www.classicwhitney.com - Historic Newsfile

Chains Of Vocal History...

[Not News - Just Compelling Reading]

How the world came to know American slaves' music
LORENZO THOMAS

08/27/2000
Houston Chronicle

"DARK MIDNIGHT WHEN I RISE: The Story of the Jubilee Singers.''
By Andrew Ward.
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $27.

WRITING in 1903, W.E.B. Du Bois called African-American religious folk songs "the most
beautiful expression of human experience born this side of the seas."

He was speaking of songs such as "Swing Low Sweet Chariot,'' "Go Down, Moses'' and
"Steal Away to Jesus.'' When a black slave sang those songs, poet James Weldon
Johnson declared, "His spirit must have nightly floated free/Though still about his hands
he felt his chains."

Today millions of people have experienced that ennobling and liberating thrill while
listening to stirring interpretations by Kathleen Battle or Jessye Norman.

Explaining how those songs came to be known and loved the world over is the ambitious
task undertaken by Andrew Ward in "Dark Midnight When I Rise'' a 400-page book that
accompanies "Jubilee Singers: Sacrifice and Glory,'' an excellent television documentary
broadcast on the PBS "American Experience'' series.

In 1862 Joseph McKee, an Irish immigrant who had become a Presbyterian missionary,
set up surplus Union Army tents in Nashville, Tenn., and began ministering to black slaves
who had been made refugees by the Civil War.

By war's end in 1866, McKee's haphazard haven became the basis of what would be Fisk
University - one of the first schools established to teach the former slaves. By then, the
Free Colored School was housed in the abandoned barracks of a Union Army hospital.

Among the emancipated slaves who came to learn were 16-year old Ella Sheppard, the
talented Maggie Porter and former runaway Thomas Rutling. Among the earliest teachers
was a 6-foot-5-inch former blacksmith, George Leonard White, who had been a sergeant
in the 73rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

An aspiring schoolteacher before the war, White volunteered his time at the fledgling
school teaching music and penmanship. While he attempted to teach his pupils what
could be found of the classics in secondhand songbooks, White soon became fascinated
with the folk songs the students sang among themselves.

As Sheppard later recalled, "The slave songs were never used by us then in public. They
were associated with slavery and the dark past and represented the things to be forgotten."

But the professor convinced Ella of his enthusiasm, and she began to help him collect the
songs and arrange them for the voices in his student choir.

In October 1871, with the school suffering from shortages in all categories, White thought
his choir might help raise funds by singing at churches. Thus was born the
soon-to-be-world-renowned Fisk Jubilee Singers.

The 11-member Jubilee Singers' first great triumph came Dec. 22, 1871, when they
appeared at Plymouth Church in Brooklyn. There, pastor Henry Ward Beecher - brother of
Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin'' - reigned as the nation's most
famous preacher (though that fame was also touched with marital scandals that delighted
the newspapers).

His congregation was large and wealthy. Astonished by the music they heard that evening,
the congregation received the young singers with great enthusiasm - and a bountiful
collection to match. There were repeat performances Dec. 29 and Jan. 3.

After these recitals, recalled soprano Porter, "Every church wanted the Jubilee Singers to
sing for them." The New York Herald, however, printed a viciously derogatory cartoon, and
other papers derided the choir as "a very entertaining band of Negro minstrels."

By May 1872 the singers had earned $20,000 to support their school. A second tour took
them to England, where in May 1873 they performed for Queen Victoria. Legend has it that
the monarch was so pleased she directed Edmund Havell, her official portraitist, to paint a
life-size group picture - which now hangs, somewhat intimidatingly for new members of the
troupe, on the stage at Fisk University's imposing Jubilee Hall.

Sadly, Ward deflates the myth by telling us that Havell was "a rather undistinguished genre painter" and that not all the singers were pleased with his depictions of them.

Ward's research does confirm that their fans included the Duke of Wales and Prime
Minister William Gladstone and that their biggest booster in London that summer was
Mark Twain, who had first heard them a year earlier in Connecticut.

The choir went on to make extended and successful tours of England and the European
continent in 1875, 1876, 1877 and 1878.

While they continued to raise funds from delighted audiences, the Jubilees also had to put
up with racist newspaper reviews and personal abuse from hostile hotel staffers and
members of the public. The tours were also physically punishing; each season saw
several members of the choir battered by ailments ranging from strained vocal cords to
exhaustion to tuberculosis.

In addition, Fisk president Erastus Milo Cravath - always less interested in the group's
artistry than in its money-making potential - was constantly at odds with choir director
White.

The stress of the Jubilee tours left White, in his own words, "an old man at 53 - broken in
health." Five years after he wrote those words, he died, in 1895, of a massive stroke.

The best word to describe Ward's work in "Dark Midnight When I Rise'' is thorough. He
cares deeply about the people he writes about, his writing is fluent, and his scholarship
quite impressive.

Drawing upon original scrapbooks, diaries, letters and the archives of Fisk University, the
American Missionary Association, the Freedmen's Bureau and other sources, Ward has
compiled an incredibly and meticulously detailed account of how the spirituals came to
international public attention in the last quarter of the 19th century.

He has also provided a portfolio of fascinating photographs and illustrations. Some
readers may feel that the dramatic elements of the story are smothered in Ward's dutiful
detail, but the book will hold your attention.

Since their emergence in the 1870s there have been a number of academic controversies
concerning the spirituals. In the 1930s some Southern folklorists claimed that the songs
were attempts of illiterate blacks to copy white revival-meeting songs. In "Negro Slave
Songs in the United States'' (1953), African-American historian Miles Mark Fisher argues
that before the Civil War these songs facilitated secret prayer meetings and gave
messages to runaway slaves.

Ward does not concern himself with any of this except to note, in his conclusion, that "you
can hear an echo of the Jubilees in the works of Gershwin, Copeland, and Ellington."

Though the original Jubilee Singers predated the invention of the phonograph, Ward points
out that when we listen to Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk or Whitney Houston, we're also
hearing echoes of "the praise and sorrow songs that Ella Sheppard and her schoolmates
first shyly preformed for their white mentor 130 years ago."

[Thanks MG]

Five Million...

WHITNEY THE GREATEST HITS' Video Hits RIAA Platinum. Also, 2-CD/2-cassette collection passes double-platinum in U.S. and 5 million worldwide on the strength of duet singles with Enrique Iglesias ("Could I Have This Kiss Forever"), Deborah Cox ("Same Script, Different Cast"), and George Michael ("If I Told You That")

NEW YORK, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Arista recording artist Whitney Houston's first career-spanning long-form interactive DVD and VHS home video collection, WHITNEY - THE GREATEST HITS, has been certified platinum by the RIAA for U.S. sales in excess of 100,000 copies, it was announced today.

The video debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Music Videos Soundscan chart on June 3rd and is now in its 14th week inside the top 10 on that chart. Its success is underscored by the phenomenal sales of the 2-CD/2-cassette WHITNEY - THE GREATEST HITS, certified double-platinum by the RIAA for U.S. sales in excess of 2 million units. Worldwide sales now top the 5 million mark after just three months.

The success of WHITNEY -- THE GREATEST HITS is linked to the three newly- recorded duet singles issued simultaneously in advance of the double-album's release: "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" with Enrique Iglesias; "Same Script, Different Cast" with fellow Arista artist Deborah Cox; and (in Europe) "If I Told You That" with George Michael.

At the heart of the video collection are Whitney's 21 classic music clips, from her first seven consecutive #1 singles of 1985-87 - "Saving All My Love For You," "How Will I Know," "Greatest Love Of All," "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)," "Didn't We Almost Have It All," "So Emotional," and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" - through the hits from her multi-platinum album My Love Is Your Love: "Heartbreak Hotel," "My Love Is Your Love," "It's Not Right But It's Okay," and "I Learned From the Best." In addition, the interactive DVD enables the user to access rarely-seen performances spanning Whitney's entire career, from her premiere TV performance on The Merv Griffin Show in 1985, to "One Moment In Time" from the 1989 Grammy Awards, to "It's Not Right But It's Okay," from MTV All Access in 1999, and much more.

[Thanks Tony L]

Global Sales...

The Arista Records Website confirms Whitney Houston's global album sales to be in excess of 115 million copies.

UK Airplay...

'Could I Have This Kiss Forever' has started it's UK airplay journey - the song received 293 spins last week in total and should debut on the Airplay Top 50 next week. The song was the eighth biggest grower of the week (an increase of 189 over the previous week) and the sixth most added song of the week. 'Could I Have This Kiss Forever' debuts at No.9 on the Box Breakers chart.

UK Fans - call up your local radio station and Radio One and request the song,

HMV Enhanced CD...

BMG, EMI and Virgin Records have joined forces with HMV and confectionery company Cadbury to distribute a promotional 11-track enhanced CD compilation featuring tracks from artists including Whitney Houston, Louise, Another Level, Atomic Kitten, Girl Thing, Lyte Funkie Ones, Made In London and Jamelia. The promotion is backed by a media spend of �200,000 and begins on September 4 running for at least one month. Consumers can exchange 12 special Cadbury wrappers for the CD, which has a �2 discount voucher insert. This can b be used to buy any product by the featured artists. The campaign has been put together by sales promotions agency Triangle Communications and is featured on 60m wrappers with point-of-sale material distributed to 70,000 independent retailers.

HMV will highlight the promotion with window displays in selected stores, 100,000 A5 leaflets and 2,500 A2 posters. A radio advertising campaign runs this week. BMG UK & Ireland account manager Adam Bradley says, "Securing Whitney Houston for this promotion was a coup and the pivotal negotiating factor. With no live UK dates around the release of her Greatest Hits album, we had to look for non-traditional ways to promote it."

Competition Entries...

The Classic Whitney/ EIL.COM Competition closes tomorrow - all entries must be in by the end of 31 August 2000.

NEWSFILE: 30 AUGUST 2000

VH1 UK...

Here's the published schedule for VH1's Whitney Houston day in the UK this Friday, 1 September 2000:

18:00 Top Ten - Whitney Houston

19:00 VH1 To One - Whitney Houston

20:00 Milliennium Years - Whitney Houston Special

MTV Russia...

Whitney Houston and Enrique Iglesias' 'Could I Have This Kiss Forever' video debuted very strong on Top 20 videos of MTV Russia at No.13.

Request on MTV Russia - top20@mtv.ru

[Thanks Igor]

Radio Profile: Germany & Austria...

Clemens has created a new Whitney Website which lists all the main radio stations in Germany and Austria. Fans from these territories - or familiar with the language - should use the site to request 'Could I Have This Kiss Forever' which is the new single across Europe.

[Thanks Clemens]

Sparkle...

[Entertainment Weekly Article]

Best-selling authors can count on a few things from their fans: mobbed bookstore appearances, gushy letters, maybe even the occasional teddy bear. But smothered chicken, ribs, and homemade sweet potato pie encased in Tupperware and proffered at your book- signing table? You can bet John Grisham doesn't get that kind of love.
"At first I was a little leery of eating it," author E. Lynn Harris, 44, says of a gift from one female admirer. "But I took it back to the hotel, ordered me a bottle of wine, and ate some of the best food I ever had. [Then] I sent a thank-you note--you can never take for granted people's time."

It's that kind of two-way devotion that's made him one of the best- selling black male authors around. Because unlike many of his chart- topping counterparts, Harris hasn't strayed from the grassroots promotion formula that had him peddling self-published copies of his debut novel Invisible Life out of his car at Atlanta beauty salons and sororities almost a decade ago. Though he was discovered by then Doubleday publisher Martha Levin in 1992 and spearheaded the testosterone-fueled rise of the black romance genre soon thereafter, he still randomly sends gifts to fans and favors touring the tiny shops that first stocked his books.

These efforts help ring up the kind of numbers that have made Harris the male Terry McMillan: The last four of his six novels have been best-sellers, including his latest, Not a Day Goes By (Doubleday, $19.95), which debuted at No. 1 on the Publishers Weekly list and has already gone back to press six times. That brings Harris' in-print total to over 1.5 million--achieved mostly without the benefit of such mainstream publicity tools as chatty morning- show visits.

Not bad for a Little Rock, Ark., native who's survived an abusive, alcoholic stepfather, bouts
of serious depression, the deaths of his best friends from AIDS, and a skeptical publishing industry that didn't think the mass market would take to novels featuring black gay men. "When I wrote Invisible Life, it had to be the first book out of me--it helped me to deal with my own sexuality," says Harris, who spent 11 years as an IBM executive before making the switch to writing. "For me, my 20s and early 30s were spent just hiding and running, because there was no one to tell me that my life had value and the way I felt was okay." It's just this kind of accessibility and honesty that strikes a chord with readers. "If Terry McMillan opened the door for black authors," says Marcus Major, whose modern romance Good Peoples was released in March, "E. Lynn kicked it in."

The secret? Harris' addictive, Soul Food meets Melrose Place plots, revolving around affluent buppies wrestling with sexual identity, monogamy, and top-flight careers. Typical story arcs include a scheming understudy spiking her rival's coffee with laxatives on opening night and a soon-to-be-married sports agent using a James Bond-style spy phone to uncover his fiancee's indiscretions. It may not be high art, but Harris' readers are loving it.
"He came up with a magical recipe for his urban dramas: gay and bisexual stories packaged very accessibly and very romantically, in a way that no one's going to be offended," says Stephen Rubin, president and publisher at Doubleday-Broadway.

"My audience is a little bit of everything," confirms Harris, perched on a kitchen stool in the sleek, expensively decorated Chicago apartment he shares with his longtime partner. "It's probably 60 percent African-American women, 20 percent gay, and 20 percent other, from an 18-year-old girl in Austria, to a Japanese housewife, to a 51-year-old white woman."

His readership may soon be getting even larger: Two of his books, Invisible Life and Just as I Am, have been optioned for film, and he's just been tapped to write the screenplay for the remake of the 1976 movie Sparkle, set to star Romeo Must Die actress/R&B singer Aaliyah and produced by Whitney Houston's BrownHouse and Warner Bros. In December, New American Library will publish Got to Be Real, a compilation of four original love novellas written by Harris and his fellow literary mack daddies Eric Jerome Dickey, Colin Channer, and Major (see sidebar). He has a young-adult book series titled Diaries of a Light-Skinned Colored Boy in the works for Hyperion. And his as- yet-untitled memoir--a searing excerpt of which was published in The Washington Post last summer--is due from Doubleday in 2001.

One thing's for sure: With a future like this, Harris is going to be anything but invisible.

[Thanks MG]

NEWSFILE: 29 AUGUST 2000

Billboard Review: Fine...

POP: WHITNEY HOUSTON Fine (3:34)

PRODUCERS: Raphael Saadiq, Q-Tip
WRITERS: R. Saadiq, K. Fareed
PUBLISHERS: Ugmoe/Zomba/U Betta Like My Muzik, ASCAP
Arista 3845 (CD promo)

One of the new recordings from Ms. Houston's "Greatest Hits" collection is perhaps her most convincing crack at urbanized pop music to date. It doesn't hurt that she is backed by Lucy Pearl member Raphael Saadiq and hip-hop luminary Q-Tip. But it's more than the producers making this jam cook. Miss Thing herself seems to have eased into the chilled soul that propels a street-wise track. She wisely does not give into the temptation to belt and wail her way through the song (as she did on much of the R&B-intensive material on "My Love Is Your Love"). Instead, Houston works the more sultry lower register of her voice, saving the big, beautiful notes as a dramatic accent toward the end of the cut. Factor in the tune's sneaky hook (brought to vivid life with richly layered harmonies) and the arrangement's languid retro-funk guitars, and you have the makings of a refreshing li'l late-summer radio hit.

[Thanks Lopez]

VH1 UK...

This Friday - 1 September 2000 - is Whitney Houston day on VH1 in the UK. Full details of programming to come.

More On J...

[Billboard Article]

Davis, BMG Team On New Label - 'Instant Major Company' Hires Arista Vets, Debuts 4 Acts BY CHUCK TAYLOR

NEW YORK-The formation of Clive Davis' joint-venture label with BMG, J Records, amounts to a $170 million bet that in a time of rampant consolidation, a legendary executive with a great track record can pull off the difficult task of creating a successful label with a small number of debut acts.

J Records is a 50/50 private joint venture between the former Arista Records president and BMG Entertainment. Named for Davis' middle initial and that of many of his family members, the label is valued at around $170 million by an industry source, in terms of signings and the formation of a management team. Initial speculation had put the figure at a loftier $300 million. BMG president/CEO Strauss Zelnick notes, "We're not disclosing terms, but the figure represents the largest commitment ever made to a joint venture in the record business.

"We're in growth mode at BMG," Zelnick adds of the $4.7 billion entertainment arm of media giant Bertelsmann AG. "We're excited to invest in the record business, and who better to do so with than Clive Davis?"

Boy band O-Town, the subject of ABC television's "Making The Band" along with debut artists Olivia, Alicia Keys, and Jimmy Cozier, are the first acts on J Records; initial releases are due in October.

For Davis-who founded Arista and helmed it for 25 years before being replaced in May by industry powerhouse Antonio "L.A." Reid-J Records represents a bold new chapter.

"My years at Arista were incredibly gratifying," Davis says. "I will always root for Arista and wish L.A. Reid the best. I very much want the company to succeed and grow. You don't participate in the foundation and naming of a company and not want it to succeed.

