Celine Dion (album)
Encyclopedia
Celine Dion is an eponymous album
by Canadian singer Céline Dion
, released on March 31, 1992. It is her second English album and 17th in total. It includes the Grammy
and Academy Award winning song "Beauty and the Beast."
to record the title track to Walt Disney Pictures
animated film Beauty and the Beast
(1991). The song captured a musical style that Dion would utilize in the future: sweeping, classical and soft rock
influenced adult contemporary ballads with soft instrumentation. Both a critical and commercial smash, the song became her second United States top 10 hit, and also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song
, Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
, Grammy Award
s for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
and "Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
, and was nominated for Record of the Year
and Song of the Year
. That song was also the first single from Celine Dion album which had a soft rock influence that was combined with elements of soul and classical music. Due to the success of the lead-off single, the album was as well received. As with Dion's earlier releases, the album had an overtone of love.
Dion worked with a new team of writers and producers on her eponymous album. Five songs were written by Diane Warren
. "With This Tear" was a gift from Prince
who wrote the song especially for Céline Dion and offered it to her. The tracks were produced mainly by Walter Afanasieff
, Ric Wake
and Guy Roche
. Thanks to Celine Dion, the singer was nominated also for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
.
By 1992, Unison, Celine Dion and media appearances had propelled Dion to superstardom in the North America. She had achieved one of her main objectives: wedging her way into the anglophone market and establishing fame. Apart from her rising success, there were also changes in Dion's personal life, as René Angélil
would make the transition from manager to lover. However, the relationship was kept a secret as both feared that the public would find the twenty-six-year difference between their ages incongruous.
The European version of Celine Dion included "Where Does My Heart Beat Now
" as a bonus track. The album was re-released on September 7, 1992 in Australia with a bonus disc containing four songs which had been previously released as singles from Unison.
Dion did the Celine Dion Tour
to support the album.
"Send Me a Lover" was a "leftover" from the recording sessions of the Celine Dion album and it was released in 1994 on the charity compilation Kumbaya Album 1994.
, and was certified 2x platinum. It reached number 34 on the U.S. Billboard 200
chart. Dion's popularity was also showing in Canada where the album peaked at number 3 and was certified diamond for 1 million copies sold.
In other regions of the world, Celine Dion peaked at number 15 in Australia, number 31 in New Zealand, number 59 in Japan, and number 70 in the United Kingdom. It was also certified gold in Japan and Australia. Dion received her first World Music Award for Best Selling Canadian Female Recording Artist of the Year.
The most successful single from the album was "Beauty and the Beast", which peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100
and was certified gold in the United States. Other singles, which reached the U.S. top 40 included: "If You Asked Me To" (number 4), "Nothing Broken But My Heart
" (number 29) and "Love Can Move Mountains
" (number 36).
, from Allmusic wrote that "Celine Dion's self-titled follow-up to her successful American debut is even stronger and more accomplished." Arion Berger, from Entertainment Weekly
comment "She hits all the notes on Prince's graceful, desperate With This Tear, but clearly she has more voice than heart. Music critic Robert Christgau
panned the album "Worst album of the year—that I can remember."
1Most certifications are under old criteria, with higher certifications levels than the current ones.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Canadian singer Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
, released on March 31, 1992. It is her second English album and 17th in total. It includes the Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
and Academy Award winning song "Beauty and the Beast."
Album information
Dion's real international breakthrough came when she paired up with Peabo BrysonPeabo Bryson
Peabo Bryson is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, born in Greenville, South Carolina...
to record the title track to Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
animated film Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)
Beauty and the Beast is a 1991 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirtieth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and the third film of the Disney Renaissance period...
(1991). The song captured a musical style that Dion would utilize in the future: sweeping, classical and soft rock
Soft rock
Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...
influenced adult contemporary ballads with soft instrumentation. Both a critical and commercial smash, the song became her second United States top 10 hit, and also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
, Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:...
, Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals was awarded between 1966 and 2011...
and "Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
The Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media has been awarded since 1988 and is awarded to songs written for films, television, video games or other visual media...
, and was nominated for Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
and Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
. That song was also the first single from Celine Dion album which had a soft rock influence that was combined with elements of soul and classical music. Due to the success of the lead-off single, the album was as well received. As with Dion's earlier releases, the album had an overtone of love.
