René doesn't want French songs on English CDs

[Céline's Blues]

Quebec singer a success in any language

Nov. 2, 2006. 06:15 AM

CANADIAN PRESS

 

Quebec personality Gregory Charles is out to bridge the cultural divide between English Canada and his home province with a CD that has already clobbered two of the country's most cherished icons in sales.

 

In its first two weeks of release, his debut English-language collection of love songs, "I Think of You," has topped the album chart with more than triple the sales of new CDs by the Tragically Hip and Sarah McLachlan in the same period, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan Canada.

 

Roughly 90 per cent of his disc's sales were in Quebec, but the chart success bodes well for his chances to conquer the rest of Canada, the versatile performer suggested by phone from his home in Montreal.

 

"I'm maybe one of those people that can bridge that great divide," Charles says of the fact that many Quebec sensations — even the English-speaking ones — are practically invisible in the rest of Canada.

 

Despite his fame in Quebec as a TV host and interpreter of classic songs, Charles is little known outside the province. But he says he's well-prepared to change that, just as international superstar Celine Dion did before him.

 

"It is a hurdle, but I'm willing to start over," says Charles, whose biographical musical show "Black and White" packed Montreal's Bell Centre for four years and toured New York and Toronto.

 

"I'm willing to be the person that in Quebec has been really well-known for the past 20 years and go to Ontario or to Manitoba or to British Columbia and be asked, `OK, so who are you exactly?' "

 

Charles seemed to come out of nowhere when he debuted at the top of the album charts three weeks ago with his new disc, selling nearly 93,000 copies of "I Think of You" compared to the Hip's 27,000 copies of "World Container" and McLachlan's 19,000 copies of "Wintersong."

 

He held onto the top spot in his second week with 44,000 copies in sales, while the Hip slipped to third place with 11,000 and McLachlan dropped to sixth place with 9,000.

 

Even though sales were heavily weighted towards Quebec, they are still remarkable figures, says Vanessa Thomas, general manager of Nielsen SoundScan.

 

Sales figures that high are typically reserved for established international stars such as Coldplay — the last act to achieve such heights when they came out with 2005's "X&Y."

 

"It's very high, especially for a Canadian artist," says Thomas, also noting that Quebec music fans tend to be known for their boosterism.

 

"That's usually reserved for a Celine (Dion) or a Shania (Twain) or somebody like that."

 

Charles credits the big sales to francophone enthusiasm, noting that even though "I Think of You" is an English-language disc, it occasionally gets filed in the "French" section of Quebec record stores.

 

The 38-year-old classically trained pianist says he hopes to soon win sales in the rest of Canada, describing himself as the "perfect Canadian."

 

His father is an English-speaking, black immigrant from Trinidad, while his mother is a white, French-speaking Quebecer.

 

He's also travelled the country extensively throughout his varied career, which included hosting the RDI/Newsworld show "Culture Shock" and various TV galas.

 

"While people are arguing about politics and Constitution and arguing about other stuff, there are people like me who are the results of the process, and people like (Canadian Idol winner and fellow Quebecer Eva) Avila, who are the result of this great mosaic of cultures," says Charles, whose cousin is Toronto hip-hop star k-os.

 

Despite his grand plans, he says there is one cultural hurdle too great to tackle: a truly bilingual, French/English disc.

 

Charles says he initially toyed with the idea of including both French and English songs on his album, but abandoned the thought following advice from supporters Dion and her husband and manager Rene Angelil.

 

They thought it would be too difficult to mesh such divergent cultures, and Charles ultimately agreed.

 

"Writing in English and writing in French is not the same thing," explains Charles, who toured with Dion years ago as a backup singer.

"Because a lot of the words are short, it's very easy to rhyme words in English and rhymes do not sound tacky in English. In French, when you start rhyming sentences, they sound really weird. ... For some reason ... a rock 'n' roll song will sound dirty in French."

 

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentSe...id=968332188492

 

CSCfan: Where does it say René doesn't WANT English songs on her English albums?

Edward: Read, comprehend and infer.

