Water and a Flame

"Water and a Flame"
Single by Daniel Merriweather featuring Adele
from the album Love & War
Released2 November 2009 (2009-11-02)
StudioModern Dirt Laboratories (London)[1]
Length3:39
LabelColumbia
Songwriters
ProducerEg White
Daniel Merriweather singles chronology
"Impossible"
(2009) 		"Water and a Flame"
(2009) 		"Naïve Bravado"
(2012)
Adele singles chronology
"Make You Feel My Love"
(2008) 		"Water and a Flame"
(2009) 		"Rolling in the Deep"
(2010)
Music video
"Water and a Flame" on YouTube

"Water and a Flame" is a song recorded by Australian singer Daniel Merriweather for his debut solo album, Love & War.[2] It includes vocals by English singer-songwriter Adele.[2] The track was issued as the album's fourth and final single on 2 November 2009.[2] Produced by Eg White and released through Columbia Records, it reached number 180 on the UK Singles Chart.[3] In 2013, Canadian singer Celine Dion recorded the song for her album Loved Me Back to Life, also produced by White.

Composition

"Water and a Flame" has been described as a smoky, emotional ballad. David Balls of Digital Spy wrote that the song "finds their rich and soulful vocals dovetailing sweetly – enough to draw attention away from the slightly clichéd chorus".[4]

Music videos

The music video for the song does not include Adele.[5]

Track listing

Digital single

  1. "Water and a Flame" (featuring Adele) – 3:39
  2. "Water and a Flame" (featuring Adele) (Buzz Junkies club mix) – 7:16

Charts

Chart performance
Chart (2009) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[3] 180

Celine Dion version

"Water and a Flame"
Promotional single by Celine Dion
from the album Loved Me Back to Life
Released6 February 2014 (2014-02-06)
Recorded2012
Studio
GenrePop
Length3:42
LabelColumbia
Songwriters
ProducerEg White
Audio
"Water and a Flame" on YouTube

Canadian singer Celine Dion recorded "Water and a Flame" for her 2013 album Loved Me Back to Life. The track was produced by Eg White and issued as the album's third single in the United Kingdom.[6] It was added to the A List on the BBC Radio 2 Playlist on 6 February 2014, and a commercial single was planned for release on 24 March 2014.[6] On 11 April 2014, the song was sent to Contemporary hit radio in Italy.[7]

Background and release

On 8 August 2012, Le Journal de Montréal reported that Dion's upcoming English-language album would include material written and produced by Eg White, known for his work with Adele on 19 and 21.[8] A preview of "Water and a Flame" premiered on The Katie Couric Show on 25 April 2013, followed by behind-the-scenes footage released on Dion's official website.[9][10]

On 29 August 2013, Billboard described Loved Me Back to Life as Dion's edgiest album to date and noted that "Water and a Flame" highlights the lower, grainier register of her voice.[11] A "Making of Water and a Flame" video was released on Dion's Vevo channel on 30 October 2013, and the official audio premiered on 5 November 2013.[12][13]

Eg White also co-wrote and produced "Didn't Know Love" for the album.[14] On 6 February 2014, Dion's website confirmed "Water and a Flame" as the third UK single.[6] Although the commercial single was scheduled for release on 24 March 2014, it was withdrawn shortly before the date.[6] The song reached number thirty on the UK Radio Airplay Chart in early March 2014.[15] It was later sent to Italian radio on 11 April 2014.[7]

Controversy

Loved Me Back to Life was initially intended to be titled Water and a Flame. During an April 2013 appearance on The Katie Couric Show, Dion introduced her recording of the song.[16] When asked about the album title, Dion and her husband/manager René Angélil referred to the song without mentioning its original writers.[16]

Musician Samantha Ronson, a friend of Daniel Merriweather, criticized Dion in a blog post, writing that artists should acknowledge the creators of songs they cover.[17] Merriweather later echoed the criticism on his Facebook page, expressing frustration that Dion appeared to present the song as her own.[18]

Dion's management responded, stating that Dion frequently does not mention songwriters in interviews, that she has always been open about not writing her own material, and that all contributors were credited in the album's liner notes.[19] On 25 July 2013, Dion's website confirmed the album's new title, Loved Me Back to Life.[20]

Critical reception

"Water and a Flame" received positive reviews from critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine selected it as a track pick in his Loved Me Back to Life review for AllMusic.[21] The New York Times noted that the song carries an R&B influence and would fit seamlessly into Dion's Las Vegas show.[22]

Jim Farber of the Daily News described it as reminiscent of Amy Winehouse and praised Dion's expressive phrasing.[23] Mike Wass of Idolator called the song an inspired choice that showcases Dion in a retro soul setting.[24]

