Lenny Kravitz looks back at recording Madonna's 'Justify My Love' 30 years later

Lenny Kravitz, who wrote Madonna's hit single 'Justify My Love,' looks back at recording it with her 30 years later.

Video Transcript

LYNDSEY PARKER: I'm very excited to speak with you. I really enjoyed the book "Let Love Rule." Well, you've definitely dabbled in so many genres and blended so many genres.

And I know that this isn't in the book, because the book ends kind of right when you're just starting to get big, but this month is the 30th anniversary of "Justify My Love." And I'd love to hear the story, because I know you co-wrote and produced that song, but I think a lot of people aren't aware of this. And it also was very trip-hoppy, which was something people would maybe not necessarily expect from you. How did you come to be involved in that project? It was still pretty early in your career.

LENNY KRAVITZ: Yeah, I had just come off of the first tour, the "Let Love Rule" tour, from Europe. And I'd met Madonna in Europe at a club. And we became friendly and we used to hang out. I'd see her in Europe in different places when we would both be on tour, and she would invite me out. She always had these really great parties and great groups of people that would go dancing and dance all night. And so I knew her in that circle.

And then I was in LA before I'd come back to New York. I was working on some demos, and "Justify My Love" came up. And I loved it, but I knew it wasn't for me. And so I thought it would be perfect for Madonna.

So I called her and I said, I have a number one song for you. And she said, no, you don't. And I said, yes, I do. She said, no, you don't. And I said, where are you? I'll bring it over. So she said, I'm at this studio, whatever it was at the time, somewhere in the 30s.

And I had my cassette, and I brought it over. And she said put it in, go ahead. And I put it in the cassette deck, turned the console up to 10, and out it came. And the whole room got really quiet.

And it ended. And she said, play it again. And pushed play, played it again. And she said, let's record it. And I think we started the next day.

LYNDSEY PARKER: I'm curious, when you called her up and you said, I have a number one song for you, why you had that self-belief that it would be a number one song. Because I mean this in no shady way, but it's not a super commercial song on the surface of it.

LENNY KRAVITZ: No, no.

LYNDSEY PARKER: It's talked, most of it. It's very slow, It's very experimental-sounding. What made you think that [INAUDIBLE]?

LENNY KRAVITZ: But it was super sexy , and hard at the same time, you know. And I just felt it. I just knew that there was something very special about the track and the minimal quality, because it was so minimal. And just a gut thing. I felt it.

Then she was getting ready to make this video which she did with our mutual friend Jean-Baptiste Montino, brilliant director who lives in Paris. He made that video. The video was banned, which, when you look at it now, you wonder why. It looks very light now, you know? But it was beautiful, and sensual, and gritty, beautiful black-and-white film.

And since MTV banned it, she decided to sell the video. And each video counted as a single, the way they had it worked out. So I remember people being lined up around Tower Records, around the block, to get this video of Madonna.

And the thing went number one and was number one globally for I don't know how long. It was enormous. In fact, it was her biggest hit at that point in her career.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Do you have any memories-- you said that there was, you know, after you convinced her that it was a hit, and you almost immediately went into the studio, what was that atmosphere like? What was it like to hear that iconic song and produce it?

LENNY KRAVITZ: It was just the two of us and my engineers. And it happened in one day. It was very quick. And there are details about that session that I cannot tell you. [LAUGHS]

LYNDSEY PARKER: Oh!

LENNY KRAVITZ: But it was fun.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Well, now.

LENNY KRAVITZ: It was fun and very sensual.

LYNDSEY PARKER: You can't tell me anything?

LENNY KRAVITZ: No, I can't do it.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Well, if you're ever willing to give Yahoo Entertainment an exclusive about what went down at the "Justify My Love," first right of refusal, we will not refuse. But you don't know, Lenny, you saying that and then leaving that dangling there, I'm like, ugh.

LENNY KRAVITZ: Just know that it was all very authentic.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Ugh! OK.

LENNY KRAVITZ: I mean, the track was already recorded. So I had to do her vocal. In fact, my backgrounds were already on there.

[MUSIC - MADONNA, "JUSTIFY MY LOVE"]

LENNY KRAVITZ: And in fact, the background vocal that you hear me singing all through the track where I'm just humming, that was my guide for the lead vocal. I was supposed to write words to that melody. But then it ended up being this spoken word thing, and I kept that in the background as this distant sort of vocal. But that was supposed to be the lead vocal.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Are you aware there's a fan-made version on YouTube that's just your moans? If you go on YouTube--

LENNY KRAVITZ: No, no.

LYNDSEY PARKER: --if you look up "Justify My Love," Lenny Kravitz, and it's like "Justify My Love," but just Lenny moaning. And it's just that track we're talking about. And it sounds good, it sounds good.

LENNY KRAVITZ: That's funny. I've got to check that out.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Have you ever thought about doing a version of your own, like maybe in your own style?

LENNY KRAVITZ: Yes, I started one actually. I just never finished it. We also have never performed it live. So one day we're going to have to do that. But yes, I have a version that I may complete and put out.

LYNDSEY PARKER: This is your last chance to tell me anything more about what happened in the "Justify"--

LENNY KRAVITZ: [LAUGHS]

LYNDSEY PARKER: I've got all day. You probably don't. It's your last chance.

LENNY KRAVITZ: I'll give you a call.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Is it going to maybe be in the next book?

LENNY KRAVITZ: When and if I get to that book, yeah, I may let it out then.

LYNDSEY PARKER: The book does end with "to be continued."

LENNY KRAVITZ: It does, it does. I didn't want this book to be about fame or anything like that. This is really about me finding my voice and my expression. And so that's why I ended it when I was embarking on the "Let Love Rule" tour, and I found the beginning of my voice that would carry me to this day.

And I wanted to show a little about going on the road and how that was. And I thought, that's it. There it is. Because from that point on, it gets real interesting. [LAUGHS]

LYNDSEY PARKER: Yeah, that's why we need a second book, Lenny. I mean, that's [INAUDIBLE].

LENNY KRAVITZ: I mean, this was interesting, yes.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Oh, super interesting.

LENNY KRAVITZ: But it gets complicated. It gets really complex. And so that's where the next chapter will begin.

LYNDSEY PARKER: This has been a wonderful interview. I look forward hopefully to a volume two with all the crazy stuff later. But I think that this is a really interesting glimpse into a really unique life. So thank you so much for talking with me about it.

LENNY KRAVITZ: Thank you. Take care.