April 2000 Nippy News (Part II)

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The Whitney Weekday Request Campaign has been divided by the letters of the alphabet. For example, if your last name begins with the letter "A," you can proceed to the row for "A" and call or e-mail any 3-5 radio stations in that section. The letters will change everyday. The goal is to help ensure that each state gets votes everyday, without all of us voting in huge blocks. Here is Another Option For Anyone With E-mail that Includes a Line For BCC. This method enables you to send a single message to DJs across the country without revealing that other DJs are receiving your message at the same time. DO NOT do this if your e-mail software does not provide a line called BCC!!! Non-AOL users click here. AOL users have to use this different method instead. Note: While the BCC method will be quite effective, it excludes many radio stations that do not provide direct e-mail addresses. Therefore, if you have five minutes, continue to check out the complete request list, because there are many links there that will take you to radio station web sites where you'll be able to send your e-mail message easily. Thanks!
2000/4/30
The official web site of NBC's telecast of Arista's 25th Anniversary Special can be seen here. If you click on the "performers" link and then on "Whitney Houston," they give a little description of her career. You can even download her entire music video for "It's Not Right But It's Okay!" And the first of many commercials of the Arista 25th Anniversary Special began to air during tonight's telecast of "The 70's" on NBC. They introduce the various singers and save Whitney for last as "she takes center stage and gives the performance we've all been hearing about." (Thanks Neil) U.K. Chart News Update... Radio Donna, one of the most popular radio stations in Belgium, has selected "If I Told You That" as the best new record of the week (the so-called "smaakmaker van de week" in Dutch). This means that the song will be played several times a day. The single will now probably soon be available in the shops. BBC1 has IITYT still on playlist-C. This means that the record will be played 5 times a week. (Thanks Eddy VB)
2000/4/29
News about the Whitney behind-the-scenes documentary! The full version of "If I Told You That" with George Michael is now available due to the hard work and persistence of super Whitney fan Eddy VB! Thank you! Here is RealVideo of an MTV Europe commercial for its Whitney Weekend, which is taking place now. It has some great morphing effects that combine Whitney's music videos! The channel broadcasts Whitney shows from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow. (Thank you Eddy VB) The Spanish radio station "Cadena 100" is playing all the "Unreleased Mixes" and "If I Told You That" throughout the day. Radio station "Los 40 Principales" has also put the duet with George Michael on heavy rotation. Both stations have been talking about Whitney and her Greatest Hits again and again in the last few days. It seems like it will have great promotion in Spain. (Thanks Laura) Today, during MTV Europe's Whitney Weekend, they broadcasted the "Heartbreak Hotel" remix video. It was the first time that I saw it on MTV Europe. (Thanks Marie-Eve) Check out Marie-Eve's new Whitney & Bobby World club at Yahoo!
2000/4/28
Billboard Reviews a promo CD for "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" -- Just in time to open the sunroof under the warming skies is this first offering from Whitney Houston's upcoming two-CD greatest-hits package (it also appears on Enrique Iglesias' current album). While the pairing of evergreen pop/R&B superstar Houston with blossoming Latin sensation Iglesias may seem a curious combination at first, go once through this midtempo Spanish guitar-laced crowd-pleaser and the magic is crystal clear. Iglesias is, of course, right at home, sounding as sensual and breezy as ever, while Houston delivers a restrained performance that perfectly captures a romantic moment made just for champagne and dancing. While it was originally produced by David Foster, the radio version of this Diane Warren song, refashioned by remixers du jour Brian Rawling and Mark Taylor, is dead on with a musical palette that will catapult this song to the upper reaches of the charts. Iglesias is a particularly compelling video presence; his partnering with Houston should lend a hand toward also making this a VH1 staple. Polish radio station RMF played the "If I Told You That" duet with George Michael for the first time today. The song will be a powerplay all next week, which means it will be played every hour! (Thanks Sylwia) Some radio news from Sweden: Today I heard "If I Told You That" on NRJ once every hour! (Thanks Pontus) Today on Entertainment Tonight, they showed Whitney's Greatest Hits cover and said, "Here is your first look at Whitey's Houston's next album." They also announced the fact that it is a 2-CD set with 36 songs, and mentioned the May 16th release date. (Thanks John G., Rachel) I was at the Sam Goody store on 42nd Street in New York City to purchase the "Unreleased Mixes" box set only to be informed that the sets had sold out in about 24 hours! (Thanks John G.) In Dallas, TX, I went to purchase "Whitney: The Unreleased Mixes" the day after it was released. Tower Records has a pretty extensive vinyl section in the back of the store. As I walked through the door, there it was sitting on the top shelf display eye-level alongside the CD disc new releases. It was the only vinyl there. Big and Beautiful. At the checkout, the guy told me it was the second one he'd sold in 15 minutes. (Thanks Anthony)
2000/4/27
On the Charts: Same Script Different Cast makes its chart debut after only its first week at radio! Read the complete statistics... RealAudio excerpts added for the new version of "If I Told You That" with George Michael. (Thank you very much Eddy VB) I live in the Los Angeles area and last night at a local club they were passing out flyers promoting Whitney's upcoming Greatest Hits. The flyers read as follows: Arista Records & DJ Wes present THURSDAY NIGHTS @OASIS NIGHT CLUB - The official CD Release Party for Whitney: The Greatest Hits Thursday May 11th. Free CD and Poster giveaways. (Thanks Tony) Here are additional articles discussing the "Unreleased Mixes" and the upcoming Greatest Hits... Super Deal: If you pre-order Whitney's Greatest Hits CD at HMV, you will get the 4LP "Unreleased Mixes" box set! The store is pre-selling the CD for $24.99 Canadian funds (US$16.44). (Thanks Ken) An additional store has been added to the pre-order list as well. (Thanks Greg) Buy The Box Set Fast! I was out shopping yesterday at the Virgin Megastore here in Hollywood, and I was shocked when I saw the "Unreleased Mixes" box set sitting there on the end of a big display. "Just beautiful," I thought to myself as I grabbed for it. There was only one left and even though I don't own a record player I just had to put out the $20.99 for it. The funny thing was that when I got up to the register after being asked by three people in line if they could see it, the man who was ringing me up said to the guy next to him, "Boy I knew it wouldn't last." I asked him if that was the last one and he said that the set had only lasted not even two days, and that they had 15 of them up there. He said that they were sold out. (Thanks Rami) BMG to have news soon on Arista/Davis From syndicated columnist Liz Smith: WELL, we've all had our say about Whitney Houston and her problems - whatever they may or may not be - but the essence of Whitney is still that incredible voice. And just wait till you hear her coming "Greatest Hits" disc from Arista. All the classic Whitney dazzlers, and new stunners with Enrique Iglesias, George Michael, Deborah Cox and Q-Tip - 36 songs in all. Listening to this, I was more moved than ever by her God-given talent. Let's hope that talent remains with us for a long time. (Thanks Alan M.) BMG has signed a marketing deal with Egreetings, which will offer free online music cards featuring BMG artists (including Whitney) and music, and will promote the sale of related digital gift certificates and CDs. Click here to see some Whitney cards that are already available, as reported about a week ago. They are a great way of sending free cards to friends that advertise Whitney at the same time!
2000/4/26
BMG Germany says, "According to the pre-orders, this double CD set [Whitney: The Greatest Hits] has already written music history even before it is released." More details here... The Unreleased Mixes: Listen to RealAudio from each remix in the box set! Informative article about Whitney's upcoming Greatest Hits... I was flipping through cable TV channels and on the preview guide they were advertising Whitney's Greatest Hits CD for sale! I jumped up, grabbed my phone and placed my order. I got express mail, which the operator said would take 3-5 business days (otherwise it would take 3 1/2 weeks). It was $25.98 for the CD. The commercial showed clips of the various songs! The number is (800)949-4300. It was busy at first, but I kept calling until I got through. I will let you know details of the CD as soon as I get it! (Thanks Joe O.) Sales and Music Chart Preview: The MLIYL album and last singles continue to slide, plus ILFTB debuts on the French Top 100 Singles chart... A Must See! Download RealVideo of Whitney's rehearsal for Arista's recent 25th Anniversary special! The leading radio station in Denmark, "The Voice," has put Whitney's duet with George Michael on heavy rotation. At work today I heard the song 7 times in 6 hours, so It seems it is going to be a big hit for Whitney in Denmark. "The Voice" is still heavily playing MLIYL and especially the INRBIO Thunderpuss 2000 remix. (Thanks Stig) German radio station Bayern 3 (Bavaria) played "If I Told You That" with George Michael today for the first time. They even announced the day before that they would play it. (Thanks André S.) "I Learned From The Best" is at No. 2 in the FNAC's Top 100 singles (the largest music store in France). The single, which matches the cover picture that was released in the rest of Europe, contains the ILFTB album version and INRBIO KCC Release the Love Groove Mix. The album MLIYL is also back at No. 11 in their Top 20 albums! (Thanks Julian S.) Check out Gene's Whitney Houston - A Divine Voice!
