Madonna's 1999 Ray of Light Tour (That never happened)

[Madonna 46,062]

Let's discuss what could have been:

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The dawning of 1999 saw Madonna as the toast of both fans and critics alike. She had just delivered her most assured album for over a decade, the hits were rolling off it to the top of the charts around the world and she had just been finally recognised by the Grammy Awards panel to a degree never before seen. Hurrah!

Ray Of Light, as a song, as an album and as a concept had been a complete success. Calling it a ‘make or break’ album might be stretching things a little, but in hindsight it certainly looks that way. Who knew a 40 year old new mother could connect so well with people of all ages, using trancey beats and chanting in sanskrit and still make it the best pop music in the world?

Maverick USA had every right to trumpet their superstar’s success and in a move planned with triple effect they created a mini-press campaign to a) celebrate her Grammy Nominations, b) announce her ‘Nothing Really Matters’ performance at the awards and c) show off to the public a look which the fantastically enormous breasts the birth of Lourdes had made possible!

The ad ran in the industry magazines such as Billboard, and Maverick also pressed up a small number of laminated counter stands to be used in record stores to promote the album. What the keen-eyed fans spotted though, was something momentous, yet tucked away in a corner. The almost-announcement of her first tour in 6 long years since the fantastically saucy Girlie Show in 1993!!! The ads clearly said to look out for her tour to support the Ray Of Light album that year!

Hurrah! There it is in black and, er, peach! Woo Hoo! Let’s celebrate by looking at that announcement in a bit closer detail..

…hmmm, most of you may have realised that in fact, no, there was no 1999 Tour So what happened? What monumental event stopped Madonna tour her most successful studio album in ages?

Yes. ‘The Next Best Thing’.

A wise choice? Well, let’s find the positive… we got ‘American Pie‘ – no really, that is a positive (!) – it provided a UK No.1 single and we also got ‘Time Stood Still‘, one of her greatest ballads. Plus, in acting terms and we got the excellent “1989…..1999” boob-pushing scene and a chance to see Mads act alongside Doogie Howser, MD. So it wasn’t all bad.

Perhaps without the ‘Ray Of Light Tour‘ cancellation there would have been no eventual ‘Drowned World Tour’ two years later. Perhaps we would have got to hear fan-favourites like ‘Nothing Really Matters‘ and ‘Skin‘ live on a tour….but then perhaps we wouldn’t have got the amazing ‘Sky Fits Heaven‘ and ‘Impressive Instant‘ performances later on? It could be argued until the cows come home whether she made the right choice…. but either way… let’s just raise a glass to what could have been and all say a quiet shanti shanti for the tour that never was…

from MadonnaTribe

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According to Liz Rozenberg Madonna was also going to perform songs from her Erotica, Bedtime Stories and Ray of Light albums exclusively! We can argue that she was most likely going to perform Erotica and I'll Remember as well as all the singles from Bedtime Stories and Ray of Light along some album tracks from the latter two. In 1996 Madonna said she was planning to tour BS, STR and Evita which also never happened. However, she was going to do I Want You in 2001 and performed You'll See on selected dates and gave a few nods to Evita in the following years. Therefore, we may as well assume that songs from those albums were going to make an appearance as well. Like a Prayer may have been the only song from the 80's to make an appearance.

Christopher Ciccone, who earlier designed the Blond Ambition stage and directed The Girlie Show, revealed in his book Life with My Sister Madonna, that already in early 1998 Madonna contacted him regarding new tournée. Christopher suggested that scenography evolved around a tree, with its leaves changing colors throughout the show, just like they do in different seasons of the year. Madonna did like the idea, but it never materialised. In 2001, the singer embarked on the Drowned World Tour, but due to the growing conflict between the siblings, Christopher was not involved, and in his book criticises the concert as too dark and unpleasant.

We can also assume that the tour was gonna feature a heavily Hindu-inspired theme judging from her looks that era and was gonna focus around themes of enlightenment through new-found spirituality and all that stuff.

 

NOW. I want you guys to discuss the tour based on all the info above. Setlist, costumes, stage designs, sections, everything! Imagine you were Madonna during her spiritual phase... Ready? Okay... LET's GO!

[Firdawsi 34,387]

I can't at how flawless this sounded  

[Madonna 46,062]

@Nocturn @Mint @Rebel Bitch @Jose @Mau @Devil Pray

 

 

[Firdawsi 34,387]

7 minutes ago, Salvatore said:

@Nocturn @Mint @Rebel Bitch @Jose @Mau @Devil Pray

 

 

wow  

[Madonna 46,062]

59 minutes ago, Blue Riding Hood said:

wow  

what?  

[Firdawsi 34,387]

Just now, Salvatore said:

what?  

The new layout

The highlighting in the tag mentions  

[Madonna 46,062]

13 minutes ago, Blue Riding Hood said:

The new layout

The highlighting in the tag mentions  

Oh yeah...  and they actually seem to be working for once  

[Firdawsi 34,387]

Just now, Salvatore said:

Oh yeah...  and they actually seem to be working for once  

Thanks @Onika   

 

[SeekingThrill 10,041]

Erotica and I'll Remember on ROL Tour.  

