Everybody (song)
Encyclopedia
"Everybody" is song by American singer-songwriter Madonna
from her self-titled debut album. It was released on October 6, 1982 by Sire Records
as her debut single. Madonna had recorded a demo of the song with Steve Bray
. She urged DJ Mark Kamins, who played at her dance club, to play it. He was impressed by the song and took her to Sire Records, who signed her for a two song deal. However, after the recording of the two singles were over, Sire executive Michael Rosenblatt was not impressed with the production of the other song and decided to release only "Everybody".
Musically incorporating R&B infused beats, the song portrayed the image of Madonna as a black artist, since her picture did not appear on the single cover. However this misconception was cleared later when Madonna convinced Sire executives to allow her to shoot a music video for the song. The low-budget music video directed by Ed Steinberg portrayed Madonna and her friends singing and dancing in a club to the song. The video helped to promote the song and Madonna as an artist further.
Critically the song did not receive any acclaim and failed to enter the official Billboard
Hot 100
chart, but charted on its dance charts. The song helped Madonna achieve her first photograph in a dance magazine and getting nominated for the song's sales. She has performed the song in a number of live appearances. It was performed as the final song for The Girlie Show World Tour and was one of the songs performed by Madonna at the 2006 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The song was included in a remixed form on Madonna's 1987 remix album
, You Can Dance
, and on the deluxe edition of her 2009 compilation album, Celebration
.
who became the drummer of her band, the Breakfast Club
which played generally hard-rock music. However after that, they abandoned playing songs in the hard-rock genre and got signed by a music management company called Gotham Records with the plan of pursuing a new musical direction. They decided to pursue the funk
genre but the record company was not happy with their musical abilities. Hence they were dropped. Madonna and Bray left the band also. Meanwhile, Madonna had written and developed some songs on her own. She carried rough tapes of three of the songs, namely "Everybody", "Ain't No Big Deal" and "Burning Up
". At that time she frequented the Danceteria
nightclub in New York. It was there that Madonna convinced the DJ
Mark Kamins
to play "Everybody". The song received positive reaction from the crowd. Kamins decided that he should get Madonna a record deal on the understanding that he would get to produce the single. He took her to his boss Chris Blackwell
, who owned Island Records
, but he refused Madonna. This led to an approach to Sire Records
in 1982. Michael Rosenblatt, who worked at the artists and repertoire department of Sire, commented that,
Rosenblatt offered Madonna $5,000 in advance plus $10,000 in royalties for each song she wrote. Madonna was ultimately signed for two 12 inch singles by the President of Sire, Seymour Stein, who was impressed by her singing, after listening to "Everybody" at a hospital in Lenox Hill where he was admitted. The 12 inch version of "Everybody" was produced by Mark Kamins at Bob Blank's Blank Tapes Studio in NYC. Kamins was romantically involved with Madonna at that time. He took over the production
work from Steve Bray. The new recording ran 5:56 on one side and 9:23 for the dub version on the flipside. Madonna and Kamins had to record the single at their own cost. Arthur Baker, friend of Mark Kamins, guided him through the role of a music producer
and provided him with keyboard player Fred Zarr. Due to the restrained budget, the recording was a hefty affair as Madonna could not understand Kamins' directions and Kamins himself faced problems directing. Hence the A-side "Ain't No Big Deal" did not become as successful as everyone expected. Rosenblatt wanted to release "Everybody" with "Ain't No Big Deal" on the other side, but later changed his mind and put "Everybody" on both sides of the vinyl record
after hearing the recorded version of "Ain't No Big Deal". The single was commercially released in October 1982.
and spoken introduction
with Madonna taking a loud intake of breath
. Madonna displayed her bubblegum pop
voice in the song, which was doubletracked
. The song is written in the key of A minor
with the melody of the song beginning in G and rising to the second scale degree on the syllable 'bo' of 'everybody', thus highlighting the chorus
which follows in the chord progression of G–A–B–A. "Everybody" incorporated R&B
infused beats. Sire Records marketed the soulful nature of the dance song for the black audience and Madonna was promoted as an African-American artist, thereby fitting the record into a radio playlist where the song might chart. In New York, the song was played on 92 KTU which had an African-American audience. For the cover of the single, Sire Records portrayed a hip-hop collage
of downtown New York
, rather than a portrait shot of Madonna, further perpetuating the notion that Madonna was African-American.
