Taking Chances (song)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

"Taking Chances"
Single by Celine Dion
from the album Taking Chances
B-side
Released18 September 2007 (2007-09-18)
Recorded28 January – 12 March 2007
David A. Stewart
Producer(s)John Shanks
Celine Dion singles chronology
"Immensité"
(2007) 		"Taking Chances"
(2007) 		"Eyes on Me"
(2008)
Music video
"Taking Chances" on
YouTube

"Taking Chances" is a song recorded by Canadian singer

studio album of the same name (2007). It was written by Kara DioGuardi and former Eurythmics member, Dave Stewart for their band named Platinum Weird. The song was supposed to be released as a single in February 2007 from their unreleased self-titled album. However, after DioGuardi and Stewart recorded it, they played the track for Dion's husband René Angélil
, who loved it and she recorded it.

It was released as the first single from Taking Chances in September 2007. "Taking Chances" is a pop ballad with a soft rock finish. Lyrically, it is about trusting and baring our souls to each other and committing to making something special. The line, "So talk to me, like lovers do" came from the Eurythmics song "Here Comes the Rain Again." The song received positive reviews from music critics, who praised Dion for taking risks and called it a hopeful and heartfelt song.

The song was a success around the world, peaking inside the top ten in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy and Switzerland. It also peaked at number 40 on the

Hot Dance Club Play chart. The song was nominated for the Single of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2009. "Taking Chances" was covered on Fox's hit TV show Glee by Lea Michele's character Rachel Berry
. Her version peaked at number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Background and writing

"Taking Chances" was written by songwriter

The Dave Stewart Songbook Vol. 1, Stewart explains that he and DioGuardi wrote the song in about 10 minutes one afternoon when movers were bringing furniture into her new Los Angeles home.[3]

"I could hear some windchimes just outside the open window where I was laying, so I picked up an acoustic guitar and was trying to play the same random pattern the chimes were making. Kara is a genius with melody and multitasking so as she's shouting to the movers she starts singing, 'Don't know much about your life,' much to the confusion of the workers. It was like a scene from a musical as the furniture was piling in, she was singing, 'What do you say to taking chances? What do you you say to jumping off the edge?' We literally were swapping lyrics, melodies and chords in real time while all this chaos was around us. The song was written about ourselves trusting and baring our souls to each other. About committing to making something special even though we knew we were this odd couple who had no other reason to do it other than we loved it."[2][3]

After DioGuardi and Stewart recorded the song, they played it for Dion's husband René, who loved it.[2] Dion released it as the title track and first single from her ninth English studio album, which was also the name of her World Tour.[4] John Shanks produced the song.[5][6] He also produced five other songs on Taking Chances.[6] Kara DioGuardi also wrote and co-produced with Emanuel Kiriakou "Surprise Surprise" for the Taking Chances album.[7] She has already written few songs for Dion in the past, including "One Heart." The latter was co-written and co-produced by John Shanks and Kara DioGuardi, and released as a single in 2003.[7]

On 9 September 2007, the members of her fan club had a 24-hour advance preview of "Taking Chances" and its accompanying in-studio video. Later, the video was available through

Sympatico / MSN Music Store the following day.[8] The song premiered on the radio on 10 September 2007[8] and was released as a music download on 29 October 2007 in the United States and Europe.[9] The track was included later on her 2008 greatest hits My Love: Essential Collection.[10] A live version was included in the Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert CD/DVD.[11]

Composition

"Taking Chances" (2007)
A 30 second sample of "Taking Chances".
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Taking Chances" is a pop song[12] that begins with acoustic guitar, then expands into a fuller pop/rock instrumentation.[13] Celine's vocals span from E3 to F♯5. The line, "So talk to me, like lovers do" came from the Eurythmics song "Here Comes the Rain Again." In an interview with Dave Stewart, he explained why he recycled the lyric: "Yeah, because Taking Chances is the same, me writing with Kara DioGuardi and deciding to enter into something together. So 'I don't know much about your life, don't know much about your world, but I don't want to be alone tonight on this planet they call Earth, right? So what do you say of taking chances?' And it builds up and builds up and gets more determined, which is Kara's personality, who's been through a lot, and she goes, you know, 'I've been beaten down' and all this kind of stuff. And then it flips into, 'So talk to me, talk to me like lovers do.' It's like pulling itself out of that, getting the strength, and actually nodding and tipping my hat to one of my own songs within the song."[14]

Critical reception

"Taking Chances" received critical acclaim. Bill Lamb of

power ballad midway through, may be the best one."[17] Nick Levine wrote a positive review for Digital Spy, describing the song: "It begins in surprisingly restrained fashion, with Dion crooning softly over a near-acoustic musical backdrop, but the soft rock bombast kicks in soon enough. The guitars surge tastefully; the drums thump like they belong on a Phil Collins solo record and Dion plays the banshee to perfection."[18]

About.com's Bill Lamb listed as one of the Top 20 Pop Songs of 2007.[12] He went to say that "She moves into slightly more rocking territory in highly tasteful fashion. Some pop fans may take a second look at Celine after hearing this track."[12] The song was nominated for the category Single of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2009.[19] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic highlighted this song. Edna Gundersen from USA Today wrote, "She dials back the bombast on the title track, a midtempo rocker." Also Edna Gundersen from USA Today and Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly have put this song on their "Download this" lists.

