Lucy O'Brien, the author of a new Madonna biography (Madonna: Like An Icon) was interviewed by Steve Wright on BBC Radio 2 on Wednesday.

Fans can listen to the interview (and listen to the Madonna tunes played) at www.bbc.co.uk/radio - the interview appears 1 hour 30 minutes into the show.

This bizarre story turned up in UK newspaper the Daily Mirror today - not sure if the actor who was quoted was pulling the interviewers leg or not! Click to enlarge.

Darren Hayes has admitted that he finds Madonna's overt displays of sexuality 'frightening'.
The former Savage Garden star watched the pop queen on her most recent tour and was shocked by a sequence in which she pole-danced to her 1986 hit 'Like A Virgin'.
He told Attitude: 'I adore Madonna, of course. But the moral dilemma I have from watching Madonna and then watching something like The Pussycat Dolls is that their sexuality is almost a little bit frightening.'
'She sets up the premise that she is the master. When she got on a pole on her last tour it kind of worked because she wasn't the object of everyone's desire.'

Update - 31 August 2007:
Darren has got in contact with madonnalicious to clarify what he said, as the above article from Digital Spy has misintrepreted what he said to Attitude magazine:

I was saying that I find the PUSSYCAT DOLLS sexuality frightening....Not the Queen's. In that article I was actually comparing the Pussycat Dolls to Madonna's and pointing out that Madonna makes her sexuality a powerful thing and uses it to command respect. Unlike the dolls.

Here is the official press release for the London musical based on Madonna's 1985 hit film Desperately Seeking Susan featuring the music of Blondie:

DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN will open in London at the Novello Theatre on 12 October, with a press night on Thursday 15 November. This quirky love story is set in New York City's vibrant Lower East Side and driven by the pulsating energy of classic Blondie songs. Based on the smash hit 1980's movie, this new musical is a whirlwind fairytale of mistaken identity, magic shows and rock 'n' roll.
Featuring all the best-loved Blondie tracks, including Call Me, Heart of Glass, Rapture, One Way or Another, Sunday Girl, Atomic, The Tide is High, Dreaming and Hanging on the Telephone, the production will also introduce Moment of Truth, a new song by Deborah Harry and Chris Stein, written especially for this feel-good romantic comedy musical.
Roberta Glass, a suburban New Jersey housewife, escapes her humdrum life by reading the personal ads placed by Susan, a street-smart New York City drifter, and her freewheeling boyfriend Jay. Through a quirky twist of fate, Roberta and Susan unexpectedly swap lives and are plunged into a madcap world of jewel heists, magic shows and rock 'n' roll. The collision of their identities takes them on a wild ride of transformation and discovery until they realise that just when you think you know where your life is headed, something magical happens and turns it all around....
Before there was Madonna and Gwen Stefani, Debbie Harry was rock's reigning blonde pin-up icon, and both are quick to acknowledge her inspiration, as are countless female (and male) rockers since. The ultimate pop-rock diva, Deborah Harry became an icon of the new wave scene and a queen of New York , incorporating the influence of culture pioneers like Andy Warhol, Giorgio Moroder and Fab Five Freddy into her fashion, look and, particularly, sound. With Blondie, she and Chris Stein brought the worlds of disco and rock together with Heart of Glass and Call Me and broke ground by combining hip-hop and pop on Rapture.

The musical stars Price as 'Roberta' and Emma Williams as 'Susan', and also stars Leanne Best, Mark McGee, Alec Newman and Jonathan Wrather.

The musical is written and conceived by American writer, director and actor Peter Michael Marino, and directed by Angus Jackson.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS
Monday - Thursday and Saturday 8pm, Friday 5pm & 8.30pm, Saturday Matinees 3pm
No performances 15, 16, 22, 23 and 29 October
No 5pm performance 12 October; No matinee 13 October
Tickets priced between £15.00 and £55.00. £10 off top two prices during Previews.
Novello Theatre Box Office 0870 950 0921
Please call the Box Office for Christmas Schedule

Madonna's Confessions On A Dance Floor once again has re-entered the UK Dance Album charts this week at #34. View the chart at bbc.co.uk/chart/dancealbums

Today's edition of London newspaper the Metro featured this small column on rumours that Madonna will be adopting a baby girl called Mercy.

