Posted February 8, 200817 yr SOURCE By Chuck Taylor QUEEN OF HEARTS: Global superstar celine dion once again takes her show on the road Tommy Mottola remembers with crystal clarity the first time he witnessed Celine Dion in a recording studio. “Being at the control board and hearing that voice come through the microphone, I thought, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ ” says Mottola, who, as Sony Music Entertainment chairman/CEO from 1988 to 2003, signed Dion to her English-language contract in 1989. “I had never heard that kind of pitch; it was bell clear and she could sing any style put in front of her. Celine had a perfect instrument. It was utterly thrilling—and it takes a lot to thrill me.” By that point, French Canadian Dion, at 21, was already a regional heroine in Quebec, with a dozen hit Francophone albums. She had also tasted international fame as top performer at the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo and winner of the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, singing in front of 600 million viewers. But Dion realized that without command of English, her success was bound to be limited. She burned through a Berlitz course and arrived in New York, ready for the world. Sony teamed her with A-list producers David Foster and Chris Neil to record her 1990 debut English-language album, “Unison.” Out of the gate, the set scored the top five “Where Does My Heart Beat Now” and was certified gold. That marked the beginning of a new chapter that would ultimately propel Dion to unprecedented fame in every pocket of the world. Now, following the release in December of her new Columbia Records album “Taking Chances,” and in the wake of her record-setting, four-and-a-half-year residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Dion is taking her show on the road. Her worldwide tour opens Feb. 14 in Johannesburg. “I’m amazed by the career I’ve had,” Dion says. “We had a vision, a dream, and we believed. I wanted to share everything possible through music, lyrics, emotions. Time goes very fast. I can’t even imagine all the things we have done.” Dion’s personal life also played a role in her livelihood; through it all, she has been accompanied by manager René Angélil, who, in 1981, mortgaged his house to finance her first album. In 1994, the two married. Her momentum beyond those early years was akin to a NASA rocket propelling into the stratosphere. In 1992, she recorded the theme to Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” with Peabo Bryson, which made Dion a household name across North America. That second top 10 single won a Grammy Award for best pop performance by a duo or group and an Academy Award for best song. A year later, she delivered her first No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 single, “The Power of Love.” Polly Anthony, then-Epic Records Group president, said, “Celine is better than anyone at raising the bar for herself, and she’s one hell of a high jumper. Her voice is unparalleled, as is her ability to reach out and touch. Celine has become the standard-bearer.” Dion’s fourth English album, “Falling Into You” in 1996, marked a pinnacle, winning the coveted album of the year Grammy and selling 31 million copies worldwide, according to Sony Music Entertainment. The 1997 follow-up “Let’s Talk About Love” reached the same lofty sales peak and was the No. 2 album of the year, thanks to ubiquitous No. 1 signature hit “My Heart Will Go On,” the theme to the blockbuster film “Titanic.” “Celine started singing the song in the studio, and it was electrifying,” composer James Horner said at the time. “By the end of it, we were all emotionally shook up. Everybody in the room, including Celine, was crying.” Again, kudos stacked up: The song won Dion a second Oscar for best original song and Grammys for best song, record, female vocal and song for a motion picture in 1999. Then, for the first time since her career began in 1981, Dion called a timeout, insisting that she needed two years off to rest and try and start a family. She told Billboard, “I started working when I was 13, and the longest I’ve ever stopped is a month. I need a normal life, to spend time with René while we’re both young at heart. I need time to take a car and listen to music when I am going nowhere.” Angélil added, “We want to enjoy the real values of life. People ask if we are afraid that if we stop, it could go away. That’s a gamble you take. That’s life.” But life was good: In 2001, their son René Charles was born, and more career achievements followed: The title track to Dion’s 2002 return “A New Day Has Come” spent 21 weeks at No. 1 at AC—setting a record—while the album sold 12 million copies worldwide, according to Sony. In 2008, more than 25 years after she recorded her first album, Dion’s momentum has maintained warp speed. On Dec. 15, 2007, she wrapped her “A New Day . . .” gig at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Persistently filling 4,000 seats five nights per week, Dion delivered 717 sold-out shows in front of 3 million people and more than $400 million in ticket sales, according to Billboard Boxscore. She also released “D’elles” last May, which posted the highest Canadian first-week album sales of the year, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and her 37th album, “Taking Chances,” which debuted on the Billboard 200 in December at No. 3. Both albums are nominated for album of the year honors at Canada’s upcoming Juno Awards. The title track to “Taking Chances” is No. 6 at AC radio in the United States, giving Dion ownership of the most top 10 hits at the format with 21—during the last two decades—and her first chart-topper on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart since 1994. Her 11th worldwide tour kicks off Feb. 14 in South Africa, with stadium and arena stops during the next year in the Middle East, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Europe and North America. In all, she will cover five continents, 25 countries and more than 100 cities. To date, Dion has sold 200 million albums (according to Sony Records), making her one of the globe’s best-selling female singers. Across a crowded mantle, she owns six World Music Awards, including best-selling artist in the world in 1997, along with 16 Canadian Juno Awards and an unprecedented 36 Felix Awards in Quebec. “I’m 39 years old and we’re still having fun,” Dion says. “My greatest reward is that I have fans who have traveled with my music. As long as they’re willing to come along, I’m ready for another 25 years.” •••• MAKING TODAY THE BEST DAY: celine on success, love and 27 years of superstardom Celine Dion celebrated 25 years as a hit recording artist in 2006. Since her first album at the age of 13, the French-Canadian chanteuse has released 37 full-length collections in French and English—and more than 100 singles around the world. During that time, she has become one of the globe’s best-selling female singers, moving more than 200 million CDs, according to Sony Music Entertainment. ¶ On the eve of her 11th tour, which launches in mid-February and will take her to 100-plus cities during the next year, Dion revisits some of the steppingstones along her pathway to fame, revealing early ambitions, Grammy Award triumph, her take on negative press, her first No. 1 single—and even why she hates to sing as much as she loves to. It has to feel utterly surreal to consider all that you have accomplished over time—well more than two-thirds of your life. I can still see myself standing on the kitchen table at 5 years old singing in front of my family . . . my mom writing my first song . . . meeting when I was 12 with René [Angélil, her manager, whom she wed in 1994]. It was all very intimidating to travel from my little suburb [in Charlemagne, Quebec] to Montreal to meet him. Taking the bus and the subway then was a wild adventure, riding in an elevator to go to an office where I sang for a man in a tie. There I was, about to meet the world. To finance my first album, René mortgaged his house, and because it was cheaper, we rented a studio from 10 at night to 6 in the morning. We recorded my first French album and a Christmas album at the same time. I still see it all so clearly. And I still prefer to record at night. That’s how I started my career, and now it’s hard to imagine doing it any other way. Following that first recording in 1981, you achieved great success singing in French, with nearly a dozen albums and 16 hits by the end of that decade. Why the decision to cross to the English-speaking world? I came from such a big family and grew up listening to so many English recording artists known around the world—the Bee Gees, Stevie Wonder, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Beatles, Janis Joplin, the Eagles, Supertramp—and it sets a standard. As a family, we sang in French; it’s in our blood and we’re made of that. But English is the universal language and I always thought it was cool when my brothers and sisters would sing in English. To be able to cross the barriers, to sing to more people, artistically, it was just so powerful. Angélil insisted that if you wanted to sing in English, you had to learn to speak the language first. That was the deal the two of you made. Even when I was 12 and 13, I was singing English, but we knew to have an international career, I couldn’t use a translator. It’s almost misleading and it certainly doesn’t allow you to genuinely express yourself. I didn’t hesitate for one second to learn the language; it was exciting to capture that part of the world and see what it could offer me. Learning English opened a whole new world, not only in show business, but for me personally. In 1990, you signed with Sony Records in America, with Tommy Mottola at the helm, one of the most powerful men in the music business. You had David Foster and Chris Neil, quintessential pop producers, in your camp, and yet it must have felt scary and uncertain. It was René’s job to bring in the best people for me. I always felt secure and safe and knew he wanted the best for me. I didn’t question who we were going to call, what’s the plan, who are we working with, what kind of music? I let René explain to me, “Tomorrow, we will visit these radio stations, they’ll ask you about this, be careful about answering this, don’t get into this.” So my heart was free. The only thing I had to do was give my best performance. I learned through him and never