Commercial performance

In Canada, the song debuted at number 82 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart issue dated 29 September 2007.[20] Later, it became the "Greatest Gainer", after climbing from number 82 to number 13, on the chart issue dated 6 October 2007.[21] However, the song fell to number 30, in its third week.[22] The following week, it climbed to number 29,[23] before moving to number 26, in its fifth week.[24] After weeks fluctuating on the chart, the song climbed to number 10, in its tenth week, on the chart issue dated 1 December 2007.[25] It peaked at number 9, in its eleventh week, on the chart issue dated 8 December 2007.[26] It was certified Gold for selling over 20,000 digital downloads.[27]

"Taking Chances" debuted at number 54 on the

Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks, giving Dion ownership of the most top 10 hits at the format with 21 during the last two decades.[34]

The song debuted at number 58 on the

FIMI charts, on 1 November 2007.[37] Later, it fell to number 8, where it stayed for one more week.[37] "Taking Chances" kept fluctuating on the chart for the next three weeks, until it reached number 9, on 22 December 2007.[37]

In Denmark, the song debuted and peaked at number 29 on the

Danish Singles Chart, on 23 November 2007.[38] It dropped the chart at number 31, on 30 November 2007.[38] However, the song re-entered the Danish chart at number 3, becoming its peak position, on 13 June 2008.[38] In Austria, the song debuted at number 43 on the Ö3 Austria Top 40 chart, on 9 November 2007, before moving to number 35 the following week.[39] It peaked at number 12, in its third week, remaining in its peak position the following week.[39] It spent 14 weeks on the chart.[39]

Music video

Celine Dion in the music video for "Taking Chances".

The music video, directed by Paul Boyd, was filmed in three days, between 15–17 September 2007 in several different locations, in the Las Vegas Valley.[40] It was released on 16 October 2007. The video features Dion breaking into a hotel and being chased.[40] It also includes a guest appearance by one of the songwriters of the track, Dave A. Stewart.[41] He described his cameo appearance as playing "a kind of enigmatic 'boss' character from a James Bond movie," and also commented that it was about 100 °F during filming.[41]

The video itself follows Dion as she is taken into the city of Las Vegas, where she performs her concert show. In the video Dion watches herself as a hidden entity behind a motorcycle helmet stealing Dion's identity from her supposed hotel residency suite. At the end of the video, she took off her motorcycle helmet.

Promotion

On 27 October 2007 Dion appeared on the

Alone."[47] On 27 November 2007, she performed the track on the ABC's dance competition show Dancing with the Stars.[48] "Taking Chances" became also a part of the Taking Chances World Tour set list.[49] The song was also performed in Dion's 2017 European tour
.

Usage in popular culture and covers

"Taking Chances" was featured as a theme music for the promotional trailers for CBS's TV series Moonlight. It was later used in 2009 on the show So You Think You Can Dance Canada on the Top 20 performance show as a number choreographed by Stacey Tookey.

The song was covered on Fox's hit TV show Glee by Lea Michele's character Rachel Berry on the episode entitled "Preggers", in the first season.[50] It peaked at number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts when it was released.[51]

Track listing and formats

Remixes

  1. "Taking Chances" (I-Soul Radio Edit) – 3:57
  2. "Taking Chances" (I-Soul Extended Remix) – 7:33
  3. "Taking Chances" (Jason Nevins Remix) – 3:43
  4. "Taking Chances" (Jason Nevins Extended Mix) – 6:24
  5. "Taking Chances" (Matt Piso Radio Edit) – 4:53
  6. "Taking Chances" (Matt Piso Club Mix) – 7:16
  7. "Taking Chances" (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J. Radio Edit) – 3:44
  8. "Taking Chances" (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J. Full Vocal Radio Edit) – 4:11
  9. "Taking Chances" (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J. Vocal Mix) – 9:02
  10. "Taking Chances" (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J. Thick Dub) – 8:07

Charts

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[87] Gold 20,000*
United States — 498,000[88]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Credits and personnel

Recording locations
Personnel
  • Songwriting –
    David A. Stewart
  • Production – John Shanks
  • Mixing  - Jeff Rothschild
  • Guitars & Bass  - John Shanks
  • Keyboards - Ned Douglas
  • Drums & Programming  - Jeff Rothschild
  • Backing Vocals  - Kara Dioguardi

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Taking Chances, Epic Records.[89]

Release history

Region Date Format Label
United States[90] 18 September 2007 Digital download Epic
Japan[91] 24 October 2007 CD SMEJ
United Kingdom[92] 29 October 2007 Digital download Epic

See also

References

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