Celine Dion (album)

Celine Dion
Studio album by Celine Dion
Released March 31, 1992
Recorded October 1991-February 1992
Genre Pop
Length 61:06
Label Epic, 550
Producer Walter Afanasieff, Humberto Gatica, Guy Roche, Ric Wake
Celine Dion chronology

Dion chante Plamondon
(1991)		 Celine Dion
(1992)		 The Colour of My Love
(1993)
Singles from Celine Dion
  1. "Beauty and the Beast"
    Released: November 1991
  2. "If You Asked Me To"
    Released: April 1992
  3. "Nothing Broken but My Heart"
    Released: July 1992
  4. "Love Can Move Mountains"
    Released: October 1992
  5. "Water from the Moon"
    Released: March 1993
  6. "Did You Give Enough Love"
    Released: July 1993

Celine Dion is an eponymous album by Canadian singer Celine 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."

Album information

Dion's real international breakthrough came when she paired up with Peabo Bryson 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 Awards 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 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.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [1]
Chicago Tribune [2]
Entertainment Weekly B− [3]
Robert Christgau D+ [4]

The album has received varied reviews. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic wrote that "Celine Dion's self-titled follow-up to her successful American debut is even stronger and more accomplished."[1] Arion Berger from Entertainment Weekly commented, "She hits all the notes on Prince's graceful, desperate 'With This Tear,' but clearly she has more voice than heart."[3] Music critic Robert Christgau called it the "Worst album of the year—that I can remember."[4] Jan DeKnock of Chicago Tribune said that the album "is even better, because the young singer-only 24-has developed enough confidence in her second language to really deliver the emotional nuances of a lyric, especially in the ballads that dominate this album. [...] Dion has clearly joined Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston as one of the premier voices on the pop scene."[2]

Chart success

Celine Dion has sold over 5 million copies worldwide.[5] In the United States alone, the album has sold 2,373,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan,[6] and was certified 2x Platinum.[7] It reached number 34 on the US 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.[8]

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 the UK, Japan[9] and Australia.[10] 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.[7] Other singles, which reached the US top 40 included: "If You Asked Me To" (number 4), "Nothing Broken but My Heart" (number 29) and "Love Can Move Mountains" (number 36).

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Introduction"  Walter AfanasieffAfanasieff 1:15
2. "Love Can Move Mountains"  Diane WarrenRic Wake 4:53
3. "Show Some Emotion"  
Afanasieff 4:29
4. "If You Asked Me To"  WarrenGuy Roche 3:54
5. "If You Could See Me Now"  
Afanasieff 5:06
6. "Halfway to Heaven"  
Afanasieff 5:04
7. "Did You Give Enough Love"  
Wake 4:20
8. "If I Were You"  
Wake 5:07
9. "Beauty and the Beast" (duet with Peabo Bryson)
Afanasieff 4:09
10. "I Love You, Goodbye"  WarrenRoche 3:33
11. "Little Bit of Love"  
  • Claude Gaudette
  • Andy Scott
Humberto Gatica 4:26
12. "Water from the Moon"  Warren
  • Roche
  • Afanasieff
 4:39
13. "With This Tear"  PrinceAfanasieff 4:12
14. "Nothing Broken but My Heart"  WarrenAfanasieff 5:55

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1992) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[11] 15
Canadian Albums (The Record)[12] 3
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[13] 59
New Zealand Albums (Recorded Music NZ)[14] 31
US Billboard 200[15] 34
Chart (1998) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[16] 70

Year-end charts

Chart (1992) Position
US Billboard 200[17] 92
Chart (1993) Position
Canadian Albums (RPM)[18] 97

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA)[10] Gold 35,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[19] Diamond 1,000,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[20] Gold 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[21] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[22] 2× Platinum 2,373,000[6]^
Summaries
Worldwide 5,000,000[5]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Awards

Year Award show Award
1992 Academy Awards Best Original Song (to Alan Menken and Howard Ashman) – "Beauty and the Beast"
1992 Golden Globe Awards Best Original Song (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 Awards Honoured with a Medal of Recognition on Canada's 125th Birthday from the Governor General for Her Contribution to Canadian Culture
1993 Grammy Awards Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal – "Beauty and the Beast" (with Peabo Bryson)
1993 Grammy Awards Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (to Alan Menken and Howard Ashman) – "Beauty and the Beast"
1993 Billboard Awards Billboard International Creative Achievement Award
1993 Juno Awards Single of the Year – "Beauty and the Beast"
1993 Juno Awards Best Dance Recording – "Love Can Move Mountains" (club mix)
1993 Juno Awards Female Vocalist of the Year
1993 Félix Awards 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, 550 CD 52473
Canada Sony Music, Columbia
Japan May 21, 1992 Sony Music, Epic, 550 ESCA-5587
Australia June 22, 1992 Sony Music, Epic, 550 4715082
United Kingdom, Europe Sony Music, Columbia EPIC + COL 471508 2, EPIC+ COL 47508 9
Australia September 7, 1992 Sony Music, Epic, 550 2CD 4715082/SAMP424

Musicians

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Celine Dion - Celine Dion". Rovi Corporation. AllMusic.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 DeKnock, Jan (1992-05-21). "Celine Dion Celine Dion (Epic)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Berger, Arion (1992-04-17). "Celine Dion (1992) Celine Dion". Entertainment Weekly.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG céline dion". Retrieved 2009-10-18.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 David Ball. "This Week in History: December 12 to 18". Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Gary Trust (10 December 2010). "Ask Billboard: Celine Dion Celebrates Chart Anniversary". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Gold & platinum searchable database". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  8. ↑ "Gold & platinum certification searchable database". Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
  9. ↑ "RIAJ". Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 2003-06-31. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 David Kent (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. Australia: St Ives, N.S.W. : Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. ↑ "Céline Dion - Celine Dion (Album)". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  12. ↑ "Hits of the World". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 30 May 1992. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  13. ↑ セリーヌ・ディオンのアルバム売り上げランキング (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  14. ↑ "Céline Dion - Celine Dion (Album)". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  15. ↑ "Celine Dion Album & Song Chart History" Billboard 200 for Celine Dion. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  16. ↑ "Celine Dion | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  17. ↑ 1992: Billboard 200 Albums. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 58, No. 23, December 18, 1993". RPM. 18 December 1993. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  19. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Celine Dion – Celine Dion". Music Canada.
  20. ↑ ゴールドディスク認定作品 (in Japanese). RIAJ. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  21. ↑ "British album certifications – Celine Dion – Celine Dion". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Celine Dion in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
  22. ↑ "American album certifications – Celine Dion – Celine Dion". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH