His achievements include selling 53 million albums, eight top ten albums, two number one singles on the Billboard charts, and awards from both the American Music Awards and Grammy Awards.
Michael Bolton had an extensive, though not very successful, career under his real name, Michael Bolotin, before emerging in the mid-'80s as a major soft rock balladeer. Bolton began recording in 1975. This first album was self-titled using his original surname, Bolotin. Early in his musical career, he focused on hard rock. His band, Blackjack, once toured with heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne. He turned up on RCA Records in the mid-'70s singing in a gruff, Joe Cocker-like voice both his own blue-eyed soul songs and cover tunes. Neither record buyers nor critics were much interested by the result. He then became the lead singer in Blackjack, a heavy metal band that made two albums for Polydor at the end of the '70s and the start of the '80s. In 1983, he changed his name to Michael Bolton, signed to Columbia Records as a solo act, and relaunched his career.
Michael Bolton was released in April 1983, and made the Top 100 bestsellers, as did its single, "Fools Game." At the same time, "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You," which Bolton had co-written, became a Top 40 hit for Laura Branigan. Nevertheless, Bolton's second Columbia album, Everybody's Crazy (1985), was a commercial flop. His breakthrough came with his third album, The Hunger, released in September 1987. On this album, Bolton abandoned the more hard rock aspects of his style to concentrate on blue-eyed soul singing: both on his own songs, such as "That's What Love Is All About," and on covers like Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay." Those two songs became Top 40 hits.
Soul Provider, released in July 1989, turned Bolton into a superstar, reaching the Top Ten, selling four million copies, and spawning five Top 40 singles, including Bolton's number one version of "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You," and the Top Ten hits "How Can We Be Lovers" and "When I'm Back on My Feet Again." "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" won Bolton a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Time, Love & Tenderness, released in April 1991, was even more successful, hitting number one, selling six million copies, and featuring four Top 40 hits, including the chart-topping cover of Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman," and the Top Ten hits "Love Is a Wonderful Thing" (later the subject of a successful plagiarism suit brought against Bolton by the Isley Brothers) and "Time, Love and Tenderness."
Bolton won another Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, for "When a Man Loves a Woman," but he had to put up with abuse from two camps of detractors at the February 1992 ceremony. Just after Bolton had performed, pre-rock songwriter Irving Gordon won the Song of the Year award for "Unforgettable" and pointedly attacked songs that "scream, yell, and have a nervous breakdown" and singers who "have a hernia" when they sing. Then, backstage, Bolton faced a hostile press corps of critics unhappy with his tendency to copy great soul singers like Redding, Ray Charles, and Sledge. Bolton suggested they apply their lips to a certain part of his anatomy. He further responded with Timeless: The Classics in September 1992, an album made up entirely of cover songs. It went to number one, sold three million copies, and featured a Top 40 hit in Bolton's version of the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody." Bolton's next album of original material, The One Thing, came in November 1993. It hit the Top Ten, sold three million copies, and featured the Top Ten hit "Said I Loved You...But I Lied." Bolton released Greatest Hits 1985-1995 in the fall of 1995, which debuted in the Top Ten. The following year, This Is the Time: Christmas Album appeared.
Bolton returned with All That Matters, his first album of new material since 1993's The One Thing, in the fall of 1997. Instead of continuing his success, it was a surprise flop. Not only did it not generate a hit single, it barely cracked the Top 40 and fell out of the charts after 15 weeks. Its lack of success didn't stop Bolton from turning his attention to My Secret Passion, a collection of opera and arias that he released in January 1998. By classical standards, the album was a hit, and the record received a great deal of press and surprisingly good reviews. He supported the two albums with a summer tour which were co-headlined with Wynonna Judd. He voluntarily stepped back for almost four years, disappearing from the public eye until the spring of 2002 when he began promoting Only a Woman Like You, his first album on Jive Records. After a brief sabbatical, he returned with Til the End of Forever, a hybrid new album of seven new recordings and a live greatest-hits concert. In 2006 he released Bolton Swings Sinatra, a 12-song tribute to Ol' Blue Eyes that included a duet with fiancée/actress Nicolette Sheridan.
It would be worth mentioning "Can I Touch You There" proved to be one of the all-time hit love songs from Micheal Bolton from the album Greatest Hits.
www.michaelbolton.com/
Walkin' In A Winter Wonderland
Michael Bolton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you listenin'?
In the lane
Snow is glistenin'
A beautiful sight
We're happy tonight
Walkin' in a winter wonderland
Is the bluebird
Here to stay
Is a new bird
He sings a love song
As we stroll along
Walkin' in a winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build a snowman
And pretend that he is Parson Brown
He'll say "Are you married?"; we'll say "No, man
But you can do the job when you're in town."
