The Velvet Rope
Studio album by Janet
Released	October 6, 1997 (Europe) October 7, 1997 (U.S.)
Recorded	1996–1997
Genre	R&B, pop, alternative
Length	75:23 (main edition) 78:50 (edition with bonus track)
Label	Virgin
Producer	Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Entertainment Weekly (A) link Rolling Stone link Slant Magazine link
Janet chronology
Design of a Decade 1986/1996 (1995) The Velvet Rope (1997) All for You (2001)
Alternate cover
Australian tour edition cover
Singles from The Velvet Rope
"Got 'Til It's Gone" "Together Again" "I Get Lonely" "Go Deep" "You" "Every Time"

The Velvet Rope is the Grammy Award-winning sixth studio album by American R&B/pop singer Janet Jackson, released on October 7, 1997 (see 1997 in music). Though one of Jackson's most celebrated records, the album achieved moderate commercial success, by comparison to it's predecessor. Nevertheless, it sold very well, becoming one of the best selling albums of the year. The album sold seven million copies worldwide. The Velvet Rope is an episode from That 70s Show. ... Image File history File links Thevelvetropejanet. ... A studio album is a collection of studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, record producer, dancer, activist, pop icon, and younger sister of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. ... is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Contemporary R&B is a music genre of American popular music, the current iteration of the genre that began in the 1940s as rhythm and blues music. ... This article is about the genre of popular music. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Virgin Records was a British recording label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, and Nik Powell in 1972. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... James Jimmy Jam Harris III (born on June 6, 1959 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) and Terry Lewis (born November 21, 1956 in Omaha, Nebraska) are an American R&B and pop songwriting and record production team. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 2. ... Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated EW) is a magazine published by Time Inc. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Image File history File links 3. ... Since its inception in 2001, Slant Magazine has grown exponentially in content, exposure, and readership. ... Image File history File links 4. ... Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, record producer, dancer, activist, pop icon, and younger sister of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. ... Alternate covers International cover Japanese cover Design of a Decade 1986/1996 is the first greatest hits album (eight overall) by American R&B/pop singer Janet Jackson. ... Alternate cover Limited edition cover All for You is the eighth studio album released by American R&B/pop singer Janet Jackson on April 24, 2001 on Virgin Records. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Got Til Its Gone is the first single from Janet Jacksons sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope. The song was released as the international first single for the album. ... Together Again is the second single from Janet Jacksons sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope. ... I Get Lonely is the third single (second and final in the U.S.) by R&B singer Janet Jackson from her sixth studio album The Velvet Rope. The original Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis-produced version is included on her 1997 album The Velvet Rope. A remix featuring BLACKstreet was... Go Deep is the fourth single by R&B singer Janet Jackson, from her sixth studio album The Velvet Rope. ... You is the fifth single released from R&B singer Janet Jacksons sixth studio album The Velvet Rope. The song received a release in the UK, but it was inelegible to chart. ... Every Time was the sixth and final single released from Janet Jacksons sixth studio album The Velvet Rope. In the song, Janet tries to convince herself that shes scared to fall in love. The song was relatively a failure in many countries. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A studio album is a collection of studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... Contemporary R&B is a music genre of American popular music, the current iteration of the genre that began in the 1940s as rhythm and blues music. ... This article is about the genre of popular music. ... Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, record producer, dancer, activist, pop icon, and younger sister of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. ... is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... See also: 1997 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1997 Record labels established in 1997 // January 9 - David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert (the day after his birthday) at Madison Square Garden, with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou...

In 2003, the album was ranked number 256 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. [3] This article is about the magazine. ... Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Magazine Cover, November 2003. ...

Album Information

The Velvet Rope came after a four-year gap from her previous release janet. The album deals with Jackson's depression and disillusionment with celebrity. Surrounded by controversy, it found Jackson expounding on the implied sexuality of the previous record by incorporating sexually explicit themes. These acts are also depicted in booklet photos, including pictures of Jackson blindfolded or with her hands tied behind her back while lying on a bed. The album's title and title track, featuring acclaimed classical violinist Vanessa-Mae, has a triple meaning; it references the rope used to hold back fans when a celebrity is present, which to Jackson was also a metaphor for an individual's need to feel special by putting oneself in a private place. It also refers to rope used during in sadomasochistic bondage. janet. ... A blindfold is a strip of cloth used to cover the eyes, rendering the user effectively (but temporarily) blind. ... This article is about Western art music from 1000 AD to the present. ... Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson (born October 27, 1978), known on stage as Vanessa-Mae (in Chinese: 陈美, Chén Měi) is an internationally known classical and pop musician. ... Flogging demonstration at Folsom Street Fair 2004. ... A model in bondage cuffs with a leg spreader In the context of BDSM, bondage involves people being tied up or otherwise restrained for pleasure. ...

