The Reason (Celine Dion song)

"The Reason"
Single by Celine Dion
from the album Let's Talk About Love
B-side	"Be the Man (On This Night)"
Released	24 November 1997 (1997-11-24)
Recorded	1 August 1997
Genre	Pop adult contemporary
Length	5:01 (album version) 4:30 (radio edit)
Label	Columbia Epic
Songwriter(s)	Carole King Mark Hudson Greg Wells
Producer(s)	George Martin
Celine Dion singles chronology
"Be the Man" (1997) "The Reason" (1997) "My Heart Will Go On" (1997)
Audio video
"The Reason" on YouTube

"The Reason" is a song by Canadian singer Celine Dion, recorded for her fifth English-language studio album, Let's Talk About Love (1997). It was written by Carole King, Mark Hudson and Greg Wells, and produced by Sir George Martin. "The Reason" was released as the second single from the album in selected European countries on 24 November 1997 by Columbia and Epic Records. In France, it was issued as a double A-side single with "My Heart Will Go On".[1] Its music video was directed by Scott Lochmus, featuring Dion recording the song in a studio.

Background and release

Carole King wrote this song first for the band Aerosmith.

Dion performed "The Reason" during her Let's Talk About Love Tour, and as a duet with Carole King on VH1 Divas and at the 48° Festival di Sanremo on 1998 in Italy. On that occasion she also performed "My Heart Will Go On".

The track was included later on The Collector's Series, Volume One in 2000 and My Love: Ultimate Essential Collection European edition in 2008.

The recording of this song was included as a bonus on the Au cœur du stade DVD.

From 2011 to 2014, "The Reason" was included in the set list of Dion's Las Vegas show, Celine. The song was also performed in Dion's 2017 tour and 2018 tour. "The Reason" was performed by Dion during her BST Hyde Park concert in London on 5 July 2019. The song was also performed during the first two US shows of Dion's Courage World Tour in 2019.

Carole King recorded also her own version of this song for her 2001 album Love Makes the World, this time with Dion on backing vocals.

Critical reception

A reviewer from Music Week gave "The Reason" three out of five, stating that "Celine is back in classic power ballad territory here, though this track lacks the mega hooks of her previous hits. More of an album taster than a Christmas number one."[2] The New York Observer editor Jonathan Bernstein reviewed, "It kicks off in time-honored fashion with a bombastic power ballad, "The Reason", co-written by Carole King and produced by Sir George Martin. Thus, straight away, we find the inherent wrongheadedness of this record. Carole King hasn't written a memorable song in many a year and-hello?-didn't George Martin recently announce that he was quitting the producing racket because his hearing was going? The latter affliction was probably incurred by a silent prayer offered up during the recording of "The Reason" to be struck deaf".[3] Smash Hits gave it four out of five, writing, "'The Reason' starts off as you'd expect — all soft and lovely — then in come the strings and Celine steps up a gear. It all builds up into one of those huge production numbers with our fave Canadian warbler wailing over the top like she really means it. There ain't many people out there on Planet Pop that can do 'em like Celine! It's big, it's Christmassy and we love it! Top five."[4]

Retrospective response

Pip Ellwood-Hughes from Entertainment Focus noted that the song "immediately reminds you of why Dion has become such a powerhouse." He added that "it highlights how she can pack power and emotion into everything she sings."[5] Bob Waliszewski of Plugged In felt that "The Reason" celebrate's love "and the affection of a good man".[6] Christopher Smith from TalkAboutPopMusic declared the song as "a typical Celine mid-tempo ballad with plenty of high notes for Celine to hit and re-establish her presence."[7]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "The Reason" was directed by Scott Lochmus and released in December 1997. It shows the recording of the song in the studio.

Formats and track listings

European CD single "The Reason" – 5:01 "Be the Man" – 4:39 French CD single (double A-side) "The Reason" – 5:01 "My Heart Will Go On" – 4:40 UK cassette single "The Reason" – 5:01 "Be the Man" – 4:39 "The Christmas Song" – 4:12

European/UK CD maxi-single and French 12" single "The Reason" – 5:01 "Be the Man" – 4:39 "Make You Happy" – 4:31 "With this Tear" – 4:12 UK CD maxi-single #2 "The Reason" – 5:01 "Cherche encore" – 3:24 "Lovin' Proof" – 4:09 "The Christmas Song" – 4:12 European/UK promo single "The Reason" (Radio Edit) – 4:30

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1997–1998) Peak position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 78 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[8] 59 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[9] 12 Europe (European Hit Radio)[10] 18 France (SNEP)[11] 1^[A] Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[12] 26 Ireland (IRMA)[13] 13 Scotland (OCC)[14] 13 Spain (Top 40 Radio)[15] 13 UK Singles (OCC)[16] 11

Year-end charts Chart (1997) Position UK Singles (OCC)[17] 152 Chart (1998) Position France (SNEP)[18] 3^[A]

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[19]	Diamond	750,000^*
United Kingdom	—	100,000[17]
^* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label	Ref.
Belgium	24 November 1997	CD maxi CD	Columbia	[20]
France				[21]
United Kingdom	8 December 1997	CD cassette	Epic	[22]

See also

• French Top 100 singles of the 1990s
• List of number-one singles of 1998 (France)

Notes

• A ^ Released as a double A-side with "My Heart Will Go On".

References

1. Glatzer, Jenna (2005). Céline Dion: For Keeps. Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 0-7407-5559-5.
2. "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 29 November 1997. p. 14. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
3. Jonathan Bernstein (8 December 1997). "Celine Dion: Is She Cool? Someday, Maybe, but Not Now". The New York Observer. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
4. "New Singles". Smash Hits. 17 December 1997. p. 65. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
5. Ellwood-Hughes, Pip (7 October 2018). "Celine Dion – Let's Talk About Love vinyl review". Entertainment Focus. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
6. Waliszewski, Bob. "Let's Talk About Love". Plugged In. Focus on the Family. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
7. Smith, Christopher (9 November 2019). "Review: 'Let's Talk About Love' – Celine Dion". TalkAboutPopMusic. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
8. Sam Jaspers (2006). Ultratop 1995–2005. Book & Media Publishing. ISBN 90-5720-232-8.
9. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 7. 14 February 1998. p. 10. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
10. "European Radio Top 50" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 4. 24 January 1998. p. 38. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
11. "Céline Dion – My Heart Will Go On (chanson)" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
12. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (18.12.1997 - 25.12.1997)" (PDF) (in Icelandic). Dagblaðið Vísir - Tónlist. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
13. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Reason". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
14. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
15. Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
16. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
17. "Najlepsze single na UK Top 40-1997 wg sprzedaży" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 4 June 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
18. "Tops de l'année - Top Singles 1998" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
19. "French single certifications – Celine Dion – The Reason My Heart Will Go" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
20. "New Releases This Week". Sony Music Belgium. Archived from the original on 8 October 2000.
21. Lorenz, Christian (22 November 1997). "Dion's Titanic release sets sail for new shores". Music & Media. p. 8.
22. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 6 December 1997. p. 27.

External links

• "Céline Dion - The Reason (Official Audio)" on YouTube
• "Céline Dion - The Reason (Studio Session - Let's Talk About Love)" on YouTube