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THE ALBUM
"Dion Chante Plamondon" (meaning "Dion Sings Plamondon") is an album by Celine Dion, released on November 4, 1991. It is her 15th French-language album and 16th in total. In Europe it was re-named as "Des Mots Qui Sonnent" (meaning "Words That Sound" literally, or "Words With Meaning" idomatically) and a diferent cover was used.
...> About The Album
Celine interprets the words of Luc Plamondon, pop lyricist of French-speaking Canada. The album includes four new songs ("Des mots qui sonnent", "Je danse dans ma tête", "Quelqu´un que j´aime, quelqu´un qui m´aime" and "L´amour existe encore") and eight covers (mostly form the musical "Starmania": "Le monde est stone", "Le blues du businessman", "Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)" and "Les uns contre les autres"). "Le monde est stone" and "Ziggy" were performed originally by Fabienne Thibeault, and "Le blues du businessman" by Claude Dubois. Thibeault and Dubois sang also "Les uns contre les autres". Other covers include: Martine St-Clair´s "Le fils de Superman", Diane Dufresne´s "Oxygène" and "J´ai besoin d´un chum", and Marie Carmen´s "Piaf chanterait du rock". The album was first released in Canada (November 1991) and France (April 1992). In 1994, "Dion Chante Plamondon" was released in the rest of the world becoming Celine´s first French album available worldwide. It was released with four different cover pictures. There were no commercial singles from this album released in Quebec, Canada, although five of them went to the radio. Sony Music Entertainment decided to release two singles at the same time, in October 1991: "Des mots qui sonnent" to the pop stations (airplay peak at number 10) and "L´amour existe encore" to the adult contemporary format (airplay peak at number 16). February 1992 saw the issue of "Je danse dans ma tête" (number 3 in airplay) which won a MuchMusic Video Award for Best Adult Contemporary Video. "Quelqu´un que j´aime, quelqu´un qui m´aime" was chosen in July 1992 as the next single and became a hit reaching number 1 on the airplay chart in Quebec. Fifth and final single was "Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)". In France, the album was re-named "Des Mots Qui Sonnent" and was promoted by "Je danse dans ma tête" commercial single, released in April 1992. However, at that time none of them charted. Everything has changed in 1993 when Celine´s single "Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)" became a smash hit, reaching number 2 and being certified gold. English version of that song appeared on the "Tycoon" compilation, as well as the single´s B-side. Thanks to its success, "Des Mots Qui Sonnent" charted for the very first time in September 1993. In January 1994, Sony Music Entertainment released the third and final commercial single in France, "L´amour existe encore", which peaked at number 31. There was no promotion when the album was released worldwide in 1994. Only Celine´s English single "Think twice", released at that time contained as B-sides two songs from "Dion Chante Plamondon": "L´amour existe encore" and "Le monde est stone".
...> Track Listing
1. "Des mots qui sonnent"
2. "Le monde est stone"
3. "Le fils de Superman"
4. "Je danse dans ma tête"
5. "Le blues du businessman"
6. "Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)"
7. "Quelqu´un que j´aime, quelqu´un qui m´aime"
8. "Les uns contre les autres"
9. "Oxygène"
10. "L´amour existe encore"
Canadian/European edition
11. "J´ai besoin d´un chum"
12. "Piaf chanterait du rock"
...> Recording Sessions
The album was recorded from September 8, 1991 to October 6, 1991 at the Face B recording studio in Paris, France. Footage from the recording sessions with Celine and lyricist Luc Plamondon, were shown during the broadcast of the TV special-concert, "Dion Chante Plamondon" in November 1991 on Musimax channel.
...> Album Photo Sessions
Celine made a special photo session for this album. The album´s artwork and illustrations were made by Christine Wilson.
...> Chart Success
The album was very successful in Quebec. It reached number 57 on the Canadian Albums Chart as Quebec sales did not factor into this chart at that time, but was certified 2x platinum in Canada. "Dion Chante Plamondon" received a Juno Award in category Best Selling Francophone Album of the Year and a Félix Award in category Best Selling Album of the Year. In France, the album, re-named as "Des Mots Qui Sonnent", reached number 4 and spent a whole year on the chart. It was certified 2x platinum in France. "Dion Chante Plamondon" has sold over two million copies worldwide. Although a French-language record, it managed to sell 111,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. On the Belgian Wallonia chart, which is available only since April 1995, the album peaked at number 17.
...> Critical Reception
According to Allmusic, "on this relatively early album, Dion sounds as self-assured and mature as on her latter-day recordings as a world-class superstar. Her voice exudes a passion beyond her young years, especially on the album's rocking opener, Des mots qui sonnent". They also said that "this album spans a wide musical spectrum, including the dramatic Le fils de Superman, the funk-tinged Je danse dans ma tête, the bluesy Les uns contre les autres, and the mega-power ballad Le blues du businessman".
