borderline

"Borderline"
Single by Madonna from the album Madonna
B-side	"Think of Me"
Released	February 15 1984 June 1984 (UK) January 1986 (UK re-entry)
Format	CD single 12" Maxi Single 7" Single
Recorded	1983
Genre	Pop
Length	5:22
Label	Sire, Warner Bros.
Writer	Reggie Lucas
Producer	Reggie Lucas for Kalisa, Inc.
Certification	Gold
Madonna singles chronology
"Holiday" (1983) "Borderline" (1984) "Lucky Star" (1984)
Audio sample
Info "Borderline" (help·info)

"Borderline" is the fourth single by pop singer Madonna, released on February 15, 1984 by Sire Records. It appears on her 1983 debut album, Madonna and later on the 1990 greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection.

Song information

"Borderline" was both composed and produced by Reggie Lucas. The 7" Version, 12" Version & Dub Version were remixed by John "Jellybean" Benitez, Madonna's then boyfriend. In 2006 Grammy Award-winning singer Jody Watley covered the song for her album The Makeover. Rob Thomas has also been known to cover this song live.

"Borderline" became a modest Adult Contemporary hit and another top five hit on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The single's sales were also strong, and eventually led to a gold certification.

"Borderline" became the first of a 17-hit string of U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 singles (ending in 1989 with "Oh Father" stalling at #20). Counting Top 20 singles, "Borderline" was Madonna's second single of a 26-single-string of top 20 singles between 1984 and 1992 ("Deeper and Deeper" was Madonna's last consecutive U.S. single to crack the Top 20). "Borderline" slinked its way up the Billboard Hot 100 for a steady 13 weeks, finally peaking at a lofty #10 the week of June 16, 1984.

In Australia, "Borderline" became Madonna's third consecutive Top 20 single, reaching #12.

When first released in the UK, it had a very weak showing of #56 as the third single from the parent "Madonna" album, following "Lucky Star". However, upon re-entry in January 1986, after a phenomenally successful UK chart year in 1985 which saw Madonna accrue 8 top ten hits, the track eventually peaked at #2. The 1984 release was packed in the UK with a 7" single of Holiday, and shrinkwrapped with a cover sticker. This is extremely rare, and sells for up to £350.

Thus far the song has only been performed on one of Madonna's tours, The Virgin Tour. For unknown reasons it was not included on the official Virgin Tour VHS.

The song has been rumored to be referring to the Borderline personality disorder, a hypothesis supported by the lyrics.

Music video

"Borderline" was filmed on location in Los Angeles, California from January 30 to February 2, 1984 and was the first video that Madonna made with director Mary Lambert, who would later also direct the videos "Like a Virgin", "Material Girl", "La Isla Bonita" and "Like a Prayer". In this video Madonna is a colorful street girl, toying with one of the boys. A photographer then gets interested in her and she lets him take pictures while she sips champagne. [1] However, Madonna quickly gets bored and tries to win back the heart of her boyfriend. Lambert creates a contrast with color scenes in the street (with the boyfriend) and black and white scenes during the photoshoots. It was the first Madonna video that received sustained play on MTV. Then unknown Actor John Leguizamo is in the video as one of Madonna's boyfriend's friends. [2]

• Director: Mary Lambert
• Producers: Bruce Logan, Michele Ferrone
• Director of Photography: Andrea Dietrich
• Editor: Glenn Morgan
• Contributing Writer: Keith Williams
• Production Company: Bruce Logan Inc.

Trivia

• This video was ranked #24 on Rolling Stone magazine's The 100 Top Music Videos.
• This video was ranked #84 on VH1's 100 Greatest Videos.

Tracklistings and formats

• UK 7" Single & UK. Limited Edition Shaped Picture Disc

1. "Borderline (Edit)"
2. "Physical Attraction (Edit - although this is not described as such on the release)"

• UK 12" Single

1. "Borderline (US Remix)"
2. "Borderline (Dub Remix)"
3. "Physical Attraction (Full-Length Version)"

• European 5" CD Single Re-Issue

1. "Borderline (Dub Version)"
2. "Borderline (US Remix)"
3. "Physical Attraction (LP Version)"

• U.S. 12" Maxi Single

1. "Borderline (New Mix)"
2. "Lucky Star (New Mix)"

• Australian 12" Single

1. "Borderline (Extended Remix)"
2. "Borderline (Edit)"
3. "Borderline (Instrumental)"

Chart performance

Charts

Included on

• Madonna
• The Immaculate Collection

Official versions

• Album Version (5:19)
• Extended Dance Remix (6:56)
• Remix Edit (3:56)
• Instrumental Dub (5:44) 12" vinyl and European 5" CD single reissue (1995)
• Shep Pettibone/Goh Hotoda Remix from The Immaculate Collection (4:00)
• First Album Sessions - Demo 2-18-83 (4:38) Unreleased

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