| Initially, Warner Bros.
had no plans to release Don't Cry For Me
Argentina as a single, yet they promoted
the Miami Mix of the song to radio, a version of
the track unavailable anywhere in the US.
However, DCFMA flew up the airplay charts,
perhaps surpassing WB's expectations, and
listener demand for the song was incredible.
Finally, two months after they should have
released the single, WB issued a maxi-single-only
release featuring six remixes of the song (but
not the original). Had WB released DCFMA in a
more timely fashion, and issued a regular
CD/cassette single with both the Miami Mix and
the original, it's probable that Madonna could
have easily hit the top of the charts. From
many perspectives, DCFMA is considered a novelty
hit for Madonna. It is a song that was already
twenty years old and well known, it was released
in a sped-up, ultra-catchy dance remix, and was
associated with a major movie event. As evidenced
by its rather fast rise and descent on almost
every chart it appeared on, the song couldn't
stretch out its appeal for very long.
No video was made for the remix of DCFMA, and
the video used for the original version (in the
US, it was played only occasionally on VH1)
featured no new footage and used only clips from
the film Evita.
TRIVIA: The video for
"Don't Cry For Me Argentina" is
actually identical to the series of shots used in
the film -- no re-editing occurred for the
transfer to music channels like VH1. Also, the
demand for DCFMA was so strong that it actually
debuted on the Hot 100 a week earlier than it's
commercial release date, triggering Billboard
to change its charting policy. From that point
until the charts changed again in December 1998,
Billboard decided that singles could not debut on
the strength of so-called "street date
violations."
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