All the Man That I Need explained

All the Man I Need
Type:song
Artist:Linda Clifford
Album:I'll Keep on Loving You
Written:c. 1981
Recorded:c. 1981
Length:4:11
All the Man That I Need
Cover:Whitney Houston - All the Man That I Need.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Whitney Houston
Album:I'm Your Baby Tonight
B-Side:Dancin' on the Smooth Edge
Released:December 4, 1990
Recorded:November–December 1989
Label:Arista
Producer:Narada Michael Walden
Prev Title:I'm Your Baby Tonight
Prev Year:1990
Next Title:The Star Spangled Banner
Next Year:1991

"All the Man That I Need" is a song written by Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore. The song was first recorded as "All the Man I Need" by Linda Clifford for her album I'll Keep on Loving You (1982). In 1990, American singer Whitney Houston had a number-one multiple chart hit with this song, recorded as "All the Man That I Need", from her third album, I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990).

Houston's version was released as the album's second single on December 4, 1990 by Arista Records. Her version featured production from Narada Michael Walden and the single became a major worldwide hit, received mainly positive reviews from music critics, and reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100; it remains her fourth biggest-hit in that chart.[1]

Background

"All the Man That I Need" was originally written in 1981, by Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore. They had Linda Clifford in mind when they wrote the song, having written the song "Red Light" from Fame for her in 1980. Clifford recorded her version of the song, "All the Man I Need," for her 1982 album I'll Keep on Loving You. She released it as a single, but it failed to chart.

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. During a dinner with Arista Records' president Clive Davis, the song came up and Davis asked Pitchford to send him a demo. Davis had just finished working with Whitney Houston as the executive producer of her second album, Whitney (1987).

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. Houston eventually recorded it for the album I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990).

Composition

"All the Man That I Need" is an R&B song with gospel influences. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Music Publishing, the song is written in the key of F minor with a key change to the key of F-sharp minor.[2] The beat is set in common time, and moves at a slow tempo of 76 beats per minute.[2] It has the sequence of Bm–Fm–E–E/D–D–Cm7 as its chord progression.[2] Houston's vocals in the song span from the note of C4 to the note of A5, while the piano elements range from the note of B1 to the high note of F5 .[2] Stephen Holden of The New York Times, wrote that the song was an "expression of sexual hero worship." The song also features a saxophone solo by American recording artist Kenny G.[3]

Chart performance

Released in December 1990, "All the Man That I Need" entered the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart at number 53, the issue dated December 22, 1990.[4] Ten weeks later, on the issue dated February 23, 1991, it ascended to the top of the chart, becoming Houston's ninth number-one on the chart.[5] It stayed atop the chart for two weeks.[6] It also topped the Hot 100 Singles Sales and Hot 100 Airplay charts, her first song to achieve this feat since "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" in 1988. 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."[1] The song made Houston the first female artist to launch multiple number one singles off three or more albums and made her the first and only artist to launch multiple number one singles off their first three albums. The single entered the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (formerly Hot R&B Singles) at number 58, the same week it debuted on the Hot 100.[7] 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.[8] 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 and Hot Adult Contemporary charts, respectively.[9] As a result, it became her first single topped simultaneously all of three different Billboard 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 of three charts in separate weeks.[10] The song maintained the top position of the Adult Contemporary chart for four weeks, her second-longest stay on the chart.[11] It was ranked number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 Year-End chart for 1991.[12] The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 copies or more on March 21, 1991.[13] In Canada, the song debuted at 90 on the RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks chart.[14] Seven weeks later, it peaked at number one on the chart and stayed there for a week.[15]

Internationally, the song experienced some success. It went to number-one in Canada. It entered the UK 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.[16] [17] According to The Official Charts Company, the single has sold 120,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[18] It also reached number 16 in Ireland,[19] 11 in Netherlands,[20] 21 in Austria,[21] and 28 in France.[22] The song also peaked at number 37 in Germany,[23] 36 in New Zealand,[24] and 28 in Switzerland.[25]

Awards

"All the Man That I Need" was nominated for "Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female," Houston's fifth nomination for the category, at the 34th Grammy Awards on February 26, 1992.[26] The song was also nominated for "Best R&B/Soul Single, Female" at the 6th Soul Train Music Awards on March 10, 1992.[27]

Critical reception

"All the Man That I Need" garnered mainly positive reviews from music critics. Larry Flick from Billboard complimented it as a "shimmering jazz-and gospel-inflected ballad", and stated that it "fully demonstrates Houston's vocal beauty".[28] Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune was also positive in his review, writing that through the song, Houston was providing "soundtrack to a million love affairs."[29] A reviewer from Melody 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."[30] Pan-European magazine Music & Media declared the song as a "staggering gospel-tinged ballad with an overwhelming build-up in the chorus."[31] A reviewer from Music Week commented, "Another sterling performance from Whitney, on a slightly sub-standard song. Nevertheless, a high chart placing seems inevitable."[32] 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."[33] People Magazines editor described it as "an effective, down-tempo change of pace".[34] James Hunter from Rolling Stone called it "an outsize ballad about poverty and damaged self-regard, so expertly that the song, with its effective whiff of Spanish guitar, stages undeniable pop drama."[35]

Retrospective response

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 prominent gospel choir in the final chorus."[36] In an 2020 retrospective review, Matthew Hocter from Albumism described it as "a power ballad bringing some serious drama".[37] 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 love being enough to provide happiness in [the song]."[38]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "All the Man That I Need" was directed by Peter Israelson.[39] The video begins with Houston, donning a curly hairstyle, and wearing a black turtleneck, 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, and grand 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.