"My 50% equity in J Records makes the future a win/win situation for everybody," he adds. "We have incredible momentum from the start. BMG and Strauss made it abundantly clear from the beginning that we would create something unprecedented-an instant major company. Any new artist being competed for or important artists wanting to make a new association will want to compete in the finals with us."

Putting the money where his mouth is, Davis has established a team of executive players on virtually all sides of the game. Joining him at J is president/COO Charles Goldstuck, former executive VP/GM at Arista, as well as Arista veterans Richard Palmese as senior VP of promotion, Tom Corson as senior VP of worldwide marketing, Julie Swidler as senior VP of business and legal affairs, Keith Naftaly as senior VP of A&R, Peter Edge and Hosh Gureli as VPs of A&R, and Alan Newham as senior VP of finance and administration.

According to Davis, more staff announcements from outside the Arista camp will be made in the coming week.

Zelnick stresses he will play no active role in running the label. He says, "BMG's role is as financier and worldwide distributor. We will have zero management involvement, except to the extent that we can be supportive."

He added that there is no language in the agreement regarding Davis' eventual successor, as there was at Arista. "Clive will make his own decisions about management and management succession," Zelnick says.

The deal does not currently include BMG's involvement in publishing, Internet, or specialized promotional tasks, but according to Goldstuck, announcements will be forthcoming about possible ventures to establish support businesses.

"We will align ourselves with BMG's strategic marketing to take advantage of opportunities," Goldstuck says. "Even though we will operate as an independent company, we will have the full advantage of BMG's resources and will be working closely with them."

Goldstuck confirmed that a publishing venture will be developed "in the next few months. We expect that it will be associated with BMG."

Other future ventures include divisions for soundtracks and for motion picture and television opportunities for artists. Talk of an umbrella company, Davis Entertainment, is unfounded, Davis says. "There's no such entity. That's something that the press came up with."

Davis will continue hands-on production involvement in future projects by Arista artists Whitney Houston and Carlos Santana, as well as participation in a joint venture with Reid in producing the next project for Monica. "This really shows the spirit of cooperation and working to the end objective of increasing market share," Davis says. In addition, he says, "it is certainly anticipated that we will be working with Next, LFO, Shannon Curfman, and Deborah Cox"-all of whom are currently signed with Arista.

Davis also refutes earlier press accounts that the new label had attempted to woo Mariah Carey and George Michael to its camp. "Those reports are erroneous. We have had no discussions with George and Mariah."

[Thanks Lopez]

Eurochart...

After a few weeks at No.11 on the European Album Chart (Billboard), 'Whitney The Greatest Hits' is up to No.10 in the chart for the week ending 2 September 2000.

[Thanks Lopez]

NEWSFILE: 28 AUGUST 2000

UK Chart Update...

WHITNEY THE GREATEST HITS
Top 75 Album Chart - Down to No.8 (from No.5) - 15 weeks on chart; - DOUBLE PLATINUM
Music Video Chart - Down to No.15 (from No.12) - 15 weeks on chart.

IF I TOLD YOU THAT - WHITNEY HOUSTON & GEORGE MICHAEL
Top 75 Singles Chart - Up to No.51 (from No.62) - 11 weeks on chart.

Australia...

Aria Top 50 Albums
Whitney The Greatest Hits - Up to No.42 (from No.43) - 16 weeks on chart - GOLD

Aria Top 50 Singles
Could I Have This Kiss Forever - Down to No.18 (from No.12) - 10 weeks on chart - GOLD

Charts Around The World....

Austria:
(Top 50 LP) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 27 (21) - 14 weeks on chart

Belgium:
(Ultratop Top 50) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 19 (16) - 15 weeks on chart

Denmark:
(Mog Top 20) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 19 (20) - 14 weeks on chart

Finland:
(Top 40 Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 14 (16) - 14 weeks on chart

Germany:
(Media Control Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 29 (30) - 14 weeks on chart
(Top 20 R&B Airplay) Fine - No. 7 (4) - 9 weeks on chart

Norway:
(Top 40 Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 16 (15) - 14 weeks on chart

Switzerland:
(Top 100 Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 17 (18) - 15 weeks on chart
(Top 100 Singles) If I Told You That - No. 77 (60) - 12 weeks on chart

Canada:
(Albums: Top 50) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 69 (62) - 14 weeks on chart
(R&B Albums: Top 50) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 15 (15) - 14 weeks on chart
(Singles: Top 50) Could I Have This Kiss Forever - No. 8 (7) - 9 weeks on chart

New Zealand:
(Top 50 Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 48 (50) - 9 weeks on chart
(Top 50 Singles) Could I Have This Kiss Forever - No. 10 (8) - 10 weeks on chart

Taiwan:
(Top 20 Singles - English) Could I Have This Kiss Forever - No. 7 (3) - 4 weeks on chart

[Thanks Gogi]

Spain...

'Whitney The Greatest Hits' is down to No.17 (from No.16) on the Spanish Albums chart.

[Thanks Laura]

NEWSFILE: 27 AUGUST 2000

Worldbeat...

'Whitney The Greatest Hits' holds at No.11 on the CNN Worldbeat Album Chart for the second week. The album has charted for 13 weeks and it's peak to date is No.2.

Arista...

The Arista Records Website features an interview with new President, L A Reid. The site also features a section titled "The Arista Times". You can read the Whitney Houston Section Here. The report confirms Whitney's total global album sales are now in excess of 115 million copies.

Upcoming Review...

'Fine' is reviewed (favourably) by Billboard magazine in their Pop Singles section this week. Full details as I get them.

Chartbeat Chat...

Billboard's Fred Bronson answers a few questions pertinent to Whitney Houston in his online column this week:

IS IT A HIT OR A MISS?

Fred,

First, let me say I enjoy reading your column each week. Thanks for all the chart info! My question is more a request for your opinion on some recent chart activity.

It seems to me in the past couple of months there have been several songs by big name artists that I thought for sure would really tear up the charts, but turned out to do nothing at radio.

These include "Can't Take That Away" by Mariah Carey, "I Want You To Need Me" by Celine Dion, "6 8 12" by Brian McKnight, and "Can I Have This Kiss Forever" by Whitney Houston and Enrique Iglesias. It seems that these songs garnered little airplay and then fell off quickly.

I was just wondering if you had any insight into the failure of these very good songs by big name artists.

Thanks,
Adam Kuhl
Tucson, Az

Dear Adam,

Being a name artist is no guarantee that radio is going to play your songs -- it's really always been so. Every artist, no matter how successful, has had some radio flops - even Elvis Presley (in his day) and Madonna. "Can't Take That Away" sold very well, peaking at No. 2 in sales, but radio didn't go near it. The "B" side, "Crybaby," received more airplay, but not that much more.

Celine Dion's "I Want You To Need Me" is No. 8 on the Hot Dance Music: Maxi-Singles Sales chart in its third week, but hasn't received enough airplay to matter (it's No. 24 on the Adult Contemporary chart). The Whitney Houston/Enrique Iglesias duet sounded like a hit to me, but this song also had an airplay problem, and a planned commercial single was cancelled, hampering its chart chances. For another take on this subject, see the next E-mail.

SOUNDING OFF

Fred,

I really enjoy reading your column on the Internet every Friday. My question is: how do radio programmers, particularly for top 40 stations, decide which single gets the airplay, and which one does not?

I have observed that there is a bias against older musicians. Cher had her greatest hit of her career last year with the worldwide smash "Believe." Before its debut at No. 99 on The Billboard Hot 100, radio programmers were still reluctant to play the song despite it being No. 1 in 23 countries.

Although it was the No. 1 song for 1999, it was not in the top 10 for airplay for the end of the year rankings. Her follow-up songs, "Strong Enough" and "All Or Nothing," were ignored by radio, despite following the success of "Believe," and good reviews from music magazines like Billboard.

Tina Turner's two singles from her latest album never charted on the Hot 100, despite all the
publicity of her comeback and successful tour. Even perennial radio favorites like Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston have current singles performing lower than expectations.

However, Janet Jackson seems to be a favorite among radio programmers, with all her songs reaching the top 40. Her latest, "Doesn't Really Matter," is expected to be No. 1 next week. Madonna's "Music" made it to No. 23 in just two weeks.

How do these radio programmers make these decisions? They seem to be like gods in making a radio hit. An excellent song may never chart on the Hot 100, but a mediocre song can go all the way to the top.

John Reyes
JReyes3567@aol.com

Dear John,

I remember when I was 14, I was frustrated that KRLA in Los Angeles wasn't playing the latest single by one of my favorite artists -- an artist who had just had a No. 1 hit a few months earlier. I called the station and asked them to play the song. The program director told me that the single wasn't selling and they weren't getting any requests for the song. Even at 14, I was able to tell him that of course it wasn't selling and it wasn't being requested -- no one knew about it because they weren't playing it!

