Tell Him (Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion song)


"Tell Him" is a song written by Linda Thompson and producers Walter Afanasieff and David Foster. It was recorded as a duet by American singer Barbra Streisand and Canadian singer Celine Dion for their 1997 albums, Higher Ground and Let's Talk About Love, and released as the lead single from these albums on October 7, 1997. The song has received positive reviews from music critics, was a top ten hit in Europe and Australia, and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards. Later, "Tell Him" was included on both singers' greatest hits albums: Streisand's The Essential, Duets and The Ultimate Collection, and Dion's The Collector's Series, Volume One, and The Best of Celine Dion & David Foster.

Background

On March 24, 1997, Dion became the first artist ever to perform twice on the same Academy Awards night. In addition to singing "Because You Loved Me," she also sang "I Finally Found Someone" from the movie The Mirror Has Two Faces, recorded by Barbra Streisand and Bryan Adams. Streisand preferred not to perform that night and Natalie Cole had been scheduled to sing her song instead. But Cole pulled out and two days before the Oscar night, Dion was asked if she could do it. Although nervous, she accepted and managed to perform on the night.
A few days later, Streisand sent Dion flowers and a note: "I watched the tape afterwards, you sang my song beautifully and I regret I wasn't in the room to hear you, next time let's make one together. I really wish your song would have won, you are a wonderful singer". That note wasn't left without an answer and René Angélil called up David Foster to write a song for them, and the result was "Tell Him". Citing Streisand as one of her most prominent idols, Dion had always wanted to sing with her but feared getting too close to her idol, explaining, "It takes practically nothing to destroy your image of them. And just as little to crush you".
A radio version of the song was commissioned. It is also under the same clock length as the album version. The radio edit features a high-frequent flute playing during Dion's bridge.
Streisand was first introduced to Dion's music several years earlier, by tennis player Andre Agassi.

Music video

The music video was directed by Scott Lochmus and premiered on VH1, on October 24, 1997. It was included as a bonus on the Au cœur du stade DVD.

Critical reception

This song received positive reviews. AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote, in his review for Let's Talk About Love, that this song "shines the most brilliantly". In his review for Higher Ground he highlighted it and wrote: "Higher Ground comprises both traditional religious songs and new material ". AllMusic editor Matthew Greenwald in a review for the Tell Him single wrote: Their voices blend together extremely well on this song, with both singers trading off and joining together with a wonderful reassurance. Musically, the song is dominated by what is, unfortunately, a somewhat bombastic arrangement. This tends to get in the way of the very pretty melody. The overall arrangement seems to come out of the 1980s school of over-production, and it is a bit cloying. However, the vocalists take the song to a higher place with their performance, and the song and recording have aged fairly well despite of this". The New York Observer editor Jonathan Bernstein wrote in his positive review: "the centerpiece of Let's Talk About Love is "Tell Him", a duet with Barbra Streisand. Anyone who's witnessed, through the cracks of his or her fingers, the video for "Tell Him" in which Ms. Dion relates to Ms. Streisand like a newly born fawn nuzzling up against its mother, will sense that this is no diva face-off. The two singers give each other room to emote, restraining themselves until the final choruses before transforming into something akin to a pair of drunks wrestling over the microphone on karaoke night".
However, the duet received its fair share of unfavorable reviews as well. Entertainment Weekly editor David Browne wrote: "Streisand glides like buttah into the duet Tell Him — making Dion sound like margarine in the process — but the song is an uberschlock ode to subservience".
Streisand and Dion were scheduled to perform their duet at the ceremony for the 40th Grammy Awards, at which the song was nominated; this was intended to be the song's first live performance. However, the performance was canceled due to Streisand contracting the flu once again. The ailment prevented Streisand from attending the rehearsal with Dion prior, although Streisand claims that she had originally intended to attend to performance nonetheless. Streisand's spokesperson said that the singer is "extremely disappointed that she won't be able to sing because of her continuing flu and fever".

Commercial reception

On October 7, 1997 "Tell Him" had its first runs on the United States radio waves. This duet was rejected however by non-adult contemporary radio stations. Even if the song was a large adult contemporary hit, Sony Music Entertainment cancelled the U.S. single release, because it did not have a broad enough support to put the song on top of the charts. The song did manage to peak at number five on the Adult Contemporary and number 58 on the Radio Songs charts. However, "Tell Him" was a huge hit outside the U.S.
"Tell Him" peaked at number 1 in the Netherlands, number 2 in Ireland, number 3 in Belgium, France and the United Kingdom, number 4 in Italy and Switzerland, and was a top 10 hit in many other countries. The single has sold very well around the world, receiving platinum awards in the Netherlands, Belgium, and gold in the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Switzerland and Norway.

Formats and track listings

European CD single/Australian Promo CD single/US Promo CD single
  1. "Tell Him" – 4:51
  2. "Tell Him" – 4:51
European/Australian/Japanese/South African/Canadian/US CD maxi-single and Australian/UK cassette
  1. "Tell Him" – 4:51
  2. "Everything Must Change" – 4:03
  3. "Where Is the Love" – 4:59
European 12"single
  1. "Tell Him" – 4:51
  2. "Everything Must Change" – 4:03
  3. "Tell Him" – 4:51
  4. "Where Is the Love" – 4:59
US 7" single
  1. "Tell Him" – 4:51
  2. "Tell Him" – 4:51
European Promo CD single
  1. "Tell Him" – 4:51

    Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Chart Position
Belgium 80
Belgium 89
Canada Adult Contemporary 71
Europe 46
Netherlands 57
Netherlands 16
Switzerland 32
US Adult Contemporary 35

Decade-end charts

Certifications and sales

Release history