Tout l’or des hommes

Written by Jacques Veneruso
Produced by Erick Benzi
From 2003’s “1 fille et 4 types”
A stylistic departure, “1 fille et 4 types” (1 girl & 4 guys) is a great pop-rock album, with hints of blues and folk.  The “4 guys” being the cream of the crop of French songwriters and producers: Jacques Veneruso, Erick Benzi, Gildas Arzel and Jean-Jacques Goldman.

A New Day Has Come

Written by Aldo Nova, Stephan Moccio
Produced by Ric Wake, Walter Afanasieff, Aldo Nova, Richie Jones, Christian B, and Marc Dold
From 2002’s “A New Day Has Come”
Not sure why it took six producers but this is one where the many cooks didn’t spoil the broth!  I love the drum break before the chorus – that makes the whole song for me.

That’s the Way It Is

Written by Max Martin, Kristian Lundin and Andreas Carlsson
Produced by Max Martin and Kristian Lundin
From 1999’s “All the Way… A Decade of Song
The Swedish are the best at pop, and Max Martin is the best of the best.  Great track.

S’il suffisait d’aimer

Written and produced by Jean-Jacques Goldman
From 1998’s “S’il suffisait d’aimer”
Beautiful melody from Jean-Jacques Goldman, the “godfather” of French pop and one of my all-time favorite artists and songwriters.

On ne change pas

Written and produced by Jean-Jacques Goldman
From 1998’s “S’il suffisait d’aimer”
The song is understated and a “grower”… typical JJG.

Immortality (feat. The Bee Gees)

Written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb
Produced by Walter Afanasieff
From 1997’s “Let’s Talk About Love”
A beautiful track from the Gibb brothers, who remind us here what great songwriters they are.  I remember seeing a documentary on TV, with the brother Gibbs meeting Céline in the studio, and hearing her sing their song for the first time.  A very emotional moment that brought Barry Gibb to tears… I found the clip on YouTube here.

My Heart Will Go On

Written by James Horner and Will Jennings
Produced by Simon Franglen, James Horner and Walter Afanasieff
From 1997’s “Let’s Talk About Love” and the “Titanic” movie soundtrack
One of the biggest-selling singles of all time with over 15 million copies (not including album sales)… enough said!

All By Myself (live)

Written by Eric Carmen and Sergei Rachmaninoff
Produced by David Foster and John Fields
From 1996’s “Falling Into You”
The definitive version of Eric Carmen’s classic.  The modulation after the final break brings a tear to my eye, every time (seriously!) 

It’s All Coming Back to Me Now

Written by by Jim Steinman
Produced by Jim Steinman, Steven Rinkoff and Roy Bittan
From 1996’s “Falling Into You”
The megalomania of Jim Steinman has found its match.  Epic. 

Because You Loved Me (live)

Written by Diane Warren
Produced by David Foster
From 1996’s “Falling Into You”

Pour que tu m’aimes encore (live)

Written and produced by Jean-Jacques Goldman
From 1995’s “D’eux” aka “The French Album”
The song that broke Céline Dion in France and one of Jean-Jacques Goldman’s best.

The Power Of Love

Written by Gunther Mende, Candy DeRouge, Jennifer Rush and Mary Susan Applegate Produced by David Foster
From 1993’s “The Colour of My Love”
Here again, Céline Dion’s take on the Jennifer Rush classic is the definitive version.  Great build up. 

When I Fall In Love (with Clive Griffin)

Written by Edward Heyman and Victor Young
Produced by David Foster
From 1993’s “The Colour of My Love” and the “Sleepless in Seattle” movie soundtrack
A great version of the 1950s classic, with beautiful harmonies by Dion and Griffin.