A Malawian social worker has been given the go-ahead to travel to London and assess Madonna's suitability to adopt a child from the African country.
Penstone Kilembe said the government had reversed an earlier decision, allowing him to visit the pop star.
The official told Reuters Madonna was 'looking forward to this so her adoption process is not hampered'.
He had warned blocking his visit could have jeopardised Madonna's attempt to adopt David Banda.
Mr Kilembe added that the refusal of Kate Kainja, the Malawian minister of women and child development, to grant him permission to assess Madonna and husband Guy Richie's suitability to adopt the boy could have caused the entire process to 'crumble'.
Earlier in August he even indicated that the child might have to be sent back to his village.
The country's High Court will rely on the director of Malawi's child welfare services' testimony to rule on whether the singer should be granted final approval to adopt the child.
He has denied reports that Ms Kainja accused him of obtaining an air ticket and money from Madonna without government approval.
She was reported in a Malawian newspaper as saying that Mr Kilembe had 'personalised the whole issue' and that other officials could make the assessment in his place.
He said the matter was a 'misunderstanding' which 'has now been resolved', adding that Madonna has been informed of the proposed visitation dates.
The proposed visit will last for two weeks from 4 September, Mr Kilembe said.
Last October, the star was granted an 18-month interim custody order enabling her to take David Banda out of Malawi.
The adoption will only receive final approval when the country's authorities are satisfied that the child is being properly looked after.

The magazine supplement Celebs on Sunday that comes with UK newspaper the Sunday Mirror spoke to TV presenter Johnny Vaughan and asked him to take about various pictures from his career - including one picture of Madonna.

Madonna's I Love New York is featured as the soundtrack for the trailer on British Eurosport for the US Tennis Championships taking place at the end of this month.

UK newspaper The People featured yet another story on the David adoption saga.

Mursley stunt team The Devil's Horsemen gave a very special equestrian performance at Madonna's 49th birthday party last week.
The queen of pop was entertained by the troupe's show at her country estate in Wiltshire on August 16.
Zoe Ross, manager of The Devil's Horsemen, confirmed the riders did put on an equestrian show as part of Madonna's birthday celebrations but could not give any further details on the party due to a confidentiality agreement with the singer.
The Devil's Horsemen stunt team have more than 30 years experience in the film and television industries, providing skilled riders and training for many of the world's top Hollywood stars including Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom.
Film and television credits include Troy, Highlander, Braveheart, The Forsyte Saga and Phoenix Nights.
The troupe also puts on themed dinner shows throughout the year.
For more information log-on to www.thedevilshorsemen.com

The next four books in The English Roses series will be released in the UK on Monday 06 September (Monday 13 September for the rest of the world).

The books are called Friends For Life, Goodbye Grace?, The New Girl and A Rose By Any Other Name and are available to pre-order on Amazon now.

 

 

If Live Nation is able to pull off a multifaceted deal with Madonna, one that would include a label component as well as the singer's lucrative touring and merchandising business, it would be the most ambitious undertaking yet under Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino's watch.
Speculation is rampant that Madonna is considering leaving Warner Bros. once her contract obligations are complete. Arthur Fogel, president of TNA International and chairman of Live Nation's global touring division, produced Madonna's last three world tours and is likely at the forefront of any negotiations between Madonna and Live Nation.
One source estimates the value of the Live Nation offer to be $180 million for a 10-year deal, with the touring giant potentially licensing the recording rights for roughly $30 million.
It is believed that Madonna has two more albums due on her contract with Warners. An album of new material is expected in late 2007, to be followed by a greatest hits project.
Sources say Warners has made a counteroffer to Madonna that also includes a touring component that could be helmed by rival promoter AEG Live.

