"The Prayer" | |
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Promotional single by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli | |
from the album These Are Special Times | |
Released | March 1999 |
Recorded | 1998 Chartmarker Studios, Sony Sound Stage, Criteria Recording Studios |
Genre | Operatic pop |
Length | 4:29 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) | |
Producer(s) |
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Audio | |
"Céline Dion, Andrea Bocelli - The Prayer (Official Audio)" on YouTube |
"The Prayer" is a song performed by Canadian singer Celine Dion and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. It was song written by David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager, Tony Renis and Alberto Testa.
"The Prayer" was originally recorded in two solo versions for the Warner Bros.' 1998 musical animated feature film Quest for Camelot , in English by Dion and in Italian by Bocelli. A duet between Dion and Bocelli later appeared on their respective studio albums, These Are Special Times (1998) and Sogno (1999), and was released as a promotional single in March 1999. "The Prayer" won a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1999 and a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2000. It received highly positive reviews from music critics and entered adult contemporary charts in Canada and the United States in 1999.
In 2008, Dion released a live version of "The Prayer" as a duet with Josh Groban. This music download entered the Canadian Hot 100 at number 37 and the Billboard Hot 100 at number 70.
Originally "The Prayer" was recorded as two separate solo versions, Dion's in English and Bocelli's in Italian. They appeared on the Quest for Camelot soundtrack in May 1998. The duet was included on albums by both artists, released a few months later on Sogno and These Are Special Times. Bocelli sang original Italian while Dion translated into English. The song won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song from the 1998 film Quest for Camelot, the second win in a row for a Celine Dion song. In that film, Dion sang it as a solo with slightly different lyrics. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1999 and a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2000. Dion performed it with Bocelli at both ceremonies.
It was also featured on Dion's compilation The Collector's Series, Volume One (2000) and greatest hits My Love: Ultimate Essential Collection (2008). A re-recorded solo version by Celine Dion (renamed "A Mother's Prayer") appeared on her 2004 album Miracle . Dion performed "The Prayer" live during her Taking Chances Tour as a virtual duet with Bocelli on the screen; the performance was released in the Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert CD/DVD. The song appeared also on Bocelli's 2007 compilation The Best of Andrea Bocelli: Vivere . Dion joined Bocelli to perform the song in his Concerto: One Night in Central Park concert in 2011; the performance was subsequently released on CD and DVD. Both Dion and Bocelli have sung the song with other duet partners, and various other artists have recorded the song, either as a duet or a solo.
The original version of "The Prayer" failed to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, but reached number 6 and number 22 on the adult contemporary charts in Canada and the United States, respectively. It has also become popular during Christmas, weddings and, in some cases, funerals and religious services.
Paul Verna from Billboard called this song a "gorgeous duet". [1] Chuck Taylor from Billboard reviewed "The Prayer", calling it "a breathtaking, ultra-lush song, and the tour de force combination of Dion and Bocelli [which] will send a half-dozen chills up your spine". Although he felt that the song is "an unorthodox track for the radio," Taylor called it "affecting," "heartwarming," "absolutely exquisite" and "one of Dion's most radiant performances ever." [2]
US promotional CD single
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
"The Prayer (Live)" | ||||
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Single by Celine Dion and Josh Groban | ||||
Released | 12 February 2008 | |||
Genre | Classical crossover | |||
Length | 4:38 | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Celine Dion singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Audio | ||||
"The Prayer (Live Duet with Josh Groban)" on YouTube |
Celine Dion first performed "The Prayer" live with Josh Groban in 1999,when then 17-year old Groban filled in for Andrea Bocelli at rehearsal for the 41st Annual Grammy Awards. Nine years later,the two performed the song during her CBS TV special That's Just the Woman in Me ,aired on 15 February 2008. This version was released as a music download in the United States and Canada two days earlier. It proved to be much more successful than the original,entering the Billboard Hot 100 at number 70,becoming Groban's highest-charting song to date as an individual act (he and Dion would both go on to reach number two as members of Artists for Haiti with the song "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" in 2010). It also appeared on a few other Billboard charts:Pop 100 at number 50,Hot Digital Songs at number 32 and Hot Digital Tracks at number 29. The single sold 37,531 copies in its first week in the US. In Canada,the song peaked at number 37 on the Canadian Hot 100 and number 19 on the Canadian Top Digital Downloads. [12]
Chart (2008) | Peak position |
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Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [13] | 37 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [14] | 70 |
US Pop 100 ( Billboard ) [15] | 50 |
"The Prayer" | ||||
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Single by Anthony Callea | ||||
from the album Anthony Callea | ||||
Released | 19 December 2004 | |||
Genre | Classical crossover | |||
Length | 4:16 | |||
Label | Sony BMG | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | John Forman | |||
Anthony Callea singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"The Prayer" on YouTube |
Callea first performed this song during Australian Idol 2004,in the week of "contestants choice". He received a standing ovation for this performance and the "Grand Royal Touchdown" from judge Mark Holden. He would go on to be runner-up in this series.
At the completion of the show,Callea was signed to Sony BMG,and he released "The Prayer" as his debut single.
