"These Are Special Times" album - Official Topic

[Davey84]

Thank you Luis!! Christmas is my favourite time of year! LOL And no plastic, only real glass balls!

 

Yeah I know!! We are soooo in need of a new x-mas album!! Hopefully one day... :sad:

[LuisMa]

Hopefully one day...

[Celine Fan 77]

My mother, my brother and I decorated the house with Christmas stuff last saturday (yeah, December 8, we had never done it as soon!) while playing Celine's These Are Special Times album. It became a ritual in recent years in our house, and what a perfect way to start the Christmas session!

 

I think everyone here knows how much I love Celine Dion, but, after listening to her Christmas album... Gosh... It brings back a lot of beautiful memories, I love her even more now!

 

Although I listen to the full album every Christmas, each year I pick two or three songs from the record as "my Christmas songs of the year" (I know, quite weird ). For example, back in 2009 I first discovered the album and I was stunned by that gorgeous CBS special included on the bonus DVD that came with the CD, so my Christmas songs for that first year of fanhood were O Holy Night, Don't Save It All For Christmas Day and O Come All Ye Faithful. (These two were added to the list after watching Celine's surprise performances at Disney's Christmas Day Parade)

 

Then in 2010, I picked Happy Xmas (War Is Over) and The Magic Of Christmas Day (God Bless Us Everyone). I couldn't actually believe that I didn't pay more attention to this couple of songs before, and I was, once again, stunned by her vocal power and capability of moving even the coldest heart with her Christmas songs (God I hate to get so cheesy... I guess it's 'The Magic Of Christmas Session ' LOL.

 

For a third time, Celine's Christmas songs joined my for the Holliday session in 2011. This time I picked I Met An Angel (On Christmas Day), Christmas Eve and Feliz Navidad. I probably first discovered the video of Celine singing the first song last year and, of course, fell in love with it at the instant. The two other songs were played very often at the jewellery shop in which I usually work around Christmas time since 2010.

 

This year, I have the feeling that the songs are going to be Blue Christmas and Ave Maria, which my father plays all year long since he can't get enough of Celine on this song, just like on Le Blues Du Businessman

 

Feliz Navidad to all members of CelineDionForum!!

[DionFanAlways]

^Thanks you also

[smw]

I don't know if this is the best idea --- But since she could never top the tremendous success of TAST, perhaps a bonus edition with a handful of new songs would suffice. Mariah should not have released an entirely new Xmas album. I think she could have done the same thing. Just re-release (a remastered edition of) the album with a handful of new songs at the end.

 

That way, it would still boost sales of the current album but we will have new songs to enjoy. I've been craving a new Celine Christmas album since her Walgreens commercial a few years ago (Oh, Christmas Tree… Oh, Christmas Tree….). So lovely. And then the talk of new David Foster tracks. That would be a nice followup next year to the new English album in Spring.

 

And now for a tangent only an obsessed fan like myself could go on...

 

I would like to believe that Celine has many, many more years of projects ahead of her. More albums covering classic songs, more Christmas albums, etc. But I'm not sure what her career will be once Rene gets older. Perhaps Rene Charles will take over as manager? (Celine hasn't exactly been invested in that side of her career.) Or will Celine simply retire? I can imagine her disappearing for decades, then she comes out of hiding for a rare performance when she's much older. And gets an incredibly passionate, emotional standing ovation.

[DionFanAlways]

And now for a tangent only an obsessed fan like myself could go on...

 

I would like to believe that Celine has many, many more years of projects ahead of her. More albums covering classic songs, more Christmas albums, etc. But I'm not sure what her career will be once Rene gets older. Perhaps Rene Charles will take over as manager? (Celine hasn't exactly been invested in that side of her career.) Or will Celine simply retire? I can imagine her disappearing for decades, then she comes out of hiding for a rare performance when she's much older. And gets an incredibly passionate, emotional standing ovation.

Interesting thought about Rene Charles but I don't see that nor do I see a different manager for her. Sadly I feel, and this is just my opinion, that once Rene is gone so will be Celene......

[DionFanAlways]

^typo: Celine

[Javito]

Interesting thought about Rene Charles but I don't see that nor do I see a different manager for her. Sadly I feel, and this is just my opinion, that once Rene is gone so will be Celene......

 

Maybe... or maybe not. Remember when René had his illness in 1999 and he thought it could be his end, and he asked Céline that no matter what happened to him he wanted her to keep singing... Céline wanted to cancel the world tour and he said no, he asked her to sing for him, and so she did. So hopefully when René is not here, he will wish the same and Céline will continue singing and performing, maybe much less and here and there only, but still recording and singing

[chocolatechip15]

I would like to believe that Celine has many, many more years of projects ahead of her. More albums covering classic songs, more Christmas albums, etc. But I'm not sure what her career will be once Rene gets older. Perhaps Rene Charles will take over as manager? (Celine hasn't exactly been invested in that side of her career.) Or will Celine simply retire? I can imagine her disappearing for decades, then she comes out of hiding for a rare performance when she's much older. And gets an incredibly passionate, emotional standing ovation.

 

It's a sad thought, imagining Celine without Rene, because they're such a perfect partnership, and I don't think she'd ever trust anyone with the completeness with which she trusts Rene, nor could anyone else know her as well.

 

But I think Celine will always continue to sing in some capacity . . I don't think RC would become her manager, because she'd need someone with experience (and I also don't think she'd push him into something he may not necessarily want). . . . my guess is that Rene, who always makes sure that Celine is well taken-care-of, will hand-pick his successor. I remember reading an interview with Mego which mentioned that in 1999, when Rene got sick, he delegated some decisions to Mego and asked him to help Celine.

 

Also, remember that, important as Rene is, there's a whole team involved in managing a career as big as Celine's (Feeling Productions, plus other members of their team). It's a team that they've cultivated over the years that would remain with Celine.

[quaizee]

Maybe... or maybe not. Remember when René had his illness in 1999 and he thought it could be his end, and he asked Céline that no matter what happened to him he wanted her to keep singing... Céline wanted to cancel the world tour and he said no, he asked her to sing for him, and so she did. So hopefully when René is not here, he will wish the same and Céline will continue singing and performing, maybe much less and here and there only, but still recording and singing

 

The interesting thing is that Céline can handle her own career, being a producer, songwriter and all the other things that René mange, even when he is alive. If this happens one day, she'll be even more powerful in many ways. I mean Rene had done an extraordinary job managing her career, but come on, this can be an extra 'point' for Celine's career

Edited December 12, 2012 at 01:21 AM by quaizee

[LuisMa]

"These Are Special Times" moves up 34 spots this week on The Billboard 200:

 

 

[RRphantom]

what's the shame that Merry Christmas (Mariah Carey album) almost surpass "These Are Special Times" in selling figures and "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is back to no.29 at billboard hot 100?

we should ask Sony to release "I met an angel on christmas day" as a single

[Javito]

TAST doesn't get out of my CD player these days (next with Annie Lennox's "A Christmas Cornucopia" and Enya's "And Winter Came" ) and these days I'm in love again, rediscovering "I'm Your Angel" I'm not going through my best holidays this year because I've lost my grandmother 3 weeks ago, but again I think music can be healing and I find those lyrics are so encouraging to me for these tough days. I loved her like a mother and she's truly my big angel in the heavens now .

 

By the way, I wonder why Céline never got to share the stage with R. Kelly to sing this song? She's sang it almost with everybody (Garou, Barnev) except the author of the song

 

[Celine Fan 77]

TAST doesn't get out of my CD player these days (next with Annie Lennox's "A Christmas Cornucopia" and Enya's "And Winter Came" ) and these days I'm in love again, rediscovering "I'm Your Angel" I'm not going through my best holidays this year because I've lost my grandmother 3 weeks ago, but again I think music can be healing and I find those lyrics are so encouraging to me for these tough days. I loved her like a mother and she's truly my big angel in the heavens now .

 

By the way, I wonder why Céline never got to share the stage with R. Kelly to sing this song? She's sang it almost with everybody (Garou, Barnev) except the author of the song

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYE80wtK4pU

 

I remember there were rumors a while ago that Celine's team and R. Kelly's team took different directions (don't ask me what that might mean LOL)

[LuisMa]

Music is definitely healing, Javito...

 

And also regarding "I'm Your Angel", given its big success and everything, it's a shame that it's gonna be regarded more as an R&B/pop hit than a Christmas single. I believe that had one or more Christmas singles been heavily promoted during the holidays TAST was released, an even more hugely selling album we woud have had nowadays. I remember "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day" was also given a push in 1999, but AC was all over "That's The Way It Is" that it never became a decent AC hit. And 2000 would have been a good year to introduce a happy Christmas song, as Celine was on hiatus, but the label did nothng. Terrible, as in 2000 the album was still a sizeable hit.

[Javito]

Music is definitely healing, Javito...

 

And also regarding "I'm Your Angel", given its big success and everything, it's a shame that it's gonna be regarded more as an R&B/pop hit than a Christmas single. I believe that had one or more Christmas singles been heavily promoted during the holidays TAST was released, an even more hugely selling album we woud have had nowadays. I remember "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day" was also given a push in 1999, but AC was all over "That's The Way It Is" that it never became a decent AC hit. And 2000 would have been a good year to introduce a happy Christmas song, as Celine was on hiatus, but the label did nothng. Terrible, as in 2000 the album was still a sizeable hit.

