William Orbit Reveals How He Wishes Album Would Have Fared

Hopes that Madonna would re-claim her pop crown from Lady Gaga with 'MDNA' were dashed when the album plunged on the charts shortly after its March release - a victim of weak single choices and, some say, a lack of promotion on the Material Girl's part.
Now one high-profile producer is opening up about the experience on Facebook, saying he wishes 'MDNA' would've turned out differently and blaming the album's failure on rush marketing and timing.
'[Madonna] was on form and better than ever with her singing and writing and musicality, and was having a great time,' writes William Orbit, who previously collaborated with the pop star on her 1998 album 'Ray of Light,' which won four Grammy awards. 'We had songs lined up that were breathtaking.'
But then, from the sounds of it, things turned sour. After one fan comments on Orbit's page, noting that 'most people are writing off' the album and accusing Madonna's record company Interscope of 'gradually destroying' her career, the producer notes, 'All I will say is that certain thoughts about it that I see expressed online by committed fans such as yourself, were blindingly obvious to me from the very get go, well before the release.' He continues: 'But you won't see me exactly jumping up and down with delight over the way that things have panned out...we were very pushed for time.'
He doesn't mince words when it comes to working with Madonna herself, either, noting the 'various pressing commitments that took up the artist's limited time, such as perfume ranges and teen fashion contests and other such endeavors which are beyond my own limited understanding of pop star agendas.'
Claiming that he would 'lie down in the mud if she didn't want to get her shoes messed up,' he adds, 'It's hard to be an effective knight when your hands are bound.'
'The thing about having little appetite for riches and fame, and no great tower of expectations, you haven't got anything to be taken away,' he observes. 'And having always been an outsider, outside in the cold, It's always clear which way the wind is blowing.'

From www.huffingtonpost.com

Comments

[LOL]

@ Louis Smith: the world is a cold place if you choose to make it like that, and make yourself feel a victim (as is often the case with people who choose to use words like 'hater').

Yes, this place is about Madonna but, like any Forum, it will inevitably also be about the people who post. So, if you start calling people 'haters' and telling them to 'get the F off the hate train', then don't be surprised when they respond to you.

Back to the subject in hand - yes, I agree that the promotion of the album and, arguably the tour, has been totally substandard.

[Wales1978]

Louis Smith - Yawn

[Rob]

Totally agree with the comments that this was a rush job. However, I do not fault the Super Bowl commitment. I belive the real problem was having to go back and edit the film W.E. after it was panned by the critics at various film festivals. Having to revisit the film and spend time on that when the Super Bowl gig, album and tour were already planned gummed up the works. The new album sounds largely uninspired and derivative. And she seems to have tacked on apparent concern for gay issues as an afterthought (gay men in video, gay bullying for tour) and a somewhat desperate-seeming one. I love Madonna -- and I adored American Life, which most hated at the time, along with Erotica, which was criticized at the time. I just don't feel the current album and hope she will spend more time on her next album. I also hope she does not include too many tracks from it on the tour because I'd rather hear material from her other albums. This is the first Madonna album that has disappointed me -- I don't even listen to it, and I'm a die-hard fan.

[phillip]

I hope to god her management team don't make her like the lost superstars of the 80s whose singles reign disappeared over time...Boy George, George Micheal, Prince and Micheal Jackson...MJ had problems with his management at the time of Invincible...no major promotion, flop singles, lowest selling album, a number one but dropped real fast, management lost interest in MJ for the new kid who based his whole career on MJ, a Mr Timberlake..Same thing happening with Madonna/gaga...at least Madonna has a tour to boost singles/album sales...I read somewhere recently that Madonna still cares about singles sales/chart positions..Be good to know what she thinks of this era...Lack of promotion was put down as being a single mother to 4 kids still growing up and how she couldn't be on every tv show as she needed to be at home with them....

