"Treat Her Like a Lady" is a song by Jamaican-American singer Diana King from the 1995 album, Tougher Than Love. It was written by King, Andy Marvel and Billy Mann, and produced by Marvel. In 1997, it was covered by Canadian singer Celine Dion for her album, Let's Talk About Love.

Celine Dion version

"Treat Her Like a Lady"
Single by Celine Dion
from the album Let's Talk About Love
Released22 March 1999 (1999-03-22)
Recorded1997
Studio
Genre
Length4:05
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Ric Wake
Celine Dion singles chronology
"On ne change pas"
(1999) 		"Treat Her Like a Lady"
(1999) 		"That's the Way It Is"
(1999)
Music video
"Treat Her Like a Lady" on YouTube

Canadian singer Celine Dion recorded a cover version of "Treat Her Like a Lady" for her 1997 album, Let's Talk About Love. It was produced by Ric Wake. Dion changed some lyrics, gaining a co-writing credit. Diana King and Brownstone recorded guest vocals for the track. "Treat Her Like a Lady" was released as the final single in Europe between March and June 1999, to coincide with the Let's Talk About Love World Tour. It peaked inside top 40 in the United Kingdom, Scotland, Ireland, Austria and Iceland.

Critical reception

Entertainment Weekly editor David Browne called Dion's cover an "overarranged stab at reggae dancehall" and "unintentionally amusing".[1] The New York Observer editor Jonathan Bernstein wrote, "She's fallen on her face before when attempting to be as one with the rhythm, but Celine Dion has never humiliated herself as comprehensively as she does when mashing it up in a dance-hall style on "Treat Her Like a Lady". As Seinfeld' s George Costanza remarked in a similar situation, "Sweet fancy Moses!""[2] Steven Wells from NME commented, "Celine raps hardcore radical feminism! Yes she does! She says that we've got to treat women like "ladies". Otherwise they might go "crazy". This is possibly the most profound statement on the subject of women's oppression since Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch".

Commercial performance

After the success of "My Heart Will Go On", radio stations in Quebec started playing "Treat Her Like a Lady" in May 1998. Because of that, it entered the airplay chart on 30 May 1998 and peaked at number nine.[3] The commercial single was released in selected European countries between March and June 1999, to coincide with the Let's Talk About Love World Tour. It was issued almost a year after the previous single from Let's Talk About Love, "Immortality".

In April 1999, "Treat Her Like a Lady" entered the charts in Austria and Germany, peaking at numbers 16[4] and 64,[5] respectively. In May 1999, it debuted on the charts in the Netherlands and Belgium, reaching numbers 62 in the Netherlands,[6] 70 in Wallonia[7] and 78 in Flanders.[7] In July 1999, "Treat Her Like a Lady" entered the charts in few other countries, peaking at numbers 29 in the United Kingdom,[8] 33 in Scotland,[9] 40 in Ireland,[10] 54 in Sweden,[11] and as a result number 91 on the European Hot 100 Singles.[12] The song also reached numbers 13 in Iceland[13] and 38 on the airplay chart in Spain.[14]

Music video

The live music video was recorded on 18 December 1998, during the Let's Talk About Love World Tour in Montreal, Canada. It was directed by Gérard Pullicino. The video was included on the UK enhanced CD single in June 1999. In November 2022, it was uploaded into Dion's official YouTube channel.[15]

Track listing and formats

Charts

Chart performance for "Treat Her Like a Lady"
Chart (1998–1999) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[4] 16
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] 78
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[7] 70
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[12] 91
Finland (Suomen virallinen radiosoittolista)[16] 16
Germany (Official German Charts)[5] 64
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[13] 13
Ireland (IRMA)[10] 40
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[17] 12
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[6] 62
Quebec (ADISQ)[3] 9
Scotland (OCC)[9] 33
Spain (Top 40 Radio)[14] 38
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[11] 54
UK Singles (OCC)[8] 29

Release history

"Treat Her Like a Lady" release history
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Germany 22 March 1999 CD Columbia [5]
Belgium 10 May 1999 [18]
United Kingdom 28 June 1999
Epic [19]

References

  1. ^ "White Noise". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 19 March 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  2. ^ "Celine Dion: Is She Cool? Someday, Maybe, but Not Now". The New York Observer. 8 December 1997. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Compilation des succès par ordre alphabétique d'interprètes" (PDF) (in French). Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Céline Dion – Treat Her Like a Lady" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  5. ^ a b c "Céline Dion – Treat Her Like a Lady" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Céline Dion – Treat Her Like a Lady" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  7. ^ a b c d Sam Jaspers (2006). Ultratop 1995-2005. Book & Media Publishing. ISBN 90-5720-232-8.
  8. ^ a b "The Official UK Singles Chart" (PDF). Music Week. 10 July 1999. p. 10. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  10. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Treat Her Like a Lady". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  11. ^ a b "Céline Dion – Treat Her Like a Lady". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  12. ^ a b "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 17 July 1999. p. 9. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  13. ^ a b "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 329 Vikuna 24.6. - 1.7.1999)" (PDF). Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  14. ^ a b Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  15. ^ "Céline Dion - Treat Her Like A Lady (Live in Montreal, 1998)". YouTube. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  16. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Celine Dion". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 63. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  17. ^ "Celine Dion - Treat Her Like a Lady - Top 40" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  18. ^ "New Releases This Week". Sony Music Belgium. Archived from the original on 19 January 2001.
  19. ^ "New Releases" (PDF). Music Week. 26 June 1999. p. 25. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
Categories