 

Sony Music has always been an expert in ruining Céline's albums promotion while the albums were still making decent sales and despite knowing that they had enough single material (and of quality) for more single releases...

[DionFanAlways]

I remember there were rumors a while ago that Celine's team and R. Kelly's team took different directions (don't ask me what that might mean LOL)

Uh, yeah.

[nuts2you]

you know its very hard now a days to find this album anywhere,

[Peppercorn1991]

Sony cannot be blamed for everything....... they do have to have an artist who wants to pull their weight too to push songs..... performances

 

kev x

[Henri]

TAST is currently selling well here on Mid-price list (PPD price being less than 8 euros). This is due to some Christmas campaign by cdon.fi.

 

49/2012 1.

48/2012 4.

47/2012 7.

46/2012 4.

45/2012 2.

44/2012 3.

49/2011 6.

48/2011 4.

47/2011 8.

 

Source: http://ifpi.fi/tilastot/virallinen-lista/artistit/celine+dion/these+are+special+times

[TommKat22]

So, I just got back from my grandma's where she gets AARP magazine, and I was flipping through it and found something interesting. They were naming Christmas memories of decades past by listing the biggest shows, trends, music, etc. of each decade, and for the '90s they had These Are Special Times by Celine in the music section! I don't know about you guys, but I thought that was kind of cool! It was nice to see Celine remembered, and that the album is remembered, more or less, as the definitive Christmas album of the nineties!

[LuisMa]

The album is down this week on the Billboard 200, but it's not that bad, as many Christmas albums suffered declines. It's at number 150.

 

 

[garçon]

Could somebody please tell the amount of (additional?) sales TAST earned since the re-rease in 2007?

[celine4evauk]

Was shopping after work tonight and Celine's Don't Save It All For Christmas Day came on!!!!

Don't think i've ever heard that song in a shop in my town before. Was walking down the aisles like this

[beelee]

I don't think this has been posted yet:

 

Chart Watch Extra: Christmas Albums, From Bing To Buble

 

Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas has sold 5,261,000 copies since its release in 1994. It's the top-seller by a female vocalist in the Nielsen SoundScan era, narrowly edging out Celine Dion's These Are Special Times, which has sold 5,257,000 copies since its release in 1998. Carey's album features "All I Want For Christmas Is You," which has sold 2,311,000 digital copies. Dion's album contained the #1 hit "I'm Your Angel," a collabo with R. Kelly, though the song's connection to the holidays was slight.

 

http://music.yahoo.c...-174950904.html

Edited December 22, 2012 at 01:53 AM by beelee

[Peppercorn1991]

I don't think this has been posted yet:

 

Chart Watch Extra: Christmas Albums, From Bing To Buble

 

Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas has sold 5,261,000 copies since its release in 1994. It's the top-seller by a female vocalist in the Nielsen SoundScan era, narrowly edging out Celine Dion's These Are Special Times, which has sold 5,257,000 copies since its release in 1998. Carey's album features "All I Want For Christmas Is You," which has sold 2,311,000 digital copies. Dion's album contained the #1 hit "I'm Your Angel," a collabo with R. Kelly, though the song's connection to the holidays was slight.

 

http://music.yahoo.c...-174950904.html

 

So celine has sold nearly as much but her album came our four years after MC's. So Celine is doing really well! its litrally only a few thousand between them.

 

BTW celines version of "so this is Christmas" was blasting in the big shopping mall this week! I loved it! People were humming along and singing as i walked though the mall.

 

kev x

[TommKat22]

I heard "Christmas Eve" playing over the music station during my break at work yesterday, and I just sat there with a smile

on my face. ahaha

[chocolatechip15]

I was at my office holiday party, telling everyone about my upcoming trip to Vegas to see Celine and saying what a crazy fan I am, and then Celine's version of Feliz Navidad started playing. Fabulous moment! :-)

[Tyler1991]

I have fallen in love with the song "These Are The Special Times" ....wow, the first time I heard this album I must have hated it because I think I've only heard it once and it left no impression of me, but this time, I have fallen in love with it. It's a song that can be sung at any occasion, so I'd love to see it in the Vegas show.

[LuisMa]

I played the album at my hubby's uncle's Christmas party on the 25th, and several of his cousins loved the album. I urged them to visit Amazon and get their copies. One even asked me for help to set up an iTunes account and order it immediately.

 

It makes me happy when I spread the Celine love.