"These Are Special Times" album - Official Topic

[justinecoria]

I agree with everyone who's saying that there should have been a single related to TAST. But The Prayer or Don't Save It All For Christmas Day wouldn't have worked. They're too cheesy. I also have a problem with TP, because I think it's not sung in the good key for Celine.

The Magic Of Christmas Day or I Met An Angel (On Christmas Day) would have been much better choices.

And concerning Mariah, it's not just about sales. Mariah made All I Want For Christmas Is You, which comes back every year, and which is HER song. She made a different version of O Holy Night that is totally hers too. Just for that I can concede that she's the queen of Christmas. It's kind of ironic, because Celine was more in the Christmas spirit, but just because of that, she was not very original. And even if people play her during Christmas, it's hard to associate her with Christmas.

[LukeD]

I insist that the sole reason why Celine is not associated with Christmas is because IYA and TP are just spiritual pop songs, lacking a distinct Christmas theme. For instance, had DSIAFCD been released as the lead single and enjoyed the chart success of IYA, then we would have a holiday classic. Moreover, had it been performed as many times as TP has, then it would have at least been popular among AC lovers.

[LukeD]

Anyway, none of this matters as long as we can shout to people, who fail to acknowledge her contribution to Christmas music, that TAST was her THIRD Christmas album and that it sold over 12m copies! It is a good thing that Celine always has numbers to back her up! Edited December 20, 2016 at 05:38 AM by LukeD

[SuperLove4Celine]

These are the views of TAST's tracks on Vevo as of this week. We should all play them to give them a boost this season.

 

13,242,156 Céline Dion - I'm Your Angel

875,476 Céline Dion - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (Official Audio)

810,581 Céline Dion - Ave Maria (Audio) (Official Video)

458,308 Céline Dion - O Holy Night (Audio)

246,029 Céline Dion - Feliz Navidad (Audio)

213,287 Céline Dion - Another Year Has Gone By

166,000 Céline Dion - The Magic of Christmas Day (God Bless Us Everyone) (Audio)

149,932 Céline Dion - Blue Christmas

146,901 Céline Dion - Don't Save It All for Christmas Day (Audio)

107,410 Céline Dion - These Are the Special Times

101,271 Céline Dion - The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)

87,371 Céline Dion - Adeste Fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful)

72,231 Céline Dion - Christmas Eve (Audio)

 

The numbers for "Christmas Eve," "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day," "Feliz Navidad," "O Holy Night" and "The Magic Of Christmas Day (God Bless Us Everyone)" would be much higher if her damn team would release them to those of us in the U.S. **steps off soapbox now**

[Peppercorn1991]

Anyone else really missing Celine in the festive season like me? It's always an extra bonus when she does something Christmassy on TV..

 

Kev x

[Shamrock_1982]

She was on channel 5 with MB again on Sunday night

[Celine Fan 77]

2016 and I still don't understand what Brahm's Lullaby has to do with this album

[celine4evauk]

2016 and I still don't understand what Brahm's Lullaby has to do with this album

 

Because it's also known as Brahms Christmas Lullaby.

 

Not saying it fits the album just because of that, but it might be why they chose it. Also the music is known worldwide, if people don't know the words they'll still recognise the tune.

Edited December 20, 2016 at 05:59 PM by celine4evauk

[comingback]

2016 and I still don't understand what Brahm's Lullaby has to do with this album

 

Because in the 2nd verse of the original german version there is a reference to Christmas.

 

Guten Abend, gute Nacht,

Von Englein bewacht!

Die zeigen im Traum

Dir den Christkindleinsbaum

Droben im Paradies –

Schlaf’ nun selig und süß!

 

Good evening, good night,

be guard by angels, who

show you the Christmas tree in your dreams.

above in the paradise-

now sleep blessed and sweet!

Edited December 20, 2016 at 06:30 PM by comingback

[couldawouldashoulda]

I'm sorry but this is not live...

 

Exactly! She's lip-synching the track from the album just like on the special itself.

[Celine Fan 77]

Because in the 2nd verse of the original german version there is a reference to Christmas.

 

Guten Abend, gute Nacht,

Von Englein bewacht!

Die zeigen im Traum

Dir den Christkindleinsbaum

Droben im Paradies –

Schlaf’ nun selig und süß!

 

Good evening, good night,

be guard by angels, who

show you the Christmas tree in your dreams.

above in the paradise-

now sleep blessed and sweet!

 

 

Still, I find it weird that they decided to include a lullaby on the album just because its original version in German includes a reference to Christmas on the second verse. Another Christmas song should have taken its place in my honest opinion.

[comingback]

Still, I find it weird that they decided to include a lullaby on the album just because its original version in German includes a reference to Christmas on the second verse. Another Christmas song should have taken its place in my honest opinion.

 

http://christmas-bilder.de/maria-josef-jesus/maria-josef-jesus-054.jpg

 

Maybe they thought of Jesus in the crib (or newborns in general) at Christmas.

Edited December 20, 2016 at 07:56 PM by comingback

[comingback]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pbEQRcQrZ8

 

I love this song.

Edited December 20, 2016 at 07:58 PM by comingback

[scielle]

Still, I find it weird that they decided to include a lullaby on the album just because its original version in German includes a reference to Christmas on the second verse. Another Christmas song should have taken its place in my honest opinion.

 

What do you mean? The Christmas musical cannon is full of lullabies... That's kinda the point of the whole thing...I don't see what's incongruous here at all.

 

If there's one thing that doesn't fit on that record it's I'm Your Angel. A tenuous connection to Christmas at best. But mostly, it's just ugly This, along with Incredible, have got to be my most despised Celine songs.

[LukeD]

What do you mean? The Christmas musical cannon is full of lullabies... That's kinda the point of the whole thing...I don't see what's incongruous here at all.

 

If there's one thing that doesn't fit on that record it's I'm Your Angel. A tenuous connection to Christmas at best. But mostly, it's just ugly This, along with Incredible, have got to be my most despised Celine songs.

IYA falls into the bland and soapy 90s ballad domain alongside tracks like BYLM. Lyrically, it is like a spiritual version of the latter. Arguably her most forgotten hit to date! Edited December 20, 2016 at 09:03 PM by LukeD

[LukeD]

Still, I find it weird that they decided to include a lullaby on the album just because its original version in German includes a reference to Christmas on the second verse. Another Christmas song should have taken its place in my honest opinion.

Knowing that Miracle would be her 2004 album release, I think Brams Lullaby should have been included there and not in TAST. Fits this album much better!

[Javito]

What do you mean? The Christmas musical cannon is full of lullabies... That's kinda the point of the whole thing...I don't see what's incongruous here at all.

 

If there's one thing that doesn't fit on that record it's I'm Your Angel. A tenuous connection to Christmas at best. But mostly, it's just ugly This, along with Incredible, have got to be my most despised Celine songs.

 

What? Angels are a pivotal reference for Christmas and also a very important element in the religious context of Christmas (according to the Bible an angel announced Maria that she was pregnant and she would give birth to the son of God you know). Also angels are a very typical ornament on Christmas trees everywhere these days! So I don't find I'm Your Angel out of place at all...

 

Still, I find it weird that they decided to include a lullaby on the album just because its original version in German includes a reference to Christmas on the second verse. Another Christmas song should have taken its place in my honest opinion.

 

I think it was just an excuse for her to record the second verse of the song in French Just another excuse to perform in French in an English album. I find that cute, though. And of course a gesture to her French public again

[scielle]

What? Angels are a pivotal reference for Christmas and also a very important element in the religious context of Christmas (according to the Bible an angel announced Maria that she was pregnant and she would give birth to the son of God you know). Also angels are a very typical ornament on Christmas trees everywhere these days! So I don't find I'm Your Angel out of place at all...

