James Cameron Wanted To Cut This Iconic Element of ‘Titanic’

The big picture

• Céline Dion's iconic song “My Heart Will Go On” almost didn't make it
  Titanic
  .
• Director James Cameron initially did not want any songs in the film, and Celine Dion did not want to record them.
• The version of the song we hear in the film is the original demo that Céline Dion recorded.

Titanic it's one of the greatest movies of all time for a reason. It's the blueprint for stunning romances and packs a heart-wrenching punch. It is the definition of a blockbuster and has rightly earned its accolades in the years since its release. But apart from the story, or the famous debate about whether or not Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) could fit in the door with Rose (Kate Winslet), one of the most defining pieces of the film is its stunning score. Titanic it's a masterpiece on its own, but add the score James Horner and has been taken to a whole new level. After all, you can't listen to “My Heart Will Go On” for Celine Dion without thinking about the movie. But it almost wasn't. Indeed, director James Cameron originally I didn't want any songs.

James Horner Sneaked 'My Heart Will Go On' From 'Titanic'

while Titanic it's an important and beautiful film in its own right, there's no denying it one of its most recognizable features is its love theme “My Heart Will Go On”. It is often considered “the Titanic song” because of how reminiscent of the movie it is and makes sense. After the movie came out, you'd be hard-pressed to find a radio station that wasn't playing the power ballad. So it's hard to imagine a world where they don't match both, but if James Cameron had gotten it right, the song wouldn't even have been a consideration, Céline Dion shared this shocking fact in a recent interview with Vogue.

Céline sat down with Vogue to talk about her “life in aesthetics,” so she swiped a book full of photos of past outfits she's worn on stage or on red carpets. One of the looks she turned to was her look at the Academy Awards in 1998. It was the same year Titanic She was nominated for (and won) a record number of Oscars, and to celebrate the momentous night, Céline wore a replica necklace from the movie. The famous “heart of the ocean”. But instead of talking about the look, Céline decides to tell a story to match the night and proceeds to drop a big bombshell.

“There is a great story about this film, because James Cameron, the director of the film, did not want any songs. He said, 'My movie is cool enough, I don't need a song,'” Céline revealed of her chart-topping power anthem. She then goes on to say that while in Vegas, James Horner came to visit in secret. “She started playing us the song, and my husband looks at me, and he watches, and he said, 'James, we should stop right now.'

Céline then follows up the shocking revelation with one of her own: “I don't want to sing the song.” But James Horner was undeterred, and between him and Céline's husband and manager Rene Angélil, they got Céline into the studio to record the song. “Let's go to Los Angeles,” Angélil suggested to Horner. “We'll do like a little demo, a little demo, she can put her voice on it.” And when the idea came out, Céline knew immediately that she would sing the song. There was just one problem. “I don't want to sing the song. The director of the film does not want to have a song in his film.”

Celine Dion and James Cameron were both against 'My Heart Will Go On'

So Céline went into a recording studio anyway to lay down some vocals, and as soon as she started everyone knew they had something special on their hands.

“When I go into a studio and listen to music, I get into a character, and I even sell myself,” Céline said. “So I start singing the song, he tells me a little about the story of the movie, I'm already crying. But it's a demo, it's just to put my voice, one take, quick, just because they present it to the director, insisting on putting this song in the film. I sang the song… and
I never sang the song again to record it, to make it as a record
.” Céline explained. “It was a one-shot thing.”

So Céline Dion not only didn't want to sing the song originally. But the version of “My Heart Will Go On” we hear at the end of the film is the original demo she recorded It's the version on every copy of the soundtrack, from his own record, that was inescapable on the radio in the late 90s. It's impressive enough on its own, but knowing that he didn't even want to sing the song to begin with, but all and so managed to sound so good that a second recording was not necessary? There's a reason he's a legend in the music industry.

However, it is understandable why Dion was apprehensive about recording the song. In an interview with Billboard, he shared a little more about when he first heard the song. “I just came off 'Because You Loved Me' and then 'Beauty and the Beast' was, like, huge. Why do we have to break our noses?” Which is certainly a very rational reason not to do the song. After all, how often can you catch lightning in a bottle? For Celine Dion? Apparently three times, because “My Heart Will Go On” not only made it into the movie, but it became the biggest song of Celine Dion's career.

'Titanic' wouldn't be the same without its theme

James Cameron's reasoning isn't exactly wrong either. In the same Billboard interview, Randy Gerston (who was Titanic's music supervisor) shared a conversation he had with Cameron about the film's ending song.

“We had a record deal with Sony to do the soundtrack, just Horner's score, and I think the label figured they'd put an end-title song in the movie. Jim Cameron didn't want to finish the movie with a pop song”. And then Cameron said something that really got Gerston thinking. “”Could you a song at the end of

Schindler's list

?””

Simon Franglen, who co-produced “My Heart Will Go On,” also shared a fun tidbit about the song and how they eventually introduced it to Cameron. “I did a decent mix. And James Horner carried a cassette around for weeks and weeks and weeks, waiting for the right moment to play it for Cameron. I wanted him to be in a good mood.” Franglen shared.

Given that Titanic is based on the tragic true story, “My Heart Will Go On” is a rather minuscule detail in the grand scheme of things. But it cannot be denied that it is the cherry on top of what is already a masterpiece. The song not only became an important part Titanic but it also continued also influence the music industryso clearly the filmmakers (and Dion herself) made the right decision.

“I didn't think James Cameron would just buy this thing.” Céline added. “James Cameron didn't want a song in his movie. 'My movie is big enough, I don't need anything bigger, I don't need a singer.' And I don't blame him, but Horner says, 'I'm not going to tell you whoever sang the song, just do me a favor and listen to me once.”

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Titanic is available to stream on Prime Video in the US

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