Well these selections may come as a surprise to many, but as I've said
previously, ... if it's good enough, it's good enough regardless of who it is.
This post features 3 of her better and lesser known recordings. Two are B
sides only, 'Feels So Good' and 'Dancin' On The Smooth Edge', neither of
which have ever featured on any of her albums (they may have been put on
compilations, but I haven't checked). The 3rd single 'I Belong To You'
is one of very few by her that never charted. As an added bonus I've also
included David Lasley's version of 'Dancin' On The Smooth Edge' which he wrote
and recorded as a demo and stayed unreleased until 2000.
Whitney Houston [1990] - Feels So Good [Arista # 613 594]
Tipped on this one reading a back issue of Blues & Soul from 1990 in
Richard Searling's column 'Soul Sauce'. It came out on the B side to her
'I'm your Baby Tonight' but only on the 12" (and some CD singles). It
was excluded from the album of the same name.
Whitney Houston [1990/95] - Dancin' On The Smooth Edge [Arista #AS-1256 / 07822-12885-7]
I never realised that I had this as very rarely, if ever, do I play Whitney
Houston 45s, but it was tucked away on the B side to the follow-up to 'I'm
Your Baby Tonight', 'All The Man I Need' and what a tune this is, I
can't stop listening to it! If you've never heard it then brace yourself to
be blown away.
The fact that Whitney was grossly mismanaged and made to record and release
material that she was not happy with, or proud of, is fairly well documented
in the many movies/documentaries made after her death. If she had only
been allowed to release more material like this and the one above, then
perhaps she may still be with us and not gone down the slippery slope of
drug and alcohol abuse?
I'm not quite sure how to describe it, slow jam yes ..but no, ballad ...
yes ... but not really, stepper perhaps - just a fine piece of music to
these ears without trying to categorise. It sounds like something Anita
Baker may have recorded. I wish she had recorded more like this. Just listen
for yourself.
The song was written by David Lasley (who wrote 'You Bring Me Joy' recorded
by Anita Baker along with many others) and Robbie Long.
There are two issues of this track, the original, slightly shorter 5:50, in
1990 on the flip of 'All The Man That I Need' and the 6:19 version from 1995
on flip to Exhale (Shoop Shoop). I don't think it has appeared on any
of her albums.
David Lasley [2000] - Dancin' On A Smooth Edge [Expansion #XECD 251]
As an added bonus here's the writer's own version. It was released on
'Expectations Of Love' album, originally released in the UK by Expansion in
2000, and released the following year in US on Thursday Market Music.
According to the sleeve notes the album is a collection of demos which he
recorded to showcase his songs for potential artists to record.
Whitney Houston [1991] - I Belong To You [Arista #07822-12369-7]
Perversely, another single of hers which I think is better than her norm
from around the same time, is one of the few of hers that didn't
chart.
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