Oh father
| Oh father | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Madonna | |
| publication | March 21, 1989 (album) October 24, 1989 (single) |
| length | 4:20 (7 ") 4:57 (album version) |
| Genre (s) | pop |
| Author (s) | Madonna, Patrick Leonard |
| Producer (s) | Madonna, Patrick Leonard |
| album | Like a prayer |
Oh Father is a pop song by the American singer and songwriter Madonna from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer . It was released on October 24, 1989 on Sire Records as the fourth single from the album. However, it was not released as a single in the UK until December 31, 1995 when it appeared on the 1995 ballad album Something to Remember .
Origin and reception
Oh Father was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard .
The song debuted at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 11, 1989 . It became Madonna's first single since Holiday in the spring of 1984, which missed the top ten on the US charts. The highest ranking was 20th in the week ending December 30, 1989. With this song Madonna ended her streak of 16 consecutive top 5 hits and 17 top ten hits in the United States .
Outside the US, the single was only a mediocre success. It is Madonna's most unsuccessful single in Australia to date , where the song only reached number 59; This ended her streak of 20 top 40 hits. In France , the single made it to number 26.
Oh Father was not released as a single in the UK and Ireland until December 25, 1995, when the song appeared on the Something to Remember compilation . The song reached number 16 in the UK charts and number 25 in Ireland and number six in Italy and Finland .
At the end of 1989 the single was also released in South Africa , but did not make it into the charts. However, when it was re-released in December 1995, it became a number one hit, peaking at number 1 for two weeks.
Music video
The music video was filmed at Culver Studios in Culver City during the last week of October 1989 . Directed by David Fincher . The music video was shot in black and white and is inspired by the Orson Welles film Citizen Kane . The video's world premiere was on November 11, 1989 on MTV .
The music video was awarded 66th place by Rolling Stone magazine as one of "The 100 Top Music Videos". The music video is included on Madonna's video album The Immaculate Collection (1990) DVD / VHS . In an interview with Kurt Loder on an MTV Special in 1991 under the title Breakfast with Madonna , Loder described it as the "most impressive music video". Then he asked Madonna if her father, Silvio Ciccone, had seen the music video. Madonna replied, “To tell you the truth, I don't know if he saw it. What is so important about that? "
- Director: David Fincher
- Producer: Tim Clawson
- Director of Photography: Jordan Cronenweth
- Editor: Jim Haygood
- Production Company: Propaganda Films
Live performances
Madonna sang the song in 1990 on her Blond Ambition Tour. During the performance, she knelt on an altar .
Charts
| Charts | Top ranking | Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Chart placements | ||
 United Kingdom (OCC)
|
16 (10 weeks) | 10 |
 United States (Billboard)
|
20th (13 weeks) | 13 |
Cover versions
- UK alternative band My Vitriol released a rock version of Oh Father in 2001 called Grounded .
- Giant Drag released a cover version in rock and folk style.
- In 2010 Sia covered the song on her album We Are Born .