Pop star Madonna is coming back to Israel, and this time she's bringing her celebrity friends.
Actors Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher and fashion designer Donna Karan are among the famous faces scheduled to arrive as part of a Kabbalah Center tour being organized for the High Holidays, representatives of the organization confirmed Thursday. The trip was first reported in Yediot Aharonot.
The singer, who celebrated her 49th birthday last week, will travel on a private jet, joining several thousand other Kabbalah Center students for the first few days of the pilgrimage, a 10-day affair that kicks off before Rosh Hashana and will mix lessons in Jewish mysticism with visits to Jerusalem, the Galilee and the Golan Heights.
The trip marks Madonna's first appearance in Israel since September 2004, when the singer spent five days traveling the country as part of a private Kabbalah Center tour and study program.
As with her previous trip to Israel - the singer also performed a 1993 concert in Tel Aviv - Madonna will be joined by her husband, the English filmmaker Guy Ritchie.
In addition to the couple's three children, who include a baby boy the pair adopted in Malawi last October, the singer will be accompanied by Hollywood friends Moore and Kutcher, married Kabbalah Center enthusiasts who may also bring along Moore's ex-husband, the action star Bruce Willis.
Israel's A-list holiday visitors will be joined on their trip by 3,000 Kabbalah Center students from around the world, who in contrast to their celebrity counterparts will arrive at Ben-Gurion Airport via regularly scheduled El Al flights.
Unlike other participants, Madonna is not expected to stay for the entirety of the program, though 'maybe she'll be back here for the end, for Yom Kippur,' said Asaf Levi, a Kabbalah Center spokesman.
Levi declined to say whether more entertainers may join the upcoming trip, remarking that the issue 'isn't closed, so I don't want to give any comments at this time.'
The spokesman said Israel's press would be asked to keep its distance from the visiting celebrities, a request prompted by the national media's aggressive pursuit of Madonna on her last trip to the country, when she was heavily guarded by private security and a police escort. 'We've talked about [those problems] and we hope it will be different,' Levi said, adding that he couldn't be more specific about security precautions being taken this time around.
Madonna and her celebrity friends won't perform for the public, Levi said, though he held out the possibility that the singer would meet with Tourism Ministry or other government officials during her stay. The singer accepted a small gift from then-tourism minister Gideon Ezra during an official reception on her most recent visit, telling audience members that she and those she met on her trip 'have one thing in common - we want to create peace in the world.'

The current edition of UK magazine Grazia (27 August issue) also features a look at stars art collections, and includes a section which looks at Madonna's love of Frida Kahlo, Tamara de Lempicka and Remedios Varo. Click on the article to enlarge.

Warner Brother Records have published their list of forthcoming releases for October - and listed are three releases by Madonna:

MADONNA 'Title To Be Determinded' (2 CD)

MADONNA 'Title To Be Determined' (2 CD + MVI - Music Interactive Video)

MADONNA 'Best Of Remixes'

Madonna has topped a new list of bad girls gone good, beating off Drew Barrymore and Mary J. Blige. Editors at In Touch magazine in America have crowned the Material Girl as the ultimate reformed woman in their upcoming issue. They write, 'Madonna is a devoted mom these days, but back in the '80s and '90s, she was every mother's worst nightmare! Whether expressing herself in racy videos or posing nude for her Sex book, she was determined to shock.'

The top five is:
1 - Madonna
2 - Drew Barrymore
3 - Mary J. Blige
4 - Fergie
5 - Christina Aguilera

Another new Madonna track which features Pharrell Williams, The Beat Goes On, was leaked onto the internet earlier this week.

Several radio stations have picked up the track, including some in Canada, Europe and the USA and those who heard it think it is awesome and fantastic.

Following on from Tuesday's Entertainment Tonight report about Justin Timberlake performing with Madonna at the MTV Video Music Awards, Justin has gone on the record on US TV show Access Hollywood to deny the rumour by saying: I am not. It was just a rumour.

He also spoke about working with Madonna saying: There’s only one Madonna. It was amazing. I’m still trying to figure out if she knew we were there, cause I was just constantly staring at her. I became like the weird stalker in the corner!

The current edition of UK magazine Grazia (27 August) features this great picture to illustrate a piece about a rumoured Central Park concert on Madonna's 50th birthday (which has now been denied by Liz Rosenberg in today's New York Daily News).

Visit People.com to view a new picture of Madonna in London yesterday:

Madonna gives herself a physical and intellectual workout, leaving her London gym on Wednesday (22 August) clutching Maharanis, a book about four Indian queens, their lives and the nation's political changes.

The current issue of Italian magazine A features this small article on how Madonna is trying to reduce her carcon footprint by using a commercial airline to fly to New York City rather than take her private jet.

Madonna has sold her label Maverick Records.
Warner Music Group who owned the label has agreed to buy the singer out of her contract.
Madonna founded the label 12 years ago and it had been home to the singer as well as Alanis Morissette and the US base for The Prodigy.
Madonna and partners Guy Oseary and Ronnie Dashev together have owned 60 per-cent of the company; Warner Music owned 40 per-cent.
In March, Maverick filed suit against Warner Music and its former parent Time Warner Inc claiming breach of contract and alleging that they had misstated Maverick's profits and mismanaged the company, costing Madonna and her partners millions of dollars.
Warner Music filed a lawsuit of its own against Maverick claiming the company had lost tens of millions of dollars.
Despite rumours that the singer was leaving Warner Music, this was denied by Maverick's lawyer Bert Fields.
He told CBS: 'It was an effective way of settling the lawsuit. It's clean and equitable, and it doesn't have anything to do with her record contract.'

