title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: Three major forms of hCG are produced by humans, with each having distinct physiological roles. These include regular hCG, hyperglycosylated hCG, and the free beta-subunit of hCG. Degradation products of hCG have also been detected, including nicked hCG, hCG missing the C-terminal peptide from the beta-subunit, and free alpha-subunit, which has no known biological function. Some hCG is also made by the pituitary gland with a pattern of glycosylation that differs from placental forms of hCG.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: Regular hCG is the main form of hCG associated with the majority of pregnancy and in non-invasive molar pregnancies. This is produced in the trophoblast cells of the placental tissue. Hyperglycosylated hCG is the main form of hCG during the implantation phase of pregnancy, with invasive molar pregnancies, and with choriocarcinoma.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: Gonadotropin preparations of hCG can be produced for pharmaceutical use from animal or synthetic sources. Some of these are medically justified, whereas others are of a quack nature.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: Blood or urine tests measure hCG. These can be pregnancy tests. hCG-positive can indicate an implanted blastocyst and mammalian embryogenesis or can be detected for a short time following childbirth or pregnancy loss. Tests can be done to diagnose and monitor germ cell tumors and gestational trophoblastic diseases.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: Concentrations are commonly reported in thousandth international units per milliliter (mIU/mL). The international unit of hCG was originally established in 1938 and has been redefined in 1964 and in 1980. At the present time, 1 international unit is equal to approximately 2.35×10 moles, or about 6×10 grams.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: Most tests employ a monoclonal antibody, which is specific to the "β-subunit" of hCG (β-hCG). This procedure is employed to ensure that tests do not make false positives by confusing hCG with LH and FSH. (The latter two are always present at varying levels in the body, whereas the presence of hCG almost always indicates pregnancy.)


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: Many hCG immunoassays are based on the sandwich principle, which uses antibodies to hCG labeled with an enzyme or a conventional or luminescent dye.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: The following is a list of serum hCG levels. ("LMP" is the last menstrual period dated from the first day of the last menstrual period.) The levels grow exponentially after conception and implantation.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: The ability to quantitate the βhCG level is useful in monitoring germ cell and trophoblastic tumors, follow-up care after miscarriage, and diagnosis of and follow-up care after treatment of ectopic pregnancy. The lack of a visible fetus on vaginal ultrasound after βhCG levels reach 1500 mIU/mL is strongly indicative of an ectopic pregnancy. Still, even an hCG over 2000 IU/L does not necessarily exclude the presence of a viable intrauterine pregnancy in such cases.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: As pregnancy tests, quantitative blood tests and the most sensitive urine tests usually detect hCG between 6 and 12 days after ovulation. It must be taken into account, however, that total hCG levels may vary in a very wide range within the first 4 weeks of gestation, leading to false results during this period. A rise of 35% over 48 hours is proposed as the minimal rise consistent with a viable intrauterine pregnancy.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: Gestational trophoblastic disease like hydatidiform moles ("molar pregnancy") or choriocarcinoma may produce high levels of βhCG (due to the presence of syncytiotrophoblasts - part of the villi that make up the placenta) despite the absence of an embryo. This, as well as several other conditions, can lead to elevated hCG readings in the absence of pregnancy.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: hCG levels are also a component of the triple test, a screening test for certain fetal chromosomal abnormalities/birth defects.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: A study of 32 normal pregnancies came to the result that a gestational sac of 1–3 mm was detected at a mean hCG level of 1150 IU/L (range 800–1500), a yolk sac was detected at a mean level of 6000 IU/L (range 4500–7500) and fetal heartbeat was visible at a mean hCG level of 10,000 IU/L (range 8650–12,200).


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: Human chorionic gonadotropin can be used as a tumor marker, as its β subunit is secreted by some cancers including seminoma, choriocarcinoma, germ cell tumors, hydatidiform mole, teratoma with elements of choriocarcinoma, and islet cell tumor. For this reason, a positive result in males can be a test for testicular cancer. The normal range for men is between 0-5 mIU/mL. Combined with alpha-fetoprotein, β-HCG is an excellent tumor marker for the monitoring of germ cell tumors.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: Human chorionic gonadotropin injection is extensively used for final maturation induction in lieu of luteinizing hormone. In the presence of one or more mature ovarian follicles, ovulation can be triggered by the administration of HCG. As ovulation will happen between 38 and 40 hours after a single HCG injection, procedures can be scheduled to take advantage of this time sequence, such as intrauterine insemination or sexual intercourse. Also, patients that undergo IVF, in general, receive HCG to trigger the ovulation process, but have an oocyte retrieval performed at about 34 to 36 hours after injection, a few hours before the eggs actually would be released from the ovary.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: As HCG supports the corpus luteum, administration of HCG is used in certain circumstances to enhance the production of progesterone.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: In the male, HCG injections are used to stimulate the Leydig cells to synthesize testosterone. The intratesticular testosterone is necessary for spermatogenesis from the sertoli cells. Typical uses for HCG in men include hypogonadism and fertility treatment, including during testosterone replacement therapy to restore or maintain fertility and prevent testicular atrophy.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: Several vaccines against human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) for the prevention of pregnancy are currently in clinical trials.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: a) Since infertile female patients who undergo medically assisted reproduction (especially those who need in vitro fertilization), are known to often be suffering from tubal abnormalities, after a treatment with this drug they might experience many more ectopic pregnancies. This is why early ultrasound confirmation at the beginning of a pregnancy (to see whether the pregnancy is intrauterine or not) is crucial. Pregnancies that have occurred after a treatment with this drug have a higher risk of multiple pregnancy. Female patients who have thrombosis, severe obesity, or thrombophilia should not be prescribed this medicine as they have a higher risk of arterial or venous thromboembolic events after or during a treatment with HCG Pubergen, Pregnyl. b)Female patients who have been treated with this medicine are usually more prone to pregnancy losses.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: In the case of male patients: A prolonged treatment with HCG Pubergen, Pregnyl is known to regularly lead to increased production of androgen. Therefore: Patients who have overt or latent cardiac failure, hypertension, renal dysfunction, migraines, or epilepsy might not be allowed to start using this medicine or may require a lower dose of HCG Pubergen, Pregnyl. This drug should be used with extreme caution in the treatment of prepubescent teenagers in order to reduce the risk of precocious sexual development or premature epiphyseal closure. This type of patients' skeletal maturation should be closely and regularly monitored.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: Both male and female patients who have the following medical conditions must not start a treatment with HCG Pubergen, Pregnyl: (1) Hypersensitivity to this drug or to any of its main ingredients. (2) Known or possible androgen-dependent tumors for example male breast carcinoma or prostatic carcinoma.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: In the world of performance-enhancing drugs, HCG is increasingly used in combination with various anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) cycles. As a result, HCG is included in some sports' illegal drug lists.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: When exogenous AAS are put into the male body, natural negative-feedback loops cause the body to shut down its own production of testosterone via shutdown of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPGA). This causes testicular atrophy, among other things. HCG is commonly used during and after steroid cycles to maintain and restore testicular size as well as normal testosterone production.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: High levels of AASs, that mimic the body's natural testosterone, trigger the hypothalamus to shut down its production of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus. Without GnRH, the pituitary gland stops releasing luteinizing hormone (LH). LH normally travels from the pituitary via the blood stream to the testes, where it triggers the production and release of testosterone. Without LH, the testes shut down their production of testosterone. In males, HCG helps restore and maintain testosterone production in the testes by mimicking LH and triggering the production and release of testosterone.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: If HCG is used for too long and in too high a dose, the resulting rise in natural testosterone and estrogen would eventually inhibit endogenous production of luteinizing hormone via negative feedback on the hypothalamus and pituitary gland.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: Professional athletes who have tested positive for HCG have been temporarily banned from their sport, including a 50-game ban from MLB for Manny Ramirez in 2009 and a 4-game ban from the NFL for Brian Cushing for a positive urine test for HCG. Mixed Martial Arts fighter Dennis Siver was fined $19,800 and suspended 9 months for being tested positive after his bout at UFC 168.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: British endocrinologist Albert T. W. Simeons proposed HCG as an adjunct to an ultra-low-calorie weight-loss diet (fewer than 500 calories). Simeons, while studying pregnant women in India on a calorie-deficient diet, and "fat boys" with pituitary problems (Frölich's syndrome) treated with low-dose HCG, observed that both lost fat rather than lean (muscle) tissue. He reasoned that HCG must be programming the hypothalamus to do this in the former cases in order to protect the developing fetus by promoting mobilization and consumption of "abnormal", "excessive" adipose deposits. Simeons in 1954 published a book entitled "Pounds and Inches", designed to combat obesity. Simeons, practicing at Salvator Mundi International Hospital in Rome, Italy, recommended low-dose daily HCG injections (125 IU) in combination with a customized ultra-low-calorie (500 cal/day, high-protein, low-carbohydrate/fat) diet, which was supposed to result in a loss of adipose tissue without loss of lean tissue.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: Other researchers did not find the same results when attempting experiments to confirm Simeons' conclusions, and in 1976 in response to complaints the FDA required Simeons and others to include the following disclaimer on all advertisements:


