Fans easily recognize Kate Winslet from James Cameron’s Titanic film, but little did they know she had a short-lived music career. The English actress lent her wonderful voice to a song from the animated film Christmas Carol: The Movie (2001).
The actress reminisced about the time she released that single, which only made her uncomfortable. Winslet agreed to do the recording, but she has no qualms if the studio would scrap her rendition given that she is not exactly a professional singer.
Kate Winslet Had A Music Career In 2001
In an interview with BBC Radio 1, Finding Neverland star Kate Winslet recalled how she once had a hit single which she is not entirely proud of. The moment the interviewer brought up the topic, she immediately despised him:
“I really do hate you. I had the whole story behind that. So, I provided the voice for an animated version of A Christmas Carol, and the producers come to me, and they said, ‘Oh, we’d like to give your character a song.’ I said, ‘That’s a nice idea,’ and they said, ‘Would you like to sing it?’ I said, ‘Well, I can sing a bit, I’ll give it a go, and if you think it’s crap, I really don’t mind, if you just ditch it and get a proper person to do it.’”
Winslet went to record the piece, and the producers were very pleased that they planned to release it as a single. The actress thought it was a “silly” idea, but the executives insisted, so she ultimately agreed under one condition: no one will profit from the single and all proceeds will go to children’s charities. When the song was out, the studio made it look like Winslet was launching a singing career.
The song’s title is called ‘What If’, and the interviewer played a bit of the chorus while a tortured Winslet begged him to stop. As she listened to her own voice, the Labor Day star said:
“This is the kind of sh*t my husband does to me just for a laugh when we’re on family holidays, and I least want him to do it. This is what he does to me. Turn it off, no, turn it off!”
Winslet admitted that watching herself on the screen is something she hates, but listening to her own voice is much worse than the former. Regardless, the song made it to the charts in December 2001, proving she really has an incredible voice.
Kate Winslet Reacts To People Playing Her Song In Public
In the same interview, Kate Winslet shared that whenever she goes to a restaurant or a hotel bar, the musicians would immediately play either her song or Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On from Titanic. The actress actually finds the gesture amusing:
“It’s just standard. I just expect it. I should be grateful. I am grateful.”
In fact, her song contended with some of the popular acts for that year’s Christmas, such as The Tweenies and S Club 7. It was also reported that in 2002, the single was one of the most requested songs in Hereford and Worcester’s Wyvern FM. That definitely sounds like a pop star potential.
Even though Winslet only had a short-lived music career, and the song has become largely forgotten, no one can deny that she is a multi-talented and versatile celebrity. Perhaps it is time to bring it back on the airwaves during the Christmas season!
What If is available to stream on YouTube and Spotify.
Source: BBC Radio 1