Entertainment Tonight Canada reported on Tuesday night that Madonna will be performing at the MTV Video Music Awards with Justin Timberlake.

The VMA's take place on Sunday 09 September at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas.

A Russian newspaper has published two pictures of Madonna and Gogol Bordello at her 49th birthay party that took place at Ashcombe House last week.

Annie Lennox's new song Sing which features Madonna and a host of other female singers premiered on Simon Mayo's BBC Radio 2 show on Monday.

Fans can listen to the song in a repeat of the show that is streaming (available for seven days) at www.bbc.co.uk/radio - Sing appears 12 min 50 sec into the show.

Madonna sings the second verse of the song, and you can also listen to Annie Lennox being interviewed about how the song came about during this program.

Madonna's PR Liz Rosenberg spoke to Foxnews.com and confirmed the rumours about a possible move from her current record label:

Madonna is considering leaving her current label Warner Music Group (WMG) after her next two albums are released, but before any new contracts with Live Nation, WMG or any other company can be arranged, Rosenberg said, Madonna will release her forthcoming and as-yet untitled album - set to come out later this year or early next - and a greatest hits album with WMG, the label she has been with throughout her career.
'Once that’s done, Madonna is a free agent,' Rosenberg said. 'Her management is considering a move to another company.'

The 4th Annual Madonnathon is taking place in Manila this weekend:

Friday 24 August
The Virgin 80's (Opening Party)
Attire: 80's Glam Chic

Friday 25 August
MADONNATHON 4 (Main Event)
Music by Bam del Valle

For more information visit www.kokunevents.com - Club Government is located at 7840 Makati Avenue, Makati City, Manila, Philippines (near Aberdeen Hotel)

Madonna's adoption of baby David is featured in the current edition of UK magazine first (18-31 August issue) - the editor of the magazine also speaks about the adoption in the editor's letter. Click on the articles to enlarge.

The continuing adoption story is featured on the cover of UK magazine Now (20 August issue) and has a two-page article inside - click on the articles to enlarge.

Madonna is considering leaving Warner Music, her career-long record label, to move to Live Nation, the venues and promotions company, in a deal valued by music industry executives at about $100 million.
The agreement being talked about involves combining the superstar’s future recordings with her proven ability to generate massive income touring.
Warner has yet to acknowledge defeat, but industry executives expect the singer to move and receive a pay-out that would be in line with the £50 million that Robbie Williams received from EMI in 2002. It would be a significant coup for the Los Angeles-based Live Nation, which is Britain's leading venue owner and promoter, running Wembley Arena and owning the Brixton Academy. Until now, Live Nation has barely been involved in the recorded music business, although the talks reflect the fact that Madonna's future earnings are likely to be dominated by touring.
Confessions, her 2006 tour, grossed an estimated $260.1 million, according to Billboard, including eight sellout dates at Wembley Arena, which grossed £11.8 million.
The agreement reflects growing industry efforts to strike new deals with artists that include access to their touring income because the future for recording sales is so bleak.

Madonna is featured on the cover of the July-September issue of the free inflight magazine given to Jet2 (a UK cheap-fares airline) passengers.

Madonna, pictured at the Vanity Fair Academy Awards party, is the cover star of the July/August edition of Dutch magazine Diva & Donna. Click to enlarge.

'Queen of Pop' Madonna spent her 49th birthday with a traveler-themed bash for 20 close friends. The singer and her husband Guy Ritchie organized the party at their country pile in Wiltshire.
Madonna, who has millionaires Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow and Stella McCartney as friends, splashed out on The Devil's Horsemen to lay on an equestrian show.
The troop traveled the UK dressed in medieval-themed costumes to perform jousting shows, reports British tabloid The Sun.
It is being speculated that Madonna took inspiration from Eugene Hutz of gipsy punk band 'Gogol Bordello', who is her new best friend. The pair performed a Romany-inspired routine to her hit 'La Isla Bonita' at the Live Earth gig last month.

Kylie Minogue and Lily Allen are among the artists who have recorded cover versions for an album to celebrate BBC Radio 1's 40th anniversary.
The compilation includes versions of 40 songs, one taken from each of the years that the station has been on air.
The Kaiser Chiefs kick off with their rendition of The Move's Flowers in the Rain, the first song played on Radio 1. Other artists include Mika and Keane.
The album, titled Radio 1. Established 1967, will be released on 1 October.
Minogue sings Love is the Drug by Roxy Music (1975), while Allen sings The Pretenders' track Don't Get Me Wrong (1986).
Other tracks include Robbie Williams' version of The Kinks' Lola (1970), Amy Winehouse's cover of Cupid by Johnny Nash (1969) and Girls Aloud's rendition of Wheatus' Teenage Dirtbag (2001).
Natasha Bedingfield covers Madonna's Ray of Light (1998), while Hard-Fi perform their take on Toxic by Britney Spears (2004).
Tony Blackburn launched BBC Radio 1 on 30 September 1967, in response to the success of pirate stations such as Radio Caroline.
Blackburn remained with the station for 17 years. Other early stars of the station included Terry Wogan, Jimmy Young and the late Kenny Everett.

