First Listen: Long vaulted Whitney Houston song released
Written by crackersradio on 08/11/2024
(November 8, 2024) Fans of the late, great singer Whitney Houston have been anxiously awaiting the release of her first live album, Whitney Houston: The Concert for a New South Africa (Durban), which arrives today in stores and online. And perhaps most anticipated is the release of a long lost Houston studio track written by another legend, Carvin Winans of the gospel group The Winans.
Houston and the Winans family had a long and close relationship (you may remember Whitney’s duet with CeCe Winans, “Count On Me“), and she met Carvin after a 1986 concert in Detroit. He went on to write the song “Love Is,” and played it for Houston, who immediately loved it and asked him to save it for her. He did, and she recorded it in September 1990 (the I’m Your Baby Tonight sessions).
The song was never issued, but after Whitney’s passing, Carvin agreed to remix the song for the live album release, as a way of paying tribute to his friend: He said, “‘Love Is’ talks about how strong love can be if we put it into action, and no one brings that message across more convincingly than the greatest female singer to ever live, Whitney Houston.”
“Love Is” is a tasty addition to a solid album that otherwise features live versions of some of Houston’s early hits, and it will be treasured by her millions of fans around the world. Check out the 2024 remix of “Love Is” below.