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: There was a resurgence of interest in the "HCG diet" following promotion by Kevin Trudeau, who was banned from making HCG diet weight-loss claims by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in 2008, and eventually jailed over such claims.<ref name="FTC 2008/10">Kevin Trudeau Banned from Infomercials For Three Years, Ordered to Pay More Than $5 Million for False Claims About Weight-Loss Book; "FTC v. Trudeau" (7th Cir., 2009) 579 F.3d 754 remanded (N.D.Ill., 2010) 708 F.Supp.2d 711, affirmed (7th Cir. 2011) 662 F.3d 947, certiorari denied (Oct. 9, 2012) _U.S._, 133 S.Ct. 426, 184 L.Ed.2d 257; and a ten-year prison sentence for violating a court order, "U.S. v. Trudeau" (N.D.Ill., Jan. 29, 2014) 2014 u.s.dist. LEXIS 10717, 2014 WL 321373. And the article, "The Curious Case of Kevin Trudeau, King Catch Me If You Can " by Catherine Bryant Bell, Mississippi Law Journal, vol. 79 page 1043 (summer 2010), http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/mislj79&div=44&g_sent=1&collection=journals#1053.</ref>


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: A 1976 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that HCG is not more effective as a weight-loss aid than dietary restriction alone.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: A 1995 meta analysis found that studies supporting HCG for weight loss were of poor methodological quality and concluded that "there is no scientific evidence that HCG is effective in the treatment of obesity; it does not bring about weight-loss or fat-redistribution, nor does it reduce hunger or induce a feeling of well-being".


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: On November 15, 2016, the American Medical Association (AMA) passed policy that "The use of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) for weight loss is inappropriate."


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: According to the American Society of Bariatric Physicians, no new clinical trials have been published since the definitive 1995 meta-analysis.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: The scientific consensus is that any weight loss reported by individuals on an "HCG diet" may be attributed entirely to the fact that such diets prescribe calorie intake of between 500 and 1,000 calories per day, substantially below recommended levels for an adult, to the point that this may risk health effects associated with malnutrition.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: Controversy about, and shortages of, injected HCG for weight loss have led to substantial Internet promotion of "homeopathic HCG" for weight control. The ingredients in these products are often obscure, but if prepared from true HCG via homeopathic dilution, they contain either no HCG at all or only trace amounts. Moreover, it is highly unlikely that oral HCG is bioavailable due to the fact that digestive protease enzymes and hepatic metabolism renders peptide-based molecules (such as insulin and human growth hormone) biologically inert. HCG can likely only enter the bloodstream through injection.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: The United States Food and Drug Administration has stated that over-the-counter products containing HCG are fraudulent and ineffective for weight loss. They are also not protected as homeopathic drugs and have been deemed illegal substances. HCG is classified as a prescription drug in the United States and it has not been approved for over-the-counter sales by the FDA as a weight loss product or for any other purposes, and therefore neither HCG in its pure form nor any preparations containing HCG may be sold legally in the country except by prescription. In December 2011, FDA and FTC started to take actions to pull unapproved HCG products from the market. In the aftermath, some suppliers started to switch to "hormone-free" versions of their weight loss products, where the hormone is replaced with an unproven mixture of free amino acids or where radionics is used to transfer the "energy" to the final product.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: Catholic Bishops in Kenya are among those who have spread a conspiracy theory asserting that HCG forms part of a covert sterilization program, forcing denials from the Kenyan government.


title: Human chorionic gonadotropin

text: In order to induce a stronger immune response, some versions of human chorionic gonadotropin-based anti-fertility vaccines were designed as conjugates of the β subunit of HCG covalently linked to tetanus toxoid. It was alleged that a non-conjugated tetanus vaccine used in developing countries was laced with a human chorionic gonadotropin-based anti-fertility drug and was distributed as a means of mass sterilization. This charge has been vigorously denied by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. Others have argued that a hCG-laced vaccine could not possibly be used for sterilization, since the effects of the anti-fertility vaccines are reversible (requiring booster doses to maintain infertility) and a non-conjugated vaccine is likely to be ineffective. Finally, independent testing of the tetanus vaccine by Kenya's health authorities revealed no traces of the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone.


title: Marie Laveau

text: Marie Catherine Laveau (September 10, 1801 – June 15, 1881) was a Louisiana Creole practitioner of Voodoo, herbalist and midwife who was renowned in New Orleans. Her daughter, Marie Laveau II (1827 – c. 1862), also practiced rootwork, conjure, Native American and African spiritualism as well as Louisiana Voodoo. An alternate spelling of her name, Laveaux, is considered by historians to be from the original French spelling.


title: Marie Laveau

text: Historical records state that Marie Catherine Laveau was born a free woman of color in colonial New Orleans (today's French Quarter), Louisiana (New France), Thursday, September 10, 1801. Marie Laveau was the biological daughter of Charles Laveau Trudeau, a white Frenchman and politician, and her mother Marguerite D'Arcantel, a free woman of color who was of white, black, and Native American ancestry. Some historians claim that Marie Laveau's father was a black man named Charles Laveax, however this claim is false due to lack of evidence to support this theory.


title: Marie Laveau

text: On August 4, 1819, she married Jacques Paris (also known as Jacques Santiago in Spanish records), a Quadroon free man of color who had fled as a refugee from the Haitian Revolution in the former French colony Saint-Domingue. Their marriage certificate is preserved in the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. The wedding mass was performed by Father Antonio de Sedella, the Capuchin priest known as Pere Antoine. Jacques was part of a large White and Creoles of Color immigration of refugees to New Orleans in 1809, after the Haitian Revolution of 1791–1804. They had two daughters, Felicite in 1817 and Angele in 1820. Both disappear from records in the 1820s. Jacques Santiago Paris worked as a carpenter. The death of Jacques Paris was recorded in 1820.


title: Marie Laveau

text: Following the reported death of her husband Jacques Paris, she entered a domestic partnership with Christophe Dominick Duminy de Glapion, a nobleman of French descent, with whom she lived until his death in 1855. They were reported to have had 15 children (it is unclear if that includes children "and grandchildren"). They had seven children according to birth and baptismal records: François-Auguste Glapion, Marie-Louise "Caroline" Glapion, Marie-Angelie Paris, Celestin Albert Glapion, Arcange Glapion, Felicite Paris, Marie-Philomene Glapion, and Marie-Heloise Eucharist Glapion. The only two children to survive into adulthood were daughters: the elder named Marie Eucharist Eloise Laveau (1827–1862) and the younger named Marie Philomene Glapion (1836–1897).


title: Marie Laveau

text: During her life Marie Laveau was known to have attended to prisoners who were sentenced to death. Rumors circulated that some prisoners would receive poisons or other substances before going to the gallows, but this was never proven. A reporter from the "New Orleans Republican" detailed one such visit in an article published on May 14, 1871, in which he describes Marie Laveau as a “devout and acceptable member of the Catholic communion." Following her death, her daughter Philomène confirmed during an interview with a reporter from the "Picayune" that only Catholic traditions would take place during these visits, and that her mother would also prepare the men's last meal and pray with them. Marie Laveau also sought pardons or commutations of sentences for those she favored and was often successful in her efforts.


title: Marie Laveau

text: She was known to care for the sick in her community during the yellow fever epidemic of 1878 by providing herbal remedies and prayers for the afflicted. Her other community activities included visiting prisoners, providing lessons to the women of the community, and doing rituals for those in need without charge.


title: Marie Laveau

text: Marie Laveau was a dedicated practitioner of Voodoo, healer, herbalist, and entrepreneur. Laveau was also known as a prominent female religious leader and community activist.


title: Marie Laveau

text: Laveau started a beauty parlor where she was a hair-dresser for the wealthier families of New Orleans. She excelled at obtaining inside information on her wealthy patrons at the beauty parlor by listening to ladies gossiping, or from their servants whom she either paid or cured of mysterious ailments. She used this information during her Voodoo consultations with wealthy Orleanian women to enhance her image as a clairvoyant; and used this intel to give them practical advice. She also made money by selling her clients gris gris as charms to help their wishes come true.


title: Marie Laveau

text: In her role as a Voodoo practitioner, customers often appealed to Laveau for help with family disputes, health, finances, and more. Laveau performed her services in three main places: her own home on St. Ann Street, within Go Square, and at Lake Pontchartrain. She was the third female leader of Voodoo in New Orleans (the first was Sanité Dédé, who ruled for a few years before being usurped by Marie Salopé). Marie Laveau maintained her authority throughout her leadership, although there was an attempt to challenge her in 1850. Due to her strong influence, New Orleans Voodoo lost a large number of adherents after her death. Her daughter, Marie Laveau II displayed more theatrical rubrics by holding public events (including inviting attendees to St. John's Eve rituals on Bayou St. John).


title: Marie Laveau

text: Of Laveau's magical career, there is little that can be substantiated, including whether or not she had a snake she named Zombi after an African god, whether the occult part of her magic mixed Roman Catholic saints with African spirits, and Native American Spiritualism.


title: Marie Laveau

text: Marie Catherine Laveau Paris Glapion died on June 15, 1881, aged 79. The different spellings of her surname result from many different women with the same name in New Orleans at the time, and her age at death from conflicting accounts of her birth date.