Also included on the album is Groove Armada's cover version of Crazy For You.

Madonna celebrates her 49th birthday today - and madonnalicious and all our visitors send Madonna our best birthday wishes.

Madonna will be celebrating her birthday at a gypsy-themed party with about 30 close friends and family at her country home Ashcombe House.

Teenmusic.com reports that Madonna has issued a warning to 'Summer Love' star Justin Timberlake: not to breathe a word about their super-secret duet.
Madonna and Timberlake collaborated on a new track in London earlier this year, but that's about all he can say about it.
JT says, 'I don't want to tell you the name of the song because she'll either kill me or have me kill you.'

This full page advert - featuring a Steven Klein shot picture - for a TV broadcast of The Confessions Tour is featured in current issue of Mexican magazine Eres.

Madonna is reported to have started injecting herself with vitamins to boost her energy levels.
The singer, who turns 49 on Thursday, is said to have surprised passengers on a recent flight from New York to London by injecting herself with a vitamin shot in her arm.
Nutritionists said that such a drastic practice could have potentially harmful long-term effects on her health.
The singer is said to have refused food on the seven-hour flight and only drank bottled water.
A source told Closer magazine: 'Seven hours was a long time to go without eating. Madonna was quiet, talking to the air staff only to ask for water.'
'Just before landing, she brought out the phials of vitamins and injected herself.'
It is understood that Madonna was injecting herself with B6 and B12 vitamins to boost her energy.
Such a drastic health measure is apparently all the rage among celebrities.
Madonna's publicists were not available to comment.
Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie will celebrate her birthday today with a party for 30 of her close friends including Sting and Trudie Styler at Ashcombe House, her country pile in Wiltshire.
Guests will be entertained by a show from the Devil's Horsemen, a troupe of expert film industry horses and riders.

Superstar Madonna is reportedly planning to ring in her 50th year with a special gig in New York City's Central Park. The 48-year-old singer is in talks to mark her entry into her Quinquagenarian years on 16 August 2008, as part of a U.S. tour to promote her forthcoming album.
A source tells British newspaper The Sun, 'One of the ideas she loves is to do Central Park on her birthday. She came up with it and has been discussing it as a serious possibility. She doesn't like getting older but she knows there's no way she can pretend her birthday isn't happening. She is planning to kick off a world tour next June in America to promote her new album. Playing at Central Park would be the highlight. She sees it as a huge televised event.

Due some upgrade work on my internet connection I may have problems uploading the news to madonnalicious over the next few days.

The work is scheduled to be finished by Friday 17 August - but hopefully I will find another way to upload during this time. Thanks for your patience....

Love madonnalicious :-)

Madonna's love for her new season Prada handbag is featured in the new edition of German magazine In (09 August issue) - click on the article to enlarge.

madonnalicious visitor Daniel has sent in this report from Belgium:

I took a look at Belgian Radio Donna's playlist and noticed that in the last 9 days Radio Donna played 45 Madonna songs.
Top of the list was 'Hey You' which has been played 24 times out of the 45 Madonna songs played. So Radio Donna should be renamed Radio (MA)Donna!

Madonna was featured briefly (with a new picture) in a fashion article in the current edition of UK magazine Look (13 August issue) - click to enlarge.

Madonna may be keeping quiet about her new album, but fellow collaborators Timbaland and Justin Timberlake are not! In an interview with Australian newspaper the Herald Sun, Justin Timberlake reveals more about the upcoming album:

More importantly for Timberlake, he's written and produced songs for everyone from Rihanna to Reba McEntire, not to mention Duran Duran, Macy Gray, 50 Cent and Madonna.
Paparazzi photographs of Timberlake and Madonna leaving recording studios in London have appeared in magazines all around the world.
The pair share more than a CV that includes kissing Britney Spears.
So far Madonna, Timberlake and FutureSex/LoveSounds co-producer Timbaland have written six songs for her forthcoming album.
'There's a couple of duets in there,' a cagey Timberlake says of his work with the queen of pop.
Madonna offering the creative olive branch to a young performer (Timberlake is still only 26) must be like getting to meet pop's answer to Yoda (admittedly a hotter version thereof). She was topping charts when Timberlake was filling nappies.
'She's a very talented lady,' Timberlake says diplomatically. 'There are definitely moments when I think, wow, I'm singing with Madonna. But she's so cool. She's very clever, very innovative. I was humbled working with her. She's fun to work with and she takes advice. Plus she has an amazing mind.'
Pressed, Timberlake says some of the Madonna tracks have grooves that sound like her first album, but with more advanced lyrics.
'It kind of meets in the middle between what she does and what I do. It's exactly how you want to hear Madonna right now. It doesn't sound quite like anything she's done yet it still sounds like Madonna.'
Madonna's gravitating towards Timberlake is perhaps the ultimate barometer of his acceleration from pop star to pop icon - and of his credibility.

These previously unseen great pictures were taken by madonnalicious visitor Duncan at the second Confessions Tour show in London on Thursday 03 August.

GLBT magazine Out Front Colorado features an interview with rollerskater Ryan Allen Carrillo, who worked with Madonna on the video for Sorry:

The 10th Annual Madonna Party at Tracks rolls into town on Wednesday, August 15 and will feature live performances from Ryan Allen Carrillo and April Corley, Madonna's actual principle skaters featured on the 'Confessions on a Dance Floor' tour and in the video for 'Sorry.'
The show will be hosted by TJ Espinoza, a judge on the CW show The Search for the Next Pussy Cat Doll, and portions of the proceeds from the night will benefit the Matthew Shepard Foundation. I caught up with Ryan Allen Carrillo while he was on tour in London and found out all about what it takes to be a professional roller skater and what Madonna, Gwen Stefani and Beyonce are really like.

To read the interview with Ryan visit www.outfrontcolorado.com/entertainment

Pet Shop Boys release 'Disco 4', the fourth album in a continuing series, on Parlophone on September 24.
'Disco 4' collects together Pet Shop Boys’ extended dance mixes of The Killers, Madonna, Yoko Ono, Rammstein, Atomizer and David Bowie, as well as a new extended mix of PSB live highlight 'Integral' and their maxi-mix of the single 'I’m With Stupid'.
In this respect 'Disco 4' differs from the concept of previous Disco albums, which were primarily remixes of Pet Shop Boys’ tracks by other artists and DJ’s. The series was launched with 'Disco' in 1986; 'Disco 2' and 'Disco 3' followed in 1994 and 2003 respectively.

The full track-listing of the album is as follows:

1. The Killers: Read My Mind (PSB Stars Are Blazing mix)
2. David Bowie with Pet Shop Boys: Hallo Spaceboy (PSB Extended mix)
3. Pet Shop Boys: Integral (PSB Perfect Immaculate mix)
4. Yoko Ono: Walking On Thin Ice (PSB Electro mix)
5. Madonna: Sorry (PSB Maxi-mix)
6. Atomizer: Hooked On Radiation (PSB Orange Alert mix)
7. Rammstein: Mein Teil (PSB There Are No Guitars On This mix)
8. Pet Shop Boys: I'm With Stupid (PSB Maxi-mix)

Pet Shop Boys would like to thank The Killers, Madonna, David Bowie, Yoko Ono, Rammstein and Atomizer for allowing their songs to appear on this album.
'Disco 4' is released on CD and vinyl on September 24. Please note that it will not be available to download as it was not possible to secure digital release rights from the various artists involved.

With Madonna's birthday just around the corner, many clubs are holding birthday party nights for the Queen of Pop - here are some flyers of birthday events taking place in the USA this month.

Timbaland is finally back in the States after touring overseas with Justin Timberlake, and yes — his trip was productive. Not only did the duo shoot a video with 50 Cent, but they also worked with a cultural icon.
'We just did Madonna's record,' Timbo said, sitting in the 'TRL' green room. He was part of the cavalcade of stars — including Kanye West, Common, Rihanna and Robin Thicke — who came out for the VMA press conference on Tuesday. 'Me and Justin did the records' for the album, he continued, saying Madonna is almost done with the effort. 'She's great....She's got a hot album. Her album is up there with Justin's album.'
Tim says he and Justin wrote and produced 10 songs for Madge's LP, many of which will make the club jump.
'Ah, man,' Tim gushed. 'There's this one song, we taking it back to 'You must be my luck-eee starrrr!'....Remember 'Ugly' by Bubba Sparxxx? I got a beat similar to that. The hook is no words. It's saying stuff named after coffee — all these different names for coffee — is the hook....The name of the song is 'La, La.' Pharrell did a hot one for her too called 'Candy Shop.' She's off the chain.'
The production legend said there isn't a title for the opus yet, but he will be reconvening with the singer in September to finish it up. Other than Madonna, 50 Cent is the only other person outside of Tim's Mosley Music Group that he's worked with lately.