commented that "At first, it ["Everybody"] doesn't sound like much at all. Then you notice its one distinguishing feature, a girlish hiccup that the singer uses over and over until it's irritating as hell. Finally, you get hooked, and you start looking forward to that silly little catch in her voice." Bill Lamb from About.com
commented in general that the songs from the album had "irresistible" pop hooks
. Author J. Randy Taraborrelli
in his biography on Madonna commented that the song was a rhythmic call to party. Author Santiago Fouz-Hernández in his book Madonna's Drowned Worlds, complimented the chorus of the song, saying that "Everybody" and "Music
" are the two Madonna singles which define her artistic crescendo.
in the United States. It peaked at seven on Billboards Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
chart on December 25, 1982. However the song moved quickly up the dance charts, and was Madonna's first single to chart on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play Chart, peaking at number three. Since its release, the single has sold around 250,000 copies. The song helped Madonna achieve a first magazine cover photograph. In the December issue of Dance Music Report
magazine, Madonna and another band Jekyll and Hyde were nominated for awards in the sales category of a reader's poll. It was Madonna's picture that appeared on the cover.
. She performed "Everybody" on the dancefloor, wearing a top hat and tails. On the night of the performance, Madonna's friend Haoui Montag introduced her to the 300 strong audience. Cheered by them, Madonna and her dancers performed their choreographed dance moves, later described as a 'disco act backed by avant-garde dancers.' Seeing the performance, they also realised that Madonna appeared visually stunning. They ordered an in-house video of "Everybody" to be sent to the clubs around the country which used dance videos.
Rosenblatt contacted Ed Steinberg, who ran the Rock America video company and asked him if he could spare a few hours to make a music video for "Everybody" with Madonna on stage at her next performance in Danceteria. The idea was to play the video as promotion across the United States so that people will come to recognize an image of Madonna and her performance. Rosenblatt offered Steinberg $1,000 for the in-house production video, when artists like Duran Duran
and Michael Jackson
were spending six figure sums on videos. They finally agreed on $1,500. With the low-budget, the video was directed by Steinberg. Steinberg suggested shooting the video on location at the Paradise Garage
, a downtown gay disco, instead of filming a live performance. Madonna's friend Debi Mazar
did the makeup and joined her other backup dancers, namely Erika Belle
and Bags Rilez. Mazar brought a few of her friends to act as a disco crowd in the video, including African-American graffiti artist Michael Stewart
. Steinberg was impressed by Madonna's professionalism on the set and he helped to send copies of the tape to nightclubs across America which used dance music videos for their entertainment. This promotion helped the song to grow from being a dance hit in New York to a nationwide hit.
The video starts with Madonna and her two backup dancers dancing in a club while lights blink in the background. The shots continue while interspersing close-up shots of Madonna dancing while wearing a coat and junk jewelry. Author Douglas Kellner in his book Media Culture: Cultural Studies, Identity, and Politics Between the Modern and the Postmodern noted that already with her first video, Madonna was deploying fashion, sexuality and the construction of an individual image to present herself both as an alluring sex object and as a transgressor of established norms. The band Fab Five Freddy
reminisce that with the video Madonna "is attracting those who were more street, more savvy, more flavorful."
and as the concert finale on 1993's The Girlie Show World Tour. In The Virgin Tour
Madonna wore a blue see-through crop-top which revealed her black bra, a purple skirt, lacy leggings and a brightly patterned jacket. She also wore crucifixes in her hair, and on her ears and neck. As the performance of "Into the Groove
" ended, Madonna took the microphone and danced around the stage while singing "Everybody". The performance was included in the home video release titled Live – The Virgin Tour. Madonna sampled "Everybody"'s line, "Dance and sing, get up and do your thing" during the opening bars of "Express Yourself" for the Blond Ambition World Tour
. In the Girlie Show, "Everybody" was performed as the closing song of the tour. Madonna wore pale shorts and a simple yellow and green V-necked shirt, which she hitched up into a bra revealing top. The performance started off after "Justify My Love
". The beginning contained the chorus from "Everybody Is a Star
" originally by Sly & The Family Stone. As the song progressed, musical excerpts of "Dance to the Music
", "After the Dance
" and "It Takes Two
" were included. Jon Pareles
from The New York Times
complimented the performance, saying "the show's finale is downright wholesome, with the troupe in denim and white tops, inviting the audience to dance to 'Everybody'. It's just a good-time song-and-dance revue, not a provocation."
