The song is written by Gardner Cole and Peter Rafelson, and the original title inspired from a local health food restaurant called Follow Your Heart in Canoga Park, California.- Cole was in love with a waitress there named Lisa and she became the original inspiration for the lyrics.
The song was never played to Lauper to consider, and the duo also thought about preventing it to The Temptations before Cole’s manager, who wa working Madonna’s management at the time presented three of Cole’s compositions to them including Follow Your Heart. Madonna’s management asked for a female demo version of the song to present to Madonna. Cole’s then girlfriend Donna De Lory (not the aforementioned Lisa) happened to be one of Madonna’s backing vocalists so he asked her to record the demo.
Madonna later rewrote and produced the track, retitled “Open Your Heart” and added a baseline transforming into a dance track.
Gardner Cole’s other claim to fame was that he played keyboards on Jody Watley’s 1989 album Larger Then Life.
Donna De Lory continued as one of Madonna’s backing vocalists after she later auditioned for the Who’s That Girl tour in 1987 she got the job and toured with Madonna on all her world tours until 2007, and has provided BVs on many of Madonna’s recordings during that time. Madonna returning the favour on a track on De Lory’s 2ns solo single which Madonna also wrote and produced, “Just a Dream”
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