70 replies to this topic

[salute88]

Every1lovesNippy, on 20 April 2012 - 11:14 PM, said:

salute88, on 20 April 2012 - 09:50 PM, said:

btr2lethingsbe, on 20 April 2012 - 07:57 PM, said:

...and if you're not convinced, fast forward right to 2:05 and tell me that this doesn't strike a nerve. She's not Whitney...no one will be....but I would pay to hear her sing some of these songs live....

No shade intended but, my nerve remains un-struck. She has a nice voice. I actually think that there are singers who TECHNICALLY can sing as good, if not better than Whitney. The problem is that they may sing good or better but they will NEVER sound as good or better because Whitney's definitive characteristic to her voice wasn't the range, technique, etc. It was the TONE. That tone could tell some tales! Thats why even after the voice could no longer soar as high and the technicalities of the song began to fade...no one could sing any of her songs like her. That tone would hit that mic and you felt what she was singing. Hearing this woman at 2:05 is a perfect example of that. She sounds good and technically she is on point but her tone is not and will never be Whitney's. JMO.

Salute, you are very kind. I don't see how anyone with ears could think of comparing this woman with Whitney. She's pitchy in her lower register, cannot hold the note at all, and just loud, with no texture or emotion at the climax. Made my head ache. It's a nice tribute from a nice amature whose heart is in the right place.

[salute88]

ultimatej, on 20 April 2012 - 11:15 PM, said:

tms78, on 20 April 2012 - 09:27 PM, said:

it's already been done. Shirley Murdoch recorded "I Will Always Love You" right after Whitney did.http://www.dailymoti...ways-love_music

Lakisha Jones covered "You Give Good Love" in 2009

Maybe I should have been more clear. By "anyone" I meant a major recording artist. I never even heard of a Lakisha Jones. And by "cover" I meant as in releasing it as a new song, not a televised performance mimicking Whitney's recording.

When Whitney "covered" someone song she usu did so in a studio and released their song as a single in which she topped their sales. Who's up for the challenge? lol Bey? Rih? Gaga?

[Every1lovesNippy]

salute88, on 21 April 2012 - 01:00 AM, said:

ultimatej, on 20 April 2012 - 11:15 PM, said:

tms78, on 20 April 2012 - 09:27 PM, said:

it's already been done. Shirley Murdoch recorded "I Will Always Love You" right after Whitney did.http://www.dailymoti...ways-love_music

Lakisha Jones covered "You Give Good Love" in 2009

Maybe I should have been more clear. By "anyone" I meant a major recording artist. I never even heard of a Lakisha Jones. And by "cover" I meant as in releasing it as a new song, not a televised performance mimicking Whitney's recording.

When Whitney "covered" someone song she usu did so in a studio and released their song as a single in which she topped their sales. Who's up for the challenge? lol Bey? Rih? Gaga?

I would buy those covers, just for the amusement of it all. I've been down since Whitney left, so anything for a good laugh. Bey? Rih? Gaga? Adele? Even Aretha. Bring it. If you dare.

[Every1lovesNippy]

BTW, who are Lakisha Jones and Shirley Murdoch? Are they Irish?

[Kevin]

btr2lethingsbe, on 20 April 2012 - 07:57 PM, said:

...and if you're not convinced, fast forward right to 2:05 and tell me that this doesn't strike a nerve. She's not Whitney...no one will be....but I would pay to hear her sing some of these songs live....

I definitely know what you mean. I have the ear to know if someone can sing or not. Some singers may be able to hit higher notes but no one can attack the notes like Whitney. Whitney had the ability to have full control in full chest voice and head voice - which is why Whitney is magic to the ears. Most singers fail to have that ability.

This girl can definitely sing. I'm not saying she did Whitney justice, but this is one of the best IWALY covers I've seen, personally.

And I'm sorry. Leona, Jennifer or Christina can not sing IWALY like this girl here.

Edited by Kevin, 21 April 2012 - 03:46 AM.

[remamamama]

I would never want anyone to cover a Whitney song because most of Whitney's most well known songs are classics which shouldn't be remade. Unless they try to add something new to it or they cover a less well known Whitney song, then yes. I can never imagine anyone singing IWALY, GLOA, RTY or SAMLFY and putting it on an album.

I think one reason why Whitney never covered an Aretha song (except Look Into Your Heart, but that too was a "tribute" and not a cover on her studio album) was out of respect and love for Aretha. She covered Chaka, George Benson, Donny Hathaway, but never Aretha. But she sang Aretha's songs in her concerts in tribute to her hundreds and thousands of times. Imagine Whitney covered Aretha's song at her prime...even after her prime, she would still make it her own. Imagine her singing I Never Loved A Man or Do Right Woman and include it on TBG soundtrack. Or record Respect and Ain't No Way. If she turned Chaka's signature song into her own, she could do the same with Aretha. And Aretha's gonna be so damn mad LOL.

I don't think any major recording artist today has the pipes or the guts to cover a Whitney song. Maybe J Hud if Clive forces her to and I can totally see that happen. They are already selling her version of IWALY on iTunes. SMH. Rihanna can rap a few lines from MLIYL in You Da One. That's pretty much it. LOL

[Every1lovesNippy]

remamamama, on 21 April 2012 - 04:56 AM, said:

I would never want anyone to cover a Whitney song because most of Whitney's most well known songs are classics which shouldn't be remade. Unless they try to add something new to it or they cover a less well known Whitney song, then yes. I can never imagine anyone singing IWALY, GLOA, RTY or SAMLFY and putting it on an album.

I think one reason why Whitney never covered an Aretha song (except Look Into Your Heart, but that too was a "tribute" and not a cover on her studio album) was out of respect and love for Aretha. She covered Chaka, George Benson, Donny Hathaway, but never Aretha. But she sang Aretha's songs in her concerts in tribute to her hundreds and thousands of times. Imagine Whitney covered Aretha's song at her prime...even after her prime, she would still make it her own. Imagine her singing I Never Loved A Man or Do Right Woman and include it on TBG soundtrack. Or record Respect and Ain't No Way. If she turned Chaka's signature song into her own, she could do the same with Aretha. And Aretha's gonna be so damn mad LOL.

I don't think any major recording artist today has the pipes or the guts to cover a Whitney song. Maybe J Hud if Clive forces her to and I can totally see that happen. They are already selling her version of IWALY on iTunes. SMH. Rihanna can rap a few lines from MLIYL in You Da One. That's pretty much it. LOL

I agree. Whitney did not cover Aretha to avoid Aretha's nose getting all out of joint. It would have shown Aretha up and she would not have been able to handle it. Whitney's voice is just much more beautiful than Aretha's, and so was her spirit. Aretha is so jealous of Whitney that Whitney would have driven her insane if she had covered her songs on an album. Chaka is more honest and confident than Aretha, so Chaka was able to feel Whitney's love for her music and appreciate the compliment.

As for JHud, at the rate she is going, the only way JHud's ever going to have a huge hit is to ride on Whitney's work. That's where Clive has been positioning her from day 1. Clive's pushing out these game-show contestants who have modest levels of talent, but no real music experience or training (in most cases); throwing in some studio tricks, and trying to call 'em stars. It just makes it hard to develop as a singer since a new game show winner comes every year, so unless you take off immediately, the record label is splitting their time between you and all the rest of the "winners." Look at JHud, not only are there others after her who are pretty much the same, but they even have the same name, "Jennifer" (lol).

Clive is pushing JHud, but his mistake has been in stepping all over Whitney's work and legacy. JHud is not Whitney, she is not close, in all honesty, so she looks bad in the comparison. Clive should have distanced JHud completely from Whitney, spent time finding her her own great songs, and sent her out on the road to hone her skills, just like Whitney toured for almost 6 years straight. She would have developed her own style and her own fan base, some of whom might have been Whitney fans. But by forcing everyone to compare JHud to Whitney, Clive has just made her look like the lesser singer and forced Whitney's fans to point out how far beneath Whitney Jennifer is as a singer (as well as fans of other great singers like Chaka, Pattie, Barbra, Mariah, Celine, etc).

