www.classicwhitney.com - Archive Newsfile

Billboard Chart Update...

The Billboard update for the week ending 8 February 2003:

JUST WHITNEY...:
The Billboard 200 - Down to No.51 (from No.48) - 7 weeks on chart;
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Down to No.15 (from No.9) - 7 weeks on chart.

ONE OF THOSE DAYS:
Billboard Hot 100 - Down to No.81 (from No.72) - 13 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks - Down to No.35 (from No.29) - 14 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay - Down to No.36 (from No.29) - 14 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales - Re-Entry at No.33 with bullet - 11 weeks on chart.

THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER:
Hot 100 Singles Sales - Remains at No.40 (2nd week) with bullet - 81 weeks on chart.

Interview...

Whitney Houston was interviewed today on New York's WBLS 107.5FM radio station by Wendy Williams and also on WKTU. The WBLS interview focused on Whitney's private life whilst the WKTU interview focused on the music.

NEWSFILE: 30 JANUARY 2003

Clive On Whitney...

From the December 13, 2002 issue of BRE magazine:

Speaking of his old prodigy, when asked his opinion of Diane Sawyer's ABC-TV's recent "Primetime" interview with Houston, Davis hesitates for a second, and then replies. Softly. "I am not objective enough to respond clearly...Whitney is family to me. She and I know that our bond is still there. I was emotional for her. She was candid in her admissions and it is painful to know what she has gone through. Having laryngitis at the time didn't help the presentation." He pauses. Then: "But I will tell you this. Aretha Franklin aside, Whitney is the greatest female singer on the planet. Period. She's going to reach deep down inside and prevail. Only she can do it for herself, but she can do it. I know she can." From one winner to another.

[Thanks Roemi]

NEWSFILE: 29 JANUARY 2003

New Single...

[From Platinum Club]

Whitney's New Single!

Whitney's next single released from her latest album Just Whitney will be "Try It On My Own." Click to view the announcement of the new single impacting on February 3!

[Click On Image To View Single Advertisment In Larger Scale]

BBC...

This Atlanta Journal-Constitution article reports that the BBC are working on am upcoming documentary titled 'Liquid Assets' about Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown.

NEWSFILE: 24 JANUARY 2003

Billboard Chart Update...

The Billboard update for the week ending 1 February 2003:

JUST WHITNEY...:
The Billboard 200 - Down to No.48 (from No.41) - 6 weeks on chart;
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Down to No.9 (from No.8) - 6 weeks on chart.

ONE OF THOSE DAYS:
Billboard Hot 100 - Up to No.72 (from No.75) - 12 weeks on chart;
Billboard Hot 100 Airplay - Up to No.72 (from No.75) - 3 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks - Up to No.29 (from No.31) - 13 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay - Up to No.29 (from No.31) - 13 weeks on chart.

THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER:
Hot 100 Singles Sales - Up to No.40 (from No.65) with bullet - 80 weeks on chart.

Best 22...

[From Platinum Club]

Vote For Whitney!
Vote for Whitney in MTV2's poll to rate the greatest 22 singers of the last 22 years as part of MTV2 Presents "22 Greatest: VOICES." Your votes will determine the winner - make sure that Whitney secures the number one spot that she deserves as the greatest voice in music of the last 22 years! Click here and cast your vote!

Not Wetten Dass...

Whitney was confirmed to appear at "Wetten Dass" by Claudia Covino, who works for the show. However, Whitney cancelled her appearance yesterday.

In the meantime rumours suggest that Whitney will appear and perform in Germany around that period. The German music channel, VIVA, is attempting to secure an interview.

[Thanks Manuel]

Thunderpuss...

The Thunderpuss 'Try It On My Own' double pack 12" vinyl (US 82876-50538-1 5) features the following track listing:

A1. Thunderpuss Club Anthem Mix 10:09
B1. Tribe-A-Pella 7:58
C1. Thunderpuss Private Invite Mix 8:20
D1. ThunderDUB 7:48

[Thanks Margaret G.]

Letter Writer...

According to the BMI Website, Whitney Houston is one of the listed songwriters of 'Dear John Letter'.

[Thanks Rui]

NEWSFILE: 23 JANUARY 2003

Airplay...

'One Of Those Days' is at No.1 on airplay Urban AC Chart with almost 15 millions of audience with increases in spins.

Yesterday...

According to Russian TV show 'Public People' (TVS Channel), Whitney will sing 'Yesterday' at the Beatles tribute concert on March, 1 at Madison Square Garden.

[Thanks Igor]

Brazil...

Top 20 Videos from channel Multishow
Week ending on 25th January

Whatchulookinat
Brazilian Top 20 Videos - Up to No 5 (from No 15) - 6 weeks on chart

[Thanks Gabriel A.]

NEWSFILE: 18 JANUARY 2003

Billboard Chart Update...

The Billboard update for the week ending 25 January 2003:

JUST WHITNEY...:
The Billboard 200 - Remains at No.41 (2nd week) - 5 weeks on chart;
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Remains at No.8 (2nd week) - 5 weeks on chart.

ONE OF THOSE DAYS:
Billboard Hot 100 - Up to No.75 (from No.76) - 11 weeks on chart;
Billboard Hot 100 Airplay - Down to No.75 (from No.74) - 2 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks - Up to No.31 (from No.32) - 12 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay - Remains at No.31 (2nd week) - 12 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Sales - Up to No.56 (from No.71) with bullet - 10 weeks on chart.

THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER:
Hot 100 Singles Sales - Down to No.65 (from No.53) - 79 weeks on chart.

Platinum...

'Just Whitney...' has been certified Platinum by the RIAA for US shipment of one million copies.

Warrant...

Associated Press: Bench Warrant Issued For Bobby Brown.

NEWSFILE: 16 JANUARY 2003

EW...

Two not-so-hot Whitney mentions in the latest Entertainment Weekly magazine:

LOSER
HOLLOW-BODIED FEMALE SINGERS

It wasn't a swell year for the alumnae of VH1 Divas, even before Diana Ross' DUI. The press machinery touted decent first-week figures for do-or-die comebacks from Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston but went silent when both duds tumbled from the top 20 one (Whitney) to three (Mariah) weeks later. If the reported $100 million-plus deal Arista signed Houston to in 2001 was for real, hers may be the costliest flameout since EMI gave Carey a $28 million buyout to settle her $80 million contract last January.

LOSER
FOLKS' IMPLOSION

"He's mean, racist, and very, very, very devilish"... But why harp on Michael Jackson, the Self-Immolator of the Millennium, when we can relish fresher career meltdowns from Whitney Houston, R. Kelly, Axle Rose, and Christina "Venereality TV" Aguilera? Music news thrived, even if music didn't. Forget devising an online service that jaded collegiates will pay for; what the industry really needs to bottle and sell is schadenfreude.

[Thanks Alonzo]

NEWSFILE: 13 JANUARY 2003

Bad Year...

[From Dotmusic]

From James Masterson's chart commentary:

13 I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY (Flip & Fill)

Now don't say I didn't warn you. At some point the market for cheesy house covers of 80s pop songs has to collapse but until then we appear to be stuck with them. I Want To Dance With Somebody was of course originally recorded by Whitney Houston and topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic in 1987. It is one of the all time greatest pop records and a genuine high water mark in Whitney's career. This new version from Flip & Fill is of course none of these things and is of course as pointless as Pascal's version of I Think We're Alone now which charted prior to Christmas. The only other fun point of note is that the singer on this track is Jo James who was the singer on the original version of Shooting Star - that song of course being covered by Flip & Fill last year with Karen Parry as the singer, who was of course the singer on Pascal's I Think We're Alone Now. Excuse me, I need to lie down for a moment.

NEWSFILE: 12 JANUARY 2003

Chartbeat Q&A...

[From Billboard]

WE CAN 'WORK IT' OUT

Dear Fred,

This week Missy Elliott hits 10 consecutive weeks at No. 2 with "Work It." I cannot recall another No. 2 run this long since Foreigner's "Waiting for a Girl Like You" in 1981-82. Is this a record or if not, what's the longest consecutive No. 2 run (without hitting No. 1) in Hot 100 history?

Secondly, I've been reading the comments about your chart history compilation. I fully understand and support your methodology for ranking the hits based on chart performance. There's really no other objective way of doing it. What must be taken into account to a certain extent are the changes that took place in the methodology for compiling the Hot 100 -- particularly the 1991 change from radio playlists/retail sales reports to Broadcast Data Systems (BDS)/SoundScan data. Immediately, the chart life of records was greatly prolonged simply because under the old system, radio stations would move songs down and off their "playlists" though they were still playing them heavily.

In the 1980s it was very unusual for a song to spend more than 20 weeks on the Hot 100 much less the 30 or 40 weeks that can happen today. As a result pre-BDS/SoundScan music is at a considerable disadvantage in an all-time compilation. It is quite possible that had the current methodology been in place in the '70s and '80s, your chart would look very different!

So we have to accept your compilation for what it is: an honest, objective representation of Hot 100 history based on chart rankings. There is no way to get past the influence of the incompatible Hot 100 methodologies in an accurate and objective way! So kudos to you and those who assisted you for all that hard work! Please keep it up.

Sincerely,

Paul Cadogan
Kingston, Jamaica

Dear Paul,

You are correct. Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott has tied the record for the longest-running No. 2 hit in the rock era. "Work It" is in its 10th consecutive week in second place, which matches the number of weeks that Foreigner's "Waiting for a Girl Like You" spent in the runner-up spot.

Details appear in the "Chart Beat" column in the Jan. 18 print issue of Billboard (accessible online to magazine subscribers and premium Billboard.com members), including the fact that "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" by Whitney Houston spent 11 weeks at No. 2, but only after spending its first week on the Hot 100 at No. 1.

