Whitney did more than turn Whitney Houston into a pioneering sensation known around the world by her first name. Originally released in June 1987, the singer's blockbuster sophomore record became the first album by a female artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart — a position it claimed for a total of 11 weeks en route to selling more than 10 million copies in the U.S. The Diamond platinum effort also contains four No. 1 Hot 100 hits that, when combined with the three chart toppers from her 1985 debut, gave her seven consecutive No. 1 singles — an accomplishment that no other artist has accomplished. Commercially and creatively, Whitney stands on hallowed ground — especially now that the record plays with a sound that puts into perspective just how extraordinary, engaging, and vital Houston's music remains.
Mastered from the original master tapes and pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl at RTI, Mobile Fidelity's 180g 33RPM SuperVinyl LP of Whitney invites listeners to experience the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee's pivotal album in audiophile quality for the very first time. Free of the dynamic limitations and tonal flatness prevalent on prior vinyl and CD pressings, it lets the music breathe and reveals the copious detail, nuance, and texture within the immaculately produced songs. MoFi's SuperVinyl profile offers further advantages in the forms of a nearly inaudible noise floor, dead-quiet surfaces, and superb groove definition.
In addition to featuring extreme clarity and immediacy, this numbered-edition reissue does wonders for the attribute that inspired more than 20 million people around the globe to add Whitney to their record collections: that inimitable voice. Houston's trademark mezzo-soprano — an acrobatic instrument equally capable of taking off on fantastic flights and unwinding for hushed meditations — benefits from the fantastic airiness and transparency afforded by this meticulously restored edition. Whitney has never sounded or looked better. The crossover landmark deserves nothing less.
Issued just two years after Houston's breakthrough debut, Whitney immediately signaled the genre-defying singer's intent to continue to push ahead and expand her palette. Shot by photographer Richard Avedon, the album cover depicts an iconic image of Houston — captured with a gleaming smile, bright eyes, teased-out afro, toned arms, and a right hand that appears to wave a friendly hello — whose active, athletic profile stands in contrast to the extremely formal sit-down shot of her that graces her '85 record. The change is telling: Whitney overflows with unfettered joy, rhythmic vibes, and deep-seated emotions that forever endeared her to the hearts and minds of countless listeners — and which set the standard for the wave after wave of divas that followed in her footsteps.
It's no coincidence that the first track on Whitney is the declarative "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)." Like Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" and Madonna's "Material Girl," the feel-good smash is one of the quintessential '80s gems — a lithe, melodic, celebratory release of pent-up energy and loneliness that glides across club floors, shouts to the rooftops, and shrugs off any concerns about vulnerability or embarrassment. Houston's swooping voice moves in sync with the sleek beats and dipping-and-diving synths. She practically takes her fellow musicians by their hand and leads them in a blissful dance that nobody would dare sidestep. Focusing on Houston's singing — a task made challenging only because of the impossible-to-ignore hooks and grooves — showcases the virtuosic facets of not only her register but her control, discipline, smoothness, and warmth.
That she replicates those feats for the entirety of the nearly 53-minute-long album makes Whitney that much more special. Houston reaches back and channels her childhood gospel training on the R&B-flared "So Emotional"; effortlessly slips into Quiet Storm mode on the duet with her mother, gospel great Cissy Houston, on "I Know Him So Well"; flirts with smooth jazz and collaborates with tenor saxophonist Kenny G on the lush "Just the Lonely Talking Again"; conjures dreamscapes and shadow-boxes with supple funk on a romantic cover of the Isley Brothers' "For the Love of You"; and, for the majestic power ballad "Didn't We Almost Have It All," displays the sky-scraping reach of her vocals amid a grand arrangement made even bigger by Houston's sweeping performance and triumphant finish.
Houston's once-in-a-generation talents weren't lost on the adoring public, radio deejays, or industry experts. In addition to harboring four No. 1 hits and receiving nominations for four Grammy Awards, Whitney generated another Top 10 success in the guise of the Afro-Cuban-leaning "Love Will Save the Day." The album also netted Houston four American Music Awards; two Billboard Music Awards; back-to-back People's Choice Awards; a Soul Train Award; and various other accolades. It all makes the crux of the Washington Post's July '87 review of the album appear prophetic: "Her voice sounds stronger still and the songs are varied but so consistent she could garner 10 Top 10s out of a field of 11."
