Rain

"Rain"
Single by Madonna
from the album Erotica
B-side	"Open Your Heart" (UK) "Up Down Suite" (Previously unreleased) "Waiting" (Remix)
Released	July 17, 1993 (1993-07-17)
Format	7" single, 12" single, cassette, CD single
Recorded	November 13 – December 6, 1991 (Manhattan, New York) Summer 1992 at Soundworks Recording Studio (Astoria, New York)
Genre	Pop
Length	5:24
Label	Maverick, Sire, Warner Bros.
Writer(s)	Madonna, Shep Pettibone
Producer	Madonna, Shep Pettibone
Madonna singles chronology
"Fever" (1993) "Rain" (1993) "Bye Bye Baby" (1993)

"Rain" is a song performed by American recording artist and songwriter Madonna which was taken from her fifth studio album Erotica (1992). The song was released on July 17, 1993 by Maverick Records. It was the fifth single release, but the fourth single release in North America. The song was produced and written by Madonna and Shep Pettibone. Lyrically, the song likens rain to the empowering effect of love, and as with water's ability to clean and wash away physical things, to also wash away pain. The lyrics also talk about waiting and hoping (and likely, reciprocation of feelings) for love; per the other songs on Erotica, sexual contact is also a possible interpretation of the song.

"Rain" received rave reviews from music critics, who noted it as one of Madonna's best works, and was then compared to her aftermath single "I'll Remember", which was released a year later. The song was then granted with moderate chart success, as it peaked inside the top ten in some countries, including Canada, Japan, Australia, Ireland, Italy and the United Kingdom. An accompanying music video was released for the single, featuring Madonna in a futuristic background, where it was shot in black and white, until being applied by blue tones. The music video was hailed from many critics, noting it as one of the best music videos of all time.

The song was only commercially released on one Madonna compilation, this being Something to Remember (1995). It has not appeared in any other compilation since. The song was performed on only two tours of Madonna's, this being The Girlie Show Tour in 1993 and a remixed version of her Sticky & Sweet Tour in 2008-09.

Background

	"Rain"
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"Rain" was chosen as the fifth single from Erotica. However, the song was initially released as the fourth single in the United States and Canada.

The US maxi-single included a previously unreleased track, "Up Down Suite", which is a 12-minute dub version of "Goodbye to Innocence", an omitted track recorded during the Erotica sessions. This version of the single also included a Danny Saber remix of the album track "Waiting" which features a rap by Everlast. In the UK, the single included the 1986 track "Open Your Heart" which was being used in a Peugeot car commercial at the time. "Rain" is also featured on Something to Remember, Madonna's ballads collection, but was omitted from both 2001's GHV2 and 2009's Celebration.

Critical reception

"Rain" was critically appreciated from many music critics, who thought the song was one of Madonna's best music created. The song was described in Rolling Stone as a "yearning ballad".^[1] Allmusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine said that the song was one of "Madonna's best and most accomplished music."^[2] Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine had described, along with "Rain"; the ballads on the album as mainly sex, saying ""Rain" as an extended [cum] metaphor, though I don't subscribe to that knee-jerk interpretation".^[3] In an extended review with Yahoo! Music, "Rain" received a positive review saying ""Rain" - This one is one of Madonna's greatest ballads, with a dynamic crescendo towards the end, signifying an escape from the deluge of the rain with the breaking of the sun. It's a fantastic tune and one of [my] all time favorites."^[4]

However, Stylus Magazine had said the song was a "slushy rewrite of that year’s “This Used To Be My Playground,” itself a slushy rewrite of Like A Prayer’s “Promise to Try.”^[5]

Chart performance

The song peaked at number fourteen on the US Billboard Hot 100, ultimately spending a total of twenty weeks on the chart. It also reached a peak of number seven on the US Adult Contemporary chart, number eleven on Hot 100 Airplay, and was allocated the number sixty-seven position on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart for 1993. In the United Kingdom, the song was also a success, peaking at number seven on the charts. According to The Official Charts Company, "Rain" has sold 130,771 copies in the United Kingdom, as of August 2008.^[6] With "Rain", Madonna achieved the accolade of most top 10 singles released by a female artist from one album, a feat she also accomplished with the release of True Blue in 1986 and again in 1998 with Ray of Light. In Canada the song was a big success, peaking at number two on September 18, 1993, and later earning the number fifteen spot on the Canadian year-end chart.

Elsewhere, the single enjoyed top twenty and top ten success. In Australia, the song debuted at number twenty-one on the charts, until rising and peaking at number five. The song remained her longest charting single, staying in the charts for twenty weeks, until "Hung Up"(2005) remained on the charts for a total of twenty-three weeks. In New Zealand, the song was a more moderate success, debuting and peaking at number twenty, staying there for four non-consecutive weeks, until falling at forty-nine.^[7] In Sweden, the song debuted at number thirty, until rising and peaking at number sixteen, staying in the charts for ten weeks. In Switzerland, the song debuted at number twenty-nine, until rising and peaking at number eleven, just missing the top ten spot, but stayed in the charts for twelve weeks.