If "Work It" is No. 2 next week, Elliott will surpass Foreigner's record and have the longest-running No. 2 song of all time, all by herself.

Thanks for your comments on "Hottest Hot." This really is the last letter on the topic I'm going to run until the book is out and people can react to the entire book, not just one fragment of one chart. But this is a good time to point out one more fact -- there is something consistent about the Hot 100 over the years. Every week, one song comes out on top. Every week, one song is in second place. Every week, one song is No. 100. No matter what methodology is in place, the chart measures the 100 most popular songs in the country. That will be so in the future when the chart might only be based on downloads or some form of delivery to the consumer that we can't even imagine. And that's why, if I'm still able and willing, I'll still be compiling a list of the top 5,000 songs of the rock era.

[Thanks Curtis]

NEWSFILE: 11 JANUARY 2003

More Platinum...

Whitney Houston's 1998 album, 'My Love Is Your Love', was certified four times platinum by the IFPI for European sales in excess of four million copies.

[Thanks Jeffery]

R&B...

This French 'R&B' magazine features eight pages dedicated to Whitney Houston.

The associated article discusses Whitney's relationship with her husband and is partially transcribed from the Diane Sawyer Primetime interview.

The article also features several full page photographs of Whitney.

Release...

'One Of Those Days' has a tentative UK release date of 31 March 2003.

[Thanks Jeffrey]

Next Up...

'Try It On My Own' is up for radio adds in the US from 18 February 2003. As previously reported, the song has been remixed by Thunderpuss.

Brazil...

Top 20 Videos from channel Multishow
Week ending on 19th January

Whatchulookinat
Brazilian Top 20 Videos - Down to No 15 (from No 4) - 5 weeks on chart

[Thanks Grabriel A.]

NEWSFILE: 10 JANUARY 2003

Billboard Chart Update...

The Billboard update for the week ending 18 January 2003:

JUST WHITNEY...:
The Billboard 200 - Down to No.41 (from No.36) - 4 weeks on chart;
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Up to No.8 (from No.9) - 4 weeks on chart.

ONE OF THOSE DAYS:
Billboard Hot 100 - Up to No.76 (from No.85) with bullet - 10 weeks on chart;
Billboard Hot 100 Airplay - New Entry at No.74 with bullet - 1 week on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks - Up to No.32 (from No.34) w/bullet-11 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay - Up to No.31 (from No.33) with bullet - 11 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Sales - Down to No.71 (from No.48) - 9 weeks on chart.

THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER:
Hot 100 Singles Sales - Down to No.53 (from No.51) - 78 weeks on chart.

Super Bowl?...

This Fox 411 column speculates today on a possible performance by Whitney Houston at this year's Super Bowl on 26 January 2003.

[Thanks Alonzo]

Early Interest...

'Try It On My Own' is ranked No.28 on Kiss 108 (Boston)'s Playlist.

NEWSFILE: 9 JANUARY 2003

First Play...

The Whitney/Nelly remix of 'One Of Those Days' aired on Capital Radio (London) for the first time tonight.

[Thanks Adam]

Brazil...

Top 20 Videos from channel Multishow
Week ending on 11th January

Whatchulookinat
Brazilian Top 20 Videos - Down to No 4 (from No 3) - 4 weeks on chart

[Thanks Gabriel A.]

NEWSFILE: 5 JANUARY 2003

Billboard Chart Update...

The Billboard update for the week ending 11 January 2003:

JUST WHITNEY...:
The Billboard 200 - Down to No.36 (from No.30) - 3 weeks on chart;
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Down to No.9 (from No.6) - 3 weeks on chart.

ONE OF THOSE DAYS:
The Billboard Hot 100 - Down to No.85 (from No.80) - 9 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks - Down to No.34 (from No.32) - 10 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay - Down to No.33 (from No.32) - 10 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Sales - Up to No.48 (from No.50) - 8 weeks on chart.

THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER:
Hot 100 Singles Sales - Down to No.51 (from No.32) - 77 weeks on chart.

Soundscan Greatest...

This Launch.com report lists Whitney Houston's 'The Bodyguard' as one of the Top 5 Soundscan era albums with scanned sales of 11.7m.

[Thanks Margaret G.]

Round Up...

[From USA Today]

Whitney receives two mentions in USA Today's round up of 2002:

Music News & Views
by Edna Gundersen
The Worst
9. Whitney Houston, Just Whitney. Another gorgeous voice that runs away at the mouth about the hardships of celebrity. Full-bodied vocals wasted in cheap whines.

R&B Music News & Views
by Steve Jones
The Worst
7. Whitney Houston, Just Whitney. Perhaps her most soulful album but she wastes too much of it complaining and doesn't spend enough time entertaining.

[Thanks Alonzo]

NEWSFILE: 2 JANUARY 2003