Céline Dion, All By Myself | COVERS

In the 11^th edition of COVERS (2024), Céline Dion delivers a compelling rendition of “All By Myself,” originally performed by Eric Carmen.

[otw_shortcode_dropcap label=”A” size=”large” border_color_class=”otw-no-border-color” shadow=”shadow” square=”square”]h, it’s time to get cozy and totally cover up! In COVERS, we highlight a musician or band covering songs by another musician (likely a popular musician). COVERS focuses solely on the musician who covers, as opposed to the original/most famous performer.  It is open to both established musicians and musicians who may not be as well-known. In the 11^th edition of COVERS (2024), Céline Dion delivers a compelling rendition of “All By Myself”, originally performed by Eric Carmen.[/otw_shortcode_dropcap]

“When I was young / I never needed anyone / And making love was just for fun / Those days are gone.” When everybody and his brother covers your song, you know you have something special on your hands.  The late, great Eric Carmen (1949 – 2024) dropped a surefire, timeless bop with “All By Myself”. Carmen penned the song, notably sampling the gorgeous Piano Concert No. 2 in C Minor, Opus 18, 2^nd Movement by classical composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff.  One of the best covers of “All By Myself” hails from one of the greatest singers of all time, Céline Dion. “All By Myself” appears as the sixth track on her Grammy-winning, multiplatinum, 1996 LP, Falling Into You. Released as the fourth single from the album, “All By Myself” peaked at no. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold by the RIAA.

So, what makes “All By Myself” by Céline Dion a winner? It’s the voice, DUH! Dion sings Carmen’s tuneful melodies with incredible poise in the first and second verses, barely breaking a sweat.  She rises to the occasion in the initial chorus that follows without dare over-singing:

“All by myself

Don’t wanna be

All by myself

Anymore.”

Soon enough, she brings things back down in the third verse, only to rise once more in the following chorus, continuing the ebb and flow.  Afterwards, a marvelous instrumental section keeps things engaging, going in a different direction from the verses and chorus.  She then returns, repeating the first verse (and why not, it’s awesome), and delivers the most powerful chorus yet which leads to an epic modulation.  At this point, Dion riffs and sings her face off against a thrilling pop/rock backdrop that includes gorgeous strings (David Foster arranged and produced). Simply put, Dion’s rendition of the beloved Eric Carmen classic was adult contemporary gold in the 1990s. Her take on “All By Myself” still sends those chills.

Céline Dion // Falling Into You // Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc. // 1996

Céline Dion, All By Myself: Covers No. 11 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner /The Musical Hype; Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc.; Andrea Piacquadio, cottonbro studio, MART PRODUCTION, Matteo Milan from Pexels; MR1313, OpenClipart-Vectors, Vicki Hamilton from Pixabay]