🎶When the Boys Cover Whitney Houston #1

More fellas covered the legendary singer known as "The Voice" than you might imagine! Gone too soon at 48, just a dozen years ago, some guys were bold and daring, others suitably mellow. All are fun!

Big Picture: Just the #1s, 1985-1988

Hearing one cover by an all-male band was a fluke, but when I discovered that another all-male band had covered another Whitney Houston song, my ever-curious musical mind had to wonder: “Just how many more are out there?” The answer is a resounding, “Lots”!

We’re dipping our collective toes into the cover pool here, but, the plan is to go beyond a couple of songs, and at least complete our deep-dive of covers of her #1 songs in subsequent articles! After all, Ms. Houston was swimming in a beautifully deep pool of magnificent hits!

One thing I noticed right off the bat were the career dynamics that quickly became apparent after Whitney’s first solo hit…1985’s “You Give Good Love,” which peaked at #3 (all chart positions will be based on their placement on Billboard’s Hot 100 in the US). Her first single release, “Hold Me,” a duet with Teddy Pendergrass, only got to #46, in the summer of ‘84.

Everyone, by the time the pen nib scribbled names on the contract, was well aware of the generational talent that stood poised to record multiple hits…almost assuredly.

Her family legacy included a stunning chorus of accomplished professional singers, including her mother, Grammy-winner, Cissy Houston, cousins Dionne Warwick, and her sister, Dee Dee, distant cousin, opera singer Leontyne Price, with all joining “honorary aunt,” Aretha Franklin, and Whitney’s godmother, Darlene Love!

Houston Recipe: Carefully-Plotted Strategy & Blind Luck

Another easy-to-spot dynamic regarding Ms. Houston’s career was just how hands-on involved label chief, Clive Davis became…and, wanted to become, right outta the gate. He knew he had a generational talent on his hands, and he wanted to be the Tom Parker to her Elvis, the Peter Grant to her Led Zep. You get the drift: He wanted to be the one to hand-craft her career…his cross-over, massive Manilow for the ‘80s and beyond.

“Houston signed a management deal with Gene Harvey (shown above with Whitney) in September, 1981, a few weeks after she turned 18, but didn’t sign a record deal until April, 1983. The most important element in Houston’s success story is time. Houston was given the time to develop, both personally and professionally, before she was thrust into the limelight.” This, from L.A. Times writer, Paul Grein, in June 1986.

“Harvey’s plan,” according to Grein, “was to have Houston develop her studio technique through background vocal sessions and a few jingles, and to develop confidence in front of the camera by doing commercials. At the same time, she pursued her modeling career, took acting and dancing lessons and performed as a background vocalist in her mother’s show.”

When Harvey was satisfied that Houston was ready for a record deal, he staged a series of showcases in New York.

Offers came in from Epic, Elektra and Arista. Harvey said he signed with Arista because of Davis’ reputation for “picking hits.”

Slow, methodical, and carefully-guided: Clive Davis (l) and Whitney (19) sign the contracts at Arista’s New York City offices, April 10, 1983. Twenty-three months later, her debut album was released.📸Ebet Roberts/Redfern

Back to today, with her first two #1s: We’ll just concentrate on her #1 hits (in chronological order), which numbered 7 straight chart-toppers from August 1985’s “Saving All My Love For You” all the way through to February 1988’s “Where Do Broken Hearts Go”!

Composer Michael Masser (r), architect of “The Roxy Wager” that led to Clive Davis agreeing to “Saving All My Love For You” being Whitney’s second single.

Her 1st #1: “Saving All My Love For You,” 1985

(Highlighted song titles have YouTube links to original music videos). Written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin, it was originally recorded by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. in 1978 (click here for their music video).

After the success of her previous single, “You Give Good Love,” just a few months earlier, Arista initially didn’t think about releasing “Saving All My Love for You” as the next single. When Masser heard that another single besides his was being considered for the next single, he made a friendly wager with Davis during one of Houston’s performances at the Roxy Theatre in Hollywood.

He proposed that if all the women get on their feet when Houston sings, “Saving All My Love for You,” then Davis would agree that it should be the next single. Well, they must have: Ultimately, the song was released as the second single in the States, with Masser producing.

Our Fave Male Cover: Mateo Oxley, 2022

The native Brit, a stage and screen actor, saving all his love: “Adopting a 4-week-old stray kitten dropped from the beak of an actual crow!”-Mateo, on X, in June 2024

Honorable Mention: The 2012 Cast of Glee, with a guy/gal duet (the Joe Hart character sung by Samuel Larsen, and the Quinn Fabray character sung by Dianna Agron):

Second #1: “How Will I Know,” Nov. 1985