Madonna's 1985 is getting a book of its own.
Simon and Schuster will publish Madonna: Into the Groove: An Intimate Portrait of the Queen of Pop this October, according to Billboard. The 160-page book draws on photographs taken by rock photographer Ken Regan, with the publisher describing the collection as a trove of "beautiful, timeless images, most never before published, [which] follows her through an array of unforgettable moments — studio poses, bedroom positions, fitness routines, onstage performances — highlighting her raw, magnetic sexuality."
The year 1985 was dense with landmark moments for Madonna. She performed "Holiday" and "Into the Groove" at Live Aid in Philadelphia. She starred in the comedy film Desperately Seeking Susan. She headlined her Virgin Tour, with the Beastie Boys as the opening act.
Regan captured her throughout that period, including a series of shoots at Le Mondrian hotel in Los Angeles. According to Variety, those sessions featured Madonna in a hotel room, ballroom, and gym, dressed in signature looks from the era including lace leggings, leotards, multiple crucifixes, and stacked rubber bracelets.
The book's text was written by Rolling Stone staff writer Tomás Mier. Chapter titles include "A Material Girl," "Le Mondrian," "The Virgin Tour," "Live Aid," and "Aftermath." Mier also conducted new interviews with producer Nile Rodgers, choreographer Brad Jefferies, and stylist Maripol, among others from Madonna's inner circle at the time.
The book covers her whirlwind romance with Sean Penn that year, the behind-the-scenes story of the Mondrian shoot, and how the controversy around her Penthouse and Playboy photos affected her Live Aid performance. Regan's behind-the-scenes work at Live Aid included what the publisher describes as one of the most remarkable group photos of that era, with Madonna at the center alongside Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, and Mick Jagger.
Regan died of cancer in 2012. Mier said in a statement that he considered working on the book "an absolute honor," and that though he never got a chance to meet Regan, "through interviewing those who worked with him, I truly understand what made him such a visionary photographer: he approached his subjects with genuine empathy and respect. These images are a perfect encapsulation of his talent, capturing the Queen of Pop at a pivotal, electric moment in her own career and in music history."
Madonna: Into the Groove arrives in October.
