Great Women - Sarah McLachlin

With the Winter Olympics starting in about 2 weeks, I came across the 'theme song' for the Vancouver Games, sung by Canadian National Treasure Sarah McLachlin. The song, One Dream, features some clips form previous Winter Olympics, focused mainly on the skating stars. Stylistically, the song is classic McLachlin, and she is in great voice for it and looks positively gorgeous in the video.



McLachlin started her career in 1988 with the release of her album Touch, which managed to be little more than a blip on the US charts. In fact, it wasn't until her fourth album, Surfacing, that she made an impact on the American audience, but that was huge. The album was #2 on the US Top 200 Albums chart, and was certified 8 times platinum, a major, bigtime hit. The 2nd release, the uptempo Sweet Surrender, showed off a voice that could move around the through her range with ease, making it look easy. The song scored a remarkable #14 on the US Rock chart, and #6 on the US Dance chart.



The 4th single managed to hit #4 on the US pop chart and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, a huge success. Angel featured trademark heartbreak on a ballad that was not only a great song, but the perfect one for McLachlin. Her voice, nuzzled warmly in the mezzo soprano range, slid easily around the notes, in a style that is so very McLachlin. Her vocals are so identifiable on this track, if you have heard it, you are never able to forget them. There is a haunted quality, a vulnerability when you think she is ready to break, but instead she slides up to the note perfectly.



In 1999 a live album was released, Mirrorball. As such, a live version of the song I Will Remember You was released, and it, too, soared up the charts, hitting #14 on the Pop chart, #3 on the Adult Contemporary, helping the album go triple platinum in the US alone.



McLachlin has released 2 more studio album, and both have sold well in the states, earning varying levels of platinum sales. She has sold well over 40 million albums in her time in music, and is still a young woman. But it was the '98-'99 years that established her as the immaculate artist with a strong range and impeccable delivery, communicating great depth of emotions. For more on Sarah McLachlin, check out her official website here. And it was her birthday on Thursday, the 38th, andother reason to celebrate her music. Happy birthday, Sarah.