 

 

Oh sure, but the mere use of the word 'angel' does not a Christmas song make. Could just as well be an Easter song. Or any other time of the year.

That, plus IYA is a completely secular song, and IMHO far less Christmassy than Brahms Lullaby.

Edited December 20, 2016 at 10:37 PM by scielle

[Dionism]

I agree that I'm Your Angel falls out of tune with the rest of the songs. It ruins the Christmas feeling, and even its arrangement has nothing Christmassy about it. And because I listen to The Prayer all throughout the year I made my own version of TAST:

 

1. O Holy Night

2. Don't Save It All For Christmas Day

3. Blue Christmas

4. Another Year Has Gone By

5. The Magic Of Christmas Day

6. Ave Maria

7. Adeste Fideles

8. The Chrismas Song

 

9. The Prayer (solo version from 'Quest For Camelot', vocally far more superior version than the Miracle version, it's flawless and gives me goosebumps every time).

 

10. Brahm's Lullaby

11. Christmas Eve

 

12: I Met An Angel (On Christmas Day)

 

13. These Are The Special Times

14. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

 

15. Petit Papa Noel (Chipmunks version, despite the Chipmunks this is 90's Celine at her very very very best, hauntingly beautiful, it is the perfect Christmas song and fits TAST like a glove. They could have used this track, deleted the Chipmunks and it would have become one of the gems of the album).

 

16. Feliz Navidad

17. Les Cloches Du Hameau

 

This way the album is perfect for me and I listen to this version for years now.

Edited December 21, 2016 at 12:13 AM by Dionism

[Leo]

On the back of the TTWII single it only notes 1999. If the song was recorded in 1998, it would have stated that year as well IMO.

 

 

Celine Dion* I Met An Angel (On Christmas Day)

 

Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass [Fodera], Piano, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Percussion – Gary "Headman" Haase*

 

Backing Vocals – LuJuan Carter*

 

Coordinator [Production] – David Barratt (3)

 

Drums – Buddy Williams

 

Engineer [Assistant], Engineer [Additional] – Chris Brooke

 

Engineer [Track] – Dave "Young" Scheuer*, Bob Cadway

 

Mixed By – Humberto Gatica

 

Producer, Arranged By – Ric Wake

 

Saxophone – Chuck Fisher

 

Written-By – Gary Haase, James Lowell

 

Written-By, Backing Vocals – Keith Fluit*

 

Thank you! Rick Wake produced the song... now I'm starting to think there's a slight chance it might be a leftover from TAST. He is the second producer of TAST behind David Foster in terms of number of songs produced. Anyway, he may have worked with Celine in 1999 for the tracks that weren't included on ATW.

[Ronny83]

 

 

Thank you! Rick Wake produced the song... now I'm starting to think there's a slight chance it might be a leftover from TAST. He is the second producer of TAST behind David Foster in terms of number of songs produced. Anyway, he may have worked with Celine in 1999 for the tracks that weren't included on ATW.

 

Yes, Love Is Alive was produced by Ric Wake.

[LukeD]

Oh sure, but the mere use of the word 'angel' does not a Christmas song make. Could just as well be an Easter song.

Or a Robbie Williams song. Edited December 23, 2016 at 01:15 AM by LukeD

[Leo]

The names in red are the same as people who worked on songs on TAST produced by Wake. As they are not musicians, I guess they may be people who usually worked with Wake. For example, the saxophone player is not the same as the one on The Magic Of Christmas Day...

 

BTW, the year mentioned in the credits sometimes is not true. For example, Brahms Lullaby is from 1998 according to the booklet but it's the same version from 1996.