That said, you do bring up a good point about ageism. But it's not restricted to the music industry. Television networks used to be interested in ratings that reflected the total number of viewers watching, but now the ratings that really count are the ones for the 18-49 group. That's what advertisers are interested in. Look at the number of motion pictures released that are aimed at a youth audience, compared to the number of films targeted for adults. Anyone remember the film "Logan's Run"?

Another issue is the one discussed in the above E-mail: radio doesn't automatically play hits by name artists. Even Janet Jackson is not an automatic add, as pointed out in an insightful column by Sean Ross, group editor of Billboard's sister publications, the Airplay Monitors. Ross writes in his "Top 40 Topics" column in the Aug. 25 issue of Top 40 Airplay Monitor that many programmers were reluctant to add "Doesn't Really Matter" at first, and were surprised at how popular the song was with listeners. Go figure!

WHITHER WHITNEY?

Dear Fred:

Thank you very much for your weekly information. I'm a huge fan of your column. I've noticed that three duets from the Whitney Houston's "The Greatest Hits" album, have had either radio airplay or commercial singles, but none of them has been a big hit.

I'm talking about "If I Told You That" (with George Michael), which has a commercial single, as well as "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" (with Enrique Iglesias), which also entered the Hot 100 with no real success, and has a video clip. "Same Script, Different Cast" (with Deborah Cox) not only entered the Hot 100 at the same time that the duet with Enrique did, but also is No. 14 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.

How have the three duets done on The Billboard Hot 100? Did Whitney's record company release the duets as commercial singles? Were they on the Hot 100 simultaneously?

Thanks,
Juan Manuel Cortes
Miami

Dear Juan,

None of the new songs from Whitney Houston's "The Greatest Hits" double-CD have been commercially released in the U.S. yet. As mentioned in an E-mail above, "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" was supposed to be released as a single, but those plans were cancelled. The two tracks that have charted to date on the Hot 100 are the aforementioned "Kiss" and the duet with Deborah Cox, "Same Script, Different Cast."

Personally, I was looking forward to "Kiss" being a top 10 hit, but as an album track, it stalled at No. 52. "Script" did well on the R&B chart, peaking at No. 14, but sputtered out at No. 70 on the Hot 100. "Kiss" and "Script" were on the Hot 100 at the same time.

There's more to come from Whitney's "The Greatest Hits," though. Promotional singles of "Fine" and "If I Told You That" are going to radio and should be charting soon.

[Thanks Chris]

DVD...

'Whitney The Greatest Hits' DVD lost out on the DiVi Award to Pink Floyd's "The Wall" in the Best Music Release category.

The Princess Diaries...

Andrews Ascending To 'Princess' Throne
CHARLES LYONS

08/25/2000
Daily Variety

Julie Andrews is in final negotiations to play the co-lead in the Walt Disney Co.'s "The Princess Diaries," to be helmed by Garry Marshall.

Andrews joins Anne Hathaway, who came aboard the project last month. Lensing is slated to begin Sept. 13 in San Francisco, the film's principal location.

The "Diaries" script, penned by Gina Wendkos ("Coyote Ugly") and based on a Meg Cabot
novel, centers on a rebellious 16-year-old Angeleno (Hathaway) who is informed that she
is actually the princess of a Monaco-like European nation, Genovia. Andrews will play the
girl's grandmother, who surprises her with the news and trains her to become queen.
"Diaries" producers are Whitney Houston and Debra Chase of Brownhouse Prods., and
Mario Iscovich, Marshall's producing partner.

Buena Vista Motion Picture Group prexy Nina Jacobson is supervising "Diaries" for the
studio along with veep Karen Glass and director of development Doug Short.

Andrews is repped by the William Morris Agency, Hathaway by WMA and manager Suzan
Bymel at Talent Entertainment Group. Marshall is repped by CAA.

[Thanks MG]

NEWSFILE: 26 AUGUST 2000

UK Airplay...

'Could I Have This Kiss Forever' has started to get airplay on London's Capital Radio. UK fans - please request the song at your local radio station, Radio One and MTV.

Billboard Charts...

The Billboard update for the week ending 2 September 2000:

WHITNEY THE GREATEST HITS:
Billboard 200 - Down to No.64 (from No.55) - 14 weeks on chart;
R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Down to No.47 (from No.42) - 14 weeks on chart.

COULD I HAVE THIS KISS FOREVER:
Hot 100 - Down to No.70 (from No.59) - 12 weeks on chart;
Hot 100 Airplay - Down to No.65 (from No.52) - 12 weeks on chart;
Adult Contemporary Chart - Down to No.11 (from No.10) - 14 weeks on chart;
Top 40 Tracks - Down to No.37 (from No.30) - 11 weeks on chart.

SAME SCRIPT, DIFFERENT CAST:
Dance/Maxi-Singles Sales - Down to No.49 (from No.24) - 5 week on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles - Down to No.58 (from No.44) - 17 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay - Down to No.48 (from No.37) -17 weeks on chart.
Hot Dance Music/Club Play - Up to No.14 (from No.24) with bullet - 3 weeks on chart.

[Thanks Lisa]

Platinum...

The Whitney Houston Platinum Club reports that 'Whitney The Greatest Hits' DVD has been certified Platinum in the US:

Whitney's first ever DVD released in conjunction with her smashingly successful Greatest Hits compilation has just officially been certified Platinum! Platinum sales indicate that Whitney's DVD has sold one million copies! The DVD, entitled "Whitney - The Greatest Hits," features the vast array of Whitney's hit songs and features a combination of video clips and live performances utilizing interactive, cutting edge technology. The main menu links to such momentous Whitney occasions as her debut television performance on The Merv Griffin Show in 1985, Whitney's appearances at various different awards shows, interviews with Whitney and much more. Be sure to pick up the VHS home-video counterpart to the Whitney's DVD also available in stores now!

Billboard Magazine reports that a Platinum Certification for video releases is for sales of 100,000 units or US$2 million in sales at suggested retail.

[Thanks Jeffrey]

German Single...

According to www.alphamusic.de the German "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" CD single (release date: 4th September) will include the Metro Mix, Original Version and the duet with George Michael "If I Told You That".

[Thanks Andr�]

France...

Whitney The Greatest Hits is down to No.6 (from No.3) on the French Compilation Album Chart, 14 weeks on.

[Thanks Sebastien]

Dutch Update...

Whitney The Greatest Hits is at No.27 on the Dutch Album Top 100 (14th week). Previous weeks: 23-14.

The video for 'Could I Have This Kiss Forever' is receiving a good profile and a single should drop shortly.

[Thanks Deborah]

J Records...

Music mogul Clive Davis forms new label with BMG

By Derek Caney

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Clive Davis, the music mogul who launched the the career of Whitney Houston and orchestrated Carlos Santana's phenomenal return to the top of the charts, has resurfaced as part owner and top executive of a new label in the Bertelsmann AG family.

Against the backdrop of tense negotiations, Davis, 67, left the top post at Bertelsmann's Arista Records, the label he founded 25 years ago, after his contract expired, and was replaced by rap music executive Antonio ``L.A.'' Reid. The move elicited outrage from Arista's artists, including Houston.

But on Thursday, Davis characterized his mood as ``flowers and champagne,'' as he claimed the post of chairman and chief executive of J Records, which will be 50-percent owned by Davis and 50-percent owned by BMG Entertainment, Bertelsmann's $4.7 billion music arm.

Sources familiar with the situation said BMG will pour between $150 million and $175 million into the new label, a figure that dwarfs the $10 million Davis originally invested in Arista in 1975. However, the Los Angeles Times reported earlier this month that Davis had originally hoped to launch a $300 million venture but could not get financing.

``This is the largest investment made in a joint venture in the history of the record business,'' an undaunted Davis told Reuters in an interview. ``This is not a startup. When we will open our doors on Monday, we will be a major record label with our own marketing staffs, our own promotion staff. It's unprecedented. And it's a very fulfilling dream.''

In comparison, sources say labels like DreamWorks Records, which is part of Steven Spielberg, Jeffery Katzenberg and David Geffen's DreamWorks empire, and Interscope Records, the Universal Music unit co-founded by record producer Jimmy Iovine and investor Ted Field, were each started with $40 million.

Neither company was immediately available to confirm their start-up investments.

The foundation of J Records' roster will come from Arista, although some of Arista's top tier acts, such as Houston and Santana, whose comeback last year was masterminded by Davis, will remain on Davis' original label. Davis will retain the option of being an executive producer of such artists in the future.

The J Records roster will include million-selling acts like rhythm & blues artists Deborah Cox, LFO, Next and Q-Tip, who was previously with the hip hop outfit A Tribe Called Quest.

The announcement is the culmination of months of speculation, when rumors started circulated in November that Davis was being forced out of his role at Arista.

Davis downplayed the notion that there was ever any bad blood between Davis and BMG's management.

