VH1-TO-1 Interview Show

Saturday 4th May 1996

VH-1 Interviewer: Paul King

Transcript by: David Tsang

PK: "So after the worldwide success of `The Colour Of My Love', it must be a great atmosphere to start a new LP?"

CD: "Every time you record a new album, you always wish this album will have a long, long, long life but I think I've been very fortunate with `The Colour Of My Love' - it's been received, I think, pretty well and in the meantime, well I did record a French album [D'eux] because I have a `double career' if I may say; so I went into the studio and record a French album, so I tour in France and now it's the release of the new English one [Falling Into You], so I'm constantly doing something."

[Cut to music video clip of "Falling Into You"/FALLING INTO YOU:1996]

CD: "To me, this is the album of my LIFE. It's my FAVOURITE album and I don't feel like I have to do something else or prove something. This album to me is my...it's my BABY - I love it so much. Jean-Jacques Goldman - who wrote everything on this album is like the Bruce Springstein in France, to give you an example, and he wrote me MAGNIFICENT songs."

[Cut to studio recording session of "Because You Love Me"/FALLING INTO YOU: 1996]

PK: "So when did you get to hear of Jean-Jacques Goldman?"

CD: "Well, I knew him as an artist a couple of years ago. Every time I've been going to France, he's a big star and his music plays on the radio and I know his music. But, I don't know him personally so hearing from one, two, three people that Jean-Jacques wanted to write me an album, I was pretty AMAZED because he doesn't write a whole album for anybody but for himself. Anyway, we met together with my manager and Jean-Jacques and myself and we chat and have lunch in Paris, and he said: `I want to write an album for you.' I said: `Great! Sure!' And a couple of months later, I went to Japan - I'm don't know where I was - but, I went back to Paris and I met him, and I went into a studio and he presented me with the songs he had written for me. I don't write my songs and to be face-to-face with your own EMOTIONS, it's pretty AMAZING."

[Cut to studio recording session of "It's All Coming Back To Me Now"/FALLING INTO YOU:1996]

PK: "So I believe Jim Steinman has written and produced some of the songs on the album?"

CD: "It was a BIG thrill. Jim Steinman is...I don't know how to express, but it's incredible. Every song to him is like a movie."

[Cut to Celine Dion and Jim Steinman rehearsing at the recording studio]

CD: "Normally, the way I work is I go into the studio and I sing maybe seven or eight times, let's say for three hours, to do a song. With HIM, he made me WORK, he made me SING. At one point - normally I do seven or eight tracks - he made me do maybe twenty, thirty, thirty-something tracks and the next day the same thing again with the same song. And I said to myself: `You have to be a WORKAHOLIC to do that' - because you have to listen to everything and make sure what you like from this track and what to choose from the sixth track. I don't know how he did it."

[Cut to Celine and Jim Steinman at the studio again]

PK: "So what is it you're looking for when you choose a song to record?"

CD: "What I do is I have people working with me, listening to everything and they put aside what they think I might like and I play it - I have a hundred songs to listen to - I play the first song. I don't want to know who wrote it; it might INFLUENCE me, I don't know. We play the song - RIGHT AWAY I know if I can bring something to the song. It has to TOUCH me; the words, the music - it's one thing, it goes together. And, when it does something to me, I know I'm going to be able to go into the studio and put the headphones on and bring emotion into the song. It's like MAGIC."

[Cut to studio recording session of "River Deep, Mountain High"/FALLING INTO YOU:1996]

PK: "So now that you've done `River Deep, Mountain High', why did you choose that song?"

CD: "Not very long ago, I'd been asked to do an American TV show in New York, and they didn't want me to do my ballads. They said: `Celine, we'd like you to try something - do like a rock and roll song.' You want to a rock and roll song? Alright, I'll do a rock and roll song!"

[Cut to concert with Celine singing "River Deep, Mountain High"]

CD: "I had such a good time doing it. I did `River Deep, Mountain High' on that show and everybody talked to me about it: `Celine, River Deep, that was GREAT!' I decided to keep it on my show and everybody's talking about it because they like it - it's a great song. So I decided to just keep it on the album."

[Cut back to concert where Celine finishes to a standing ovation]

PK: "Wasn't Phil Spector involved? And, as a person, was he interesting to work with?"

