Keep It Together (song)

"Keep It Together" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer (1989). It was released as the album's fifth (sixth overall) and final single in the United States, Canada and Japan on January 30, 1990, by Sire Records. In the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe, "Dear Jessie" served as the album's final single and "Keep It Together" was not released there. Written and produced by both Madonna and Stephen Bray, the main inspiration behind the song was Madonna's relationship with her family—whom she dearly missed after her divorce from Sean Penn in 1989. The song was dedicated to the American band Sly and the Family Stone, and its lyrics deal with the realization of how important Madonna's family has been to her life. A pop, funk, deep funk and R&B song consisting of an upbeat rhythm and groove, "Keep It Together" features instrumentation from percussion, banjo and a conga.

"Keep It Together" received generally positive reviews from music critics upon release, with some reviewers alluding that it was simply Madonna's take on Sister Sledge's 1979 hit "We Are Family". Commercially, "Keep It Together" was a success, reaching a peak position of number eight on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart and US Billboard Hot 100, while topping Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. In Australia, it reached the top of the ARIA Singles Chart as a double A-side single with "Vogue". Madonna has performed "Keep It Together" only on her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour, where it was the closing song of the set list. The staging of the performances was inspired by the 1971 Stanley Kubrick film A Clockwork Orange and during the introduction, Madonna sang a verse from Sly and the Family Stone's 1971 hit "Family Affair".

Background and release

When Madonna started work on her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer, she was already in an emotional state of mind, following her divorce from Sean Penn, her 30th birthday, and unfavorable reviews for her acting endeavors. She had certain personal matters on her mind that she thought could be the musical direction of the album. Madonna realized that as she was growing up, so was her core audience. Feeling the need to try something different, she wanted the sound of her new album to indicate what could be popular in music. However, being raised as a Catholic, Madonna felt guilty about the failure of her marriage. She said, "Because in Catholicism you are a born sinner and you are a sinner all your life. ... I could not escape my past, nor could I relax." Saddened by what was happening with her, Madonna missed her family, her father and her siblings. She confessed to Becky Johnston for Interview magazine:

"Keep It Together" was released as the fifth (sixth overall) and final single from Like a Prayer on January 30, 1990, by Sire Records. It was one of the first singles to be released in a CD maxi format, accompanied by an assortment of remixes. The single remix stripped the song of its original instrumentation and added a new jack swing-house beat with the other remixes following this style. In Australia, "Keep It Together" was released as a B-side with "Vogue" and charted as so; however, it was distributed as a stand-alone 12-inch single by WEA Records International and later released as a stand-alone CD maxi-single in 1993. The song was not released in the United Kingdom at all, where "Dear Jessie" served as the fourth single from Like a Prayer instead of "Oh Father" and "Keep It Together", respectively.

Recording and composition

"Keep It Together" is a pop, funk, deep funk and R&B song with an upbeat rhythm and groove. It was produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray, and features Paulinho da Costa on percussion, brass playing by David Boruff and Steven Madaio, Bill Bottrell as the audio engineer and guitars by Chester Kamen. Prince also played guitar on the song according to Madonna, though he was not credited.

Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine noted that the song is influenced by the 1971 Sly and the Family Stone song "Family Affair". "Keep It Together" starts as the sound of slap bass plays along with sequenced synth bass, as Madonna sings the opening lines, "Keep, keep it together, keep people together forever and ever". As the first verse starts, a guitar comes into play with Madonna's voice being backed by percussion and banjo. After the second chorus comes near the end, Madonna utters the line "Brothers and sisters, They hold the key, To your heart and your soul, Don't forget that your family is gold", the percussion sound is thinned out and a mixture of the sound from a live drummer and conga comes into the picture. The song ends with the main groove sound gradually fading out.

According to Rikky Rooksby, author of The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna, although "Keep It Together" sonically pays tribute to Sly and the Family Stone, the lyrics talk about the realization of how important Madonna's family has been as a form of stability in her life, especially in the line "Brothers and sisters, They've always been there for me, We have a connection, Home is where the heart should be". The lyrics follow the course of Madonna's rise from figuratively being a "hungry sibling" ("I'm gonna leave this place, So I can forget every single hungry face") to being a superstar ("I hit the big time but I still get the blues, Everyone's a stranger, City life can get to you").

