BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991 SONG)

"'Beauty and the Beast'" is the the leading single from the ''Beauty and the Beast'' soundtrack and the first hit single from Céline Dion's eponymous album. It was performed in the movie by Angela Lansbury and sung over the movie's closing credits by Céline Dion and Peabo Bryson; the Dion-Bryson single was released on December 30 1991 in the U.S. and the next year in the rest of the world.

Contents

Song information

Awards

Formats and track listings

Official versions

Charts

References

Song information

The track was written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman. It was one of Ashman's last works, since he died of AIDS in 1991.
"Beauty and the Beast" is a ballad about the love developing between Belle and the Beast. Two versions of this song can be heard on the film:

★ The version sung by Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts is heard whilst Belle and the Beast dance in the castle ballroom and is sometimes called "Beauty and the Beast (Tale As Old As Time)."

★ The version performed by Céline Dion and Peabo Bryson, also called "Beauty and the Beast (End Title Duet)", heard at the end of the film. This was also the version released on a CD single.
The single's music video was directed by Dominic Orlando and released in January 1992.
Lansbury, Dion, and Bryson all performed the song live on stage during the 64th Academy Awards. Dion and Bryson performed it also at the Grammy Awards in 1993.
"Beauty and the Beast" was very successful on the charts around the world. It was Dion's first international hit. The single reached #9 in the U.S. (#8 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales and #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay) and hit top ten in Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It was certified gold in the U.S. for selling over 500,000 copies, and platinum in Japan (100,000 copies sold). Thanks to its success, the ''Beauty and the Beast'' soundtrack was certified 3x platinum in the U.S., for selling over 3,000,000 copies.
In 1998, a version of the song, called "Beauty and the Bees", was made for the 3D movie ''It's Tough to be a Bug!'s queue at Disney's Animal Kingdom and Disney's California Adventure.
A short arrangement of "Beauty and the Beast" can be heard in ''Kingdom Hearts II'' video game.
The song was included later on Céline Dion's compilation ''All the Way... A Decade of Song'' (1999).

Awards

"Beauty and the Beast" won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1992, marking Menken and Ashman's (posthumously) second win after the 1989 award for "Under the Sea" from ''The Little Mermaid''. A couple of months before, it had also won the 1992 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. It also went on winning two Grammy Awards in 1993, for the Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media and the Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The song was also nominated for two others important Grammys: Record of the Year and the Song of the Year. In Canada, "Beauty and the Beast" won a Juno Award for the Single of the Year.

Formats and track listings

'2-Track CD-Single'
#"Beauty and the Beast" 4:04
#"The Beast Lets Belle Go" (Instrumental) 2:19
'4-Track CD-Single' - (CA)
#"Beauty and the Beast" 4:04
#"The Beast Lets Belle Go" (Instrumental) 2:19
#"Des mots qui sonnent" 3:56
#"Délivre-moi" 4:19

Official versions

#"Beauty and the Beast" (Edit) 3:30
#"Beauty and the Beast" (Album Version) 4:04

Charts

Chart (1991) Peak Position U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 9 U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 3 U.S. ARC Weekly Top 40 6 Chart (1992) Peak Position Australian Singles Chart 17 Belgian Singles Chart 25 Belgian Humo Chart 30 Belgian Het Chart 36 Belgian VTM/Joepie Chart 47

Chart (1992) Peak position Canadian Singles Chart 2 Canadian Contemporary Hit Radio Chart 21 Dutch Top 40 Chart 18 Dutch Mega Single Top 100 Chart 20 Dutch Mega Top 50 Chart 20 Irish Singles Chart 12 Japanese Singles Chart 67 New Zealand Singles Chart 8 Polish Radio 3 Chart 46 UK Singles Chart 9

References

★ Céline Dion - official website

★ Céline Dion - chart history