Music
Madonna’s ‘Ray of Light’ is many things but it’s not a trashy album. Despite this, seven of the songs from ‘Ray of Light’ might’ve ended up in the trash.
Madonna‘s Ray of Light is many things but it’s not a trashy album. Despite this, seven of the songs from Ray of Light might’ve ended up in the trash. One of the producers from the album recalled an experience that terrified him while he was working for the Queen of Pop.
A producer lost a tape with songs from Madonna’s ‘Ray of Light’
Patrick Leonard was one if the power players in Madonna’s career. He co-wrote many important songs with her, including “Frozen,” “Like a Prayer,” “La Isla Bonita,” “Cherish,” and “Live to Tell.” During a 2017 interview with Boy Culture, Leonard recalled something that happened to him when he worked on Ray of Light , the most important techno album of all time. “I had a terrifying experience,” he remembered. “When we were leaving Miami, having written them, I had a cassette that just said ‘M’ on it and I had a rental car and when I returned the car, I left the tape in it.
“When I got on the plane, I thought, ‘Oh, my God … I just left seven new Madonna songs on a cassette in a rental car’ but they never turned up,” he added. “So someone took that cassette outta there and they threw it away.” If someone ever found that tape, it would be an incredible collector’s item!
Madonna’s producer discussed the influence he may have had on her
While Madonna is most known for upbeat pop tunes like “Material Girl” and “Like a Virgin,” a reporter told Leonard that her music can get vulnerable. “That’s for sure,” he said. “What — did she do for me? It’s a big question. There’s a lot that she did for me.
“In all these years in all this stuff, there was a flicker of unintended disrespect on my part,” Leonard added. “We got over it. There’s always been mutual respect, and I think that it isn’t often where the artist and the unseen collaborator feel like they shared equally and fairly, and I do.”
Ray of Light went on to become one of the most important albums of the Queen of Pop’s career. To this day, it’s often seen as one of the most forward-thinking and emotionally satisfying dance albums ever produced. Two songs from the album — the title track and “Frozen” — are classic hits that appear on every list of the Material Girl’s best songs. The tune also includes memorable album tracks such as “Sky Fits Heaven” and “Nothing Really Matters.”
‘Ray of Light’ received an incredible honor
In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Ray of Light No. 222 on its list of the 500 best albums ever. That’s one spot about John Lennon’s classic album Imagine! It seems like Madonna has only become more and more respected as a musician as the years went on.
The magazine praised William Orbit’s production for Ray of Light as well as Madonna’s vocal chops. In addition, Rolling Stone said that Ray of Light disproved the stereotype that electronic music sounds cold. The album’s influence can be heard in the work of modern singers such as Britney Spears and Marina and the Diamonds.
Ray of Light is a classic album even if some of its songs might have ended up in the trash.
