Into the Groove
Encyclopedia
"Into the Groove" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna
from the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan
. It was featured on the 1985 re-issue of her second studio album, Like a Virgin
, and released on July 23, 1985 by Sire Records
as the album's fourth single outside North America. The song later was included on her 2009 greatest hits album, Celebration
, and its remixed versions appeared on the 1987 remix compilation, You Can Dance
, and the 1990 greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection
. Madonna's inspiration behind the song was the dancefloor, and she wrote it while watching a handsome Puerto Rican man, across her balcony. Initially written for her friend Mark Kamins
, Madonna later decided to use it as the soundtrack of her film Desperately Seeking Susan. "Into the Groove" was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios
. A remixed version, titled "Into the Hollywood Groove", was created by Madonna in 2003, featuring a rap by Missy Elliott
.
"Into the Groove" consists of instrumentation from drums, synthesizers, percussion, congas and whistles. Madonna's voice is double tracked in the chorus; the song also consists of musical contrasts, overdubs, and Madonna's voice in lower register during the bridge. The lyrics of the song are simple, and is written as an invitation to dance with the singer. However, it carries sexual innuendos and undertones in the meaning. The song was appreciated by contemporary critics as well as authors, who frequently called it "Madonna's first great single". The song was a commercial success, reaching the top of the charts in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain and the United Kingdom, where it was Madonna's first number-one single. In the United States, "Into the Groove" was only available as the B-side
of "Angel
", therefore it was ineligible to chart on the Billboard Hot 100
. By the end of the 1980s, "Into the Groove" was honored by Billboard magazine as the "Dance Single of the Decade".
A music video, consisting of clips from the film, was released to accompany the song. Madonna later noted that she felt "retarded" while singing "Into the Groove". The song has been performed by Madonna in most of her concert tours, the most recent being the Sticky & Sweet Tour
of 2008–09, where she performed it while doing Double Dutch
jump rope. The song has been covered by a number of artists, including Australian singer Dannii Minogue
, who combined the song with her single "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling
".
, Madonna said that she wrote the song while watching a Latin boy across her balcony. Calling the song 'dorky', Madonna explained:
She had written the song for her friend Mark Kamins
' protégée, Chyne. Kamins made Madonna record a demo of the song, which he wished to modify later for Chyne. However, Madonna believed that the song would be more suitable for her film Desperately Seeking Susan
, and re-recorded it with Bray, making it suitable for the soundtrack. When Kamins came to know about it, he was furious that Madonna did not have the courtesy to tell him that she wanted the song for a different purpose. He felt walked over by Madonna, who retorted: "I'm tough, I'm ambitious and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, that's okay." Ultimately Madonna won and the song was used as the soundtrack of Desperately Seeking Susan. "Into the Groove" did not appear on the soundtrack album
of the film, but was released on the 1985 worldwide re-issue of Madonna's second studio album, Like a Virgin
, instead.
The music video
is made up of clips from the film, with the lyrics often matching the images. Doug Dowdle of Parallax Productions, a company that pioneered in movie tie-in music videos during the 1980s, created this video from edited footage of the movie, directed by Susan Seidelman
. This was done because there were five Madonna videos already on power rotation on MTV, and Warner Bros. did not want the audience to be saturated with any new video. Hence, they decided to use the shots from the film and made a music video. During a 2009 interview with Rolling Stone
, Madonna commented: "'Into the Groove' is another song I feel retarded singing, but everybody seems to like it."
. Madonna's friend Erika Belle
was present during the recording and watched the whole process. In Andrew Morton
's Madonna biography, she noted that at one point of the recording, Bray was facing difficulties with the bridge
of the song, as the melody
thought by him was not syncing with the rest of the composition. Undeterred by his obvious difficulties, Madonna stepped up to the microphone and sang the words "Live out your fantasy here with me". Bray's problem was solved; Belle remembered the experience as: "[The song] seemed to come out of her, I was awestruck."
Madonna re-tailored the song in 2003, and developed a remix called "Into the Hollywood Groove", which replaced the first verse of "Into the Groove" with the first verse of Madonna's single "Hollywood" (2003). The lyrics of the chorus were also slightly altered and it featured a rap by Missy Elliott
. This version of the song was used for a Gap
commercial in the summer of 2003, featuring Madonna and Elliot in Gap jeans. A further remixed version, composed by Josh Harris
and Omar Galeano as "The Passengerz", was included in the 2003 Madonna remix album Remixed & Revisited
.
by Madonna, and the sound of drums
and synth bassline
being heard. This is followed by the chorus
, where Madonna's voice is double tracked
and the treble is increased by a notch. A synth line counterpoints the main tune
, adding a contrast
. The bridge, where Madonna sings the line "Live out your fantasy", features her vocals in a lower register
alongside the main ones. According to the sheet music published in Musicnotes.com by Alfred Publishing Co. Inc., the song is set in the time signature
of common time with a medium tempo
of 116 beats per minute
. The song is set in the key of C minor
with Madonna's voice spanning from the high-tone of C4 to the low-tone of D5. It has a basic sequence of Cm7–B/C–Cm7–A as its chord progression
. The song was remixed in 1987 by Shep Pettibone
for Madonna's remix compilation You Can Dance
. In the remixed version, overdubs
are present with the continuous repetition of the phrase "c'mon". The first verse
does not start until about ninety seconds into the remix. After the first "Now I know you're mine" line is sung, there is a percussion
break, and repetition of the phrases "step to the beat" and "c'mon". The last verse incorporates echoing
on the vocals, causing overlap of the phrases. The remix ends with instrumentation
from conga
s, whistle
s and timbales
, giving it a Mexican ending. Pettibone again remixed the song in 1990 alongside Goh Hotoda for The Immaculate Collection
compilation.