Jackson explored other themes such as lesbianism and bisexuality cover of the Rod Stewart 1976 hit, male homosexuality in "Free Xone". Phone sex is also explored on a spoken interlude "Speaker Phone", and the concept of honesty on "You", a minor single which became controversial after it was suggested that the subject was Jackson's brother Michael Jackson. Due to the content of the album, it was banned in Singapore.^[1] This article is about same-sex desire and sexuality among women. ... Bisexual redirects here. ... Rod Stewart CBE (born January 10, 1945), is a singer and songwriter born and raised in London, England, with Scottish parentage. ... Tonights the Night (Gonna Be Alright) is the name of a song written and recorded by Rod Stewart for his 1976 album A Night on the Town. ... This article is about the Male sex. ... Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ... Phone sex refers to sexually explicit conversation between two or more persons via telephone, especially when at least one of the participants masturbates or engages in sexual fantasy. ... Honest redirects here, For other uses, see Honesty (disambiguation) Look up honesty in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... You is the fifth single released from R&B singer Janet Jacksons sixth studio album The Velvet Rope. The song received a release in the UK, but it was inelegible to chart. ... Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958), commonly known as MJ as well as the King of Pop, is an American musician, entertainer, and pop icon whose successful career and controversial personal life have been a part of pop culture for the last three decades. ...

Like Jackson's previous albums, many songs contained samples. The songs are: This article is about reusing existing sound recordings in creating new works. ...

• "Velvet Rope" samples "Hobo (Scratch)" performed by Malcolm McLaren, and "Tubular Bells" composed by Mike Oldfield.
• "You" samples "The Cisco Kid" performed by War.
• "Got 'Til It's Gone" samples "Big Yellow Taxi" performed by Joni Mitchell.
• "My Need" samples "Love Hangover" performed by Diana Ross, and "You're All I Need to Get By" performed by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.
• "Free Xone" samples "Think (About It)" performed by James Brown, "Tighten Up" performed by Archie Bell & the Drells, and "Joyous" performed by Pleasure.
• "Anything" samples "Wake Up Everybody" performed by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes.
• "Go Deep" samples "Cutie Pie" performed by One Way

Malcolm McLaren (born Malcolm Robert Andrew Edwards, 22 January 1946, in London) is an English impresario and musician who is best known as being the manager of the punk rock band Sex Pistols. ... This article is about the Mike Oldfield album. ... Michael Gordon Oldfield (born May 15, 1953 in Reading, England) is a multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music and more recently dance. ... The Cisco Kid was a popular radio, television and film series based on the fictional Western character created by author O. Henry in his short story The Caballeros Way, published in 1907 in the short story collection Heart of the West. ... For other uses, see War (disambiguation). ... Big Yellow Taxi is a song originally written and performed by Joni Mitchell. ... Joni Mitchell, CC (born Roberta Joan Anderson on November 7, 1943) is a Canadian musician, songwriter, and painter. ... Love Hangover was a single for Motown singer Diana Ross, released in 1976. ... For the author-illustrator, see Diana Ross (author). ... Youre All I Need to Get By was a 1968 hit for soul music legends Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. ... Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. ... Tammi Terrell (born Thomasina Montgomery) (April 29, 1945 – March 16, 1970) was an American Motown singer in the 1960s, best known for her duets with Marvin Gaye. ... Think (About It) is a funk song recorded by Lyn Collins and released as a single on James Browns People Records in 1972. ... For other persons named James Brown, see James Brown (disambiguation). ... Tighten Up was a 1968 song by Houston, Texas based R&B vocal group Archie Bell & the Drells. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Look up Pleasure in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Wake Up Everybody is a 1975 album by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. ... Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an American singing group, one of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. ... One Way was an R&B/funk band that was popular in the late 1970s and throughout most of the 1980s. ...

Commercial reception

The Velvet Rope predictably debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 Albums. The set shifted 202,000 copies in its opening week in America, but went on to sell 3.6 million copies^[2] there and achieved a 3× Platinum certification by the RIAA.

