BY CLIVE DAVIS

In 1983 Gerry Griffith, an Arista A&R man, asked me to audition Whitney, who was singing backgrounds for her mother, Cissy, at Sweetwater’s, a club at 68th Street and Amsterdam Avenue in New York City. Whitney sang two solo songs during the set, one was “Home,” a song from The Wiz, and the other was The Greatest Love of All, a song I had commissioned for the Muhammad Ali biopic The Greatest in 1977. Whitney was nineteen and she absolutely floored me. I couldn’t believe that a teenager could bring such stunning passion to these songs. I was to sign her a few weeks later and our odyssey began.

For more than twenty-five years our work process never changed. I would, with the invaluable help of my A&R staff, listen to hundreds of songs and narrow them down to about twenty. Then either over a long lunch in my office or a late midnight session in my bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel with Whitney in her pajamas under a bathrobe, I would play them and we would cut the list down to about twelve. We both loved music and we rarely differed on songs. She was my song partner, my song mate. Somehow, despite our age difference and our different upbringing, we totally clicked, and were in synch, musically. And then when the records began being released, we both held our breath and honestly couldn’t believe the explosions to follow. You Give Good Love, Saving All My Love for You, How Will I Know, and The Greatest Love of All, all became anthems and classic hit records. When her streak of seven consecutive #1 records broke the all-time record – and it still is the all-time record – I would ask her: “Are you pinching yourself?” And all she could do was nod in awe.

And then in the early nineties it was Whitney who determined that she wanted to be an actress. She, and her William Morris film agent, Nicole David, selected the films: Bodyguard, Waiting To Exhale, and The Preacher’s Wife – and what a trio they were! The songs from these films alone would qualify for Hall of Fame recognition: I Will Always Love You; I Have Nothing; I’m Every Woman; Exhale (Shoop, Shoop); I Believe In You and Me. All these great songs are on this Greatest Hits album as are her thrilling performances of I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Where Do Broken Hearts Go, All The Man That I Need, I’m Your Baby Tonight, My Love Is Your Love and several other classics. How does it become a classic or why is it a classic – all I can say is that all I have to do is name the song and I know you, the listener, can immediately sing the musical hook and probably know all the words.

Without question, over the twenty-five years of Whitney’s recordings, everyone in the business – the songwriters, the producers, the fellow artists all always knew that she was the greatest voice of her generation, perhaps of all time. She found meaning in the lyrics of each song that composers themselves didn’t know were there. Her song legacy is second to none.

These months following her passing have been excruciatingly painful. Whitney loved life so much. She loved her daughter, her mother, her family and close friends with so much passion. And she loved music. Amid all the publicity about her problems, what always seems to be forgotten is her love of music. And that’s why with great emotion and pride, on behalf of Whitney, we give the music in this album to you. It includes the duet that I constructed between Whitney and R. Kelly of I Look To You. Whitney, for a ten-day period during the recording of the I Look To You album,

was free from cigarettes. She was having major dental work that absolutely forbade any cigarette smoking. She went into the studio and recorded two verses and a chorus of I Look To You in the style of the original R. Kelly demo and she was in memorable form. We were all stunned when we later heard it – this was the old Whitney and it was spectacular. And so when I heard R. Kelly’s emotionally laden version of the same song at Whitney’s funeral, similarly in the style of the original demo, I decided to combine them. The result is magical. I think everyone will remember the first time they hear this. Enjoy it and savor it – as well as all these wonderful songs that are indeed the soundtrack of our lives. I know you’ll never hear another voice like hers again.

19901985 19871998 2002

1992 1996199520092003

You Give Good Love From Whitney Houston 1985

(LaLa) Published by The New Music Group/Songs Of Universal, Inc. (BMI)

Produced & Arranged by Kashiff  Executive Producer: Clive Davis

SavinG aLL MY Love For You From Whitney Houston 1985

(Michael Masser, Gerry Coffin) Published by Universal Music Corporation, Inc. (ASCAP),

Screen Gems-EMI Music, Inc. (BMI)Produced by Michael Masser for Prince Street Productions, Inc.

Executive Producer: Clive Davis

How wiLL i Know From Whitney Houston 1985

(George Merrill, Shannon Rubicam, Narada Michael Walden) Published by Irving Music, Inc. (BMI), Gratitude Sky Music/WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)

Produced & Arranged by Narada Michael Walden for Perfection Light Productions, Inc. Executive Producer: Clive Davis

GreaTeST Love oF aLL From Whitney Houston 1985

(Michael Masser, Linda Creed) Published by EMI Golden Torch Music Corp. (ASCAP),

EMI-Gold Horizon Music Corp. (BMI) Produced by Michael Masser for Prince Street Productions, Inc.

