"Taking Chances" is a single by songwriter Kara DioGuardi and ex-Eurythmics member Dave Stewart's band Platinum Weird, taken from their unreleased self-titled album. The song was originally released in February 2007, and later made famous by a cover version by Céline Dion, released in September 2007.

DioGuardi described this song in an interview prior to the release of the band's debut album, Make Believe, in BC Magazine:

There is one song called "Taking Chances," which is basically us looking at each other and going we don't really know each other that well, we made a great job of this music, this is kind of wild but let's give it a go.

The song was featured in an episode of Jennifer Lopez's MTV reality TV show, DanceLife.

The line 'Talk to me, like lovers do, walk with me, like lovers do' is originally from the Eurythmics' 1984 song "Here Comes the Rain Again" written by David A. Stewart and Annie Lennox.

Music video

The music video for "Taking Chances" is simple, featuring Stewart and DioGuardi performing the song with a band indoors in monochrome. This music video is shot in the same style as Platinum Weird's two former videos, "Happiness" and "Will You Be Around."

Céline Dion version

Celine Dion covered "Taking Chances" as the lead single and the title track from her 2007 English album Taking Chances. The song premiered on the radio on September 10 2007 and was released as a digital download on September 18 2007 in the United States and Europe. "Taking Chances" CD single was released on October 24 2007 in Japan, between October 25 and November 12 2007 in Europe, and on November 3 2007 in Australia and New Zealand.

Dion's version was produced by Grammy Award-winner John Shanks. It was recorded on April 7 2007.

DioGuardi also wrote and co-produced with Emanuel "Eman" Kiriakou "Surprise Surprise" for the Taking Chances album. She has already written three songs for Céline Dion in the past: "Right in Front of You", "Sorry for Love" and "One Heart." The last one was co-written and co-produced by John Shanks and Kara DioGuardi, and released as a single in 2003. John Shanks also produced five other songs on Taking Chances.

On CBS in the United States, "Taking Chances" was featured as a theme music for the promotional trailers for Moonlight TV series.

On October 27 2007 Céline Dion appeared on the fourth series of the British talent contest, The X Factor, as a mentor to the show's contestants. She also performed "Taking Chances" on the live show which was the world exclusive debut and her first UK performance for five years.

Later, on November 18 2007 she performed "Taking Chances" live at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles.

As of Billboard issue dated March 1 2008, the digital single has sold 263,217 copies in total in the U.S. and peaked at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100. On November 5 2007 the song debuted on the UK chart at number 58 on download sales alone, after the CD release was cancelled. It peaked at number 40 the next week.

The single was successful on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart, peaking at number 1. It reached also the top position on the Canadian AC Chart and Quebec Airplay Charts. "Taking Chances" was a top 10 hit in Denmark, Italy, Switzerland, France and Canada where it was certified gold for selling 20,000 digital downloads. It also peaked at number 6 on the U.S. Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks, giving Dion ownership of the most top 10 hits at the format with 21 during the last two decades.

Music video

The music video, directed by Paul Boyd, was filmed in three days, between September 15-17, 2007 in several different locations, in the Las Vegas area. The video is narrative heavy, as only one of the three shoot days was spent on performance. It includes a guest appearance by Platinum Weird member Dave A. Stewart. He described his cameo appearance as playing "a kind of enigmatic 'boss' character from a James Bond movie," and also commented that it was about 100°F during filming.

The video was released on October 16 2007. Amazon.com and Columbia Records released also on September 10 2007 the exclusive premiere of the new Céline Dion song and in-studio video "Taking Chances" on Amazon's website.

In 2008, the video was re-edited to fit the Jason Nevins radio edit.

Formats and track listings

North American promotional CD single

1. "Taking Chances" (radio edit) – 3:54

European / Canadian digital single

1. "Taking Chances" – 4:04

European CD single / digital single

1. "Taking Chances" – 4:04
2. "Map to My Heart" (non-album track) – 4:15

European / Australian digital EP

1. "Taking Chances" – 4:04
2. "Map to My Heart" (non-album track) – 4:15
3. "Taking Chances" (I-Soul extended remix) – 7:32

European / Australian CD maxi single

1. "Taking Chances" – 4:04
2. "Map to My Heart" (non-album track) – 4:15
3. "Taking Chances" (I-Soul extended remix) – 7:32
4. "Taking Chances" (in-studio video) – 4:11

French CD single / digital EP

1. "Taking Chances" – 4:04
2. "Immensité" – 3:35
3. "Map to My Heart" (non-album track) – 4:15

French digital EP

1. "Taking Chances" – 4:04
2. "Immensité" – 3:35
3. "Map to My Heart" (non-album track) – 4:15
4. "Taking Chances" (I-Soul extended remix) – 7:32

French CD maxi single

1. "Taking Chances" – 4:04
2. "Immensité" – 3:35
3. "Map to My Heart" (non-album track) – 4:15
4. "Taking Chances" (I-Soul extended remix) – 7:32
5. "Taking Chances" (in-studio video) – 4:11

Japanese CD single

1. "Taking Chances" – 4:04
2. "To Love You More" (radio edit) – 4:42

Official versions

1. "Taking Chances" (I-Soul radio remix edit) – 3:32
2. "Taking Chances" (I-Soul radio remix) – 3:54
3. "Taking Chances" (I-Soul extended remix) – 7:33
4. "Taking Chances" (I-Soul extended remix instrumental)
5. "Taking Chances" (I-Soul dub mix)
6. "Taking Chances" (Jason Nevins radio edit) – 3:43
7. "Taking Chances" (Jason Nevins extended mix) – 6:22
8. "Taking Chances" (Matt Piso's radio edit) – 3:52

9. "Taking Chances" (Matt Piso's mixshow) – 4:51
10. "Taking Chances" (Matt Piso's club mix) – 7:13
11. "Taking Chances" (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J. radio edit) – 3:41
12. "Taking Chances" (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J. full vocal radio edit) – 4:08
13. "Taking Chances" (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J. vocal mix) – 9:00
14. "Taking Chances" (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J. thick dub mix) – 8:04
15. "Taking Chances" (radio edit) – 3:54
16. "Taking Chances" (album version) – 4:04

Charts

Chart (2007) Peak position Australian Singles Chart 60 Austrian Singles Chart 12 Belgian Wallonie Singles Chart 29 Brazilian Singles Chart 62 Canadian Hot 100 9 Canadian AC Chart 1 Canadian Hot AC Chart 38 Czech Airplay Chart 68 Danish Singles Chart 3 Dutch Singles Chart 100 European Singles Chart 12 French Singles Chart 7 German Singles Chart 25 Global Dance Chart 30 Irish Singles Chart 32 Italian Singles Chart 5 Japanese Tokio Hot 100 Chart 8 Lithuanian Airplay Chart 46

Chart (2007) Peak position Norwegian Singles Chart 16 Polish National Chart 17 Portugal Singles Chart 46 Quebec BDS Francophone Chart 1 Quebec Radio Correspondants Francophone Chart 1 Romanian Airplay Chart 79 Slovakian Airplay Chart 43 Spanish Airplay Chart 12 Swedish Singles Chart 43 Swiss Singles Chart 5 UK Singles Chart 40 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 54 U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 6 U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks 36 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 1 U.S. Billboard Pop 100 35 World Singles Chart 26

References