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THE EDITIONS
| Cover | Edition/Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
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USA Edition | ----- |
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USA Cassette Edition | ----- |
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French Edition | 1991 French 12-track CD album titled "Des Mots Qui Sonnent", featuring her cover versions of Luc Plamondon tracks. |
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"Des Mots Qui Sonnent" Cassette Edition | ----- |
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Japanese Edition | ----- |
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Japanese Limited Edition | 1994 Japanese Epic label issue 10-track CD album featuring Celine performing songs with lyrics by Luc Plamondon in the original French, unique colour picture sleeve booklet including fold-out Japanese text insert with biography, lyrics, 'timeline' and discography, plus original title obi-strip. |
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Canadian Edition | This is the French edition of "Dion Chante Plamondon" wich contains 12 tracks CD album. |
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Canadian Cassette Edition | ----- |
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Rare 3CDs Box Set | Includes "Des Mots Qui Sonnet" CD, "Celine Dion" CD and "A L´Olympia" CD in a special box set. |
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THE SINGLES
...> "Des mots qui sonnent"
"Des mots qui sonnent" (meaning "Words that sound") is a song from the "Dion Chante Plamondon" album, released as the first (but radio only) single in November 1991 in Canada.
Celine interprets the words of Luc Plamondon, pop lyricist of French-speaking Canada. The music was written by Aldo Nova who already collaborated with Celine on her 1987 "Incognito" album. "Des mots qui sonnent" was later included on Celine´s Canadian maxi-single "Beauty and the beast". Live version of "Des mots qui sonnent" can be found on Celine´s 1994 "À L´Olympia" album. The song became also a part of Celine´s 2005 greatest hits CD, called "On Ne Change Pas". "Des mots qui sonnent" entered the Quebec Airplay Chart on November 25, 1991 and peaked at number 10, spending seventeen weeks on chart in total. The title of the song is a play on words. Although literally meaning "words that sound", it can also mean "words that have meaning" (the French verb "sonner" meaning either "to sound" or "to have meaning"). The song is a narrative by Celine to a songwriter, in which she asks him or her to write her a hit song that will reach the top 10, and also mentions the accompanying video she will have to film among other things. The song is upbeat and has a rock feel, characteristic of a lot of Celine´s early work and straying from the powerful ballads for which she has a reputation. The promo CD contains only one song: "Des mots qui sonnent".
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...> "L´amour existe encore"
"L´amour existe encore" (meaning "Love still exists") is a song from "Dion Chante Plamondon" album, released as the second (radio only) single in Canada (November 1991) and third commercial single in France (on January 17, 1994).
Celine recorded also a Spanish version of this song, called "Aun existe amor". It was released as a promotional single in the United States from her 2002 album "A New Day Has Come". "L´amour existe encore" entered the Quebec Airplay Chart on November 18, 1991 and reached number 16, staying on the chart for twenty weeks. In France, "L´amour existe encore" peaked at number 31 (twenty three weeks on chart). After Ignacio Ballesteros-Diaz wrote Spanish lyrics, Celine recorded Spanish version of that song, called "Aún existe amor". It was featured on her "A New Day Has Come" album in 2002, and released as a promotional single in the U.S. Celine performed it at the 2002 Billboard Latin Music Awards, where she received a special award for her hit "My heart will go on" which was the first English-language song to top Billboard´s Hot Latin Tracks. An english version titled "Love still exists" was also confirmed by Celine to have been recorded for this album, but in Celine´s words it did not sound well phonetically, so they included the spanish version in the album instead. Live version of "L´amour existe encore" can be found on "À L´Olympia", "Au Cœur Du Stade", and "Taking Chances World Tour - The Concert" (French edition). The song became also a part of Celine´s compilation "On Ne Change Pas". Celine performed it during her 2008-09 "Taking Chances Tour" and her historic performance in front of 250,000 spectators to celebrate Quebec´s 400th anniversary, which was included on "Céline Sur Les Plaines" DVD in 2008. The latter was performed as a duet with Éric Lapointe, and included later also on his album "Ailleurs - Volume 1", released on April 28, 2009. In May 2009, the track entered the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart. In 1994, co-songwriter Riccardo Cocciante released an Italian language version of this song on his album "Un Uomo Felice" entitled "L´amore esiste ancora". In 1998, Hélène Ségara and Garou performed this song as a duet for the charity album "Ensemble Contre Le Sida". In 2009, Lara Fabian also recorded this track for her album "Toutes Les Femmes En Moi" as a tribute to all the women in the French music scene that have inspired her over the years, being this recording a humble hommage to Celine. In 2010, Nicola Ciccone recorded and released the Italian version of this song for his album "Imaginaire" also entitled "L´amore esiste ancora" after performing the version for Luc Plamondon in homage and being told by the songwriter how beautiful it was, with such depth, when sung in Italian.
| Cover | Description | Track Listing |
|---|---|---|
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CD single released in France on January 17, 1994. | 1. "L´amour existe encore"; 2. "Le monde est stone" |
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Vinyl single released in France on January 17, 1994. | 1. "L´amour existe encore"; 2. "Le monde est stone" |
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Cassette single released in France on January 17, 1994. | 1. "L´amour existe encore"; 2. "Le monde est stone" |
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Promo CD released in Canada on October 14, 1991. | 1. "L´amour existe encore" |
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...> "Je danse dans ma tête"
"Je danse dans ma tête" (meaning "I dance in my head") is a song from the "Dion Chante Plamondon" album, released as the third (radio only) single in Canada (March 1992) and first commercial single in France (April 1992). Two remixes of "Je danse dans ma tête" appeared on a promotional single in France: Europe mix and club Europe mix.
