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La voix du bon Dieu (1981)

Where the lyrics of La voix du bon Dieu take you, and where it was really made.

Dion's first album was paid for by her manager, who mortgaged his own home to finance its production.

Key places

Recording at Marylin, Boucherville (1981)

Recording site Marylin — Recording sessions for the album took place in Boucherville, Quebec. The point marks the city centre, not the exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recording at St-Charles, Longueuil (1981)

Recording site St-Charles — Recording sessions for the album also took place in Longueuil, Quebec. The point marks the city centre, not the exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• La voix du bon Dieu: debut studio album by Canadian singer Celine Dion
• Released in Quebec, Canada, in November 1981 through Super Étoiles
• Distributed by Trans-Canada Disques
• Produced by René Angélil, Eddy Marnay, and Daniel Hétu
• Contains original songs and covers of classic French chansons
• Includes Dion's debut single "Ce n'était qu'un rêve"

Background

• At age 12, Dion co-wrote her first song with her mother and brother Jacques
• A demo recording was sent to music manager René Angélil, who was impressed by Dion's vocal maturity and emotional delivery
• Angélil mortgaged his home to finance production of the first album
• Original material was written for Dion, along with three covers of well-known French songs
• Covers: Renée Lebas's "Tire l'aiguille", Berthe Sylva's "Les roses blanches", and "L'amour viendra", a French adaptation of Dario Baldan Bembo's "Dolce fiore"

Recording

• Recording sessions took place in Boucherville and Longueuil, both in the province of Quebec
• Dion worked closely with Eddy Marnay, one of France's most respected lyricists

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born 30 March 1968 in Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada, the youngest of 14 children.
• Discovered by future manager and husband René Angélil after her brother sent him a demo recording of her first song "Ce n'était qu'un rêve".
• Angélil mortgaged his home in 1981 to fund her first record, La voix du bon Dieu, which became a No. 1 hit in Quebec.
• Won the Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo in 1982.
• Won the Eurovision Song Contest 1988 for Switzerland with "Ne partez pas sans moi".

Career

• Debuted in the Anglophone market with Unison (1990), followed by Celine Dion (1992).
• Breakthrough with "Beauty and the Beast" (1991) with Peabo Bryson, winning her first Grammy.
• The Colour of My Love (1993) and Falling into You (1996) became major international successes.
• "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic (1997) became her signature song and one of the best-selling singles.
• D'eux (1995) became the best-selling French-language album.
• Held the A New Day... residency at Caesars Palace (2003–2007), the highest-grossing concert residency; the Los Angeles Times ranked her the top-earning artist of the 2000s.
• Announced in 2022 a diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome, cancelling tours; returned to performing at the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony.

Members

• Solo artist; manager and husband René Angélil (died 2016) guided her career.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Debut single "Ce n'était qu'un rêve" reached number eight on the Quebec chart
• The album was supported by the success of this single in Quebec
• Released on Super Étoiles and distributed by Trans-Canada Disques
• Produced by René Angélil, Eddy Marnay, and Daniel Hétu
• Mixes original songs with covers of classic French chansons

Records

• Sold over 100,000 copies in Quebec
• Its popularity led to a 1983 reissue by Saisons
• In 1982, Dion received a nomination for Newcomer of the Year at the Félix Awards

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• At age 12, Dion co-wrote her first song with her mother and brother Jacques.
• A demo recording reached René Angélil, who mortgaged his home to finance the album.
• One cover, "L'amour viendra", is a French adaptation of Dario Baldan Bembo's "Dolce fiore".
• Dion worked closely with Eddy Marnay, one of France's most respected lyricists.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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