had to doubt anything. Your first U.S. single, “Where Does My Heart Beat Now,” was a top five hit in 1991. But it was “Beauty and the Beast” a year later that is often credited with connecting your voice to your name. Did you feel you had arrived? It was quite emotional. Everyone at the record label was so excited that I actually had a career at that point. They started a campaign, “Remember the name, because you’ll never forget the voice.” I wasn’t scared, really, but it set the bar high for me. At least people started pronouncing my name correctly [laughs]. And yet, along with popularity comes the inevitable backlash. This is the point when many critics began writing negative, if not cruel things about you. How did you react to the press? There were certainly more negatives than positives. Honestly, I was not really affected, because René said, “They can write what they want, but if we still sell out the shows, you know it’s a good sign.” The only thing I cared about was to never disappoint the fans. In 1993, with album “The Colour of My Love,” you earned your first No. 1 single with “The Power of Love.” Did you watch your ascension on the charts? Was having a chart-topping single a goal? Well, I knew what it represented and of course, we always want to have No. 1s. We wanted people to love what we were doing. I remember hearing from the record company, “Oh, my God, we’re No. 7 or 5 or 3 with a bullet.” Everyone was excited and I paid attention to it and enjoyed it with them—but my job was not about the numbers. I recorded my songs the best that I could, then my work was done before the singles were ever released. If it didn’t work, it’s not as if I could do it again. We move on. So the charts . . . that’s the job of the record company. For them, it meant their plan was working. In the liner notes of that album, you revealed to the public for the first time that you and Angélil were in love, writing, “René, for so many years I’ve kept our special dream locked away inside my heart. But now it’s too powerful to keep inside.” Were you concerned how people would react? Over time, we realized that our feelings for each other were stronger than our dreams for my career. We loved each other. At first, we didn’t want to mix up the cards, but eventually, passion led our way. We kept a secret for a long time and didn’t want to have to hear them say, “Oh, my gosh, she’s so young and he’s been married twice.” But we decided, “Let’s not hide, because if we can’t walk hand in hand under the sky and scream to the world that we love each other—which is the greatest thing in the world—then we missed the boat, we missed it all. It’s not right, it’s not worth it.” Our success today as a couple is stronger than the success of our business. Someday, if somebody makes a movie about our life, that’s going to be the good part, the really good part [laughs]. Your next English album, 1996’s “Falling Into You,” won the Grammy Award for album of the year. That had to have been an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. Most of the time in show business, you have a feel for what’s going to happen, but none of us that night had any idea if we had a chance. I remember as they called my name, I looked at René, and he was surprised. I don’t see that a lot, so I was surprised that he was so surprised [laughs]. There were so many meetings when we were putting together the record, and they always took place around so many meals, filled with jokes and laughter. The restaurant always seemed more important than the meeting. You become intimate with the people that are involved, they become a family and you care about them. So when the Grammy happened, it felt good because it was a shared triumph. It was a big night. A big surprise. Yes, absolutely, it was amazing. Following your Millennium Eve concert in Montreal, you announced that you would take a hiatus, hoping to start a family. Were there concerns about taking a leave from the business? I had my husband, the love and support of my family, the music—and comfort. It was wonderful to go out and share my passion that last time, but I knew for sure that I was not going to be disappointed, because I didn’t expect anything from that point. I can always go back home. The next day, René told me, “You were amazing. You did your job last night, and now it is time for us to build our lives.” I already had it all. There was never any question that it was the right thing to do. Let’s jump ahead to your four-and-a-half-year residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, from 2003 to 2007. One of the reasons the concept was so appealing to you is that it offered stability, a routine and the opportunity to focus on raising your child, René Charles. Now that it has been a couple months since closing night, do you miss it? The hardest part is not seeing the people we worked with for so long. The last show [Dec. 15] was emotional. But you have to know when to stop. You don’t want to leave after things start to fall down. So we were ready. It’s a great achievement, we’re very proud of it, but it’s time to move on to greater things. What have you been doing between the Vegas finish and the launch of your world tour on Feb. 15? I’m extremely tired, because we’re already working on the new tour. It’s very high-energy, very uptempo. There are quick wardrobe changes, there are treadmills, so now, before that begins, I want to rest—I need to rest my voice. We’re taking René Charles to Disney World, we’re going to see the whole family, and I can’t wait to see my mom. These are the things that make René, me and our family happy. We’re taking one day at a time in this new world. No one knows what’s going to happen tomorrow, so I want to make today the best day. That is my greatest joy. What are you goals for the upcoming tour? We would never attempt to beat anything we’ve done in the past, so we’re not trying to do a better tour—we’re trying to do a successful tour. When you’re stable for a while, it’s nice to move the furniture around and to vacuum under the sofa, to clean out the attic. So we want to have a good time and try new things, different things. Through much of your career, you have been publicly saddled with the “diva” label—and yet those who know you recognize you as unpretentious and herald your sense of humor. This seldom seems to come through in your public persona. You know what? People think I share it all. Maybe I’m not as much an open book as they think I am. People think I’m so dramatic, so black and white. Those who know me personally do say to me that I am funny. But let’s put it this way: It’s OK for some things to remain intimate. You don’t give everything to everybody. What have you not yet accomplished that you would like to? Acting. Some movies. I would love to play Maria Callas in a film. What would people who think they know everything about you be surprised to learn? That I hate to sing as much as I love to sing. I love it when I have my full strength, my full happiness—but I hate to sing when it takes me away from my family, when I’m sick or not feeling good and can’t do my best vocally. I hate to do it, because I know how fun it can be. And it’s a struggle when you’re not having fun. Singing is not just the vocal cords; it’s your whole body, your soul. The night I lost my dad and had to sing, I tell you—it hurt. Finally, 27 years in and counting, how would you sum up your life and career? I’m extremely proud of the fact that the fans have come with me on this journey, that they have trusted me for so long. Do you know how fortunate I am to be able to sing for over 25 years, to have had hits, to have a career? At this point, the people that listen to my music have gotten me pretty well, because I’ve sold 100-and-I-don’t-even-know-how-many-million records. If it ends tomorrow, I’m OK with that, because look at what we have. Yes, I feel enormous pride for what I have accomplished after all these years. I have shared a part of my soul—and I still love to do it. •••• CLOSE TO HER HEART: dion's favorite french and english song Dion’s Favorites Among The Many Songs Of Her Career Since 1981, Celine Dion has released 37 albums in French and English, and 107 singles around the world. We challenged her to select one French and one English song that hold particularly special meaning for her. French: ‘Ce N’était Qu’un Rêve’ (‘It Was Only a Dream’) “Choosing a French song that means the most is very easy for me. ‘Ce N’était Qu’un Rêve,’ or ‘It Was Only a Dream,’ was my first song, which was written by my mother when I was 12 years old. We recorded a demo, which my brother sent to René [Angélil, then-manager of popular French-Canadian singer Ginette Reno; they found his name on the back of one of her albums], and it got us an audition with him. This is the song that started my whole career, that represents the beginning of my destiny.” English: ‘Beauty and the Beast’ “I had been asked to perform a song for a movie [“Dreams to Dream” for “An American Tail: Fievel Goes West”] and recorded it. Then René tells me he has some bad news and he says to sit down. I thought he was going to tell me that we were not going to work together again. And then he only tells me that they were not going to pick me to sing that song, that Linda Ronstadt would sing it. I was hurt because I loved the song, but I said to him, ‘I thought you were going to leave me.’ I expected the worst. And then ‘Beauty and the Beast’ came to me right afterward. It was like a fairy tale. That song is such a classic. When you record a classic once in your life, it’s extremely fortunate. I am so lucky to have two, with ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘My Heart Will Go On.’ ” HER TOUR WILL GO ON: dion off on global trek after colossal vegas residency BY RAY WADDELL It is not a stretch to say that Celine Dion’s record-shattering run at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas is the most successful collaboration ever between an artist and a venue. ¶ Now, after that five-year residency, Dion is poised to launch her first tour in a decade, a massive global trek that is deep and broad in scope. ¶ But first, a look at the remarkable Vegas achievement is in order. Dion’s historic run at the $95 million, 4,100-seat theater not only changed the face of entertainment in Las Vegas, it also blew away the competition in its venue size category and forced Billboard to examine how it ranks artists, venues and tours. ¶ The singer grossed a staggering $385 million at the House That Celine Built, drawing nearly 3 million people to 717 shows. These are Rolling Stones-esque figures, the difference being the Stones tend to play arenas and stadiums as opposed to theaters in achieving their glittering figures. ¶ The Colosseum stand was a collaboration among Dion and her husband/manager, René Angélil; AEG Live touring arm Concerts West and its co-president John Meglen; and Caesars. ¶ Meglen points out that Las Vegas market economics—which place a premium on price, venue capacity and high-end entertainment—played a role in Dion’s success at the Colosseum. Also a factor was the vision of the artist, her manager and the producers. “We definitely took a chance on something that 99% of the industry said we would fail on,” Meglen says. “But the real truth of the matter is we proved something that works in that marketplace, that an artist can sit down in Las Vegas and allow the audience to travel to them instead of the artist traveling to each city.” That said, it takes a special kind of artist to pull off what Dion accomplished, Meglen says, with more than 700 shows completed. “You can never underestimate how much work it is to do something like that,” he says. “That was like doing 10 tours over a five-year period. How many people can have that type of work ethic? Celine is right at the top of that list.” Meglen says that when Dion wrapped the run and he and Angélil knew they wouldn’t see each other for a while, “we looked at each other and said, ‘You know what? We rewrote the book in Las Vegas.’ There is no question that Celine and René were the ones that set the new standard.” Now, after the most successful residency in modern live music history, Dion is poised to take her show on the road again with the Taking Chances world tour. Those involved say she is approaching the coming year with renewed vigor for touring. “René said when he first broached the subject with Celine, her reaction was surprisingly quick: ‘Yes, let’s do it,’ ” says Rob Prinz, Dion’s agent for 18 years. “She’s looking at it as a real privilege to go around the world and play her music for fans that haven’t been able to come to Vegas.” Meglen adds, “She’s so excited about this tour. She’s taking her son to see the world, her mom’s going with her. Celine looks at all things as life experiences.” Meglen says the transition from five-year sitdown to megatour has been seamless. “It’s a very natural progression,” he says. “Touring is what we all know and do, and Vegas was really the exception here.” Concerts West is promoting the more than 70 shows in North America, partnering with such Live Nation promoters as Rick Franks in Detroit, Dave Marsden in Boston and Jeff Trisler in Seattle, as well as the late Jon Stoll’s Fantasma Productions in Florida. “Sales are fabulous, grosses are through the roof already,” Meglen says. “We’ve put up 37 shows in the U.S., and we’re already over $50 million gross. In Canada we have 12 shows on sale, and we’re over $26.5 million there.” The globe-spanning trek begins with a February run through South Africa starting on Valentine’s Day at the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg. Stops include Dubai, Japan, Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom and Europe through the spring (including six nights at Paris’ Palais Omnisports-Bercy in May), with the tour landing in North America Aug. 12 at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston. “It’s always a great privilege to present an artist who has reached the very highest levels of success, especially an artist with whom we have had such a long relationship,” says Live Nation New England senior VP Dave Marsden, who first presented Dion at the Berklee Center for the Performing Arts in Boston in the early ’90s. “It was exciting to present Celine Dion to an audience at a sold-out Berklee Performance Center and every bit as exciting to be a part of the upcoming shows at the Garden.” The shows in Boston will be followed by a six-night stand at the Bell Centre in Montreal. “It’s fantastic: the hometown girl coming back after five years in Vegas,” says Jacques Aubé, VP/director general for Gillett Entertainment Group, which oversees the Bell Centre. The response from Dion’s home market was over the top. “Six sold-out shows, 120,000 tickets in less than two hours,” Aubé says. “It’s a Bell Centre record, that’s for sure. René tells me he feels a lot of warmth that her public in Montreal has taken her in and welcomed her back.” Montreal is not alone. More than 100 dates are on the books through the Jan. 30, 2009, stop at the BankAtlantic Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and many shows are sure to be added as dates sell out. With many dates to work with, Meglen says the idea was to go deep in the routing. “I’m a believer in getting to as many markets as you can because I still believe that live is such a solid basis for an artist,” he says. “When you’re talking about her promoting new product and a new album, you don’t just play the major cities. That’s part of the success and strength of Celine: Middle America is a tremendously big fan base of hers.” As is the world. “As many shows as we’re doing—130 shows or