Cherish (Madonna song)

"Cherish"
Song
B-side	"Supernatural" (previously unreleased track)

"Cherish" is a pop song written by American singer Madonna and Patrick Leonard for Madonna's fourth album Like a Prayer (1989). It is a fast-paced, passionate song about emotional attraction, played in the key of D major and accompanied by lush synthesized strings and a bright brass chorus. The song was produced by Madonna and Leonard and received a positive reception from music critics. The song was released as the third single in the summer of 1989 (see 1989 in music). The song reached the top ten in the United Kingdom and the United States, where it became Madonna's seventeenth top ten single. It reached the top twenty in Canada and the top thirty in France.

Music video

File:Cherish-video.jpg

Madonna playfully posing on a beach in the black and white music video for her single "Cherish" (1989).

"Cherish" featured a black and white music video that was directed by Herb Ritts and was filmed in July 1989 at Paradise Cove Beach in Los Angeles. In the video Madonna splashes in low tide in a black button-up dress. She flexes her muscles, poses playfully, and cavorts with a little merchild, who seems to have lost his way from a school of nearby mermen, who were played by the mens swim team from nearby Pepperdine University.

Herb Ritts was one of Madonna's preferred photographers at that time and is best known for his photograph of Madonna on the cover of her 1986 album True Blue. In "Cherish" Ritts makes his photographs come to life, smoldering as they show Madonna reclining in the surf. According to fans and critics, his greatest achievement in the video was perfectly capturing Madonna's free spirit. When she told Ritts she wanted him to direct the Cherish video, Ritts reportedly tried to talk her out of it saying, "But I'm a still photographer. I don't know anything about film." Undaunted, Madonna replied simply, "Well you have a few weeks to learn."

The video also features model Tony Ward, one of Madonna's ex-lovers. He makes his first appearance along side Madonna in this video by playing one of the mermen. He has also appeared in the music videos for "Justify My Love" and "Erotica".

• Director: Herb Ritts
• Producer: Sharon Oreck
• Director of Photography: Herb Ritts
• Production Co: O Pictures

Chart performance

On August 1 1989, "Cherish" was released in the United Kingdom. The song became Madonna's twenty-first top ten single when it peaked at number three in its second week on the singles chart, and spent a total of eight weeks in the top seventy-five. Outside of the UK, the song was also successful. It reached number two in Japan and number four in Australia, becoming Madonna's sixteenth top ten single. The single sold considerably well in many territories being certified gold in Australia and silver in the UK.

In the United States, it debuted at number thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. "Cherish" climbed the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart at a steady rate for eight weeks and peaked at number two on October 7, 1989. "Cherish" became Madonna's 17th straight Top 10 single, although "Oh Father" would end this streak months later.

Unlike previous Madonna singles "Cherish" was not a dance hit and did not make an appearance on the dance chart, but was a number one adult contemporary hit (her third after "Live to Tell" and "La Isla Bonita"), becoming one of the singles that helped Madonna emerge as the number one adult contemporary singles artist of 1989.

Charts

Chart (1989)	Peak position
Australia ARIA Singles Chart	4
Austrian Singles Chart	16
Canada Singles Chart	11
Eurochart Hot 100	5
France Singles Chart	21
Swiss Singles Chart	20
Germany Singles Chart	16
China Top Singles	8
Ireland Singles Chart	2
Japan Singles Chart	3
UK Singles Chart	3
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	2 (x3 weeks)
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay	1
U.S. Adult Contemporary	1

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Cherish".

• Cassette single

1. "Cherish" — 3:52
2. "Supernatural" — 5:12

• 7" vinyl single

1. "Cherish" — 3:52
2. "Supernatural" — 5:12

• 12" vinyl single

1. "Cherish" (Extended version) — 6:18
2. "Cherish" — 3:52
3. "Supernatural" — 5:12

References

• Billboard.com. link. Last accessed on Mar. 4, 2006. - U.S. chart positions.
• MoCaW: Madonna on Charts around the World. link. Last accessed on Mar. 4, 2006. - Worldwide chart positions and certifications.
• EIL.com. link. Last accessed on Mar. 4, 2006. - Formats and track listings.