The lyrics of the song are simple, and is written as an invitation to dance with the singer. Despite the simple lyrics, it carries sexual innuendos and undertones in the meaning. Similar to Madonna's previous single "Like a Virgin
" (1984), a lyrical hook
is also present in "Into the Groove", directed at shy girls. The line "At night I lock the door so no-one else can see" implied that Madonna was not as brazen as her provocative image suggested. According to Barker, the nostalgic people would instantly recognize the song's lyrics at night clubs. He added that the line "Only when I'm dancing can I feel this free" sum up the freedom that a dance floor brings about, with the dancers happy to find freedom in the music. A neume
is visible in the line "Live out your fantasy here with me", which Barker believed, blurred the boundaries of reality and brought one closer to the world of fantasy.
, author of Madonna: An Intimate Biography, said that the song demonstrated Madonna's ability to create infectitious dance music. Rikky Rooksby, author of Madonna: the complete guide to her music, said that "'Into the Groove' will make you feel like you're a winner either way. And that's one of the best things pop music can do for ya. [It's] Madonna's first great single." Clive Barker and Simon Trussler, authors of New Theatre Quarterly, felt that the song was the first disco-anthem of the 1980s. Toby Cresswell, author of 1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time and the Artists, Stories and Secrets, said that the song is a "sweet, limited white tune on the top, and there's Madonna – all the right-shop chic – dragging the straight world into this subterranean paradise. All the magic of the eighties is right here." Matthew Rettenmund
, author of Totally Awesome 80s: A Lexicon of the Music, Videos, Movies, TV Shows, Stars, and Trends of that Decadent Decade, declared "Into the Groove" as the ultimate 80s song and felt that it "cemented Madonna's place as the dancing queen of the era". Dawn Keetley and John Pettigrew, authors of Public Women, Public Words: A Documentary History of American Feminism, called it a "mesmerizing theme song".
Santiago Fouz-Hernández and Freya Jarman-Ivens, authors of Madonna's drowned worlds: new approaches to her cultural transformations, commented that the song "taunted playfully". Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine
ranked it at twenty-nine on the list of "100 Greatest Dance Songs". He commented: "It's hard to imagine the most famous woman in the world dancing alone in her bedroom at night, locking the doors so 'no one else can see' (as she sings on 'Groove'), even 20 years ago, but you can't help but believe her. The song—and Madonna's performance—are that good." Alfred Soto from Stylus Magazine
commented that "'Into the Groove' itself is as much wish-fulfillment as 'Crazy For You'. Austin Scaggs from Rolling Stone commented that the song had "an amazing bassline". By the end of the 1980s, "Into the Groove" was honored by Billboard magazine as the "Dance Single of the Decade." In 2003, Madonna fans were asked to vote for their top-twenty Madonna singles of all-time by Q
magazine; "Into the Groove" was allocated the number-three spot. In 2009, the song was ranked at ninety on Blender
magazine's "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".
" and "Material Girl
" being released at the same time and competing with each other, it was decided against releasing "Into the Groove" as a 7" single so it would not compete with "Angel
", the third single off the Like a Virgin album. "Into the Groove" was eventually released as the B-side
to the maxi-single of "Angel", therefore it was ineligible to enter the Billboard
s Hot 100
or Hot 100 Singles Sales charts. The song debuted at forty on Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, as a double A-side with "Angel", on the issue dated June 1, 1985. After four weeks, it reached the top of the chart and also reached nineteen on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart. "Into the Groove" is Madonna's most played song on Billboards Recurrent Airplay Chart. On July 30, 1985, "Angel/Into the Groove" was certified gold
by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) for shipment of one million copies across the US—the requirement for a gold single prior to 1989. It was the first 12-inch single
to be certified gold since Frankie Smith
's "Double Dutch Bus" (1981). The song placed at twelve on the Dance year-end charts and sold approximately 600,000 copies of the 12" single; the single also reached number-one on the Hot Dance Singles Sales
chart.
"Into the Groove" debuted on the UK Singles Chart
at number four, on the chart dated July 27, 1985. It reached the top of the chart and stayed there for four weeks, and was present for a total of fourteen weeks on the chart. The song was Madonna's first number-one single in United Kingdom. During its stay at number-one, Madonna's first UK hit "Holiday" was at number-two position. It made her the first female artist in UK chart history to hold the top-two positions of the chart simultaneously. "Into the Groove" was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry
(BPI) for shipment of 400,000 copies of the single. The song was the third biggest selling UK single of 1985, behind Jennifer Rush
's "The Power of Love
" and Elaine Paige
's and Barbara Dickson
's "I Know Him So Well". According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 860,000 copies there. In Australia, "Into the Groove" charted as a combined single with "Angel" and reached the top of the Kent Music Report
chart. It was the second-highest selling single of 1985 in Australia. Across Europe and Oceania, the song was able to reach the top of the charts in Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain, and inside the top five in France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and European Hot 100 Singles chart.
in 1985, the Who's That Girl World Tour
in 1987, the Blond Ambition World Tour
in 1990, the Re-Invention World Tour in 2004 and the Sticky & Sweet Tour
in 2008–09. In The Virgin Tour, "Into the Groove" was the third song of the setlist. Madonna wore a blue see-through crop-top, revealing her characteristic black bra. She had lacy leggings and crucifixes around her ear and her neck. Her hair was tied at the top and fell in unkempt manner around her ears. She had a tambourine
in her hand like her two male dancers, and together they sang the song while standing in front of a microphone, in tandem
. The performance was included on the video release titled Live – The Virgin Tour, shot in Detroit. She also performed it on her Live Aid
concert on July 13, 1985. In the Who's That Girl World Tour of 1987, "Into the Groove" was the second-last song before the encore. The outfit she wore during the performance was inspired by artist Andy Warhol
. It consisted of a loose pant with a tin of Campbell's soup on the side, the letter U in the front and the word DANCE in the back; it was designed so that when she turned, audience were able to read 'U [Can] Dance]'. In the middle of her singing, a young boy joined her on stage to dance alongside. Madonna then wore a pink bolero jacket
. At the end she is joined by her backup singers and dancers. Together they take a bow to the audience and finish the performance. Two different performances of the song on this tour can be found on the videos: Who's That Girl – Live in Japan, filmed in Tokyo on June 22, 1987, and Ciao, Italia! – Live from Italy
, filmed in Turin on September 4, 1987.