more—other than South America, we’re pretty much touching on every continent,” Prinz says. “We picked the places where we know she has a strong fan base, strong sales and there has been a demand for her. We’re going to places we’ve never been before, like South Africa and China. And of course we’re going to places where she has a tremendous history, like North America and Japan.” While Concerts West is the lead promoter in North America, many promoters around the world are taking part in the tour. “We’re reuniting with a lot of people we’ve worked [with] before around the world, like Michael Coppel in Australia, Marek Lieberberg in Germany and parts of Europe, John Giddings in the U.K.” With initial sales beginning late last year, the tour has as much lead time between on-sales and the actual date as the industry has seen in a while, more than a year in some cases. “We wanted to go on sale when the new record came out, when Celine was doing ‘Oprah’ and all her press and promotions,” Meglen says. “We just felt that was a natural time to take advantage of the publicity and the public awareness, nothing other than that.” Prinz says the long lead time was beneficial to the entire setup of the tour. “My experience has been most tours, at the last minute or a couple of months in advance, everything changes and you’re scrambling,” he says. “We’ve been working on this tour for over two years now, so the setup, the seamlessness, the way it’s going to work and the way it’s rolled out is really a testament to the benefit of how much lead time and how much foresight that the artist and management gave us to work with.” Clearly, Dion’s market value has not been diluted by 700 appearances in one of the top global destinations on the planet. “We didn’t feel that way, Concerts West didn’t feel that way,” Prinz says. “People who came to Vegas to see her will get a different show in their own city, and we’ll get more repeat business in different cities around the world. Ticket sales are off to a great start, so we’re not feeling any dilution of business.” Indeed, it seems a big reason for that is what happened in Vegas stayed in Vegas, and a tour is a different animal completely. “This is truly a concert, where Vegas was really a spectacle, a show that you can’t tour,” Meglen says. “This is Celine going out and doing a concert tour supporting her new product and moving onward with her career.” If anything, the Vegas run improved Dion’s live value, Meglen believes. “I think the Vegas situation has only helped her, first and foremost because of how great she was,” he says. “Even if people saw her in Las Vegas, they’re going to want to see her when she comes to their town.” Additionally, ticket prices in Vegas were higher than on the road, with the top ticket at the Colosseum in the $235 range and the top ticket on the tour not exceeding $200. •••• DION'S GREATEST HITS: top songs, top albums, according to the charts When Celine Dion grabs the top of the Billboard charts, she doesn’t let go easily. ¶ Four of Dion’s top 10 most successful hits on the Billboard Hot 100 have spent multiple weeks at No. 1. They include “Because I Love You,” which spent six weeks at No. 1 in 1996; “I’m Your Angel,” her duet with R. Kelly that matched that six-week stay in 1998; “The Power of Love,” which topped the chart for four weeks in 1993; and “My Heart Will Go On,” which reigned for two weeks at No. 1 in 1998. ¶ Likewise, two of her four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 spent three weeks each atop that chart, “Falling Into You” and “All the Way . . . A Decade of Song,” both in 1996. ¶ Titles on these charts are ordered by peak position on the Hot 100 and the Billboard 200, respectively. If more than one title peaked at the same position, ties were broken by the number of weeks spent at the peak. ¶ If ties still remained, they were broken by the number of weeks on the chart, and then in the top 10 and/or the top 40, depending on where the title peaked. ••••SAY IT WITH CELINE: valentine's day gifts from dion's marketing line Through her Web site and other retailers, Celine Dion offers fans an impressive array of merchandise and other opportunities. Here’s a sample just in time for Valentine’s Day. Tour Getaway Package In Paris Looking for the most lavish Celine Valentine’s Day gift imaginable? Take your beloved to Dion’s 2008 Taking Chances world tour in Paris. This exclusive tour getaway package, endorsed by celinedion.com, includes hotel accommodations, premium seats for the May 24 show at Omnisports de Bercy and a buffet breakfast. Other dates and destinations also available. Between £400 and £500 ($780-$975) at eventtravel.co.uk. (Airfare not included.) ‘Celine Dion Live in Las Vegas’ DVD Dion’s “A New Day . . .” Vegas concert was released on DVD in December, complete with richly detailed photographs and generous liner notes. The two-disc set includes the full-length performance at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, with behind-the-scenes footage of the cast and Dion at home, backstage and in her dressing room ($16.99 at Amazon). Bejeweled Bits Adornments flow generously at celinedion.com, including a leather/chrome key ring with the “Celine Dion” script logo engraved in the center, available in four colors; pewter and gold-toned embossed key chains; stainless starter charm bracelet with 18 interlocking links; a black and gold lapel pin with raised logo; and the best, a Good Luck Frog Charm, which showcases Dion’s two lucky symbols: a “cuddly” frog and the number “5” ($6-$22 at celinedion.com). Enchanting Fragrance Gift Set The latest fragrance in Dion’s ever-expanding Coty line includes 1-ounce and 0.5-ounce eau de toilette sprays, 6.7-ounce body lotion and 2.5-ounce travel-size shower gel. Packaged in a purple fabric-covered box ($19.99 at target.com). ‘Celine Dion: For Keeps’ This 2005 192-page fan keepsake is a combination scrapbook, memoir, picture book and biography. It contains mementos from her personal archives, including family photos, career keepsakes, inspirations, letters, wedding program with René Angélil and Dion commentary ($39.95 at bordersstores.com). Membership to TeamCeline Dion’s online VIP Club offers ticket presales and premium seating for the Taking Chances tour, exclusive photos, video and audioclips, downloads, e-mail newsletters with insider information, discounts on merchandise, contests and a personalized membership card ($40 at celinedion.com). Celine Dion Wall Clock When it’s time to show how much you care, these custom-made 10-inch clocks make an up-to-the-minute statement. Silver plastic frame with a variety of Dion poses. Search eBay for “Celine clocks” and you’ll be directed to Pam’s Gifts and Collectibles ($17.95, delivered to your door). Pen and Pencil Set Write your own love notes with a designer set offering a metallic blue ballpoint pen and mechanical pencil. “Celine Dion” logo is printed in gold, complementing trim and clip. Packaged in a collectable logo-embossed silver tin case. For the economically minded, there’s also an iridescent purple push-action ballpoint pen ($8-$30 at celinedion.com). ‘Gregorian Chant Tribute to Celine Dion’ For the Dion fan that has everything, there’s the “Gregorian Chant Tribute to Celine Dion” CD, issued in 2004 on Big Eye Music, comprising dusky, male choral arrangements of such hits as “The Power of Love,” “My Heart Will Go On,” “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Chances are your love doesn’t have this one: at Amazon, it recently ranked No. 98,155 among popular CDs ($10.98 at Amazon). Celine Dion Gift Certificate Can’t decide on the perfect gift? You select the denomination, your intended chooses the loot. An electronic gift certificate is sent via e-mail to you or your beloved. At celinedion.com. •••• CRITIC'S CHOICE: four superlative albums Since signing with Sony in the United States in 1990, Celine Dion has released a mightily prolific 22 albums. Billboard senior pop correspondent Chuck Taylor offers his take on a handful of her best recordings. ‘Falling Into You,’ 1996 Dion’s fourth English-language album marked a commercial pinnacle, after previous English set, 1993’s “The Colour of My Love,” delivered her first U.S. No. 1 hit, “The Power of Love.” This set helped define her professional persona, perhaps permanently pinning her “diva” designation—less so because of the tender, David Foster-produced ballad “Because You Loved Me,” than bombastic top five hits “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” from Jim Steinman and an explosive cover of Eric Carmen’s “All by Myself.” The album also raised the bar on Dion’s subtle side, with the bossa nova-lite title track, sensual “Seduces Me” and somber “Fly,” dedicated to her niece, who died from cystic fibrosis. The set won the Grammy Award for album of the year. ‘A New Day Has Come,’ 2002 Dion’s “comeback” album, following a two-year hiatus in which she had a baby and took her first extended vacation since launching her career in 1981, is a superlative collection. Sony promoted the set as an event record; it debuted at No. 1 in 24 countries, including the United States. The title track, which appears here as a delicate, piano-driven ballad and an uptempo radio remix, set a record at AC radio, spending 21 weeks at No. 1. Other hits abounded: sunny “I’m Alive,” included on the “Stuart Little 2” soundtrack; doleful “Goodbye’s (The Saddest Word)”; and a reverent cover of “At Last,” popularized by Etta James. But consider the great songs here that didn’t reach radio: the consummate diva ballad “I Surrender;” the high-energy dancefloor toss-up “Sorry for Love”; uptempo melodic singalongs “Right in Front of You” and “When the Wrong One Loves You Right”; and august gem “The Greatest Reward.” Across the board, Dion, her A&R team and Sony’s promotional moxie are at the top of their game here. ‘S’il Suffisait D’aimer,’ 1998 Dion’s 19th French album realigned her with famed French singer/songwriter Jean-Jacques Goldman, who produced 1995’s “D’eux,” the best-selling French-language LP of all time, according to Sony. The dulcet but bittersweet title track, which translates to “If Only Love Could Be Enough,” exemplifies the set’s understated arrangements, designed to let Dion’s vocals reign—and is among her most exquisite French hits. Two hits followed: “Zora Sourit” and “On Ne Change Pas,” and like so much of her French-language output, there is less emphasis on the “money notes.” The album’s profound