No matter where I am, who I’m with or how I’m celebrating, there are some traditions that I have to adhere to for New Year’s Eve every year: I must have a glass of something sparkling; I must make sure Hubby’s nearby for me to kiss on the stroke of midnight, and I always see the New Year in – so no getting an early night! And another New Year’s Eve must have: a listen to Dina Carroll’s The Perfect Year, which I think is the perfect song to play at the end of the year, just before we see in the new one.
Those who are familiar with the song will also know that it’s from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard but Dina recorded her own version of it which was released towards then end of 1993. I was a teenager at the time she released The Perfect Year and I’ve always loved her version of the song. There’s something about the power of her vocals and the emotion in her voice that really adds to the song and Dina really makes the it her own. This song played a huge part in me taking voice lessons and wanting to be involved in musical theatre. Furthermore 1993 was something of a great year for me and the festive season of that year was probably one of the most memorable we’ve ever celebrated, and The Perfect Year naturally reminds me of this wonderful time and the fab early nineties. Oh how those years passed by so very quickly!
The beautiful Dina Carroll
1993 could also be described as the perfect year for Dina Carroll too – the only British singer to have had a natural American accent! She’s worked with David Cole and Robert Clivillés of C&C Music Factory. Her album So Close, released that year, entered the Top Ten of the UK Album Charts. Her hit Don’t Be A Stranger – wonderfully soulful ballad – reached number three in the charts becoming Dina’s biggest hit. Not only that but when The Perfect Year entered the UK singles chart, Dina became the only British female singer in the 1990s to have had two singles simultaneously in the Top Ten, along with Don’t Be a Stranger. And in February of the following year, Dina topped off her phenomenal success with a much deserved Brit award.
Unfortunately even though Dina had accomplished a lot and still had the potential to go much further in her career, she gradually faded from the music scene. Sure she was still in the music industry and she made a couple of comebacks, with her last release was back in 2003 but since then very little has been heard about her. It’s a shame because she was a stunning lady with a stunning voice, and vocally, she was right up there with Whitney and Mariah. Dina also acted with a great deal of grace and class – something we don’t always see from celebrities nowadays. I still remember how apologetic she was when accepting her Brit award, and a couple of semi-rude words accidentally escaped her lips. How times have changed!
I do hope that Dina will return to the music scene soon but in the meanwhile, I will forever be thankful to her for recording the most beautifully sentimental track that makes New Year complete.
