Whitney Houston - Whitney (Anniversary Celebration)

UK release date: 3rd June 1987
UK album chart peak: #1
US album chart peak: #1

Buy Whitney here (Amazon UK)
Read my #Whitney30 singles project here
Read my Whitney anniversary celebrations here

Back in 1987, I was on the cusp of discovering a whole world of pop music that wasn’t what my mum/brother were listening to. I was well versed in the entire back catalogue of ABBA, knew more musical cast recordings than most people will ever encounter in their lifetime, and was slightly obsessed still with The Kids from Fame. The first album of any ilk that I was aware of at the time it was released and knew every single word to every single track was Madonna’s True Blue. The second came approximately one year later in the form of the second Whitney Houston album, simply entitled Whitney. These two albums, along with the discovery of Smash Hits magazine, were the genesis of my life long obsession with the genre that has yet to fade. It is difficult to say anything new about the pop-influenced Whitney album that hasn’t been said a hundred and one times already – it was a massive, worldwide smash that (rightly) spawned hit single after hit single. Much liked the aforementioned True Blue (and also Janet Jackson’s Control, which I only discovered around the time of RN1814), it was a genre hopping collection that defined what classic song craft was all about. It firmly established Whitney as a superstar singer who could effortless build on the template and successes of her debut album. While some folks complained that the album was not r’n’b enough, I was too young to understand the nuances of this and fell in love with the euphoric uptempo tracks and heartbreaking ballads. These are songs that have meant different things to me as I have matured and changed, lyrics and melodies that have truly stood the test of time.

The Whitney album started with one of the all-time great lead off singles – the joyous, marvellous I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) is certainly up there with album introducers such as Like A Prayer, Better The Devil You Know and Fantasy. It felt like a spiritual and musical successor to her debut album (and only properly up-tempo single to date) How Will I Know; both written both Boy Meets Girl and both produced by Narada Michael Walden. If the attitude was “why mess with a successful formula?” it definitely worked. Even at my tender age of thirteen, I knew that the parenthesis of the title were super important. It was so much more than ‘ I just want to go to the disco and dance’, it has a more life-affirming message of finding that one person who is going to be the love of your life. I actually didn’t hear the single until it was played on the UK top forty countdown and it rocketed into the charts at number ten. I was transfixed by the sheer giddy happiness that exuded from the gummy bass and delirious instrumental; mesmerised by Whitney’s glorious vocals that seamlessly wrapped around that inescapable melody. It was one of the first 12” vinyl singles I bought (could afford) and opened my eyes to the good old world of remixes. The Jellybean remix gave the song an extended groove that makes my shoulders shimmy each time I hear it. It is no surprise that it topped charts all around the world and remains a floor filler at parties across the globe. It ushered in a second chart topping album for Whitney and is one of her enduring signature smashes.

The lead single was a smash of such longevity that the record company held off on rushing a second single for almost four months. Didn’t We Almost Have It All was released at the end of August and was markedly different sound to the single that preceded it. It reflected more the sound of her debut album singles, a lush, languorous ballad fuelled by yearning and passion. It was a superlative, crescendo-ing number that drew out an increasingly aching performance from Ms. Houston as the music swelled around her. I loved the big emotional finish that, to my young ears, felt like it belonged in a lavish Broadway musical; the type of show stopping number that had you applauding until your hands were raw. It was the archetypal template for a ballad that went on to launch careers for the likes of Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Adele et al. The UK version was slightly edited and remixed from the 5 minute plus album version, condensing all the moments of majesty for a more radio friendly format. It was another US chart topper, though at this stage the ballads from the album fared less well in the UK (peaking outside the top ten). This was rectified by the choice to alternate up-tempo and ballad tracks with each single (helped as well by a decision to only release original music from the album, despite an abundance of radiant covers). Single number 3, So Emotional, was remixed by Shep Pettibone for the UK Christmas market and resulted in a top five hit (and a third of four US number ones). I loved So Emotional – it felt like part of a narrative that, as mentioned began with How Will I Know and continued through to I Wanna Dance. This was Whitney celebrating love and all the endless possibilities it brings. I was at the age where first crushes (celebrities, the school rugby captain impossibly named Manning Butts) were driving my innocent fantasies (a soda date, maybe holding hands by the end of the night, ooo the scandal). The lyrics of So Emotional were manna from heaven for such dreamy thoughts, with Whitney detailing far more eloquently than I was capable of how love can consume your every thought; how it could send an endorphin rush to your brain that was as potent and fabulous as every single note, beat and rhythm of this intoxicating gem.

Single number four emerged just in time for Valentine’s Day and became an anthem for those having microwave lasagne for one instead of sitting in a heart shaped balloon filled restaurant. Where Do Broken Hearts Go detailed lost love in a way that few other singers could. It didn’t necessarily give you the answers you might have been looking for, but the musical experience was so satisfying that by the time it finished you just plum didn’t care. Notably, this was Whitney’s fourth US number one from the album, a feat that (at the time) had only been achieved by Madonna with True Blue (but since equalled by Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson and Katy Perry). I was quite pleased that the b-side was one of my favourite album ballads, Where You Are. Along with You’re Still My Man, this equally could have been a single thanks to the palpable sentiments that Whitney bought to life with a compelling and often echoing, expansive score. If nothing else, it gave album buying hold outs one more reason to invest in the purchasing Whitney and discovering the other delights therein. And then the album campaign came to a close with Love Will Save The Day. Back to thrilling dance-floor invigorations, this song had a lively African-Cuban fusion that was driven by a wall of clattering percussion. It was a sparkling jewel of a song from start to finish, continuing Whitney’s upbeat story of the importance of love. It may not have made the top of the US charts, but ensured her another top ten hit on both sides of the Atlantic and continued her exhilarating domination of party-starting compositions. This high-BPM workout was another highlight in a perfect run of singles. It also meant this was the first ever album I owned every released 12” single from, spending hours lost in the different remixes, live versions and unreleased b-sides that helped me make my own Whitney Houston “Whitney Greatest Hits”.

Although that was the end of the Whitney campaign, a brand new single came just three months after Love Will Save The Day. I always felt that a sixth single could have been mined with either the aforementioned ballads (You’re Still My Man, Where You Are) or, more favourably, Love Is A Contact Sport. Everything about this exuberant track demanded that it get its time in the spotlight, but sadly it was not to be. I didn’t remain too disappointed, however, as the new song – One Moment in Time (written for the 1988 Olympics) is one of the most inspirational, uplifting ballads you could wish for. The lyrics were like a daily affirmation that would make you feel better about yourself, no matter what type of day you were having. It gave depth and belief to your most wild goals and dreams, an instruction manual for how to achieve. Whitney’s vocal is flawless, building from delicate urging to emphatic grandeur (with a key change for the ages, possibly the finest since Don’t Cry Out Loud). I was absolutely smitten and made sure my piano teacher taught me to play every single note as best I could. It made the US top five and became her first song to perform better in the UK by becoming a well deserved chart topper. It feels like it would fit well on a special edition of Whitney, or your own Spotify playlist of the album. It kept the album in the spotlight for nigh on 18 months – and still sounds magnificent all these years later.