Executive Producer: Clive Davis

i wanna dance wiTH SoMebodY (wHo LoveS Me) From Whitney 1987

(George Merrill, Shannon Rubicam) Published by Boy Meets Girl Music/Irving Music, Inc. (BMI)

Produced & Arranged by Narada Michael Walden for Perfection Light Productions, Inc. Executive Producer: Clive Davis u Vocal Arrangement by Whitney Houston

didn’T we aLMoST Have iT aLL From Whitney 1987

(Michael Masser, Will Jennings) Published by Prince Street Music/Universal Music Corp. (ASCAP),

Blue Sky Rider Songs/Irving Music, Inc. (BMI)Produced by Michael Masser

Executive Producer: Clive Davis u Vocal Arrangement by Whitney Houston

So eMoTionaL From Whitney 1987

(Billy Steinberg, Tom Kelly) Published by Sony/ATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP)

Produced by John “Jellybean” Benitez for Jellybean Productions, Inc. Executive Producer: Clive Davis u Vocal Arrangement by Whitney Houston

wHere do broKen HearTS Go From Whitney 1987

(Frank Wildhorn, Charles Jackson) Published by Scaramanga Music/Chrysalis Music (ASCAP), Sony/ATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP)

Produced by Narada Michael Walden for Perfection Light Productions, Inc. Executive Producer: Clive Davis u Vocal Arrangement by Whitney Houston

i’M Your babY ToniGHT From I’m Your Baby Tonight 1990

(Antonio Reid, Kenneth Edmonds) Published by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (ASCAP), ECAF Music/Sony/ATV Epic Solar (BMI)

Produced by L.A. Reid & Babyface for LaFace, Inc. Vocal Arrangement: L.A. Reid, Babyface and Whitney Houston u Executive Producer: Clive Davis

aLL THe Man THaT i need From I’m Your Baby Tonight 1990 (Dean Pitchford, Michael Gore)

Published by Body Electric Music/Fifth Of March Music /Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)

Produced by Narada Michael Walden for Perfection Light Productions, Inc. Executive Producer: Clive Davis u Vocal Arrangement by Whitney Houston

i wiLL aLwaYS Love You From The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album 1992

(Dolly Parton) Published by Velvet Apple Music (BMI)Produced & Arranged by David Foster

Executive Producers: Clive Davis & Whitney Houston Vocal Arrangement by Whitney Houston

i’M everY woMan From The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album 1992

(Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson) Published by Nick-O-Val Music Co., Inc./Cherry Lane Music Publishing (ASCAP)

Produced & Arranged by Narada Michael Walden for Perfection Light Productions, Inc.  Executive Producers: Clive Davis & Whitney Houston 

Vocal Arrangement by Whitney Houston

i Have noTHinG From The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album 1992

(David Foster, Linda Thompson) Published by One Four Three Music/Peermusic Ltd. (BMI), Linda’s Boys Music/

Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)Produced & Arranged by David Foster 

Executive Producers: Clive Davis & Whitney Houston 

Vocal Arrangement by Whitney Houston

exHaLe (SHoop SHoop) From Waiting To Exhale Soundtrack: Original Soundtrack Album 1995

(Kenneth Edmonds) Published by ECAF Music/Sony/ATV Songs LLC (BMI), Fox Film Music Corporation (BMI)

Produced by Babyface for ECAF Productions, Inc. Executive Producers: Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Whitney Houston & Clive Davis

i beLieve in You and Me From The Preacher’s Wife: Original Soundtrack Album 1996

(Sandy Linzer, David Wolfert) Published by Sandy Linzer Productions/EMI-Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI),

Jonathan Three Music/EMI Sosaha Music Inc. (ASCAP)Produced by Mervyn Warren & Whitney Houston

Executive Producers: Clive Davis & Whitney Houston Vocal Arrangement by Whitney Houston

MY Love iS Your Love From My Love Is Your Love 1998 (Wyclef Jean, Jerry Duplessis)

Published by Huss Zwingli Publishing, Inc./Sony/ATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP), Te-Bass Music, Inc./EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI)

Produced by Wyclef Jean & Jerry “Wonder” Duplessis for Refugee Camp Entertainment

Album Producers: Clive Davis & Whitney Houston 

Vocal Arrangement by Whitney Houston

i LooK To You (wiTH r. KeLLY) (R. Kelly )

Published by Universal Music–Z Songs (BMI) o / b / o itself & R. Kelly Publishing, Inc. (BMI)Produced by Clive Davis & R. Kelly for Bass Productions, Ltd.

Whitney Houston Vocal Production by Harvey Mason, Jr. & Larry Jackson Musical Director : Donnie Lyle u Bass: Rickey Minor u Drums: Mike Baker 

Guitar: Sherrod Barnes u Keyboards: Jetro DaSilva, Wayne Linsey, Shedrick Mitchell, Bette Sussman u Percussion: Bashiri Johnson u Additional Keyboards:

Rodney East u Choir: Jeff Morrow, Joan Collaso, Yvonne Gage, Kamara Reese, Pastor Chris Harris Sr., Michael Louis Harvey, Lauren Pilot Morrow u Recorded by Ian Mereness & Abel Garibaldi at

The Chocolate Factory, Chicago, IL & by Chris “TEK” O’Ryan at Tekzenmusic Studios, Los Angeles, CA u Programming by Ian Mereness, Abel Garibaldi & Donnie Lyle 

Mixed by Phil Tan for RiotProof Productions at Ninja Beat Club, Atlanta, GA Additional Engineering for Mix by Daniela Rivera

R. Kelly appears courtesy of RCA Records

never Give up (Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox, Johntà Austin)

Published by 2316 Music / EMI April Music, Inc. (ASCAP), WBM Music Corp., Inc. / Pamela & Lorrene’s Publishing, LLC (SESAC),

Naked Under My Clothes / Sony / ATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP)Produced by Jermaine Dupri for So So Def Productions, Inc. & Bryan-Michael Cox for Team Idris, LLC

Recorded by John Horesco at South Side Studios, Atlanta, GA u Assisted by Tad Mingo 

Mixed by Phil Tan for RiotProof Productions at Ninja Beat Club, Atlanta, GA 

Additional Engineering for Mix by Daniela Rivera

HoLd Me (wiTH TeddY penderGraSS)

From Whitney Houston 1985 (Michael Masser, Linda Creed)

Published by Prince Street Music (ASCAP), DeCreed Music Publishing Company/Songs Of Universal, Inc. (BMI)

Produced by Michael Masser for Prince Street Productions, Inc. Executive Producer: Clive Davis

Teddy Pendergrass appears courtesy of Elektra/Asylum Records

iF You SaY MY eYeS are beauTiFuL (wiTH JerMaine JacKSon)

From Jermaine Jackson’s Precious Moments 1986 (Elliot Willensky)

Published by Music Center/The Entertainment Television Company/ EMI-April Music, Inc. (ASCAP)

Produced by Jermaine Jackson & Tom Keane Executive Producer: Clive Davis

i Know HiM So weLL (wiTH ciSSY HouSTon)

From Whitney 1987 (Tim Rice, Benny Anderson, Björn Ulvaeus)

Published by 3 Knights Ltd./Universal-MCA Publishing (ASCAP)Produced & Arranged by Narada Michael Walden for Perfection Light Productions

Executive Producer: Clive Davis

BONUS DISC

iT iSn’T, iT waSn’T, iT ain’T never Gonna be (wiTH areTHa FranKLin)

From Aretha Franklin’s Through The Storm 1989 (Albert Hammond, Diane Warren)

Published by Albert Hammond Music/ Kobalt Songs Music Publishing (ASCAP), Realsongs (ASCAP)

Produced & Arranged by Narada Michael Walden for Perfection Light ProductionsAretha Franklin appears courtesy of RCA Records

counT on Me (wiTH cece winanS)

From Waiting To Exhale Soundtrack: Original Soundtrack Album 1995 (Kenneth Edmonds, Whitney Houston, Michael Houston)

Published by ECAF Music/Sony/ATV Songs LLC (BMI), Fox Film Music Corporation (BMI), Nippy Music, Inc. (ASCAP), Aurianna Publishing (ASCAP)

Produced by Babyface for ECAF Productions, Inc. Executive Producer: Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Whitney Houston & Clive Davis

CeCe Winans appears courtesy of Capitol Records, Inc.

Thank you to Mindy Grossman, Andrew Sheldon, Neal Martinelli, and the entire HSN team.

Album Producer: Clive Davis Compilation Mastered by Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound NYC u Creative Director: Erwin Gorostiza

Art Director: Anita Boriboon u Graphic Designer: Jessie Oh 

Photography: Patrick Demarchelier (cover and page 13)

88725-49432-2 1985, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2012 & © 2012 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. Marketed and distributed by

Sony Music Entertainment, 550 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10022-3211. All Rights Reserved. Marca(s) Registrada(s) RCA Trademark Management S.A. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws.

In Cooperation With Patricia Houston, President, The Whitney Houston Estatewww.whitneyhouston.com u www.rcarecords.com