Crazy For You

Album: The Immaculate Collection (1985)
Charted: 2 1
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Songfacts®:

  • This song was written by John Bettis and Jon Lind. The lyricist John Bettis has written many notable songs including, "Top Of The World" and "Goodbye to Love" for the Carpenters, "Slow Hand" for The Pointer Sisters and "One Moment In Time" by Whitney Houston. Lind co-wrote the #1 hit for Vanessa Williams "Save The Best For Last."
  • This was recorded for the soundtrack to the wrestling film Vision Quest, which also featured a guest appearance by Madonna herself, who played a singer at a local restaurant. After the success of this song, the film was renamed Crazy For You in some European countries to capitalize on the song's popularity.
  • Madonna was relatively unknown when this song was recorded, as only her first album had been released. Bettis and Lind wrote it based on the script of Vision Quest, not for Madonna's voice. In fact, they were aghast to find out the Material Girl would be taking on the song. Bettis recalled to Billboard magazine: "'Borderline' was out at the time and I said, 'Excuse Me? This is for Madonna? Really? Can she sing a song like this? Jon and I were surprised at the choice of artist at the time, if you want to know the truth."

    When Madonna's second album Like A Virgin was released in November 1984, her popularity soared, but all of her singles up to that point were medium or uptempo dance songs that didn't showcase her singing ability. When "Crazy For You" was released in March 1985, the ballad proved that Madonna could handle a challenging song and had singing talent to go along with her image.
  • Madonna recorded her vocals in one take.
  • In February 1991, a remix of this song by Shep Pettibone, Madonna's producer of the choice at the time, was re-released in the UK. Again, the song failed to reach the top spot in the UK and peaked at #2. However its combined sales topped 750,000, making it her best-selling British single to date.
  • A worldwide hit, this reached #1 in Australia and Japan.
  • This song earned Madonna her first Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1986 ceremony. She lost to Whitney Houston for "Saving All My Love For You."
  • Producer John "Jellybean" Benitez had only worked on dance/pop songs before this and was understandably nervous about approaching a ballad. "I was tense because I had never done a record like this," he told Billboard magazine. "Everything I did was totally on instinct. I tried to make the song stand on its own, but at the same time work in the two scenes (in which) it was used in the movie."

    Songwriters Bettis and Lind, who were left disappointed after the first sessions, praised Jellybean for bringing in award-winning composer Rob Mounsey to transform the song into a hit record with a new arrangement and background vocals.
  • This was featured in the 2004 romantic comedy 13 Going on 30, starring Jennifer Garner and in the Will & Grace episode "Lows in the Mid-Eighties" in 2000.

Comments: 9

  • Hairy Schmitt from United StatesMy future wife and I slow danced for the first time ever to Crazy for You at our 9th grade dance in May of **1983**. Since this was well before the official release in 1985, what we danced to must have been an early B side single that the DJ got his hands on somewhere. We know from other sources that the song was first recorded in 1983 and that it was later re-recorded in 1985. Pretty cool! It is our absolute most loved song, my wife and I still dance to it in 2023. :)
  • Steven from Vernon ,new JerseyMaybe one of her best, long time favorite of mine.
  • AnonymousThis song is about my one true love Patrick.
  • Leo from Westminster 1, MdOF course Yes! Madonna sang and cried Crazy for You in one take. That's how good and brilliant Madonna is! Her friend and collaborator Patrick Leonard has said this about her-"The song is written and her vocals are done." That is exactly how Maddy gets things done in her life. And Crazy four You is actually a Country Song and a brilliant ballad at that. Dave Marsh has called Madge "one of the absolute musical treasures of all time." I have to agree wi the fellow Detroiter. When I saw the Reinvention Tour some years back, I was absolutely enthralled by Madonna's performance. As she belted out Crazy for You, Lady Madonna began to cry.
    Brilliant job, my Lady
  • Khaleel from Madurai, IndiaCrazy for you, is the classic of all time, wow, This lady make you fall in love with her. from an INDIAN MADONNA FAN.
  • Theresa from Murfreesboro, TnSee Madonna can sing!
  • Shawn from Green Bay, WiWow, Madonna is actually hot in this video, and she sings the heck out of this song! I grew up with Madonna and this song and never realized before listening to this live version how good of a singer she really is. This live version is better than the album version.
  • Alexandre from Santos, BrazilI was 12 years old when "Crazy For You" was released in Brazil. I was a great fan of Madonna in my early teens but "Crazy For You" had never been one of favourite songs by Madonna. Now, I'm 35 years old, and 23 years later, I've fallen in love with a workmate of mine and whenever I listen to the chorus of such song, I burst into tears...It touches my heart when I start listening to the firt verses...Great song by Madonna!!! Now, one of my all-time favourite songs! Alexandre Albertoni, Bairro da Aparecida, Santos, Brazil. June 3, 2008.
  • Elen from Newcastle, United Statesthis is a classic madonna song. she is a brilliant artist.
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