Valentine's Day - One Heart - Celine Dion

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Comment by James Everitt on February 14, 2010 at 11:03am

The Carpenters

Happy Valentine's Day - The Carpenters - Close To You

Why do birds suddenly appear
Every time you are near?
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you

Why do stars fall down from the sky
Every time you walk by?
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you

On the day that you were born
The angels got together
And decided to create a dream come true
So they sprinkled moon-dust
In your hair of gold
And starlight in your eyes of blue

That is why all the girls in town
Follow you all around
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you

[break]

On the day that you were born
The angels got together
And decided to create a dream come true
So they sprinkled moon-dust
In your hair of gold
And starlight in your eyes of blue

That is why all the girls in town
Follow you all around
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you

Just like me, they long to be
Close to you

(Ah, aahh, aahh) Close to you
(Ah, aahh, aahh) Close to you
(Ah, aahh, aahh) Close to you
(Ah, aahh, aahh) Close to you

Happy Valentine's Day - The Carpenters - Close To You


The Carpenters

With their light, airy melodies and meticulously crafted, clean arrangements, the Carpenters stood in direct contrast with the excessive, gaudy pop/rock of the '70s; yet they became one of the most popular artists of the decade, scoring 12 Top Ten hits, including three number one singles.

Karen Carpenter's calm, pretty voice was the most distinctive element of their music, settling in perfectly amidst the precise, lush arrangements provided by her brother Richard. The duo's sound drew more from pre-rock pop than rock & roll, but that didn't prevent the Carpenters from appealing to a variety of audiences, particularly Top 40, easy listening, and adult contemporary. While their popularity declined during the latter half of the '70s, they remained one of the most distinctive and recognizable acts of the decade produced.

The Carpenters formed in the late '60s in Downey, CA, after their family moved from their native New Haven, CT. Richard had played piano with a cocktail... Read More

With their light, airy melodies and meticulously crafted, clean arrangements, the Carpenters stood in direct contrast with the excessive, gaudy pop/rock of the '70s; yet they became one of the most popular artists of the decade, scoring 12 Top Ten hits, including three number one singles.

Karen Carpenter's calm, pretty voice was the most distinctive element of their music, settling in perfectly amidst the precise, lush arrangements provided by her brother Richard. The duo's sound drew more from pre-rock pop than rock & roll, but that didn't prevent the Carpenters from appealing to a variety of audiences, particularly Top 40, easy listening, and adult contemporary. While their popularity declined during the latter half of the '70s, they remained one of the most distinctive and recognizable acts of the decade produced.

The Carpenters formed in the late '60s in Downey, CA, after their family moved from their native New Haven, CT. Richard had played piano with a cocktail jazz trio in a handful of local Connecticut nightclubs. Once the family had moved to California, he began to study piano while he supported Karen in a trio that featured Wes Jacobs (tuba/bass). With Jacobs and Richard forming her backup band, Karen was signed to the local Californian record label Magic Lamp, who released two unsuccessful singles by the singer. The trio won a Battle of the Bands contest at the Hollywood Bowl in 1966, which led to a record contract with RCA. Signing under the name the Richard Carpenter Trio, the group cut four songs that were never released. Jacobs left the band at the beginning of 1968.

Following Jacobs' departure, the siblings formed Spectrum with Richard's college friend John Bettis. Spectrum fell apart by the end of the year, but the Carpenters continued performing as a duo. The pair recorded some demos at the house of Los Angeles session musician Joe Osborn; the tape was directed toward Herb Alpert, the head of A&M Records, who signed the duo to his record label in early 1969.

Offering, the Carpenters' first album, was released in November 1969. Neither Offering nor the accompanying single, a cover of the Beatles' "Ticket to Ride," made a big impression. However, the Carpenters' fortunes changed with their second single, a version of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "(They Long to Be) Close to You." Taken from the album Close to You, the single became the group's first number one, spending four weeks on the top of the U.S. charts. "Close to You" became an international hit, beginning a five-year period where the duo was one of the most popular recording acts in the world. During that period the Carpenters won two Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist of 1970, and had an impressive string of Top Ten hits, including "Rainy Days and Mondays," "Superstar," "Hurting Each Other," "Goodbye to Love," "Yesterday Once More," and "Top of the World."

After 1975's number-four hit "Only Yesterday," the group's popularity began to decline. For the latter half of the '70s, the duo were plagued by personal problems. Richard had become addicted to p*********** drugs; in 1978, he entered a recovery clinic, kicking his habit. Karen, meanwhile, became afflicted with anorexia nervosa, a disease she suffered from for the rest of her life. On top of their health problems, the group's singles had stopped reaching the Top Ten and by 1978, they weren't even reaching the Top 40. Consequently, Karen decided to pursue a solo career, recording a solo album in 1979 with Phil Ramone; the record was never completed and she returned to the Carpenters later that year. The reunited duo released their last album of new material, Made in America, in 1981. The album marked a commercial comeback, as "Touch Me When We're Dancing" made it to number 16 on the charts. However, Karen's health continued to decline, forcing the duo out of the spotlight. On February 4, 1983, Karen was found unconscious at her parents' home in Downey; she died in the hospital that morning from a cardiac arrest, caused by her anorexia.