Three years later on the Blond Ambition World Tour, "Into the Groove" was again performed before the encore. Madonna, her backup singers Niki Haris
and Donna De Lory were portrayed as being seduced by three macho guys in leather jackets. The girls asked the guys to "prove their love to them" and wondered if they would wear a condom when necessary. After that, they sing the Shep Pettibone extended remix of "Into The Groove". Two different performances were taped and released on video, the Blond Ambition – Japan Tour 90, taped in Yokohama
on April 27, 1990, and the Live! – Blond Ambition World Tour 90, taped in Nice
, France, on August 5, 1990. In the Re-Invention World Tour of 2004, Madonna included the song at the start of the final segment, which started with Scottish bagpiper players parading around the stage in kilt
s and playing drums and pipes. Madonna appeared onstage in similar long kilts and a white sleeveless t-shirt to perform "Into the Groove" with Scottish bagpiper group Lorne Cousin
. Rapper Missy Elliot appeared on the video screen for a rap interlude. The song was again added to the setlist of 2008–09 Sticky & Sweet Tour
. Elements of Cassius
's "Toop Toop
", Frankie Smith
's "Double Dutch Bus", The Sugarhill Gang
's "Apache (Jump On It)" and Madonna's own "Jump
" were added to the performance. "Into the Groove" marked the beginning of the second segment titled Old School. It began with Madonna appearing on the stage in shorts and t-shirt, while skipping to a DJ station. She started singing the song while cartoon characters from late artist, and Madonna's friend, Keith Haring
dance on the backdrops. Near the end of the song, Madonna performed a Double Dutch
dance interlude.
covered the song on television in 1985 – the original, sexually-suggestive lyrics were altered to be more youth-oriented. Ciccone Youth
covered as "Into the Groove(y)
"; it appeared on The Whitey Album
and was released as a single. Dale Bozzio
, former lead singer of new wave
band Missing Persons, covered the song for the Madonna tribute album Virgin Voices: A Tribute To Madonna, Vol. 2 from 2000. A dance cover of the song was recorded by the group Mad'House
for the album Absolutely Mad. French pop/rock group Superbus
covered "Into the Groove" for their 2002 album, Aéromusical
. It was the third and final single from the album. A 2007 tribute compilation to Madonna, titled Through the Wilderness
, features a cover of the song by Jeremy Jay
. The Medic Droid
covered the song on their 2008 debut album, What's Your Medium?.
In 2003, the song was combined with the vocals of Dannii Minogue
's "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling
", the fourth and final single from her album Neon Nights
. "Into the Groove"'s instrumentation and a small Madonna vocal sample were added to Minogue's vocals, though Minogue's pitch was altered to fit the tempo of the song.
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.
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...
from the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan
Desperately Seeking Susan
Desperately Seeking Susan is a 1985 American comedy-drama film directed by Susan Seidelman and starring Rosanna Arquette and Madonna.-Plot:...
. It was featured on the 1985 re-issue of her second studio album, Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 12, 1984 by Sire Records. It was re-released worldwide in 1985, with the inclusion of the bonus track "Into the Groove". In 2001, Warner Bros. Records released a remastered version with two bonus...
, and released on July 23, 1985 by Sire Records
Sire Records
Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
as the album's fourth single outside North America. The song later was included on her 2009 greatest hits album, 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...
, and its remixed versions appeared on the 1987 remix compilation, You Can Dance
You Can Dance
You Can Dance is the first remix album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 18, 1987, by Sire Records. The album contains remixes of tracks from her first three studio albums—Madonna , Like a Virgin and True Blue — and a new track, "Spotlight"...
, and the 1990 greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection
The Immaculate Collection
The Immaculate Collection is the first greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 9, 1990 by Sire Records. It contains fifteen of her hit singles from 1982 to 1990, as well as two new tracks "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me"...
. Madonna's inspiration behind the song was the dancefloor, and she wrote it while watching a handsome Puerto Rican man, across her balcony. Initially written for her friend Mark Kamins
Mark Kamins
Mark Kamins is a New York club DJ.He is best known for helping launch the career of one-time girlfriend Madonna by presenting a demo to Seymour Stein of Sire Records. He also produced her first single "Everybody" in 1982...
, Madonna later decided to use it as the soundtrack of her film Desperately Seeking Susan. "Into the Groove" was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios
Sigma Sound Studios
Sigma Sound Studios is an American music recording studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania founded by recording engineer Joseph Tarsia in 1968.Located at 212 N. 12th Street in Philadelphia, it was the second studio in the country to offer 24-track recording and the first in the country to use console...
. A remixed version, titled "Into the Hollywood Groove", was created by Madonna in 2003, featuring a rap by Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
.
"Into the Groove" consists of instrumentation from drums, synthesizers, percussion, congas and whistles. Madonna's voice is double tracked in the chorus; the song also consists of musical contrasts, overdubs, and Madonna's voice in lower register during the bridge. The lyrics of the song are simple, and is written as an invitation to dance with the singer. However, it carries sexual innuendos and undertones in the meaning. The song was appreciated by contemporary critics as well as authors, who frequently called it "Madonna's first great single". The song was a commercial success, reaching the top of the charts in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain and the United Kingdom, where it was Madonna's first number-one single. In the United States, "Into the Groove" was only available as the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of "Angel
Angel (Madonna song)
"Angel" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her second studio album Like a Virgin. It was released on April 10, 1985 by Sire Records as the third single from the album. Written by Steve Bray and Madonna, it was one of the first songs developed for the project and, according to...
", therefore it was ineligible to chart on the 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...
. By the end of the 1980s, "Into the Groove" was honored by Billboard magazine as the "Dance Single of the Decade".
A music video, consisting of clips from the film, was released to accompany the song. Madonna later noted that she felt "retarded" while singing "Into the Groove". The song has been performed by Madonna in most of her concert tours, the most recent being the Sticky & Sweet Tour
Sticky & Sweet Tour
The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth worldwide concert tour by American singer Madonna to promote her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy. It began in August 2008 and was Madonna's first tour from her new recording and business deal with Live Nation. The tour was announced in February 2008, with...
of 2008–09, where she performed it while doing Double Dutch
Double Dutch (jump rope)
Double dutch is a game in which two long jump ropes turning in opposite directions are jumped by one or more players jumping simultaneously.While double dutch began in the inner cities of America, it is growing in popularity throughout the US and the world...
jump rope. The song has been covered by a number of artists, including Australian singer Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
, who combined the song with her single "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling
Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling
"Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" is a dance-pop for Minogue's 2003 album Neon Nights. The song was released as the album's fourth single in June 2003. The single reached the top twenty in multiple countries, and topped the club charts in the United Kingdom...