CD: "When I say he's alone in his league, it means it ALL - it means MUSICALLY - and as a human being also. He has his own way to express himself between the takes, between his music. But, he's an INCREDIBLE artist because when he the lights are on and when the camera's rolling...it's very hard to say, but he's in control - he's the BOSS."

PK: "You were recording all through your teenage years and performing. How many albums did you actually record?"

CD: "I have eleven French albums and four in English - God!"

[Cut to music video clip of "Ne Partez Pas Sans moi"/GOLD COLLECTION:1988]

PK: "I think it was 1988 that you ended up singing the Eurovision song contest entry for Switzerland and you actually won."

CD: "A country wants me to represent them. I was a little surprised because I didn't get it, because I was a Canadian. I don't know - yo should ask THEM why the took me. This I don't know but I was quite HONOURED. I went for it. I met the whole world over there. EVERYBODY'S there. I went there and I sang the song the best I could and the country won, so good for Switzerland - I'm very happy for them."

[Cut to music video clip of "Where Does My Heart Beat Now"/UNISON:1990]

PK: "I think it was 1989 [when] your manager - your husband - suggested that you should make an English speaking album or sing in English - was that right?"

CD: "When I did my first tour in the province of Quebec, I was 14 years old and of course I couldn't speak English because I went to school 8 yrs ago to learn English. I was singing French, my whole show was in French and I did include an English song - that you know - `What A Feeling', Irene Cara / Flashdance. We had a GREAT time. Everybody was dancing, clapping hands, everything. I didn't understand a word of what I was singing at that time. So, because I knew that I wanted to have an international career as singing in French and English, maybe other languages [currently studying Spanish at Berlitz], that I said to myself: `Well, I should pack my luggage and go to school and learn English.'"

PK: "So when you decided to record in English, did you worry that maybe your French-Canadian fans would feel like you were deserting them or betraying them?"

CD: "I told them I wanted to sing in many languages, that I wanted to travel the world and sing for as many people as possible. So, when I came up with my first English album [Unison], they didn't say: `Oh now she's singing in English.' They know - they know I'm doing it SINCERELY because I WANT it. I LOVE it; they've been hearing me singing in English. They KNOW what I want."

[Cut to music video clip of Grammy Award and Academy Award winning "Beauty And The Beast" featuring Peabo Bryson/CELINE DION:1992]

PK: "I think internationally, most people - I know I did - became aware of you with `Beauty and the Beast'. How did that happen?"

CD: "I don't know too much about Walt Disney, because I didn't grow up with cartoons and movies. I grew up in a BIG FAMILY, that's all. But, it's NEVER too late to grow up with Walt Disney. I went to see the movie first; I FREAK OUT - it was so BEAUTIFUL and they invited me to sing with Peabo. I sang with him. We had a good time and then he came out. And, I consider today, that I've been part of a CLASSIC and I've been VERY lucky that I've been part of a classic - it started my WHOLE career and it's going to be with me for the rest of my life, I guess."

[Cut to music video clip of "Think Twice"/THE COLOUR OF MY LOVE:1994]

PK: "`Think Twice' has obviously been a wonderful song for you and your career. Do you remember when you first heard it or how it happened?"

CD: "Christopher Neil - the producer of this song - came to Los Angeles, where I was. We were having lunch, I think it was like a Sunday or something like that; it's RARE that I have a memory for that, but I remember that. Sunday brunch time, something like that. He played a song to me. RIGHT AWAY, I said: `I WANT the song.' And, he came at Morin Heights at Montreal - it's a big studio in the Laurentians - we have recorded the song together [see footnote at end of transcript]. And Alto Nova joined us - another producer - we all put our talent together and made the song sound as good as possible, and I guess it pleased a lot of people so I'm thankful for that."

[Cut to World Music Awards 1995 and a presentation to Celine Dion]

Presenter: "Ladies and gentlemen, it's my pleasure to present the World Music Award for Best Selling French-Canadian recording artist and Best Selling Female French-Canadian recording artist to Celine Dion. Congratulations."

[Cut back to interview]

CD: "I don't do this business to win awards or gold records but don't get me wrong, it's WONDERFUL - I appreciate it. It gives me the chance to go and thank all the writers and composers and producers and media people and whatever - people who work in the SHADOWS. So, I thank them. But, apart from that, I don't need to be recognised with presents; I just want to go on stage and sing my songs with my audience and have them sing with me."