 

 

This is one everlasting problem Céline and René has been facing throughout years and they decided simply to start two different careers. Without any crossings. I find that pity cuzz this way Céline didn't bring anything new into English music copying Whitney/Barbra/Anna and mixing it together to get something that ppl may like. I have always said it would be nice to have this Quebec touch in her English music.Something that would tell the Americans: You are buying an English record of the Quebecoise du siecle. Instead you got:

 

- in 1994: A good Canadian copy of Whitney Houston

- in 1997: a good copy of the American Barbra Streisand

- in 2002: a good copy of Jessica Simpson

- in 2003: a bad, very bad copy of Britney Spears

 

If it's their decision I respect that fully but I would expect more of her and René. Then again we all know what he is really after, so... it's logical to assume he would never do that.

[firebird]

I'd like to have a mixed-languages albums. I don't know why they say it's divergent. They also did it with Spanish songs on LTAL or ANDHC

I have always said it would be nice to have this Quebec touch in her English music.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

She doesn't even have it in her French music which is written by French writers (Marnay, Goldman, Veneruso, Benzi ...) , or quebecois writers whose writing style doesn't have anything specifically quebecois (Plamondon), so it's even more difficult in her English music.

[Chin]

Rene doesn't want French songs in English CDs, but want Spanish songs?

coz A New Day Has Come & Let's Talk About Love album both have a Spanish song in it...

[Bellamy]

I think Rene is absolutely right about this.

[Esty]

Rene doesn't want French songs in English CDs, but want Spanish songs?

coz A New Day Has Come & Let's Talk About Love album both have a Spanish song in it...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Truly, if there are Spanish songs on two of her albums, why not include French ones as well? French is her native language, and it would be quite "intimate" and personal if Celine would include French songs. They'd be something different and refreshing on an album filled with mainstream English songs...

[Michel xx...]

we have to admit that the french songs are very nice!! as she said at the Stade de France in 1999, "the best language to express love, will always be french".. I like it when she sings in her native language..

I prefere that to Spanish..

[Un Rêve]

I agree with Céline and René. The 2 languages are too different and so are the songs.

[Chin]

actually, there is a French song in the Miracle album (Le loup, la biche et le chevalier)

anyway, I do agree that it would be better to not include French songs in an English album

[CSCfan]

CSCfan: Where does it say René doesn't WANT English songs on her English albums? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

What are you babbling about.

 

actually, there is a French song in the Miracle album (Le loup, la biche et le chevalier)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yes there is and IMHO, it just doesn't fit. For some reason I always seem to skip that track when listening to the album. It's not because I don't like it, 'coz I do (and there are worse tracks on the album), but it just doesn't mix/flow..

 

English & French are so very different, not only the language, but the meaning, the rhyme, the melody, and lots more. And those 2 languages on one CD just wouldn't do it..

 

BUT, that doesn't mean they couldn't go for a slightly different approach: make it a double disc release. One disc with English songs and one disc with French songs (and no, no Dual Disc). That I would love.

Edited November 3, 2006 at 04:45 PM by CSCfan

[celinesounds]

And what happen with CSV1?

 

2 French songs PQTMAE and Ziggy

 

I know it's a compilation, but we have Spanish + English + French songs together in a same album

[anewdayhascome]

and Japanese!

[krazy_kool_dude]

And what happen with CSV1?

 

2 French songs PQTMAE and Ziggy

 

I know it's a compilation, but we have Spanish + English + French songs together in a same album

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

i don't think Rene was responsible for that album.

[lauracd]

I agree with Céline and René. The 2 languages are too different and so are the songs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

You're right!

I agree with them too!

[Elaine]

Yes there is and IMHO, it just doesn't fit. For some reason I always seem to skip that track when listening to the album. It's not because I don't like it, 'coz I do (and there are worse tracks on the album), but it just doesn't mix/flow..

 

I agree! The same happens with me when I listen to an album which has Spanish songs included! I also love those songs, but I sometimes catch myself skipping tracks unconciously...

Yes, I think René is right about not putting French songs in an English album, because they're too different!! I love the French albuns and I love the English albuns, but they have different styles.

[whosarahre]

obviously!

[celinesounds]

Live A Paris’s European edition has To Love You More as a bonnus

 

Edited November 7, 2006 at 05:19 AM by celinemariedion

[celinesounds]

And what happen with CSV1?

 

2 French songs PQTMAE and Ziggy

 

I know it's a compilation, but we have Spanish + English + French songs together in a same album

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

i don't think Rene was responsible for that album.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I don't know, is a mix of languages ohhh I forgot Japanese song

[Andrei Dion]

Me neither