BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984
Originally posted October 27, 2011
“Like a Virgin” is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her second studio album Like a Virgin (1984). It was released on October 31, 1984, by Sire Records as the album’s lead single. The song was written by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, and produced by Nile Rodgers; Steinberg said that the song was inspired by his personal experiences of romance. “Like a Virgin” was chosen for Madonna by Michael Ostin of Warner Bros. Records after listening to a demo sung by Kelly. Rodgers initially felt that the song did not have a sufficient hook, but subsequently changed his opinion after the song was stuck in his head.
Musically, “Like a Virgin” is a dance-oriented song, composed of two hooks. Madonna’s voice is heard in a high register while a continuous arrangement of synths is heard along with the bassline. The lyrics of the song are ambiguous and consist of hidden innuendo, interpreted in different ways. “Like a Virgin” received positive reviews from music critics, who frequently called it as one of the defining songs for Madonna. It became her first number-one single on the record charts in Australia, Canada, Japan, and the United States, while reaching the top ten elsewhere.
The song’s music video portrayed Madonna sailing down the canals of Venice in a gondola, as well as roaming around a palace wearing a white wedding dress. With the video, scholars noted Madonna’s portrayal of a sexually independent woman, the similarity of a man wearing lion’s mask to that of Saint Mark, and the link between the eroticism in the video and the vitality of Venice. Madonna has performed the song in seven of her concert tours. Most of the time, her performances of “Like a Virgin” were associated with strong reaction and uproar from the media.
“Like a Virgin” has been covered by a number of artists and has appeared in or been referenced in feature films such as Reservoir Dogs, Moulin Rouge! and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. Family groups sought to ban it as they believed the song promoted sex without marriage. On the other hand, Madonna’s public persona of an indomitable, sexually unashamed, supremely confident woman was widely accepted by the younger generation who emulated her style and fashion. Scholars have credited “Like a Virgin” as the song which cemented her position as a pop culture icon.
SIDE A:
Like A Virgin (Extended Dance Remix) 6:07
Engineer [Additional] – Melanie West
Remix – John “Jellybean” Benitez
Engineer [Remix] – Michael Hutchinson
Written-By – Billy Steinberg/Tom Kelly*
SIDE B:
Stay 4:04
Written-By – Madonna, Steve Bray*
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
U.S. CHART HISTORY:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Like A Virgin | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | #1 |
| 1985 | Like A Virgin | U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play | #1 |
| 1985 | Like A Virgin | U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles | #9 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Sire – 0-20239, Sire – 9 20239-0 A
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
CREDITS:
Photography By – Larry Williams (9)
Producer – Nile Rodgers
NOTES:
Original version of “Like A Virgin” and “Stay” from the Sire album “Like A Virgin”
Made in U.S.A.
Find the 12″ at DISCOGS
VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net
EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Schiit Mani
Soundcard: ESI Juli@ XTe Audio Interface
Monitiring: Novation Audiohub 2×4 Audio Interface
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner
SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2, ocenaudio
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
Rats. I’m too late for this classic, too!
FLAC downloads are still indicated, but the links are expired. Oh well, it’s my fault for arriving years after the fact, right?
Thanks for even sharing any Madonna, Paul. The sharing is what matters so thanks for all your other hundreds of fabulous shares ^
Love the stunningly rendered sleeve artwork, Paul. Madonna when she still had something….great photography, the rear sleeve especially. BTG’s attention to detail and quality is what makes it so special (as well as the impeccable 80s music taste!).
EG.
The sound is so clear and crisp. The quality and time you put in your passion for music and share it with us is a real gift for the music lovers of ALL KINDS.
There is always something interesting to hear or to discover.
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you
Thank You for revisiting this one. It’s clearly a better rip than the prev. one which really had a lot of sibilance. This one’s much cleaner.
Great job Paul, I’m a big fan of your website.
I love that you take the time to go back and remaster better versions of classic tracks like this one. It’s what separates your site from other amateurs.
There were actually two 12″ mixes of ‘Like a Virgin’ produced. One by Nile Rodgers (Extended Version) and the other by Jellybean Benitez (Extended Dance Remix), but after listening to both Warner Bros. Records decided to go with the 12″ dance remix produced by Jellybean as it was considered the superior mix.
Thanks for posting!
You’re welcome, Frank. Thanks for the info 🙂
Why, Why, WHY!!! Dude, there are so many bands that you have a choice to pick from and yet you picked Madonna for the 25th time. there are so many good artists out there that you’ve only posted once or twice or never which they are a whole lot better than recycled Madonna! common dude, you are better than this, A serious DJ pick up the songs that people like, not what he likes (that, he can always do in his free time). I don’t mean to be rude but I wish to see a variety of good artists &… Read more »
Hi,
My Vinyl Dreams and this site do not compare.
That one has the most confusing ‘layout’ ever and is only mp3 from what I can see ?
I wasn’t comparing at all. there isn’t a site like BTG anywhere!
and yes you are right, however, he sometimes upload Flac files and there is a similarity between our beloved site to his. my main point is, that he offers a diversity of groups and styles etc. thanks Paul for being the best and sharing that with us.
Joe H.
Come on Joe, Paul often posts obscure and niche stuff, along with all those follow-up non-hitting singles by one-hit-wonders and international acts.
He pours his heart into records that few other people would. You can’t deny him his chance (on his own blog!) to celebrate the more popular tracks too – ones which might also bring more people to BTG, and be their way of discovering his amazing catalogue.
Joe, you must be new to BTG. This Madonna post is one of 2,695 other posts on this site many very obscure and hard to find. I post the well known and not so well known artists.
Joe, Paul can post what he likes. It’s all free you know? Madonna has had over 75 singles i guess i for one would like much more Madonna 12s and UK 7s which still to date haven’t been released onto the CD format. Quite frankly, your post infuriates me. More Madonna please, Paul
Pretty rude. Create your own site if you don’t like what’s posted here .
Melanie West.
So glad I finally know a person who recorded so many of my past’s all time favorites. Great ear and feeling, beautiful style.
Thank you for making me notice.
Fabulous sounding rip, possibly one of your best. Thank you!
Thank you Richard 🙂
Another good choice Paul, thank you.
I went to Venice and spent ages trying to work out which bridges she pranced over and sailed under, but of course there’s hundreds of them, and they all look the same to the tourist’s eye.
I’m amazed a location guide hasn’t been made. Do we have any Italians in the house…?? 🙂
Thank you Jermajesty 🙂
Thanks Paul for this re-rip. It’s exciting because Madonna’s new song and album are around the bend. I really need to pick up her “Rebel Heart” as I’ve heard it is a very good album. I guess I miss the vintage Madonna. Music by her still sounds fresh years later. Sometimes the trends get over-exploited. Gosh, I miss the 80’s and some of the 90’s too. I’m glad you “re-master” these beloved twelves. You seem to care more about classics than a lot of labels and artists do. Not to live in the past, but one shouldn’t forget what came… Read more »
Thanks so much, Jeff. I always appreciate your comments so much 🙂