Music video

Madonna in the "Rain" video.

The video, directed by Mark Romanek, was filmed from May 16–19, 1993 at a Santa Monica Airport hangar in Santa Monica, California.^[8] Romanek and Madonna set the video to look like Ryuichi Sakamoto was directing it, giving it a backstage feel. It was entirely shot in black and white and then digitally colored with the blue tones.^[8] The video begins with Madonna in a studio, lying on a sofa with headphones on her ears composing a song, following a sequence in which she sings in front of a microphone, which is alternated with those of her receiving instructions from the director (played by Ryuichi Sakamoto). She then appears in front of a background of bright lights, representing the sun-lit sky, and also in a scene of her kissing a man behind a glass on which water falls. The video ends with an air view of open umbrellas covering the entire floor.

The video premiered on June 21, 1993 on MTV. Later that year it won two MTV Video Music Awards for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography. On Slant Magazine's "100 Greatest Music Videos" list, it was ranked #70.^[9] This was also the second consecutive video in which Madonna wore a wig (the first one being "Fever").^[8] The video was first made commercially available when it was included on Madonna's 1999 The Video Collection 93:99 and most recently when it was included on the 2009 Celebration DVD.

• Producer: Krista Montagna
• Director of Photography: Harris Savides
• Editors: John Murray, Jim Haygood
• Production Company: Satellite Films
• Props shown:
  • Lockheed Lounge by Marc Newson
  • Arriflex 535 camera
  • NeXTstation computers

Live performances

Madonna and her backup singers Niki Haris (right) and Donna De Lory (left) perform "Rain" during The Girlie Show World Tour in 1993.

Madonna first performed the song during the Girlie Show World Tour in 1993. It was the fourth song of the concert, after the hindi inspired performance of "Vogue", Madonna and her back up singers Niki Haris and Donna De Lory appeared on the stage wearing long black see through robes on top of the bead incrusted outfits they wore for the "Vogue" performance. This performance included, during the bridge of the song, a fragment of Motown group The Temptations' 1971 hit "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)". Jon Pareles of the New York Times in his review of the concert stated that "On stage, the music isn't so resolutely contemporary. With a live band, directed by Jai Winding on keyboards, the music looks back to Motown (quoting "Just My Imagination" in "Rain"), girl groups and James Brown".^[10] After the performance of the song was finished, while Madonna and her back up singers left the stage for a costume change, an interlude featuring a pierrot and several dancers in black outfits and with umbrellas started. This interlude featured a choreography partially inspired in the classic Gene Kelly musical Singin' in the Rain and an instrumental version of the song. Madonna, herself called Kelly asking for advice regarding the dancing for that particular part of the show.^[11]

"Rain" was not included on any of Madonna's concert tours until 15 years later. During the 2008-2009 Sticky & Sweet Tour the song was remixed using elements of The Eurythmics' 1984 hit Here Comes the Rain Again. After the energetic performance of "Music", Madonna and her dancers disappeared from the stage behind two video screens that closed as if they were train doors. This gave way to the gypsy segment of the show, which started with the "Rain" interlude, which featured the japanese dancing duo Hamutsun Serve. It also included a lowering round-shaped video screen on the catwalk. The screen was used to simulate the rain as blue lights flashed across the stage creating lightening. The interlude featured the screens showing a CG animation of a rainy day and a fairy taking shelter from the rain under a leaf and witnessing the transformation of a caterpillar to a butterfly. The interlude was praised by critics, some of them called it "spell-binding"^[12]. At the end of the interlude, the screen raised to reveal a robe-clad Madonna perched on top of a grand piano and she proceeded to sing the next song "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You".

Track listings and formats

Official versions

1. "Rain" (Album version) – 5:25
2. "Rain" (Video edit) – 4:31
3. "Rain" (Radio remix) – 4:33
4. "Rain" (Remix edit) – 4:17

Personnel

• Writers and producers – Madonna, Shep Pettibone ("Rain", "Up Down Suite")
• Remix and additional production – Daniel Abraham ("Rain" Radio remix, Remix edit)
• Writers and producers – Madonna, André Betts ("Waiting", "Waiting" Remix)
• Remix and additional production – Danny Saber ("Waiting" Remix)
• Rap and additional vocals – Everlast ("Waiting" Remix)
• Post-production and mix – Shep Pettibone ("Up Down Suite")

Release history

Charts

Cover versions

• The 2000 compilation Virgin Voices: A Tribute to Madonna, Vol. 2. contains a cover of the song by British gothic rock band Rosetta Stone.^[33]
• A hi-NRG/eurodance cover by Who's That Girl was released during the 2000s through Almighty Records. An audio sample can be heard on the official Almighty Records website.^[34]

References

Footnotes

• Mad-eyes.net - "Rain" Single Page - last accessed on October 24, 2005

External links

• Music Video