Critical reception

Mark C. Taylor, author of Nots: Religion and Postmodernism, felt that "Keep It Together" was a "striking instance of her repeated invocation of family values". He believed that Madonna's fascination for family was reflected in the song. Carol Benz, one of the authors of The Madonna Connection, believed that the song was successful in asserting the necessity of family ties. J. Randy Taraborrelli, author of Madonna: An Intimate Biography described it as "an uptempo romp about the trials and tribulations, and the joys of having a family". Martha Bayles, author of Hole in Our Soul, felt that it failed to become an anthem for emotional commitment, because of the funk nature of the song. Christopher Anderson, writer of Madonna, Unauthorized, proclaimed "Keep It Together" as a worthy number-one single, and complimented the song's theme of allegiance to one's family, despite the turmoil and dissensions that occur. Lucy O'Brien, author of Madonna: Like an Icon, described it as an "upbeat meditation on sibling power" and believed that the purpose behind the song was to present a homey image of brothers and sisters happy and together, and Madonna's need to restore bonds and relationships that had become fraught or distant in her life then. Bill Coleman from Billboard stated that "the Material Girl rises above the beat and unveils a most riveting vocal performance". Hadley Freeman from The Guardian described "Keep It Together" as "amazing, purely for being Madonna's take on Sister Sledge's 'We Are Family', a concept no one foresaw, and the fact that she later disowned various members of her family gives it, shall we say, an interesting tinge of irony."

USA Todays Edna Gunderson wrote that "Keep It Together" evoked an "R&B groove" that was successful in adding more variation to Like a Prayer. Conversely, Ian Blair of the Chicago Tribune thought that the different funk tempo of the song distracted from the emotional quotient of Like a Prayer. Blair added that the song "hits a groove that is one of the funkiest things Madonna has ever done". Scott Benarde from The Palm Beach Post listed it as one of the album's "downpour" moments. Writing for The Jerusalem Post, Andy Goldberg listed "Keep It Together" as one of the highlights of Like a Prayer, and complimented the family oriented lyrics. Bruce Britt from Boca Raton News believed that it was one of the songs from the album, that exemplified the personal approach to songwriting by Madonna.

Spins Joe Levy named "Keep It Together" the only "great" dance record on Like a Prayer, and also observed that it was a "girly-disco" song that drew influences from Sister Sledge's "We Are Family" and Madonna's own "Into the Groove". Stephen Holden from The New York Times believed that the song brought the pop-funk style and hippie happiness of Sly and the Family Stone. J. D. Considine, while reviewing Like a Prayer for Rolling Stone, felt that "Keep It Together" portrayed "an impressive invocation of the importance of family". Considine was concerned that since the confessional nature of the songs on the album evoked strong emotions from the listener, "Keep It Together" would probably seem almost trivial by comparison to them. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic believed that the song constituted of deep funk music. Jose F. Promis from the same website complimented the single remix of "Keep It Together", calling it one of Madonna's "best and funkiest tunes, and a prime example of late-'80s/early-'90s dance/house/R&B music". Louis Virtel of The Backlot gave the song a positive review, calling it a "rollicking family reunion" that is the "sunny side of 'Oh Father' grim familial reckoning". Kenneth Partridge from Billboard described it as a mid-tempo synth-funk tune with a "tense" groove, on which Madonna offers an olive branch to her estranged father and siblings.

Chart performance
In the United States, "Keep It Together" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at position number 56, on the issue dated February 3, 1990. The next week, it jumped to number 41, becoming one of the greatest gaining singles. It eventually peaked at number eight on the issue dated March 31, 1990. "Keep It Together" became Madonna's eighteenth Top 10 hit in the United States, breaking the record previously held by Aretha Franklin as the female solo artist with the most Top 10 hits in history. During the next few weeks, the single fell quickly from its peak as Madonna's next release, "Vogue", began to get massive radio airplay. Its final appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 was at number 83 on the issue dated April 28, 1990. "Keep It Together" topped Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and peaked at number 66 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Three months since its release, the single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for shipment of 500,000 units. In Canada, it debuted at position number 85 on the RPM Top Singles chart on February 10, 1990, and after eight weeks, it peaked also at number eight. It was present on the chart for 15 weeks and was placed at number 86 on the RPM Year-End chart for 1990.

In Australia, "Keep It Together" charted on the ARIA Singles Chart along with "Vogue". It debuted on the chart at number 19 and reached the top the next week, remaining there for five consecutive weeks. It was present for a total of 35 weeks on the chart and reached number three on the ARIA Year-End chart for 1990. The single was certified double-platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), for shipment of 140,000 units. After its release in Japan, "Keep It Together" appeared for two weeks on the Oricon Singles Chart and peaked at position number five. It was not released in the United Kingdom, where "Dear Jessie" was the final single from Like a Prayer instead.