Madonna was filmed on the set of 50 Cent's and Justin Timberlake's latest video Ayo Technology which he filmed in London recently. To view the clip visit youtube.com

Perez Hilton are reporting this news about a possible MTV Madonna Special:

Madonna has been making the magic happen for 25 years now, and MTV is set to mark the milestone with a very special celebration.
The network is said to be working on a two hour special for the 07-08 season in honor of the Queen of Pop.
Though details are still being worked out, it’s believed that her Madgesty will perform, as will some other artists covering her tunes.

Italian fans will have the chance to watch Madonna's The Confessions Tour on Italian TV on Music Box on Monday 13 August and Thursday 23 August.

Madonna’s rep exclusively tells 24Sizzler.com that a report from Reuters, via the Malawi News, in which Malawi’s Child Welfare Services director Penstone Kilembe says that the country’s minister for Women and Child Development has barred him from visiting Madonna’s adopted son David Banda in the U.K., is not true.
'The information regarding the adoption that was reported on Reuters is simply not accurate,' Madonna’s rep Liz Rosenberg tells 24Sizzler.com. 'The adoption process is going along very well and according to proper procedure.'

The current edition of UK magazine OK! (07 August issue 583) features this one page article on how to recreate Madonna's Live Earth hairstyle.

Madonna's adoption of a Malawian baby could be under threat after an official assigned to the case was refused permission to travel to the UK.
Social worker Penstone Kilembe was due to monitor the child's progress in two trips to the pop star's London home.
But he said the Malawian government had stopped the visits, telling Reuters the adoption process 'may crumble'.
The government was not available for comment, but reports said a different official would now travel to London.
Mr Kilembe, who is director of Malawi's child welfare services, was appointed by the High Court of Malawi to oversee the child's welfare and report to the court and the ministry at least twice.
He told Reuters: 'The whole adoption process may crumble and David [may be] sent back to his village.'
Justin Dzonzi, a human rights lawyer who led a legal challenge to Madonna's adoption, said the decision could jeopardise the adoption process.
'The court will not listen to anyone else apart from the one it appointed,' he said.
Madonna was granted an 18-month interim custody order, which enabled her to take one-year-old David Banda out of Malawi last October.
The adoption will only receive final approval once it has been shown that the child is being properly cared for.
The court also ruled that Madonna should cover all the costs.
But the Malawi News newspaper reported that the country's minister of women and child development, Kate Kainja, had accused Kilembe of obtaining an air ticket and money from Madonna without government approval.
'We feel Mr Kilembe personalised the whole issue when other people can go,' she told the newspaper. Mr Kilembe denied the accusations.

Tommy Kearney, the playwright of Madonna and Me is reminding fans that his show is due to hit the West End of London this week:

It's Tommy here, I am pleased to announce that Madonna and Me is moving to the Jermyn Street Theatre off Picadilly Circus in London, to close the Westend Festival of Performance. We have plans to hold a fund and awareness raising show for 'Raising Malawi' on the 8th August. Tickets are £20 - profits to Raising Malawi.

The other shows are Thursday 9, Friday 10, Saturday 11 August @ 7:30pm.
Tickets: £16 (£14 concs)

There will also be a Saturday 11 August Matinee @ 3:30pm.
Tickets: £16 (£14 concs)

Box Office: 020 7287 2875
Theatre details: www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk

More information about the play can be found at: www.madonna-and-me.co.uk

You can also be a friend of the show at: www.myspace.com/madonna_and_me

With the future of her son's adoption depending on an imminent visit by a child welfare officer from his native Malawi, Madonna is doing everything in her power to make sure she keeps custody of 18-month-old David Banda.
Last week she flew back from New York – where she is recording a new album and house-hunting – to prepare for the arrival of Penston Kilembe, who is due to spend up to five days at the singer's £6.5 million London home.
But the 48-year-old star's plans to be reunited with her family are to be short-lived. She aims to return to New York as soon as the inspection is over, to put the finishing touches to her new album.
After a short break with her film director husband Guy Ritchie and their children, Madonna will then be working non-stop until mid-2008. 'The finishing touches still have to be added to her new album, so she is flying back to the States once the officer's visit is over.'
Madonna, who has a daughter, Lourdes, 11, and a six-year-old son, Rocco, has already told her husband she will be working back to back from September.
'Madonna has promised to take a six-week break to spend time with Guy and the children before embarking on her mammoth ten-month work regime,' adds the source.
'After the new record is released in November she is getting ready for a world tour that kicks off next June, then she is launching a 25th anniversary box set and a set of 12 children's books.'
A spokesman for Madonna declined to comment.