Madonna played the song during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
while promoting her tenth studio album Confessions on a Dance Floor
(2005). She performed the song wearing a tank top and high boots, with a silver glitter band around her hair. It was also performed at London's Koko Club. Madonna was dressed in an all-purple ensemble of jacket, velvet pedal pushers and knee-high boots. Before performing "Everybody", she announced that, "I feel like I'm really out of shape right now, I don't like falling off horses, so I'm going to do one more song." On November 22, 2008, Madonna performed "Everybody" as the audience request song at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall venue as part of her Sticky & Sweet Tour
.
Credits adapted from the album 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 her self-titled debut album. It was released on October 6, 1982 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 her debut single. Madonna had recorded a demo of the song with Steve Bray
Stephen Bray
Stephen 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...
. She urged DJ Mark Kamins, who played at her dance club, to play it. He was impressed by the song and took her to Sire Records, who signed her for a two song deal. However, after the recording of the two singles were over, Sire executive Michael Rosenblatt was not impressed with the production of the other song and decided to release only "Everybody".
Musically incorporating R&B infused beats, the song portrayed the image of Madonna as a black artist, since her picture did not appear on the single cover. However this misconception was cleared later when Madonna convinced Sire executives to allow her to shoot a music video for the song. The low-budget music video directed by Ed Steinberg portrayed Madonna and her friends singing and dancing in a club to the song. The video helped to promote the song and Madonna as an artist further.
Critically the song did not receive any acclaim and failed to enter the official 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...
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...
chart, but charted on its dance charts. The song helped Madonna achieve her first photograph in a dance magazine and getting nominated for the song's sales. She has performed the song in a number of live appearances. It was performed as the final song for The Girlie Show World Tour and was one of the songs performed by Madonna at the 2006 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The song was included in a remixed form on Madonna's 1987 remix album
Remix album
A remix album is an album consisting mostly of remixes or re-recorded versions of a music artists' earlier released material.One of the earliest remix albums was 1971's Aerial Pandemonium Ballet by Harry Nilsson, which was released by Nilsson after the successes of Everybody's Talkin and The Point!...
, 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 on the deluxe edition of her 2009 compilation 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...
.
Background and release
In 1982, the 23 year old Madonna was living in New York and trying to set up her music career. She was joined by her Detroit boyfriend Steve BrayStephen Bray
Stephen 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...
who became the drummer of her band, the Breakfast Club
Breakfast Club (band)
Breakfast Club was an American New Wave group. Their biggest hit single was "Right on Track", which went to #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.-Band history:...
which played generally hard-rock music. However after that, they abandoned playing songs in the hard-rock genre and got signed by a music management company called Gotham Records with the plan of pursuing a new musical direction. They decided to pursue the funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
genre but the record company was not happy with their musical abilities. Hence they were dropped. Madonna and Bray left the band also. Meanwhile, Madonna had written and developed some songs on her own. She carried rough tapes of three of the songs, namely "Everybody", "Ain't No Big Deal" and "Burning Up
Burning Up
"Burning Up" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her self-titled debut album. It was released as the album's second single on March 9, 1983, in some countries as a AA side single with "Physical Attraction"...
". At that time she frequented the Danceteria
Danceteria
Danceteria was a well-known four-floor nightclub located in New York City which operated from 1980 until 1986 and in the Hamptons until 1995. Throughout its history, the club had seven different locations, three in NYC and four in the Hamptons...
nightclub in New York. It was there that Madonna convinced the DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
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...
to play "Everybody". The song received positive reaction from the crowd. Kamins decided that he should get Madonna a record deal on the understanding that he would get to produce the single. He took her to his boss Chris Blackwell
Chris Blackwell
Christopher Percy Gordon "Chris" Blackwell is a British record producer and businessman, who was the founder of Island Records, acknowledged as the most successful and groundbreaking independent record company in history. Blackwell has been a music industry mogul for over fifty years...
, who owned Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
, but he refused Madonna. This led to an approach to 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...
in 1982. Michael Rosenblatt, who worked at the artists and repertoire department of Sire, commented that,
"Madonna is great. She will do anything to be a star, and that's exactly what I look for in an artist: total co-operation... With Madonna I knew I had someone hot and co-operative, so I planned to build her career with singles, rather than just put an album right away and run the risk of disaster."