Later on
We'll conspire
As we dream
By the fire
To face unafraid
The plans that we've made
Walkin' in a winter wonderland
Sleigh bells ring
Are you listenin'?
In the lane
Snow is glistenin'
A beautiful sight
We're happy tonight
Walkin' in a winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build a snowman
And pretend that he is a circus clown
We'll have lots of fun with Mr. Snowman
Until the other kiddies knock him down
When it snows
Ain't it thrillin'
Though your nose
Gets a chillin?
We'll frolic and play
The Eskimo way
Walkin' in a winter wonderland
Walkin' in a winter wonderland
Walkin' in a winter wonderland
The song "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" by Michael Bolton is a classic Christmas tune that has been enjoyed by generations. It is a song that celebrates the joys of the winter season and all of the fun activities that one can enjoy during this time. The lyrics of the song are rich in imagery and symbolism, and they are meant to evoke feelings of warmth, happiness, and nostalgia.
The first verse of the song sets the tone for the rest of the song by describing the beauty of the winter landscape. The sleigh bells ringing, the snow glistening in the lane, and the sight of the snow make the singer happy. The second verse introduces a new bird, who is here to stay, and this bird is singing a love song as the singer strolls along. The meadow is a wonderful place to build a snowman, and we can even pretend that he is Parson Brown. The snowman asks if we are married, and we reply that we are not, but he can come and marry us if he is in town.
The third verse of the song talks about the singer's plans for later on, when they will be dreaming by the fire. They will face the plans they have made with no fear. The last verse of the song is a bit more whimsical, and it talks about frolicking and playing the Eskimo way. The song is a celebration of winter and all of the fun things that can be done during this time of the year.
Line by Line Meaning
Sleigh bells ring
The sound of the bells attached to the sleigh create a festive ambiance
Are you listenin'?
Attractive winter scenery can easily distract a person from the sounds around them
In the lane
The path on which one walks seems to be free from the snow that has covered everything else around
Snow is glistenin'
The snow has a reflective quality which makes the surrounding seem more sparkly
A beautiful sight
The winter landscape creates a picturesque view that is pleasing to the eyes
We're happy tonight
The mood created by the winter atmosphere is joyous and festive
Walkin' in a winter wonderland
The experience of taking a stroll in the winter scenery is enjoyable and memorable
Gone away
The bird that was around in other seasons has now flown away due to the cold weather
Is the bluebird
A bird that is considered to be a symbol of happiness and warmth is no longer in sight in the winter
Here to stay
A different kind of bird which prefers the cold is still present during the winter months
Is a new bird
A bird that can survive and be comfortable in the winter weather and surroundings
He sings a love song
A bird sings, reminding that life goes on and there's always a little bit of hope
As we stroll along
The act of walking with a loved one makes the cold weather more bearable
In the meadow we can build a snowman
An opportunity to express creativity and enjoy the snow by making something out of it
And pretend that he is Parson Brown
Make-believe that the snowman is a character in the story or a person you know
He'll say "Are you married?"; we'll say "No, man
Talking to the snowman and pretending that he's asking if you're married, and pretending to decline his offer to perform the ceremony
But you can do the job when you're in town."
Declining his offer but acknowledging that he is fit to perform the job
Later on
After the snowman is built and other activities are done
We'll conspire
Two people would plan and secretly create something special
As we dream
As they imagine or hope
By the fire
In front of the fireplace which provides warmth and comfort during the cold winter nights
To face unafraid
To be able to confront something without being fearful or intimidated
The plans that we've made
To be able to follow through with what was discussed and agreed upon
In the meadow we can build a snowman
Another opportunity to spend time enjoying the winter by creating a snowman
And pretend that he is a circus clown
Imagining the snowman as a circus performer and being playful
We'll have lots of fun with Mr. Snowman
Creating memorable experiences with the snowman
Until the other kiddies knock him down
Other children's behavior ruins the fun of having the snowman around
When it snows
An occurrence of precipitation where the temperature is freezing
Ain't it thrillin'
The excitement that comes with the snow and the possibilities it brings
Though your nose
The downside of the experience which involves feeling cold in certain places
Gets a chillin?
Feeling uncomfortably cold due to the weather
We'll frolic and play
An act of playful and lively movement that provides entertainment
The Eskimo way
A behavior exhibited by Eskimo people in times of winter, for example, surviving with the few resources available
Walkin' in a winter wonderland
An activity of walking around and enjoying the scenery during winter that brings joy and happiness
Walkin' in a winter wonderland
Repeating the activity of walking and experiencing the winter scenery that is described as magical multiple times as the experience is memorable and joyous
Walkin' in a winter wonderland
Repeating the activity of walking and experiencing the winter scenery that is described as magical multiple times as the experience is memorable and joyous
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Richard B. Smith, Felix Bernard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind