119 replies to this topic

[fred]

To my big surprise I just heard I Met An Angel (On Christmas Day) on the biggest national radio station's live night broadcast. It's been some time since I heard her on radio, and I would never had guessed it would be this track I'd hear the next time.

This is really wierd. From what I know I Met An Angel (On Christmas Day) was only a bonus track/B-side track on That's The Way It Is single cd. Was it even on all versions of that single? And how did it end up in the Sweden's national radio playlist in 2011?? A minor mystery...

Since we know it wasn't included on any album (or was it on some versions?!) isn't it really odd that it's played on radio so many years after it was a bonus track on a single release. Was it sent as a promo to radio stations during the Christmas season?

And why is there a "performance", a video clip of this track when it's "only" a bonus to the hit That's The Way It Is?

Come on people. Clear the mystery around this track.

/fred

[Alex_Incognito]

I've always wondered the same thing, Fred. It really is a great track. I was amazed when it was performed over a decade ago (and was really a fun performance and full of personality).  I remember thinking "Woah! a new song!"

I've never heard it anywhere else (besides when it first aired on TV). Never on the radio, so you were in luck!

I also think her re-do of "Petit Papa Noel" is fantastic vocally (I wish there was a Chipmunkless version!).

[I Drove All Night!]

I have this on a CD in my car right now.... and I was totally thinking the same thing about the music video and everything the other day.  It's super bizarre that they spent the money on the video but never released it anywhere but on the TTWII single.  Such a fantastic song, I feel like it could've done really well if it was officially released (and got any kind of promotion..) It's such a great up-beat song

[Alex_Incognito]

It wasn't a music video. It was a "performance" for a TV special. I believe it was a Christmas special called Hullabaloo. She sure looked gorgeous and lots went into that!

It's a shame that it wasn't put on the special edition of the These Are Special Times album.

Edited by Alex_Incognito, 11 December 2011 - 11:28 PM.

[ferjaacu]

I Drove All Night!, on Dec 12 2011, 02:24 AM, said:

I have this on a CD in my car right now.... and I was totally thinking the same thing about the music video and everything the other day.  It's super bizarre that they spent the money on the video but never released it anywhere but on the TTWII single.  Such a fantastic song, I feel like it could've done really well if it was officially released (and got any kind of promotion..) It's such a great up-beat song

I know, right??? I didn't know about this song & performance video until someone posted them here some time ago It's a great song, but I think that it didn't fit on TAST and that's why it wasn't promoted Who knows !!

[CelineAndRene]

How bizarre. Maybe the DJ just wanted to play it? VERY EXCITING NONE THE LESS! I only hear 'Oh Holy Night' on the radio...

[I Love You]

How Weird, That they played that song.   I love that song, and I love the music video its hilarious.  

[Davey84]

Here in Holland the song is played for years on Skyradio, a big station...  I even heard it used in a tv show once as background music!

I guess the song was put on a xmas compilation promo by Sony...

[stchba]

I hear "Christmas Eve" on Sirius XM Radio (its the only Celine christmas song i have ever heard on sirius xm) , and "Oh Holy Night" on free radio.

[Chin]

Last Christmas, the song "The Magic Of Christmas Day (God Bless Us Everyone)" was playing in a big shopping mall in HK
I think it's one of the song from their playlist, so I guess the song was playing all day and everyday of Christmas season in the shopping mall
Anyway, I haven't been there this December yet, so I don't know if they will be playing Celine this year

[Celine Fan 77]

One of the things that confuses me the most about this song is the fact that the audio track included in the european edition of the That's The Way It Is single was taken from that TV performance 'cause you can heart the applauses of the crowd at the beginning and at the end. But that performance was clearly lipped, I always wondered why didn't they include the STUDIO version in the single (without the noise from the audience). Maybe it was a left-over from the These Are Special Times album and they decided to release it that way, but I'll always wonder why they decide to include audio from that performance instead of the real studio version.

Unfortunately, I have the UK maxi single, which features That's The Way It Is (Metro Club Remix) and Another Year Has Gone By instead of I Met An Angel (On Christmas Day).     But anyway, I think it's one of her greatest Christmas songs and it could definitely be as famous as Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You if it had received some airplay in the past...  

[Javito]

Celine Fan 77, on Dec 12 2011, 10:01 AM, said:

But anyway, I think it's one of her greatest Christmas songs and it could definitely be as famous as Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You if it had received some airplay in the past...  

Absolutely agree with that Carlos! Had it got the proper promotion IN the album and released as a single, it could have been just like Mariah's "All I Want For Christmas"

Also, Christmas Eve was a nice track for radio airplay, but was wasted the same way.

