In 1993, Madonna released Bad Girl/Fever - her third singles from the Erotica album. She sang both songs on Saturday Night Live on January 16, 1993. As far as the singles and videos were concerned, America got Bad Girl and everyone else got Fever*. The latter was directed by Stephane Sednaoui, who we had known for photographing Madonna on the set of her Justify My Love video in 1990.
It took me awhile to love the video for Fever. I was so impressed with Erotica, Deeper and Deeper and Bad Girl that at the time I thought Fever was a downgrade - it seemed a little out of place - now it seems perfect as one of the videos from the Erotica album. I got hooked on it after seeing it at a nightclub on a wall of tv screens. Prior to Fever, Sednaoui had directed Ziggy Marley in Kozmik (1991), The Red Hot Chili Peppers in Give It Away (1991) and Breaking the Girl (1992). He then became a household name for video directors among the MTV generation in America for directing The Smashing Pumpkin's Today and Bjork's Big Time Sensuality in late 1993.
*update of facts regarding single and video release of Bad Girl and Fever in the comments section provided by Jamesy from Madonna-tv.com
I agree! The video for Fever was a disappointment for me. Especially after all the other really amazing videos she had made prior. Fever is still probably my least favorite video! But still love the outfit!
ReplyDeleteThe director of this also did the amazing video for, 'Ironic', by Alanis.
ReplyDeleteI thought the Fever video was released in the US. I remember seeing it on MTV.
ReplyDeleteWhen Bad Girl / Fever was released as a US single - only the Bad Girl video had been made!
ReplyDeleteThe Bad Girl video actually aired pretty much everywhere at that same time - (Bad Girl got a single release in UK, Europe, and USA at approximately the same time - in synch with the video!).
Shortly afterwards, Warner UK decided to rush release "Fever" as a single, based on the US remixes which had been on the US "Bad Girl / Fever" single.
At this point there was no Fever video (it was months away!) so Warner UK produced their own video (montage of clips of older Madonna videos set to the album version of Fever).
It wasn't until the Summer of 1993 that the Fever video was released (the UK Fever single was long dead by now). The Fever video went into rotation on MTV in America but not on MTV in UK / Europe!
In fact the only way at first for European fans to see "Fever" was on the "US Top 20 Countdown" show, which did air on MTV Europe once a week!
To confuse matters even more, the Fever video used a new remix not heard before - and not available as an audio release anywhere at the time (not even on a promo)! Thankfully it was eventually released on the b-side of "Rain" in Germany a few months later (2 versions of the mix were released in Germany - Fever Edit One and Fever Edit Two)!
So the whole Fever video thing is a bit of a mystery to me - as in, the timing of its production and release! The video did not directly coincide with a "Fever" single release in any country!
I love the video btw!!!
fantastic! thanks for clearing all those facts up jamesy!!! xo
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ReplyDeleteI'm with Cocamia. I don't love this video. It's just okay. I'm not a fan of the short red wig. But LOVE that dress, and love the silver body paint/dress/hair. And great cover of a great song!
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