title: Marie Laveau

text: On June 17, 1881, it was announced in the "Daily Picayune" that Marie Laveau had died peacefully in her home. According to the Louisiana Writer's Project, her funeral was lavish and attended by a diverse audience including members of the white elite. Oral tradition states that she was seen by some people in town after her supposed demise. News of her death was featured in a number of newspapers, including the ""Staunton Spectator"" in Virginia, the ""Omaha Daily Bee"" in Nebraska, as well as several newspapers published in Minnesota.


title: Marie Laveau

text: At least two of her daughters were named Marie, following the French Catholic tradition to have the first names of daughters be Marie, and boys Joseph, then each use middle name as the common name. One of her daughters named Marie possibly assumed her position, with her name, and carried on her magical practice, taking over as the queen soon before or after the first Marie's death.


title: Marie Laveau

text: Laveau's name and her history have been surrounded by legend and lore. She is generally believed to have been buried in plot 347, the Glapion family crypt in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans, but this has been disputed by Robert Tallant, a journalist who used her as a character in historical novels. Tourists continue to visit and some draw X marks in accordance with a decades-old tradition that if people wanted Laveau to grant them a wish, they had to draw an X on the tomb, turn around three times, knock on the tomb, yell out their wish, and if it was granted, come back, circle their X, and leave Laveau an offering.


title: Marie Laveau

text: In 1982, New Jersey-based punk rock group The Misfits were arrested and accused of attempting to exhume Laveau from her grave after a local concert. The arrest took place in nearby Cemetery No. 2 and there are conflicting accounts of the incident.


title: Marie Laveau

text: The tomb in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1 was vandalized by an unknown person on December 17, 2013, by being painted over with pink latex paint. The paint was removed because the structure is made of old plaster and the latex paint would seal in the moisture that would destroy the plaster. Some historical preservation experts criticized officials of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, who maintain the cemetery, for their decision to use pressure washing rather than paint stripper to remove it.


title: Marie Laveau

text: As of March 1, 2015, there is no longer public access to St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Entry with a tour guide is required because of continued vandalism and the destruction of tombs. This change was made by the Archdiocese of New Orleans to protect the tombs of the Laveau family as well as those of the many other dead interred there.


title: Marie Laveau

text: Although some references to Marie Laveau in popular culture refer to her as a "witch," she has also been called a "Voudou Priestess", and she is frequently described as a 'Voodoo queen'. At the time of her death, "The New York Times", "The New Orleans Daily Picayune", the "Daily States" and other news sources describe her as "woman of great beauty, intellect, and charisma who was also pious, charitable, and a skilled herbal healer."


title: Marie Laveau

text: Some followers of Louisiana Voodoo pray to Laveau as if she were an Lwa spirit, asking her for favors and channeling her via spirit possession, though not all Louisiana Voodoo believers do this. Some leave offerings of hair ties by the plaque at her former home at 1020 St. Ann Street, gifts which honor her fame as a hairdresser.


title: Marie Laveau

text: Due to her prominence within the history of Voodoo in New Orleans, Laveau has inspired a number of artistic renditions. In visual art, the African American artist Renee Stout often uses Laveau as a visual motif.


title: Marie Laveau

text: Numerous songs about Marie Laveau have been recorded, including "Marie La Veau" by Papa Celestin; "Marie Laveau" written by Shel Silverstein and Baxter Taylor and recorded by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show (1972), and Bobby Bare (1974); "The Witch Queen of New Orleans" (1971) by Redbone; "Dixie Drug Store" by Grant Lee Buffalo; "X Marks the Spot (Marie Laveau)" by Joe Sample; "Marie Laveau" by Dr. John; "Marie Laveau" (2013) by Tao Of Sound; "Voodoo Queen Marie" to the minstrel tune "Colored Aristocracy" by The Holy Modal Rounders; "The Witch Queen of New Orleans" by Total Toly; and "The Widow Paris" by The Get Up Kids; "Marie Laveau" by the Danish metal band Volbeat.


title: Marie Laveau

text: Laveau is mentioned in the songs "I Will Play for Gumbo" (1999) by Jimmy Buffett, "Clare" by Fairground Attraction, and "Rabbits Foot" by Turbowolf. Two of Laveau's nephews, banjo player Raymond Glapion and bassist Alcide "Slow Drag" Pavageau, became prominent New Orleans jazz musicians. The Los Angeles blues band Canned Heat featured a five-minute instrumental called "Marie Laveau" on their second album Boogie With Canned Heat (1968), written by and featuring their lead guitarist Henry Vestine.


title: Marie Laveau

text: Laveau has offered inspiration for a number of fictional characters as well. She is the protagonist of such novels as Robert Tallant's "The Voodoo Queen" (1956); Francine Prose's eponymous "Marie Laveau" (1977); and Jewell Parker Rhodes' "Voodoo Dreams: A Novel of Marie Laveau" (1993). Laveau appears as a supporting character in the Night Huntress novels by Jeaniene Frost as a powerful ghoul still living in New Orleans in the 21st century. She also appears as a background character in Barbara Hambly's Benjamin January mystery series, set in New Orleans. Marie Laveau appears in Neil Gaiman's novel "American Gods", under her married name, Marie Paris. Marie Laveau's tomb is the site of a secret, fictional underground Voodoo workshop in the Caster Chronicles novel "Beautiful Chaos" by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Laveau's gravesite is the setting of a pivotal scene in Robert J. Randisi's short story, "Cold As The Gun," from "Foreshadows The Ghosts of Zero". The mother of Hazel Levesque, one of the characters from Rick Riordan's "The Heroes of Olympus" book series, was known as "Queen Marie," a famous fortune-teller who lived in New Orleans. In Charlaine Harris's "True Blood" (Sookie Stackhouse novels) book series, the character Hadley is lured to her death at the site of Marie Laveau's tomb.


title: Marie Laveau

text: A character named Marie Laveau, based loosely on the real Marie Laveau appears in Marvel Comics. She first appeared in ""Dracula Lives" #2" in 1973. She is depicted as a powerful sorceress and Voodoo priestess with great magical powers and knowledge of arcane lore, including the creation of a potion made from vampire's blood that keeps her eternally youthful and beautiful. A character named Marie Laveau also appears in the Italian comic book "Zagor".


title: Marie Laveau

text: In television, a heavily fictionalized Marie Laveau (portrayed by Angela Bassett) appears as a character in "" and "".


title: Marie Laveau

text: She appears in the Canadian television series "Lost Girl" (portrayed by Marci T. House) in episode 11 of season 4, "Young Sheldon" (portrayed by Sharon Ferguson) in episode 7 of season 1, and "Legends of Tomorrow" (portrayed by Joyce Guy) in episode 7 of season 4.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: A commander-in-chief or supreme commander is the person who exercises supreme command and control over an armed force or a military branch. As a technical term, it refers to military competencies that reside in a country's executive leadership, a head of state or a head of government.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The formal role and title of a ruler commanding the armed forces derives from "Imperator" of the Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic and Roman Empire, who possessed "imperium" (command and other regal) powers.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In English use, the term first applied to King Charles I of England in 1639. It continued to be used during the English Civil War. A nation's head of state (monarchical or republican) usually holds the position of commander-in-chief, even if effective executive power is held by a separate head of government. In a parliamentary system, the executive branch is ultimately dependent upon the will of the legislature; although the legislature does not issue orders directly to the armed forces and therefore does not control the military in any operational sense. Governors-general and colonial governors are also often appointed commander-in-chief of the military forces within their territory.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: A commander-in-chief is sometimes referred to as "supreme commander", which is sometimes used as a specific term. The term is also used for military officers who hold such power and authority, not always through dictatorship, and as a subordinate (usually) to a head of state (see Generalissimo). The term is also used for officers who hold authority over an individual military branch, special branch or within a theatre of operations.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: According to the Constitution of Albania, the president of the Republic of Albania is the commander-in-chief of Albanian Armed Forces.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Under part II, chapter III, article 99, subsections 12, 13, 14 and 15, the Constitution of Argentina states that the president of the Argentine Nation is the "Commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the Nation". It also states that the president is entitled to provide military posts in the granting of the jobs or grades of senior officers of the armed forces, and by itself on the battlefield; runs with its organization and distribution according to needs of the Nation and declares war and orders reprisals with the consent and approval of the Argentine National Congress.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The Ministry of Defense is the government department that assists and serves the president in the management of the armed forces (Army, Navy and Air Force).


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Under chapter II of section 68 titled "Command of the naval and military forces", the Constitution of Australia states that:


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In practice, however, the Governor-General does not play an active part in the Australian Defence Force's command structure, and the democratically accountable Australian Cabinet (chaired by the Prime Minister) "de facto" controls the ADF. The Minister for Defence and several subordinate ministers exercise this control through the Australian Defence Organisation. Section 8 of the Defence Act 1903 states:


title: Commander-in-chief

text: According to the Constitution of Barbados, the president of Barbados is the commander-in-chief of Barbados Defense Force. Between 15 August 1979 and 30 November 1966, prior to the transition to a republican system, the monarch of Barbados, Queen Elizabeth II, was head of the Defense Force, with the Governor-General of Barbados as her viceroy. The president adopted these powers.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The commander-in-chief of Bangladesh Armed Forces is the president, although executive power and responsibility for national defense resides with the prime minister. This is discharged through the Ministry of Defence, headed by the minister of defence, which provides the policy framework and resources to the Armed Forces to discharge their responsibilities in the context of the defence of the country.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The only exception was the first commander-in-chief, General M. A. G. Osmani, during Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, who was commander of all Bangladesh Forces, reinstated to active duty by official BD government order, which after independence was gazetted in 1972. He retired on 7 April 1972 and relinquished all authority and duties to the president of Bangladesh.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The president of Belarus is the Commander-in-Chief of the Belarusian Armed Forces (). The Belarusian commander in chief has an official uniform befitting of the rank, which the president wears on official occasion and ceremonies in relation to the military. The role of commander in chief is laid out in Article 28 of the Constitution of Belarus, which states that he/she has the authority to "appoint and dismiss the high command of the Armed Forces".


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Article 167 of the Constitution of Belgium designates the king as the commander-in-chief. In practice, the Chief of Defence is the head and commander of the Belgian Armed Forces. He reports directly to the Minister of Defence and is responsible for advising the Minister, for the implementation of defence policy and for the administration of the department.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: According to the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the collective Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In peace, the commander-in-chief exercises his command through the minister of defence. In war and in cases where the minister of defence is not fulfilling orders, the commander-in-chief exercises his command directly through the Chief of Joint Staff.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Article 142 of the Brazilian Constitution of 1988 states that the Brazilian Armed Forces is under the supreme command of the president of the Republic.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The powers of command-in-chief over the Canadian Armed Forces are vested in the Canadian monarch, and are delegated to the governor general of Canada, who also uses the title "Commander-in-Chief". In this capacity, the Governor General is entitled to the uniform of a general/flag officer, with the crest of the office and special cuff braid serving as rank insignia.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: By constitutional convention, the Crown's prerogative powers over the armed forces and constitutional powers as commander-in-chief are exercised on the advice of the prime minister and the rest of Cabinet, the governing ministry that commands the confidence of the House of Commons. According to the National Defence Act, the Minister of National Defence is responsible and accountable to the Parliament of Canada for all matters related to national defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. In theory, the governor general could use his or her powers as commander-in-chief to stop any attempts to use the Canadian Forces unconstitutionally, though this has never occurred and would likely be highly controversial.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: According to the Croatian constitution, the president of Croatia is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia. In peace, the commander-in-chief exercises his command through the minister of defence. In war and in cases where the minister of defence is not fulfilling orders, the commander-in-chief exercises his command directly through the chief of General Staff.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: According to the 1992 constitution, the president of the Czech Republic is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces according to Article 63(1)(c), and appoints and promotes generals under Article 63(1)(f). The president needs the countersignature of the prime minister for decisions concerning the above-mentioned provisions as per Articles 63(3-4), or otherwise, they are not valid. The prime minister may delegate to other ministers the right to countersign these decisions of the president. The political responsibility for the Armed Forces is borne by the Government, which in Article 67 is defined as the "supreme body of executive power". According to Articles 39 & 43, the Parliament must give consent to the dispatch of Czech military forces outside the territory of the Czech Republic.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The Ministry of Defence is the central authority of the state administration for the control of the Armed Forces. The actual day-to-day management is vested in the chief of the general staff, the Czech chief of defence equivalent.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The position of the Danish monarch as the head of the military is deeply rooted in tradition. While the 1953 constitution does not explicitly designate the monarch as commander-in-chief; it is implicit, given the general provision in article 12 and the more specific wording of article 19 (2): "Except for purposes of defence against an armed attack upon the Realm or Danish forces, the King shall not use military force against any foreign state without the consent of the Folketing. Any measure which the King may take in pursuance of this provision shall forthwith be submitted to the Folketing".


title: Commander-in-chief

text: However, when reading the Danish Constitution, it is important to bear in mind that the k"ing" in this context is understood by Danish jurists to be read as the "government" (consisting of the prime minister and other ministers). This is a logical consequence of articles 12, 13 and 14, all of which in essence stipulates that the powers vested in the monarch can only be exercised through ministers, who are responsible for all acts. Thus, the Government, in effect, holds the supreme command authority implied in articles 12 and 19(2).


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The Danish Defence Law () designates in article 9 the minister of defence as the supreme authority in Defence (). Under the minister is the chief of defence, the senior-ranking professional military officer heading the Defence Command, who commands the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and other units not reporting directly to the Ministry of Defence.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: According to the Constitution, Article 128, Section II, Title IV, the president is the head of foreign policy, the civil administration and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the National Police and all other state's security agencies.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In Egypt, the president of the Republic holds the ceremonial title of Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. A member of the government, usually defence minister, is commander-in-chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces. The president is the only individual capable of declaring war. With the exception of Mohamed Morsi, who briefly served as president from 2012 to 2013, all Egyptian presidents have been former military officers. During the Yom Kippur War, the president played a major role at all levels of the planning of the war, and was, in a literal sense, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, giving direct orders to the commanders from the headquarters during the war as field marshal of the army, marshal of the air force and air defence forces and admiral of the navy. Anwar Sadat often wore his military uniform, while president Hosni Mubarak had abandoned this tradition.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: According to the Finnish constitution, the president of Finland is the commander-in-chief of all Finnish military forces. In practice, the everyday command and control is in the hands of Chief of Defence and the commander of the Finnish Border Guard. The economic administration of the Finnish Defence Force is the responsibility of Ministry of Defence. The duty of the president is to decide upon


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Since the constitutional reform of 2000, the minister of defence has the right to be present when the president uses his command powers, unless the matter is of immediate concern. In questions of strategic importance, the prime minister has the same right.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The president commissions and promotes officers and decides on activating reservists for extraordinary service and on the mobilisation of the Defence Forces. If Parliament is not in session when a decision to mobilise is taken, it must be immediately convened. Declarations of a state of emergency (, literally, "state of preparedness") and state of war (, lit. "state of defence") are declared by a presidential decree, given after a motion by the government, which is then submitted to the Parliament for ratification.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The president has, in a state of emergency, the right to transfer the position of the commander-in-chief to another Finnish citizen.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In France, the President of the Republic is designated as ""Chef des Armées"" (literally "Chief of the Armies") under article 15 of the Constitution; the officeholder is as such the supreme executive authority in military affairs. Article 16 provides the President with extensive emergency powers.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: However, owing to the nature of the semi-presidential system, the Prime Minister also has key constitutional powers under article 21: "He shall be responsible for national defence" and has "power to make regulations and shall make appointments to civil and military posts".


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Since the reign of Louis XIV, France has been strongly centralised. After crushing local nobles engaged in warlord-ism, the kings of France retained all authority with the help of able yet discreet Prime ministers (Mazarin, Richelieu).


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The French Revolution transferred the supreme authority to the King (in the context of the short-lived constitutional monarchy), then to the multi-member "Comité de Salut Public" during the "Convention", as well as later to the "Directoire", before being regained in the hands of Consul Napoléon Bonaparte, later Emperor Napoléon I, alone.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The "Restoration" restored the authority of the King, first in an absolute monarchy, then the constitutional July Monarchy of Louis Philippe, before it was overthrown in turn by the Second Republic and later the Second Empire of Napoleon III.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The following Third Republic was a parliamentary system, where the military authority was held by the President of the Council of Ministers, head of government, although the President, head of state, retained ceremonial powers. During World War I, the many visits to the trenches by the elder statesman Georges Clemenceau impressed the soldiers and earned him the nickname "Father of Victory" ().


