.gif)
Erotica (song)
Encyclopedia
"Erotica" is the lead single
from American singer-songwriter Madonna
's fifth studio album, Erotica (1992). The single was released in October 1992 by Maverick Records
, and later included on her greatest hits albums GHV2
(2001) and Celebration
(2009). Released amidst a blaze of publicity and hype for the single and other projects at the time, "Erotica" became her first lead single from an album not to hit number one in the U.S. since her debut album in 1983. Fourteen years after its original release, the song received renewed attention with its inclusion in the set list for the Confessions Tour
. The song, along with "Secret Garden", were the only Madonna songs used in her feature film debut as a director, Filth and Wisdom
(2007).
"Erotica" continued Madonna's exploration of potent spoken-word vocals (as introduced in "Justify My Love
") and was highly controversial when it was released due to its sexual theme and suggestive lyrics. Upon the song's release, the Vatican
banned Madonna from entering the state and her music was banned on its radio stations. The song and its accompanying album are also banned in Lebanon.
. It was producer Shep Pettibone's idea to have the writing from the book included in the song, and the result was more "erotic", broken down and raw than "Erotica". These lyrics can also be heard in the William Orbit
remix
es on the single. In the original demo for the song, which leaked to the Internet in February 2008, the lyrics of the opening and chorus differ from those of the final recorded version. The lyrics "My name is Dita, I'll be your mistress tonight" are omitted. The chorus is also substantially different. Madonna performed "Erotica" as the opening song on her 1993 Girlie Show Tour
.
For Madonna's 2006 Confessions Tour
, Madonna and Stuart Price
created a remix of "Erotica", which used the demo chorus. This version mixes a different verse and chorus with the original album version's chorus ("Erotic/Erotic/Put your hands all over my body"). It also uses the bridge "Erotica/Romance/Erotica/I'd like to put you in a trance". While listed as "Erotica" in the Confessions Tour program, most fans know the song as "You Thrill Me" after its unique chorus:
Some of the lyrics from the original demo of "Erotica" can also be heard in the "Jeep Beats" remix on the "Erotica" maxi-single. Madonna can be heard singing "I'm so in love with you" and "You thrill me" in this mix - lyrics not used in the album cut of "Erotica".
The album version of "Erotica" contains a sample
of the 1974 hit song "Jungle Boogie
", performed by Kool and the Gang. In addition, the song samples "El Yom 'Ulliqa 'Ala Khashaba" ("Today, He Is Held to a Cross") by Lebanese singer Fairuz
from her 1962 album Good Friday - Eastern Sacred Songs. Madonna used that prayer more prominently in her "The Beast Within" track. Fairuz sued Madonna for $2.5 million for plagiarism over the section/sampling. In "Erotica", Madonna repeatedly chants over Fairuz's voice "All over me". An undisclosed settlement was eventually reached between Fairuz and Madonna, but the scandal caused both the single and the album to be banned in Lebanon.
The song has been remixed by William Orbit, who would later become Madonna's main collaborator on her 1998 album Ray of Light
, and prolific DJs Masters at Work
.
In the sleeve notes to I'm Going to Tell You a Secret
and the live CD The Confessions Tour
it credits an additional composer to have written this song: Antony Shimkin. ASCAP have officially confirmed this.
The single was the first of Madonna's releases to feature the label of her new record company, Maverick. However, the German 7" still has the old-style Sire label although the German 12" features the new Maverick label. Germany also pressed a second 12" of four of the Masters at Work remixes. The sleeve is identical to the first 12" but has a gold rim round the edge of the sleeve.
A 12" limited edition picture disc was pressed by WEA in England and then withdrawn and destroyed as it depicted Madonna sucking Naomi Campbell's toe. Owing to the recent royal scandal of The Duchess of York
being caught topless by paparazzi engaging in a similar act with her then-financial adviser, John Bryan, the pressing of 50,000 copies was recalled and destroyed to avoid embarrassing the British Royal Family
, and, to avoid accusations that WEA was cashing in on the scandal. There are less than 150 copies known to be in existence. Slant Magazine
listed "Erotica" as the 34th "Best Singles of the '90s".
