fender bass guitar
During “Borderline’s” massive run on MTV, Madonna came by the station’s studio and granted an interview to VJ Mark Goodman.
Several things are immediately apparent in this clip: Madonna is mature, intimidatingly intelligent, sexy as all get-out and full of self-confidence and drive, and Goodman is in way over his head.
electric bass
jazz bass
fender bass guitar
None of which is meant to overshadow the song itself, one of Madonna’s best. Playful and soulful, it could have easily been a girl group song from the Motown era, if not for the presence of all those synths. Though her vocals are rendered particularly high, there’s a great bit at 2:35 when she strains on the “stop driving me away” line with a bit of rock grit.
Essentially, this is where Madonna’s career began, and without this clip she might have never rolled around on the floor at the first VMAs.
What it’s really about is Madonna — wearing a choke chain, Ric Ocasek sunglasses and fishnet undergarments, spinning in circles and writhing around on the street like it’s her lover’s bed.
Forgive us if us ignore the subplot about the Andrew McCarthy dude in the aqua blue convertible. But wait, does Madonna become him in the end? You didn’t see that one coming.