title: Commander-in-chief

text: During World War II, "Maréchal" Philippe Pétain assumed power and held the supreme authority in Vichy France, while Général Charles de Gaulle, acting on behalf of the previous regime, founded the Free French Forces, upon which he held supreme authority all through the war.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The following and short-lived Fourth Republic was a parliamentary system, which was replaced by the present Fifth Republic, a semi-presidential system.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: According to the Constitution of Ghana, the president of Ghana is the commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces. He holds the rank of Field Marshal.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: According to the Guyanese constitution, the president is commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. There is a rank insignia for the position.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The Commander in Chief of the Indian Armed Forces is the principal commanding authority of the Indian Armed Forces, a position that is vested in the head of state, the president of the Republic, in accordance to Article 53 of the Constitution of India.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The president exercises supreme command with accordance to the law. As commander in chief, the president has the power to declare war however they must subject to the approval of the Parliament of India. The commander in chief also appoints the chiefs of each branch of the armed forces as well as the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee with the advice of the Minister of Defence.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Whilst the constitution names the president as the "de jure" commander in chief, executive command authority is exercised "de facto" by the prime minister and their Union Council of Ministers.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: On 15 August 1947, each service was placed under its own commander-in-chief. In 1955, the three service chiefs were re-designated as the chief of the Army staff (rank of general), the chief of the naval staff (rank of vice admiral) and the chief of the air staff (rank of Air marshal) with the president as the supreme commander. The chief of the air staff was raised to the rank of air chief marshal in 1965 and the chief of the naval staff raised to the rank of admiral in 1968. Starting from 1 January 2020, all the three chiefs of staff report to the newly formed chief of defence staff.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: According to article 10 of the Constitution of Indonesia, the president of Indonesia holds the supreme command of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. Day-to-day operations of the Armed Forces is handled by the Commander of the Armed Forces (), a 4-star officer whom can be a general (Army/Marine), an admiral (Navy), or an air chief marshal (Air Force). The commander of the Armed Forces is appointed by the president from active chiefs of staff (Army, Navy, or Air Force) and must get approval from the House of Representatives. The chief of staff is also appointed by the president from senior military officers. The president as commander-in-chief also has authority in senior military officer mutation and promotion in tour of duty. The minister of defense has responsibility to assist the president in defense issues and create policies about authorization use of military force, manage defense budget, etc. According to article 11 of the Constitution, For authorization use of military forces or declaration of war, the president must get approval from House of Representatives. The Commander of the Armed Forces gives recommendations to the minister of defense in creating national defense policies.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Before 1979, the Shah was the commander-in-chief in Iran. After the inception of the Islamic Republic, the president of Iran was initially appointed that task, with Abolhassan Bani Sadr being the first commander-in-chief. However, Abolhassan Bani Sadr was impeached on 22 June 1981. It was after this event that the role of commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran was given to the Supreme Leader of Iran.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The supreme commander of the Defence Forces is the president of Ireland, but in practice the minister for defence acts on the president's behalf and reports to the Government of Ireland. The minister for defence is advised by the Council of Defence on the business of the Department of Defence. The Defence Forces are organised under the chief of staff, a three star officer, and are organised into three service branches, the Army, Naval Service, and Air Corps.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: "is the commander of the armed forces and chairman of the supreme defense council constituted by law, although effective executive power and responsibility for national defence resides with the government headed by the Prime Minister; the President declares war according to the decision of the parliament".


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Chapter 131 of the Constitution of Kenya identifies the president as the commander-in-chief of the Kenya Defence Forces and the chairperson of the National Security Council. The president appoints a chief of general staff, known as the "Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces", who acts as the principal military adviser to the president and the National Security Council. The Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces is drawn from one of the branches of the Armed Forces, the Kenya Army, the Kenya Navy or the Kenya Air Force.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In accordance with Article 42 of the Constitution of Latvia, the president of Latvia is Commander-in-Chief of the Latvian National Armed Forces. The president may appoint a chief military commander in times of war.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In accordance with Article 41 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces and holds the rank of Field Marshal. As such, he is the highest-ranking officer in the military establishment, with the power to appoint the Chief of Staff (on the advice of the Armed Forces Council). He also appoints the service heads of each of the three branches of the military.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The Federal Constitution establishes that the office of Supreme Commander is attached to the person of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as the Federation's head of state:


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The Federal Parliament passed the Federal Armed Forces Act to consolidate in one law all regulations that govern the three services ( Army, Navy, and Air Force ). It establishes the function and duties of the Federal Head of State in the capacity as Supreme Commander.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In the Republic of Mauritius, the president of the Republic is the commander-in-chief, according to Article 28 of the Constitution.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: After independence in 1968, Mauritius continued to recognise the queen of Mauritius, as represented by the governor-general of Mauritius, as commander-in-chief. After the country was proclaimed a Commonwealth Republic in 1992, the new constitution stipulated that a president would assume the position of the head of state and commander-in-chief.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Section VI of Article 89 of the Constitution states that the President of the United Mexican States shall "Preserve national security, in accordance with the respective law, and dispose of the full permanent Armed Force, that is to say the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, for the interior security and exterior defense of the Federation".


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Both the Organic Law of the Mexican Army and Air Force and the Organic Law of the Mexican Navy clearly state the President of the Republic is "Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces". The President is "ex officio" the only five-star general of Mexico.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The Constitution also grants the President freedom to appoint and remove the Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of National Defense.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The governor-general of New Zealand serves as the commander-in-chief of New Zealand, and is constitutionally the supreme authority in defence matters in New Zealand. In practice however, the position of commander-in-chief is ceremonial, with the governor-general primarily serving as a "patron of the New Zealand Defence Force". The governor-general exercises their authority as commander-in-chief on the advice of the minister of defence or other ministers of the New Zealand Government.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Clause I of the Letter Patents 1983 formally named the office as "Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief", although the document does not further enumerate on their role as "commander-in-chief". The governor-general's is also the statutory commander in chief of the New Zealand Defence Force through the "Defence Act 1990". Sections five and six of the "Defence Act 1990" outlines the governor-general's authority to raise and maintain armed forces.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In accordance with the Nigerian Constitution, the president of Nigeria is the commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. He also holds the rank of Field Marshal, even though no active personnel have been promoted to this rank.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Harald V, King of Norway, officially retains executive power. Article 25 of the constitution states: "The King is commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the realm"


title: Commander-in-chief

text: However, following the introduction of a parliamentary system of government, the duties of the Monarch have since become strictly representative and ceremonial, such as the formal appointment and dismissal of the prime minister and other ministers in the executive government. Accordingly, the Monarch is commander-in-chief of the Norwegian Armed Forces, and serves as chief diplomatic official abroad and as a symbol of unity.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In Pakistan, before the 1973 Constitution, the head of the army, i.e., the Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army, was referred as "Commander-in-Chief". The head of army term was replaced to "Chief of Staff" on 20 March 1972 during military reforms The chief of staff is a four-star officer whose term is 3 years, but can be extended or renewed once. After 1973 constitution The chief of Army/Air/Naval staff is chosen by the Prime Minister of Pakistan and appointed by the President of Pakistan as commander in chief of Pakistan Armed Forces.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The president of the Philippines is both head of state and head of government, and is mandated by Article VII, Section 18 of the 1987 Constitution to be commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In Poland, the President is Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Armed Forces. However, the art. 134 ust. 4 of the constitution states:


title: Commander-in-chief

text: During the interbellum period, the General Inspector of the Armed Forces was appointed the commander-in-chief for the time of war (Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces). However, after the war this function ceased to exist—thus it is likely that if Poland formally participates in a war, Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces will be appointed Supreme Commander.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The president of the Portuguese Republic is the constitutional Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces (in Portuguese: "Comandante Supremo das Forças Armadas"). However, the operational command is delegated in the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In the Portuguese military parlance, the term "Commander-in-Chief" (in Portuguese: "comandante-em-chefe" or simply "comandante-chefe") refers to the unified military commander of all the land, naval and air forces in a theater of operations.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: According to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, (Chapter 4, Article 87, Section 1) the president is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The president approves the military doctrine and appoints the defense minister and the chief and other members of the general staff.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The Russian Armed Forces is divided into three services: the Russian Ground Forces, the Russian Navy, and the Russian Aerospace Forces. In addition there are two independent "arms of service": Strategic Missile Troops, and the Russian Airborne Forces. The Air Defence Troops, the former Soviet Air Defence Forces, have been subordinated into the Air Force since 1998.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: According to the Constitution of Rwanda, The president of Rwanda is the commander-in-chief of Rwanda Defence Forces.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Article 60 of the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia states: "The King is the commander-in-chief of all the Military Forces. He appoints officers and puts an end to their duties in accordance with the law."


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Article 61 further states: "The King declares a state of emergency, general mobilization and war, and the law defines the rules for this."


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Lastly, Article 62 states: "If there is a danger threatening the safety of the Kingdom or its territorial integrity, or the security of its people and its interests, or which impedes the functioning of the state institutions, the King may take urgent measures in order to deal with this danger And if the King considers that these measures should continue, he may then implement the necessary regulations to this end."


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In accordance with the law, the president of Serbia is the commander-in-chief of Armed Forces and in command of the military. He appoints, promotes and recalls officers of the Army of Serbia.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In Slovenia, the commander-in-chief is formally the president of Slovenia, although he or she does not exercise this position in peacetime. Instead, this role is usually assumed by the minister of defence.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Chapter 11, section 202(1) of the Constitution of South Africa states that the president of South Africa is the commander-in-chief of the South African National Defence Force. The constitution places conditions on when and how that power may be employed and requires regular reports to the Parliament of South Africa.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, the Commander-in-Chief and the Supreme Authority on all military matters is the President of South Korea.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: As with most remaining European monarchies, the position of the Spanish monarch as the nominal head of the armed forces is deeply rooted in traditions going centuries back.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The king regularly chairs sessions of the National Security Council, the Joint Chiefs of staff and the individual general staffs of each branch of the Armed Forces in his capacity as supreme commander.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: All promotions to military rank and positions in the high command of the armed forces are made by Royal decree signed by the king and the minister of defense


title: Commander-in-chief

text: However, article 64 require that all official acts of the King must be countersigned, by the President of the Government or other competent minister, for them to become valid. This counter/signature is used to limit a possible abuse of power by any single individual.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: This constitutional provision can and has been made the subject of an exception in crisis situations.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In 1981 the king as supreme commander of the armed forces assumed direct command in order to put down a military coup attempt. All members of the government were at that time trapped/held hostage in Parliament and were unable to counter sign the kings orders. This did not however result in those orders being ruled unenforceable or unconstitutional. The coup collapsed after the king ordered all army units to leave the streets and return to their barracks. Furthermore, article 97 stipulates that;


