Say Yes Celine: Fan campaign for an unreleased show!

[rfkavanagh]

I enjoy NPPSM as much as anyone (and saw Céline perform it live in person on the Eurovision stage in 1988!), but I think you're far overestimating its importance and people's general knowledge of the song. It wasn't really part of the Incognito era - it was just tacked onto the French edition of the album almost 18 months after its release in Québec and after she won Eurovision, but it had nothing to do with the rest of the album sessions or even the feel of the album overall. Sure, major longtime fans will know it, but that's about it. I can pretty much guarantee you that other than the aforementioned fans, no one in Ireland has given it a second thought since 1988 - she'd be met with many, many blank and confused faces if she performed it at an Irish concert!

 

Eurovision has had a bit of a resurgence in the last 10 years or so (basically since the EBU took full ownership rather than allowing the local broadcasters to retain copyright on their shows) but it's still a niche passion - with a huge audience, granted. The countries that take it "seriously" are fewer than those that don't - lots of countries take part because it's a part of EBU membership and an opportunity for their respective tourist boards to highlight and showcase their country and its sights and attractions, but the general populaces either couldn't care less or actively look down on the show. It's fashionable to deride Eurovision and view it as nothing but a naive cheesefest! it has a devoted and passionate fanbase, but for the majority of the audience it's just a bit of throwaway fun to watch once a year and make fun of other countries' entries. Granted, this attitude does vary quite a bit by country - newer participants tend not to be as jaded as the ones who've been part of it for 60 years.

 

Don't get me wrong - I'd be happy to see Céline perform the track again and she could decide to do it at any point just because, but I think the likelihood is exceedingly low. They made a decision early on not to lean too heavily on the Eurovision connection; the song is very much of its Eurovision ilk and was far from a contemporary track even at the time of its victory, and it's really not very well connected to the Céline most people know. And very few people know or care that there's supposedly an emotional connection to Céline and René's relationship (and why would they?!).

[Dancing_Queen]

NPPSM is definitely one of her most well-known and well-liked songs in Belgium.

I still think it's such a missed opportunity that she didn't do anything for its 30th anniversary (I know she was sick).

 

Regardless of the song itself, you'd think she'd be at least a little fond of it because of its association to the start of her and René's relationship (if you buy the official version that is).

[PuraVida]

I enjoy NPPSM as much as anyone (and saw Céline perform it live in person on the Eurovision stage in 1988!), but I think you're far overestimating its importance and people's general knowledge of the song. It wasn't really part of the Incognito era - it was just tacked onto the French edition of the album almost 18 months after its release in Québec and after she won Eurovision, but it had nothing to do with the rest of the album sessions or even the feel of the album overall. Sure, major longtime fans will know it, but that's about it. I can pretty much guarantee you that other than the aforementioned fans, no one in Ireland has given it a second thought since 1988 - she'd be met with many, many blank and confused faces if she performed it at an Irish concert!

 

Eurovision has had a bit of a resurgence in the last 10 years or so (basically since the EBU took full ownership rather than allowing the local broadcasters to retain copyright on their shows) but it's still a niche passion - with a huge audience, granted. The countries that take it "seriously" are fewer than those that don't - lots of countries take part because it's a part of EBU membership and an opportunity for their respective tourist boards to highlight and showcase their country and its sights and attractions, but the general populaces either couldn't care less or actively look down on the show. It's fashionable to deride Eurovision and view it as nothing but a naive cheesefest! it has a devoted and passionate fanbase, but for the majority of the audience it's just a bit of throwaway fun to watch once a year and make fun of other countries' entries. Granted, this attitude does vary quite a bit by country - newer participants tend not to be as jaded as the ones who've been part of it for 60 years.

 

Don't get me wrong - I'd be happy to see Céline perform the track again and she could decide to do it at any point just because, but I think the likelihood is exceedingly low. They made a decision early on not to lean too heavily on the Eurovision connection; the song is very much of its Eurovision ilk and was far from a contemporary track even at the time of its victory, and it's really not very well connected to the Céline most people know. And very few people know or care that there's supposedly an emotional connection to Céline and René's relationship (and why would they?!).

