Crazy for You - Madonna (1985) 9/8/23

Madonna made her film debut in the 1985 movie, "Vision Quest," where she played a night club singer who sang the title cut: "Crazy for You."

Wait...what?

I'll explain, but first...

"Vision Quest" (starring Matthew Modine and Linda Fiorentino) is an odd story about a high school wrestler who decides to lose several pounds so he can wrestle an undefeated state champion in a different weight class. In other words, he goes on a "quest." Meanwhile, he is falling in love with a much older woman. All of this affects his health--and not in a good way. I won't spoil the ending, in case you've never seen it, but I will tell you that it's a cult classic for a reason.

Now, back to Madonna. John Bettis and Jon Lind were commissioned to write "Crazy for You" specifically for Madonna to sing in the film, but there were a few speed bumps along the way.

First of all, they were NOT impressed with her initial recording. John "Jellybean" Benitez [produced the cut, and had a hard time with it, since it was a ballad, and he was more associated with dance pop.

Then, once the song was re-recorded to John & Jon's liking, Warner Brothers Records didn't want it released as a single, because they were afraid it would interfere with the sales of Madonna's most recent album "Like a Virgin,"

Finally, after much discussion, they relented. The song was released from the soundtrack, and before long, "Crazy For You" was a hit in 20 countries...reaching #1 in Australia, the UK, Canada, and here in the US--where it topped Billboard's Hot 100, and went to #2 on the Adult Contemporary Chart. It sold well over a million copies, and earned Madonna a Grammy nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance!"

The song was so popular that when the film was released in the UK and Australia, they changed the title to "Crazy for You," a marketing ploy to put more butts in theatre seats. (It worked!)

"Crazy for You:" the song from "Crazy For You" the film (aka "Vision Quest."): It's a "Great Song of 1985, and a giant step forward in Madonna's career! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHutZXREZ0E

Tomorrow: New Jack Swing from Janet