``From day one, they offered me a 50 percent stake (in a new company) and unprecedented funding that the industry has never seen. When you add to that artists ... of this nature, you can only be complimented.''

Asked why BMG had to form a new label to accommodate Davis instead of letting him continue to run Arista, he said, ``I was at the end of a contract. It was certainly easier for me to get 50 percent of a company in this manner than to evaluate a company like Arista that was worth, perhaps, $3 billion.''

Since a singular major equity interest was an essential part to any deal to Davis, this arrangement ``made the most sense.''

He said he had fielded offers from competing labels, Wall Street, Internet ventures and startup labels, but ``...with those companies I would not have been able to get my distributor the leverage that BMG distribution has,'' he said. ''Plus none of them would allow me to continue with my key artists, like Whitney (Houston) and Carlos (Santana).''

Prior to founding Arista, he was president of Columbia Records, where he signed such artists as Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Chicago and Janis Joplin, during his six-year tenure.

He was fired from Columbia for using corporate funds for personal use, and pleaded guilty to income tax evasion in 1975.

That year he founded Arista, where he would later sign Houston, who had a string of 19 Top 10 hits, 11 of which went to No. 1 on the Billboard pop charts.

Last year, Davis shepherded Santana's album Supernatural to the top of the charts, the first number one for that artist since 1971. The album won nine Grammy awards, including two for Davis himself for his work as a producer.

Reuters/Variety REUTERS

Whitney & Enrique...

Great new picture from Arista Records of Whitney Houston & Enrique Iglesias.

[CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW IN LARGER SCALE]

NEWSFILE: 25 AUGUST 2000

UK Sales...

'Whitney The Greatest Hits' scanned 350,600 copies in the second quarter of 2000 (May to July) to make it the fourth biggest selling album for the period.

Here's Music Week's write up about the 11-5 jump 'Whitney The Greatest Hits' took on the UK Album Chart this week:

Whitney Houston's The Greatest Hits surges 11-5 this week, a 66.9% increase in sales week-on-week being primarily due to a renewed TV advertising campaign, and a �9.99 price tag in WH Smith. Even at a time when deep discounting is commonplace, placing a frontline double CD on sale in the High Street for less than �10 is unprecedented, and, unless due to generous discounts, must represent a loss for Smiths.

Without discount, the album costs dealers �11.63 including VAT. Now 14 weeks into it's life, The Greatest Hits has sold more than 490,000 units and is incidentally holding up a lot better here than in America where it dropped out of the Top 50 two weeks ago.

Whitney The Greatest Hits is now the 9th best selling album of the year to date in the UK.

Arista Records: Living, Breathing And Delivering The Music...

This is the text of Arista's two page advertisement pertinent to Whitney Houston:

WHITNEY HOUSTON Her duet with Enrique Iglesias, 'Could I Have This Kiss Forever' is a major hit at Top 40, AC, VH1 and The Box. Now, her Greatest Hits soars past double-Platinum as both 'If I Told You That' (her duet with George Michael) and 'Fine' simultaneously blitz all formats on 9/18.

Arista - THE MUSIC COMPANY

Power Pick...

Notable mention - 'Same Script, Different Cast''s twenty place jump from No.44 to No.24 on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Chart earns the song the week's Power Pick Award.

Charts Around The World...

Austria:
(Top 50 LP) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 21 (21) - 13 weeks on chart

Belgium:
(Ultratop Top 50) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 16 (15) - 14 weeks on chart

Denmark:
(Mog Top 20) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 20 (15) - 13 weeks on chart

Finland:
(Top 40 Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 16 (8) - 13 weeks on chart

Germany:
(Media Control Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No.30 (30) - 13 weeks on chart
(Top 20 R&B Airplay) Fine - No. 4 (1) - 9 weeks on chart

Norway:
(Top 40 Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 15 (14) - 13 weeks on chart

Switzerland:
(Top 100 Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 18 (18) - 14 weeks on chart
(Top 100 Singles) If I Told You That - No. 60 (58) - 11 weeks on chart

Canada:
(Albums: Top 50) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 62 (64) - 13 weeks on chart
(R&B Albums: Top 50) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 15 (13) - 13 weeks on chart
(Singles: Top 50) Could I Have This Kiss Forever - No. 7 (4) - 8 weeks on chart

New Zealand:
(Top 50 Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 50 (48) - 8 weeks on chart
(Top 50 Singles) Could I Have This Kiss Forever - No. 8 (9) - 9 weeks on chart

Taiwan:
(Top 20 Singles - English) Could I Have This Kiss Forever - No. 3 (3) - 3 weeks on chart

[Thanks Gogi]

NEWSFILE: 22 AUGUST 2000

UK Chart Update...

WHITNEY THE GREATEST HITS
Top 75 Album Chart - Up to No.5 (from No.11) - 14 weeks on chart; - PLATINUM
Video Chart - Up to No.12 (from No.14) - 14 weeks on chart.

IF I TOLD YOU THAT - WHITNEY HOUSTON & GEORGE MICHAEL
Top 75 Singles Chart - Re-Entry at No.62 - 10 weeks on chart.

Australia...

Aria Top 50 Albums
Whitney The Greatest Hits - Down to No.43 (from No.34) - 15 weeks on chart - GOLD

Aria Top 50 Singles
Could I Have This Kiss Forever - Up to No.12 (from No.18) - 9 weeks on chart - GOLD.

German Single...

This is the cover of the forthcoming German single, 'Could I Have This Kiss Forever'. No confirmed release date is available as yet.

The song is rumoured to be Germany's official Olympics Anthem.

[Thanks Sebastian]

Wyclef...

Wyclef Jean's new CD, 'The Ecleftic (Two Sides To A Book)' is released this week worldwide. The album contains the Whitney Houston Dub Plate - a 1:43min interlude in which Whitney performs a newly vocalled 'My Dub Is Your Dub' with lyrics specific to the track.

Billboard Charts...

The Billboard update for the week ending 26 August 2000:

WHITNEY THE GREATEST HITS:
Billboard 200 - Down to No.55 (from No.52) - 13 weeks on chart;
R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Down to No.42 (from No.40) - 13 weeks on chart.

COULD I HAVE THIS KISS FOREVER:
Hot 100 - Down to No.59 (from No.56) - 11 weeks on chart;
Hot 100 Airplay - Down to No.52 (from No.51) - 11 weeks on chart;
Adult Contemporary Chart - Remains at No.10 (second week) - 13 weeks on chart;
Top 40 Tracks - Up to No.30 (from No.31) - 10 weeks on chart.

SAME SCRIPT, DIFFERENT CAST:
Dance/Maxi-Singles Sales - Up to No.24 (from No.32) - 4 week on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles - Down to No.44 (from No.29) - 16 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay - Down to No.37 (from No.28) -16 weeks on chart.
Hot Dance Music/Club Play - Up to No.24 (from No.44) with bullet - 2 weeks on chart.*

*Power Pick

[Thanks Lisa]

CNN...

Whitney The Greatest Hits is down to No.11 (from No.9) on the CNN Worldbeat Album Chart (12 weeks on).

France...

'Whitney The Greatest Hits' is down to No.3 on this week's French Compilation Album Chart this week (13 weeks on chart).

[Thanks Sebastien]

Hit Tip...

'Could I Have This Kiss Forever' was the Hit-Tip of the week on Germany's "Radio Regenbogen' giving the song about five spins a day.

[Thanks Christian]

Spain...

'Whitney The Greatest Hits' is up to No.16 (from No.17) Spanish Albums chart.

[Thanks Laura]

BeBe Winans...

The rumoured BeBe Winans/Whitney Houston duet does not feature on BeBe's album just released.

[Thanks Alan M]

Next Up...

An Arista Records advertisement in Billboard Magazine confirms the next US releases for Whitney Houston will be the simultaneous radio promo of 'If I Told You That' and 'Fine' on 18 September 2000.

[Thanks Chris]

NEWSFILE: 20 AUGUST 2000

If You Wonder Why I'm Laughing...

[From Launch.com]

Don Philip & Christina Aguilera May Rework 'If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful'

Jive Records recording artist Don Philip may very soon have the distinction of being the only artist to record duets with both of today's reigning teen queens, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.Pop music fans may recognize Philip from his duet with Spears, "I Will Still Love You," from her multiplatinum debut album, ...Baby One More Time. Now the
23-year-old Miami, Florida, native tells LAUNCH that he is working on putting together a duet with Aguilera--a remake of the classic 1986 Whitney Houston and Jermaine Jackson duet "If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful".

"I want to be like Mariah [Carey]," says Philip. "You know how for a few years Mariah was the person everyone did duets with? So I'm trying to put together this next duet together with this certain girl who is a 'genie in a bottle'--Christina Aguilera--and we're talking to her people and we're trying to remake the song 'If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful' by Whitney Houston and Jermaine Jackson."