 

It made lots of since for a very long time to perform it, again, at least once in a while. Now, it would be even more surprising, but that's not what I said. I originally said it is very surprising she dropped it for all those years until now. I'm not saying she should put it in her new Vegas show

 

And artists pull songs from the back catalogue all the time for various reasons. (Celine chooses to do so less often as we know). As you can see from Dancing Queen's response, it would be very logical to pull out the song in Belgium. And how many times has Celine performed in Belgium over the last 30 years? And I'm not saying the Irish people love the song, I'm saying her being in Dublin would be yet another reason to whip it out. It's not complicated, it's her on stage in Dublin saying "You know, a long time ago I competed in a competition here with a French song....being here brings back so many memories. We thought we'd dust this one off for you tonight" or in Switzerland "You know way back in the 80s your country chose me to sing this song in the Eurovision contest....what do you say we go for it tonight?!"

 

And they included the song on Incognito for a reason. They clearly wanted it on there, and I don't think it makes a difference when it was recorded. Natural Woman is on Falling Into You. The point I was making was that it's not unheard of to dig back in the catalogue. And need I repeat that before D'eux, that was only one of 4 songs of hers that charted in France. So....the numbers really speak for themselves. It was immediately clear after only a few years that Celine was destined for larger things, so they didn't need to worry about this silly idea of her being pigeon-holed as some Eurovision winner. That became preposterous very quickly.

 

And for the Eurovision song contest itself, I think the type of people that like Eurovision like Celine. Like LCMM is not dated? Over 100 million people watched the Eurovision contest....that was in 2006. And decades before Celine participated, hundreds of millions watched it too. It's probably one of the most watched broadcasts in the entire world every year. Cheesy, camp, LGBT-friendly....those are all things that describe Eurovision and Celine.

Edited April 22, 2021 at 04:41 AM by PuraVida

[rfkavanagh]

It made lots of since for a very long time to perform it, again, at least once in a while. Now, it would be even more surprising, but that's not what I said. I originally said it is very surprising she dropped it for all those years until now. I'm not saying she should put it in her new Vegas show

 

And artists pull songs from the back catalogue all the time for various reasons. (Celine chooses to do so less often as we know). As you can see from Dancing Queen's response, it would be very logical to pull out the song in Belgium. And how many times has Celine performed in Belgium over the last 30 years? And I'm not saying the Irish people love the song, I'm saying her being in Dublin would be yet another reason to whip it out. It's not complicated, it's her on stage in Dublin saying "You know, a long time ago I competed in a competition here with a French song....being here brings back so many memories. We thought we'd dust this one off for you tonight" or in Switzerland "You know way back in the 80s your country chose me to sing this song in the Eurovision contest....what do you say we go for it tonight?!"

 

And they included the song on Incognito for a reason. They clearly wanted it on there, and I don't think it makes a difference when it was recorded. Natural Woman is on Falling Into You. The point I was making was that it's not unheard of to dig back in the catalogue. And need I repeat that before D'eux, that was only one of 4 songs of hers that charted in France. So....the numbers really speak for themselves. It was immediately clear after only a few years that Celine was destined for larger things, so they didn't need to worry about this silly idea of her being pigeon-holed as some Eurovision winner. That became preposterous very quickly.

 

And for the Eurovision song contest itself, I think the type of people that like Eurovision like Celine. Like LCMM is not dated? Over 100 million people watched the Eurovision contest....that was in 2006. And decades before Celine participated, hundreds of millions watched it too. It's probably one of the most watched broadcasts in the entire world every year. Cheesy, camp, LGBT-friendly....those are all things that describe Eurovision and Celine.

 

I don't really disagree with any of that - Céline could totally dust off NPPSM for any reason or no reason at all and it would be fine - as she could many, many other songs. And sure, it might make sense for NPPSM to be one of those tracks in Belgium if it's still remembered fondly there. I just think the likelihood of her reaching back to pick that track before dozens of others is pretty unlikely. It's not a particularly good or special song (but I have a soft spot for it), and considering we can't get her to break out of the standard 20 or so songs that she does sing regularly at the expense of many other bona fide international hits, I wouldn't hold my breath. But again, I'm not arguing against her doing it - I'd ideally love her to do a rarities show like Kylie's Anti-Tour at least once (please!); just setting more likely expectations.