[Jose 3,470]

a setlist full of 90's album? i can do it  

[Madonna 46,062]

1 hour ago, Nocturn said:

Erotica and I'll Remember on ROL Tour.  

Yes, sis.

[Madonna 46,062]

Anyway, here's what I came up with:

 

Ray of Light Tour (1999)

 

I HINDU PUNK - SUMMER

 

1. Shanti / Ashtangi

2. Beautiful Stranger

3. Candy Perfume Girl

4. Skin

5. Erotica / Human Nature

 

II LATIN - FALL

 

6. Intro / Evita Medley

7. You'll See

8. Take a Bow

 

9. To Have and Not to Hold

 

III GOTHIC - WINTER

 

10. I Want You

11. Frozen

12. The Power of Good-Bye

13. Secret

14. I'll Remember / Rain

 

IV FUTURISTIC GEISHA - SPRING

 

15. Sanctuary

 

16. Bedtime Story (Orbital Remix)

17. Mer Girl / Sky Fits Heaven

18. Swim

19. Nothing Really Matters

 

20. Little Star

 

V ENCORE

 

21. Drowned World / Substitute for Love

22. Like a Prayer

23. Ray of Light

 

Details will follow...

 

 

[Jose 3,470]

I can imagine it as her darkest tour ever and her longest at that date  

Spiritual: Dressed like Hindu girl, but you know controversial as always  
1.Sanctuary (Intro)
2.Drowned World/Substitute for Love
3.Bedtime Story
4.Shanti/Ashtangi
5.Lament
6.Inside of Me

Latin: Dressed like Evita, inspired by the movie, Forbidden Love and Secret performed Acoustic, but with Latin elements
7.Buenos Aires (Interlude)
8.You'll See/Take a Bow Mash-Up
9.Forbidden Love
10.Secret 

Gothic: Dressed like if she was on a mental center, but sexy  
11.Sky Fits Heaven (Interlude)
12.I Want You
13.Candy Perfume Girl
14.Swim/Frozen/Nothing Really Matters Mash-Up
15.Rain

Jazz-Sexual Section: Cabaret, something new  and piano is played live on Secret Garden and Where Life Begins
16.Fever (Interlude)
17.Where Life Begins
18.To Have and Not To Hold
19.Erotica
20.Secret Garden

Heartbroken: Dressed like in The Power of Good-Bye music video
21.I'll Remember (Interlude)
22.Has to Be
23.This Used to Be My Playground/The Power of Good-Bye Mash-Up
24.Love Tried to Welcome Me/Bad Girl

Encore: wears idk a t-shirt something simple but controversial you know  
25.Ray of Light
26.Like a Prayer

[Ultra Blue 551]

the opening should be Shanti/asthangi

[SeekingThrill 10,041]

Concepts: Tree of life and knowledge through different seasons.  Lotus flower that grows out of the mud.

The show would be about the desire for change, for transformation, knowledge, nirvana... It starts with Hindu/Summer section where Madonna is sitting under the tree and the desire occurs. Gothic would be about forbidden knowledge and mysticism, while Geisha section (darkest section) would be about superficiality and love in the world of unconsciousness. Lotus/Spring would be about  nirvana, wisdom and stuff.

 

Hindu (summer)

1. Words

2. Shanti Ashtangi/ Skin

3. Lucky Star

4. Beautiful Stranger

5. Drowned World

6. Sky Fits Heaven

 

Gothic (autumn)

7. I Want You (video)

8. Frozen

9. Mer Girl

10. Rain

11. The Power Of Goodbye

12. Human Nature (with elements of Survival)

13. Rescue Me

14. Secret

 

Geisha (winter)

15. Sanctuary (video)

16. Vogue

17. Nothing Really Matters

18. Bedtime Story

19. Erotica

20. Take A Bow

 

Lotus (spring)

21. You Must Love Me (video)

22. Like A Prayer

23. I'll Remember

24. Deeper & Deeper

25. Ray Of Light

[SpringwoodSlasher 740]

Nothing Really Matters
Swim
Candy Perfume Girl
Ray of Light
Skin (Interlude)
Frozen
Deeper and Deeper
Vogue
The Power of Good-bye
Drowned World/Substitute For Love
Bedtime Story (Interlude)
Don't Cry For Me Argentina 
Sky Fits Heaven
Human Nature
Take a Bow
You Must Love Me
Mer Girl (Interlude)
Papa Don't Preach
La Isla Bonita
Secret
You'll See
Like a Prayer
Holiday

Just a setlist I made. 

[Courtney Love 4,389]

A tour for her 90's albums  Why did this not happen  

[Shego 36,871]

Only her 90's albums?  

90sdonna is my fave -donna

[MichaelS24895 5]

cry1

[SeekingThrill 10,041]

She probably would have played sitar in every section.