title: Commander-in-chief

text: No provision in the constitution requires the king/government to seek approval from the Cortes Generales before sending the armed forces abroad.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Since 1984, the chief of the defence staff is the professional head of the armed forces and, under the authority of the minister of defence, is responsible for military operations and military organisation.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: As head of state, the president of Sri Lanka, is nominally the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The National Security Council, chaired by the president is the authority charged with formulating and executing defence policy for the nation. The highest level of military headquarters is the Ministry of Defence, since 1978 except for a few rare occasions the president retained the portfolio defence, thus being the minister of defence. The ministry and the armed forces have been controlled by the during these periods by either a minister of state, deputy minister for defence, and of recently the permanent secretary to the Ministry of Defence. Prior to 1978 the prime minister held the portfolio of minister of defence and external affairs, and was supported by a parliamentary secretary for defence and external affairs.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Responsibility for the management of the forces is Ministry of Defence, while the planning and execution of combined operations is the responsibility of the Joint Operations Command (JOC). The JOC is headed by the chief of the defence staff who is the most senior officer in the Armed Forces and is an appointment that can be held by an air chief marshal, admiral, or general. The three services have their own respective professional chiefs: the commander of the Army, the commander of the Navy and the commander of the Air Force, who have much autonomy.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In Suriname, the constitution gives the president "supreme authority over the armed forces and all of its members".


title: Commander-in-chief

text: As stipulated in the Constitution of the Republic of China, the president is also the commander-in-chief of the ROC Armed Forces (including the Military Police), the Special Forces, and the National Space Organization.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The "Head of the Thai Armed Forces" (; ) is a position vested in the Thai monarch, who as sovereign and head of state is the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Armed Forces.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The President of Turkey has the constitutional right to represent the Supreme Military Command of the Turkish Armed Forces, on behalf of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, and to decide on the mobilization of the Turkish Armed Forces, to appoint the chief of the general staff, to call the National Security Council to meet, to preside over the National Security Council, to proclaim martial law or state of emergency, and to issue decrees having the force of law, upon a decision of the Council of Ministers meeting under his/her chairmanship. With all these issues above written in the Constitution of Turkey, the executive rights are given to the president of the Republic of Turkey to be represented as the commander-in-chief of the nation.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: While the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is the highest-ranking military officer (i.e. the chief of defence), the President of Ukraine is the constitutional .


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The British monarch is the "Head of the British Armed Forces" and has also been described as "Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces". The prime minister (acting with the support of the Cabinet) makes the key decisions on the "use" of the armed forces. The King, however, remains the "ultimate authority" of the military, with officers and personnel swearing allegiance only to the monarch.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The term is also used for the military commander-in-chief of a "command" (a region of military authority, sometimes combined with the civil office of Governor of a colony (now called a British Overseas Territory)), and for the naval commander-in-chief of a "station" of the Royal Navy, such as the North America and West Indies Station.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: According to Article II, Section 2, Clause I of the Constitution, the president of the United States is “Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States.”


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Since the National Security Act of 1947, this has been understood to mean all United States Armed Forces.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: U.S. ranks have their roots in British military traditions, with the president possessing ultimate authority, but no rank, maintaining a civilian status.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The exact degree of authority that the Constitution grants to the president as commander-in-chief has been the subject of much debate throughout history, with Congress at various times granting the president wide authority and at others attempting to restrict that authority.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In U.S. states, the governor also serves as the commander-in-chief of the National Guard, State Militia, and State Defense Forces. In the Commonwealth of Kentucky, for example, KRS 37.180 states:


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The Uzbek president holds the constitutional position of Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Uzbekistan, according to the Constitution of Uzbekistan. In this capacity, the president give decisions on declaring war or martial law, the appointment of senior officials, and the development of the armed forces. In the event of an attack on the republic, the president announce a state of war and will submit within 72 hours a resolution for a plan of action to the Oliy Majlis. When the country is in a wartime situation, the minister of defense will serve in an official capacity as the deputy supreme commander-in-chief of the armed forces, essentially assisting the president in his day-to-day activities and decisions regarding national security.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: According to the Venezuelan constitution, the president is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The office of the Venezuelan military supreme commander in chief has always been held by the president of Venezuela as per constitutional requirements. However, with a new law sanctioned in 2008, the "comandante en jefe" rank is not only a function attributed to the executive branch but a full military rank given to the president upon taking office. Upon assumption he receives a saber, epaulette, shoulder knot, shoulder board and sleeve insignia and full military uniform to be used in military events while performing the duties as president. The shoulder insignia mirrors Cuban practice but is derived from the German-styled officer rank insignia.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The commander-in-chief of the armed forces is the president of Vietnam, through his post as chairman of National Defense and Security Council. Though this position is nominal and real power is assumed by the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam. The secretary of Central Military Commission (usually the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam) is the "de facto" commander.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The minister of Defence oversees operations of the Ministry of Defence, and the Vietnam People's Army. He also oversees such agencies as the General Staff and the General Logistics Department. However, military policy is ultimately directed by the Central Military Commission of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The prime minister of Armenia holds the title of Supreme Commander in Chief of the Armenian Armed Forces (). The hereditary title and rank of "Sparapet"' () was a used to describe the supreme commander of the military forces of ancient and medieval Armenia. Since its introduction in the 2nd century BC, it is often used today to describe famous and high-ranking military officials. Notable Armenians to have held the title include Garegin Nzhdeh, the supreme commander of the Republic of Mountainous Armenia. and Vazgen Sargsyan, the two-time defense minister of Armenia and prime minister in the 1990s.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Article 93 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China states the authority to direct the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China is vested with the Central Military Commission; composed of a Chairman, and numerous Vice-Chairmen and members. The same article also states that the Chairman of the Central Military Commission assumes overall responsibility for the work of the Central Military Commission, as Supreme Military Commander, and that it is responsible to the National People's Congress and the Standing Committee.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Furthermore, Article 80 gives the president of the People's Republic of China (in addition to ceremonial head of state duties) the power to proclaim martial law, proclaim a state of war, and to issue mobilisation orders upon the decision of National People's Congress and its Standing Committee.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The CMC Chairman and the president are distinctly separate state offices and they have not always been held by the same persons. However, beginning in 1993, during the tenure of Jiang Zemin as CMC Chairman and General Secretary of the Communist Party, it has been standard practice to have the president, the CMC chairman, and the CCP general secretary to be normally held by the same person; although the slight differences in the start and end of terms for those respective offices means that there is some overlap between an occupant and his predecessor.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: When Hong Kong was under British authority, the civilian governor was the "ex officio" commander-in-chief of the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong. After the territory's handover to the People's Republic of China in 1997, the commanders of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison are PLA personnel from mainland China and commanded by the CMC.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The 1995 Constitution designates the prime minister of Ethiopia as "Commander-in-Chief of the national armed forces" in Article 74(1).


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Upon the re-militarization of West Germany in 1955, when it joined NATO, the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany was amended in 1956 to include constitutional provisions for the command of the armed forces.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Placing the command authority over the armed forces directly with the responsible minister in charge of the military establishment breaks with the longstanding German constitutional tradition in both earlier monarchical and republican systems of placing it with the head of state. The rationale was that in a democratic parliamentary system the command authority should directly reside where it would be exercised and where it is subject to the parliamentary control of the Bundestag at all times. By assigning it directly to the responsible minister, instead of with the Federal Chancellor, this also meant that military affairs is but one of the many integrated responsibilities of the government; in stark contrast of earlier times when the separate division of the military establishment from the civil administration allowed the former to act as a state within a state (in contrast to the Federal Republic, the Weimar Republic began with the Ebert–Groener pact, which kept the military establishment as an autonomous force outside the control of politics; the 1925 election of Paul von Hindenburg as "Reichspräsident", surrounded by his camarilla and the machinations of Kurt von Schleicher, did little to reverse the trend).


