| "All the Man That I Need" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byWhitney Houston | ||||
| from the albumI'm Your Baby Tonight | ||||
| B-side | "Dancin' on the Smooth Edge" | |||
| Released | December 4, 1990 | |||
| Recorded | November–December 1989 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:11 | |||
| Label | Arista | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Narada Michael Walden | |||
| Whitney Houston singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "All the Man That I Need" onYouTube | ||||
"All the Man That I Need" is a song written byDean Pitchford andMichael Gore. The song was first recorded as "All the Man I Need" byLinda Clifford for her albumI'll Keep on Loving You (1982) and later covered around the same time bySister Sledge. The song is better known for being recorded by American singer and actressWhitney Houston, who released it as the official second single from her third album,I'm Your Baby Tonight onArista Records on December 4, 1990. Houston's recording wasproduced byNarada Michael Walden and featured American musicianKenny G on saxophone.
Upon its release, the song became a major worldwide hit single, receiving mainly positive reviews frommusic critics. In the US, the ballad became a multi-chart number one hit on theBillboard charts, topping theBillboard Hot 100 in late February 1991, for a two-week run, giving Houston her ninth number one single, once again tying Houston with fellowpop artistMadonna for the most solo number-one singles recorded by a female artist on theBillboard Hot 100. The song also topped theHot R&B Singles andHot Adult Contemporary charts, giving Houston her third "triple-crown" number-oneBillboard single and her first to do so since "How Will I Know" topped the same three charts in 1986. It ranks as Houston's fourth biggest hit on theBillboard Hot 100.[2]
In addition, the song helped Houston become the first female solo artist to generate multiple number-one singles from three albums, with onlyMariah Carey andJanet Jackson achieving this feat. The song later won Houstonaward nominations including theGrammy Award forGrammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the1992 Grammy Awards and theSoul Train Music Award forBest R&B/Soul Single - Female at the1992 ceremony.
| "All the Man I Need" | |
|---|---|
| Song byLinda Clifford | |
| from the album I’ll Keep on Loving You | |
| Released | 1982 |
| Genre | Pop |
| Length | 4:07 |
| Label | Disques Vogue |
| Lyricists | |
In 1980, songwriting partners Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore wrote songs for the soundtrack to the movieFame. Among the songs they wrote for the soundtrack included "Red Light", which they gave to singerLinda Clifford.[3]
Clifford's song became a modest hit on theBillboard charts after its release, going to number 41 on theBillboard Hot 100 and number 40 on theHot Soul Singles chart and also topped theHot Dance/Disco chart. In addition to appearing on theFame soundtrack, the song was also featured on Clifford's album,I'm Yours.
The success of their Clifford collaboration led to the songwriters to pitch another song to Clifford titled, "All the Man I Need", which was a departure from Clifford's disco and dance recordings.[3]
Originally written by the pair in 1981, Clifford eventually recorded the song for her 1982 release,I'll Keep on Loving You. Her version featured backgroundvocal arrangement from singerLuther Vandross, who had also worked with Clifford in the past. However, Clifford's label at the time didn't think the sentimental pop ballad would be a hit for the artist and refused to release it as a single.[3]
Around this time, American musical sibling groupSister Sledge was recording songs for their album,The Sisters when they were offered the song to record. The group's lead singer Kathy Sledge would end up recording the song as avocal duet with singer David Simmons and the song would be prominently featured on the album. During the group's promotion of the record, which included their top 40 rendition ofMary Wells' "My Guy", they appeared onSoul Train where they would perform "My Guy" along with "All the Man I Need" with Kathy Sledge and Simmons performing the song. Unlike "My Guy", however, the ballad failed to become a hit, only reaching number 45 on the Hot Soul Singles chart and failing to chart on theBillboard Hot 100.[4][5]
Pitchford later stated that although different versions of the song were recorded, no one was scoring a major hit with it: "I figured that it was one of those songs that was going to get cut a number of times and not ever have its day," he said.[3] During a dinner withArista Records presidentClive Davis, the song came up and Davis asked Pitchford to send him a demo. Davis had just finished working withWhitney Houston as the executive producer of her second album,Whitney (1987).[3]
Although he was impressed by the song, he felt they would be unable to do anything with it at that time as Houston had only just finished recording an album, so it would be some time before she would be returning to the studio. During this period, Pitchford's publishers received several requests from other artists wishing to record the song. Finally, in 1989, Houston began recording the song with producerNarada Michael Walden as she worked on her third album,I'm Your Baby Tonight.[3]
"All the Man That I Need" is anR&B song withgospel influences. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Music Publishing, the song is written in thekey ofF minor with a key change to the key ofF♯ minor.[6] The beat is set incommon time, and moves at a slow tempo of 76 beats per minute.[6] It has the sequence of B♭m–Fm–E♭–E♭/D♭–D♭–Cm7 as itschord progression.[6] Houston's vocals in the song span from the note of C♯4 to the note of A5, while the piano elements range from the note of B♭1 to the high note of F♯5 .[6] Stephen Holden ofThe New York Times, wrote that the song was an "expression of sexual hero worship."[7] The song also features asaxophone solo by American recording artistKenny G.[8]
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Released on December 4, 1990, "All the Man That I Need" entered the USBillboard Hot 100 Singles chart at number 53 on December 22 as the "Hot Shot Debut" of the week.[9] Ten weeks later, on February 23, 1991, it ascended to the top of the chart, replacingC+C Music Factory's "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" at the top spot and becoming Houston's ninth number-one on the chart.[10] It stayed atop the chart for two weeks.[11]
This led to Houston to tie with singerMadonna for recording the most number-one singles by a female artist in the history of theBillboard Hot 100 at the time. It also topped theHot 100 Singles Sales andHot 100 Airplay charts, her first song to achieve this feat since "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" in1988. It enjoyed a seven week run in the top ten of the chart, which was one week shorter than that of the album's lead single "I'm Your Baby Tonight."[2]
The song made Houston the first female artist to launch multiple number one singles off three or more albums.[12][13] The only other female artists to achieve this feat wereMariah Carey andJanet Jackson.