It was released in Australia on 19 December 2004 and debuted at number 1 on the ARIA Charts. It stayed there for five weeks and was certified 4×platinum by ARIA. It became the fastest-selling single by any Australian artist,and was the second-highest-selling single in Australia within the 2000s overall,and for an Australian artist. [16] [17] The song was included on Callea's debut album Anthony Callea . The music video includes excerpts of Callea recording the song and was released in 2004. [18]
Callea has performed "The Prayer" at numerous concerts as well as the Carols by Candlelight in Melbourne. In 2006,he performed the song in front of Queen Elizabeth II at a Commonwealth Day Service. [19] He also performed it as a duet with Tina Arena on her Symphony of Life CD/DVD,released in 2012.
Australian CD single [20]
Chart (2004) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA) [21] | 1 |
Chart (2004) | Position |
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Australia (ARIA) [22] | 82 |
Chart (2005) | Position |
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Australia (ARIA) [23] | 1 |
Chart (2000–09) | Position |
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Australia (ARIA) [17] | 2 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [24] | 4×Platinum | 280,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
All the Way... A Decade of Song is the first English-language greatest hits album by Canadian singer Celine Dion. Released by Sony Music on 12 November 1999,it features nine previously released songs on most editions and seven new recordings on all editions. Dion worked on new tracks mainly with David Foster. Other producers include Max Martin,Kristian Lundin,Robert John "Mutt" Lange,James Horner,and Matt Serletic. It is the best-selling greatest hits album in the US during the Nielsen SoundScan era. All the Way... A Decade of Song has sold over 22 million copies worldwide,including over nine million in the United States,five million in Europe,two million in Japan and one million units in Canada.
Anthony Cosmo Callea is an Australian singer-songwriter and stage actor who rose to prominence as the runner-up in the 2004 season of Australian Idol. Callea's debut single,a cover of Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli's song "The Prayer",is the fastest-selling single by an Australian artist;it held the number-one spot on the ARIA Singles Chart for five weeks,a record for the debut single of an Australian Idol contestant,and was the second-highest-selling Australian single of the 2000s.
"I'm Your Angel" is a duet by Celine Dion and R. Kelly from Dion's These Are Special Times album and Kelly's R. album. It was released on 13 October 1998. The song was written and produced by R. Kelly. The single was very successful,reaching number one in the United States and was certified platinum by the RIAA. The single also reached the top five in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Sogno is the fifth studio album by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.
"When I Fall in Love" is a popular song,written by Victor Young (music) and Edward Heyman (lyrics). It was introduced in Howard Hughes' last film One Minute to Zero as the instrumental titled "Theme from One Minute to Zero". Jeri Southern sang on the first vocal recording released in April 1952 with the song's composer,Victor Young,handling the arranging and conducting duties. The song has become a standard,with many artists recording it;the first hit version was sung by Doris Day released in July 1952.
"All by Myself" is a song by American singer-songwriter Eric Carmen,released by Arista in December 1975 as the first single from Carmen's debut album,Eric Carmen (1975). The verse is based on the second movement of Sergei Rachmaninoff's 1900–1901 Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor,Opus 18. The chorus was taken from the song "Let's Pretend",which Carmen wrote and recorded with the Raspberries in 1972. The slide guitar solo was performed by studio guitarist Hugh McCracken.
These Are Special Times is the seventeenth studio album and sixth English-language album by Canadian singer Celine Dion,and also her first English-language Christmas album. It was first released in Europe on 30 October 1998,by Columbia Records. In the United States,it was released on 3 November 1998 through Epic Records. The album features cover versions of popular Christmas songs and original material,including "I'm Your Angel" and "The Prayer". Dion worked with David Foster and Ric Wake,who produced most of the album. These Are Special Times was released after two of Dion's most successful third and fourth English albums, Falling into You (1996) and Let's Talk About Love (1997).
"The Power of Love" is a pop song co-written and originally recorded by American singer-songwriter Jennifer Rush in 1984. It was released in December 1984 by CBS Records as the fifth single from her debut album,Jennifer Rush (1984),and has since been covered by Air Supply,Laura Branigan,and Celine Dion.
"Because You Loved Me" is a song performed by Canadian singer Celine Dion on her fourth English-language studio album,Falling into You (1996). It was released as the first single from the album in the Americas and Asia,and as the second single in Australasia,Europe and South Africa following "Falling into You". "Because You Loved Me" was written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster,and served as the theme song from the 1996 film Up Close &Personal,starring Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer. Billboard ranked it as the 14th "Top Love Song of All Time".
"A New Day Has Come" is a song by Canadian recording artist Celine Dion for her seventh English-language album of the same name (2002). The song was written by Aldo Nova and Stephan Moccio and produced by Walter Afanasieff and Nova. It was released as the album's lead single on 11 March 2002. "A New Day Has Come" is a piano-driven ballad in 6
8 time. However,the midtempo radio version,co-produced and remixed by Christian B &Marc Dold of along with Ric Wake,converted the song into 4
4 time,added guitars and other electronic elements and was released as the lead single. Both versions are included on the album.
