Billboard.comTo celebrate the 25th anniversary of Madonna’s “Vogue” reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, we reached out to the song’s co-producer and co-writer, dance legend Shep Pettibone, for -- amazingly -- his first interview in 20 years.
We talked to Pettibone, of course, about the genesis and making of “Vogue,” but also his later work with the diva on The Immaculate Collection and Erotica, the sampling lawsuit against him and Madonna over “Vogue,” and why he stepped away from the music business nearly 20 years ago.
The producer/writer/remixer and DJ, now 55 years old, rose to prominence as a go-to remixer in the 1980s for such acts as Janet Jackson, New Order, Pet Shop Boys, George Michael, Whitney Houston and, most spectacularly, Madonna. His reworkings would often earn official promotion to radio, be used in an artist’s music videos, and be heard on tour. (A search for the phrase “Shep Pettibone” on YouTube turns up a treasure trove of sterling remixes.)
For Madonna, Pettibone reworked such classics as “Into the Groove” (his version is heard during Madonna’s Who’s That Girl Tour and on her You Can Dance album) and “Causing a Commotion,” in addition to crafting the popular single versions of “Like a Prayer” and “Express Yourself.”
His frequent work with Madonna led to her then-label, Warner Bros. Records, asking Pettibone if he would like to collaborate with her on an original song. The label’s then-head of dance music, Craig Kostich, “had this idea to see how we would work together, and he asked me to come up with a track for her,” says Pettibone. Assigned a budget of $5,000, he sent the diva the track’s “Philly Salsoul”-inspired music and within two weeks, she flew to New York to record her vocals to the track in a vocal booth in a “basement on West 56th Street.”
