"Bedtime Story," the third single from
Madonna's
Bedtime Stories album, holds the distinction of being her first U.S. single since her debut, "Everybody," to fail to crack the U.S. Top 40 (the song peaked at 42). It was the follow-up to her immensely popular hit "Take a Bow," and also one of her most adventurous and least-commercial singles. The song was co-written by alterna-goddess
Bjork, and, with its electronica undertones, seemed to pre-date the material from her forthcoming
Ray of Light album, as opposed to fitting in with the warm, adult-contemporary-laced urban feel of
Bedtime Stories. The single comes with seven versions, the first being an edit of the album track. The remixes, however, spin the song into a whole different direction. "Junior's Single Edit," (remixed by
Junior Vasquez), which is an edit of "Junior's Wet Dream Mix," sounds much more accessible and radio-friendly than the original. Had it been the official single version, it may have even cracked the Top 40. The "Orbital Mix" sounds even dreamier than the Junior Vasquez remixes, and "Junior's Sound Factory Mix" is much deeper, at times almost resembling a march. These remixes are pure dancefloor material, at times aggressive, at times ethereal, at times even trance-like. A great single, although not very commercial, but it stays true to its source, which is pure, unadulterated dance music. Also included is a B-side, the R&B album track "Sanctuary."