Now Clive is stuck, because he has branded JHud as the "Next Whitney" so now he can't change course. She'll be covering Whitney because Clive has invested tons of money and time in her career yet she has not developed into the hot singer he thought she would, so there is nothing else to do but to cover Whitney. (This is also why Sony/Arista will be very slow to put out more Whitney stuff, like live CD's, unreleased tracks, etc. They think that there will be more money coming from these new artists with low royalty rates and game-show contestant contracts.)

[Petra]

Every1lovesNippy, on 21 April 2012 - 02:02 PM, said:

remamamama, on 21 April 2012 - 04:56 AM, said:

I would never want anyone to cover a Whitney song because most of Whitney's most well known songs are classics which shouldn't be remade. Unless they try to add something new to it or they cover a less well known Whitney song, then yes. I can never imagine anyone singing IWALY, GLOA, RTY or SAMLFY and putting it on an album.

I think one reason why Whitney never covered an Aretha song (except Look Into Your Heart, but that too was a "tribute" and not a cover on her studio album) was out of respect and love for Aretha. She covered Chaka, George Benson, Donny Hathaway, but never Aretha. But she sang Aretha's songs in her concerts in tribute to her hundreds and thousands of times. Imagine Whitney covered Aretha's song at her prime...even after her prime, she would still make it her own. Imagine her singing I Never Loved A Man or Do Right Woman and include it on TBG soundtrack. Or record Respect and Ain't No Way. If she turned Chaka's signature song into her own, she could do the same with Aretha. And Aretha's gonna be so damn mad LOL.

I don't think any major recording artist today has the pipes or the guts to cover a Whitney song. Maybe J Hud if Clive forces her to and I can totally see that happen. They are already selling her version of IWALY on iTunes. SMH. Rihanna can rap a few lines from MLIYL in You Da One. That's pretty much it. LOL

I agree. Whitney did not cover Aretha to avoid Aretha's nose getting all out of joint. It would have shown Aretha up and she would not have been able to handle it. Whitney's voice is just much more beautiful than Aretha's, and so was her spirit. Aretha is so jealous of Whitney that Whitney would have driven her insane if she had covered her songs on an album. Chaka is more honest and confident than Aretha, so Chaka was able to feel Whitney's love for her music and appreciate the compliment.

As for JHud, at the rate she is going, the only way JHud's ever going to have a huge hit is to ride on Whitney's work. That's where Clive has been positioning her from day 1. Clive's pushing out these game-show contestants who have modest levels of talent, but no real music experience or training (in most cases); throwing in some studio tricks, and trying to call 'em stars. It just makes it hard to develop as a singer since a new game show winner comes every year, so unless you take off immediately, the record label is splitting their time between you and all the rest of the "winners." Look at JHud, not only are there others after her who are pretty much the same, but they even have the same name, "Jennifer" (lol).

Clive is pushing JHud, but his mistake has been in stepping all over Whitney's work and legacy. JHud is not Whitney, she is not close, in all honesty, so she looks bad in the comparison. Clive should have distanced JHud completely from Whitney, spent time finding her her own great songs, and sent her out on the road to hone her skills, just like Whitney toured for almost 6 years straight. She would have developed her own style and her own fan base, some of whom might have been Whitney fans. But by forcing everyone to compare JHud to Whitney, Clive has just made her look like the lesser singer and forced Whitney's fans to point out how far beneath Whitney Jennifer is as a singer (as well as fans of other great singers like Chaka, Pattie, Barbra, Mariah, Celine, etc).

Now Clive is stuck, because he has branded JHud as the "Next Whitney" so now he can't change course. She'll be covering Whitney because Clive has invested tons of money and time in her career yet she has not developed into the hot singer he thought she would, so there is nothing else to do but to cover Whitney. (This is also why Sony/Arista will be very slow to put out more Whitney stuff, like live CD's, unreleased tracks, etc. They think that there will be more money coming from these new artists with low royalty rates and game-show contestant contracts.)

