Graham Coxon has shared a memory of a surprise visit from Madonna while Blur were in the studio recording their landmark album, ’13’, alongside the late producer William Orbit.
Orbit passed away at his residence on July 23 at the age of 69. His death was officially announced on August 7, though no specific cause has been disclosed.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Coxon spoke about Orbit’s contribution to Blur’s experimental and highly acclaimed sixth studio album, released in 1999. He described the producer as a “genius” characterized by a chaotic and unconventional approach to sound.
Blur recruited Orbit following his impressive eight-minute remix of their 1997 single ‘Movin’ On’. At the time, Orbit was one of the industry’s most prominent producers, having recently completed Madonna’s massive 1998 success, ‘Ray Of Light’.
“I instantly liked William,” Coxon remarked. “I picked up on a certain musical perversion in him, and I thought, ‘This will be interesting’.”
“We realized quite quickly that it was going to be pure anarchy,” he added. “We saw him as a genius with a hint of madness—but that is often the nature of genius.”
Coxon recounted how Madonna unexpectedly arrived at their London studio during the recording process. “I was in the live room playing around with some silly guitar parts, and then I looked through the glass into the control room and saw Madonna standing there,” he remembered.
“My first thought was, ‘Oh shit. Do I stay here or do I find the courage to go and say hello?’ Eventually, we all went in and said hi.”
He also noted that the band had improvised over a specific beat created by Orbit during the sessions, though the track was ultimately shelved.
Later that year, Madonna released ‘Beautiful Stranger’, an Orbit-produced hit from the Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack. Upon hearing it, Coxon noted, “Oh, that’s that track!”
‘Beautiful Stranger’ earned Madonna and Orbit their third Grammy collaboration, following a period where Orbit’s production was credited with revitalizing her career.
Following Orbit’s passing, Madonna shared an emotional tribute, stating, “In many ways you were my Ray Of Light,” and adding, “Goodbye Billy Bubbles. I was so lucky to have known you and fallen down the rabbit hole with you.”
Earlier this year, Orbit had mentioned he had developed a potential successor to ‘Ray Of Light’ but had received no response after reaching out to Madonna. He clarified there were “zero hard feelings,” noting, “I will always love that woman. For real. She made my career.”
‘13’ remained the final Blur album to feature Coxon as a permanent member until 2015’s ‘The Magic Whip’. He is currently focused on his project The Waeve, alongside Rose Elinor Dougall.
With a series of solo UK tour dates scheduled for later this year, Coxon suggested he might honor Orbit’s memory during his performances. “Who knows? We may even perform a William Orbit-related Blur song,” he teased.