"Introduction" [from "Celine Dion"] - Official Topic

[SuperLove4Celine]

This topic is to discuss the album opener, "Introduction," from Celine Dion's self-titled album released in 1992.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8ZcHTAAClg

 

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I've always found "Introduction" to be an exceptionally beautiful piece in Celine's discography. While clocking in at only 1 minute 15 seconds in length, the piece still, somehow, delivers an emotional tug at one's heartstrings. Fred Berry's flügelhorn solo hits deep. It conveys a longing, a yearning for something important. The beautiful lyrics regarding hopefulness help the piece segue effortlessly into the hit, "Love Can Move Mountains":

 

Regarde

Le monde est dans nos yeux

Un monde d'amour

Sans frontières

Un monde pour toi et moi

J'espère

 

"Introduction" could work phenomenally well as a, well, introduction to one of Celine's shows. It is surprising to me it has not yet already been included during one of Celine's past performances. It wouldn't take much to incorporate "Introduction" into a show as it would not require any big, monumental theatrics to accompany the piece.

 

What is everybody's thoughts about this short, but very beautiful piece from Celine's second English language album? Love it? Hate it? Find it forgettable? Can't get enough of it? Do you think it should be included in an upcoming show? Could it work as the first track to a possible release of "The Collector's Series - Volume Two?" Discuss!

[Celine Fan 77]

I've always loved this introduction. In fact, I remember being surprised when I found out that it wasn't used as the intro for Celine's 92/93 tour...

[ordinary fan]

I would love it as the opener for a future tour, it would be magical live I believe

[Bell]

It sounds magical to me.

[smw]

The self-titled album is my favorite Celine English album.

So classy and elegant and stunning vocals.

And I would love it if Introduction opened her concerts.

[tomdalbou]

Love it too!

Great great adult contemporary album. Would love a new vinyl pressing.

 

I think she says « Je t’y perds » in the end tho.

 

 

[woodstock]

No, no, no that's "J'espère", for sure !

[SuperLove4Celine]

It makes me happy to see the love for "Introduction." Honestly, I didn't know what was in store when I created this topic. I had no idea if it would be too obscure of a "song" to even warrant any discussion at all.

 

So, does anyone know if there's any information about this piece out on the Internet? It would be great to see studio footage of her recording the lines for "Introduction," or find out the story behind its creation. Was it always meant for the album? Was it a last-minute addition like "Ten Days" was for "A New Day Has Come?" Were the lines completely written "on the fly", or were they created in advance? So many questions I have about this short, fantastic gem in her catalogue.

 

I'd love to see more members add their two cents about this piece of music. Yes, even if you don't care for it. I welcome all opinions about it!

Edited July 14, 2022 at 12:22 AM by SuperLove4Celine

[Unisono]

It's nice that the words are in french, it's like she wanted to made it clear that french is her native language. I find it a little bit too slow (not the rhythm but the time between music and spoken words).

It also reminds me of some of Mariah's works, it must have been something that was usual in Sony at that time. So, the fact that there's this introduction makes me think that for Sony this album was very important. And it was. Not sure if I like the transition to Love Can Move Mountains.

 

Just to talk about this beautiful album (everything is well done: production, vocals, photoshoot, videos...) I've always had the idea that you can quite easily understand the chronological order the songs were recorded since her voice was changing from the one she had in Unison to the pure crystalline voce she had in The Colour Of My Love (the same can be said for this last album). For example I think that the undeniably beautiful gem that is I Love You Goodbye has vocals more like the previous years, just like If You Asked Me To. That's what I feel when I listen to some parts of Next Plane Out. But maybe it has to do with the key and the tone of the song.

Edited July 14, 2022 at 12:46 PM by Unisono

[SuperLove4Celine]

It's nice that the words are in french, it's like she wanted to made it clear that french is her native language.

 

I love how she incorporated a bit of French in her first two English language albums. (The first being in "Unison's" "Love By Another Name.") I wish she would have continued this as part of all her English language albums.

[ordinary fan]

I love how she incorporated a bit of French in her first two English language albums. (The first being in "Unison's" "Love By Another Name.") I wish she would have continued this as part of all her English language albums.

Or would start to do it again...

[SuperLove4Celine]

Or would start to do it again...

 

Yes, please!

[smw]

Or would start to do it again...

 

Yes I hope so too!

[MTJ]

I think she says « Je t'y perds » in the end tho.

No, no, no that's "J'espère", for sure !

 

I've always seen it as Je t'y perds, too. That's how celinedionweb has always documented it.