I just don't get how he didn't see she was gonna fail in comparison from the very beginning. I mean, he discovered Whitney and he was there with her from the beginning, he was the one who knew all those things that made her The Voice, how huge her talent was and how deep it went. So how could he have expected that the first singer who showed up with a big voice could top that or at least be on the same level? Big voice is not enough. I've said it a million times by now and I'll say it again: JHud is all power and zero emotion. That's why she's got nothing on Whitney. What is it gonna take for him to realize that?

[Mind Speaker]

That's precisely the problem. I always say that marketing ANYONE as the "next" Whitney Houston is career suicide from its inception. Every single voice Clive or others have hailed as the next Whitney have failed to have the impact that Whitney have, and especially in Clive's case, the artist sees their career take a nose dive and they become relegated to something else. His most notable failure to produce a next Whitney was Deborah Cox. And I LOOOOOVE Deb and her voice. But see what his marketing of her as the next Whitney has done? Turned her into a dance/remix diva playing clubs. There is NO next Whitney. She remains one of a kind and before I leave this earth, I doubt I'll see another Whitney.

There is NO one who has the power, the control, the range, the tenderness, the tone, the emotive power, the expressiveness, and soul that was Whitney Houston. She was much more than a singer. And lightning like that only strikes once.

[Sweet P]

Mind Speaker, on 21 April 2012 - 02:32 PM, said:

There is NO one who has the power, the control, the range, the tenderness, the tone, the emotive power, the expressiveness, and soul that was Whitney Houston. She was much more than a singer. And lightning like that only strikes once.

My thoughts exactly. She earned her title for that sheer reason. No one else could imitate it. Clive is really just setting these new age singers up for fail if he is trying to reproduce another Whitney. He should just tell them to do what they are comfortable with rather than force upon them the uniqueness and originality of Whitney. Ugh I could rant for hours, I will just leave it as this.

[Every1lovesNippy]

Petra, on 21 April 2012 - 02:18 PM, said:

Every1lovesNippy, on 21 April 2012 - 02:02 PM, said:

remamamama, on 21 April 2012 - 04:56 AM, said:

I would never want anyone to cover a Whitney song because most of Whitney's most well known songs are classics which shouldn't be remade. Unless they try to add something new to it or they cover a less well known Whitney song, then yes. I can never imagine anyone singing IWALY, GLOA, RTY or SAMLFY and putting it on an album.

I think one reason why Whitney never covered an Aretha song (except Look Into Your Heart, but that too was a "tribute" and not a cover on her studio album) was out of respect and love for Aretha. She covered Chaka, George Benson, Donny Hathaway, but never Aretha. But she sang Aretha's songs in her concerts in tribute to her hundreds and thousands of times. Imagine Whitney covered Aretha's song at her prime...even after her prime, she would still make it her own. Imagine her singing I Never Loved A Man or Do Right Woman and include it on TBG soundtrack. Or record Respect and Ain't No Way. If she turned Chaka's signature song into her own, she could do the same with Aretha. And Aretha's gonna be so damn mad LOL.

I don't think any major recording artist today has the pipes or the guts to cover a Whitney song. Maybe J Hud if Clive forces her to and I can totally see that happen. They are already selling her version of IWALY on iTunes. SMH. Rihanna can rap a few lines from MLIYL in You Da One. That's pretty much it. LOL

I agree. Whitney did not cover Aretha to avoid Aretha's nose getting all out of joint. It would have shown Aretha up and she would not have been able to handle it. Whitney's voice is just much more beautiful than Aretha's, and so was her spirit. Aretha is so jealous of Whitney that Whitney would have driven her insane if she had covered her songs on an album. Chaka is more honest and confident than Aretha, so Chaka was able to feel Whitney's love for her music and appreciate the compliment.

As for JHud, at the rate she is going, the only way JHud's ever going to have a huge hit is to ride on Whitney's work. That's where Clive has been positioning her from day 1. Clive's pushing out these game-show contestants who have modest levels of talent, but no real music experience or training (in most cases); throwing in some studio tricks, and trying to call 'em stars. It just makes it hard to develop as a singer since a new game show winner comes every year, so unless you take off immediately, the record label is splitting their time between you and all the rest of the "winners." Look at JHud, not only are there others after her who are pretty much the same, but they even have the same name, "Jennifer" (lol).