Philip adds that he hopes their cover of the track is different from the original version, which most recently appeared on Houston's greatest-hits package this spring. "I always say, 'If you're going to remake a song, you ought to do it better or different,' and I think I can take Jermaine," Philip says. "And I don't know, but I think Christina can take Whitney right now, so I think it will be a great duet. So, we're trying to put that together and hopefully put it on this really huge soundtrack that's coming out."

Philip's debut solo album on Jive Records will be released August 22. The first single from the album, "You Make Me Love You. . . More," is out now. The album also contains a track titled "How Did I Ever," which was written by Philip's fellow Jive artist, the Backstreet Boys Brian Littrell.-- Jason Gelman, New York.

Charts Around The World...

Austria:
(Top 50 LP) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 21 (22) - 12 weeks on chart

Belgium:
(Ultratop Top 50) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 15 (13) - 13 weeks on chart

Denmark:
(Mog Top 20) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 15 (20) - 12 weeks on chart

Estonia:
(PedroBeat CD Top 100) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 86 (78) - 11 weeks on chart
(PedroBeat MC Top 100) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 94 (90) - 11 weeks on chart

Finland:
(Top 40 Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 8 (13) - 12 weeks on chart

Germany:
(Media Control Top 100 Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 30 (25)
(Media Control Top 100 Singles) If I Told You That - No. 87 (77)
(Top 20 R&B Airplay) Fine - No. 1 (7)
(Top 20 R&B Club Tracks) Fine - No. 4 (Re-Entry)

Norway:
(Top 40 Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 14 (11) - 12 weeks on chart

Switzerland:
(Top 100 Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 18 (18) - 13 weeks on chart
(Top 100 Singles) If I Told You That - No. 58 (49) - 10 weeks on chart

Canada:
(Albums: Top 50) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 64 (58) - 12 weeks on chart
(R&B Albums: Top 50) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 13 (10) - 12 weeks on chart
(Singles: Top 50) Could I Have This Kiss Forever - No. 4 (3) - 7 weeks on chart

New Zealand:
(Top 50 Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 48 (Re-Entry) - 7 weeks on chart
(Top 50 Singles) Could I Have This Kiss Forever - No. 9 (7) - 8 weeks on chart

Taiwan:
(Top 20 Singles - English) Could I Have This Kiss Forever - No. 3 (3) - 2 weeks on chart

[Thanks Lopez/Gogi]

Vacation...

Classic Whitney's Chart Guru, Lopez, is going away on a much deserved vacation for the next two weeks. However, the show must go on and it would be much appreciated if someone could provide the Billboard charts stats over the next two weeks in Lopez' absence. Volunteers, feel free to email me.

Website Revamp...

Igor's Whitney Houston Website has been re-opened as Inside-Whitney.com - check it out.

NEWSFILE: 15 AUGUST 2000

Clive Stays On...

[New York Daily News Report]

Comeback for Clive - Clive Davis is back in action.

The Arista Records founder — forced out by his German bosses at BMG for refusing to name a younger successor — has formed a new label, J. Records, with $180 million in BMG money.

The name of Davis' company comes from his middle initial, and the official announcement is expected to come at any minute.

The deal calls for Davis to take with him such Arista artists as LFO, Angie Stone, Deborah Cox, Next and Abra Moore, I hear he's also landed O Town, the group featured in the new ABC series "Making of the Band."

Davis will also continue his relationships with Whitney Houston and Santana as executive producer of their Arista albums.

So ends a music business saga that for a long time was played out acrimoniously by both parties in the press. As Roger Friedman put it in his foxnews.com column, "Our long-suffering days are over. Clive has a deal."

[Thanks Nat]

Supernatural Successor...

[From Rolling Stone]

Santana Starts Wish List for Next Album
Sting, Prince, Aretha Franklin eyed for "Supernatural" follow-up

After selling more than 20 million copies of 1999's Supernatural, Carlos Santana may not have anyone else to answer to -- except his wife. From mid-October to May of next year, the legendary guitarist will take a break from recording and touring and do just that.

"It's important for me to be a husband for six months -- no Santana, no concerts. My priorities are very clear," he said Wednesday in Toronto where he was presented with a diamond award representing a million units sold in Canada (gold is 50,000). "Fortunately, I'm not pressured to do anything until then. People can send me songs and I'll listen to them. But I'm not scheduled to go into the studio until next May."

Carlos said Sting and Prince have "shown interest" in working with him on the follow-up to Santana's multi-Grammy-winning Supernatural, which features collaborations with Rob Thomas, Cee-Lo, Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill, Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews and Everlast. He'd also like to work with more women -- "hopefully Aretha [Franklin], Whitney [Houston], Patti Labelle."

Santana, the band -- which includes Chester Thompson, Raul Rekow, Karl Perazzo, Tony Lindsay, Benny Rietveld and Rodney Holmes -- is currently including new material in its live set. "'Victory' is a song that I wrote after hearing a speech by Desmond Tutu," Santana said. "We started working on a new song with [tour mate] Macy Gray but she's still learning it. It's called 'Gold Digger'. It's really campy because the ladies that sing with her have red wigs and it's kind of Seventies campy stuff."

He said he is definitely scheduled to perform a tribute to Tito Puente at the Latin Grammy Awards and is "contemplating" bringing his whole band down to play. "I have to convince my wife," he reiterated. Other than that, he says he will only perform with other artists if they come to the San Francisco Bay Area.

"I'd like to do something with Emilio Estefan and his wife Gloria, Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony -- and do something that would bring more attention to the Latin community," he explained. "Obviously, with the Grammys we're OK now, but in the movies and the Oscars, we're still invisible. That's the only reason why once in a while I'd leave my house, to bring a certain evenness to Los Angeles, which is the heart of the industry."

DVD Award Nomination...

'Whitney The Greatest Hits' DVD has been nominated for an award by the Recording Media Association (IRMA) who last week announced the nominees of the third annual DiVi Awards.

Winners will be presented by Leonard Maltin during the upcoming DVD Entertainment 2000 Conference August 23-24 in LA.

The Category & Contenders:

Best Music Release
Bob Dylan: Don't Look Back, New Video
Peter Frampton, Image Entertainment
Pink Floyd: The Wall, Sony Music Entertainment
U2: Rattle & Hum, Paramount Home Entertainment
Whitney Houston, BMG Entertainment

[Thanks Alonzo]

NEWSFILE: 14 AUGUST 2000

UK Chart Update...

WHITNEY THE GREATEST HITS
Top 75 Album Chart - Down to No.11 (from No.7) - 13 weeks on chart; - PLATINUM
Video Chart - Down to No.14 (from No.13) - 13 weeks on chart.

Could I Have This Single...

[From BMG Backstage]

Whitney Houston: 'Could I Have This Kiss Forever'

Whitney Houston, the queen of smouldering R&B duets with multi-million selling, spanish superstar, Enrique Iglesias on 'Could I Have This Kiss Forever'

The second single to be taken from the double platinum No.1 selling album 'The Greatest Hits', 'Could I Have This Kiss Forever' sees Whitney in full on diva mode - soaring vocals, intense passion and dynamic delivery, while Enrique works his stunning, soulful vocals to optimum effect!

Relentless talent who's star continues to shine, Whitney Houston is without a doubt one of the greatest female vocalists of all time, who has sung some of the world's best loved songs. Always an inspiration, 'Could I Have This Kiss Forever' is set to become the latest hit in a glittering career.

The single will be available on CD and cassette but we're just putting the finishing touches to the tracklisting. With a history like Whitney's, it will be worth the wait!

In the meantime, catch a showing of the video for 'Could I Have This Kiss Forever' on Videotech on Thursday 17th August. And why not have a look at the website: www.whitneysgreatesthits.com for more information on the ultimate diva!

The single 'Could I Have This Kiss Forever' will be out in September.

The album 'The Greatest Hits' is out now.

[This Information Refers To a UK Release]

Australia...

Aria Top 50 Albums
Whitney The Greatest Hits - Down to No.34 (from No.28) - 14 weeks on chart.

Aria Top 50 Singles
Could I Have This Kiss Forever - Up to No.18 (from No.20) - 8 weeks on chart.

NEWSFILE: 13 AUGUST 2000

Competition...

The Classic Whitney & EIL.COM Competition Is Here!

The Box...

UK Fans - Whitney Houston's video for 'Could I Have This Kiss Forever' is now a selection on The Box. You can't request the song via their website, it has to be done on the telephone (calls cost 60pence). Selection No.929.

The Box reports that 'Could I Have This Kiss Forever' is released on 18 September - this information is more likely to be accurate that Dotmusic's release date of 4 September.

Toni Estes...

