La Isla Bonita
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| "La Isla Bonita" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by Madonna | ||
| from the album True Blue | ||
| Released | February 25, 1987 | |
| Format | 7" Single CDVideo 12" Single and 5" CD Single | |
| Recorded | 1986 | |
| Genre | Latin Pop, Pop | |
| Length | 4:27 | |
| Label | Sire Records Warner Bros. Records WEA International |
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| Producer(s) | Madonna Patrick Leonard |
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| Madonna singles chronology | ||
| "Open Your Heart" (1986) |
"La Isla Bonita" (1987) |
"Who's That Girl" (1987) |
| True Blue track listing | ||
| "True Blue" (6) |
"La Isla Bonita" (7) |
"Jimmy, Jimmy" (8) |
| The Immaculate Collection track listing | ||
| "Open Your Heart" (10) |
"La Isla Bonita" (11) |
"Like a Prayer" (12) |
"La Isla Bonita" (The beautiful island) is a 1987 single by Madonna. The composition was written by Patrick Leonard and Bruce Gaitsch, and originally intended for Michael Jackson for his Bad album, who, according to Gaitsch, turned it down. Working with Leonard on the True Blue album, Madonna accepted it in Jackson's place, and wrote the song's lyrics, earning herself a co-writing credit.[1]
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[edit] Song information
Released as the fifth single off the True Blue album, this would become the fifth US top-five hit from the album (it reached number four in March, 1987), and a bonafide worldwide hit which reached number-one in the UK, France and Germany. The song was the first Madonna song to employ Spanish motifs, going so far as to include Spanish lyrics, an uncommon thing at the time. The Spanish theme would come to recur throughout her career, manifesting itself in lyrics for "Who's That Girl", "Spanish Eyes", "You'll See", "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", and "Lo Que Siente La Mujer", the video for "Take a Bow" and concerts on the Drowned World Tour.
Lyrically, the song speaks of the simplicity and authenticity of boy-meets-girl love: yet another theme which has occasionally recurred in her lyrics as in "Impressive Instant", "Forbidden Love". Much has been made of the song's reference to 'San Pedro' and the island to which the song title refers : some believe the island is Ambergris Caye - as the song may also mention its capital of San Pedro, though Gaitsch has mentioned that at the time, Madonna was spending time in a US town of the same name. Madonna herself hasn't helped speculation, referring to the song as being only a tribute to Latin America and its people, to an island and to herself.[2]
In 1999, female singer Deetah used elements of the song in her single "El Paraíso Rico". Also, in 2004, rapper Ma$e sampled and interpolated it for his song "My Harlem Lullaby".
The French singer Alizée has sung "La Isla Bonita" on stage at least once. Finnish metal band Twilight Guardians has also recorded a heavy rock version of the song. The song was also covered on Dream, the debut album of TrueBliss, a New Zealand reality television pop band formed in April 1999. Daron Malakian of System of a Down has also performed a portion of the song as a "transition tune" during concerts. A dance remix was also in the compilation Absolutely Mad by Mad'House.
Madonna has performed "La Isla Bonita" during many of her concert tours, most spectacularly during The Girlie Show and Drowned World Tours. To many of her fans, "La Isla Bonita" is seen as an enduring and beautiful product of this fascination with Hispanic culture, whilst to others, "La Isla Bonita" was seen as a blue print for later female stars who would inevitably include the occasional Spanish styled songs on their albums (Tina Arena, Geri Halliwell, Kylie Minogue). More recently, Madonna performed "La Isla Bonita" during her Confessions Tour in a dance/tribal remix.
[edit] Music video
The music video was set in Los Angeles and was directed by Mary Lambert, who directed a string of her acclaimed 1980's videos including those for "Borderline" and "Like a Prayer". The video, rich in Meso-American tones, sees Madonna playing dual roles, alter egos as such, representing piety and passion. The struggle between the two forms the backdrop of the video, which juts back and forth between red and blue backdrops and scenes. A young Benicio Del Toro appears in the video as a background character.
[edit] Official mixes
- Album Version (4:03)
- Extended Remix (5:24)
- Remix Edit (4:01)
- Instrumental (5:24)
- 7" Instrumental (4:21)
- Video Version/Fade (3:53)
- Remastered Version from The Immaculate Collection (3:48)
[edit] References in popular culture
In the Family Guy episode, The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz, Brian mentions Madonna as being stupider than Peter. Peter makes a reference to the song La Isla Bonita (and pronouncing it wrong) by thinking it is a real island.
[edit] References
Studio albums: Madonna (1983) · Like a Virgin (1984) · True Blue (1986) · Like a Prayer (1989)
Erotica (1992) · Bedtime Stories (1994) · Ray of Light (1998) · Music (2000)
American Life (2003) · Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005)
Discography · Tours · Videography · Filmography · Achievements and Awards · Bibliography · Unreleased songs · Controversies
| Preceded by "Let It Be" by Ferry Aid |
UK number one single April 19, 1987 |
Succeeded by "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship |
