In the wake of her Titanic success, Celine Dion produced two new albums for the holiday season of 1998. One was a new French album, and the other was These Are Special Times, her first Christmas album. These Are Special Times is an especially successful holiday album since Dion wisely balances popular carols ("The Christmas Song," "Blue Christmas," "Feliz Navidad") with new songs ("Don't Save It All for Christmas," the R. Kelly duet "I'm Your Angel"), hymns ("Ave Maria," "Adeste Fidelis"), and Christmas songs with a distinct religious theme ("O Holy Night," the Andrea Bocelli duet "The Prayer"). At times, the production is too slick, at other times Dion's vocals are a little mannered, but overall, These Are Special Times is very effective, because the songs are good and she's committed to the material. Any fan of Dion, or of '90s adult contemporary pop in general, should find this very enjoyable. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
These Are Special Times
11/03/1998 | Sony
All Music Guide Review
Track Listing
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Credits
- Vito Luprano
- Executive Producer
- Paulette McWilliams
- Vocals (Background)
- Johnny Mandel
- Orchestral Arrangements
- Rob Mathes
- Conductor, Orchestral Arrangements
- Ozzie Melendez
- Trombone
- Chieli Minucci
- Guitar
- Cindy Mizelle
- Vocals (Background)
- Jeffrey Morrow
- Vocals (Background)
- Rafael Padilla
- Percussion
- Bobbi Page
- Choir, Chorus
- Shawn Pelton
- Drums
- Jeffrey Ramsey
- Choir, Chorus
- Anthony Ransom
- Vocals (Background)
- Dave Reitzas
- Engineer
- John "J.R." Robinson
- Drums
- Olle Romo
- Programming
- Johnny Rutledge
- Vocals (Background)
- John Scarpula
- Sax (Baritone)
- Al Schmitt
- Engineer
- Don Shelton
- Vocals (Background)
- Marc Shulman
- Guitar
- Ira Siegel
- Guitar
- Steve Skinner
- Arranger, Drum Programming, Keyboard Programming
- Ramon Stagnaro
- Guitar (Acoustic)
- Randy Staub
- Engineer
- Chris Taylor
- Guitar
- Fonzi Thornton
- Vocals (Background)
- Terry Trotter
- Piano
- Rob Trow
- Vocals (Background)
- Eric Troyer
- Vocals (Background)
- Carmen Twillie
- Vocals (Background), Choir, Chorus
- Frank Vilardi
- Drums
- Rick Wake
- Arranger, ?, Producer
- Joan Walton
- Vocals (Background)
- Spencer Washington
- Vocals (Background)
- John West
- Vocals (Background)
- George Whitty
- Engineer, Keyboard Arrangements, Synthesizer Arrangements
- Cheryl Wilson
- Vocals (Background)
- Elisabeth Withers
- Vocals (Background)
- Steve Wolf
- Drums
- Andrea Bocelli
- Performer
- Diana Krall
- Piano
- Elin Carlson
- Vocals (Background)
- John Doelp
- Executive Producer
- Dan Hetzel
- Engineer
- Susie Stevens Logan
- Vocals (Background)
- Robert Moe
- Vocals (Background)
- Rob Murphy
- Assistant Engineer, Mixing Assistant
- Don Harris
- Trumpet
- Lisa Lougheed
- Vocals (Background)
- Stephen George
- Programming
- Bill Harris
- Sax (Alto)
- Russ Desalvo
- Guitar
- Randee Saint Nicholas
- Photography
- Nancy Donald
- Art Direction
- Nathan Dean
- Mixing Assistant
- William Ross
- Arranger, Orchestral Arrangements
- Steve Amerson
- Vocals (Background)
- Hooshik
- Art Direction
- Phil Western
- Keyboards, Programming, String Arrangements, Engineer
- Rick Kerr
- Engineer
- Stevie Robinson
- Vocals (Background)
- Nancey Jackson
- Vocals (Background)
- Juan Bohorquez
- Assistant Engineer, Mixing Assistant
- Gary Van Pelt
- Engineer
- Larry Salzman
- Guitar
- David Shackney
- Engineer
- Aya Takemura
- Mixing Assistant
- Thomas R. Yezzi
- Engineer
- Terence Dover
- Engineer
- Don Hachey
- Mixing Assistant
- Tony Renis
- Producer, Translation
- Kamil Rustam
- Guitar (Acoustic)
- Peter Zizzo
- Guitar, Arranger, Keyboard Programming, Drum Programming, Bass Programming
- Chris Brooke
- Assistant Engineer
- Jane Barnett
- Vocals (Background)
- Alberto Testa
- Translation
- Andy Haller
- Assistant Engineer
- Alfred Bosco
- Assistant Engineer
- Ayuana George
- Vocals (Background)
- Laura Mercier
- Make-Up
- Serge Normant
- Hair Stylist
- Brian Harding
- Assistant Engineer, Mixing Assistant
- Jeff Vereb
- Mixing Assistant
- Robert Bowker
- Vocals (Background)
- Troy Bright
- Vocals (Background)
- Vancouver Orchestra
- Strings
- Cathy Richardson
- Vocals (Background)
- UB Tirado
- Mixing Assistant
- Patrick Carroll
- Percussion, Guitar (Bass), Drum Programming
- Jake Ninan
- Assistant Engineer
- Tom Rainer
- Synthesizer
- David Barratt
- Production Coordination
- John Scarpulla
- Sax (Baritone)
- Ethan Mates
- Mixing Assistant
- Randy Phillips
- Choir, Chorus
- Robin Robinson
- Vocals (Background)
- Sharon Bryant
- Vocals (Background)
- Louis Price
- Choir, Chorus
- David Foster
- Piano, Keyboards, ?, Producer, Arranger
- Carole Bayer Sager
- Producer
- Tony Black
- Programming
- Martin Briley
- Vocals (Background)
- John Chiodini
- Guitar, Guitar (Electric)
- Yvonne Gage
- Vocals (Background)
- David Taylor
- Trombone (Bass)
- Michael Thompson
- Guitar (Electric)
- Sue Ann Carwell
- Vocals (Background)
- Vaneese Thomas
- Vocals (Background)
- Dennis Collins
- Vocals (Background)
- Ronn Huff
- Arranger
- Maria Christensen
- Vocals (Background)
- R. Kelly
- Arranger, Producer, Performer
- Tawatha Agee
- Vocals (Background)
- Morgan Ames
- Vocals (Background)
- Randy Andos
- Trombone
- Bashiri Johnson
- Vocals (Background)
- Dick Bolks
- Vocals (Background)
- Jeff Bova
- Programming
- Jimmy Bralower
- Drum Programming
- Alexandra Brown
- Choir, Chorus
- Bridgette Bryant
- Choir, Chorus
- Bob Buckley
- Conductor, String Arrangements
- Amick Byram
- Vocals (Background)
- Bob Cadway
- Engineer
- Richie Cannata
- Saxophone, Sax (Tenor)
- Johnnie Carl
- Arranger
- Carmen Carter
- Choir, Chorus
- Lafayette Carthon, Jr.
- Conductor, Vocals (Background), Keyboards
- Barry Danielian
- Trumpet
- Donna Davidson
- Vocals (Background)
- Shane Keister
- Piano, Arranger, Synclavier, Handbell Arrangement
- Chuck Domanico
- Bass
- Felipe Elgueta
- Programming, Engineer
- Gary Falcone
- Choir, Chorus
- Bob Franceschini
- Sax (Alto)
- Simon Franglen
- Synclavier
- Roger Freeland
- Vocals (Background)
- Humberto Gatica
- Engineer, Mixing
- Diva Gray
- Vocals (Background)
- Nikki Gregoroff
- Vocals (Background)
- Linda Harmon
- Vocals (Background)
- Loris Holland
- Conductor, Vocal Arrangement, Vocals (Background), Organ (Hammond), Keyboards
- Jimmy Hoyson
- Assistant Engineer
- Tony Kadleck
- Trumpet
- Khris Kellow
- Vocals (Background)
- Brenda White-King
- Vocals (Background)
- Curtis King
- Vocals (Background)
- Darlene Koldenhoven
- Vocals (Background)
- John Kurlander
- Engineer
- Rick Logan
- Vocals (Background)
- Bryan Adams
- Bass, Guitar, Producer, String Arrangements, Arranger
- Celine Dion
- Main Performer
- Jeff Hamilton
- Drums
- Jeremy Lubbock
- Arranger, String Arrangements