That claim still holds true. A brilliant fusion of pop, R&B, smooth jazz, and soul, Whitney is a showstopper – and one of the key reasons Houston is the most-awarded female artist of all time.
© 1987, 2023 Arista Records, LLC. ℗ 1987 Arista Records, LLC.
Made in the U.S.A.
Mastered on GAIN 2™
Specially Plated and Pressed on 180g High-Definition Vinyl
Production by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab®
SuperVinyl™ formula developed and manufactured by NEOTECH
On sticker:
MoFi™
SUPERVINYL™
OUR FINEST
VINYL
FORMULA
1/2" / 30 IPS analog master to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe.
B6 from "Chess"
A1 © 1986 Irving Music, Inc. (BMI) / Boy Meets Girl Music (BMI).
A2 © 1983 Irving Music, Inc. / Lijesrika Music (BMI).
A3 © 1984 House Of Fun Music, Inc. (BMI).
A4 © 1985 Prince Street Music (ASCAP) / Willin' David Music (BMI) / Blue Sky Riders Songs (BMI).
A5 © 1987 Billy Stienberg Music (ASCAP) / Denise Barry Music (ASCAP).
B1 © 1987 New Music Group (BMI) / Music Corporation Of America, Inc. (BMI), administered by MCA Music Publishing, a division of MCA, Inc.
B2 © 1986 Bellboy Music (BMI).
B3 © 1982 Prince Street Music (ASCAP) / Screen Gems-EMI Music, Inc. (BMI).
B4 © 1975 April Music, Inc. (ASCAP) / Bovina Music, Inc. (ASCAP).
B5 © 1985 Scaramanga Music / Rare Blue Music, Inc. (ASCAP) / Baby Love Music (ASCAP).
B6 © 1984, 1987 3 Knights Ltd., copyright administered for the world by Union Songs AB, Stockholm, Sweden. Sole selling agent MCA Music Publishing, a division of MCA, Inc. (ASCAP).
A1, A2, A5, B2, B4 to B6 Recording Studios: Tarpan Studios, San Rafael, CA; Right Track Studios, NYC; Clinton Recording Studios, NYC and The Plant Studios, Sausalito, CA.
Corrado Rustici plays the Charvel GTM6 Midi Guitar Synth.
A3 Recording Studios: Sigma Sound Studios, NYC; The Hit Factory, NYC; Z Studios, Brooklyn; Larrabee Studios, LA and Sound Track, NYC.
A4, B3 Recording studios: Sigma Sound Studios, NYC; Record Plant Studios, NYC; Devonshire Studio, LA; Hitsville, LA and Leed's L'Mobile, LA.
B1 Recording studios: New Music Group Studios, Stamford, Conn.; Soundworks Digital Studios, NYC; The Hit Factory, NYC; Ocean Way Recording, Hollywood and Hitsville, LA.
Jellybean appears courtesy of Chrysalis Records.
Roy Ayers appears courtesy of Columbia Records.
Linden Aaron appears courtesy of Jellybean Records / Warner Bros. Records.
Runout strings are etched.
Tracklist
- I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)
- Just the Lonely Talking Again
- Love Will Save the Day
- Didn't We Almost Have It All
- So Emotional
- Where You Are
- Love Is a Contact Sport
- You're Still My Man
- For the Love of You
- Where Do Broken Hearts Go
- I Know Him So Well
Recording information:
Title: Whitney
Artist: Whitney Houston
Genre: Pop-Rock
Media: 1x 180g LP Vinyl Stereo 33rpm, Limited, Numbered, Remastered, SuperVinyl pressing, . Original Master Recording. Mastered from 1/2", 30ips Original Analog Master Tapes to DSD256 to analog console to lathe. Mastered by Krieg Wunderlich @ Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab on The Gain 2 Ultra Analog System. Specially Plated & Pressed on 180g High-Definition SuperVinyl in USA.
Label: MoFi - Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Cat#: MFSL1-529
Released: 2023 in US
Original release: 1987 by Arista 208 141
EAN: 0196587391317
Discogs rel.#: 28251034
