Tiger Tiger

The Story

Madonna has always flirted with controversy. Her behaviour has always caused uproar in the press and has been part of her irresistible charm. Never more so than at the beginning of the 90’s. If she wasn’t burning crucifixes in pop videos, she was having her photo taken in the nude trying to hitch a ride on the freeway….

Following the scandals surrounding the release of her ‘Sex’ book, the unfairly panned ‘Erotica’ LP and the negative reviews of the films ‘Body of Evidence’ and ‘Dangerous Games’ Madonna spent the following three years proving to herself and the world that despite this backlash she was still the immovable Queen of pop.

She proved this beyond doubt, with the legendary ‘Girlie Tour’, the release of her next album, the critically acclaimed ‘Bedtime Stories’ and finally her superb performance as Eva Peron in the film adaptation of Evita.

Towards the end of filming and riding high, Madonna flew briefly back to NYC to met with old friend Lenny Kravitz, (with whom she had penned Justify My Love back in 1990), presenting him with 9 songs that she had been demoed whilst on set in Buenos Aires.

He loved the tracks and promptly decamped in her hotel and together they secretly recorded a stripped down and raw session in the space of 72 hours. Lenny took these back to his studio to finish the backing tracks and begin mastering, while Madonna wrapped up with Evita. During this time the wheels were put in motion to begin production on the album and its artwork…

While ‘Sex’ and the ‘Erotica’ LP had given the world an in depth look at her fantasies, ‘Tiger Tiger’ would pinpoint all the positive and real inspirations Madonna had drawn strength from in her life – such as Elvis Presley (whose death falls on Madonna’s birthday), poetry, her daughter, a book given by an old lover, and even a song about her favourite flower...Tiger lilies.

It is believed that Madonna used the title of the William Blake poem for this new LP to ask the question that many of us ponder at some point in life: why is there pain, hardship, heartache, evil? …Though it voices the question, The Tiger never answers it. In response, Madonna was offering up her answer to conquering her inner most fears.

Upon returning to NY and meeting with Lenny, Madonna loved the results, but began to have doubts about laying all of her inner strengths out so blatantly for all to see.

The album was put on hold but luckily for us, the ‘Tiger Tiger’ album slipped through the production line in a typically efficient Japanese printing house – and the first 1000 copies of the album sleeve were printed. These were boxed up and sent immediately to Madonna, who handed out a few to those people who she cared for most.

The sessions were not a complete waste and later proved invaluable for her album ‘Ray of Light’ where some of the more spiritual and less obvious references to inner strength and love were used.

…wouldn’t it be great if this story was true.

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Album Artwork