The Velvet Rope October 3rd 1997: The 7th album "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till its (gone)"

Virgin Records backed the project with it's biggest promotional blitz ever which included listening parties, a promotional tour (which kicked off September 14th 1997 in England) and an 11 month World Tour (April 1997-February 1999) Sponsors for the World Tour included Best Buy, America's Promise, TDK, and MTV.

The first video from the album was the Grammy Awards winning Got Till It's Gone. Janet was later nominated for a Grammy for Best Female Vocal Performance for I Get Lonely. Below are the chart positions for The Velvet Rope Album for its first 44 wks. beginning with its initial October 16th debut at #1:

1 2 5 11 19 23 18 25 31 32

31 29 26 22 26 27 29 32 36 41

42 38 34 28 23 24 29 24 26 33

40 46 56 57 73 81 81 75 74 59

56 56 51 57

Greatest Gainer: HBO special

After appearance on Oprah

The albums second single Together Again made its debut in the top 5 after 2 weeks of release. It later became Janet's 18th Gold single. The hard- hitting R&B track I Get Lonely charted at #1 on both the R&B, sales, and radio charts. It's debut on the Hot 100 singles chart made it Janet's highest debut at #3 as well as her 19th Gold single. Production for the album began December of 1996 in Minneapolis and concluded May 1997 in Los Angeles

Album Statistics: 4 million units solds as of Oc.t 97- Jan. 99 #1 Pop Album, #2 R&B Album #1 Pop single Together Again (2 weeks) #1 U.S. Club Play Go Deep

#1 R&B single I Get Lonely Promotional Videos: Go Deep, Everytime, You, Got Till It's Gone *Banned in Singapore due to explicit lyrics

click image for video

click image for video

"We've all driven by premieres or nightclubs and seen the rope separating those who can enter and those who can't. Well, there's a Velvet Rope inside all of us, keeping others from knowing our feelings." Janet descibes this album as one of her most personal efforts yet due to the themes of self- examination and self-discovery. Bisexuality, domestic abuse, and the AIDS crisis are just a few of the issues expressed on the albums tracks. Guest appearances range from Q-Tip of a Tribe Called Quest and classical pop violinist Vanessa Mae on the plush introductory titile-track.