Celine Dion – These Are Special Times reissue in 2023

2-LP, Reissue

These Are Special Times is the seventeenth studio album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, and her first English-language Christmas album. It was first released in Europe on 30 October 1998, by Columbia Records. In the United States, it was released on 3 November 1998 through Epic Records. The album features cover versions of popular Christmas songs and original material, including “I’m Your Angel” and “The Prayer”. Dion worked with David Foster and Ric Wake, who produced most of the album. These Are Special Times was released after two of Dion’s most successful albums, Falling into You (1996) and Let’s Talk About Love (1997).

Upon its release, These Are Special Times received generally positive reviews from music critics. Many praised Dion’s commitment to the project, as well as the production of the songs. The album has been certified six-times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of six million copies in the United States. In Canada, the album has sold one million copies and been certified Diamond by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA). These Are Special Times has sold over 12 million copies worldwide and is one of the best-selling Christmas albums of all time.

The album spawned two singles. “I’m Your Angel” was released as the lead single on 16 November 1998 and peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. “The Prayer”, a duet with Andrea Bocelli, was released as a promotional single on 1 March 1999 and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song at the 56th Golden Globe Awards. In addition, “I’m Your Angel” and “The Prayer” were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 41st and 42nd Annual Grammy Awards, respectively. In 2021, Billboard named These Are Special Times the 8th Greatest Holiday Album of All Time.

Worldwide reissue of the 2022 Opaque Gold [Limited Edition] vinyl, Céline Dion – These Are Special Times. This reissue has normal black vinyl discs.

Includes complete album notes and lyrics, also the lyrics to the songs that were omitted it earlier booklet(s): O Holy Night, Blue Christmas, Ave Maria, Adeste Fideles, The Christmas Song, Happy Xmas and Feliz Navidad.

In this release, the track “I’m Your Angel” is now replaced by “I Met An Angel (On Christmas Day)” as last song of the album, previously released on the That’s The Way It Is single: Céline Dion – That’s The Way It Is.