The lead single "Got 'Til It's Gone" featured a sample from Joni Mitchell's song "Big Yellow Taxi", and was a radio success but was unable to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, possibly because there was no American commercial CD single release. The song also featured vocals by rapper Q-Tip. Got Til Its Gone is the first single from Janet Jacksons sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope. The song was released as the international first single for the album. ... Joni Mitchell, CC (born Roberta Joan Anderson on November 7, 1943) is a Canadian musician, songwriter, and painter. ... Big Yellow Taxi is a song originally written and performed by Joni Mitchell. ... “Hot 100” redirects here. ... Q-Tip (born Jonathan Davis in Brooklyn, New York), USA, is a North American hip-hop emcee, actor, and hip hop producer who was the leader of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest. ...

The second single, "Together Again", was a huge dance club and radio hit. The success of the song spawned various versions of the track; unlike normal remixes, these were actual re-recordings with totally different musical styles and alternate vocals. "I Get Lonely" entered the charts at number three securing another hit for Jackson. Other singles from the album included "Go Deep" and "Every Time". Neither were major chart successes on par with Jackson's previous hits, although "Go Deep" reached the top spot on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart. Like many of Jackson's albums, the album is filled with non-musical interludes. Together Again is the second single from Janet Jacksons sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope. ... A remix is an alternative version of a song, different from the original version. ... I Get Lonely is the third single (second and final in the U.S.) by R&B singer Janet Jackson from her sixth studio album The Velvet Rope. The original Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis-produced version is included on her 1997 album The Velvet Rope. A remix featuring BLACKstreet was... Go Deep is the fourth single by R&B singer Janet Jackson, from her sixth studio album The Velvet Rope. ... Every Time was the sixth and final single released from Janet Jacksons sixth studio album The Velvet Rope. In the song, Janet tries to convince herself that shes scared to fall in love. The song was relatively a failure in many countries. ... Billboard magazines Hot Dance Club Play chart (also known as Club Play Singles, and formerly known as Hot Dance Music/Club Play and Hot Dance/Disco) is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs. ...

A coinciding tour called The Velvet Rope Tour covered the globe in promotion of the album. The European leg of the tour was extremely successful, playing thirty-two sold-out concerts. The Velvet Rope Tour was Jacksons follow up to the janet. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

Awards

American Music Award

• Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist

Grammy Award

• Best Music Video, Short Form ("Got Til It's Gone")

Billboard Music Award

• Top R&B Female Artist of the Year

Soul Train Music Award

• Lena Horne Award for Outstanding Career Achievement

Blockbuster Entertainment Award

• Favorite R&B Female Artist

GLAAD Media Award

• Outstanding Album ("The Velvet Rope")

MTV Europe Music Award

• Best Female Artist

VH-1 Fashion Award

• Most Stylish Music Video ("Got Til It's Gone")

BMI Pop Awards

• Most Played Song: I Get Lonely
• Most Played Song: Together Again

Danish Music Awards

• International Album of the Year: The Velvet Rope
• International Single of the Year: Got 'Til It's Gone
• International Female Solo Artist of the Year

World Music Awards

• Legend Award for Outstanding Contribution to Pop & R&B Music

Chart performance

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. ... The Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart was established by Billboard magazine in 1984. ...

Singles

Track listing

1. "Interlude: Twisted Elegance" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr.) – 0:41
2. "Velvet Rope" (featuring Vanessa-Mae) (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo Jr., Malcolm McLaren, Trevor Horn, Mike Oldfield) – 4:55
3. "You" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr., Harold Brown, Sylvester Allen, Morris Dickerson, Howard Scott, Leroy Jordan, Lee Oskar, Charles Miller) – 4:42
4. "Got 'Til It's Gone" (featuring Q-Tip and Joni Mitchell) (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr., Joni Mitchell, Kamaal Ibn Fareed) – 4:01
5. "Interlude: Speaker Phone" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr.) – 0:54
6. "My Need" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr., Marylin McLeod, Pamela Sawyer, Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson) – 3:44
7. "Interlude: Fasten Your Seatbelts" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr.) – 0:19
8. "Go Deep" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr.) – 4:42
9. "Free Xone" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr., James Brown, Billy Buttier, Archie Bell, Michael Hepburn) – 4:57
10. "Interlude: Memory" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr.) – 0:04
11. "Together Again" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr.) – 5:01
12. "Interlude: Online" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr.) – 0:19
13. "Empty" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr.) – 4:32
14. "Interlude: Full" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr.) – 0:12
15. "What About" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr.) – 4:24
16. "Every Time" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr.) – 4:17
17. "Tonight's the Night" (Rod Stewart) – 5:07
18. "I Get Lonely" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr.) – 5:17
19. "Rope Burn" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr.) – 4:15
20. "Anything" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr.) – 4:54
21. "Interlude: Sad" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr.) – 0:10
22. "Special"/"Can't Be Stopped" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr.) – 7:55