A version of "Erotica" was included as a promotional, single-track CD
that accompanied her infamous Sex
book. The track, entitled "Erotic", was produced by Madonna and Shep Pettibone
. This version is quite not so different from "Erotica"; although "Erotic" has less instrumentation and its lyrics are passages from Sex. The CD came in a special re-sealable mylar wrapper sleeve resembling a condom
. The reason for this was to promote safe sex
. Although "Erotic" has never been commercially released, a remix by William Orbit
can be found on the maxi CD/12" single of "Erotica". The CD is now out of print along with the book.
chart history. It sky-rocketed to its peak of number three the following chart week and charted for a total of 18 weeks. "Erotica" also made the highest debut in the history of the Hot 100 Airplay chart, entering at its peak position of number two, and it also reached number one on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play and number four on the Hot 100 Singles Sales charts. The single was certified gold by the RIAA
on December 10, 1992. Internationally, "Erotica" became another big hit for Madonna, hitting the top five in many markets including the U.K., Ireland, and Australia and topping the charts in Italy. It also topped the Eurochart Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks, becoming her eighth number one hit in Europe.
The music video for "Erotica" is one of Madonna's most infamous videos, directed by fashion photographer Fabien Baron. The clip depicts Madonna as a mask-wearing dominatrix
; interspersed are scenes from the making of the Sex
book. The American MTV
aired it a total of three times (all of these in the "safe harbor
") due to its highly charged sexual content, and it was eventually Madonna's second video to be banned from airing by that channel. There are two versions of the video - the "standard" version which contained no nudity was released in the United States (it can be viewed on Madonna's official web page); and a more explicit version of the video was released only in Europe and Australia, which contained full-frontal nudity of Madonna and variation in the editing. The video was ranked #16 on VH1
's "50 Sexiest Video Moments". An uncensored version was also made available and features full nudity, fellatio, anal sex and extreme bondage.
Naomi Campbell
, Isabella Rossellini
, and Big Daddy Kane
appeared in Madonna's music video for "Erotica". The footage of Madonna performing the song in her S&M dominatrix costume was shot on August 22, 1992 at The Kitchen
in New York City
. The rest of the footage for the video was shot during the New York City
photo sessions for her infamous book Sex (many of the photographs in the book are actually stills from this footage) - an hour of this footage was compiled by Madonna and Baron for a film that was made for the party she gave at Industria in New York for the release of Sex, a film that included a soundtrack of French music from the 1920s and 1930s that included songs from such singers as Charles Trenet
, Mistinguett
, Maurice Chevalier
, Edith Piaf
, and Josephine Baker
. This film was also given by Madonna to her closest friends. It later leaked out to the public and copies of it were sold on eBay for some time. Today this film, known as the Sex Book Video can be found circulating on the internet in low quality.
2-track single (9 18782-2)
7-track maxi single (9 40585-2)
CD single (9362-40657-2)
2x12" promo single (PRO-A-5960)
CD promo single (PRO-CD-5648)
(Included with Sex
)
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from American singer-songwriter Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's fifth studio album, Erotica (1992). The single was released in October 1992 by Maverick Records
Maverick Records
Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
, and later included on her greatest hits albums GHV2
GHV2
GHV2 is the second greatest hits compilation album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 12, 2001, by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records. It contains the most popular songs from the 1990s up until 2001. It is the follow-up to the 1990 release, The...
(2001) and Celebration
Celebration (Madonna album)
Celebration is the third greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, and the closing release under her contract with Warner Bros. Records, her record company since 1982. The release follows her two previous greatest hits albums, The Immaculate Collection and GHV2...