[From Billboard]

What's The '2-11' On Priority's Estes? - Co-Writer Of Whitney Houston's 'Okay' Hit Makes Her Debut (Billboard - August 19, 2000)
BY TODD DAVIS

SAN FRANCISCO-Toni Estes has already left an indelible mark in the music world-even before the release of her own debut album. The gifted singer/songwriter co-penned Whitney Houston's Grammy-nominated "It's Not Right But It's Okay." Now the Tulsa, Okla., native is hoping to capture her share of success with her Priority album, "Two-Eleven," which bows domestically and internationally Sept. 26.

"When I was younger, I just sang around the house," says Estes about her musical calling. "Then I actually did a couple of shows with my dad, who's a drummer, opening up for people like Gladys Knight and Natalie Cole. That seemed like a cool job, so I [began to] pursue a record deal when I was 16."

The chance to write for Houston came about through Estes' work with super-producer Rodney Jerkins. "I was doing some singing for Rodney when he said he wanted me to work with him on Whitney's next project," she says. "He called me two years later and said he was ready."

Following that beneficial exposure, Estes-who's also written for singer Laurnea and is managed by her father Billy-signed with Priority. Citing Bobby Womack and Frankie Beverly & Maze as two major influences, the artist describes "Two-Eleven" (the address of the house where she grew up) as "young and soulful. It's a mixture of a lot of different things."

Estes, who's published by Mic'l Music/Universal (ASCAP), wrote eight of the album's 12 tracks and worked with a production line-up that includes Teddy Riley, Jon Jon (Babyface), Teddy Bishop (Monica), Warryn Campbell (Dru Hill), and Brian Cox (Ideal). The set's being formally introduced by the single "Hot," which also appears on labelmate Ice Cube's "Next Friday" soundtrack and bows commercially Aug. 15.

John Rotella, Priority's VP of marketing, says, "Toni's not a metropolitan artist. She's very organic, very real, and loves to tell a story. She's basically spearheading Priority's re-entry into R&B. This is a long-term commitment and not about first-week sales. She's a strong female artist."

Priority A&R director Mark Brown concurs, saying, "The one thing I recognized was her great voice and overall talent. In putting together this album, we wanted to make something that could really relate to women. It features real-life stories that Toni's writing about from personal experience. It's a strong album that will relate to men as well."

In terms of marketing, the label has staged live showcases in New York and Los Angeles for Estes, who's booked by the William Morris Agency's Jeff Frasco. Additionally, says Rotella, Estes filmed a promotional spot with a company called Right Between the Acts that's been airing during intermission at the Rhythm of Love tour (featuring Will Downing, Chant Moore, Gerald Albright, and Phil Perr), which wraps at the end of August.

The label is also distributing 20,000 cassette samplers, pairing Estes with labelmate/U.S. newcomer Stephen Simmonds (Billboard, Aug. 5), at the Rhythm of Love shows as well as at the Honey Nut Cheerios-sponsored concert tour (with Gerald Levert and others), which runs through September. Complementing that push are several other projects, including the placement of three album tracks on Vibe magazine's subscriber-only "Summer Jam" sampler.

"As long as they market her right, she'll do well," says Darryl Huckaby, assistant PD at WKYS Washington, D.C. " "Hot' is something radio can work with-there's a need for uptempo music." Adds Samuel Suston, owner of Los Angeles' Midnight Records, " "Hot' is a strong, uptempo song. And "Two-Eleven' is an album that can be worked for a very long time."

[Thanks Lopez]

NEWSFILE: 12 AUGUST 2000

Billboard Charts...

The Billboard update for the week ending 19 August 2000:

WHITNEY THE GREATEST HITS:
Billboard 200 - Down to No.52 (from No.43) - 12 weeks on chart;
R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Down to No.40 (from No.35) - 12 weeks on chart.

COULD I HAVE THIS KISS FOREVER:
Hot 100 - Down to No.56 (from No.54) - 10 weeks on chart;
Hot 100 Airplay - Down to No.51(from No.50) - 10 weeks on chart;
Adult Contemporary Chart - Up to No.10 (from No.11) - 12 weeks on chart;
Top 40 Tracks - Up to No.31 (from No.35) - 9 weeks on chart.

SAME SCRIPT, DIFFERENT CAST:
Dance/Maxi-Singles Sales - Down to No.32 (from No.18) - 3 week on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles - Down to No.29 (from No.24) - 15 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay - Down to No.28 (from No.23) -15 weeks on chart.
Hot Dance Music/Club Play - New Entry at No.44 (1 week on chart).

I LEARNED FROM THE BEST:
Dance/Maxi CD Sales - Re-Entry at No.42 with bullet - 23 weeks on chart.

[Compiled By Lopez]

CNN...

Whitney The Greatest Hits is down to No.9 (from No.8) on the CNN Worldbeat Album Chart (11 weeks on).

Whitney On TV...

[From Whitney Houston Platinum Club]

Don't miss Whitney on VH1's Before They Were Rock Stars airing Friday, August 11th at 4:30 p.m. ET. The episode features the stories of exactly how famous entertainers like Whitney got their break and hit the big time!

Other featured artists on the episode along with Whitney include David Bowie, Phil Collins, Duran Duran, En Vogue, Gloria Estefan, Macy Gray, Deborah Harry, Lenny Kravitz, Ricky Martin, Britney Spears, Sting, Barbara Streisand, and Vanessa Williams among others.

The episode will re-air on VH1 August 13th at 10 a.m. ET.

Also showing soon is Whitney's appearance on Saturday Night Live from the 1990 season. The episode will re-air on Comedy Central on Saturday, August 19th, 2.a.m. ET. Alec Baldwin hosts the show. Check out musicstation's rockontv for more info on Whitney's TV appearances!

The Classic Whitney TV appearances section has been updated.

UK Release Date...

'Could I Have This Kiss Forever' will be released on 4 September 2000 in the UK (revised release date from original 28 August 2000).

[Thanks Max]

NEWSFILE: 11 AUGUST 2000

MTV: Most Memorable Moment...

MTV is running a poll of the best videos, performers and moments in the history of MTV.

Whitney Houston has been nominated in the Most Memorable Moment category along with Mariah Carey marking the moment they appeared on stage together for the first time (1998).

The Poll results will be published in the 26 August issue of TV Guide. You have to vote in all categories for your vote to accept.

Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey Webmasters: Please profile.

Billboard Preview...

'Whitney The Greatest Hits' slides to No.52 on the Billboard 200 this week. Meanwhile, 'Could I Have This Kiss Forever' is up to No.10 on the Adult Contemporary Chart - Whitney's last single to hit the top ten of the AC chart was 'When You Believe'.

Complete chart update soon.

Europe Is Calling...

Whitney Houston may be coming to Europe soon for a promotional visit - more details as I get them.

A Perfect Birthday...

Whitney Houston celebrated her birthday quietly at her home, surrounded by her husband and all of their children, a cake and barbecue whilst enjoying the hot weather.

The Princess Diaries...

Anne Hathaway Becomes 'Princess' in Disney Feature

By Claude Brodesser

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Anne Hathaway, who made a name for herself in the critically acclaimed though short-lived Fox series ``Get Real,'' has inked a deal to star in ``The Princess Diaries,'' a Disney feature being directed by Garry Marshall.

``Diaries'' concerns itself with a rebellious 16-year-old Angeleno who is informed that she is actually the princess of a Monaco-like European nation. The story is based on an upcoming Meg Cabot novel. Shooting begins in September, and Whitney Houston will serve as a producer.

Hathaway is also starring in ``The Eye of the Storm,'' an independent picture about a young missionary who ventures to the island kingdom of Tonga.

[Thanks Lopez]

France...

'Whitney The Greatest Hits' remains at No.2 on this week's French Compilation Album Chart this week (12 weeks on chart).

[Thanks Sebastien]

Dutch Chart Update...

'Whitney The Greatest Hits' is at no.14 on the Dutch Album Top 100 (12th week on chart). Previous weeks: 8-5-6.

[Thanks Deborah]

NEWSFILE: 10 AUGUST 2000

Audio & Video...

Thanks for all the mails asking about what happened to the Audio & Video sections of Classic Whitney. The nice, and the not so nice(!) - all shows you care.

When Classic Whitney moved to this new host, I didn't have the time to actually replace these files and the focus was to get Classic Whitney's transition from old to new to be as seamless as possible.

Since then it has been decided that the Audio & Video content will not return to the site in the way it was before. This is a mixture of my own lack of time to devote to kick starting that side of things once again, as well as a request from the powers that be - all long, boring and political stuff.

Whilst this does change the nature of Classic Whitney the past two months have already demonstrated that Whitney Houston's fanbase still believe in the work that goes in here and that other interested people - not just fans - will come to Classic Whitney for the incredible depth of information, statistics, galleries, interviews, reviews and the most accurate and up to date news. Key elements.

I will continue to promote the officially available Audio & Video clips which are increasing steadily with Arista gradually investing more in Whitney's internet profile. The Audio/Video sections will be developed to house links to these officially authorised clips.

