Songwriter Toby Gad has revealed how his attempts to “get more out of” Madonna’s vocal on Rebel Heart almost backfired.
Madonna got into a foul-mouthed row with Toby Gad during recording sessions for Rebel Heart.
The 57-year-old songwriter worked with the Queen of Pop on material for her 2015 album, but she didn’t react well to his criticism in the studio.
He told the Daily Star newspaper’s Wired column: “She’s one of the best performers in the world but I felt I could get more out of the vocal.
“I said, ‘Come on, put more heart and soul into it, put emotion into it’.
“And she was like, ‘F*** you, Toby, I’m not singing this anymore.’ And I was like, ‘F*** you, Madonna, you are singing this again!’ “
However, the strong words and tense scenes helped them build a bond as he gained her respect.
He added: “With Madonna that started tricky, but once we broke the ice it turned into a really intense, wonderful friendship.”
Meanwhile, Toby also recalled how his time working with Paloma Faith in 2012 had its own difficulties.
He said: “I played her a few of my songs and she was like, @This is really s***, right?’ I was about to kick her out of the studio!”
Toby has had his fair share of disagreements with big names, and back in 2006 he was left “panicking” when former Black Eye Peas star Fergie almost dropped Big Girls Don’t Cry from her debut solo album The Dutchess.
Toby, who co-wrote the song, exclusively told BANG Showbiz earlier this year: “Big Girls Don’t Cry wasn’t going to be Fergie’s song, and in the end, Jimmy Iovine and my manager David Sonnenberg were the ones who convinced Fergie in the end, it must be on her album.
“And just before the album came out, I was looking at the online tracklisting and the song was not on there. I was panicking
“And then when the album came out, I saw that it was actually on the album, and I was so relieved. And then it ended up as a fourth single, and the world loved it.”