 

From the liner notes:

Produced & Arranged by: Walter Afanasieff

Celine Dion: Spoken Words (French)

Walter Afanasieff: Keyboards, Synclavier Acoustic Guitar

Fred Berry: Flugelhorn Solo

Ren Klyce: School Yard Children

Engineered & Mixed by: Dana Jon Chappelle

 

Not helpful for the lyrics, but an interestingly large project. I can imagine Ren Klyce working all day to find the right school yard to record!

[woodstock]

I don't intend to get involved in some interrogation for which we'll never have a definitive answer, but I think one mistake plus one mistake give another mistake. We've seen so many mistakes in lyrics in booklets or made by random people on the web.

In the case of Céline, there is even something special : some lyrics in the Loved Me back to Life are different in the official songbook compared to the ones in the booklet. This is words that sound very close, but different meaning ! (for example, in Save your Soul, the booklet says : Black tears / Streaming whereas the songbook goes : Black teeth / Screaming !)

[PuraVida]

That's why I think Celine Dion is her best album, probably of either language. The "introduction" is typical of great, artistic albums and that's exactly what I think that album is. It is artistic expression that is very fresh, classy, and truly the type of musical sound that only Celine can provide. Her voice was perfect.

[SuperLove4Celine]

I've always seen it as Je t'y perds, too. That's how celinedionweb has always documented it.

 

From the liner notes:

Produced & Arranged by: Walter Afanasieff

Celine Dion: Spoken Words (French)

Walter Afanasieff: Keyboards, Synclavier Acoustic Guitar

Fred Berry: Flugelhorn Solo

Ren Klyce: School Yard Children

Engineered & Mixed by: Dana Jon Chappelle

 

Not helpful for the lyrics, but an interestingly large project. I can imagine Ren Klyce working all day to find the right school yard to record!

 

I definitely hear "J'espère." Plus, it makes the most sense going into the lines of "Love Can Move Mountains."

[MaiconSC]

I hear "je t'espère"... I can hear a T and an E in this last line, especially when using headphones...

 

But talking about the track itself, I love it!!! It sums up perfectly the mood of the whole album, there's a specific sound present in this album, the keybords, the synths, the vocals...

Somehow I think that If You Ask Me To would fit perfectly after the Introduction... I really like the track order from the album sampler...

[SuperLove4Celine]

With recent news of Celine possibly returning to the stage later this year, I really hope someone from her team somehow sees this thread. "Introduction" would be amazing to include as part of the start of the new show.

[marc-02]

Before I got a chance to listen to her self-titled album, I first heard some albums from Janet and Mariah wherein they would always put "interludes" or short 30-sec to 1-minute "transition" songs... and I always thought that was a nice touch that I wished Celine had also done in her albums... and then I finally listened to the self-titled album and *boom* the very first recording I hear was somewhat an "interlude"/transition... so you could imagine how surprised and delighted I was when I heard it. (It even predated the interludes that I've heard from Janet and Mariah). I wish she had done it more often in her albums.

 

Now, about the recording itself: I always thought it was like from some movie... the introduction always transported me to some place, a dreamy and beautiful place.

 

PS: Next to FIY, CD is my most fave album of hers. It's a very very close second. It's a very solid and classy pop/AC album that has a sound very specific to that time period. It still has that "rawness" that somehow got "lost" or got "toned down" beginning with TCOML and all the way through her succeeding albums that were seen as being more "polished"...

Edited July 30, 2022 at 05:57 PM by marc-02

[LukeD]

Recently I got to rediscover this album and the 'Introduction' is one of these cuts I got to truly appreciate!

 

First of all, the melody is conventionally beautiful. I would say reminiscent of 'Can't Let Go' by Mariah - Walter A. produced both.

Second, it adds to the album's coherence - openning with this intro and fading out with the outro of 'Nothing Broken But My Heart'. Well-played!

Third, there's internal consistency - it matches so well with aethereal songs like 'Halfway To Heaven' and 'Show Some Emotion'. It's clear they all came from the same universe!

 

One thing I would potentially change is its name. Maybe 'un monde d'amour' would be better.

Edited January 17, 2025 at 11:00 PM by LukeD

[actofcontrition]

That's why I think Celine Dion is her best album, probably of either language. The "introduction" is typical of great, artistic albums and that's exactly what I think that album is. It is artistic exp<b></b>ression that is very fresh, classy, and truly the type of musical sound that only Celine can provide. Her voice was perfect.

 

 

Celine Dion is by far my favorite album! Its a masterpiece. Hoping the dolby atmos is coming soon!

[Celine Fan 77]

Can you imagine how that gorgeous introduction might sound in Dolby Atmos? 😍

[Abodi2002]

I've always loved this introduction. In fact, I remember being surprised when I found out that it wasn't used as the intro for Celine's 92/93 tour...

how do we know it wasn't? We have no bootleg of the opening of the tour.