Occasionally, I will still promote some of the other audio/video other fans make available, after all, we didn't get to this point without pushing one or two limits. It's all good.

Manish Chavda
8 August 2000

Fred's Chat...

In the 12 August 2000 issue of Billboard Magazine, Fred Bronson mentions Whitney Houston amidst his commentary about Madonna:

...If 'Music' can climb that high [No.1], it will be the first Madonna chart-topper since 'Take A Bow' spent seven weeks in pole position in 1995. It would become Madonna's 12th No.1 hit, finally surpassing Whitney Houston, who has 11. The two women have been equal since November 1995, when Houston collected her 11th No.1 hit with 'Exhale (Shoop Shoop)'...

Billboard Charts...

The complete Billboard Chart statistic for the week have now been updated - scroll down.

NEWSFILE: 8 AUGUST 2000

Billboard...

Whitney The Greatest Hits is down to No.41 on the Billboard 200 this week - Full Billboard Charts soon...

Same Script, Different Remixes...

The following are the two tracklistings for the US 12" release of 'Same Script, Different Cast'. The triple pack is the promo and the double pack is the commercial release.

Double Pack (2X12")
- Jonathan Peters Vocal Club Mix
- Joe Smooth Slang Club Mix
- Mel Hammond Beautiful Slang Dub
- Friburn & Urik Cover Your Ears Mix
- Jonathan Peters Goes There Dub

Triple Pack (3X12")
A1. Jonathan Peters Club Mix 9:35
B1. Joe Smooth Slang Club Mix 5:49
C1. Jonathan Peters Goes There Dub 11:07
D1. Victor Romeo Slang Vocal Mix 6:19
E1. Friburn & Urik Uncover Your Ears Mix 10:49
F1. The Beautiful Slang Dub 6:41
F2. Jonathan Peters Radio Edit 4:21

France...

A strong week for 'Whitney The Greatest Hits' on the French Compilation Album Chart as it climbs four places to No.2 this week (11 weeks on chart).

[Thanks Sebastien]

Feminine But Not Feminist...

Feminine but not feminist
Amrita Shah

08/03/2000
Indian Express
Copyright(C) 2000 The Indian Express Online Media Ltd., Source: World Reporter (TM)

The other day a successful actress was chatting with the host of one of Star World's afternoon talk shows. Here's how she described a close friend: "She's a feminist and I
know they're not supposed to be but she really is funny."

At a proposed women's web site the promoters tell me: "We want to reach out to women but," and they pause to make sure I get the distinction, "we are not radical! We are not
feminist!"

These are just a couple of the many instances I have come across in recent times. Instances of defensiveness, apology and downright antipathy towards the term feminism and all that it implies. The reaction comes from various places, including from those who have been sympathetic or even part of the women's movement. A women's activist,someone who was at the forefront of various agitations in the eighties, for instance, maintains categorically that she now dislikes "the word `empowerment' and all the other jargons of the movement."

The trend, of course, isn't new. American polls in the earlier part of the last decade discovered that though support for feminist ideals was widespread, a majority of women hesitated to associate themselves with the movement. As Karlyn Keene, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute observed, more than three quarters of American women supported efforts to "strengthen and changewomen's status in society," yet only a minority, a third at most, identified themselves as feminists. Why is this happening? Wendy Kaminer in a detailed article in The Atlantic

Monthly some years ago claimed that while on the one hand identifying feminism with femininity brought women limited returns, in the popular mind feminism came to represent a rejection of femininity. As this hypothesis implies the reasons for the growing rejection of feminism as a means of self-definition are complex and need serious reflection. It is not my intention to attempt an intensive exploration here of the past. What I am suggesting is that perhaps the phenomenon has arisen in part due to the emergence of a new consciousness. And what do I base my proposition on? The answer is the delicate but not insubstantial evidence of music videos.

If you doubt me then surf the channels and check out what the popular divas are singing about. Start with Whitney Houston. Remember Whitney Houston in Saving All My Love For You -- the young girl waiting patiently as the object of her affections flitted in and out of sight? Watch her now, sleek and regally confident as she tells her cheating boyfriend : "It's not right but it's okay, I'm gonna get by anyway... Pack your bags up and leave." Or there's Shania Twain stuck in the middle of the desert and still passing up one enticing man after another with a dismissive "That don't impress me much."

Don't these women have any fun? Of course they do. In Feelin so Good pin up goddess Jennifer Lopez seems to be having a wild night on the town with her girlfriends. Girlfriends are big. All past allegations of women not being able to get along with women can be safely dumped out of the window. Whether it's Sheryl Crow sharing the stage with Melissa Etheridge or the army silently backing Houston, it is support all the way. In one of her recent hits, a pack of friends take Mariah Carey to the movies and stand up for her when they find her boyfriend making out with another woman. In He Wasn't Man Enough Toni Braxton helps a friend check out her man's fidelity levels. The story might seem the same. Bad man. Poor woman. But the attitude isn't. These women are as feminine as they can be but their femininity does not make them less aware of their rights.

In some ways one can say they have internalised the ideals of feminism. Yet their manner of assertion reveals a departure from the traits that wrongly or rightly have come to be
associated with feminism such a confrontation and a dour lack of humour. These women do not rage, they do not whine. When things don't work out they shrug their shoulders and leave. They refuse to crib and they refuse to be exploited. But most important, they accept that they have to take responsibility for themselves. When Twain refuses all assistance she has to trudge through the searing landscape on foot, weighted down with baggage and alone -- a fate she accepts cheerfully enough. It is a phenomenon that could make men understandably insecure and I have heard several complain of being rendered redundant by the growing self-sufficiency of women. This, of course, is far from the truth or at least the overwhelming popularity of love songs would suggest so. And maybe it would make men feel better if they knew that women were poking fun at male vanities (Madonna's belching, trouser dropping act in her version of American Pie for example) rather than at the gender itself. Or perhaps there's cold comfort in that. When your lot has been reduced to a plethora of pre-pubescent boy bands singing sappy love songs it is time to start complaining. Big time.

[Thanks MG]

NEWSFILE: 3 AUGUST 2000

Julie Andrews...

MITCHELL FINK WITH LAUREN RUBIN
07/31/2000
New York Daily News
(Copyright 2000 Daily News, L.P.)

Lessons from a 'Lady'

It's taken many years, but the transformation is about to become complete: Eliza Doolittle is Henry Higgins.

Julie Andrews, who starred on Broadway in "My Fair Lady" as the English flower girl and is taught to speak properly by Higgins, is about to perform a similar task for a little girl in director Garry Marshall's next movie.

The movie, which Whitney Houston is producing, is called "The Princess Diaries," and is about the daughter of a single mother who discovers that the father she never knew came from royalty. The problem is, she neither feels like a royal nor speaks like one.

To the rescue comes her paternal grandmother (Andrews), who transforms her into a lady.

The story is expected to start shooting in September.

[Thanks MG]

Charts Around The World...

Austria:
(Top 50 LP) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 21 (15) - 10 weeks on chart

Belgium:
(Ultratop Top 50) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 12 (9) - 11 weeks on chart

Estonia:
(PedroBeat CD Top 100) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 24 (17) - 9 weeks on chart
(PedroBeat MC Top 100) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 91 (25) - 9 weeks on chart

Finland:
(Top 40 Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 15 (11) - 10 weeks on chart

Netherlands:
(Mega Top 100) If I Told You That - No. 68 (53) - 9 weeks on chart

Norway:
(Top 40 Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 16 (15) - 10 weeks on chart

Switzerland:
(Top 100 Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 15 (11) - 11 weeks on chart
(Top 100 Singles) If I Told You That - No. 47 (43) - 8 weeks on chart
(Swizz Music TV) If I Told You That - No. 39 (40) - 7 weeks on chart

Canada:
(Albums: Top 50) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 52 (45) - 10 weeks on chart
(R&B Albums: Top 50) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 9 (9) - 10 weeks on chart
(Singles: Top 50) Could I Have This Kiss Forever - No. 3 (3) - 5 weeks on chart

New Zealand:
(Top 50 Albums) Whitney: The Greatest Hits - No. 45 (39) - 6 weeks on chart
(Top 50 Singles) Could I Have This Kiss Forever - No. 17 (14) - 6 weeks on chart

Taiwan:
(Top 20 Singles - English) If I Told You That - No. 2 (2) - 10 weeks on chart

[Thanks Gogi/Lopez]

Switzerland...

SWIZZ - Switzerland's MusicTV - has 'Could I Have This Kiss Forever' on their B-Rotation list. This means they will play the video around 15 times a week.

They have stopped playing 'If I Told You That' so it's likely that 'Could I Have This Kiss Forever' is the next single for Switzerland and Germany. Germany's VIVA-TV still has 'If I Told You That' on their C-Rotation list signifying 16 plays a week.

[Thanks Christian]

NEWSFILE: 1 AUGUST 2000