PRINCE - WITH THIS TEAR ⚩

PRINCE - WITH THIS TEAR ⚩ With This Tear is the thirteenth track (twelfth song) on Celine Dion’s 17th album (second English-language album) Celine Dion. The track was written by Prince, but was re-recorded by Dion’s own musicians for release. In 1997, it was included as the final track on most editions of the 4-track maxi-single of The Reason released in Europe and South Africa, and as the fourth track on the compilation Love, Celine (Love Songs Collection). In 2000, With This Tear was included as the sixth track on the compilation The Collector’s Series, Volume One. In 1993, a brief sample of the track was used in a Segue from Carmen Electra’s album Carmen Electra, as if heard while scanning through a radio dial (clips of Hit U In The Socket, In A Word Or 2, The Voice, Sexy M.F. and Goldnigga are also heard). While specific recording dates are not known, basic tracking took place in November 1991 at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Clare Fischer arranged and recorded orchestration for the song, at Mad Hatter Studios, Los Angeles, California. The song was initially intended for Jevetta Steele, but it is not known whether she recorded a version of the track. It was submitted to Celine Dion shortly afterwards. He accompanied the sending of the song to Dion’s manager and husband René Angélil with a note saying "If I could choose the producer for this song, it would be Walter Afanasieff." Coincidentally, Celine Dion had just started working with him. She recorded her own version of the song on 16 January 1992, produced by Walter Afanasieff. With This Tear was included on the album at the last minute, replacing a cover of the song Calling You made famous by Jevetta Steele in 1987. Prince re-recorded the song with the group Milenia in Summer 2001 at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota. This version of With This Tear was intended for Milenia’s first album, but it was ultimately not included when it evolved into Our Story released in 2002. Prince’s version (guide vocal) of With This Tear was one of the Vault tracks recorded between 1990 and 1992 slated for inclusion on the planned posthumous album Diamonds & Love, which was expected to be released by The Prince Estate in the summer of 2022. That project, which consisted of material spanning both the Diamonds And Pearls and eras, was reduced to the Diamonds And Pearls era, excluding songs recorded after October 1991, disqualifying this song for the set. Prince’s version was subsequently released digitally as a standalone track on 20 April 2026, one day before the tenth anniversary of his death. The song is included on Timeless, scheduled for release in late August 2026.