Dion worked with a new team of writers and producers on her eponymous album. Five songs were written by Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
. "With This Tear" was a gift from Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
who wrote the song especially for Céline Dion and offered it to her. The tracks were produced mainly by Walter Afanasieff
Walter Afanasieff
Walter Afanasieff is a multiple Grammy-award-winning record producer and songwriter. He is best known for his long association with Mariah Carey, for whom he was producer and co-writer for several years, beginning in 1990...
, Ric Wake
Ric Wake
Ric Wake is a record producer who has won an Academy Award and two Grammy Awards. During his tenure as staff producer with Sony Music Entertainment he has worked with vocalists such as Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Barry Manilow, and Marc Anthony...
and Guy Roche
Guy Roche
Guy Roche is a record producer and songwriter who is best known for the hit singles he has co-written/co-produced for Christina Aguilera, which include but are not limited to "What a Girl Wants", "I Turn to You", and "Come on Over Baby . He also co-wrote Brandy's Never Say Never single "Almost...
. Thanks to Celine Dion, the singer was nominated also for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist...
.
By 1992, Unison, Celine Dion and media appearances had propelled Dion to superstardom in the North America. She had achieved one of her main objectives: wedging her way into the anglophone market and establishing fame. Apart from her rising success, there were also changes in Dion's personal life, as René Angélil
René Angélil
René Angélil, OQ is a Canadian singer and manager. He is the husband and manager of singer Celine Dion.-Early life:Angélil was born in Montreal, Québec, Canada of a father of Syrian descent and a Canadian mother of Lebanese origin...
would make the transition from manager to lover. However, the relationship was kept a secret as both feared that the public would find the twenty-six-year difference between their ages incongruous.
The European version of Celine Dion included "Where Does My Heart Beat Now
Where Does My Heart Beat Now
"Where Does My Heart Beat Now" is a hit song from Céline Dion's English debut album called Unison. It was released as the first single in Canada on October 6, 1990 and United States on November 19, 1990, and in other parts of the world in 1991....
" as a bonus track. The album was re-released on September 7, 1992 in Australia with a bonus disc containing four songs which had been previously released as singles from Unison.
Dion did the Celine Dion Tour
Celine Dion Tour
Celine Dion in Concert was the fourth concert tour by Celine Dion. The tour consisted of 51 shows held between July 13 1992 and May 13, 1993. It was organized to support the album Celine Dion.-History:...
to support the album.
"Send Me a Lover" was a "leftover" from the recording sessions of the Celine Dion album and it was released in 1994 on the charity compilation Kumbaya Album 1994.
Chart success
Celine Dion has sold over 6 million copies worldwide. In the United States alone, the album has sold 2,373,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScanNielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
, and was certified 2x platinum. It reached number 34 on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart. Dion's popularity was also showing in Canada where the album peaked at number 3 and was certified diamond for 1 million copies sold.
In other regions of the world, Celine Dion peaked at number 15 in Australia, number 31 in New Zealand, number 59 in Japan, and number 70 in the United Kingdom. It was also certified gold in Japan and Australia. Dion received her first World Music Award for Best Selling Canadian Female Recording Artist of the Year.
The most successful single from the album was "Beauty and the Beast", which peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and was certified gold in the United States. Other singles, which reached the U.S. top 40 included: "If You Asked Me To" (number 4), "Nothing Broken But My Heart
Nothing Broken But My Heart
"Nothing Broken But My Heart" is a song from Céline Dion's eponymous album. It was released as the third single in the United States , Canada and Japan, and fourth in Australia ....
" (number 29) and "Love Can Move Mountains
Love Can Move Mountains
"Love Can Move Mountains" is a song from Céline Dion's 1992 album, called simply Celine Dion. It was released on November 2, 1992 worldwide. "Love Can Move Mountains" was the fourth single in the United States, Canada and Japan, and third in the rest of the world.The song was written by Diane...
" (number 36).