Clive is pushing JHud, but his mistake has been in stepping all over Whitney's work and legacy. JHud is not Whitney, she is not close, in all honesty, so she looks bad in the comparison. Clive should have distanced JHud completely from Whitney, spent time finding her her own great songs, and sent her out on the road to hone her skills, just like Whitney toured for almost 6 years straight. She would have developed her own style and her own fan base, some of whom might have been Whitney fans. But by forcing everyone to compare JHud to Whitney, Clive has just made her look like the lesser singer and forced Whitney's fans to point out how far beneath Whitney Jennifer is as a singer (as well as fans of other great singers like Chaka, Pattie, Barbra, Mariah, Celine, etc).

Now Clive is stuck, because he has branded JHud as the "Next Whitney" so now he can't change course. She'll be covering Whitney because Clive has invested tons of money and time in her career yet she has not developed into the hot singer he thought she would, so there is nothing else to do but to cover Whitney. (This is also why Sony/Arista will be very slow to put out more Whitney stuff, like live CD's, unreleased tracks, etc. They think that there will be more money coming from these new artists with low royalty rates and game-show contestant contracts.)

I just don't get how he didn't see she was gonna fail in comparison from the very beginning. I mean, he discovered Whitney and he was there with her from the beginning, he was the one who knew all those things that made her The Voice, how huge her talent was and how deep it went. So how could he have expected that the first singer who showed up with a big voice could top that or at least be on the same level? Big voice is not enough. I've said it a million times by now and I'll say it again: JHud is all power and zero emotion. That's why she's got nothing on Whitney. What is it gonna take for him to realize that?

And JHud's voice, her instrument, is not beautiful. Her tone or sound is quite ordinary. She has lots more problems, but that's not the real issue. The thing is that Clive thinks he is the one who makes these singers hot. He thinks he can make stars, not that he discovers a star (who already existed because of their great talent). Remember also that Milli Vanilli was on Arista. He thinks the label makes the star, not that the great talents build the label.

And, remember, Clive is not the one who discovered Whitney. Clive did not really get what was so special about Whitney at the beginning. He had to be convinced. The fact that he thinks JHud is comparable just shows how fake Clive's claim to discovering Whitney was all along. He thought it was all his marketing and his "ears" and he was going to turn JHud into as big a star as Whitney was.

Not one of these game show folks can acknowledge the obvious fact that Whitney's talent is derived both from her genetics and from her family environment (growing up in a family of great singers, watching the greatest singers from backstage, singing night after night in a great choir, having a choir master as her personal instructor, harmonizing background vocals with the greatest background singers of all time, singing with the greats like Chaka, Lou Rawls, Cissy and Aretha, and then touring for almost her first 6 years straight). Not one of these game show contestant stars has either the genetics or the upbringing to be a Whitney. But the labels can't admit that because game show are a cheap, really cheap, way of coming up with interchangable "singers" to market.

JHud lucked out with Dreamgirls because the role was great for her. She was really good in the role. But it was not a Bodyguard moment because she is not a Whitney (in terms of voice, singing ability, beauty, charisma, etc). All the record folks got blined by teh Oscar shine, and forgot that singers must connect with an audience on a whole different level from actors. And the things that a great singer needs, JHUd simply lacks, especially in the area of musicality and ability to find the emotional core of a lyric. But Clive has to push JHud and all the other game show contestant singers because pushing these folks works financially. And it is, after all, a business for the companies, not an art.

[tms78]

ultimatej, on 20 April 2012 - 11:15 PM, said:

tms78, on 20 April 2012 - 09:27 PM, said:

it's already been done. Shirley Murdoch recorded "I Will Always Love You" right after Whitney did.http://www.dailymoti...ways-love_music

Lakisha Jones covered "You Give Good Love" in 2009

Maybe I should have been more clear. By "anyone" I meant a major recording artist. I never even heard of a Lakisha Jones. And by "cover" I meant as in releasing it as a new song, not a televised performance mimicking Whitney's recording.