(2009). Released amidst a blaze of publicity and hype for the single and other projects at the time, "Erotica" became her first lead single from an album not to hit number one in the U.S. since her debut album in 1983. Fourteen years after its original release, the song received renewed attention with its inclusion in the set list for the Confessions Tour
Confessions Tour
Confessions Tour was the seventh concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It supported her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor. Madonna confirmed the possibility of going out on a tour as early as November 2005. Jamie King, Madonna's longtime collaborator, was then hired on...
. The song, along with "Secret Garden", were the only Madonna songs used in her feature film debut as a director, Filth and Wisdom
Filth and Wisdom
Filth and Wisdom is the first film directed by Madonna, starring Eugene Hütz, Holly Weston, Vicky McClure and Richard E. Grant. It was filmed on location in London, England from May 14 to May 29, 2007 with additional scenes shot in July 2007....
(2007).
"Erotica" continued Madonna's exploration of potent spoken-word vocals (as introduced in "Justify My Love
Justify My Love
"Justify My Love" is the first single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 1990 greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection and was released on November 6, 1990, by Sire Records. It caused international controversy due to the accompanying music video which was sexually explicit...
") and was highly controversial when it was released due to its sexual theme and suggestive lyrics. Upon the song's release, the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
banned Madonna from entering the state and her music was banned on its radio stations. The song and its accompanying album are also banned in Lebanon.
Background
There are three different versions of this song: the original demo, the album version, and the song "Erotic", which was created during the Erotica album sessions exclusively to accompany the 1992 book SexSex (book)
Sex is a coffee table book written by Madonna with photographs by Steven Meisel Studio and film frames taken from film shot by Fabien Baron. The book was edited by Glenn O'Brien. Sex was released on October 21, 1992 by Warner Books...
. It was producer Shep Pettibone's idea to have the writing from the book included in the song, and the result was more "erotic", broken down and raw than "Erotica". These lyrics can also be heard in the William Orbit
William Orbit
William Orbit is an English musician, composer and record producer, perhaps best known to most for his work on Madonna's album Ray of Light. He has also co-produced several unreleased Madonna songs originally recorded for other albums...
remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es on the single. In the original demo for the song, which leaked to the Internet in February 2008, the lyrics of the opening and chorus differ from those of the final recorded version. The lyrics "My name is Dita, I'll be your mistress tonight" are omitted. The chorus is also substantially different. Madonna performed "Erotica" as the opening song on her 1993 Girlie Show Tour
The Girlie Show Tour
The Girlie Show World Tour was the fourth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna, in support of her fifth studio album, Erotica. The tour visited the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Madonna's inspiration for the name of the tour was a painting called "Girlie Show" by Edward Hopper...
.
For Madonna's 2006 Confessions Tour
Confessions Tour
Confessions Tour was the seventh concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It supported her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor. Madonna confirmed the possibility of going out on a tour as early as November 2005. Jamie King, Madonna's longtime collaborator, was then hired on...
, Madonna and Stuart Price
Stuart Price
Stuart Price is a three time Grammy-winning British electronic musician, songwriter, and record producer whose remixing and production skills are in demand by artists including New Order, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Take That, Missy Elliott, Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Pet Shop Boys, Brandon...
created a remix of "Erotica", which used the demo chorus. This version mixes a different verse and chorus with the original album version's chorus ("Erotic/Erotic/Put your hands all over my body"). It also uses the bridge "Erotica/Romance/Erotica/I'd like to put you in a trance". While listed as "Erotica" in the Confessions Tour program, most fans know the song as "You Thrill Me" after its unique chorus:
- You are who you are
- And I wouldn't want to change a thing
- In spite of all the pain that love can bring
- Tell me, what can I do?
- I'm so in love with you
- You thrill me (Surround me, you fill me)
- You send me, you put me in a trance
- You fill me (Inside me you take me)
- You thrill me, you put me in a trance
Some of the lyrics from the original demo of "Erotica" can also be heard in the "Jeep Beats" remix on the "Erotica" maxi-single. Madonna can be heard singing "I'm so in love with you" and "You thrill me" in this mix - lyrics not used in the album cut of "Erotica".
