Bob Rafelson – pophole

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”

It is the only music video that Bob Rafelson ever directed, although he did direct several episodes of, and was the TV producer for The Monkees between 1966-1968.

The video was produced by ex-Monkee Michael Nesmith.

Richie admitted years later that he had intended to hire a translator for some (what described as) African lyrics but “ran out of time” so he just made up “Tom bo li de say de moi ya,” and “Jambo jumbo,”

Bob Rafelson’s eldest son is songwriter Peter Rafelson, who co-wrote the hit song “Open Your Heart” for Madonna.

Aside from his obvious fame as a member of The Monkees, in 1979 Nesmith pioneered the concept of music video TV shows with his creation PopClips which was developed into MTV.

Tag: Bob Rafelson

“Open Your Heart” by Madonna was originally written for Cyndi Lauper as a rockier “Follow Your Heart”

The director of the classic film The Postman Rings Twice 1981) starring Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange, also directed the music video for Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long (All Night)