Released on 22 May 1990 "I'm Breathless (Music From And Inspired By The Film Dick Tracy" was a conceptual album by US singer Madonna, released to accompany the film Dick Tracy. The album contains three songs written by Stephen Sondheim,
which were used in the film, in addition to several songs co-written by
Madonna that were inspired by but not included in the film.
Madonna
starred as Breathless Mahoney alongside her then-boyfriend Warren Beatty who played the title role, Dick Tracy. After filming was complete, Madonna began work on the album with Sondheim, producer Patrick Leonard and engineer Bill Bottrell. She also worked with producer Shep Pettibone on the album's first single, "Vogue".
Musically, I'm Breathless consists predominantly of jazz, swing and pop songs. The tracks reflected Madonna's showgirl
personality and were influenced by her relationship with Beatty. The
singer wanted to create music that would fit the style and production of
the film, set in the days of the Untouchables law enforcement,
and sang the songs accordingly. In some areas she pitched her vocals
and belted the notes when necessary. She smoked cigarettes in order to
portray the vocals of her character Breathless. Beatty and singer Mandy Patinkin were featured as duet partners on three of the songs.
In 1990, Madonna was part of the film Dick Tracy starring as Breathless Mahoney, with Warren Beatty playing the titular character. Madonna told that initially she had waited for Beatty to call her for the
film. But when he did not, the singer decided to involve herself
voluntarily. She pursued the part of Mahoney, but offered to work for minimum wages to avoid favoritism. Beatty had realized several positive aspects of hiring Madonna as
an actress for the film. She would be inclined to develop a soundtrack
for Dick Tracy and the film studio would see this as a
promotional opportunity before the release of their product, since
Madonna was popular as a recording artist. This would also benefit Warner Bros. Records, who would get a reason to release a new Madonna record.
Madonna was in a relationship with Beatty at that time, and her
whole acting, recording and singing stemmed from impressing him with the
album, which was important to her. Beatty and actor Mandy Patinkin also lent their voices for songs from the album. While I'm Breathless was being completed, it still needed a lead single. At the same time, Madonna and producer Shep Pettibone decided to compose a new song called "Vogue" to be placed on the B-side of "Keep It Together", the final single from her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer
(1989), to ensure that the song would fare better on the charts. When
Warner executives heard the song, they decided to release it as an
A-side, and was eventually included on the album. Despite not appearing in the film, "Vogue" was used in a commercial for Dick Tracy. I'm Breathless is one of three soundtracks released alongside the film, the others being the Dick Tracy: Original Soundtrack, and an orchestral score by Danny Elfman.
I'm Breathless is a jazz, swing and pop album where Madonna and Sondheim tried to recreate the music of the period portrayed in Dick Tracy. According to Rikky Rooksby, author of The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna,
the harmonic and melodic styles were more "complex" than the songs
which Madonna was accustomed to, hence she found it difficult and
demanding. She spoke about the "wilderness" of the tunes, saying that
she was not confident of doing justice to the songs, and neither was
Sondheim. But he kept on encouraging the singer so that the recording
sessions would not be affected. Madonna also recruited producer Patrick Leonard and engineer Bill Bottrell
to help her with the project. According to Lucy O'Brien, author of Madonna: Like an Icon, after Madonna's split from husband Sean Penn
in 1989, the singer was comfortable in her new relationship with
Beatty, which influenced the songs. The singer and Leonard enlisted a
ten-piece live band and jazz musicians.
Lucy O'Brien said that the songs on I'm Breathless had a "coquettish" and "pandering nature", and was the polar opposite to Madonna's previous release, Like a Prayer, which had an introspective composition.I'm Breathless opens with the sound of an intercom and a shuffle, and power ballad
"He's a Man" starts, a song which Madonna sings as if she was a "hooker
stalking the boulevard". Also, Madonna's "haunting" vocals continue
after the music has faded. One of the Sondheim songs, "Sooner or Later", evokes a 1930s jazz ballad with comping
piano, brushed drum sounds, double bass, and horns. Conjuring the
atmosphere of a smoky nightclub, the song finds Madonna in her lowest
range as the melody shifts continuously. "Hanky Panky", the third song and second single, deals with sadomasochistic themes centered on a girl celebrating the pleasures of a "good spanking".
It is performed in an almost comical style, and stemmed from a line in
the film, where Breathless says to Tracy, "You don't know whether to hit
me or kiss me." The following track on the album, "I'm Going Bananas", is a Carmen Miranda-ish song done in a Spanish accent. A salsa rhythm is predominant, with Madonna squeezing her vocal cords while singing, backed by percussion and brass. In the fifth track, "Crybaby", Madonna mimics the vocals of Betty Boop. The melody is heard over the interlining synth strings, horns and
trumpets, and a bass. Rooksby explained that Madonna sang about a guy
who is "too sensitive and soft", and the chorus employs a chromatic chord sequence. The next track "Something to Remember" deals with her failed marriage to Penn and was the source of inspiration for naming her 1995 compilation album.
Musically, it has melancholy chords and rambling melody, which
according to Taraborrelli made it the most compelling song by Madonna.
Next "Back in Business" it contains a "slow-verse-fast-chorus" sequence. According to Rooksby, "the chorus bursts into life, with Madonna
clearly relishing the lyrics about good guys finishing last... the
coldness of her delivery is apt for the topic." Her vocals are
accompanied by muted trumpet sounds and a saxophone solo. "More" is the second Sondheim number where Madonna recites the
materialistic-themed lyrics with irony, over a bouncy two-beat with
tap-dancing during an instrumental break. The track consists of syncopated chord structure, tempo changes and
lyrical rhymes. The arrangement switches between slow and fast tempo, requiring proper enunciation by Madonna. The final Sondheim song, "What Can You Lose", is the duet with Patinkin. It is a torch song where Patinkin supplies the male voice while Madonna sings during the second verse with strings and harmonics.
Madonna sings a two-part duet with Beatty titled "Now I'm
Following You". With beats atop a riff, Madonna reveals that "Dick" is
an "interesting name". The first part has strings, brass and muted horns, with a tap-dancing sequence during the intermediate piano solo and blues
effect. At the last chord, the sound of the record getting stuck is
heard, and a needle is drawn across the vinyl, leading into the much
faster part two. The word "Dick" is continuously repeated in the main melody structure
until the song ends with the sound of a record being snatched off a
music player. Bill Meyers, who played piano during the recording, recalled that the song required only one take from Beatty. "Vogue"
closes out the album and is musically different from the rest of the
tracks. It is a dance number consisting of a "throbbing beat" and
lyrically has a theme of escapism. The song talks about Vogueing, a dance form which reproduced poses from high-fashion modelling. The song also has a rap section, where Madonna names various "golden era" Hollywood celebrities, including Greta Garbo, Marilyn Monroe and Marlene Dietrich.
Critics gave favorable reviews praising the album as one of Madonna's greatest musical moments, and praising her vocal performance. A surprise career decision for Madonna and found
that it showcased the singer's versatility and other facets of her pop
personality, describing "Hanky Panky" as the best tracks on the record, and "Vogue" showed the singer "can still deliver
that indefinable something extra".
I'm Breathless Music From And Inspired For The Film Dick Tracy Track List:
1. He's A Man
2. Sooner Or Later
3. Hanky Panky
4. I'm Going Bananas
5. Cry Baby
6. Something To Remember
7. Back In Business
8. More
9. What Can You Lose
10. Now I'm Following You (Part I)
11. Now I'm Following You (Part II)
12. Vogue
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