Greatest Love of All
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Greatest Love of All is a 1977 song by George Benson written by Michael Masser and Linda Creed . In the version of Whitney Houston it got a bigger hit in the spring of 1986.
history
The song, which was produced by Michael Masser , is the re-recording of the 1977 ballad by George Benson. The latter, in contrast to the cover version by Whitney Houston, was a moderate success.
In 1977 Linda Creed and Masser wrote the song for Muhammad Ali's biopic I Am the Greatest . The title sung by George Benson can be heard in the opening credits of the film. In the lyrics she processed her fight against breast cancer. Just before Whitney Houston's version hit the top of the US charts, Linda Creed succumbed to the disease at the age of 36.
Greatest Love of All was released worldwide on March 14, 1986. It became a number one hit in the US , Canada and Australia . In addition to its success on the Billboard Hot 100 , the song also made it to the top of the AC charts. The song stayed at number 1 on the US charts for three weeks, making it Houston's second-longest chart success after I Will Always Love You . It was also her third consecutive number one, making Houston the first female artist to reach number one with three singles from an album. For Greatest Love of All , Whitney Houston received an American Music Award and was nominated for a Grammy for Record of the Year .
The 4:52 minute long song was released as the fifth single from Houston's debut album Whitney Houston . This album and with it the single were created in New York's Sigma Sound Studios . On the B-side is the piece Thinking About You . Originally, Clive Davis , founder and president of Houston's record label Arista Records and executive producer of the album, was against the re-recording of the song, but could be changed by Houston and Masser. Greatest Love of All was initially only released as the b-side of Houston's first single, You Give Good Love , which peaked at # 3 on the US charts. After the song finally appeared again as the sixth and final single of their debut album, it became the album's biggest chart success.
So far this song has been recorded and released by a total of twelve singers, including Shirley Bassey .
Music video
The music video was directed by Peter Israelson and shot at the Apollo Theater , Harlem , New York City . Among other things, Houston's mother Cissy Houston also plays in the clip. In the plot of the video, she sings the song in front of an audience and remembers winning a talent competition as a child.
Cover versions
- 1977: Mandrill (instrumental version alongside Benson's version on "The Greatest", the soundtrack album for the biography of Muhammad Ali)
- 1978: Shirley Bassey
- 1980: Jane Olivor
- 1987: Pharoah Sanders
- 1991: Art Ferrante (instrumental version)
- 1999: Kevin Rowland
- 2000: Dionyza Sutton
- 2001: Keiko Lee
- 2004: Natalie Grant
- 2006: Andy Abraham
Web links
- Official video of Whitney Huston's version on YouTube , accessed October 4, 2019.