An eight-track collection of rarities and remixes, 'Bedtime Stories - The Untold Chapter’, is here. To the delight of fans, it sees Madonna take a necessary delve into her 1994 album, which tapped into a self-loving, romantic side with exploratory beats and revealed sensibilities previously untouched.
Nestled between the misunderstood, sexual awakenings of ‘Erotica’ and the earthly, dance-floor-summonings of ‘Ray of Light’, ‘Bedtime Stories’ was commercially successful, but became overshadowed by her own reinvention, which led to multiple career-defining moments in the ‘90s.
After the backlash she received for ‘Erotica’s sexually explicit content, it would’ve been easy for her to put out a pop record that mimicked her previous hits, topped the charts and cancelled out the negativity. Instead, Madonna stood her ground, said “I’m not sorry” (‘Human Nature’) and worked with producers Babyface, Dallas Austin, and Nellee Hooper to craft one of her most experimental, wonderfully unusual albums.
The Quiet Storm remix of ‘Survival’ opens the EP and is layered with blurry, provocative backing vocals to contrast Madonna’s sweet melody to give the song a more aggressive edge and a wider glimpse of the album’s hip-hop streak. The same is done with ‘Don’t Stop’, adding more depth and invigoration.
Madonna’s original demo of ‘Love Won’t Wait’ has been circulating online for some years, but now ‘The Untold Chapter’ gives it an official form, with an enhanced sound. It was later given to Gary Barlow and became his 1997 hit, but it’s interesting to imagine what could’ve been of Madonna’s more impassioned take, had she released it, and what led to it being shelved.
'Freedom’, with its funky, stop-start beat, also didn’t make the original cut. It features racy guitar strums after each declaration: ‘If you say no to me / Then I will fight you ’til I’m free”. This attitude that has defined her career as she’s consistently fought against sexism, ageism and stuck up for others facing prejudice. The sentiment and lyrics “Say freedom, brotherhood” echo that of her 1992 track ‘Why’s It So Hard’ where she asked, “Why can’t we learn to challenge the system / Without living in pain?”
‘Right On Time’, another unreleased demo, is an uplifting R&B number where Madonna embraces falling in love and shameless adoration for whoever makes her happy (“The joy you’re bringing, maybe I’m in love with you”) and seems to ring of a deepening sense of fulfilment that occurred that decade.
An eloquent surprise of ‘The Untold Chapter' is ‘Let Down Your Guard’, with an electronic synth, a laid-back, bouncing beat, and satisfying, edgy groaning between verses. Originally released as a B-side, it could easily have been a successful single, but sadly didn’t match the chosen mood of the entire album at the time. Allstar’s remix of ‘Secret’ sees him blend rap into the track (“I said one for the money, two for the show / My baby’s got a secret so that’s how it goes”), giving it a burst of life and a hip-hop heaviness.
Whilst Madonna did soften her image slightly for ‘Bedtime Stories’, with a less sexual approach, she made it known that she had no regrets about the explicit ventures of ‘Erotica’, with a taunting, “Oops, I didn’t know I couldn’t talk about sex?”, that is only amplified on Howie Tee’s edit of ‘Human Nature’ where her words and the beat are strengthened to fortify her stance.
On ‘The Untold Chapter’, Madonna reminds us of the strength she has in trusting her artistry and not giving in to the ease of staying mainstream.