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My Secret Passion: The Arias (1998)

Where the lyrics of My Secret Passion: The Arias take you, and where it was really made.

A Michael Bolton album that peaked at No. 112 on the Billboard Top 200 marked the end of his chart success.

Key places

Recording at Abbey Road Studios (1998)

Recording site Abbey Road Studios — The album credits list Abbey Road Studios in London as one of its recording locations. The listed site is the studio building itself. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: Jubilee line to St John's Wood station, then about a 5-minute walk.

Recording at Passion Studios, Westport (1998)

Recording site Passion Studios — The album credits list Passion Studios in Westport, Connecticut as a recording location. The point is placed at the town centre because the exact building is not given. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recording at Record Plant, Los Angeles (1998)

Recording site Record Plant (Los Angeles) — The album credits list Record Plant in Los Angeles, California as a recording location. The listed site is the studio building itself. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• My Secret Passion: The Arias is the first classical album by Michael Bolton
• The album features the Philharmonia Orchestra under the direction of Steven Mercurio
• It includes a duet with Renée Fleming on the track from La bohème by Giacomo Puccini
• The eleven tracks are all arias or opera numbers drawn from works by Massenet, Puccini, Donizetti, Flotow, Leoncavallo, Cilea and Verdi
• Released in 1998

Background

• Bolton's first classical venture came after a period of pop chart success
• The album received only limited promotion
• Critics argued that Bolton lacked the range to perform opera
• The album peaked on the Billboard Top 200 at No. 112
• The chart result marked the end of a period of chart success for Bolton

Recording

• Michael Bolton and Grace Row are credited as producers
• Dave Reitzas is credited as vocal producer, vocal recording engineer and mixer
• Rob Rapley is credited for recording and editing
• The credits list Abbey Road Studios in London, Passion Studios in Westport, Connecticut, and Record Plant in Los Angeles as recording locations
• Vlado Meller handled mastering at Sony Music Studios in New York City
• Richard Haney-Jardine served as English translator
• Bill Schumann and Danielle Orlando served as vocal and diction advisors

Cover

• Christopher Austopchuk is credited for art direction
• Sheila Metzner is credited for photography
• Gemina Aboitiz is credited as stylist
• Ashley Peterson is credited for hair and make-up

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · it.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born Michael Bolotin on February 26, 1953, in New Haven, Connecticut.
• At age 14 he formed the group the Nomads, which was signed to a singles contract by Epic Records when he was 16.
• Began recording in 1975 at The Church Studio in Tulsa, Oklahoma, under his original family name Bolotin.
• Early career focused on hard rock; his band Blackjack once opened for Ozzy Osbourne on tour.

Career

• Anglicized his name to Bolton and gained his first major hit as a songwriter, co-writing "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" for Laura Branigan.
• Recorded his own version of "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" in 1988, reaching number one on the Hot 100.
• Achieved peak success as a pop ballad singer in the late 1980s and early 1990s with songwriters such as Diane Warren and Desmond Child.
• Covered Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay" (1987) and Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman," a Grammy-winning cover on the 1991 album Time, Love & Tenderness.
• Faced a plagiarism suit from the Isley Brothers over "Love Is a Wonderful Thing," settled with a $4.2 million payment.
• Has sold more than 75 million records, with eight top 10 albums and two Billboard number-one singles.
• Later worked in television and film, appeared on Dancing with the Stars, and produced the documentary American Dream: Detroit.

Reception

At release

• My Secret Passion: The Arias is Michael Bolton's first classical album
• The album features the Philharmonia Orchestra under Steven Mercurio
• It includes a duet with Renée Fleming
• The album was released in 1998
• Critics argued that Bolton lacked the range to perform opera
• The album received a lack of substantial promotion

Records

• The album peaked on the Billboard Top 200 at No. 112
• The chart result marked the end of a period of chart success for Bolton

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The album includes a duet with Renée Fleming on a track from La bohème by Giacomo Puccini.
• Opening track Pourquoi me réveiller? comes from Massenet's Werther, and Nessun dorma comes from Puccini's Turandot.
• The album's English translation was credited to Richard Haney-Jardine.
• The Italian edition is titled with the subtitle THE ARIAS.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org

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