Live performance

Madonna has performed "Keep It Together" only on her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour, where it was the closing song of the set list. The staging of the performances was inspired by the 1971 Stanley Kubrick film, A Clockwork Orange. The shows featured an introductory verse from Sly and the Family Stone's 1971 song "Family Affair". Madonna wore an all-black ensemble involving a cage vest, the longline bra, skintight shorts, knee-pads and a bowler hat. Her getup was a nod to Liza Minnelli in the 1972 film Cabaret. The performance started with Madonna's dancers appearing on the stage, with chairs on their back. Madonna appeared in their middle and started doing push-ups on the stage. She started singing "Family Affair", then midway through the song, changed to "Keep It Together". During the intermediate music, Madonna and her dancers performed an intricate choreography with the chairs. At the end, all the musicians, dancers and collaborators from the Blond Ambition Tour came to say good-bye to Madonna. The singer was left alone on stage to finish with a powerful repeat of her line "Keep people together, Keep people together forever and ever".

In an interview with Stephen Holden from The New York Times, Madonna explained the significance of the performance: "Finally, right when you think I'll end [the concert] on a happy note, I come out with my family to do a Bob Fosse-meets-'Clockwork Orange' rendition of 'Keep It Together'. It's the show's ultimate statement about the family, because we're absolutely brutalizing with each other, while there's also no mistaking that we love each other deeply." Author Lynne Layton complimented the performance, saying that "as in her double attitude to materialism, femininity, and everything else, what marks the performance is not that Madonna is in control, but that she is open about the pros and cons of family life and obviously echoes the experience of many." Her thoughts were shared by John LeLand from Newsday, who complimented the aerobics performed onstage by Madonna and her dancers. Conversely, author Allen Metz commented that although the performance was tightly choreographed, the overall feel was marred due to the song's own "shortcomings". Greg Kot from the Chicago Tribune felt that the addition of lines from "Family Affair" underlined the "home-is-where-the-heart-is" theme of "Keep It Together". Louis Virtel from The Backlot praised the performance, stating that it served as the "perfect concluding performance". Two different performances were recorded and released on video: the Blond Ambition – Japan Tour 90, filmed in Yokohama, Japan, on April 27, 1990, and the Blond Ambition World Tour Live, filmed in Nice, France, on August 5, 1990. It was also shown on the HBO special titled Madonna Live! – Blond Ambition World Tour, and was added in her 1991 documentary, Truth or Dare.

Track listing and formats

 US and Canadian 12-inch vinyl single
A1. "Keep It Together" (12" Remix) – 7:44
A2. "Keep It Together" (Dub) – 7:00
A3. "Keep It Together" (12" Extended Mix) – 7:20
B1. "Keep It Together" (12" Mix) – 6:48
B2. "Keep It Together" (Bonus Beats) – 3:56
B3. "Keep It Together" (Instrumental) – 5:52

 US CD maxi-single
"Keep It Together" (Single Remix) – 4:35
"Keep It Together" (12" Remix) – 7:50
"Keep It Together" (12" Mix) – 6:59
"Keep It Together" (12" Extended Mix) – 7:20
"Keep It Together" (Instrumental) – 6:00

 US  and Canadian 7-inch vinyl and cassette single
A. "Keep It Together" (Single Remix) – 4:35
B. "Keep It Together" (Instrumental) – 5:52

 Japanese mini CD single
"Cherish" (Extended Version) – 6:21
"Keep It Together" (12" Remix) – 7:51
"Keep It Together" (Dub) – 7:01
"Keep It Together" (12" Extended Mix) – 7:20
"Keep It Together" (12" Mix) – 6:50
"Keep It Together" (Bonus Beats) – 3:27
"Keep It Together" (Instrumental) – 5:52

Credits and personnel
Madonna – writer, producer, lead vocals
Stephen Bray – writer, producer
Paulinho da Costa – percussion
Chester Kamen – guitar
David Boruff – brass, strings
Steven Madaio – brass
Bill Bottrell – audio engineer, mixing
Herb Ritts – photography
Jeri Heiden – design

Credits are adapted from the Like a Prayer album and 12-inch vinyl single liner notes.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

See also
List of Billboard number-one dance singles of 1990 (US)
List of number-one singles of 1990 (Australia)

References

Bibliography

External links
 "Keep It Together" on Spotify

1989 songs
Madonna songs
1990 singles
Songs written by Madonna
Songs written by Stephen Bray
Song recordings produced by Madonna
Song recordings produced by Stephen Bray
Funk songs
Songs about families
Number-one singles in Australia
Sire Records singles
Warner Records singles