Live version of "Je danse dans ma tête" was featured on "À L´Olympia" album. The song was also a part of Celine´s 2005 compilation "On Ne Change Pas". "Je danse dans ma tête" entered the Quebec Airplay Chart on March 23, 1992 and peaked at number 3, spending fourteen weeks on the chart.
| Cover | Description | Track Listing |
|---|---|---|
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CD single released in Austria on April 5, 1992. | 1. "Je danse dans ma tête"; 2. "Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)"; 3. "Les uns contre les autres" |
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CD single released in France on April 5, 1992. | 1. "Je danse dans ma tête"; 2. "Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)"; 3. "Les uns contre les autres" |
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Promo CD released in Canada in 1992. | 1. "Je danse dans ma tête" [ original version ]; 2. "Je danse dans ma tête" [ Europe mix ]; 3. "Je danse dans ma tête" [ club Europe mix ] |
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Cassette single released in Austria on April 5, 1992. | 1. "Je danse dans ma tête"; 2. "Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)"; 3. "Les uns contre les autres" |
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Cassette single released in France on April 5, 1992. | 1. "Je danse dans ma tête"; 2. "Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)" |
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Vinyl single released in Netherlands on April 6, 1992. | 1. "Je danse dans ma tête"; 2. "Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)" |
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...> "Quelqu´un que j´aime, quelqu´un qui m´aime"
"Quelqu´un que j´aime, quelqu´un qui m´aime" (meaning "Someone I love, someone who loves me") is the fourth radio single from "Dion Chante Plamondon" album. It was released in Canada in August 1992. "Quelqu´un que j´aime, quelqu´un qui m´aime" was one of four new songs on "Dion Chante Plamondon", written by Luc Plamondon. Erown composed the music. The track was produced by Jannick Top and Serge Perathoner. There was no music video for the single made. At that time Celine was focused on promoting her new English album called "Celine Dion". "Quelqu´un que j´aime, quelqu´un qui m´aime" became a hit in Quebec reaching number 1 position for seven straight weeks. It entered the chart on August 29, 1992 and spent twenty three weeks on it. The promo CD contains only one song: "Quelqu´un que j´aime, quelqu´un qui m´aime".
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...> "Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)"
"Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)" (meaning "A boy unlike the others (Ziggy)") is a hit song from the "Dion Chante Plamondon" album, released as the second commercial single in France on June 28, 1993.
Telling the story of a woman´s impassioned love for a gay man, "Ziggy" was performed originally by Fabienne Thibeault in the "Starmania" musical in 1978. Celine recorded this song also in English. It was included on the "Tycoon" compilation in September 1992 (or April 2, 1992), which achieved platinum status in France. Live version of "Ziggy" became a part of Celine´s later albums: "À L´Olympia", "Live À Paris" and "Au Cœur Du Stade". The song was also featured on two collections: "The Collector´s Series, Volume One" and "On Ne Change Pas". "Ziggy" peaked at number 2 in France and was certified gold for selling 365,000 copies. The song spent almost a year on the chart, including 7 weeks at number 2 position and 18 weeks in the top 10. It was Celine´s biggest hit in France since 1983 "D´amour ou d´amitié". Celine performed this song the series of concert at the Stade de France in 1999, and lately during her 2008-09 "Taking Chances Tour".
| Cover | Description | Track Listing |
|---|---|---|
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CD single released in France in 1993. | 1. "Ziggy" [ English version ]; 2. "Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)" |
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Promo CD released in Canada in 1993. | 1. "Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)" |
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THE MUSIC VIDEOS
...> "Des mots qui sonnent"
Although "Des mots qui sonnent" was a radio release only, a music video was made, featuring Luc Plamondon and Aldo Nova as guest appearances. This video was directed by Alain Desrochers in October 1991. It was included later on the "On Ne Change Pas" DVD (2005).
...> "L´amour existe encore"
"L´amour existe encore" was released in Canada with no accompanying video. When Sony Music Entertainment decided to issue a commercial single in France, there was a music video made in December 1993. It was directed by Alain Desrochers. The video was featured later on the "On Ne Change Pas" DVD (2005).
...> "Je danse dans ma tête"
The music video was directed by Alain Desrochers and released in April 1992. This video won a MuchMusic Video Award for Best Adult Contemporary Video in 1992. It can be found on the "On Ne Change Pas" DVD, released in 2005.
...> "Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)"
There were two similar music videos made for the French and English version (1993). Both of them were directed by Lewis Furey (husband and producer of Quebec actress/singer, Carole Laure). This first one can be found on Celine´s DVD called "On Ne Change Pas" (2005). The music video features Celine sitting in the bleachers of a stadium and longing for a soccer player who is preoccupied with teammates. At the end, he is walking up to what appears to be a guy in a pullover with a hood over his head. When the hood is removed as they kiss, it is revealed to be Celine.
...> "Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)" [ English version ]
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