The single entered theBillboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (formerly Hot R&B Singles) at number 58, the same week it debuted on the Hot 100.[14] It later peaked at number one on the chart, the issue date of March 2, 1991, making it Houston's fifth R&B number-one hit.[15]
On the December 22, 1990 issue ofBillboard, the song entered theHot Adult Contemporary charts at number 39, the highest debut of the week.[16] On its sixth week on the chart for the issue dated January 26, 1991, it vaulted to the top ten at number 6.[17] Three weeks later, it reached its pole position at the top for the week of February 16, 1991, replacing "The First Time" bySurface and starting a four-week run at the top of the charts, becoming her longest-running number one single on the chart at the time before the release of "I Will Always Love You".[18]
When it hit the pole position of the R&B chart, the single spent its second and third week at the top of the Hot 100 andHot Adult Contemporary charts, respectively.[19]
As a result, it became her first single to simultaneously top all threeBillboard charts — the Hot 100, Hot R&B, and Hot Adult Contemporary — and overall the third triple-crown hit, after 1985's "Saving All My Love for You" and 1986's "How Will I Know," reached the top spot on those three charts in separate weeks.[20][21] The song became Houston's thirteenth consecutive top ten single on the chart, tying her with cousinDionne Warwick for the most consecutive AC top ten hits by a female artist. It was ranked number 16 on theBillboard Hot 100 Year-End chart for 1991.[22] The single was certified Gold by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 copies or more on March 21, 1991; exactly eighteen years later, in March 2019, it was certified platinum for sales equivalent units of 1 million copies or more.[23] In Canada, the song debuted at 90 on theRPM Top 100 Hit Tracks chart.[24] Seven weeks later, it peaked at number one on the chart and stayed there for a week.[25]
Internationally, the song experienced some success. It went to number-one in Canada. It entered theUK Singles Chart at number 27, the week ending date of December 22, 1990, and peaked at number 13 on January 19, 1991, in that country.[26][27] According toThe Official Charts Company, the single has sold 120,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[28] It also reached number 16 in Ireland,[29] 11 in Netherlands,[30] 21 in Austria,[31] and 28 in France.[32] The song also peaked at number 37 in Germany,[33] 36 in New Zealand,[34] and 28 in Switzerland.[35]
"All the Man That I Need" was nominated for "Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female," Houston's fifth nomination for the category, at the34th Grammy Awards on February 26, 1992.[36] The song was also nominated for "Best R&B/Soul Single, Female" at the6th Soul Train Music Awards on March 10, 1992.[37]
In its year-end lists for 1991,Billboard ranked the song the 16th best-selling single on its Top Pop Singles list, 18th in its Top R&B Singles list and was ranked the third best-selling single on its adult contemporary list.[38][39][40] OnCash Box, the song was ranked the sixth best-selling pop single of the year.[41]
"All the Man That I Need" garnered mainly positive reviews from music critics.Larry Flick fromBillboard magazine complimented it as a "shimmeringjazz-andgospel-inflectedballad", and stated that it "fully demonstrates Houston's vocal beauty".[42]Greg Kot ofChicago Tribune was also positive in his review, writing that through the song, Houston was providing "soundtrack to a million love affairs."[43] A reviewer fromMelody Maker said, "She really sounds as if she means it and the chorus is more than suitably sumptuous and soaring and shouty so it really ought to be Number One all over the world by Chrimbo."[44] Pan-European magazineMusic & Media declared the song as a "staggering gospel-tinged ballad with an overwhelming build-up in the chorus."[45] A reviewer fromMusic Week commented, "Another sterling performance from Whitney, on a slightly sub-standard song. Nevertheless, a high chart placing seems inevitable."[46]The New York Times'Stephen Holden was also positive in his review, viewing the song as a "hunk of gargantuan pop bombast swathed in echo and glitzy astral twinkles."[7]People Magazine's editor described it as "an effective, down-tempo change of pace".[47] James Hunter fromRolling Stone called it "an outsize ballad about poverty and damaged self-regard, so expertly that the song, with its effective whiff ofSpanish guitar, stages undeniable pop drama."[48]
About.com ranked "All the Man That I Need" number four in their list of "Top 20 Best Whitney Houston Songs" in 2018, noting that it has "a prominentgospel choir in the final chorus."[49] In a 2020 retrospective review, Matthew Hocter from Albumism described it as "apower ballad bringing some serious drama".[50]AllMusic's Ashley S. Battel said that the song is one of "the two high points she does reach on this album [I'm Your Baby Tonight]", and added "the uplifting tale of another's [sic] love being enough to provide happiness in [the song]."[51]BET ranked it the 13th best Whitney Houston song out of forty.[52] In 2022,Billboard ranked the song the tenth best Houston song out of 25, writing "With an impressive musical range, epic key change and expertly deployed sax solo — again courtesy of Mr.Kenny G — it feels like a warmup round for hersignature hit cover to come a couple years later, but one that remains plenty stunning in its own right."[53]