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The legislature of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the "Volkskammer", enacted on 13 February 1960 the "Law on the Formation of the National Defense Council of the GDR", which established a council consisting of a chairman and at least 12 members. This was later incorporated into the GDR Constitution in April 1968. The National Defense Council held the supreme command of the National People's Army (including the internal security forces), and the council's chairman (usually the General Secretary of the ruling Socialist Unity Party) was considered the GDR's commander-in-chief.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: During the Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, Weimar Republic and the Nazi era, whoever was the head of state—the king of Prussia/German emperor (under the Constitution of the Kingdom of Prussia/Constitution of the German Empire) to 1918, the Reichspräsident (under the Weimar Constitution) to 1934, and the Führer from 1934 to 1945—was the head of the Armed Forces (: literally "Possessor of highest command").


title: Commander-in-chief

text: According to Article 45 of the Greek Constitution, the president is the head of the Greek Armed Forces, but their administration is exercised by the government. The prime minister, the minister for national defence and the chief of the general staff are the ones who command the Armed Forces.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In Israel, the applicable basic law states that the ultimate authority over the Israel Defense Forces rests with the Government of Israel (chaired by the prime minister) as a collective body. The authority of the government is exercised by the minister of defense on behalf of the Government. However, the commander-in-chief of the IDF is the chief of general staff who, despite being subordinate to the minister of defense, holds the highest level of command within the military.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In Japan, prior to the Meiji Restoration the role of the commander-in-chief was vested in the "shōgun" (the most militarily powerful samurai "daimyō"). After the dissolution of the Tokugawa shogunate the role of the commander-in-chief, resided with the emperor of Japan. The present-day constitutional role of the emperor is that of a ceremonial figurehead (Japanese Constitution calls it symbol) without any military role.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: After Japan's move towards democracy, the position of commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Forces is held by the prime minister of Japan. Military authority runs from the prime minister to the cabinet-level minister of defense of the Japanese Ministry of Defense.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The Malta Armed Forces Act does not directly establish the president of Malta as the supreme commander of the Armed Forces. However, Maltese law allows the president to raise by voluntary enlistment and maintain an armed force. Likewise, the law allows the president to issue orders in order to the administrate the armed forces.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: It is important to note that the Armed Forces do not swear allegiance to the president of Malta but rather to the Republic of Malta. On this basis, there is no direct link between the head of state and the armed forces. For this reason, this link is mediated by the minister responsible for defence.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Nonetheless, the Presidential Palaces are guarded by the Armed Forces as a symbolic gesture of social cohesion.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In Myanmar, the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services (Tatmadaw) is the commanding officer national military, a position vested in a military officer, not the president. The commander-in-chief is, however, a member of the National Defence and Security Council and reports to the president. The commander-in-chief is assisted in his/her role by the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The Constitution of the Netherlands states, in article 97, that ""the Government shall have supreme authority over the armed forces"". Article 42 defines the Government as the Monarch and the ministers, and that only ministers are responsible for acts of government. Article 45 further defines the ministers as constituting the Cabinet, chaired by the prime minister, with "authority to decide upon overall government policy".


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Before a constitution change took place in 1983, even though the equivalent section stated that: ""The King shall have supreme authority over the armed forces""; that did not give the monarch any autonomous command authority.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: The minister of defence has the primary ministerial responsibility for the armed forces, which are formally a part of the Ministry of Defence. The chief of defence is the highest ranked professional military officer, and serves as an intermediary between the minister of defence and the Armed Forces, and is responsible to the minister for military-strategic planning, operations and deployment of the Armed Forces.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: According to chapter 6, section 2 of the Constitution of North Korea, the President of the State Affairs Commission is the supreme leader of North Korea, as well as the head of state and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Starting in 2018, Kim Jong-un stopped issuing orders in the name of the Supreme Commander. Instead, he issues orders for the Korean People's Army in the name of the Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In Sweden, with the Ordinance of Alsnö in 1280, nobles were exempted from land taxation if they provided cavalrymen to the king's service. Following the Swedish War of Liberation (1521–53) from the Kalmar Union, a Guards Regiment was formed under the King and from there the modern Swedish Army has its roots. During the age of the Swedish Empire, several kings—Gustavus Adolphus, Charles X, Charles XI & Charles XII—personally led their forces into battle. Under the Instrument of Government of 1809, which was in force until the current Instrument of Government of 1974 went into force on 1 January 1975; the monarch was in §§ 14-15 explicitly designated as the commander-in-chief of the Swedish Armed Forces ().


title: Commander-in-chief

text: At present, the Government () as a collective body, chaired and formed by the prime minister of Sweden, holds the highest Executive Authority, subject to the will of the Riksdag; and is thus the present day closest equivalent of a command-in-chief, although not explicitly designated as such. The reason for this change was, apart from the fact that the king was since 1917 no longer expected to make political decisions without ministerial advice, that the new Instrument of Government was intended to be made as descriptive on the workings of the State as possible, and reflective on how decisions are actually made. Minister of Justice Lennart Geijer further remarked in the government bill that any continued pretensions of royal involvement in government decisions would be of a "fictitious nature" and "highly unsatisfactory".


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Certain government decisions regarding the Armed Forces () may be delegated to the minister for defence, under the supervision of the prime minister and to the extent laid down in ordinances.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: To add to some confusion to the above, the title of the agency head of the Swedish Armed Forces and highest ranked commissioned officer on active duty, is actually the supreme commander of the Swedish Armed Forces ().


title: Commander-in-chief

text: However, the Monarch (as of present King Carl XVI Gustaf), is still a four-star general and admiral "à la suite" in the Swedish Army, Navy and Air Force and is by unwritten convention regarded as the foremost representative of the Swedish Armed Forces. The king has, as part of his court, a military staff. The military staff is headed by a senior officer (usually a general or admiral, retired from active service) and is composed of active duty military officers serving as aides to the king and his family.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Supreme authority over the military belongs to the Federal Council, which is the Swiss collegial head of state. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, under the Constitution, the Federal Council can only, in the operational sense, command a maximum of 4,000 soldiers, with a time limit of three weeks of mobilisation. For it to field more service personnel, the Federal Assembly must elect a General who is given four stars. Thus, the General is elected by the Federal Assembly to give him the same democratic legitimacy as the Federal Council.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In peacetime, the Armed Forces are led by the Chief of the Armed Forces ("Chef der Armee"), who reports to the head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports and to the Federal Council as a whole. The Chief of the Armed Forces has the rank of "Korpskommandant" or "Commandant de corps" (OF-8 in NATO equivalence).


title: Commander-in-chief

text: In a time of declared war or national emergency, however, the Federal Assembly, assembled as the United Federal Assembly, specifically for the purpose of taking on the war-time responsibilities elect a General as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces under Article 168 of the Constitution. Whilst the General acts as the highest military authority with a high degree of autonomy, he is still subordinate to the Federal Council (See Articles 58, 60, 174, 177, 180 & 185). The Federal Assembly retains the sole power to dismiss the General, but the General remains subordinate to the Federal Council by the council's ability to demobilise, thereby making the position of General redundant.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Four generals were appointed in Swiss history, General Henri Dufour during the Swiss Civil War, General Hans Herzog during the Franco-Prussian War, General Ulrich Wille during the First World War, and General Henri Guisan during the Second World War (""la Mob"", "the Mobilisation"). Although Switzerland remained neutral during the latter three conflicts, the threat of having its territory used as a battlefield by the much bigger war parties of Germany and France required mobilization of the army.


title: Commander-in-chief

text: Within NATO and the European Union, the term Chief of Defence (CHOD) is usually used as a generic term for the highest-ranked office held by a professional military officer on active duty, irrespective of their actual title or powers.


title: Madonna (Madonna album)

text: Madonna (retitled Madonna: The First Album for the 1985 reissue) is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on July 27, 1983, by Sire Records. After having established herself as a singer in downtown New York City, Madonna was signed by Sire president Seymour Stein, due to the club success of her debut single, "Everybody" (1982). She became the sole writer for most of the album's tracks, and chose Reggie Lucas as its primary producer. Unhappy with Lucas's production outputs, she invited John "Jellybean" Benitez to complete the album; he remixed three tracks and produced "Holiday".


title: Madonna (Madonna album)

text: "Madonna" has an upbeat synthetic disco sound, using new technology of the time, including the Linn drum machine, Moog bass and Oberheim OB-X synthesizer. She sang in a bright, girlish timbre, with lyrics about love and relationships. To promote the album, Madonna performed one-off gigs in clubs and on television in the United States and United Kingdom throughout 1983 and 1984, followed by The Virgin Tour in 1985. Five singles were released, including the international top-ten hits "Holiday", "Lucky Star", and "Borderline". Their accompanying music videos were released on the "Madonna" video compilation, which became the best-selling videocassette of 1985 in the United States.


title: Madonna (Madonna album)

text: "Madonna" peaked at number eight on the "Billboard" 200, and was certified five-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of five million copies across the United States. It reached the top ten of the charts in Australia, France, Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, and sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics and was included in "The 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time" by "Rolling Stone" in 2013 and 2022 saying that "it succeed in introducing the most important female voice in the history of modern music". The album has been credited for setting the standard of dance-pop for decades afterward, and for pointing the direction for numerous female artists of the 1980s.


title: Madonna (Madonna album)

text: In 1979, Madonna was living in New York City and establishing her music career as a member of rock band the Breakfast Club with her boyfriend Dan Gilroy. In late 1980, she was joined by Stephen Bray, her boyfriend from Michigan, who became the drummer of the band. Shortly after, Madonna and Bray left the Breakfast Club and formed the band Emmy and the Emmys. The two began writing songs together and they recorded a four-song demo tape in November 1980, but soon after, Madonna decided to promote herself as a solo artist. In 1981, Madonna got signed by a music management company called Gotham Records. During that time, Madonna wrote and developed some songs on her own. She carried rough tapes of three of the songs, "Everybody", "Ain't No Big Deal" and "Burning Up". She frequented nightclubs such as Danceteria where she convinced DJ Mark Kamins to play "Everybody". The song was received positively by the crowd, and Kamins decided that he should get Madonna a record deal. Kamins, who also worked as an A&R man for Island Records, played her demo tape for the label's founder Chris Blackwell, but Blackwell refused to sign her so Kamins sent the tape to Sire Records. The President of Sire, Seymour Stein was impressed by her demo and met Madonna while he was admitted to Lenox Hill Hospital. She was ultimately signed for a deal for a total of three singles with an option for an album. Michael Rosenblatt, who worked in the A&R department of Sire, offered Madonna $15,000 in advance per single, plus a publishing deal for an advance of $2,500 for each song she wrote.