The album version of "Erotica" contains a sample
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
of the 1974 hit song "Jungle Boogie
Jungle Boogie
"Jungle Boogie" is a funk song recorded by Kool & the Gang for their 1973 album Wild and Peaceful. It scored number four as a single and became very popular in nightclubs. The song's spoken main vocal was performed by the band's roadie Don Boyce...
", performed by Kool and the Gang. In addition, the song samples "El Yom 'Ulliqa 'Ala Khashaba" ("Today, He Is Held to a Cross") by Lebanese singer Fairuz
Fairuz
Nouhad Wadi Haddad , famously known as Fairuz is a Lebanese singer who is widely considered to be the most famous living singer in the Arab world and one of the best known of all time...
from her 1962 album Good Friday - Eastern Sacred Songs. Madonna used that prayer more prominently in her "The Beast Within" track. Fairuz sued Madonna for $2.5 million for plagiarism over the section/sampling. In "Erotica", Madonna repeatedly chants over Fairuz's voice "All over me". An undisclosed settlement was eventually reached between Fairuz and Madonna, but the scandal caused both the single and the album to be banned in Lebanon.
The song has been remixed by William Orbit, who would later become Madonna's main collaborator on her 1998 album Ray of Light
Ray of Light
Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 3, 1998 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records. After giving birth to her daughter Lourdes, Madonna collaborated with Patrick Leonard and William Orbit in developing the album...
, and prolific DJs Masters at Work
Masters At Work
Masters at Work is the house/garage production and remix team of "Little" Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez. They first worked together using the name, which had been given to them by mutual friend Todd Terry , in 1990...
.
In the sleeve notes to I'm Going to Tell You a Secret
I'm Going to Tell You a Secret
I'm Going to Tell You a Secret is the title of an American documentary film that follows pop singer Madonna on her 2004 Re-Invention World Tour. It premiered on MTV on October 21, 2005 and was released commercially in a CD+DVD package on June 20, 2006 by Warner Bros. Records...
and the live CD The Confessions Tour
The Confessions Tour (album)
The Confessions Tour is the second live album by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on January 26, 2007 by Warner Bros. Records. Directed by Jonas Åkerlund, the album chronicles Madonna's 2006 Confessions Tour. It was recorded at Wembley Arena during the London dates of the tour,...
it credits an additional composer to have written this song: Antony Shimkin. ASCAP have officially confirmed this.
The single was the first of Madonna's releases to feature the label of her new record company, Maverick. However, the German 7" still has the old-style Sire label although the German 12" features the new Maverick label. Germany also pressed a second 12" of four of the Masters at Work remixes. The sleeve is identical to the first 12" but has a gold rim round the edge of the sleeve.
A 12" limited edition picture disc was pressed by WEA in England and then withdrawn and destroyed as it depicted Madonna sucking Naomi Campbell's toe. Owing to the recent royal scandal of The Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York is a British charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whom she married from 1986 to 1996...
being caught topless by paparazzi engaging in a similar act with her then-financial adviser, John Bryan, the pressing of 50,000 copies was recalled and destroyed to avoid embarrassing the British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
, and, to avoid accusations that WEA was cashing in on the scandal. There are less than 150 copies known to be in existence. Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
listed "Erotica" as the 34th "Best Singles of the '90s".
"Erotic"
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
that accompanied her infamous Sex
Sex (book)
Sex is a coffee table book written by Madonna with photographs by Steven Meisel Studio and film frames taken from film shot by Fabien Baron. The book was edited by Glenn O'Brien. Sex was released on October 21, 1992 by Warner Books...
book. The track, entitled "Erotic", was produced by Madonna and Shep Pettibone
Shep Pettibone
Robert E. Pettibone, Jr. is a record producer, remixer, songwriter and club DJ, one of the most prolific of the 1980s. His earliest work known to the public was for one of New York City's top disco/dance radio stations, WRKS 98.7 "Kiss" FM, and later as remixer/producer for the disco label Salsoul...
. This version is quite not so different from "Erotica"; although "Erotic" has less instrumentation and its lyrics are passages from Sex. The CD came in a special re-sealable mylar wrapper sleeve resembling a condom
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
. The reason for this was to promote safe sex
Safe sex
Safe sex is sexual activity engaged in by people who have taken precautions to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS. It is also referred to as safer sex or protected sex, while unsafe or unprotected sex is sexual activity engaged in without precautions...
. Although "Erotic" has never been commercially released, a remix by William Orbit
William Orbit
William Orbit is an English musician, composer and record producer, perhaps best known to most for his work on Madonna's album Ray of Light. He has also co-produced several unreleased Madonna songs originally recorded for other albums...
can be found on the maxi CD/12" single of "Erotica". The CD is now out of print along with the book.
Chart performance
"Erotica" debuted at a high number thirteen in the U.S., which at the time of its release placed Madonna in a fifth place tie with Mariah Carey's "I'll Be There" as the highest debut for a song in Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart history. It sky-rocketed to its peak of number three the following chart week and charted for a total of 18 weeks. "Erotica" also made the highest debut in the history of the Hot 100 Airplay chart, entering at its peak position of number two, and it also reached number one on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play and number four on the Hot 100 Singles Sales charts. The single was certified gold by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
on December 10, 1992. Internationally, "Erotica" became another big hit for Madonna, hitting the top five in many markets including the U.K., Ireland, and Australia and topping the charts in Italy. It also topped the Eurochart Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks, becoming her eighth number one hit in Europe.
Music video
Dominatrix
Dominatrix or mistress is a woman or women who takes the dominant role in bondage, discipline and sadomasochism, or BDSM. A common form of address for a submissive to a dominatrix is "mistress", "ma'am", "domina" or "maîtresse"...
; interspersed are scenes from the making of the Sex
Sex (book)
Sex is a coffee table book written by Madonna with photographs by Steven Meisel Studio and film frames taken from film shot by Fabien Baron. The book was edited by Glenn O'Brien. Sex was released on October 21, 1992 by Warner Books...
book. The American MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
aired it a total of three times (all of these in the "safe harbor
Watershed (television)
In television, the term watershed denotes the time period in a television schedule during which programs with adult content can air....
") due to its highly charged sexual content, and it was eventually Madonna's second video to be banned from airing by that channel. There are two versions of the video - the "standard" version which contained no nudity was released in the United States (it can be viewed on Madonna's official web page); and a more explicit version of the video was released only in Europe and Australia, which contained full-frontal nudity of Madonna and variation in the editing. The video was ranked #16 on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's "50 Sexiest Video Moments". An uncensored version was also made available and features full nudity, fellatio, anal sex and extreme bondage.
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell is a British model. Scouted at the age of 15, she established herself among the top three most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and she was one of six models of her generation declared "supermodels" by the fashion world...
, Isabella Rossellini
Isabella Rossellini
Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini is an Italian actress, filmmaker, author, philanthropist, and model. Rossellini is noted for her 14-year tenure as a Lancôme model, and for her roles in films such as Blue Velvet and Death Becomes Her.-Background and early life:Rossellini is a...
, and Big Daddy Kane
Big Daddy Kane
Antonio Hardy better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MC's in Hip Hop...
appeared in Madonna's music video for "Erotica". The footage of Madonna performing the song in her S&M dominatrix costume was shot on August 22, 1992 at The Kitchen
The Kitchen
The Kitchen is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary art and performance space located at at 512 West 19th Street, between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The rest of the footage for the video was shot during the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
photo sessions for her infamous book Sex (many of the photographs in the book are actually stills from this footage) - an hour of this footage was compiled by Madonna and Baron for a film that was made for the party she gave at Industria in New York for the release of Sex, a film that included a soundtrack of French music from the 1920s and 1930s that included songs from such singers as Charles Trenet
Charles Trenet
Charles Trenet was a French singer and songwriter, most famous for his recordings from the late 1930s until the mid-1950s, though his career continued through the 1990s...