[Cut to clip of Celine shopping with her sister, Manon]

CD: "Hello, I'm Celine Dion, live from New York with my sister, Manon, shopping - power shopping!"

[Cut back to interview]

CD: "I'm not the most talented person in my family, I'm the LUCKIEST one. They all sing, they all play instruments. My parents are musicians - they used to tour all over the province. I was not even born, so they know what they're doing, you know. I just grew up in this musical ambience with all of them. They've taught me everything. But, my IDOL I should say is my mum; she has raised 14 kids between four walls all her life without money. But we were not poor, because she gave her everything - her love, affection and attention. I really believe that I had it all, we ALL had it all. Money is one thing, LOVE is the most important thing."

[Cut to music video clip of "Love Can Move Mountains"/CELINE DION:1992]

PK: "So you were 12 yrs old when you started your career and your mother wrote your first song for you."

CD: "That's right. My mum wrote my first song because my parents had a little bar in a restaurant when I was about ten years old and sometimes in the weekend I was singing, and my mum didn't want me to sing in clubs - people are smoking, they don't listen, they get drunk. But people started to come and see me singing. When I was there, there more people. When I was not, there were less people. She said: `I want you to sing, Celine, but professionally.' And, she wrote my first song [Ce N'Etait Qu'un Reve] We did a demo, a little tape cassette - we sent it to a known manager in the province of Quebec. I met him because he called home and he called my mum and said: `I would love to meet you with your daughter Celine.' He's been my manager since the first days, since I was 12 years old. We got married at the end of '94. So I knew this guy for fifteen years, so there is no SURPRISE."

[Cut to music video clip of "The Power Of Love"/THE COLOUR OF MY LOVE:1993 followed by clip of Celine and Rene in loving embrace]

PK: "Didn't he mortgage his house to produce your first record?"

CD: "He did mortgage his house for me. I mean this is only ONE thing he's done; he's done so much, he's done it all. I mean, he's been my manager, but he's husband also. He's been loving me from day one, SUPPORTING me, RESPECTING me. He's been an artist himself, he's been on stage before so I mean he's not only saying: `You'll be fine, honey.' He knows what I'm going through. When I'm tired, when I'm sick, when I lose my voice, when I'm afraid, when I can't wait to get back on stage - he knows."

[Cut to music video clip of "Misled"/THE COLOUR OF MY LOVE:1994]

CD: "I remember when I [first] started to sing, I had to go sometimes and knock on people's doors and say: `Will you write me a song?' And now sometimes they come to my door. Some people do both - they write and they sing - and they're okay, you know. It's good, but I think it's two COMPLETELY different careers. And I don't write my songs so it's nice to have people - like [those] I've been working with, for example; that they're interested [in] writing songs for you, so it's good."

[Cut to music video clip of "Only One Road"/THE COLOUR OF MY LOVE:1995]

PK: "Some people believe that when you sing in English, your voice is stronger than when you sing in French - what do you think about that?"

CD: "I wouldn't do both if I didn't enjoy doing both; I really love to sing in English and in French. French, let's put it that way, I think there will always be a little something PLUS - `EXTRA' - with my French singing because I'm Francophone first of all and my blood, my origin and my roots are Francophone so there's something happening in French. But, in English, it's the language of the music - it's so...it stands by itself, it's a NATURAL. But if you want to say something, you better say it in French - it's so ROMANTIC. Both - I can't choose!"

[Cut to music video clip of "Pour Que Tu M'Aimes Encore"/D'EUX:1995]

CD: "When I started to sing, my dream and my whole life was to SING. Today, at 27 years old [show was recorded to her birthday!] - after 15 years of show business - my life is not to sing. My life is to be healthy, happy and I would LOVE to have children. I'm not going to try to have fourteen like my parents(!), but I would love to have a child or children and we are rehearsing right now and it's going very well. But my life is just to being the best of myself in whatever I do."

[Interview ends]

Special thanks to: Diane Chayer who corrected a minor mistake in the draft version of the transcript:

"Just a little note to let you know that "Morrow Knights" should read "Morin Heights". It's not really in Montreal, but in the Laurentians (about 50 km North of Montreal). Celine used to have a house close to there (St-Sauveur I guess), and she was recording at that studio."

Last updated October 1999.