4 July 2011

maybe you’re the next best thing – Rupert Everett unreleased duet




Happy Independence Day to all my readers in the USA!!!

When I interviewed producer Mark Endert in 2007 about recording with Madonna and William Orbit, he told me about an alternative version of the song Time Stood Still, from The Next Best Thing soundtrack, that remains unreleased:  

“We were set out to record Music at The Hit Factory, New York. William was there and we were all set up and already working on tracks for Music. She was in the middle of making the film and she said, “I have to do these other two songs”. I remember Time Stood Still because it was a duet with Rupert Everett. I think that was that song is that right?”

thebeatswithin: Didn’t he sing backing vocals on American Pie?

“That's funny! I never really followed that up, but were his background vocals used on American Pie?”


thebeatswithin: Yeah, he’s on that song and he even appears in the video with Madonna. In fact, I’m not sure if you know this, but Rupert released a pop album back in the 1980s (Generation of Loneliness).


“Wow! I didn't know that, but he could really sing actually. We did a song called The Next Best Thing. Did that get used?”


thebeatswithin: Yes, albeit that is the chorus lyric – the song was actually titles Time Stood Still.


“That's funny, because, as I recall Rupert also sang on that song. But there’s a lot of recording that doesn't get used.”

Click here to listen to the Rupert-less version of Time Stood Still, taken from The Next Best Thing soundtrack.  

2 comments:

Mo'Hawkins said...

what a lovely, lovely song. Happy 4th to you, too!

Rabbitbunny said...

Time Stood Still is a beautiful Ciccone ballad of hers that definitely should have been released on Music. The only problem I have with that album is the time length. At 44 minutes, Music is way too short for a Madonna record. Anyway, Time Stood Still is a beautiful Madonna ballad that practically aches and cries to be rediscovered by ardent Madonnaphiles. Madge cries
Time Stood Still with a sadness,
a sweet tenderness and a lightness of touch. I wouldn't expect anything less from Her Madgesty Ciccone and once again, Madonna delivers with Time Stood Still.