Drowned Madonna: Mike, we are honoured that you gave Drowned Madonna the chance to interview you for the second time. Our readers really enjoyed what you told us on your first interview. It aroused great interest. So many people contacted us and suggested us more questions to ask you. So, let's talk about the setlist again. Somebody stated that the setlist was ready even months before the rehearsals started. Drowned Madonna tried to deny that the setlist was definitive and it was changing day by day... but without doubt your words are more authoritative. So Mike, can you clear up this point and tell us more about the songs you started working on?!

Mike McKnight: I was told to have everything ready from the promo tour for American Life we had completed as well as all of "Ray of Light", "Music", and "American Life" plus the original versions of everything we did on "Drowned World", AND any of the big hits from the past, that's easily 60 or more songs. With M it's best to be too prepared than not prepared enough. Plus, I was expected to have the various remixes for all of those songs at least partially ready just in case. It was a huge amount of work!

DM: How did the setlist change during the creative process? How did it become 30 songs and finally 24 songs during the last 2 weeks or so of production rehearsals?

MM: It was a collaborative effort between M, Jamie King and Stuart. They wanted a show around 1 hour and 45 minutes with the best possible songs and without it being too demanding on M's voice since we were doing about 4 or 5 shows a week. The consensus was it had to be exciting from a visual standpoint as well as musically and they wanted to have as many hits, but wanted to "re-invent" the hits, which Stuart did a magnificent job of I think!

DM: During the previous interview, you revealed us that Madonna rehearsed "Love Profusion", "Take A Bow", "Swim", "I’m So Stupid" and briefly "Live To Tell", among other songs. But, where were they meant to be included? Can you told us the first "reduced" setlist?

MM: FYI, this was the show as of February 19th, 2004, (not the list of songs to choose from):

1. Vogue
2. Swim
3. Nobody Knows Me
4. Express Yourself
5. American Life (Headcleaner Mix)
6. Burning Up
7. Love Profusion (Headcleaner Mix)
8. I'm So Stupid
9. Hollywood (VMAs Mix)
10. The Devil Wouldn't Recognise You (new song from the musical she was working on TBA)
11. Hanky-Panky
12. Dress You Up (in E flat)
13. Take A Bow
14. Bedtime Stories (musical section to video)
15. Like A Prayer
16. Don't Tell Me (promo tour version)
17. Mother And Father (promo tour version)
18. Live To Tell (in F)
19. Into The Groove (GAP version) OR Holiday
20. Music
21. Crazy For You (down a step)
22. Die Another Day

So you can see that things changed pretty radically from that time until we decided on the final set.

DM: Finally, we have some reliable info regarding the much talked Musical, and most of all the title of one of its songs. How does "The Devil wouldn't Recognize You" sound? Does it have an old school feeling (20's sound or something like that)?

MM: Yes very much 20's feel.

DM: Who did write it?

MM: Mirwais wrote it with her...

DM: There is no mention of "The Beast Within"... Why?

MM: Beast Within was always in the set, I just wasn't informed until March. Stuart did an opening of the show with Vogue as the opener, but again, when M showed up she wanted Beast Within.

DM: What does it mean in E Flat, in F and down a step?

MM: That just a musical term for what key we'll play the song in.

DM: "Imagine" wasn’t in the first setlist. Who did have the idea of performing this cover?

MM: That was M's idea. Stuart came up with the final arrangement that we used. That song took a while to gel, but considering the political climate at that time it was an important message to get out to the world.

DM: Mike, can you tell us some more about the 2 versions of "Don't Tell Me"?

MM: We had one version with a French vibe for Paris and part of the USA, and a version with Richard Ashcrofts "Bittersweet Symphony" that Marcus Brown (keyboard player) came up with for the rest of the world.

DM: After you told us that you you didn’t spend much time on Live to Tell because Madonna did not want to do that song again, somebody speculated it was due to Guy Richie. We are sure it’s untrue. Can you clear up this point?

MM: Come on now, you know better than that! She just felt like it wasn't good enough for the set list.

DM: Why didn't Madonna perform "Easy Ride"?

MM: I had it ready, and personally it's one of my favorites. I think she wanted to stick with the "hits" on this tour for her fans.

DM: Is it true that Madonna rehearsed a brand new song for the re-Invention Tour?

MM: Yeah, we did a song that was a work in progress called "I Love New York", it really rocked! She played guitar on it as well. Hopefully M and Monte finished that one.

DM: Mmm... That’s very interesting. Can you tell us more about it?

MM: It was just something M and Monte worked on during her guitar lessons (Monte is her teacher), and we just jammed on it during sound check.

DM: And how does it sound?

MM: "I Love New York" is just kind of a fun little rock song, not too deep really.