success outside of France and Canada also made it commercially momentous: With “D’eux,” it is the second French-language album to sell gold in the United Kingdom, according to the BPI. It also garnered certifications in Poland, Portugal and the Netherlands, among other nations. “S’il Suffisait” also won the Canadian Juno Award for Francophone album of the year. ‘Let’s Talk About Love,’ 1997 Dion’s fifth English set showcases a world-class superstar in a position to command collaboration with her choice of musical royalty. She duets with lifelong idol Barbra Streisand on melodramatic anthem “Tell Him,” in which the elder offers lyrical life lessons to her protégé—ultimately ironic in that Dion was on the verge of trouncing Streisand as one of the world’s best-selling female singer, according to Sony. The Bee Gees wrote and sang on the handsome “Immortality,” while Carole King contributed equally mature ballad “The Reason,” produced with consummate grace by the great George Martin. While not U.S. hits, both rank among Dion’s most majestic performances. Of course, it was “My Heart Will Go On,” the ubiquitous theme from “Titanic,” that propelled “Let’s Talk About Love” to No. 1. The album is also noteworthy in that it finally provided a stateside setting for “To Love You More,” a No. 1 hit for five weeks in Japan two years earlier. As Dion’s most sophisticated and melodically complex recording—and a live staple for a decade—it spent eight weeks at No. 1 at U.S. AC radio and reached No. 11 on Hot 100 Airplay. In all, “Let’s Talk About Love” became the No. 2 album of the year, behind—what else?—the soundtrack to “Titanic,” on the Billboard year-end charts. ‘Beauty and the beast,’ 1992 Call it Disney schmaltz, but Dion’s third English hit and second top 10 single is among the songs that most impacted Dion’s career. It cleared all that confusion about “Saline,” “Salon” and other pronunciation massacres of her name. With a little help from Peabo Bryson, Dion became a household name with this top 10 hit, not to mention earning her Academy, Grammy, Golden Globe and Juno kudos. •••• BY RAY WADDELL The Long Haul Dion’s Veteran Crew Ready To Take Huge Production Around The World Transitioning an artist’s production from one of the most elaborate music shows Las Vegas has seen to a live concert production that will travel around the globe is no small task, but Celine Dion’s crew is up to the challenge. The Vegas “A New Day . . .” production was designed to be in one place for five years. For her Taking Chances world tour, which begins Feb. 14 in Johannesburg, Dion’s 104-person traveling crew will leave nothing to chance as they load it in, set it up, deliver the show, tear it down and move it to the next arena. In this case, familiarity breeds success. “Most of the people [on the tour]have been with Celine a long time, the musical director [Claude LeMay] and myself for more than 20 years,” Dion’s tour manager Denis Savage says. “It is a little hard to leave the comfort of a five-year run, but it is also very exciting to go out and do another show.” Production on Taking Chances is a 360-degree, in-the-round configuration, “which gives people great seats that are never far from the stage,” Savage says. Having promoted Dion’s five years at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, the Concerts West personnel have long observed Dion’s crew in action. “Working with the Celine Dion crew is a privilege and a pleasure,” says Jim Allison, Concerts West tour director for the North American run of Taking Chances. “They are consummate professionals who really know how to deliver an amazing show night after night.” Below are key personnel traveling the world with Dion’s Taking Chances tour. TEAM CELINE Manager: René Angélil Tour director: Denis Savage Tour manager: Michel Dion (talent) Tour manager: Patrick Angélil (production, logistics and media relations) Production manager: Rick Mooney Assistant production manager: Shari Weber Stage manager: Alexandre Miasnikof Artist’s personal security: Nick Skokos Tour rigger: Brian Collins Lighting director: Yves “Lapin” Aucoin Front of house engineer: Francois “Frankie” Desjardins Monitor engineer: Charles Ethier Audio system engineer: Mario St. Onge RF engineer: Marc Theriault Assistant lighting director/lighting head: Karl Gaudreau Video director: Veillet Mireille Head back-line tech: Jeff Dubois Head video: Martin Perreault Production assistants: Sharie Weber, Stephanie Duval Tour accountant: Sylvia Hebel Director: Jamie King Promoter (North America): Concerts West/AEG Live Tour director: Jim Allison, Concerts West Production director: Lonnie McKenzie Lighting, audio, video vendor: Solotech, Montreal Stage: built by Scenetique Trucking: Truck n’ Roll, Montreal Coaches (both for North America), Roadhouse Band: Musical director: Claude LeMay Drums: Dominique Messier Bass: Marc Langis Guitars: André Coutu Guitars, violin: Jean Sebastien Carré Keyboards: Yves Frulla Percussion: Nanette Fortier Background vocals: Elise Duguay, Marilou Gauthier, Barnev Valsaint Dancers: Amanda Balen, Melissa Garcia, Kemba Shannon, Addie Yungme, Zac Brazenas, Dominic Chaiguang, Aaron Foelske, Miguel Perez ••••
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