposedly quoted one of the producers saying 'the album would be like nothing you'd expect from Madonna'. We'll have to wait and see. (source: Madonnarama)
30 June - Boy George denies rumours about suiing
Remember that controversy about Madonna suing Boy George over his play Taboo's parody of Vogue? It got huge press, but this piece did not (found on a Boy George web site)... [Boy] George, in his Express Column puts us right! "Madonna didn't threaten to sue us for playing, rather deliciously, with the lyrics to her hit Vogue in my musical, Taboo. Her publishers, probably on her behalf, gave us permission to use them verbatim..." (source: MLVC mailing list)
30 June - Liz Smith about Swept Away *spoiler*
Only Time will tell what the demanding movie critics will think of Madonna's latest big screen adventure, Swept Away" (This is her husband, Guy Ritchie's remake of the '74 Lina Wertmuller classic about a rich, unpleasant woman marooned on a desert island with a guy of the "lower classes.") But you can take it from me, this new 'Swept Away' has a moment everyone can enjoy. It shows Madonna, dressed in a gold evening gown, dancing while lip syncing to Della Reese's hot version of "Come on-a-My House." As Della sings about giving you "figs and grapes and a pomegranates, too," Madonna catches and discards the various fruits with lightning precision. She camps it up like there's no tomorrow. For die-hard Madonna fans, its a moment to die for. (Liz Smith in NY Post)
28 June - Love Won't Wait & No Substitute For Love full demos
Fansite Madonnapower is once again proving to be the new Madonna downloaders heaven! After providing us the full demos of Like A Flower and Gone, Gone, Gone, they are now offering full and clean versions of Love Won't Wait and No Substitute For Love. Love Won't Wait was written and recorded by Madonna in the mid 90s but she rejected it and later Gary Barlow released his own version. Madonna's recording surfaced on the Internet in bad quality, originating from an amateur recording when the demo was played in Lucky Records in Paris. This time we get to hear the clean version! We already heard a small snippet of No Substitute For Love at MadonnasAshram, but not the whole version. This is of course a first version of what would later become Drowned World / Substitute For Love. Though the lyrics resemble a lot, the music and rhythm of this demo differs totally from the Ray Of Light song we know. Definitely worth downloading, so check it out at Madonnapower !
28 June - Brosnan hints at cameo
Though it still hasn't officially been confirmed, it seems more and more likely that Madonna indeed has a cameo role in Die Another Day. Dotmusic reports: "Madonna looks set to further advance her acting career by appearing alongside Pierce Brosnan in the next James Bond movie, 'Die Another Day'. The reigning Queen of Pop was originally only expected to provide the theme tune to the new film, but it now appears she's also been asked to play a small role alongside 007. Speaking to Radio 1, Brosnan said: "Madonna's going to sing the song, and I believe she could have a cameo role in this movie. I believe I'm not allowed to tell you." Madonna's acting career has recently been troubled by press allegations that unreasonable demands make her impossible to work with. The theatre manager at London's Wyndham Theatre - where Madonna is currently starring in 'Up For Grabs' - recently quit his post after more than 30 years, because he was "unable to cope" with her excessive requests. Madonna is said to have demanded her dressing room be redecorated and a power shower installed, and insisted a pair of bouncers attend each side of the stage, which she also had raised.
~ All the fans who have seen Up For Grabs have denied that the stage was raised, so take these rumours with a big grain of salt.
MadMax member MadGuy also pointed out this interesting news, which was posted at CommanderBond.net: "Few details are known about the ominous Scorpion Girl. Intelligence reports do indicate that she resides in Colonel Moon's North Korean base. Furthermore, it was reported that she had been given the task of torturing a British national held in captivity by Colonel Moon. However, the name of this spy has yet to be discovered. Actress playing the role yet to be uncovered". Could it be that Madonna will take this part? It would explain why she needs a special designed suit, as rumoured.
26 June - Madonna has a fabulous body, says Liz
Madonna's camp is quashing rumors that Guy Ritchie nixed nude scenes in their cinematic collaboration 'Swept Away' because her body didn't make the cut. Sources say editor Eddie Hamilton was overheard at a party mouthing off that Ritchie snipped the scenes of his wife because they "weren't too flattering," Britain's Sunday People says. "They leave absolutely nothing to the imagination," Hamilton is quoted as saying. "We took loads of footage of Madonna completely starkers, but after seeing it, Guy said, 'No way!' They both felt the shots didn't make Madonna look too good — although they'll probably crop up on the Internet in a few months." Madonna's rep Liz Rosenberg scoffed at the suggestion that the 43-year-old star — whose 1992 photo book, "Sex," displayed every inch of her naked form — has lost her shape. "Say what you want about Madonna, but you can't say she doesn't have a fabulous body," Rosenberg said. "I don't think Guy has complaints about her body." (source: NY Daily News)
26 June - Test audience not impressed by Swept Away / Possible name change
Rumours have surfaced that test audiences watching Madonna's new movie Swept Away have not been too impressed. In particular, reports said they laughed at all the wrong moments. It is said the Queen of Pop has urged the filmmakers to remove unflattering nude scenes. The film is directed by Madonna's hubby Guy Ritchie and she plays Raffaella, a rich woman who goes on a yachting vacation in the Mediterranean and becomes romantically involved with a communist sailor after they are shipwrecked. (source: ITV)
~ Notice they say her character will be named Raffaella, while earlier reports spoke about Amber.
26 June - Madonna's wedding bracelet stolen
A
£49,000 diamond bracelet Madonna borrowed from a jeweller
to wear on her wedding day has been stolen in a raid on a London
store. The 19 carat diamond French filigree bracelet, which was
picked by designer Stella McCartney to complement the pop star's
gothic-style gown, was among 13 items, valued at more than £100,000,
taken in the raid. The robbers, posing as builders, used a steel
girder to smash a security door at Moira's Antique Jewellers,
New Bond Street, as it opened for business. They then threatened
staff with a handgun before escaping in a white van which was
found burnt out in nearby Jones Street. As they fled the robbers
dropped a diamond tiara which was later recovered. An elderly
worker needed hospital treatment after he suffered a head injury
when he was pushed down a flight of stairs. The bracelet, which
Madonna wore to marry film director Guy Ritchie in December 2000
at Skibo Castle in Scotland, dates from 1910. Today Moira Cohen,
the director of the jeweller's, confirmed the piece worn by Madonna
had been stolen. A £100,000 reward has been offered by a
firm of Lloyd's underwriters following the raid on 4 May. Anyone
with information is asked to contact the Flying Squad at Barnes.
(source: This
Is London)22 June - Swept Away is a disaster, says editor
Madonna's new film Swept Away will be a box office disaster – according to the man who edited it. Eddie Hamilton also revealed that the singer's hubby Guy Ritchie — who wrote and directed the movie — ordered graphic nude shots of his missus to be cut because they "weren't too flattering". And some of Madge's scenes had to be re-shot after they were deemed a turn-off to filmgoers. The romantic comedy has been dogged by rumours of trouble on the Maltese film set and has had scathing pre-release reviews. Guy even pulled it from last month's Cannes Film Festival to save it being slammed by critics. Now editor Hamilton has added fuel to the fire by revealing that a test audience hated it. He was overheard at a recent party in London saying: "The audience didn’t know what to make of it. A lot of them marked it down and weren't laughing at the bits that were supposed to be funny. They didn't like Madonna's character at all. A lot of the audience said she sounded too bitchy when she spoke so we had to re-record some of her lines. The film is very un-PC. There are a lot of scenes of the male lead beating Madonna up and the audience didn't know how to respond to it. He beats her up and she falls in love with him." Referring to the racy nude scenes, Eddie added: "They leave absolutely nothing to the imagination and to be frank, they're not very flattering. We took loads of footage of Madonna completely starkers but after seeing it, Guy said 'No way!'. They both felt the shots didn't make Madonna look too good — although they'll probably crop up on the Internet in a few months." Eddie's explosive comments are sure to infuriate Madonna, pictured right, and Guy and could mean he never works with himand producer Matthew Vaughn again. A source close to Madonna said: "She will not be happy about what he has said at all. She is desperate to make a good film and for the editor to say such things is not good, especially as Swept Away isn't even out yet." The film, due to be released in September, tells the story of a rich woman, played by Madge, who gets stranded on a desert island and falls in love with the captain of their stricken yacht. In another twist, Guy included a Moulin Rouge-inspired dance routine during re-editing which required a full jazz orchestra and a Versace dress for Madge being flown out to the set. (source: The Sun)
21 June - New program book for Up For Grabs
There's
a new edition of the Up For Grabs program book. Among changes
is a name change for Madonna: she's no longer listed as 'Madonna'
