LISTEN: This long-forgotten Madonna track never made it on her debut album but it still had everyone talking

The 1980s were a decade of both progress and challenges for the gay community. The emergence of HIV/AIDS as a devastating epidemic, growing awareness and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people, and the fight for civil rights and legal protections marked this defining decade. Despite all of the extreme ups and downs, queer people still found time to dance through it all.

The ’80s saw an huge evolution of club music, with places like the Limelight and the Palladium filled with people dancing to hits that made everyone move and shake, and “Sidewalk Talk” by Jellybean was one such track.

The dance-pop song was written by Madonna and performed by singer Catherine Buchanan. It was released on producer/remixer/DJ John “Jellybean” Benitez’s debut EP Wotupskii!!?! in 1984.

The song was initially released as a 12-inch promotional single to US DJs and clubs on October 21, 1984. Promoted to clubs by EMI Records in October of that year, it became an instant hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart on February 2, 1985.

Madonna contributed vocals to the chorus and bridge, while Buchanan performed the verses. The song eventually gained commercial success, peaking at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 1, 1986.

So how did the song come to be?

Well, Madonna met John “Jellybean” Benitez, who worked as a DJ at the Funhouse club in lower Manhattan in 1983. They started dating and worked on her self-titled debut album, released in 1983. When Benitez started to put together his own debut EP, he asked Madonna to write a song for him, and within two days, she penned “Sidewalk Talk”.

Upon its release, “Sidewalk Talk” received mixed reviews from critics, with some questioning the decision to credit Buchanan as lead vocalist instead of Madonna, who was much more famous. Some say that Benitez originally intended the song for Madonna’s debut album, but he replaced her vocals with Buchanan’s when it wasn’t included.

According to the album’s liner notes, “Sidewalk Talk” was arranged by Stephen Bray and Benitez with vocal arrangement by Madonna. The lyrics were inspired by Madonna’s early years in New York and the challenges she faced adjusting to big city life. It tells a story of empowerment and overcoming obstacles, reflecting on her personal experiences and inadvertently speaking to many others facing similar struggles at the time.

Streets were paved with a thousand eyes / And try as you may you can’t disguise / There’s only two things that you can’t hide from / That’s you and the ground you’re walking on

The lyrics can be interpreted through a queer lens, speaking to the cadence of queer life at the time. Many gay people in the 1980s felt the need to hide their identity due to societal stigma and discrimination. However, there was a rising star at the time who gave a sense of empowerment to the community through her fierce allyship and dance-club anthems.

Madonna’s advocacy for HIV/AIDS awareness and support also made her an important figure for the gay community during the epidemic. She was among the first notable names in the entertainment industry to speak out on the issue when the government ignored the thousands of mostly gay men dying of AIDS. So when queer people heard her playing in heavily crowded clubs, she gave them a sense of community, empowerment and belonging.

In 2011, the EP was re-released by Gold Legion Records, which included four remixes of “Sidewalk Talk.” Rolling Stone ranked the song at #71 on their list of the “100 Best Singles of 1984.” Maura Johnston, writing for the magazine, noted its similarity to Benitez’s production work on Madonna’s 1983 hit “Holiday” and described it as “distilling the essence of New York.”

Today, Madonna remains an ally and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, which has earned her a place of love and respect within the community. Songs like Jellybean’s “Sidewalk Talk” serve as a reminder of the artist’s beginnings in the pop culture zeitgeist and her loyalty to her collaborators, like Jellybean, who helped launch her career.