Live performances

Houston performed the song on three of her regional and two world tours. She premiered the song in January 1990, during her Feels So Right Japan Tour, before the release of I'm Your Baby Tonight. The song was performed in 1991 in the Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston concert, and is included on the concert film, taped in Norfolk, Virginia, on March 31, 1991.[40] This performance was also included in the 2014 CD/DVD release, .[41]

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[42] and in A Coruña, Spain, on September 29, 1991.[43] 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," on ABC TV, dated May 6, 1992.[44]

Two years later on The 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, during Hollywood Rock festival; Santiago, Chile on April 14; Buenos Aires, Argentina on April 16; and Caracas, Venezuela on April 21.[45] [46] [47] Houston also performed the song on two of her regional tours, The Pacific Rim Tour (1997) and The 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 on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (guest host: Jay Leno) and performed the song to accompaniment of her tour band.[48] She also performed the song at The Arsenio Hall Show, and Saturday Night Live on February 23, 1991, which was her first appearance on the show.[49]

"All the Man That I Need" was performed as a part of medley by Houston at the 2nd Billboard Music Awards on December 9, 1991.[50] The medley consisted of two Billie Holiday's classics―"Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)" and "My Man"―and the song. In 1996, she performed the song at Brunei: The Royal Wedding Celebration, a private gig for the wedding of Princess Rashidah, the eldest daughter of the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah.

Covers

In 1982, the American musical group Sister Sledge recorded another version of the song as "All the Man I Need" as a duet with the singer David Simmons, on the Sister Sledge album 'The Sisters' (1982). Their version failed to make a large impact on the Billboard Hot 100, but reached a moderate peak of number forty-five on the Billboards Hot R&B Singles chart.[51] [52]

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 album Songs. He performed the song at the 2001 BET Awards, in honor of Houston.[53]

Track listing and formats

GER Maxi-Single[54]
  1. "All the Man That I Need" — 4:11
  2. "Dancin' on the Smooth Edge" — 5:50
  3. "Greatest Love of All (Live) — 7:30
US CD-Single[55]
  1. "All the Man That I Need" — 4:11

Credits and personnel

"All the Man That I Need"[56]

"Dancin' on the Smooth Edge"[56]

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (1991)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[57] 59
Canada Retail Singles (The Record)[58] 2
Canada Contemporary Hit Radio (The Record)3
Cuba (UPI)[59] 1
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[60] 17
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn)[61] 2
Poland (LP3)[62] 2
US Cash Box Top 100[63] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1991)Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[65] 26
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[66] 5
Europe (European Hit Radio)[67] 28
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[68] 16
US Adult Contemporary Singles (Billboard)[69] 3
US Top R&B Singles (Billboard)[70] 18
US Cash Box Top 100[71] 6

