USA Today...

Houston delivers a rousing collection of hits

By Steve Jones, USA TODAY

Whitney Houston marks her 15 years as a pop star with a multimedia celebration of her biggest songs that includes new duets with Enrique Iglesias, Deborah Cox, Q-Tip and George Michael.

The 36-song double album, Whitney - The Greatest Hits, arrives in stores May 16, the same day as a companion DVD and video collection. Whitney - The Unreleased Mixes, a four-record vinyl limited-edition box set featuring club versions of her uptempo hits by such dance remixers as Junior Vasquez, David Morales, Jellybean, Hex Hector, and Clivilles and Cole, came out Tuesday.

"Whitney is unique in being able to touch your heart one moment and then drive you with a frenzy to the dance floor the next," Arista president Clive Davis says.

With those goals in mind, the greatest-hits album is divided into a "Cool Down" disc - ballads in their original forms - and a "Throw Down" disc of uptempo hits and club remixes. Included are such rarities as One Moment in Time, the '88 Summer Olympics theme; The Star-Spangled Banner, sung at '91's Super Bowl XXV; and If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful, a duet that appeared only on Jermaine Jackson's '86 album, Precious Moments.

The companion sets include videos and live performances of 21 of Houston's songs. The interactive DVD includes lyrics and links to her first TV performance in 1985 on The Merv Griffin Show, award-show appearances and interviews with Houston and co-producer Davis.

Houston will next be seen May 15 on NBC on 25 Years of #1 Hits: Arista's Anniversary Celebration. There are no plans for a tour, but other TV appearances are in the works.

NEWSFILE: 28 APRIL 2000