After Karen's death, Richard Carpenter concentrated on production work and assembling various compilations of the Carpenters' recorded work. In 1987, he released a solo album called Time, which featured guest appearances by Dusty Springfield and Dionne Warwick. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Comment by James Everitt on February 12, 2010 at 11:06am

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Celine Dion

The first time ever I saw your face
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave
To the night and the empty skies my love
To the night and the empty skies

The first time ever I kissed your mouth
I felt the earth turn in my hand
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
That was there at my command my love
That was there at my command

The first time ever I lay with you
And felt your heart beat close to mine
I thought our joy would fill the earth
And would last 'till the end of time my love
And would last 'till the end of time

The first time ever I saw your face
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave
To the night and the empty skies my love
To the night and the empty skies

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Celine Dion

Comment by James Everitt on February 12, 2010 at 11:05am

Where Does My Heart Beat Now by Celine Dion

So much to believe in
We were lost in time
Everything I needed
I felt in your eyes
Always tought of keepin'
Your heart next to mine
But now that seems so far away
Don't know how love could leave
Without a trace
Where do silent hearts go?

Where does my heart beat now
Where is the sound
That only echoes through the night
Where does my heart beat now
I can't live without
Without feeling it inside
Where do lonely hearts go?

Candle in the water
Drifting helplessly
Hiding from the thunder
Come and rescue me
Driven by the hunger
Of the endless dream

I'm searching for the hand that I can hold
I'm reaching for the arms that let me know
Where do silent hearts go?

Where does my heart beat now
Where is the sound
That only echoes through the night
Where does my heart beat now
I can't live without
Without feeling it inside
Where do all the lonely hearts go?
Where do all the lonely hearts go?

Then one touch overcomes the silence
Love still survives
Two hearts needing one another
Give me wings to fly...

Where does my heart beat now
Where is the sound
That only echoes through the night
Where does my heart beat now
I can't live without
Without feeling it inside
Oooh

I need someone to give my heart to
I feel it getting stronger, stronger and stronger yeah
And I feel inside
Hearts are made to last
Till the end of time

Where Does My Heart bBeat Now by Celine Dion

Comment by James Everitt on February 9, 2010 at 1:15pm

Celine Dion "Through the Eyes of the World"

"All By Myself" from Celine Dion: 'Through the Eyes of the World'

Celine Dion "My Love" Happy Valentine's Day

From humble beginnings in a rural French Canadian home town, Celine Dion has risen to international superstardom like a shooting star. The premier contemporary pop vocalist of the 1990's, Celine was presented the World Music Award for the Best-selling Female Pop Artist of All Time in 2004. Over the course of her career, she has earned music industry accolades from around the world: Grammy Awards in the US, Juno and Felix Awards in Canada, and World Music Awards in Europe. The entire world has seen Celine Dion transform herself from a gifted pre-adolescent singer into an international superstar.

Born in Charlemagne (a small town 30 miles east of Montreal, Quebec, Canada), Celine is the youngest of 14 children in a highly musical family. Her parents, both musicians, operated a small club, and on weekends, the entire family performed and entertained the local population. From the tender age of 5, Celine sang with her siblings and quickly acquired the ability to perform live. At the age of 12, together with her mother and one of her brothers, Celine composed a French song, "Ce n'Ètait qu'un rÍve" ("It Was Only a Dream"), which would forever alter the course of her life.

A demo tape containing the song was brought to the attention of RenÈ AngÈlil, a well-respected personal manager. In January 1981, RenÈ, moved to tears by the voice of young Celine and determined to make her an internationally known talent, mortgaged his home to fund her first album, "La voix du bon Dieu."

Celine began to receive recognition for her talent in 1982, winning the Gold Medal at the Yamaha World Song Festival in Tokyo, along with the coveted Musician's Award for Top Performer. In 1983, she became the first Canadian ever to receive a Gold Record in France.

The streak of recognition had only just begun.

Having sold more than 180 million albums around the world since her American debut in 1990, Celine Dion is one of the most immediately recognized, widely respected and successful performers in pop music history. In addition to numerous US and international gold, platinum and multi-platinum certifications, Celine Dion has seen two of her albums -- Falling Into You and Let's Talk About Love -- each achieve RIAA Diamond status in recognition of sales of more than 10 million copies in the US alone (each selling 30 million worldwide). She has been awarded five Grammy Awards including 1992's Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (for "Beauty and the Beast"), 1996's Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album (for Falling Into You) and 1998's Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (for "My Heart Will Go On" [Love Theme from 'Titanic']). Both "Beauty and the Beast" and "My Heart Will Go On" received Best Song Academy Awards for their respective years of release.

On December 17, 1994, Celine Dion and RenÈ AngÈlil were married at Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal.

Blessed with one of popular music's great voices, she has crossed all barriers - including that of language - with her electrifying series of international hits. Given her breakneck pace of recording, video shoots, touring and appearances on TV shows and awards specials, it seems like Celine has time for little else. Not the case when it comes to causes she believes in. Celine has used her talents to further the cause of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In fact, one of Celine's most emotional songs ("Vole," from the "D'eux" album, later translated into English as the song "Fly," which appears on the "Falling Into You" album) is a touching memorial to her niece, Karine, who was taken from her by this disease.

In 2004, after achieving then-total global sales of more than 175 million albums, Celine Dion was presented with the World Music Award for the Best-selling Female Pop Artist of All Time.

With each new release, Celine has managed to top her previous successes and, along the way, has become one of the brightest stars in the world of popular music. Who would have imagined that Quebec's best-kept secret could have conquered the world the way she has?

Looking back now, we should have known it all along!

CONTINUE ARTICLE ABOUT CELINE DION

Celine Dion - "Because You Loved Me"