Rosenblatt offered Madonna $5,000 in advance plus $10,000 in royalties for each song she wrote. Madonna was ultimately signed for two 12 inch singles by the President of Sire, Seymour Stein, who was impressed by her singing, after listening to "Everybody" at a hospital in Lenox Hill where he was admitted. The 12 inch version of "Everybody" was produced by Mark Kamins at Bob Blank's Blank Tapes Studio in NYC. Kamins was romantically involved with Madonna at that time. He took over the production
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
work from Steve Bray. The new recording ran 5:56 on one side and 9:23 for the dub version on the flipside. Madonna and Kamins had to record the single at their own cost. Arthur Baker, friend of Mark Kamins, guided him through the role of a music producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and provided him with keyboard player Fred Zarr. Due to the restrained budget, the recording was a hefty affair as Madonna could not understand Kamins' directions and Kamins himself faced problems directing. Hence the A-side "Ain't No Big Deal" did not become as successful as everyone expected. Rosenblatt wanted to release "Everybody" with "Ain't No Big Deal" on the other side, but later changed his mind and put "Everybody" on both sides of the vinyl record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
after hearing the recorded version of "Ain't No Big Deal". The single was commercially released in October 1982.
Composition
"Everybody" starts with a heavily synthesizedSynthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
and spoken introduction
Introduction (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...
with Madonna taking a loud intake of breath
Breathing
Breathing is the process that moves air in and out of the lungs. Aerobic organisms require oxygen to release energy via respiration, in the form of the metabolism of energy-rich molecules such as glucose. Breathing is only one process that delivers oxygen to where it is needed in the body and...
. Madonna displayed her bubblegum pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
voice in the song, which was doubletracked
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...
. The song is written in the key of A minor
A minor
A minor is a minor scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The harmonic minor scale raises the G to G...
with the melody of the song beginning in G and rising to the second scale degree on the syllable 'bo' of 'everybody', thus highlighting the chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
which follows in the chord progression of G–A–B–A. "Everybody" incorporated R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
infused beats. Sire Records marketed the soulful nature of the dance song for the black audience and Madonna was promoted as an African-American artist, thereby fitting the record into a radio playlist where the song might chart. In New York, the song was played on 92 KTU which had an African-American audience. For the cover of the single, Sire Records portrayed a hip-hop collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
of downtown New York
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
, rather than a portrait shot of Madonna, further perpetuating the notion that Madonna was African-American.
Critical response
Author Rikky Rooksby, in his book The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna, noted that the song closed the Madonna album on a flat note. He called the music artificial, repetitive and uninspired. Don Shewey from Rolling StoneRolling 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...
commented that "At first, it ["Everybody"] doesn't sound like much at all. Then you notice its one distinguishing feature, a girlish hiccup that the singer uses over and over until it's irritating as hell. Finally, you get hooked, and you start looking forward to that silly little catch in her voice." Bill Lamb from About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
commented in general that the songs from the album had "irresistible" pop hooks
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...
. Author J. Randy Taraborrelli
J. 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...
in his biography on Madonna commented that the song was a rhythmic call to party. Author Santiago Fouz-Hernández in his book Madonna's Drowned Worlds, complimented the chorus of the song, saying that "Everybody" and "Music
Music (Madonna song)
"Music" is the first single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 8th studio album Music and was released on August 21, 2000, by Maverick Records. It was also released on DVD single, a debut in this format by Madonna. It earned two Grammy Award nominations in 2001, for Record of the Year...
" are the two Madonna singles which define her artistic crescendo.
Commercial performance
The 12-inch single of "Everybody" failed to break into the 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...
in the United States. It peaked at seven on Billboards Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
chart on December 25, 1982. However the song moved quickly up the dance charts, and was Madonna's first single to chart on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play Chart, peaking at number three. Since its release, the single has sold around 250,000 copies. The song helped Madonna achieve a first magazine cover photograph. In the December issue of Dance Music Report
Dance Music Report
Dance Music Report, initially Disco News and later DMR, was a biweekly U.S. trade magazine oriented toward nightclub and radio DJs in the dance music industry...
magazine, Madonna and another band Jekyll and Hyde were nominated for awards in the sales category of a reader's poll. It was Madonna's picture that appeared on the cover.
Music video
Sire Records had marketed the "Everybody" single as if Madonna was a black artist. This misconception was cleared by the release of the music video for the song. Regarding the importance of shooting a music video for the song, Madonna commented that, "If I didn't have a video, I don't think all the kids in the Midwest would know about me. It takes the place of touring. Everybody sees them everywhere. That really has a lot to do with the success of my album." She invited Sire Records executives, including Stein and Rosenblatt, to the New York nightclub DanceteriaDanceteria
Danceteria was a well-known four-floor nightclub located in New York City which operated from 1980 until 1986 and in the Hamptons until 1995. Throughout its history, the club had seven different locations, three in NYC and four in the Hamptons...
. She performed "Everybody" on the dancefloor, wearing a top hat and tails. On the night of the performance, Madonna's friend Haoui Montag introduced her to the 300 strong audience. Cheered by them, Madonna and her dancers performed their choreographed dance moves, later described as a 'disco act backed by avant-garde dancers.' Seeing the performance, they also realised that Madonna appeared visually stunning. They ordered an in-house video of "Everybody" to be sent to the clubs around the country which used dance videos.
Rosenblatt contacted Ed Steinberg, who ran the Rock America video company and asked him if he could spare a few hours to make a music video for "Everybody" with Madonna on stage at her next performance in Danceteria. The idea was to play the video as promotion across the United States so that people will come to recognize an image of Madonna and her performance. Rosenblatt offered Steinberg $1,000 for the in-house production video, when artists like Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
were spending six figure sums on videos. They finally agreed on $1,500. With the low-budget, the video was directed by Steinberg. Steinberg suggested shooting the video on location at the Paradise Garage
Paradise Garage
The Paradise Garage was a discotheque notable in the history of modern gay and nightclub cultures and in dance and pop music. It was founded by Michael Brody, its sole proprietor, and was located at 84 King Street, in the Hudson Square neighborhood of New York City. It operated from 1976 to 1987...
, a downtown gay disco, instead of filming a live performance. Madonna's friend Debi Mazar
Debi Mazar
Deborah "Debi" Mazar is an American actress, perhaps best known for her Jersey Girl-type roles; as sharp-tongued women in independent films; and for her recurring role as press agent Shauna Roberts on the HBO series Entourage.-Early life:...
did the makeup and joined her other backup dancers, namely 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...
and Bags Rilez. Mazar brought a few of her friends to act as a disco crowd in the video, including African-American graffiti artist Michael Stewart
Michael Stewart (graffiti artist)
Michael Jerome Stewart was a black graffiti artist who received recognition after his death following an arrest by New York City Transit Police for spray-painting graffiti on a subway station wall...
. Steinberg was impressed by Madonna's professionalism on the set and he helped to send copies of the tape to nightclubs across America which used dance music videos for their entertainment. This promotion helped the song to grow from being a dance hit in New York to a nationwide hit.
The video starts with Madonna and her two backup dancers dancing in a club while lights blink in the background. The shots continue while interspersing close-up shots of Madonna dancing while wearing a coat and junk jewelry. Author Douglas Kellner in his book Media Culture: Cultural Studies, Identity, and Politics Between the Modern and the Postmodern noted that already with her first video, Madonna was deploying fashion, sexuality and the construction of an individual image to present herself both as an alluring sex object and as a transgressor of established norms. The band Fab Five Freddy
Fab Five Freddy
Fred Brathwaite , more popularly known as Fab 5 Freddy, is an American Hip hop historian, Hip hop pioneer and former graffiti artist...
reminisce that with the video Madonna "is attracting those who were more street, more savvy, more flavorful."
Live performances
Madonna has performed "Everybody" during 1985's 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...
and as the concert finale on 1993's The Girlie Show World Tour. In The Virgin Tour
The 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...
Madonna wore a blue see-through crop-top which revealed her black bra, a purple skirt, lacy leggings and a brightly patterned jacket. She also wore crucifixes in her hair, and on her ears and neck. As the performance of "Into the Groove
Into the Groove
"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...
" ended, Madonna took the microphone and danced around the stage while singing "Everybody". The performance was included in the home video release titled Live – The Virgin Tour. Madonna sampled "Everybody"'s line, "Dance and sing, get up and do your thing" during the opening bars of "Express Yourself" for 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 the Girlie Show, "Everybody" was performed as the closing song of the tour. Madonna wore pale shorts and a simple yellow and green V-necked shirt, which she hitched up into a bra revealing top. The performance started off after "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...
". The beginning contained the chorus from "Everybody Is a Star
Everybody Is a Star
"Everybody Is a Star", released in December 1969, is a 1970 hit single recorded by Sly & the Family Stone. The song, double a-sided with "Thank You ", reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1970 and was the final classic-era Family Stone recording...