DM: Madonna didn’t include the encore in her latest two tours. What can you say about it?

MM: "Ray Of Light" was heavily discussed as a possible encore. I've heard some speculation about that, and believe me I pushed very hard for "Ray Of Light". M was feeling it would be too hard vocally after the strenuous show she put together. M felt very strongly about not doing any encore period, because "plays and other theatre don't do an encore, they just do a great show", so M just wanted to finish BIG with "Holiday". There were only a few venues that seemed upset by the no encore thing.

DM: Do you remember the songs that at the end weren’t used for the previous Madonna’s tours?

MM: As far as the previous tours I don't remember what the songs were that weren't used. Normally, M has a pretty good handle on what she wants to do, but for Re-Invention she was busy doing other things so Jamie, management, and Stuart just gave me a huge pile of songs to have ready.
After the Brixton Academy Show (internet broadcast 2000) I went into the studio to get everything that M's record company had transferred over to my studio so that we'd be ready for anything M threw at us. She decided at the last minute at the Brixton show to do a couple songs that I wasn't supposed to have prepared, but just happened to have with me. After that close call, Caresse had me transfer everything to be safe for the future and it came in handy.

DM: Which is the name of the Documentary?

MM: Honestly I don't know what it will be called, but it's supposed to debut at the Cannes Film Festival this year.

DM: What is it about? Is it a sort of "Truth Or Dare II"? Which are Madonna’s goals?

MM: I don't think it'll be like "Truth or Dare" at all. I think it'll give a real insight into life on a Madonna tour, and I think it'll be a lot more fun than "Truth or Dare".

DM: Where are Madonna, Stuart and Monte recording now?

MM: London is where they've been working so far.

DM: Thank you Mike for talking with us once again.

MM: Keep up the good work, your site is really great.

MADONNA - 1990, 1993, 2001 Tours; 1995, 2000 and 2003 Promo tours, Re-Invention 2004 Tour
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - 2002-2003 Tour Programming
SHAKIRA - 2002-2003 Tour Programming
MARIAH CAREY - 1996 - 2004 Tours; 1999 - 2000 tour as Road Musical Director
U2 - 2001 Tour programming and first 4 shows
TLC - 1999 - 2000 Tour
FLEETWOOD MAC - 1997 Tour Programming
WHITNEY HOUSTON - 1991 - 2000 Tour Programming
PAULA ABDUL - 1991 - 1992 Tour & 1995 - 1996 Tour (as Musical Director)
EARTH WIND & FIRE - 1987 - 1997 Tours
CHICAGO - 1995 - 2000 Tour Programming
LENNY KRAVITZ - 1991 Tour Programming
JANET JACKSON - 1993 - 1995 Tour Programming
MOTLEY CRUE - 1994 Tour Programming
BARRY MANILOW - 1997 Tour Programming
LIONEL RICHIE - 1998 and 1999 tour programming

KEY RECORDING/TV/VIDEO

MARIAH CAREY - Tribute to Heroes, AMA, BET, Grammys, VH1 Divas Live, MTV Video Awards, Blockbuster Video Music Awards, SNL, Oprah, Letterman, Rosie, The View 1996 - 2003
U2 - Grammys & British Music Awards 2001
JENNIFER LOPEZ, Ja Rule, and LL Cool J - MTV USO Show 2001, Oprah 2002, Today Show, and other promotional shows 2002 - 2003
98 DEGREES - TV Special and Promotional Dates - 2000
MADONNA - American and British Music Awards 1995; HBO 1993 & 2001
CELINE DION - 1998 Grammys
GEORGE MICHAEL - "5 Live" 1995, "Older" 1996, and "Best of George Michael" 1998
SPICE GIRLS - SNL, Letterman & Rosie O'Donnell TV show 1997
WHITNEY HOUSTON - Super Bowl, Soul Train, Nickelodeon, Grammys & Oprah 1994 - 2000
EARTH WIND & FIRE - "Heritage","Millennium" & "Greatest Hits Live" CDs;
Today Show, HBO, VH1, "Grace Under Fire", NHK 1987 - 1997
PAULA ABDUL - MTV, HBO & NHK - 1992; "Tonight Show", "Friday Night Videos" - 1995

TV/FILM/OTHER RECORDING AND TOUR

Diana Ross, El Debarge, James Ingram, Tom Jones, Michael Bolton, Motown Live, BET Movies & Anniversary, "Batman & Robin", George Howard, Riff, "Duet", "The Simpsons", Patrick Swayze, Thomas Helmig, MCA, Julio Iglesias, Sports Illustrated Awards Show 2000, Michael Jackson, Take 6 and numerous other projects and tours.