(like in the first edition) but as 'Madonna Ritchie'. The new
edition also features this stunning picture. (source: Madonna
Electronica)21 June - Madonna no. 4 on Forbes power list
Madonna ranks fourth in Forbes' list of the 100 most powerful people of 2002, right behind Britney, Tiger Woods and Steven Spielberg. She's no. 17 in earnings, making $ 43 million. Forbes calls her 'the savviest woman in music business': "The savviest woman in music has a busy schedule: In the last year she went on a 47-show tour, starred in a movie directed by husband Guy Ritchie and in a play in London's West End. She also found time to issue a denial of a rumored pregnancy." You can check the complete list at Forbes. (thanx to MadMax member Derrick for bringing this to our attention)
20 June - Theatre boss quits over Madonna's demands
The theatre manager in charge of Madonna's West end debut has sensationally quit after becoming infuriated with the star's never-ending demands and quest for total control. Madonna has been performing to sell-out audiences in the play Up For Grabs at Wyndham's Theatre. But William Ingrey, who has spent nearly 30 years at the theatre, was unable to stand her and her entourage any longer. Among Madonna's demands was that her dressing room be decorated in pale shades and fitted with a walk-in power shower. She also insisted that her bouncers remain each side of the stage when she is performing. She asked for the stage to be raised by several feet and decreed that large areas of the auditorium be closed to staff during performances. Mr Ingrey was unable to comment but a friend said: "William was exasperated by all the fuss surrounding Madonna. He had been pushing for the dressing room to be redecorated for donkey's years. When Madonna arrived there was a complete revamp to her precise specifications. William wasn't terribly happy in the job anyway and Madonna was the icing on the cake." At his leaving party Mr Ingrey told colleagues he was "unable to cope with constraints put upon him to satisfy the needs of the present productions". (source: This Is London)
18 June - ICON merges with Madonna.com
The
website of ICON,
Madonna's official fan club has now merged with the brand new
Madonna.com.
As a goodbye present they've posted a new picture of Swept Away.
(thanx to Mark/MadGuy for the info). Meanwhile, Madonna.com
announces they received a massive 4 million pageviews on their
first day!17 June - Mad'House, the album
It was inevitable; after the successful Like A Prayer cover and their current single Holiday, Mad'House will release their debut-album which is stacked with Madonna covers. The tracklisting will be as follows: 1. Like a prayer; 2. Holiday; 3. Into the groove; 4. La isla bonita; 5. Borderline; 6. Papa don't preach; 7. Vogue; 8. Frozen; 9. Open your heart; 10. Everybody; 11. Be yourself; 12. Someone's taken over. Does this mean they actually have two songs of their own? ;-) (source: Madonna Electronica)
16 June - Bond theme is finished, cameo not yet *rumour*
According to Actustar.com, Madonna has finished the recording of the Bond theme, titled Die Another Day. Her cameo in the movie on the other hand will be filmed on June 23rd, says Popbitch.com. (source: Madonna Electronica)
16 June - Some thoughts on Swept Away *spoiler*
Baz Bamigboye, theatre and film writer, wrote some of his thoughts after seeing a preview of Swept Away in friday's Daily Mail (thanx to Jellytot for the transcript):
"A humbled Madonna barking like a poodle is something to behold. Mrs Ritchie plays a wealthy but miserable wife - a bitch with a capital B - in Swept Away, Guy Ritchie's £4 million update of the version of Lina Wertmuller's 1974 movie of the same name.
"Adriano Giannini plays a handsome fisherman working on the luxury yacht taking Madonna's character and friends around the Mediterranean.
"On screen, Adriano (whose father Giancarlo was in the original film) and Madonna spark off each other well. At one point, an exasperated Adriano snaps: 'She's a lizard who should be made into a belt, bag and boots!'
"Tables are turned when the two are shipwrecked on a deserted island and Adriano can tell Madonna what he really thinks of her - including forcing her to bark like a dog.
"Guy does a little tribute in the sand to the surf-bon scene in From Her To Eternity and his wife and the leading man romp naked on the beach (discreetly shot of course). They both look very fit.
"There's a fab moment when Adriano imagines her dressed in gold lame singing Come On-A My House, but perversely, it isn't Madonna actually singing, but lip-synching to Della Reese.
"Wicked whispers unfairly dismissed the film as a disaster. An uncompleted version was screen tested in the spring and it scored poorly. Major editing ensued and a surprising bittersweet romance is the result, which left Claudia Schiffer in tears.
"I also caught up with Madonna on stage in Up For Grabs and though her charisma shone through."
16 June - Madonna to kiss Bond girl? *rumour*
It's another day, another lesbian kiss for Madonna. Not content with a bit of racy girl-on-girl action in her West End play, Up for Grabs, the queen of pop's cameo in the new Bond film Die Another Day will, according to the New York Post, see the singer kissing Halle Berry, who plays Bond babe baddy Jinx. Madonna, who also sings the theme tune for the film, is believed to have only agreed to perform if she was offered a cameo part in the movie, and was insistent that her short time on screen be memorable. (source: PeopleNews)
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