His debut album entitled The Voice followed in May 2001, a mixture of operatic arias and covers of pop songs, topping the UK classical music charts and eventually reaching number five in the UK album charts. Later when released in the United States the album took the number one spot and made history as the first time a British artist has held both the US and UK classical number one. The album featured a duet with Cleo of girlgroup Cleopatra (band) on the song 'Someone like You'. Cleo also did a duet with Russell on his third album 'Reprise' on the song 'The Best That Love Can Be' Cleo.
Prior to the formation of Velvet Revolver, Russell Watson was asked by Slash (former guitarist of Guns n' Roses and currently in Velvet Revolver) whether he would be their singer, however he rejected; on grounds of continuing his solo career, at least for the time being.
Also in 2001, Watson sang the opening theme of Star Trek: Enterprise, "Where My Heart Will Take Me" (written by Diane Warren), originally sung by Rod Stewart for Patch Adams. The song was remixed to be more upbeat in 2003. Watson also sang it live at the Commonwealth games opening ceremony in England in 2002.
In late 2002, he released the single "Nothing Sacred - A Song For Kirsty" to raise money for the Francis House children's hospice in Didsbury, Manchester. Their campaign to raise £5 million was fronted by Kirsty Howard, a seven-year-old girl with a serious heart defect. The song reached number 17 in the UK singles chart. [2]
Watson won the Album of the Year at the Classical Brit Awards in both 2001[3] and 2002[4], also collecting Best-Selling Debut Album (2001) and Best-Selling Album (2002). He recently played Parson Nathaniel in the stage adaptation of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds which toured the UK in early 2006.
Perhaps Watson’s most unusual collaboration to date is with former Happy Mondays singer Shaun Ryder on Watson’s first album The Voice. Ryder lends his vocals to the Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé song "Barcelona".
La Fiamma Sacra
Russell Watson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A boy with the earth on his hands
For this child of the lowly
Fate had made other plans
He was only a man of the people
With barely his clothes to his name
But when he sang - there was magic
La fiamma sacra
Chorus
Holy fire in his soul
Born to conquer the dark
A man who came – to carry the flame
Awakening – la fiamma sacra
He sang to the soul of a nation
A voice for the meek and the strong
A world of fabulous stories
Came to life in his song
With a gift for the whole of creation
He gave not for fortune or fame
A simple man – blessed with magic
Touched by love's sacred flame
La fiamma sacra
Chorus
Holy fire in his soul
Born to conquer the dark
A man who came – to carry the flame
With a voice that can speak – to the heart
Holy fire in his soul
Born to conquer the dark
A man who came – to carry the flame
Awakening – la fiamma sacra
The song "La Fiamma Sacra" by Russell Watson tells the story of a man who was born with a gift that he used to touch the hearts of many. The song seems to describe an individual who was humble and had no material wealth, but possessed a rare and priceless talent. The first verse suggests that the man was born with an angelic voice, but his background was not one of privilege. Fate had other plans for him, and he became a man of the people. Despite his humble beginnings, he had a magic in his voice that ignited something in people's souls, a fire that burned with love's sacred flame.
The second verse continues to describe the man's impact on the world with his gift. He sang to the soul of a nation, bringing to life stories that were once thought only to exist in imagination. Through his voice, he had the power to touch everyone, from the meek to the strong. He did not use his gift for personal gain but rather to bring joy and magic into the lives of others. The chorus emphasizes the power of the man's voice, describing it as a holy fire in his soul, a flame that he was born to carry and awaken in others.
Overall, "La Fiamma Sacra" tells a story of a man who was blessed with a rare and precious talent that he used to touch the hearts of many. Despite his humble beginnings, his voice had an impact that transcended time and place, bringing to life worlds of fabulous stories and igniting the flame of love in people's souls.
Line by Line Meaning
Born with the voice of an angel
A person who has an exceptional singing talent
A boy with the earth on his hands
Someone who belonged to an underprivileged background
For this child of the lowly, fate had made other plans
Despite the humble beginnings, destiny had something else in store for him
He was only a man of the people, with barely his clothes to his name
He was a simple man with not much to his name
But when he sang - there was magic, touched by love's sacred flame
His singing had a magical effect, which was fueled by passion and love
La fiamma sacra
The sacred flame
He sang to the soul of a nation, a voice for the meek and the strong
He sang to uplift the morale of the entire country, for people of all statuses
A world of fabulous stories, came to life in his song
His songs had the power of evoking vibrant imaginations in the listener
With a gift for the whole of creation, he gave not for fortune or fame
He had a unique talent that he used for the greater good, without seeking any personal gain
A simple man – blessed with magic, Touched by love's sacred flame
Despite his simplicity, he possessed an ability to create magic through his music, driven by love and passion
Holy fire in his soul, Born to conquer the dark
He had an eternal flame ignited deep within him to bring light to the darkness
A man who came – to carry the flame, With a voice that can speak – to the heart
He was a man chosen to spread the message of peace and love, a voice that can connect with the emotions of people
Awakening – la fiamma sacra
He awakened the sacred flame within himself that had the power to change the world
Contributed by Sadie T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.