 

BTW, Eurovision ratings were not as high in earlier years due to technological reach and international sales - it was a much smaller, more locally Western European contest (with a few exceptions). It's in the last 20-25 years or so that the EBU has aggressively expanded its efforts, admitted another ~20 countries to the contest (including that well-known Europe-adjacent country Australia!) necessitating two semi-finals and increased the show's reach significantly. They even made a deal with Netflix to carry the 2019 contest and its semi-finals in the US (no doubt part of the deal to make the Will Ferrell movie). Maybe Céline will show up to be the interval act for the 40th anniversary of NPPSM in 2028!

[PuraVida]

I don't really disagree with any of that - Céline could totally dust off NPPSM for any reason or no reason at all and it would be fine - as she could many, many other songs. And sure, it might make sense for NPPSM to be one of those tracks in Belgium if it's still remembered fondly there. I just think the likelihood of her reaching back to pick that track before dozens of others is pretty unlikely. It's not a particularly good or special song (but I have a soft spot for it), and considering we can't get her to break out of the standard 20 or so songs that she does sing regularly at the expense of many other bona fide international hits, I wouldn't hold my breath. But again, I'm not arguing against her doing it - I'd ideally love her to do a rarities show like Kylie's Anti-Tour at least once (please!); just setting more likely expectations.

 

BTW, Eurovision ratings were not as high in earlier years due to technological reach and international sales - it was a much smaller, more locally Western European contest (with a few exceptions). It's in the last 20-25 years or so that the EBU has aggressively expanded its efforts, admitted another ~20 countries to the contest (including that well-known Europe-adjacent country Australia!) necessitating two semi-finals and increased the show's reach significantly. They even made a deal with Netflix to carry the 2019 contest and its semi-finals in the US (no doubt part of the deal to make the Will Ferrell movie). Maybe Céline will show up to be the interval act for the 40th anniversary of NPPSM in 2028!

 

Yes, at this point. But I am saying how it's odd that she didn't perform it in the 90s and 2000s especially. It's odd, and in addition it would have been awesome had she so we could have a small handful performances of it over the years. Again, I never said it should be in every concert she ever did, that's putting words in my mouth. I was never talking about "current expectations" or "likely expectations"

 

And a "good and special" song is subjective. It certainly is a milestone song in her career, and we could argue that audiences love a throwback (especially the very particular audiences in certain countries of relevance to the song), and we could also argue it has special meaning for her due to the moment it had for her and Rene.

 

At the very least, I think it made a ton of sense to include it in the Millennium Concert. But we can't go back in time.

 

Edit: According to what I could find, in 1965 the contest had 150 million viewers and in 1981 they expected a global audience of 500 million. So, it seems it has always had a vast following, even if it fluctuated.

Edited April 22, 2021 at 08:19 AM by PuraVida

[Chantemoi]

 

We are edging closer and closer to 1,000 signatures. Thank you all so so so much!

Please take the time to share our petition: http://chng.it/yn7gzcMkTC

Post it in YouTube comments and any trending stories. We can't do this without your help!!

[couldawouldashoulda]

Wow. This campaign doesn't even have 1000 signatures...out of the, what? tens of millions of tickets that are sold worldwide for the tour. That's not going to look very profitable to Sony or Team Celine.

[jpatdeleon09]

I think it would work if it get at least a million signatures?

[couldawouldashoulda]

I think it would work if it get at least a million signatures?

 

Probably. But it’s a looooooooong way from 960 to 1,000,000

[anewdayhascome]

Wow. This campaign doesn't even have 1000 signatures...out of the, what? tens of millions of tickets that are sold worldwide for the tour. That's not going to look very profitable to Sony or Team Celine.

 

Thanks to your kind help and extraordinary dedication it looks how it looks

[PuraVida]

Is anyone on any Celine fan clubs on Facebook? Not her official page, but some fan pages? I think it could easily gain some signatures there. I myself am not on FB.

 

I think the videos have been top class so far.

[PuraVida]

Is anyone on any Celine fan clubs on Facebook? Not her official page, but some fan pages? I think it could easily gain some signatures there. I myself am not on FB.

 

I think the videos have been top class so far.

 

Anyone? In the new video I saw from the super fan Gonzalo on Youtube (the one who asked Celine about a Mariah duet) his graphics showed two or three very huge FB groups. I'm not on Facebook but someone could post there.

 

Also, let's spam the Celine Vegas thread while it has new eye balls.

[Chantemoi]

 

 

Anyone? In the new video I saw from the super fan Gonzalo on Youtube (the one who asked Celine about a Mariah duet) his graphics showed two or three very huge FB groups. I'm not on Facebook but someone could post there.

 

Also, let's spam the Celine Vegas thread while it has new eye balls.

 

I’ve already joined the 20 or so biggest fan groups and shared our trailer, kinda like you did in the Vegas thread.

 

We’ve had a steady uptick in Facebook followers over the past month - I’d say we gained 175+, and probably another 75 on Instagram. On IG, I was able to DM each new follower asking them to sign the petition. On FB there is no way to directly contact your followers, really, unless you want to pay for ads (which I refuse to do).

 

If anyone wants to keep spamming YouTube, that’s probably one of the best options for getting the message out there.

[maki_Dion-er]

I've left links to the trailer and asking for people to sign in 3 new reactions videos that had thousands of views each.

[PuraVida]

I've left links to the trailer and asking for people to sign in 3 new reactions videos that had thousands of views each.

 

DId it get taken down at all?

[PuraVida]

I've already joined the 20 or so biggest fan groups and shared our trailer, kinda like you did in the Vegas thread.

 

We've had a steady uptick in Facebook followers over the past month - I'd say we gained 175+, and probably another 75 on Instagram. On IG, I was able to DM each new follower asking them to sign the petition. On FB there is no way to directly contact your followers, really, unless you want to pay for ads (which I refuse to do).

 

If anyone wants to keep spamming YouTube, that's probably one of the best options for getting the message out there.

 

Did you share the petition directly?

[Chantemoi]

Did you share the petition directly?

 

Yes, I did! I shared the link to the petition and a link to Manolo's amazing campaign trailer.

[PuraVida]

Yes, I did! I shared the link to the petition and a link to Manolo's amazing campaign trailer.

 

Manolo you do great work!

[Chantemoi]

UPDATE:

As you may have noticed, our campaign has cooled down since Céline's birthday message and the "Say Yes" video from the fans that we shared in early April. This hiatus was a part of our long-term plan. We've been taking our time to put together a professional looking package for Feeling that would include all of our videos to date, as well as mock-up covers of the releases we are suggesting for their consideration.

 

While our social media presence has been on a temporary hiatus, we have been sharing the campaign in various Facebook groups. In the last month alone, we have gained about 175 new followers on Facebook, and probably 75 new followers on Instagram. Unfortunately, those numbers haven't necessarily translated to signature on the petition (see my most recent post above), so we are considering ideas for new video content. If anyone has any ideas OR is interested in volunteering their assistance, we are happy to explore those options.

 

In the meantime, keep sharing the link to our petition and to our YouTube videos, and don't forget to use the #SayYesCeline hashtag on social media !!

Thanks again to all the supporters

[nuts2you]

Have you gotten any response yet from her team,

[Chantemoi]

Have you gotten any response yet from her team,

 

Nope, no response to the emails - which is not really any surprise to us. That's why we are making a physical package. Tangible items are harder to ignore than an email, so we hope to receive a follow-up from someone in their office.

[manolo19]

 

 

Manolo you do great work!

 

Thank you !! You do a great job at promoting

 

 

[ordinary fan]

Thank you !! You do a great job at promoting ��

Yeah thank you!

[PuraVida]

Thank you !! You do a great job at promoting ��

 

Team work makes the dream work! Lots of good stuff happening behind the scenes I hear, and the petition is just centimeters away!

[PuraVida]

 

We are edging closer and closer to 1,000 signatures. Thank you all so so so much!

Please take the time to share our petition: http://chng.it/yn7gzcMkTC

Post it in YouTube comments and any trending stories. We can't do this without your help!!

 

 

Very close indeed!

[PuraVida]

Reupping this:

 

[nuts2you]

 

who ever made this is out standing ,, Just WOW :clap: :-D

[Chantemoi]

 

who ever made this is out standing ,, Just WOW :clap: :-D

 

That’s awesome! This is my first knowledge of this video, so our team had no part in making it. I’ll have to reach out and thank them :-)

[ehild]

I feel like, because there's so much on YouTube now, good quality too, that most of these most likely won't be professionally released. Especially since they're small "mini-tours".

 

That said, I'd have at least thought we'd get the final Vegas show released, like AND was. Even if it was just via streaming. Most ppl are going away from DVD & Blu-ray now, which may also play a role in how much her team is willing to spend in post production for these. As much as I hate to say it, reality is we're probably not getting any of these anytime soon.

[Chantemoi]

I feel like, because there's so much on YouTube now, good quality too, that most of these most likely won't be professionally released. Especially since they're small "mini-tours".

 

That said, I'd have at least thought we'd get the final Vegas show released, like AND was. Even if it was just via streaming. Most ppl are going away from DVD & Blu-ray now, which may also play a role in how much her team is willing to spend in post production for these. As much as I hate to say it, reality is we're probably not getting any of these anytime soon.

 

 

I think regardless of the public awareness of the mini-tours, most devoted fans agree that these concerts represent the best Céline Dion has to offer. Her voice, the setlists, the emotional energy she exuded and the way it was reflected by the audience -- these are the hallmark of an iconic performance, and they represent a very special time for both Céline and her fans.

 

There is no shortage of recorded footage, as we have outlined in our video arguments. At the very least, the 2017 tour was fully filmed in London & Paris, the final shows at Caesars were filmed, as well as the Hyde Park concert. In fact, we have every right to believe that each show she performs is recorded -- how long they are kept in the archives is more of the mystery.

 

While we don't know if the 2016 tour was filmed "professionally" by her team, we do know that additional crews were brought in to film footage for Un An Avec Céline (see link below). Who owns this footage? Either her team, or the producers of the TV show. If it's the latter, then TC could purchase the rights and release them... if they wanted to. Clearly they have not had such an inclination, which is the purpose of this campaign : to create a fan-based message to tell them that we DO care.

 

Another main point of this campaign is to tell her team that we think these performances are deserving of a proper release. As it's been repeated here again and again, there are millions who go see her shows, but there are also millions who cannot afford the money or time off to do so. Yes, some videos are on YouTube. Some of those clips are Pro shots, but most of them are filmed on cell phones. Let me remind you of a few major issues with cell phone footage:

• Audio and video quality are inferior. Even the most sophisticated mobile cameras have difficulty keeping focus as the lighting changes throughout the concert. While some cameras have great video capabilities, others have better audio capabilities. In either case, neither are equal to the quality of footage TC have on their own shelves.
   
  
• Integrity of the concert. While most songs are indeed recorded by fans, many of those clips (if they even make it to YouTube) are incomplete. Often times, the videos will start mid-song or end before the song is over. And for some of the more rare performances, only one fan has shared their recordings and the quality depends on how close they were to the stage and what kind of device they used. Sometimes, both are less than ideal.
   
  
• Those videos are only playable on YouTube (or Facebook, Vimeo, etc.). Sure you can create your own YouTube playlist and try to patch together the concerts, but there will be ads and buffering and other issues. These take away from the cinematic experience of seeing the show uninterrupted. For an example of what this is like, sit down and watch one of the previously home-released concerts, then try to recreate the same experience by searching for each video individually on YouTube. It's tedious and it ruins the experience.
  

Finally, to address your comment about the decreased popularity of DVD & Blu-Ray. From Day #1 of the Say Yes Céline campaign, we have stressed that release for streaming would be clearly our best chance. . . but we also have to acknowledge that fans for veteran artists (like our Céline) are notorious for collecting physical format media. Of course these media are less popular than before, but the fact is that they are still to this day being manufactured and released by many other artists. Just look at the vinyl format, which has outgrown the sales of CDs. Even though there are more convenient ways to consume music nowadays, millions of consumers prefer vinyl for its superior quality and the unparalleled experience of hearing the entire album start to finish. Personally, I don't see DVD/Blu-Ray going away forever. But hell, I still have my VHS player. To each their own! The point I'm trying to make is that consumers like options.

 

So you can choose to support our efforts or not, but our team has a long-term commitment to advocate for the fans who would like to see this important era of Céline career not be overlooked because her team thinks we don't care. Our online petition finally broke 1,000 signatures last week, and we continue to gain hundreds of new followers each month. While it's a slower growth than we'd like, there is only so much we can do without more fans getting involved.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 2, 2021 at 08:28 PM by Chantemoi