Critical reception
The album has received generally positive reviews. Stephen Thomas ErlewineStephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
, from Allmusic wrote that "Celine Dion's self-titled follow-up to her successful American debut is even stronger and more accomplished." Arion Berger, from Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
comment "She hits all the notes on Prince's graceful, desperate With This Tear, but clearly she has more voice than heart. Music critic Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
panned the album "Worst album of the year—that I can remember."
Track listing
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
15 |
| Canadian Record Albums Chart The Record (magazine) The Record was a Canadian music industry magazine that featured record charts, trade news and opinions. David Farrell launched the publication in mid-1981, continuing its printed version until August 1999 when The Record continued as a website-based publication... |
3 |
| Canadian RPM Albums Chart RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
4 |
| Japanese Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
59 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
31 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
70 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
34 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications1 |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Gold |
| Canada Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
Diamond |
| Japan Recording Industry Association of Japan The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry... |
Gold |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
2x Platinum |
1Most certifications are under old criteria, with higher certifications levels than the current ones.
Awards
| Year | Award show | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Academy Awards | Best Original Song Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film... (to Alan Menken Alan Menken Alan Menken is an American musical theatre and film composer and pianist.Menken is best known for his numerous scores for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. His scores for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Pocahontas have each won him two Academy Awards... and Howard Ashman Howard Ashman Howard Elliott Ashman was an American playwright and lyricist. Ashman first studied at Boston University and Goddard College and then went on to achieve his master's degree from Indiana University in 1974... ) – "Beauty and the Beast" |
| 1992 | Golden Globe Award Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign... s |
Best Original Song Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:... (to Alan Menken and Howard Ashman) – "Beauty and the Beast" |
| 1992 | World Music Awards | World’s Best Selling Canadian Female Recording Artist of the Year |
| 1992 | Governor General's Award Governor General's Award The Governor General's Awards are a collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. The first was conceived in 1937 by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction who created the Governor... s |
Honoured with a Medal of Recognition on Canada's 125th Birthday from the Governor General for Her Contribution to Canadian Culture |
| 1993 | Grammy Award Grammy Award A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry... s |
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal The Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals was awarded between 1966 and 2011... – "Beauty and the Beast" (with Peabo Bryson Peabo Bryson Peabo Bryson is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, born in Greenville, South Carolina... ) |
| 1993 | Grammy Awards | Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media The Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media has been awarded since 1988 and is awarded to songs written for films, television, video games or other visual media... (to Alan Menken and Howard Ashman) – "Beauty and the Beast" |
| 1993 | Billboard Awards | Billboard International Creative Achievement Award |
| 1993 | Juno Award Juno Award The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music... s |
Single of the Year – "Beauty and the Beast" |
| 1993 | Juno Awards | Best Dance Recording – "Love Can Move Mountains Love Can Move Mountains "Love Can Move Mountains" is a song from Céline Dion's 1992 album, called simply Celine Dion. It was released on November 2, 1992 worldwide. "Love Can Move Mountains" was the fourth single in the United States, Canada and Japan, and third in the rest of the world.The song was written by Diane... " (club mix) |
| 1993 | Juno Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year |
| 1993 | Félix Award Félix Award The Félix Award is a music award, given on an annual basis to artists in the Canadian province of Quebec.The first Félix awards were presented on September 23, 1979, by the Association du disque, de l'industrie du spectacle québécois... s |
Quebec Artist Achieving the Most Success in a Language Other Than French |
| 1993 | Félix Awards | Quebec Artist Achieving the Most Success Outside the Province of Quebec |
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | March 31, 1992 | Epic Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A... , 550 550 Music 550 Music was a unit of Sony Music Entertainment, which operated through Sony Music's Epic Records division while in activity. Launched in 1992, the "550" name was inspired by the address of the Sony building, located at 550 Madison Avenue in New York... |
CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
52473 |
| Canada | Sony Music, Columbia Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company... |
|||
| Japan | May 21, 1992 | Sony Music, Epic, 550 | ESCA-5587 | |
| Australia | June 22, 1992 | Sony Music, Epic, 550 | 4715082 | |
| United Kingdom | Sony Music, Columbia | 4715082 | ||
| Australia | September 7, 1992 | Sony Music, Epic, 550 | 2CD | 4715082/SAMP424 |