James Jimmy Jam Harris III (born on June 6, 1959 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) and Terry Lewis (born November 21, 1956 in Omaha, Nebraska) are an American R&B and pop songwriting and record production team. ... René Elizondo (b. ... Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson (born October 27, 1978), known on stage as Vanessa-Mae (in Chinese: 陈美, Chén Měi) is an internationally known classical and pop musician. ... Malcolm McLaren (born Malcolm Robert Andrew Edwards, 22 January 1946, in London) is an English impresario and musician who is best known as being the manager of the punk rock band Sex Pistols. ... Trevor Charles Horn, born July 15, 1949 in Durham, England, is a British pop music record producer, songwriter and musician. ... Michael Gordon Oldfield (born May 15, 1953 in Reading, England) is a multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music and more recently dance. ... You is the fifth single released from R&B singer Janet Jacksons sixth studio album The Velvet Rope. The song received a release in the UK, but it was inelegible to chart. ... Harold Ray Brown (born March 17, 1946 in Long Beach, California) was a founding member of War, an American funk band in the 1970s and 2000s. ... B.B. Dickerson was the bass player for the 1970s latin/funk group War. ... Howard E. Scott (b. ... Lee Oskar (b. ... Charles Miller was born in Olathe, Kansas on June 2, 1939. ... Got Til Its Gone is the first single from Janet Jacksons sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope. The song was released as the international first single for the album. ... Q-Tip (born Jonathan Davis in Brooklyn, New York), USA, is a North American hip-hop emcee, actor, and hip hop producer who was the leader of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest. ... Joni Mitchell, CC (born Roberta Joan Anderson on November 7, 1943) is a Canadian musician, songwriter, and painter. ... Q-Tip (born Jonathan Davis in Brooklyn, New York), USA, is a North American hip-hop emcee, actor, and hip hop producer who was the leader of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest. ... Pamela Sawyer is an American songwriter most noted for her tenure at Motown Records from 1967 to 1977. ... Nickolas Ashford (born May 4, 1942, in Fairfield, South Carolina) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946 in The Bronx, New York) are a successful husband and wife songwriting/production team, as well as being recording artists in their own right. ... Go Deep is the fourth single by R&B singer Janet Jackson, from her sixth studio album The Velvet Rope. ... For other persons named James Brown, see James Brown (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Together Again is the second single from Janet Jacksons sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope. ... Every Time was the sixth and final single released from Janet Jacksons sixth studio album The Velvet Rope. In the song, Janet tries to convince herself that shes scared to fall in love. The song was relatively a failure in many countries. ... Tonights the Night (Gonna Be Alright) is the name of a song written and recorded by Rod Stewart for his 1976 album A Night on the Town. ... Rod Stewart CBE (born January 10, 1945), is a singer and songwriter born and raised in London, England, with Scottish parentage. ... I Get Lonely is the third single (second and final in the U.S.) by R&B singer Janet Jackson from her sixth studio album The Velvet Rope. The original Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis-produced version is included on her 1997 album The Velvet Rope. A remix featuring BLACKstreet was...

Japanese edition

22. "Special" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr.) – 3:22
23. "God's Stepchild"/"Can't Be Stopped" (Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr.) – 7:53

Australian tour/Special edition bonus disc

1. "Got 'Til It's Gone" (Armand Van Helden Bonus Beats) – 5:05
2. "Together Again" (Tony Humphries 12" Edit Mix) – 10:00
3. "I Get Lonely" (Janet vs. Jason - The Club Remix) – 8:45 [8:10 is imprinted but the Version takes 8:40 and is actually The Remix Sessions Pt. 2]
4. "Go Deep" (Vocal Deep Disco Dub) – 8:15
5. "Every Time" (Jam & Lewis Disco Remix) – 4:10

External links

• The Velvet Rope era photo shots

References