".
Background
"Into the Groove" was written by Madonna and Steve Bray. During an interview with TimeTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, Madonna said that she wrote the song while watching a Latin boy across her balcony. Calling the song 'dorky', Madonna explained:
"When I was writing it, I was sitting in a fourth-floor walk-up on Avenue-B, and there was this gorgeous Puerto Rican boy sitting across me that I wanted to go out on a date with, and I just wanted to get the song over with. I ultimately did go out with him and the song was finished just before my last date with him, which I'm kinda happy that it did not continue."
"The dance floor was quite a magical place for me. I started off wanting to be a dancer, so that had a lot to do with the song. The freedom that I always feel when I'm dancing, that feeling of inhabiting your body, letting yourself go, expressing yourself through music. I always thought of it as a magical place – even if you're not taking ecstasy. Hence that came to me as the primary inspiration for 'Into the Groove'."
She had written the song for her friend Mark Kamins
Mark Kamins
Mark Kamins is a New York club DJ.He is best known for helping launch the career of one-time girlfriend Madonna by presenting a demo to Seymour Stein of Sire Records. He also produced her first single "Everybody" in 1982...
' protégée, Chyne. Kamins made Madonna record a demo of the song, which he wished to modify later for Chyne. However, Madonna believed that the song would be more suitable for her film Desperately Seeking Susan
Desperately Seeking Susan
Desperately Seeking Susan is a 1985 American comedy-drama film directed by Susan Seidelman and starring Rosanna Arquette and Madonna.-Plot:...
, and re-recorded it with Bray, making it suitable for the soundtrack. When Kamins came to know about it, he was furious that Madonna did not have the courtesy to tell him that she wanted the song for a different purpose. He felt walked over by Madonna, who retorted: "I'm tough, I'm ambitious and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, that's okay." Ultimately Madonna won and the song was used as the soundtrack of Desperately Seeking Susan. "Into the Groove" did not appear on the soundtrack album
Desperately Seeking Susan
Desperately Seeking Susan is a 1985 American comedy-drama film directed by Susan Seidelman and starring Rosanna Arquette and Madonna.-Plot:...
of the film, but was released on the 1985 worldwide re-issue of Madonna's second studio album, Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 12, 1984 by Sire Records. It was re-released worldwide in 1985, with the inclusion of the bonus track "Into the Groove". In 2001, Warner Bros. Records released a remastered version with two bonus...
, instead.
The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
is made up of clips from the film, with the lyrics often matching the images. Doug Dowdle of Parallax Productions, a company that pioneered in movie tie-in music videos during the 1980s, created this video from edited footage of the movie, directed by Susan Seidelman
Susan Seidelman
Susan Seidelman is an American director, producer, writer, and actress.-Career:Susan Seidelman belongs to the first wave of female independent film makers in the American cinema of the 1980s. She graduated Abington Senior High School in 1969 , and went on to study fashion and arts at Drexel...
. This was done because there were five Madonna videos already on power rotation on MTV, and Warner Bros. did not want the audience to be saturated with any new video. Hence, they decided to use the shots from the film and made a music video. During a 2009 interview with Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, Madonna commented: "'Into the Groove' is another song I feel retarded singing, but everybody seems to like it."
Recording
Madonna and Bray started on the re-recording and changed some portion of the lyrics. Bray commented on the recording sessions as: "I've always kind of made the rib cage and the skeleton [music] of the song already – she's there for the last things like the eyebrows and the haircut [lyrics]. She writes in a stream of mood really." "Into the Groove" was recorded at Sigma Sound StudiosSigma Sound Studios
Sigma Sound Studios is an American music recording studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania founded by recording engineer Joseph Tarsia in 1968.Located at 212 N. 12th Street in Philadelphia, it was the second studio in the country to offer 24-track recording and the first in the country to use console...
. Madonna's friend Erika Belle
Erika Belle
Erika Belle is a New York socialite, art curator, fashion designer, and dancer, most known for her friendship and work with pop singer Madonna in the 1980s. She has been featured dancing in Madonna's videos to Everybody, True Blue, Papa Don't Preach, Lucky Star, and Holiday...
was present during the recording and watched the whole process. In Andrew Morton
Andrew Morton (writer)
Andrew David Morton is a former British Fleet Street journalist, a notable writer and biographer.Before moving into a career in journalism, he attended grammar school, then studied history at the University of Sussex....
's Madonna biography, she noted that at one point of the recording, Bray was facing difficulties with the bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
of the song, as the melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
thought by him was not syncing with the rest of the composition. Undeterred by his obvious difficulties, Madonna stepped up to the microphone and sang the words "Live out your fantasy here with me". Bray's problem was solved; Belle remembered the experience as: "[The song] seemed to come out of her, I was awestruck."
Madonna re-tailored the song in 2003, and developed a remix called "Into the Hollywood Groove", which replaced the first verse of "Into the Groove" with the first verse of Madonna's single "Hollywood" (2003). The lyrics of the chorus were also slightly altered and it featured a rap by Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
. This version of the song was used for a Gap
Gap (clothing retailer)
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
commercial in the summer of 2003, featuring Madonna and Elliot in Gap jeans. A further remixed version, composed by Josh Harris
Josh Harris (artist)
Josh Harris is an American dance musician best known for his remixes of various pop musicians and other dance artists.Harris the son of Joel and Marcia Harris, was born in St. Louis, Missouri and grew up in an area called the Central West End near Forest Park . He began to take lessons in classical...
and Omar Galeano as "The Passengerz", was included in the 2003 Madonna remix album Remixed & Revisited
Remixed & Revisited
Remixed & Revisited is an remix album by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on November 24, 2003 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records...
.
Composition
"Into the Groove" begins with a spoken introductionIntroduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
by Madonna, and the sound of drums
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
and synth bassline
Bassline
A bassline is the term used in many styles of popular music, such as jazz, blues, funk, dub and electronic music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass, tuba or keyboard...
being heard. This is followed by the chorus
Chorus effect
In music, a chorus effect occurs when individual sounds with roughly the same timbre and nearly the same pitch converge and are perceived as one...
, where Madonna's voice is double tracked
Doubletracking
Double tracking is an audio recording technique in which a performer sings or plays along with their own prerecorded performance, usually to produce a stronger or "bigger" sound than can be obtained with a single voice or instrument. It is a form of overdubbing; the distinction comes from the...
and the treble is increased by a notch. A synth line counterpoints the main tune
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
, adding a contrast
Contrast (music)
In music and musical form, procedures of contrast include stratification, juxtaposition, and interpolation. Procedures of connection include gradation, amalgamation, and dissolution. Contrast is also when you compare two different instrument sounds to each other. It can also be the difference...
. The bridge, where Madonna sings the line "Live out your fantasy", features her vocals in a lower register
Register (music)
In music, a register is the relative "height" or range of a note, set of pitches or pitch classes, melody, part, instrument or group of instruments...
alongside the main ones. According to the sheet music published in Musicnotes.com by Alfred Publishing Co. Inc., the song is set in the time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
of common time with a medium tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 116 beats per minute
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
. The song is set in the key of C minor
C minor
C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. The harmonic minor raises the B to B. Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with naturals and accidentals as necessary.Its key signature consists of three flats...
with Madonna's voice spanning from the high-tone of C4 to the low-tone of D5. It has a basic sequence of Cm7–B/C–Cm7–A as its chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
. The song was remixed in 1987 by 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...
for Madonna's remix compilation You Can Dance
You Can Dance
You Can Dance is the first remix album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 18, 1987, by Sire Records. The album contains remixes of tracks from her first three studio albums—Madonna , Like a Virgin and True Blue — and a new track, "Spotlight"...
. In the remixed version, overdubs
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
are present with the continuous repetition of the phrase "c'mon". The first verse
Song structure (popular music)
The structures or musical forms of songs in popular music are typically sectional, repeating forms, such as strophic form. Other common forms include thirty-two-bar form, verse-chorus form, and the twelve bar blues...
does not start until about ninety seconds into the remix. After the first "Now I know you're mine" line is sung, there is a percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
break, and repetition of the phrases "step to the beat" and "c'mon". The last verse incorporates echoing
Echo (phenomenon)
In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound, arriving at the listener some time after the direct sound. Typical examples are the echo produced by the bottom of a well, by a building, or by the walls of an enclosed room and an empty room. A true echo is a single...
on the vocals, causing overlap of the phrases. The remix ends with instrumentation
Instrumentation (music)
In music, instrumentation refers to the particular combination of musical instruments employed in a composition, and to the properties of those instruments individually...
from conga
Conga
The conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
s, whistle
Whistle
A whistle or call is a simple aerophone, an instrument which produces sound from a stream of forced air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means...
s and timbales
Timbales
Timbales are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing, invented in Cuba. They are shallower in shape than single-headed tom-toms, and usually much higher tuned...
, giving it a Mexican ending. Pettibone again remixed the song in 1990 alongside Goh Hotoda for The Immaculate Collection
The Immaculate Collection
The Immaculate Collection is the first greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 9, 1990 by Sire Records. It contains fifteen of her hit singles from 1982 to 1990, as well as two new tracks "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me"...
compilation.
The lyrics of the song are simple, and is written as an invitation to dance with the singer. Despite the simple lyrics, it carries sexual innuendos and undertones in the meaning. Similar to Madonna's previous single "Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin (song)
"Like a Virgin" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second album of the same name. It was released on November 6, 1984 by Sire Records, as the first single from the album. The song appears on the greatest hits compilation albums The Immaculate Collection and Celebration...
" (1984), a lyrical hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
is also present in "Into the Groove", directed at shy girls. The line "At night I lock the door so no-one else can see" implied that Madonna was not as brazen as her provocative image suggested. According to Barker, the nostalgic people would instantly recognize the song's lyrics at night clubs. He added that the line "Only when I'm dancing can I feel this free" sum up the freedom that a dance floor brings about, with the dancers happy to find freedom in the music. A neume
Neume
A neume is the basic element of Western and Eastern systems of musical notation prior to the invention of five-line staff notation. The word is a Middle English corruption of the ultimately Ancient Greek word for breath ....
is visible in the line "Live out your fantasy here with me", which Barker believed, blurred the boundaries of reality and brought one closer to the world of fantasy.
Critical reception
J. Randy TaraborrelliJ. Randy Taraborrelli
John Randall Taraborrelli is an American journalist and biographer.Taraborrelli is an author known for biographies of contemporary entertainers and political figures. He is a featured writer in several entertainment magazines in Canada, England, and Australia...
, author of Madonna: An Intimate Biography, said that the song demonstrated Madonna's ability to create infectitious dance music. Rikky Rooksby, author of Madonna: the complete guide to her music, said that "'Into the Groove' will make you feel like you're a winner either way. And that's one of the best things pop music can do for ya. [It's] Madonna's first great single." Clive Barker and Simon Trussler, authors of New Theatre Quarterly, felt that the song was the first disco-anthem of the 1980s. Toby Cresswell, author of 1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time and the Artists, Stories and Secrets, said that the song is a "sweet, limited white tune on the top, and there's Madonna – all the right-shop chic – dragging the straight world into this subterranean paradise. All the magic of the eighties is right here." Matthew Rettenmund
Matthew Rettenmund
Matthew Rettenmund is the author of the novels Boy Culture and Blind Items: A Story, as well as the non-fiction books Encyclopedia Madonnica, Totally Awesome '80s, and Hilary Duff: All Access...
, author of Totally Awesome 80s: A Lexicon of the Music, Videos, Movies, TV Shows, Stars, and Trends of that Decadent Decade, declared "Into the Groove" as the ultimate 80s song and felt that it "cemented Madonna's place as the dancing queen of the era". Dawn Keetley and John Pettigrew, authors of Public Women, Public Words: A Documentary History of American Feminism, called it a "mesmerizing theme song".
Santiago Fouz-Hernández and Freya Jarman-Ivens, authors of Madonna's drowned worlds: new approaches to her cultural transformations, commented that the song "taunted playfully". Sal Cinquemani from 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 :...
ranked it at twenty-nine on the list of "100 Greatest Dance Songs". He commented: "It's hard to imagine the most famous woman in the world dancing alone in her bedroom at night, locking the doors so 'no one else can see' (as she sings on 'Groove'), even 20 years ago, but you can't help but believe her. The song—and Madonna's performance—are that good." Alfred Soto from Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
commented that "'Into the Groove' itself is as much wish-fulfillment as 'Crazy For You'. Austin Scaggs from Rolling Stone commented that the song had "an amazing bassline". By the end of the 1980s, "Into the Groove" was honored by Billboard magazine as the "Dance Single of the Decade." In 2003, Madonna fans were asked to vote for their top-twenty Madonna singles of all-time by Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
magazine; "Into the Groove" was allocated the number-three spot. In 2009, the song was ranked at ninety on Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
magazine's "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".
Chart performance
In the United States, due to similar problems with "Crazy for YouCrazy for You (song)
"Crazy for You" is a song by American singer Madonna for the 1985 film Vision Quest. It was released on March 2, 1985, by Geffen Records as the first single from the soundtrack album of the film, and later included on the ballads compilation Something to Remember...
" and "Material Girl
Material Girl
"Material Girl" is a song performed by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on January 30, 1985, by Sire Records, as the second single from her second album Like a Virgin. It also appears slightly remixed on the 1990 greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection, and in its...
" being released at the same time and competing with each other, it was decided against releasing "Into the Groove" as a 7" single so it would not compete with "Angel
Angel (Madonna song)
"Angel" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her second studio album Like a Virgin. It was released on April 10, 1985 by Sire Records as the third single from the album. Written by Steve Bray and Madonna, it was one of the first songs developed for the project and, according to...
", the third single off the Like a Virgin album. "Into the Groove" was eventually released as the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
to the maxi-single of "Angel", therefore it was ineligible to enter the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s 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...
or Hot 100 Singles Sales charts. The song debuted at forty on Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, as a double A-side with "Angel", on the issue dated June 1, 1985. After four weeks, it reached the top of the chart and also reached nineteen on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
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,...
chart. "Into the Groove" is Madonna's most played song on Billboards Recurrent Airplay Chart. On July 30, 1985, "Angel/Into the Groove" was certified gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
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...
(RIAA) for shipment of one million copies across the US—the requirement for a gold single prior to 1989. It was the first 12-inch single
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
to be certified gold since Frankie Smith
Frankie Smith
For the football player of the same name see Frankie Smith .Franklyn Leon "Frankie" Smith is an American funk musician and R&B/soul songwriter.-History:...
's "Double Dutch Bus" (1981). The song placed at twelve on the Dance year-end charts and sold approximately 600,000 copies of the 12" single; the single also reached number-one on the Hot Dance Singles Sales
Hot Dance Singles Sales
Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes...
chart.
"Into the Groove" debuted on the 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 ...
at number four, on the chart dated July 27, 1985. It reached the top of the chart and stayed there for four weeks, and was present for a total of fourteen weeks on the chart. The song was Madonna's first number-one single in United Kingdom. During its stay at number-one, Madonna's first UK hit "Holiday" was at number-two position. It made her the first female artist in UK chart history to hold the top-two positions of the chart simultaneously. "Into the Groove" was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
(BPI) for shipment of 400,000 copies of the single. The song was the third biggest selling UK single of 1985, behind Jennifer Rush
Jennifer Rush
Jennifer Rush is an American/German-based pop/rock singer, best known for the million-selling single "The Power of Love", which she co-wrote and which went on to be covered by Laura Branigan and Celine Dion.-Career:...
's "The Power of Love
The Power of Love (Jennifer Rush song)
"The Power of Love" is a power ballad co-written and originally recorded by Jennifer Rush. It has been covered by several artists, most notably by Laura Branigan, Air Supply, and Céline Dion, and translated into several languages, becoming a pop standard....
" and Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige OBE is an English singer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, North London, Paige attended the Aida Foster stage school, making her first professional appearance on stage in 1964, at the age of 16...
's and Barbara Dickson
Barbara Dickson
Barbara Ruth Dickson, OBE is a Scottish singer whose hits include "I Know Him So Well" and "January February"...
's "I Know Him So Well". According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 860,000 copies there. In Australia, "Into the Groove" charted as a combined single with "Angel" and reached the top of the Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
chart. It was the second-highest selling single of 1985 in Australia. Across Europe and Oceania, the song was able to reach the top of the charts in Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain, and inside the top five in France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and European Hot 100 Singles chart.
Live performances
Madonna performed "Into the Groove" on The Virgin TourThe Virgin Tour
The Virgin Tour is the debut concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna. The tour supported her first two studio albums, Madonna and Like a Virgin . Although, initially planned for an international audience, the tour was restricted within United States and Canada only. Warner Bros. decided...
in 1985, the Who's That Girl World Tour
Who's That Girl World Tour
The Who's That Girl World Tour is the second concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna. The tour supported her third studio album, True Blue , as well as the soundtrack Who's That Girl . It was Madonna's first world tour, reaching Asia, North America and Europe...
in 1987, the Blond Ambition World Tour
Blond Ambition World Tour
The Blond Ambition World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Madonna. The tour was launched in support of her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer, and the soundtrack, I'm Breathless. The tour reached North America, Europe and Asia. It was a highly controversial tour,...
in 1990, the Re-Invention World Tour in 2004 and the Sticky & Sweet Tour
Sticky & Sweet Tour
The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth worldwide concert tour by American singer Madonna to promote her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy. It began in August 2008 and was Madonna's first tour from her new recording and business deal with Live Nation. The tour was announced in February 2008, with...
in 2008–09. In The Virgin Tour, "Into the Groove" was the third song of the setlist. Madonna wore a blue see-through crop-top, revealing her characteristic black bra. She had lacy leggings and crucifixes around her ear and her neck. Her hair was tied at the top and fell in unkempt manner around her ears. She had a tambourine
Tambourine
The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
in her hand like her two male dancers, and together they sang the song while standing in front of a microphone, in tandem
Tandem
Tandem is an arrangement where a team of machines, animals or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction....