Certifications

See also

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Whitney Houston's Biggest Billboard Hits: A Look at Her Legendary Chart Career. . 8 May 2021.
  2. Web site: Whitney Houston – All the Man That I Need Sheet Music (Digital Download). Musicnotes.com. Alfred Music Publishing. 2011-01-23.
  3. Web site: All the Man That I Need – American Idol Season 7 – The Songs. About.com. Lamb, Bill. February 3, 2011. June 23, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110623032652/http://top40.about.com/od/songprofiles/a/aisongsalman.htm. dead.
  4. The Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart listing for the week of December 22, 1991 . . December 22, 1991 . February 3, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110202215225/http://www.billboard.com/. 2 February 2011 . live.
  5. The Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart listing for the week of February 23, 1991 . . February 23, 1991 . February 3, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110202215225/http://www.billboard.com/. 2 February 2011 . live.
  6. The Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart listing for the Week of March 2, 1991 . . March 2, 1991 . February 3, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110202215225/http://www.billboard.com/. 2 February 2011 . live.
  7. The Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart listing for the week of December 22, 1991 . . December 22, 1991 . February 3, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110202215225/http://www.billboard.com/. 2 February 2011 . live.
  8. The Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart listing for the week of March 2, 1991 . . March 2, 1991 . February 3, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110202215225/http://www.billboard.com/. 2 February 2011 . live.
  9. The Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart listing for the week of March 2, 1991 . . March 2, 1991 . February 3, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110202215225/http://www.billboard.com/. 2 February 2011 . live.
  10. News: Jan . DeKnock . A Red-hot Triple For Whitney Houston . . March 1, 1991 . February 3, 2011.
  11. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 263.
  12. Web site: The Billboard Hot 100 Year-End chart for 1991 . February 3, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090707155835/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1991 . July 7, 2009 .
  13. Web site: RIAA certification for "All the Man That I Need" single . . March 21, 1991 . February 3, 2011.
  14. RPM Top Singles – Volume 53, No. 7, January 19, 1991 . . January 19, 1991 . February 3, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110920085233/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.1417&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=ccntousk30frf6h4jsn237nm12 . September 20, 2011 . dead . mdy-all .
  15. RPM Top Singles – Volume 53, No. 13, March 2, 1991 . . March 2, 1991 . February 3, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121021110457/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.1455&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=ccntousk30frf6h4jsn237nm12 . 2012-10-21 . dead .
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  17. Web site: Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive: the week ending date January 19, 1991 . . January 19, 1991 . February 3, 2011 .
  18. Web site: The Official UK Countdowns – Whitney Houston Official Top 20 . MTV Networks . February 3, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111016094046/http://www.mtv.co.uk/music/charts/official-uk-countdowns/whitney-houston-official-top-20 . October 16, 2011 . Wayback Machine.
  19. Web site: Irish Singles Charts database . irishcharts.ie . February 3, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060630122742/http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement . June 30, 2006 .
  20. Web site: "All the Man That I Need" performances on the Dutch Singles Chart . January 26, 1991 . February 3, 2011.
  21. Web site: "All the Man That I Need" performances on the Austrian Singles Chart . March 3, 1991 . February 3, 2011.
  22. Web site: "All the Man That I Need" performances on the French Singles Chart . May 11, 1991 . February 3, 2011.
  23. Web site: "All the Man The I Need" performances on the German Media Control Top 100 Singles Chart . . February 11, 1991 . February 3, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121011154009/http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/title/HOUSTON,+WHITNEY/All+The+Man+That+I+Need/single . 2012-10-11 . dead .
  24. Web site: "All the Man That I Need" performances on the New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart . March 10, 1991 . February 3, 2011.
  25. Web site: "All the Man That I Need" performances on the Swiss Singles Chart . March 17, 1991 . February 3, 2011.
  26. Web site: 1992 The 34th Grammy Awards Winners & Nominees . rockonthenet.com . February 25, 1992 . June 29, 2010.
  27. News: Dennis . Hunt . Year of the Newcomer at Soul Train, Pop music: Color Me Badd, Jodeci and Lisa Fischer sweep key awards during the sixth annual R&B/soul awards competition . . March 12, 1992 . June 29, 2010.
  28. Larry. Flick. Single Reviews. Billboard. December 15, 1990. February 16, 2020. 71. Larry Flick.
  29. News: Houston's Latest Is The Same Old Song. Kot, Greg. November 8, 1990. Chicago Tribune. February 3, 2011. Greg Kot.
  30. The Stud Brothers. Melody Maker. Singles. December 15, 1990. February 24, 2023.
  31. Web site: New Releases: Singles. Music & Media. January 12, 1991. 13. February 19, 2020.
  32. Mainstream: Singles . . December 8, 1990 . 12 . November 2, 2020 .
  33. News: Recordings View; America's Official Voice of Champions. The New York Times. November 11, 1990. Holden, Stephen. February 3, 2011. Stephen Holden.
  34. Picks and Pans Review: I'm Your Baby Tonight . . December 10, 1990 . November 13, 2020.
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  43. Web site: "All the Man That I Need" live performance in A Coruña, Spain in 1991 . . March 21, 2008 . March 6, 2011.
  44. News: Ann . Trebbe . Feeling like A princess, Whitney Houston's new life . . May 5, 1992 . January 19, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20101214093335/http://classicwhitney.com/interview/usatoday_may1992.htm. 14 December 2010 . live.
  45. Web site: Love song medley live performance in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1994 . . December 20, 2009 . March 6, 2011.
  46. Web site: Love song medley live performance in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1994 . . July 1, 2009 . March 6, 2011.
  47. Web site: Love song medley live performance in Santiago, Chile in 1994 . . November 30, 2010 . March 6, 2011.
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  49. Web site: Saturday Night Live Episode dated 23 February 1991 (Alec Baldwin/Whitney Houston) . . February 23, 1991 . January 19, 2011.
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  55. All the Man That I Need . . 1990 . US CD Single liner notes . United States. . ASCD-2156.
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  63. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 Singles, March 2, 1991. Tropicalglen.com. 8 May 2021.
  64. Web site: South Korea Gaon International Chart (Week: February 12, 2012 to February 18, 2012) . . January 5, 2013 . January 5, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121219094524/http://www.gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/online/download/list.gaon . December 19, 2012 .
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  66. Web site: RPM 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1991. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. April 12, 2019.
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