my love is your love and other whitney-isms.

So I am just finishing the second episode of the Whitney on Oprah interview, and I don't know what to think. You see, I had to watch the first one twice, because my wife fell asleep at the beginning of the 1st one, and I watched anyway, and then we watched it again, and tonight I am on the second one. The first go around, I thought she was bizarre. The second time I watched, she grew on me. The second episode, Whitney was more... I don't know... focused. I am intrigued. I heard "I Turn to You" on Galaxy a few weeks ago, and I sort of stopped what I was doing because I really, really was drawn to it. Anyway, I used to be a huge Whitney fan. I'm talking huge - back in the 80s during my "I want to be black" and wanting to live a united colors of Benetton advertisement period. I still remember when "You Give Good Love" was released, the first single on her first album. I was IN LOVE with it. Again, this was during my black period, and since I always was an old soul and would sit up until 3 in the morning listening to this AM adult contempory station, well, a song like that was like butter.
So, unlike other 15 year old boys who were buying Ygnie Malmsteen and Iron Maiden, I ran downtown to A & A Records and got that tape. WELL. Motherfucker, I loved every song, even though some were cheesy and dorky. I still think You Give.... is one of the best things ever recorded. However, I also was addicted to... LOLOL... go download it, because it's so not something a 15 year old would listen to... LOLOLOL... anyway, I was addicted to "Hold Me", her duet with Teddy Pendegrass. The chorus was him going "I'll hold you, and touch you, and make you my woooommmmmannnn tonight...." and I thought that shit was gold. Between that and my love of Sade, is it any wonder I was single?
Anyway, I would listen to the whole album all the time. And then came her second album, Whitney, with the first single "I Wanna Dance With Somebody". Well, it was a good, catchy song, and she was still so pretty and I ate it up. However, the album disapponted me a bit. Even though it had like 5 singles, like "SO Emotional", "Didn't We Almost Have it All", "Love is a Contact Sport"... LOL, I can't remember what else... anyway, it was good but almost was too commercial, not funky enough, I dunno. Loved it, but it wasn't quite as good as the first for some reason. Then came that other one I really didn't like - I can't remember what it is even called now.... of course, I was also into goth and industrial at this time, but I still loved my old middle-aged lady music too. But then came the Bodyguard. That shit is classic too, like the first album. But there was also Bobby on the picture, and I didn't like that she was running with a hoodlum and wasn't giggling like the How Will I Know Whitney. You see, I just wanted her to be safe and Cosby-show sanitized. And she wasn't that person - she was down and dirty and with Bobby and I wanted the clean Clive Davis version. I hate to admit that now. But it's true - I resented her for not being "Whitney Houston". And when she performed in Saskatoon in 92 or 93, I have it on very good authority that the venue offered her a hair stylist and she yelled "I ain't having no white BITCH do my hair." So I sort of ditched her then. True, I bought Waiting to Exhale, but she was a hard habit to break. Then in 98, when I got married, she had her comeback - My love is your love.... That was a fucking awesome album. But then she married the crack pipe or whatever and I forgot about her.
So now she's back, and I am cheering for her. And I feel ashamed that I wanted her to be the image Arista was selling and didn't want her to be herself. I'm sorry Whitney.
But my only concern is this: when she was talking on Oprah, her voice was so gravelly, and when she sang, there weren't any wow moments. So now I fear her heavy smoking has damaged her voice a la Joni Mitchell. Aretha smokes like 3 packs a day and she can still do it. Stevie smoked 3 packs a day until she was 50 (she quit - yay Stevie!) and it didn't do anything. But Joni? Yikes. Whitney? I'm concerned.
But Whitney, if you ever google yourself, and find this, let me say this: I am sorry for ever callouslly making fun of your life, and for wanting you to be who you weren't. I hope you make music for many more decades. But quit smoking, ok?
ANy of all y'all ever liked Whitney like me?
I am dying to hear "You Give Good Love" right now... but the Cosby show is on right now, coinkydinkily, so I'll just listen to Theo and Cockroach try to rap.
Peace out, mofos....