" originally by Sly & The Family Stone. As the song progressed, musical excerpts of "Dance to the Music
Dance to the Music (song)
"Dance to the Music" is a 1968 hit single by the influential soul/funk/rock band Sly & the Family Stone for the Epic/CBS Records label. It was the first single by the band to reach the Billboard Pop Singles Top 10, peaking at #8 and the first to popularize the band's sound, which would be emulated...
", "After the Dance
After the Dance
"After the Dance" is a slow jam recorded by singer Marvin Gaye and released as the second single off Gaye's hit album, I Want You. Though it received modest success, the song served as one of Marvin's best ballads and the song served as part of the template for quiet storm and urban contemporary...
" and "It Takes Two
It Takes Two (Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock song)
"It Takes Two" is a 1988 hip hop song by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock and produced by Teddy Riley that was later certified platinum. The song samples heavily from Lyn Collins' 1972 song "Think ", using multiple drum breaks, the well known "Woo! Yeah!" sample, as well as the lyric sung by Collins which...
" were included. Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of the New York Times. He played jazz flute and piano, and graduated from Yale University with a degree in music. In the 1970s he was an associate editor of Crawdaddy!, and in the 1980s an associate...
from The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
complimented the performance, saying "the show's finale is downright wholesome, with the troupe in denim and white tops, inviting the audience to dance to 'Everybody'. It's just a good-time song-and-dance revue, not a provocation."
Madonna played the song during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
while promoting her tenth studio album Confessions on a Dance Floor
Confessions on a Dance Floor
Confessions on a Dance Floor is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on November 15, 2005 by Warner Bros. Records. The album was a complete departure from her last studio album, American Life . It included influences of 70s and 80s disco as well as...
(2005). She performed the song wearing a tank top and high boots, with a silver glitter band around her hair. It was also performed at London's Koko Club. Madonna was dressed in an all-purple ensemble of jacket, velvet pedal pushers and knee-high boots. Before performing "Everybody", she announced that, "I feel like I'm really out of shape right now, I don't like falling off horses, so I'm going to do one more song." On November 22, 2008, Madonna performed "Everybody" as the audience request song at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall venue as part of her 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...
.
Track listing and formats
- US 12" single
- "Everybody" – 6:00
- "Everybody" (Dub Version) – 9:23
- US 7" Vinyl single
- "Everybody" – 3:58
- "Everybody" (Instrumental) – 4:13
- UK 12" single
- "Everybody" (Remix) – 6:16
- "Everybody" (Dub Version) – 5:59
- UK 7" single
- "Everybody" (Remix Edit)– 3:20
- "Everybody" (Dub Version) – 4:40
- Germany 5" CD single
- "Everybody (Album Version)" – 4:55
- "Everybody (Dub Version)" – 8:58
- FRA / ITA 12" Maxi Single
- "Everybody" – 5:56
- "Everybody" (Instrumental) – 9:23
- Notes: UK 7" and 12" versions included a remix by Rusty EganRusty EganRusty Egan was the drummer for the British new wave band, The Rich Kids. They were founded by former Sex Pistol, Glen Matlock, bass guitarist and backing vocals, occasional lead vocals; with Steve New guitarist and backing vocals, occasional lead vocals; and fronted by Midge Ure guitarist, lead...
and Steve Short at Trident Studios Reduction Suite, which was only ever released in the UK.
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...
– 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...
, writerSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer... - Mark KaminsMark KaminsMark 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...
– 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... - Butch JonesButch Jones-External links:*...
– synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones... - Reggie LucasReggie LucasReginald "Reggie" Lucas is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. Lucas is most famous for his production work with percussionist Mtume and for producing the majority of Madonna's 1983 self-titled debut album.-Biography:...
– guitars, drum programmingDrum machineA 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... - Fred Zarr – synthesizer, electric and acoustic piano
- Dean Gant – electric and acoustic piano
- Bobby Malach – tenor saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
- Ed Walsh – synthesizer
- Gwen GuthrieGwen GuthrieGwen Guthrie was an American singer-songwriter, who also sang backing vocals for Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, and Madonna, among others, and who wrote songs made famous by Ben E. King, and Roberta Flack....
– background vocals - Brenda White – background vocals
- Chrissy Faith – background vocals
Credits adapted from the album liner notes.
Charts
| Charts (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100... |
7 |
| US Hot Dance Music/Club Play | 3 |
External links
- Madonna "Everybody" lyrics MTVMTVMTV, 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....
- Madonna "Everybody" music video Yahoo!Yahoo!Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...