. The performance was included on the video release titled Live – The Virgin Tour, shot in Detroit. She also performed it on her Live Aid
Live Aid
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
concert on July 13, 1985. In the Who's That Girl World Tour of 1987, "Into the Groove" was the second-last song before the encore. The outfit she wore during the performance was inspired by artist Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
. It consisted of a loose pant with a tin of Campbell's soup on the side, the letter U in the front and the word DANCE in the back; it was designed so that when she turned, audience were able to read 'U [Can] Dance]'. In the middle of her singing, a young boy joined her on stage to dance alongside. Madonna then wore a pink bolero jacket
Shrug (clothing)
A shrug is a cropped, cardigan-like garment with short or long sleeves, typically knitted. Generally, a shrug covers less of the body than a vest would, but it is more tailored than a shawl. Shrugs are typically worn as the outermost layer of an outfit, with a full shirt, tank top, or dress...
. At the end she is joined by her backup singers and dancers. Together they take a bow to the audience and finish the performance. Two different performances of the song on this tour can be found on the videos: Who's That Girl – Live in Japan, filmed in Tokyo on June 22, 1987, and Ciao, Italia! – Live from Italy
Ciao, Italia! – Live from Italy
Ciao, Italia! – Live from Italy is a live music video by American singer-songwriter Madonna. Released by Warner Reprise Video on May 24, 1988, it contained a live performance from the 1987 Who's That Girl World Tour, filmed at Stadio Comunale in Turin, Italy on September 4, 1987 and in Florence,...
, filmed in Turin on September 4, 1987.
Three years later on the Blond Ambition World Tour, "Into the Groove" was again performed before the encore. Madonna, her backup singers Niki Haris
Niki Haris
Niki Haris is an American actress, dancer, and singer of pop, R&B, Dance music and jazz, perhaps best known for having been one of Madonna's backing vocalists from 1987 to 2001.-Early life and family:...
and Donna De Lory were portrayed as being seduced by three macho guys in leather jackets. The girls asked the guys to "prove their love to them" and wondered if they would wear a condom when necessary. After that, they sing the Shep Pettibone extended remix of "Into The Groove". Two different performances were taped and released on video, the Blond Ambition – Japan Tour 90, taped in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
on April 27, 1990, and the Live! – Blond Ambition World Tour 90, taped in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, France, on August 5, 1990. In the Re-Invention World Tour of 2004, Madonna included the song at the start of the final segment, which started with Scottish bagpiper players parading around the stage in kilt
Kilt
The kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. Since the 19th century it has become associated with the wider culture of Scotland in general, or with Celtic heritage even more broadly...
s and playing drums and pipes. Madonna appeared onstage in similar long kilts and a white sleeveless t-shirt to perform "Into the Groove" with Scottish bagpiper group Lorne Cousin
Lorne Cousin
-Overview:Los Angeles based Scottish bagpiper Lorne Cousin has performed with Madonna, Missy Elliott, Stella McCartney, and Brian Cox, among many others.-Trivia:...
. Rapper Missy Elliot appeared on the video screen for a rap interlude. The song was again added to the setlist of 2008–09 Sticky & Sweet Tour
Sticky & Sweet Tour
The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth worldwide concert tour by American singer Madonna to promote her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy. It began in August 2008 and was Madonna's first tour from her new recording and business deal with Live Nation. The tour was announced in February 2008, with...
. Elements of Cassius
Cassius (band)
Cassius is a French house music duo, consisting of producers Philippe Cerboneschi and Hubert Blanc-Francart, better known as Philippe Zdar and Boom Bass.-History:...
's "Toop Toop
Toop Toop
"Toop Toop" is a song by French electronic music duo Cassius. It was released in 2006 as the lead single from the Cassius' album 15 Again. The song combines Clash-style guitar riffs, dance beats and megaphone distorted vocals....
", Frankie Smith
Frankie Smith
For the football player of the same name see Frankie Smith .Franklyn Leon "Frankie" Smith is an American funk musician and R&B/soul songwriter.-History:...
's "Double Dutch Bus", The Sugarhill Gang
The Sugarhill Gang
The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group, known mostly for their 1979 hit, "Rapper's Delight", the first hip hop single to become a Top 40 hit. The song uses the instrumental track from the classic hit "Good Times" by Chic as its foundation....
's "Apache (Jump On It)" and Madonna's own "Jump
Jump (Madonna song)
"Jump" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her tenth studio album Confessions on a Dance Floor. Written by Madonna, Stuart Price and Joe Henry, the song was supposed to be released as the third single of the album...
" were added to the performance. "Into the Groove" marked the beginning of the second segment titled Old School. It began with Madonna appearing on the stage in shorts and t-shirt, while skipping to a DJ station. She started singing the song while cartoon characters from late artist, and Madonna's friend, Keith Haring
Keith Haring
Keith Haring was an artist and social activist whose work responded to the New York City street culture of the 1980s.-Early life:...
dance on the backdrops. Near the end of the song, Madonna performed a Double Dutch
Double Dutch (jump rope)
Double dutch is a game in which two long jump ropes turning in opposite directions are jumped by one or more players jumping simultaneously.While double dutch began in the inner cities of America, it is growing in popularity throughout the US and the world...
dance interlude.