[Celine Fan 77]

I'm not saying that Sony Music wasn't able to promote the album properly (it has become one of the best-selling Christmas albums of all time), I'm saying that they could have done it better (and it was not that difficult). Some of the tracks from this album have become signature songs for Celine, such as The Prayer and I'm Your Angel. Some others have received big airplay on radios over the years (O Holy Night, Happy Christmas (War is Over), Feliz Navidad) and some other songs from the album have a big potential as to be released as singles, like Happy Christmas (War is Over), These Are The Special Times or even Don't Save It All For Christmas Day, which was released as the final single from the album in 2000, but was never promoted. With all this, I want to say that Sony could clearly have done it better.    The way they treated (I Met An Angel) On Christmas Day is just another example of it.

Some of the songs from the album could have been more promoted to make Celine even a bigger star, although the TAST album is played by a lot of people (fans and non-fans) during Christmas time, which means that, eventhough the label didn't promote this project that much, (I think mainly because Celine was performing the LTAL World Tour during the release period of the album) people know and like the songs from it.  

[Javito]

I did not say either that Sony didn't do a good promotion for this album. All the contrary, in fact this album belongs to the best era in terms of her album promotions as it was in the middle of the Titanic boom . Maybe Sony considered it wasn't necessary more promotion because the album would sell by itself, thanks to the Titanic major success. But could they have used part of this effort to promote other singles? Of couse yes.

What I say is that Sony left behind (again) one of the best and more suitable tracks for radio airplay, like they usually do with Céline Both I Met An Angel and Christmas Eve were called to be released as singles and have a nice videoclip to be shown in TV during the holidays, but inexplicably, they didn't even include the song on the album and ignored it.

I agree with the fact that both I'm Your Angel and The Prayer are now signature songs in her career, but like always, if they reached that position is just because the effort they put specifically for those 2 songs to be in that place, but that could have happened with any other song they wanted, just *if* they have wanted They have always emphasized the "duet" aspect of her songs, but did Céline needed Andrea Boccelli or R. Kelly to have success in 1998? No. Could she have enjoyed an equal or bigger success if I Met An Angel had been promoted as a single next with or instead these songs? Absolutely yes. But we'll never know because they never try. This is another example that proves what we already know very well: they always rely on the same kind of songs, they never take any risks in selecting different music for singles. That's sad.

In 1999, thank God they released it as a B-Side and made that gracious video for that TV show, which accidentally or not, its one of her most funny and interesting performances. This video alone is more ellaborated than the IDAN videoclip itself (one of her worst to me ) , which says a lot about how good they can be when they want to

This video performance proved that they can do great things without much effort just if they have the will, but nowadays we know they just don't want to, and we'll have to learn that now they put the minimum effort with every release, but not because she's busy with her family, just because she doesn't want to give her music the value it has

Edited by Javito, 12 December 2011 - 05:42 AM.

[CSCfan]

I just still can't believe they haven't included the song in any of the TAST re-releases........so simple, yet so hard?!

[Xpresso]

Let's hope they include this song on her next Christmas album and actually release it as a single...
It's a "fresh" song with a young vibe to it... so of course Sony would never have released it!
Same with Another Year As Gone By (with Bryan Adams). One of my favorites...

[Celine Fan 77]

The song itself is very fresh, very uptempo. I'm convinced that releasing it as a single back in 1998 wouldn't have done much. (Don't Save It All For Christmas Day was released as a single from that album and wasn't performed by Celine until 2009). So I guess all they should have done with this song would be to give it more radio airplay, and maybe broadcasting that "live" video in some music TV channels such as VH1 or maybe even MTV (which I do no longer consider a music channel). Celine wouldn't even have to perform the song live (well, if she wants to, I won't complain   ) but just the couple of things I said should be enough to bring this song back to life after eleven years in the shadow.

[Matej]

Here in Slovakia, I hear Feliz Navidad, Happy Xmas (War Is Over), I Met An Angel (On Christmas Day) and other Christmas songs on radio stations every year.

[duri]

I have TTWII single cd, this song is really great. Well it´s another Sony "surprise " they didn´t realized it on album CD.

[frana]

This is  a great Christmas song
And this clip is so amazing

Edited by frana, 12 December 2011 - 08:26 AM.

[CelinesDIVO5]

Celine Fan 77, on Dec 12 2011, 04:01 AM, said:

One of the things that confuses me the most about this song is the fact that the audio track included in the european edition of the That's The Way It Is single was taken from that TV performance 'cause you can heart the applauses of the crowd at the beginning and at the end. But that performance was clearly lipped, I always wondered why didn't they include the STUDIO version in the single (without the noise from the audience). Maybe it was a left-over from the These Are Special Times album and they decided to release it that way, but I'll always wonder why they decide to include audio from that performance instead of the real studio version.

Unfortunately, I have the UK maxi single, which features That's The Way It Is (Metro Club Remix) and Another Year Has Gone By instead of I Met An Angel (On Christmas Day).     But anyway, I think it's one of her greatest Christmas songs and it could definitely be as famous as Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You if it had received some airplay in the past...  