[Louis Smith]

hater/fighter...I am twelve, and dont know the world. but thank you for reminding me that it can be a cold, dark and unfriendly place. Full of ugly. And if some day i have to grow up (not old) like u. then only Madges music can save me. Its about Madonna here...stay focused.

[Louis Smith]

@wales. I am twelve, u must be a very uppity ass ...what 70? Ur words are very long and boring. U must live in a cute village in england sipping ur fragrant tea and having ur celery sandwich. (hopefully with real teeth)...U c fellow fan.... and i use the word losely..(probably like ur bum), Nobody comes on mad fan site..and disses the Queen. ..and gets away it. not this time. have a wonderful english roses day. eat me.

[Fitsy]

This article has actually MISSED what William REALLY said! Valuable time was taken up by the mixe engineer Demo Castellon, William slated his outdated and slow approach the engineering the music. He also stated that because of this, many good songs went to Chris Brown and Kreayshaws new albums! Basically the creators of those songs would not wait around!

All in all i dont care what people say to defend her and the incompetant Guy Oseary, they messed things up big time! By trying to save time and cut corners, they have delivered an album that will go down in history as a commercial and cultural FLOP! The exuse is that its all because of the tour is rubbish! Madonna has delivered both excellent albums AND tours at the same time. This is just about them putting their faith in amateurish organisations like Interscope who, if we are totally honest, are far more invested in Madonna's arch nemesis and 'label' sister, Lady GaGa. And lets face it, she is doing better than Madonna right now regardless of past successes, it is about now, today!

Madonna and her stupid greediness have practically given Lady GaGa the keys to her throne, because of her rubbish team Lady GaGa rightfully sits on the throne that we worked so hard to put Madonna on. We have an imposter doing Madonna better than Madonna ever could!! Lets pray she ditches Guy Oseary AND Interscope, they seem to be the only happy ones around at the moment, thanks to the big fat touring cheques!

[Wales1978]

I agree totally with Not a Hater nor a Fighter comments.

[Not a Hater nor a Fighter]

" get the F off the hate train.

Posted by: Louis Smith | Tuesday, 22 May 2012 at 03:42 PM "

Are you, like, 12yo? :-o All this "haters" and "hate train" is just stupid kid speak.

I guess that makes me a 'hater', huh...?

[Louis Smith]

MDNA has great music. Its a hit with me, and thats all that matters. I have got my moneys worth for sure. I will not let some "chart" tell me what is popular with mainstream or what i should buy or shouldnt.. I have my own mind, with my own taste. Madonna is an Icon, get the F off the hate train.

[Liz]

I honestly doubt the perfume and clothing lines are taking that much time or mental/emotional energy (and might be under an encompassing deals with Live Nation anyway). But side 'projects' like the S&S tours, W.E. filming/edits, divorce, combined with management/label pressure etc. which have gone on for four years almost non-stop and no wonder she seems to be going through the motions. MDNA is very good and Orbit is not slating her artistry but what could have been with a little rejuvenation and going full on into the music...

[Zois]

The problem with this album,besides the promotion,is that it it sounded like a greatest hits.It hasn't got any consistency.
And also what we need to hear from her is only good songs.She is 54,has millions of dollars and number one singles.What does she needs more?!!!!!Just good music,innovatine and not crap like GGW.

[Isabelle]

Thank God Orbit has finally spoken!!! It is absolutely shameful what has been done to MDNA thanks to terrible management and terrible or rather no marketing whatsoever. Someone mentioned on this website that Interscope are gradually destroying M's career. I also get the same impression.

M and her team should get their act together sooner rather than later!!!!!