Cover versions
The cast of the popular children's musical sitcom Kids IncorporatedKids Incorporated
Kids Incorporated, is an American children's television program that was produced from 1984 to 1993. It was largely a youth-oriented program with musical performances as an integral part of each and every storyline....
covered the song on television in 1985 – the original, sexually-suggestive lyrics were altered to be more youth-oriented. Ciccone Youth
Ciccone Youth
Ciccone Youth is an experimental band which was formed in 1986. It is a side project of Sonic Youth members Steve Shelley, Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo, and Thurston Moore, with Minutemen/fIREHOSE member Mike Watt....
covered as "Into the Groove(y)
Into the Groove(y)
"Into the Groove" was a single of Madonna covers from Mike Watt and Sonic Youth's side-project Ciccone Youth. It was released in 1986 on Blast First Records.-Tracklisting:# "Burnin' Up" - 4:11# "Tuff Titty Rap" - 0:37# "Into The Groovey" - 4:33...
"; it appeared on The Whitey Album
The Whitey Album
The Whitey Album is a 1988 album by Ciccone Youth, a side project of Sonic Youth members Steve Shelley, Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo, and Thurston Moore, with Minutemen/fIREHOSE member Mike Watt. The album is a tongue-in-cheek tribute to Madonna and 80s pop in general...
and was released as a single. Dale Bozzio
Dale Bozzio
Dale Bozzio, born Dale Frances Consalvi in Medford, Massachusetts March 2, 1955, is an American progressive rock and new wave vocalist. She is best known as co-founder and lead singer of the 1980s pop/new wave band Missing Persons. She is also known for her work with Frank Zappa...
, former lead singer of new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band Missing Persons, covered the song for the Madonna tribute album Virgin Voices: A Tribute To Madonna, Vol. 2 from 2000. A dance cover of the song was recorded by the group Mad'House
Madhouse (band)
Madhouse is a jazz-fusion band from Minneapolis that was created by Prince. Two Madhouse albums were officially released in 1987.-History:...
for the album Absolutely Mad. French pop/rock group Superbus
Superbus (band)
Superbus is a five-piece French pop/rock band formed in 1999.-History:After a trip to the United States to perfect her English in 1999, Jennifer Ayache went looking for musicians to make a group. She met Michel Giovannetti, a guitarist, and François Even, a bassist, who already knew each other from...
covered "Into the Groove" for their 2002 album, Aéromusical
Aéromusical
Aéromusical is the first studio album by French power pop group Superbus. It reached the 96th place on French album charts. It was released in 2002...
. It was the third and final single from the album. A 2007 tribute compilation to Madonna, titled Through the Wilderness
Through the Wilderness
Through the Wilderness is a tribute album to Madonna by various folk artists, released on November 27, 2007 on Manimal Vinyl Records.*7 out of 10- Pitchforkmedia.com*3.5 Stars - Spin Magazine-Tracks included:...
, features a cover of the song by Jeremy Jay
Jeremy Jay
-History:Jay grew up in Los Angeles. His first release, the Airwalker EP appeared in 2007 courtesy of K Records. It included a cover of the Siouxsie and the Banshees song, "Lunar Camel." The EP was described by Pitchfork Media as "cryptic, compelling short" with "half-crooned, half-spoken vocals...
. The Medic Droid
The Medic Droid
-History:The Medic Droid was started in 2005 with Chris Donathon, Hector Bagnod and Johnny Chavez . Bagnod and Donathon first met in 2003, but Donathon moved away from the city after they met, only to return a few years later...
covered the song on their 2008 debut album, What's Your Medium?.
In 2003, the song was combined with the vocals of Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
's "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling
Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling
"Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" is a dance-pop for Minogue's 2003 album Neon Nights. The song was released as the album's fourth single in June 2003. The single reached the top twenty in multiple countries, and topped the club charts in the United Kingdom...
", the fourth and final single from her album Neon Nights
Neon Nights
Neon Nights is the fourth studio album by Australian dance-pop singer Dannii Minogue. It was released by London Records on 17 March 2003 and was primarily produced by Ian Masterson, Korpi & Blackcell, Neïmo and Terry Ronald...
. "Into the Groove"'s instrumentation and a small Madonna vocal sample were added to Minogue's vocals, though Minogue's pitch was altered to fit the tempo of the song.
Track listing and formats
- UK 7" Single / UK Limited Edition Shaped Picture Disc
- "Into the Groove" – 4:43
- "Shoo-Bee-Doo" – 5:16
- UK 12" Single / German CD Single (Re-Issue, 1994)
- "Into the Groove" – 4:43
- "Everybody" – 4:52
- "Shoo-Bee-Doo" – 5:16
- Germany 3" CD Single (1989) / 5" CD Single (1990)
- "Into the Groove" – 4:43
- "Who's that Girl" (Extended Version) – 6:29
- "Causing a CommotionCausing a Commotion"Causing a Commotion" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the second single from the soundtrack album Who's That Girl on August 25, 1987, by Sire Records. Its Silver Screen Single Mix later appeared on the 1991 UK compilation EP The Holiday Collection...
" (Silver Screen Mix) – 6:39
Credits and personnel
- MadonnaMadonna (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...
– writerLyricsLyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Steve BrayStephen BrayStephen Bray is an American songwriter, drummer, and record producer from Detroit. Bray is best known for his collaboration with Madonna.Bray began studying music through private instruction in Detroit, and continued his education at Berklee College of Music in Boston.Bray owns and operates Saturn...
– writer, producer - Shep PettiboneShep PettiboneRobert 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...
– audio mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, additional production, audio editing - Andy Wallace – remix engineering
- The Latin Rascals – audio editing
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.
Charts
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... |
1 |
| 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... |
6 |
| Belgian VRT Top 30 VRT Top 30 The VRT Top 30 or Radio 2 Top 30 is a Belgian record chart that runs on the VRT, more specifically on Radio 2. The list is the new version of the old BRT Top 30, that changed along with the media group's name in 1992.... |
1 |
| Dutch Top 40 MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
1 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 Singles | 2 |
| French Singles Chart 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... |
2 |
| 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... |
3 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... |
1 |
| Italian Singles Chart 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.... |
1 |
| Japanese International Singles Chart 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... |
1 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart 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... |
3 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 1 |
| 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... |
2 |
| 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 ... |
1 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs 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,... |
19 |
Year-end charts
| Charts (1985) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report | 2 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 8 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 19 |
| UK Singles Chart | 3 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play | 12 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| France 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... |
Gold |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Gold |
| United States 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... |
Gold |