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MADONNA INTERVIEW AS BROADCAST ON ‘UGLY PHIL’S TOP 30’ BROADCAST DATE: 2/2/98
UGLY PHIL: The main part of your long-gevity is that you constantly re-invent yourself, tell me about this re-invention..
MADONNA: I hate that word, ‘re-invention’, its so boring, I’m not re-inventing, I’m on a journey, I’m having an adventure as I go I’m changing. My work is always a reflection of wherever I am. And to say I’m re-inventing myself sounds so calculating and boring.
UP: Ok, tell me about the changes then. I mean are these pre-calculated changes?
M: They’re not calculated, no. I guess the thing is, is that most people will keep making the same record over, and over again, and they don’t wanna take chances and come out with new and different sounds because people may not like it, they might not recognise it, whatever and, you know for the most part in popular culture its safer to do the same thing over and over again. Your not encouraged to change and grow and try out new things and experiment. Um its like---some weird concept people can’t really grasp.
UP: Can I explore the changes that you make then?
M: Yeah, sure.
UP: Tell me about the changes that you’ve made, for yourself personally that have influenced this album.
M: Well, um, allot has happened to me in the last couple of years, from the making of Evita, to having my daughter, to working on this record.. I’m personally going through allot of personal examination and I’m studying lots of different philosophies and I started practising yoga, and things like that. So, I mean, all these things have influenced me.
UP: I wanted to talk about your lyrics, and I was actually listening to your album before, and I had a look at the lyrics, there appears to be allot more depth, allot more happiness in your life right now do you attribute that to your spirituality?
M: I attribute it to, yeah to life to everything that’s happened to me in the last couple of years. Having a baby has had allot to do with it.
UP: There’s an element of pain some of your lyrics as well, I’ve noticed...
M: (interrupts) What else is there?? (Both laugh) there’s always an element of pain in my lyrics...welcome to my world!
UP: Are you wearing your heart on your sleeve more than usual on this album?
M: No, I think I’ve done that lots in the past, maybe I’m just more in-touch with who I really am now. Versus who I thought I was. If you get my drift....
UP: Does the semi-new Madonna look back and say, “Oh my God I can’t believe I’ve lived my life this way”?
M: Yeah I do. But I don’t do it with any kind of regret. Or bad feelings about myself. I just think, WOW! I’ve changed so much. I barley recognise that person.
UP: No regrets at all?
M: NO!
UP: Getting back to the album, we were talking about the Indian poem, the song that you did, Shanti/Ashtangi, is that Hindu--what?? What language is that?
M: Sundscript. Its a very old language, I think it came about in the 13th century, its one of the oldest languages in the world. I started hearing it all the time, because when I stared practising yoga, my yoga teacher, was teaching me sundscript prayers because it a yoga tradition to chant, and then I decided I wanted to know what I was saying, so she introduced me to a professor of sundscript, and I studied with him for a while. Some of the prayers that we say are really beautiful, so the one on my album is like a combination of prayers. When you say them, there’re supposed to produce a feeling a bliss and happiness inside of you.
UP: So its like a Mantra?
M: Yeah.
UP: William Orbit--the producer, has got elements of trip-hop on your new album, do you have any influences or interests in that particular area?
M: Yeah, totally. I’m really influenced by the music coming out of England right now,
UP: People like Goldie, Tricky and Massive Attack?
M: Yes, all of the above.
UP: Did you listen to all of that music while you were making the album?
M: No, no. We didn’t listen--when I’m making a record, I can’t stand listening to music. Actually there was one record I listened to, no that’s a lie---there’s two records I listened to. I kept listening to Stereo MC’s remix of a Tricky song, called She Makes Me Wanna Die. I had it in my car and I played it all day long.
UP: Do have any albums that you listen to when you need a good cry, close the doors, leave the phone of the hook, What do you sit-down to when you need those moments?
M: Umm, God, any number of things, I listen to allot of um, Portuguese music, Moroccan, Indian...Where do you live?
UP: Um, Australia.
M: Ok, they should have that there.
UP: You’re getting into allot of world music...where did this start?
M: I’ve always been interested in it, but, I’ve never thought of incorporating it into my music. Cause’ I listen to allot of Indian music, allot of Moroccan, Middle-Eastern music, ummm, I listen to allot of Spanish and Portuguese and Brazilian music, and I always have. But now I’ve really absorbed it.
UP: Ok, back to the music, its been a return to the dance club roots of Lucky Star the early days...
M: really?
UP: That’s what the bio said so,
M: Those writers have to go! (Laughs)
UP: Is that a large market for you? The dance market?
M: Well, its where I started. Its definitely where my roots are and I love dance music. And the last record was the soundtrack to Evita and before that was a collection of ballads, and I felt like I really wanted to get back to the stuff I started doing in the first place.
UP: What’s this about a Wes Craven movie called Fiddle Fest that you will to be doing?
M: Oh, yeah, that’s mine! I don’t have to vie for that one! (laughs)
UP: No-one’s ass to kick for that?
M: No, no, no.
UP: When’s that coming out?
M: It hasn’t even been shot yet! I’ve just got to work that out in my very busy schedule. Cause’ I’m doing a movie this Summer, then I’m gonna go on tour (Woo Hoo!!!!!!), and then I’m gonna make Chicago. So maybe after that.