Live performances

Dion first performed "Water and a Flame" live on Today on 28 October 2013.[25] She performed it again the following day at the Edison Ballroom in New York City.[26]

Andrew Hampp of Billboard praised her rendition, describing it as a "gin-soaked" breakup ballad.[27] The song was later included in the setlist of Dion's Sans attendre Tour (2013).[28] A performance from one of her Paris shows was included as a bonus track on Céline une seule fois / Live 2013 (2014).[29] Dion also performed the song on the Today Show on 22 July 2016.[30]

Charts

Chart performance
Chart (2014) Peak
position
United Kingdom (Airplay Chart)[15] 30

Credits and personnel

Recording

Personnel

  • Eg White – songwriting, production, recording engineer, bass, drums, percussion, guitar, piano, string arrangement
  • Daniel Merriweather – songwriting
  • François Lalonde – vocals recording
  • Raymond Holzknecht – vocals recording assistant
  • Manny Marroquin – mixing
  • Chris Galland – mixing assistant
  • Delbert Bowers – mixing assistant
  • Janice Graham – violin
  • Magnus Johnston – violin
  • Marije Ploemacher – violin
  • Jonathan Evans Jones – violin
  • Annabelle Meare – violin
  • Harvey de Souza – violin
  • Hannah Dawson – violin
  • Helen Cox – violin
  • Beatrix Lovejoy – violin
  • Kotno Sato – violin
  • Timothy Grant – viola
  • Becky Low – viola
  • Simone van der Giessen – viola
  • Richard Harwood – cello
  • Rowena Calvert – cello
  • Jassie Anne Richardson – cello

Release history

Release history
Region Date Format Label
United Kingdom[6] 6 February 2014 Promotional single Columbia
Italy[7] 11 April 2014

References

  1. ^ "AllMusic review: Water and a Flame". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  2. ^ a b c "Daniel Merriweather – Love & War". Discogs. June 2009. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  3. ^ a b "CHART: CLUK Update 14.11.2009 (wk45)". Official Charts Company. Zobbel.de/.
  4. ^ Balls, David (30 October 2009). "Daniel Merriweather ft. Adele: 'Water And A Flame'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  5. ^ "Daniel Merriweather - Water And A Flame". YouTube. 23 March 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Celine's Third UK Single Added To BBC Radio 2 'A List'". celinedion.com. 6 February 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  7. ^ a b c "Radio date - Water and a Flame - Celine Dion (Sony)". Radio Airplay SRL. 11 April 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  8. ^ "La 100e avant la pause". Le Journal de Montréal (in French). 8 August 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  9. ^ "Celine Talks Music With Katie Couric". celinedion.com. 24 April 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  10. ^ "Celine Recording "Water And A Flame"". celinedion.com. 26 April 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  11. ^ "Celine Dion Talks 'Loved Me Back to Life' Single, Album (Exclusive)". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  12. ^ "Céline Dion - Making of "Water and a Flame"". Vevo. 30 October 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  13. ^ "Céline Dion - Water and a Flame". Vevo. 5 November 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  14. ^ "Céline Dion - Making of "Didn't Know Love"". Vevo. 15 November 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  15. ^ a b "The UK Radio Airplay Chart". Radiomonitor. 4 March 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  16. ^ a b "Celine Dion on Katie Couric Show 4/25/2013". celinedion.com. 25 April 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  17. ^ "Water and a Flame by Daniel Merriweather". samantharonson.com. 1 May 2013. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  18. ^ "Open Letter to Celine Dion". Facebook. 30 June 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  19. ^ "Response to Comments from Daniel Merriweather". celinedion.com. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  20. ^ "Loved Me Back To Life – Coming In October". celinedion.com. 25 July 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  21. ^ "Loved Me Back to Life - Celine Dion Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  22. ^ "Cds from Celine Dion and Midlake". The New York Times. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  23. ^ "Celine Dion, 'Loved Me Back to Life'; Midlake, 'Antiphon': Album reviews". Daily News. 5 November 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  24. ^ "Celine Dion's 'Loved Me Back To Life': Album Review". Idolator. 5 November 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  25. ^ "Celine's Performance On The Today Show". celinedion.com. 28 October 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  26. ^ "Watch Celine On QVC". celinedion.com. 31 October 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  27. ^ "Celine Dion Loves Fans 'Back to Life' at Intimate NYC Show: Review". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 30 October 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  28. ^ "Sportpaleis". celinedion.com. 21 November 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  29. ^ "Celine Dion: Céline une seule fois / Live 2013 (2CD+DVD/Blu-ray)". celinedion.com. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  30. ^ Repentigny, Alain de (23 July 2016). "Le blitz télé américain de Céline". La Presse (in French). Retrieved 10 July 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.