Madonna faces an agonising delay in her adoption of baby David Banda - because officials from his home country can't afford to fly to England.
A welfare officer from Malawi was due for a five-day visit in May to decide whether she could keep the boy, who is almost two. But the visit never occurred.
Penston Kilembe, the director of Malawi's child welfare services, has now admitted his trip was postponed because of a lack of money.
He said he hopes to get to the UK by the end of this month.
'We have been unable to travel because of logistical problems,' Mr Kilembe said. 'You know it requires some resources for me to travel.'
Madonna, 48, and her husband Guy Ritchie brought David home from the impoverished southern African country in October.
They are said to be very concerned that the Malawians will see her celebrity status as a danger to his upbringing.
Yesterday, Mr Kilembe also played down questions from children's rights groups about whether his country could properly assess the adoption.
'What we expect is that the child must be provided all the necessities of basic needs for him to grow up,' he said.

Fans can catch Madonna's performance again in London on The Confessions Tour. Channel A&E will show the uncensored concert at 10:00pm on Sunday 19 August.

Lawyers acting on behalf of Madonna are battling to stop a sale of the star's love letters and intimate photographs. A series of saucy letters and Polaroids sent by the singer to then boyfriend James Allbright in the early 1990s were recently sold to Marquee Capital, an agency specialising in Madonna memorabilia. The company is now reported to be selling the effects for $200,000 (GBP100,000), but the star is reported to be 'devastated' at the unexpected appearance of the items - as she is concerned they could jeopardise her plans to adopt Malawian tot David Banda permanently.
Penston Kimble, the head of Malawi's child welfare service, is due to spend a week in London with Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie later this month. He will ascertain whether the 23-month old can be officially adopted by the couple, who brought him back to the U.K. from a Malawian orphanage last October. Madonna's lawyers insist any sale of the goods would be an invasion of privacy and a breach of copyright.

Madonna is featured on the cover of the August issue of gay magazine Bent - the article inside features an interview with new Madonna biographer Lucy O'Brien.

Fans can view the magazine online at http://mag.bent.com

Thanks to all your votes last month Madonna and Guy have been named as In Style magazines Best Dressed Couple:

In Style readers have voted fashion chameleon Madonna and tweed-loving Guy Ritchie the world’s best-dressed celebrity couple in our online survey at www.instylemagazine. In Style, Britain’s authority on celebrity style, has devised its list of the world’s best dressed celebrity couples and asked readers to vote for their top three.
Over half of the 7,000 readers who voted, decided that Guy Ritchie – whether tuxed up or in Barbour jacket - is the perfect compliment to his glamorous wife. Brad and Angelina’s smouldering red carpet presence brought them in second and Posh and Becks, and their matchy, matchy designer outfits and his and hers hairstyles, have had to settle for third, nominated as the most co-ordinated couple on the list.
In Style’s Editor Trish Halpin says 'These days being part of a stylish partnership doubles your celebrity credentials. There’s no point looking fabulous if your partner lets you down and men today have to keep up. From Brad and Angelina to Demi and Ashton, a stylish partner is a woman’s ultimate accessory'.

To see the rest of the best dressed couples list go to www.instylemagazine.co.uk

1 - Madonna and Guy Ritchie
2 - Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
3 - David and Victoria Beckham
4 - Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale
5 - Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher
6 - Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes
7 - Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick
8 - Kate Bosworth and James Rousseau
9 - Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise
10 - Kelly Brook and Billy Zane

Visit TMZ.com to view footage of Madonna during her trip to New York City.

Madonna's co-manager Angela Becker (spotted with an H&M - M by Madonna scarf tied onto her handbag) and photographer Steven Klein are also featured in the clip.

During her trip to New York City Madonna also visited the Clinton Foundation and book publishers Harper Collins.

Madonna has just returned to London after a brief two-day trip to New York City.

While in New York Madonna attended meetings, two movie screenings and toured an exclusive 12-storey condominium in the West Village area of New York.

Some pictures of Madonna in New York can be viewed here and here.

The new edition of UK magazine heat (04-10- August issue) features this three-page photographic spread on Madonna and Guy's night out in London town.