"If You Asked Me To" is a song written by American songwriter Diane Warren and produced by Stewart Levine and Aaron Zigman. It was originally recorded by American singer Patti LaBelle for her ninth studio album,Be Yourself (1989),and also for the soundtrack to the James Bond film Licence to Kill. The song was released as the soundtrack's second single on June 12,1989 by MCA Records. The lyrics are from the point of view of a woman who pleads to her significant other:"If you asked me to,I just might change my mind,and let you in my life forever". Three years later,Canadian singer Celine Dion covered the song for her 1992 self-titled second English-language studio album. Released as the album's second single,Dion's version topped the Canadian charts and peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"I Believe in You (Je crois en toi)" is a duet by Celine Dion and Il Divo,released as the third and last single from Dion's On ne change pas album (2005),and first and only from Il Divo's Ancora (2005). At first,on 23 January 2006 "I Believe in You" was released as a radio single in the United States. The commercial single was issued 1 May 2006 in France and Switzerland. It was also released as a radio single in Canada,in May 2006.
"Nothing Broken but My Heart" is a song by Canadian singer Celine Dion,recorded for her second English-language album,Celine Dion (1992). It was released as the third single in Canada,United States and Japan in August 1992,and fourth in Australia in January 1993. Written by Diane Warren and produced by Walter Afanasieff,it topped the adult contemporary charts in both the United States and Canada. The song was the second Dion's single which reached number-one position on the US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. It peaked at number three in Canada and number 29 in the United States. In 1994,"Nothing Broken but My Heart" won an ASCAP Pop Award for most performed song in the United States.
Canadian singer Celine Dion has released 137 singles in both English and French discography as a lead artist. According to Billboard magazine,Dion is the world's best-selling contemporary female artist of all time. As of 2021,she has reportedly sold around 200 to 250 million records worldwide. Referred to as the "Queen of Power Ballads",Dion has released a string of worldwide hits,with "My Heart Will Go On" being her career's biggest hit,with estimated physical sales of over 18 million worldwide,making it the 2nd best-selling physical single by a woman in history. It reached over 117 million radio impressions during its peak,becoming the most-played radio hit in history and became the best-selling single of 1998 worldwide. "Because You Loved Me" is her biggest hit on the US Billboard Hot 100,spending six weeks atop the chart and selling six million copies in its first six months of availability worldwide. "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" was the 4th biggest hit of the 1990s in France and has sold over four million copies worldwide.
"That's the Way It Is" is the lead single from Celine Dion's greatest hits album All the Way... A Decade of Song,released on 1 November 1999. It peaked within the top ten in many countries,like Austria,Belgium,Canada,Finland,France,Germany,Greece,Hungary,Italy,the Netherlands,New Zealand,Sweden,Switzerland,and the United States. Billboard listed it as one of the Greatest Songs of 1999.
"I'm Alive" is a song by Canadian singer Celine Dion from her seventh English-language album,A New Day Has Come (2002). It was written by Kristian Lundin and Andreas Carlsson,and produced by Lundin with additional production by Ric Wake and Richie Jones. "I'm Alive" was released as the album's second single on 5 August 2002. It was also featured in the film Stuart Little 2. The uplifting midtempo song received positive reviews from music critics and became a worldwide hit,reaching top 10 in many countries. The music video was directed by Dave Meyers.
Taking Chances is the twenty-third studio album and tenth English-language album by Canadian singer Celine Dion,released by Columbia Records on 7 November 2007. Dion returned to the music scene after almost five years of performing A New Day... on the Las Vegas Strip. She collaborated on Taking Chances with various rock and pop producers,including John Shanks,Linda Perry,ex-Evanescence members Ben Moody and David Hodges,Kristian Lundin,Ne-Yo,Chuck Harmony,Tricky Stewart,Eurythmics' David A. Stewart,Kara DioGuardi,Emanuel Kiriakou,Anders Bagge,Peer Åström,Aldo Nova,Christopher Neil and Guy Roche.
"Tell Him" is a song written by Linda Thompson and producers Walter Afanasieff and David Foster. It was recorded as a duet between American singer Barbra Streisand and Canadian singer Celine Dion for their 1997 albums,Higher Ground and Let's Talk About Love,and released as the lead single from these albums on November 3,1997.
Italian pop tenor and crossover artist Andrea Bocelli has released seventeen pop,classical,and Latin studio albums,including one holiday album;three compilation albums;twenty two singles;four collaborative albums;eleven complete opera recordings;three live albums,and nine live video releases.
American singer Josh Groban has released nine studio albums,four live albums,and 30 singles. Throughout his career,he has sold over 35 million records worldwide,making him one of the biggest stars in the history of classical crossover. Groban ranks as Billboard's 14th top-selling artist of the 2000s with more than 20 million units sold in the U.S. alone. According to RIAA,he has sold 20.5 million certified album units in the US while "Noel" is his biggest seller being certified 6×Platinum in the country and was also the best-selling album of 2007 with almost 3.7 million sold that year. He has scored 3 No. 1 albums on Billboard 200. Closer was the best-selling classical album of the 2000s decade. Groban is also the only artist who has had two albums appear on the Top 20 Best-Selling Albums list of the past decade,according to Billboard.
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