Shirley Murdock actually recorded the song with a more early-90's arrangement. That was the only link online I could find, but I have the song on my hard drive at home. Lakisha Jones was 4th on American Idol the season Jordin Sparks won.

At any rate, under the narrow confines you're seeking, the only people who would sing her songs on record are from prior generations. I could see Dionne, Gladys, Patti, or Aretha remaking a Whitney song in the next few years. Everyone other established artist is scared of the scrutiny they'd face.

[tms78]

Every1lovesNippy, on 21 April 2012 - 01:06 AM, said:

BTW, who are Lakisha Jones and Shirley Murdoch? Are they Irish?

Shirley Murdock was one of the many R&B singers from the 70s-early 90's who was rendered irrelevant by Whitney's takeover. Regina Belle, Stephanie Mills, Angela Winbush, Deniece Williams and Miki Howard all were relative unknowns, even though they made good music.

Lakisha Jones are a finalist on Season 6 of American Idol (she finished 4th).

[tms78]

Every1lovesNippy, on 21 April 2012 - 02:48 PM, said:

Petra, on 21 April 2012 - 02:18 PM, said:

Every1lovesNippy, on 21 April 2012 - 02:02 PM, said:

remamamama, on 21 April 2012 - 04:56 AM, said:

I would never want anyone to cover a Whitney song because most of Whitney's most well known songs are classics which shouldn't be remade. Unless they try to add something new to it or they cover a less well known Whitney song, then yes. I can never imagine anyone singing IWALY, GLOA, RTY or SAMLFY and putting it on an album.

I think one reason why Whitney never covered an Aretha song (except Look Into Your Heart, but that too was a "tribute" and not a cover on her studio album) was out of respect and love for Aretha. She covered Chaka, George Benson, Donny Hathaway, but never Aretha. But she sang Aretha's songs in her concerts in tribute to her hundreds and thousands of times. Imagine Whitney covered Aretha's song at her prime...even after her prime, she would still make it her own. Imagine her singing I Never Loved A Man or Do Right Woman and include it on TBG soundtrack. Or record Respect and Ain't No Way. If she turned Chaka's signature song into her own, she could do the same with Aretha. And Aretha's gonna be so damn mad LOL.

I don't think any major recording artist today has the pipes or the guts to cover a Whitney song. Maybe J Hud if Clive forces her to and I can totally see that happen. They are already selling her version of IWALY on iTunes. SMH. Rihanna can rap a few lines from MLIYL in You Da One. That's pretty much it. LOL

I agree. Whitney did not cover Aretha to avoid Aretha's nose getting all out of joint. It would have shown Aretha up and she would not have been able to handle it. Whitney's voice is just much more beautiful than Aretha's, and so was her spirit. Aretha is so jealous of Whitney that Whitney would have driven her insane if she had covered her songs on an album. Chaka is more honest and confident than Aretha, so Chaka was able to feel Whitney's love for her music and appreciate the compliment.

As for JHud, at the rate she is going, the only way JHud's ever going to have a huge hit is to ride on Whitney's work. That's where Clive has been positioning her from day 1. Clive's pushing out these game-show contestants who have modest levels of talent, but no real music experience or training (in most cases); throwing in some studio tricks, and trying to call 'em stars. It just makes it hard to develop as a singer since a new game show winner comes every year, so unless you take off immediately, the record label is splitting their time between you and all the rest of the "winners." Look at JHud, not only are there others after her who are pretty much the same, but they even have the same name, "Jennifer" (lol).

Clive is pushing JHud, but his mistake has been in stepping all over Whitney's work and legacy. JHud is not Whitney, she is not close, in all honesty, so she looks bad in the comparison. Clive should have distanced JHud completely from Whitney, spent time finding her her own great songs, and sent her out on the road to hone her skills, just like Whitney toured for almost 6 years straight. She would have developed her own style and her own fan base, some of whom might have been Whitney fans. But by forcing everyone to compare JHud to Whitney, Clive has just made her look like the lesser singer and forced Whitney's fans to point out how far beneath Whitney Jennifer is as a singer (as well as fans of other great singers like Chaka, Pattie, Barbra, Mariah, Celine, etc).