title: Madonna (Madonna album)

text: The 12" single for "Everybody" was produced by Mark Kamins at Blank Tapes Studios in New York, who took over the production work from Stephen Bray. The new recording ran 5:56 on one side and 9:23 for the dub version on the reverse side. Madonna and Kamins had to record the single at their own cost. Arthur Baker, a friend of Kamins, guided him through the role of a music producer and provided him with studio musician Fred Zarr who played keyboards on the track. Zarr became one of the common musical threads on the album by eventually performing on every track. Due to restrained budget the recording was done hurriedly. Madonna and Kamins had difficulty in understanding each other's inputs for the sessions. Rosenblatt wanted to release "Everybody" with "Ain't No Big Deal" on the other side, but later changed his mind and put "Everybody" on both sides of the vinyl record after hearing the recorded version of "Ain't No Big Deal". The single was commercially released in October 1982 and became a dance hit in the United States. Shortly after its release, Sire Records gave the green light to record an album.


title: Madonna (Madonna album)

text: The album was primarily recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in New York City. Madonna opted not to work with either Kamins or Bray, but chose Reggie Lucas, a Warner Bros. producer. Bray decided to push her in the musical direction of pop, and recorded the song "Burning Up" with her. However, Madonna still did not have enough material to generate a full album. The songs available were, "Lucky Star", a new version of "Ain't No Big Deal", "Think of Me" and "I Know It". She met with Lucas at the apartment of her boyfriend Jean-Michel Basquiat, and he brought another two songs to the project, "Physical Attraction" and "Borderline". As he recorded the tracks he deviated considerably from the original versions of the demos. One such altered song was "Lucky Star". The song was written by Madonna for Kamins, who previously promised to play the track at Danceteria. However, the track was instead used by Madonna for the album, which she planned to call "Lucky Star". She believed that "Lucky Star", along with "Borderline", were the perfect foundation for her album.


title: Madonna (Madonna album)

text: Problems arose between her and Lucas during the recording of the songs. Madonna was unhappy with the way the final versions turned out. According to Madonna, Lucas used too many instruments and did not consider her ideas for the songs. This led to a dispute between the two and, after finishing the album, Lucas left the project without tailoring the songs to Madonna's specifications; hence she called John "Jellybean" Benitez, a DJ at Funhouse disco, to remix the available tracks. In the meantime, due to a conflict of interest, Bray had sold "Ain't No Big Deal" to an act on another label, rendering it unavailable for Madonna's project. It was Benitez who discovered a new song, written by Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens of the pop group Pure Energy. The song, titled "Holiday", had been turned down by Phyllis Hyman and Mary Wilson, formerly of the Supremes. Benitez and Madonna sent the demo to their friend, Fred Zarr so he could embellish the arrangement and program the synthesizer lines. After vocals were recorded by Madonna, Benitez spent four days trying to enhance the commercial appeal of the track before the April 1983 deadline. Just before it was completed, Madonna and Benitez met Fred Zarr at Sigma Sound in Manhattan, where Zarr added the now familiar piano solo towards the end of the track.


title: Madonna (Madonna album)

text: According to AllMusic, "Madonna" is a dance-pop and post-disco album, while Sal Cinquemani of "Slant Magazine" stated that the album's sound is "post-disco, post-punk dance." The overall sound of the album is dissonant, and is in the form of upbeat synthetic disco, using some of the new technology of the time, like the usage of Linn drum machine, Moog bass and the OB-X synthesizer. This equipment has dated since, consequently the sound of the album comes off as somewhat harsh. Madonna commented on her debut album: "The songs were pretty weak and I went to England during the recordings so I wasn't around... I wasn't in control. [...] I didn't realize how crucial it was for me to break out of the disco mold before I'd already finished the [first] album. I wish I could have got a little more variety there." The album starts with the song "Lucky Star", a medium-paced dance track, beginning with a sparkle of synth note and is followed by heavy beats of electronic drum and handclaps. A guitar is played in high riff and a bubbling bass synth is produced to accompany the guitar sound. The song revolves around the "Starlight, starbright" hook for more than a minute, before going to the chorus. According to author Rikky Rooksby, the lyrics are repetitive and inane, revolving around the transparent ambiguity of the stars, and juxtaposition of the male character with being a heavenly body in the sky.


title: Madonna (Madonna album)

text: "Borderline" is a sentimental track, talking about a love that is never quite fulfilled. According to author Santiago Fouz-Hernández and his book "Madonna's drowned worlds", the lyrics of the song like "Something in the way you love me won't let me be/I don't want to be your prisoner so baby won't you set me free" depicted a rebellion against male chauvinism. Madonna used a refined and expressive voice to sing the song, backed by Lucas's instrumentation. It opens with a keyboard rich intro and a catchy synth melody provided by Fred Zarr. Bass player Anthony Jackson doubled Dean Gant's synth bass to provide a solid and more complex texture. The chords in the song were inspired by Seventies disco sound in Philadelphia as well as Elton John's musical style during the mid-seventies. The chord sequences cite from Bachman–Turner Overdrive's song "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" while the synth phases display her typical musical style. The third track "Burning Up" has a starker arrangement, brought about by bass, single guitar and Linn drum machine. The drum beats used in the song were reminiscent to the records of singer Phil Collins. It also incorporated electric guitars and the most state-of-the-art synthesizers of that time. The chorus is a repetition of the same three lines, while the bridge consists of a series of double entendres; the lyrics describing what Madonna is prepared to do for her lover, and that she is individualistic and shameless.


title: Madonna (Madonna album)

text: The next track "I Know It" has a gentler swing to it and features music from piano, a saxophone, synth phrases while having an offbeat chord change. "Holiday" consists of a four-bar sequence, featuring instrumentation from guitars, electronic drums and handclaps from the Oberheim DMX, cowbell played by Madonna and a synthesized string arrangement. A side-by-side repetitive progression is achieved by making use of the chorus. Towards the end of the song, a change in the arrangement happens, where a piano break is heard. Lyrically, the song expresses the universal sentiment that everybody needs a holiday. In "Think of Me", Madonna warns her erring lover that he should pay her attention or else she would leave. The song consists of beats from the Linn drum machine and a saxophone interlude. "Physical Attraction" is a medium paced track, with synth bass, a guitar line, sounds of a brass and Madonna singing in a shrill voice, about the attraction between herself and a boy. The last song on the album is "Everybody", which starts with a heavily synthesized and spoken introduction, with Madonna taking a loud intake of breath. She displayed her bubblegum-pop like voice in the song, which was also doubletracked.


title: Madonna (Madonna album)

text: The album was first released in the United States by Sire Records on July 27, 1983. It was originally slated to be titled "Lucky Star", after the track of the same name. The original album cover was shot by photographer Edo Bertoglio and the sleeve designed by Madonna's friend Martin Burgoyne, but according to Seymour Stein, Madonna felt "it just wasn't iconic enough." The album was eventually titled simply "Madonna", perhaps that this singular name could have star power. The album cover was shot by photographer Gary Heery and directed by Carin Goldberg. The front cover shows Madonna with short-cropped platinum hair, wearing a number of black rubber bangles on her hands and a dog chain around her throat. Her navel is also prominent on the inner sleeve of the album. Madonna commented: "The picture inside the dust of sleeve of my first album has me, like, in this Betty Boop pose with my belly button showing. Then when people reviews the album, they kept talking about my cute belly button. [...] I think there are other unobvious places on the body that are sexy and the stomach is kind of innocent." Regarding the album photoshoot, Gary Heery recalled:


title: Madonna (Madonna album)

text: [Madonna] arrived at my Broadway studio in New York with a small bag of clothes and jewelry, and no entourage. Then, in front of the camera she was explosive, like a great model, but with her own unique style. She came over the next day to see some prints and the proofs, and there was shot after shot to choose from. We agreed on every choice and whittled it down to the album cover images. I had no idea what I had just been a party to.


title: Madonna (Madonna album)

text: The album was re-released in 1985 for the European market and re-packaged as "Madonna: The First Album" with a different artwork created by photographer George Holy. The cover features Madonna in similar style of dress to the original cover but this time with crucifix as her earrings. Madonna's trademark style was catching on as a fashion statement among club kids and fans, with her crucifix accessories becoming the jewelry of the moment. Madonna said that wearing a crucifix is "kind of offbeat and interesting. I mean, everything I do is sort of tongue-in-cheeks. Besides, the crucifixes seem to go with my name." In 2001, Warner Bros. Records released a remastered version of the album with its original artwork and two bonus remix tracks of "Burning Up" and "Lucky Star". Madonna dedicated the album to her father, Tony Ciccone, with whom her relationship had not been good until the release of the album. In an interview with "Time" magazine, Madonna said: "My father had never believed that what I was doing here [in New York] was worthwhile, nor did he believe that I was up to any good. [...] It wasn't until my first album came out and my father started hearing my songs on the radio that he stopped asking the questions."