 

 

 

I Met An Angel (On Christmas Day)

 

Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass [Fodera], Piano, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Percussion – Gary "Headman" Haase*

 

Backing Vocals – LuJuan Carter*

 

Coordinator [Production] – David Barratt (3)

 

Drums – Buddy Williams

 

Engineer [Assistant], Engineer [Additional] – Chris Brooke

 

Engineer [Track] – Dave "Young" Scheuer*, Bob Cadway

 

Mixed By – Humberto Gatica

 

Producer, Arranged By – Ric Wake

 

Saxophone – Chuck Fisher

 

Written-By – Gary Haase, James Lowell

 

Written-By, Backing Vocals – Keith Fluit*

Edited December 24, 2016 at 05:46 PM by Leo

[LukeD]

This year, Christmas came and went by so fast for me. It is the first time I spent it away from my family and long time friends, as I have been busy studying for assessments. Few of my friends stayed around and we decided to go out tonight, only to realize that everything remains closed on Christmas day here. So we called it a night pretty soon! Point is I did not feel Christmas this year. It does not feel bad, but definitely weird...

 

The only thing I did that is related to Christmas was to listen to TAST today! From track 1 to track 16! It surely helped!

[celinesounds]

This year, Christmas came and went by so fast for me. It is the first time I spent it away from my family and long time friends, as I have been busy studying for assessments. Few of my friends stayed around and we decided to go out tonight, only to realize that everything remains closed on Christmas day here. So we called it a night pretty soon! Point is I did not feel Christmas this year. It does not feel bad, but definitely weird...

 

The only thing I did that is related to Christmas was to listen to TAST today! From track 1 to track 16! It surely helped!

 

you are not alone in a situation like that

 

 

the best is yet to come

 

 

 

Happy Xmas

Edited December 25, 2016 at 11:51 PM by celinesounds

[Daysleeper]

I have a feeling that Christmas comes and goes quicker each year. It all became a sort of a routine. Perhaps I still want to see its magic as I did when I was kid. "These Are Special Times" always helps little bit to bring this atmosphere.

 

Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël !

[beelee]

Vote for TAST on Billboard's Christmas Album poll:

 

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7633286/favorite-christmas-album-poll-vote

 

[isurrender]

I truly think all the songs on the album fit the concept.

 

Whether they are related to Xmas or not ( or let's say less than other songs), I think that's what makes the album different from other Xmas album.

 

Songs as "the prayer" or "I'm your angel "are not really Xmas related but still... that's the real strength of the album to me : they can be listened to all year long. They fit the religious concept of Xmas.

And during Xmas season, they certainly be called inspired by it.

 

I think that's why the album has been successfull over the years. Especially over the years as since its released the whole world has released a Xmas album and why some of them have become classics ( well I only see Groban in that category), most of them have vanished. There are too many artists out there offering the same songs all over again..

 

Celine's album is a good alternative as it's filled with Xmas classics ( but not too much and not the most obvious ones beside 2-3 songs ), new songs related to Xmas and some new others that can fit the season.

 

And if I remember correctly, that's what Rene wanted : a Xmas album but not "that Xmas"...

 

This album has spanned a no1 single, a classic song (the prayer) and even a cover ( Happy Xmas) that has become very successful over the years.

And this year especially : it reached #97 on the ww spotify chart yesterday...

This song wasn't even released and most of all wasn't even included in any Spotify Xmas Playlist.

I really hope they will do something to capitalize on it next year after all those great numbers. ..

Edited December 26, 2016 at 11:06 AM by isurrender

[Javito]

Well here's another one with the same feelings... I don't know where did go the spirit of Christmas this year but I'm still looking for it. It all came and go so fast, that I'm having trouble finding the magic of these days lol. It's so routinary this year, don't know why. Few of the things it remind me it's Christmas time is Celine's album playing of course

[celinesounds]

This is a season album, that's why its call these are special times,

 

Songs like

These Are Special Times

Ave Maria

The Prayer

I'm Your Angel

Brahms Lullaby

 

are not in the theme of xmas, but we could call it as well a winter album