The accompanying music video for "All the Man That I Need" was directed by Peter Israelson, who directed previous Houston music videos, such as "Greatest Love of All" (1986) and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" (1988).[54]
The video begins with Houston, donning a curly hairstyle, and wearing a blackturtleneck, with her initials "WH" embroidered on it, standing against a wall in a house. She then moves forward in the room, and sits on a chair, singing her lines looking into the camera. The video then switches into another room in the house with all white furniture, including a bed, wardrobe, andgrand piano, in which Houston sings. She then moves outside on the balcony, where it is raining. After that scene, she is now seen performing, accompanied by a children's choir, on a stage, in front of an audience at some sort of program. The video ends with Houston finishing the performance, with her outline shown online. The stage scenes were shot at theNewark Symphony Hall.[55]
The video has been viewed over 99 million times on YouTube.[56]
Houston performed the song on three of her regional and two world tours. She premiered the song in January 1990, during herFeels So Right Japan Tour, before the release ofI'm Your Baby Tonight. The song was performed in 1991 in theWelcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston concert, and is included on the concert film, taped inNorfolk, Virginia, on March 31, 1991.[57] This performance was also included in the 2014 CD/DVD release,Whitney Houston Live: Her Greatest Performances.[58]
The song was also performed on her third world tour,I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour. Two different performances of the song on this tour were taped in Yokohama,Japan, on March 15, 1991[59] and inA Coruña,Spain, on September 29, 1991.[60] The former was broadcast on Japanese TV channel. The latter was aired on Spanish TV channel, and in the United States, her first hourlong TV special, "Whitney Houston: This Is My Life," onABC TV, dated May 6, 1992.[61]
Two years later onThe Bodyguard World Tour (1993–94), she performed the song as a final part of "Love Medley," along with "I Love You," "All at Once," "Nobody Love Me Like You Do," "Didn't We Almost Have It All," and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go." Four different performances of the song were taped and broadcast on each country's TV channel during South American leg of the tour in 1994:Rio de Janeiro,Brazil, on January 16, duringHollywood Rock festival;Santiago,Chile on April 14;Buenos Aires,Argentina on April 16; andCaracas,Venezuela on April 21.[62][63][64] Houston also performed the song on two of her regional tours,The Pacific Rim Tour (1997) andThe European Tour (1998).
Besides her tour performances of the song, she performed the song on various TV shows and the concerts. On December 11, 1990, Houston appeared onThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (guest host:Jay Leno) and performed the song to accompaniment of her tour band.[65] She also performed the song atThe Arsenio Hall Show, andSaturday Night Live on February 23, 1991, which was her first appearance on the show. That was also the same day the song went to #1 in America on theBillboard Hot 100.[66]
"All the Man That I Need" was performed as a part of medley by Houston atthe 2nd Billboard Music Awards on December 9, 1991.[67] The medley consisted of twoBillie Holiday's classics―"Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)" and "My Man"―and the song. In 1996, she performed the song atBrunei: The Royal Wedding Celebration, a private gig for the wedding of Princess Rashidah, the eldest daughter of the Sultan ofBrunei,Hassanal Bolkiah.
In 1994,Luther Vandross (who made the arrangements of the original Linda Clifford version) included his own version, "All the Woman I Need" on his albumSongs. He performed the song at the2001 BET Awards, in honor of Houston.[68]
In 2017, singerDeborah Cox covered the song on her Houston tribute EP,I Will Always Love You.[69] In 2018, singer and actressHeather Headley recorded Houston's rendition of the song on her album,Broadway My Way.[69]
The song was sampled by rap artistLil B on his 2014 mixtapeUltimate Bitch on the track, "They Want B".[70]
"All the Man That I Need"[73]
| "Dancin' on the Smooth Edge"[73]
|
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
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| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[106] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
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