Now Clive is stuck, because he has branded JHud as the "Next Whitney" so now he can't change course. She'll be covering Whitney because Clive has invested tons of money and time in her career yet she has not developed into the hot singer he thought she would, so there is nothing else to do but to cover Whitney. (This is also why Sony/Arista will be very slow to put out more Whitney stuff, like live CD's, unreleased tracks, etc. They think that there will be more money coming from these new artists with low royalty rates and game-show contestant contracts.)

I just don't get how he didn't see she was gonna fail in comparison from the very beginning. I mean, he discovered Whitney and he was there with her from the beginning, he was the one who knew all those things that made her The Voice, how huge her talent was and how deep it went. So how could he have expected that the first singer who showed up with a big voice could top that or at least be on the same level? Big voice is not enough. I've said it a million times by now and I'll say it again: JHud is all power and zero emotion. That's why she's got nothing on Whitney. What is it gonna take for him to realize that?

And JHud's voice, her instrument, is not beautiful. Her tone or sound is quite ordinary. She has lots more problems, but that's not the real issue. The thing is that Clive thinks he is the one who makes these singers hot. He thinks he can make stars, not that he discovers a star (who already existed because of their great talent). Remember also that Milli Vanilli was on Arista. He thinks the label makes the star, not that the great talents build the label.

And, remember, Clive is not the one who discovered Whitney. Clive did not really get what was so special about Whitney at the beginning. He had to be convinced. The fact that he thinks JHud is comparable just shows how fake Clive's claim to discovering Whitney was all along. He thought it was all his marketing and his "ears" and he was going to turn JHud into as big a star as Whitney was.

Not one of these game show folks can acknowledge the obvious fact that Whitney's talent is derived both from her genetics and from her family environment (growing up in a family of great singers, watching the greatest singers from backstage, singing night after night in a great choir, having a choir master as her personal instructor, harmonizing background vocals with the greatest background singers of all time, singing with the greats like Chaka, Lou Rawls, Cissy and Aretha, and then touring for almost her first 6 years straight). Not one of these game show contestant stars has either the genetics or the upbringing to be a Whitney. But the labels can't admit that because game show are a cheap, really cheap, way of coming up with interchangable "singers" to market.

JHud lucked out with Dreamgirls because the role was great for her. She was really good in the role. But it was not a Bodyguard moment because she is not a Whitney (in terms of voice, singing ability, beauty, charisma, etc). All the record folks got blined by teh Oscar shine, and forgot that singers must connect with an audience on a whole different level from actors. And the things that a great singer needs, JHUd simply lacks, especially in the area of musicality and ability to find the emotional core of a lyric. But Clive has to push JHud and all the other game show contestant singers because pushing these folks works financially. And it is, after all, a business for the companies, not an art.

ppl are reading way too much into what he was saying about Jennifer Hudson. He's not going to push her that way. The man doesn't have that kinda time to invest in anyone anymore. He was speaking complimentary of Hudson because she was the focus in that interview. He would have said the same thing about anyone who was there at time.

Clive - when given the opportunity - will always give his artists glowing compliments and lofty comparisons. He's been doing it since before Arista became a powerhouse. He'll keep doing it until he draws his last breath. Take everything he says with that in mind.

[Every1lovesNippy]

tms78, on 21 April 2012 - 04:46 PM, said:

Every1lovesNippy, on 21 April 2012 - 01:06 AM, said:

BTW, who are Lakisha Jones and Shirley Murdoch? Are they Irish?

Shirley Murdock was one of the many R&B singers from the 70s-early 90's who was rendered irrelevant by Whitney's takeover. Regina Belle, Stephanie Mills, Angela Winbush, Deniece Williams and Miki Howard all were relative unknowns, even though they made good music.

Lakisha Jones are a finalist on Season 6 of American Idol (she finished 4th).

Hey tms, I was kidding about them being Irish. It's just that they are so forgettable I'm surprised anyone can remember who they are at all. Regina Belle, Stephanie Mills, Angela Winbush, Deniece Williams and Miki Howard were all very respected singers with many hits; all much bigger than those two. Props to you for knowing exactly who they are!