I honestly don't think that the song was recorded for TAST. I think it was specifically done for the Hullabaloo special. Hullabaloo was an old musical TV variety show in the 1960's and I guess they wanted to bring it back as a Christmas special. But anyway, I don't think this was actually done in front of a live audience. The applause at the beginning I thik is what they call "candlelight applause" which is just an audio track with a crowd on it..and the end applause I think was just part of the studio version of the song. Either way...it's one of my favorites.

[celinesounds]

Here in Portugal they play

Don't Save It All for Christmas Day
The Magic of Christmas Day
Christmas Eve
Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

once I heard too I Met an Angel

Quote

In December 1999, "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" was used as the lead track to the Target TV special called "And So This Is Christmas". The special featured an instrumental track of the song accompanied by a choir to the introduction to the show and also featured Dion's new Christmas recording "I Met an Angel (On Christmas Day)". The final track of the show used Dion's version of "Happy Xmas" accompanied by Charlotte Church and Gloria Estefan. "I Met an Angel (On Christmas Day)" was included as a B-side to the "That's the Way It Is" single, and appeared on various Christmas compilations in the following years.

Edited by celinesounds, 12 December 2011 - 10:00 AM.

[Javito]

And in the meantime, will we ever listen "We Wish You A Merry Christmas", another unreleased song from the sessions?   

[fred]

I think this is a fun song. The quality isn't the highest but it's really ok anyway. However as a single I have my doubts... but hey would be fun if it would had worked. I would rather have had Christmas Eve' as a single though.

As for singles for TAST I must complain even though this was prior to the ANDHC era. I think it is really wierd when releasing a Christmas album to spoil the track that could had been used to keep her popularity alive after the holliday season as a single during the hollidays. I am of course talking about I'm Your Angel. I it was up to me I would had decided two Christmas songs for the holliday season as singles and then release I'm Your Angel later in the winter or even spring.

If I Met An Angel was intented for TAST I bet it would had been placed somewhere along Feliz Navidad because of the audience and party sound.

/fred

[ennostiel]

In Poland I also heard "I met an Angel" played in December in shopping malls and maybe once on the radio.

Other Xmas songs by Celine played in Poland are: 'Feliz Navidad' (yes!), 'The Christmas song' and I think I once heard 'Blue Christmas' somewhere oh, and 'Christmas Eve' too, a couple times, and I love that song!

[couldawouldashoulda]

Wow - does no one else on this forum remember how this song came about?  I'm surprised!  It was released on a Christmas compilation CD called "And So This Is Christmas" - I bought it just because Celine was on it - probably '99 or '00 due to where I was living at the time...maybe '01.  Most of the album is awful!  Ricky Martin has this crazy song called "Ay Ay Ay It's Christmas!", Gloria Estefan has this horrible ballad called "Love On Layaway" and Charlotte Church butchers "Silent Night".  Celine's song is only one of 2 on the album that I ever listen to - the other is Harry Connick Jr.'s "Silver Bells".  All the songs were recorded specifically for this CD and then there was a television special to promote the album where all the artists created a "video" where they just lip-synched the track from the CD (like an actual music video).

[Goffy]

BLUE CHRISTMAS often plays in Quebec's Radio Station.

[Ray]

Just like Davey, I live in the Netherlands and since the beginning I Met An Angel on Christmas Day has been getting lots of radio airplay during the Christmas season. I always found this weird. Because of the airplay it's Celine's best known Christmas song, but people don't know how to get hold of it, cause when they think it's on the album, they find themselves deceived. Weird!

[ferjaacu]

couldawouldashoulda, on Dec 15 2011, 12:09 PM, said:

Wow - does no one else on this forum remember how this song came about?  I'm surprised!  It was released on a Christmas compilation CD called "And So This Is Christmas" - I bought it just because Celine was on it - probably '99 or '00 due to where I was living at the time...maybe '01.  Most of the album is awful!  Ricky Martin has this crazy song called "Ay Ay Ay It's Christmas!", Gloria Estefan has this horrible ballad called "Love On Layaway" and Charlotte Church butchers "Silent Night".  Celine's song is only one of 2 on the album that I ever listen to - the other is Harry Connick Jr.'s "Silver Bells".  All the songs were recorded specifically for this CD and then there was a television special to promote the album where all the artists created a "video" where they just lip-synched the track from the CD (like an actual music video).

Mmmm That makes sense !!! And also like CelinesDIVO5 said, I think the applauses on the track were not from a live audience on the show, but were actually on the track.

[nano]

They have been playing that song for years here in Finland and actually quite a lot!!

Especially Radio Nova (which is one of the biggest Radio stations here) plays a lot of Celine's Christmas music. I remember hearing: O Holy Night, Ave Maria, Feliz Navidad, These Are Special Times, The Christmas Song, Christmas Eve, Happy Xmas, Adeste Fideles..lol..I think they have played all of her songs!

Edited by nano, 16 December 2011 - 12:38 AM.