[jeffrey]

MDNA should be ruling the charts. It is a fantastic cd. What the hell is wrong with Madonna's management? Where is the promotion? I agree that Turn up the Radio should have been the first single, maybe someone on her team will have the brains to release it soon as her tour is kicking off in a few days. It is a great radio song and if they do not play it I believe that radio is just shunning her. If Girl Gone Wild were a Britney or Rihanna song you bet your ass that radio would be playing the hell out of that song. Love Spent, I'm Addicted, Superstar, Masterpiece (why they never were smart enough to capitalize on the songs golden globe win by releasing it is beyond comprehension), this release has no brains behind it. It is like 50 different people doing 50 different things as far as this cd is concerned. Are they not even smart enough to get it together to release a video and all singles, and remixes at the same time? If evryone was on the same page maybe Madonna would be ruling the top ten again leading up to the tour. I fear that Guy Oseary has failed Madonna again. Maybe it's time for a new manager?

[Wales1978]

iTunes uk chart position 315 - this is the Madonna girl gone wild remixes. iTunes uk didn't have girl gone wild as an actual single release.

The only way it could be downloaded as a single if you purchased the song speratley from the mdna album.

I feel deflated as a fan - this whole mdna era is major CHART flop. Yet there are amazing songs on mdna. I would love to know what Madonna thinks of all this.

[Wales1978]

Girl gone wild is @ number 73 in the UK. It was released a week ago. What the hell is going on?

This song is worthy of top ten. No promomotion, physical release not timed correctly with an iTunes release = chart disaster

Madonna/guy/interscope you are ruining her chart positioning

[David]

I'm glad William Orbit has spoken. I think he has a point about Madonna not focussing on the music enough, spending her time launching a perfume etc instead. Music should be the priority. Can't believe they have some amazing songs left unfinished, that should be on the album. How unprofessional is that? I thought Madonna was about working hard and making sure the music is perfect. I have to say that I do really like MDNA tho. There are some great songs on there. Perhaps Masterpiece followed by Girl Gone Wild would have been a better introduction? Show's 2 very different sides to the album. Also, i am totally confused about the whole single releases situation these days. With GGW, the video was out ages before the official single release and now the remixes are just out. It loses the impact there used to be with a 7", 12" and CD single released at the same time (remember those?!) Also, singles used to prolong the lifespan of an album but this doesn't work with downloading. Did GGW even get anywhere in the singles chart? Sounds like things need to be tightened up in Camp Madonna.

[Cher]

One of the weakest albums ever.... Where is the time of like a prayer and ray of light... Belgium ticket sale tour falls from 67.000 sweet and sticky to 25000 for mdna

[Muli]

It is clear - and many of us believed this - that M has spread herself too thinly. Yes, of course the perfurme, clothing, etc. will all be highly lucrative, but something has to give. On this occasion, sadly, I think it is the music....

[Dan]

Agreed its an amazing album that hopefully will not get over looked. But maybe Madonna has too much on her plate with the movie, Superbowl, clothes line and fragrance. Regardless of the album success the tour will prove to be one of her best.

[Tommy]

So now the "committed" fans are to blame for the album tanking? This is the the thing with Madonna's albums, maybe 2 or 3 AMAZING tracks and then it seems the rest is half ass'd rushed!..mediocre! Whatever Orbit! we can go back to previous albums and its the same thing. Still love the B**** nonetheless!

[Black Heart]

All things are rushed. Thanks to Superbowl that the album became a victim. Though I am still spinning MDNA on my car and house.

[Andrew Dowling]

Why oh why won't Madonna write with Pat Leonard and Steve Bray? It almost seems like she wants to upset her fans, with substandard music, that flops.

[Scott]

The first two singles were awful - "Turn Up the Radio" and "Love Spent" would have been great (like "Music" and "Don't Tell Me" were, back in 2000).

[Blake]

Totally agree with Orbit here! He might have pissed off M and Guy but someone needed to say it! She was poised to have higher singles, more video views, radio airplay, but horrible promotion on this.
I'm sure they thought that since 4 minutes wasn't promoted well and it went to #3, but she had Timberlake and Timberland and a very catchy song.
It's funny they thought all they had to do was have her show up on Facebook and Twitter and that would be all. Wrong! Needs to be on daytime talk shows and primetime ones also.
I long for the days when Freddy DeMann was her manager!