, Mistinguett
Mistinguett
Mistinguett was a French actress and singer, whose birth name was Jeanne Bourgeois. She was at one time the best-paid female entertainer in the world...
, Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Auguste Chevalier was a French actor, singer, entertainer and a noted Sprechgesang performer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including Louise, Mimi, Valentine, and Thank Heaven for Little Girls and for his films including The Love Parade and The Big Pond...
, Edith Piaf
Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
, and Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker was an American dancer, singer, and actress who found fame in her adopted homeland of France. She was given such nicknames as the "Bronze Venus", the "Black Pearl", and the "Créole Goddess"....
. This film was also given by Madonna to her closest friends. It later leaked out to the public and copies of it were sold on eBay for some time. Today this film, known as the Sex Book Video can be found circulating on the internet in low quality.
- Director: Fabien Baron
- Producer: Eric Liekefet
- Executive Producers: Madonna, Bobby Woods
- Director of Photography: Michael Bernard
- Editor: John Murray
- Production Company: Heart Times Coffee Cup Equals Lightning
Track listings and versions
Major formats released for "Erotica":2-track single (9 18782-2)
- "Erotica" (album version) — 5:17
- "Erotica" (instrumental) — 5:17
7-track maxi single (9 40585-2)
- "Erotica" (Album Editt) — 4:32
- "Erotica" (Kenlou B-Boy Mix) — 6:27
- "Erotica" (WO 12") — 6:12
- "Erotica" (Underground Club Mix) — 4:57
- "Erotica" (Masters At Work Dub) — 4:57
- "Erotica" (Jeep Beats) — 5:53
- "Erotica" (Madonna's in My Jeep Mix) — 5:50
CD single (9362-40657-2)
- "Erotica" (radio edit) — 4:33
- "Erotica" (album version) — 5:17
- "Erotica" (instrumental) — 5:12
2x12" promo single (PRO-A-5960)
- A1. "Erotica" (Kenlou B-Boy Mix) — 6:23
- A2. "Erotica" (Kenlou B-Boy Instrumental) — 5:54
- B1. "Erotica" (Madonna's In My Jeep Mix) — 5:46
- B2. "Erotica" (Jeep Beats) — 5:48
- B3. "Erotica" (Underground Tribal Beats) — 3:30
- C1. "Erotica" (Underground Club Mix) — 4:53
- C2. "Erotica" (Masters At Work Dub) — 4:51
- C3. "Erotica" ( Bass Hit Dub) — 4:47
- D1. "Erotica" (WO 12") — 6:07
- D2. "Erotica" (WO Dub) — 4:53
- D3. "Erotica" (House Instrumental) — 4:49
CD promo single (PRO-CD-5648)
(Included with Sex
Sex (book)
Sex is a coffee table book written by Madonna with photographs by Steven Meisel Studio and film frames taken from film shot by Fabien Baron. The book was edited by Glenn O'Brien. Sex was released on October 21, 1992 by Warner Books...
)
- "Erotic" — 5:20
Charts
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... Singles Chart |
4 |
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
15 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
2 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
8 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 1 |
| French SNEP Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... Singles Chart |
23 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
13 |
| Italian FIMI Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... Singles Chart |
1 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
4 |
| Japanese Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... International Singles |
2 |
| Norwegian VG-lista VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... Singles Chart |
2 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 4 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
3 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
8 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 1 |
| U.S. Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
16 |
Year-End charts
| Charts (1992) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 54 |
Chart procession and succession
Cover versions
- The 2000 compilation Virgin Voices: A Tribute To Madonna, Vol. 2 features a cover by Razed in Black vs. Transmutator.