2000/4/25
Arista issues press release detailing Greatest Hits CD/video/DVD tracklistings, Whitney's sales and chart statistics, and more. Read the complete release... Whitney: The Unreleased Mixes Preview. Audio excerpts coming soon. Some facts to note: The cover of the box set that I purchased is identical to this picture that we have assumed is the cover of the Greatest Hits double CD itself. Avid Whitney collectors will notice that the HWIK and GLOA (Club 69) remixes are identical to the versions that circulated "underground" over a year ago. The Hex Hector remix of IWALY is unchanged from the version that was released recently. The IEW and LWSTD remixes date back to 1992 and 1987, respectively. The latter remix is the rarest of all the LWSTD remixes in existence. The GLOA Junior Vasquez Club Mix is not quite the same as an earlier version that was circulated over a year ago. The IYBT and SE remixes appear to be relatively new. I haven't heard them before. Whitney in OUT Magazine! Here are four pictures from the May 2000 issue of the magazine, which features an interview with Whitney. Cover Picture Arista photo shoot picture 1994 Arista pre-Grammy party Whitney and Cissy (1979) The interview with OUT was apparently on the same day as the interview with Jane Magazine, but the results are drastically different. Whitney even comments about the Jane reporter during her interview with OUT. The full story will be posted soon. Buy the magazine if you want to read an article in which the writer actually pays attention to his subject and leaves his preconceptions out the door. Here are two new pictures of Whitney from the BMG Norway site! Picture 1 and Picture 2 (Thanks Sebastian) Whitney's duet with George Michael has been played on Dutch Radio 3 FM. I asked when the new CD will be in stores, and they said that it will be around May 17. (Thanks Foekje) According to WOM, Karstadt and Media Markt, the Greatest Hits will be released in Germany on May 15th. It includes the 2-CD set, DVD and video. (Thanks Michaela B.) MTV Europe will air a Whitney Weekend April 29-30. Highlights include Whitney TV, All Access Whitney Houston, Making The Video, Fanatic and Rockumentary. (Thanks Eddy VB) There is a short article on Whitney in the May issue of Essence. It is in the Flashback section, p. 214. The article features two pictures -- one from Whitney's modeling days and the other from last year's tourbook cover. The article talks about her past in regard to her learning from her "teachers" in the music business. It also includes clips of her success story in the industry. (Thanks Paula) Veronica FM is now the first station in Holland to play Whitney's duet with George Michael. (Thanks Bas)
2000/4/24
Same Script Different Cast: Complete RealAudio of the song here!
2000/4/23
Happy Easter! Could I Have This Kiss Forever Remix: Listen to a RealAudio excerpt that I caught by accident on WKTU-FM in New York City! WKTU 103.5, New York's premier dance music station, debuted CIHTKF this weekend. Besides the new song, the station still has MLIYL and INRBIO on heavy rotation! (Thanks John G.)
2000/4/22
Here's a longer clip of "Same Script Different Cast" that you can stream in RealAudio from WPGC 95.5 FM, which had the song listed at No. 4 in its Top 4 at 4 yesterday after its debut. Since radio stations are leaking the song online, a complete audio file will be made available here shortly. From the Los Angeles Times: In the latest episode of the Whitney Houston chronicles, TV Guide is reporting that the singer has backed out of a concert special that was to have been televised during the May ratings sweeps. But a CBS spokeswoman said the report "jumped the gun a bit. We were just in talks. It was never set in stone. We'd love to work with Houston , but it just didn't work out." The spokeswoman added that scheduling problems prevented the special, but "we still hope we'll have the opportunity to do it in the future." Houston's spokeswoman, meanwhile, said the talks came to a halt when CBS wanted to air the program just before NBC's Arista Records "25 Years of Hits" special on May 15, of which Houston's performance is a centerpiece. "That was just not a possibility," the spokeswoman said, adding: "But all of a sudden it's Whitney who's reported to be causing problems." The spotlight has fixed on Houston in recent weeks because of her erratic behavior, including her absence at two high-profile events--the Oscars, where she was replaced by Faith Hill after problems in rehearsals; and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies, where she was to have performed for inductee and Arista founder Clive Davis but canceled on the show's eve, citing voice problems. "Same Script Different Cast" is getting TONS AND TONS of airplay around my way. It was the No. 1 requested song of the day on Power99/Q102 and was No. 1 on the "Fab 3 at 3:00" yesterday! Whitney and Deborah sound spectacular together. Now let's all keep requesting on a steady basis. It looks like this is going to be a big hit. (Thanks Desmond) On Friday, MTV Urban aired an interview with Mary J. Blige. The reporter asked her about the Divas/99 concert and she said it was a great honor for her to be on stage with Whitney Houston and she was very surprised when Whitney phoned her to sing. She also said that Whitney is a great idol of hers. (Thanks Clemens) Check out Clemens' new WhitneyWeb site (in German), which has moved and has a new look!
2000/4/21
From Billboard: On May 16 Arista is scheduled to issue Whitney Houston's two-disc set, "Whitney: The Greatest Hits." The collection will be preceded, on Tuesday (April 25), by "Whitney: The Unreleased Mixes." Comprising four 12-inches, for a total of eight remixes (in all their extended glory!), the special collectors' boxed set prominently shines the spotlight on one of clubland's reigning divas. Highlights include such commercially unavailable (and much sought-after) restructurings as Jellybean & David Morales' 1987 Classic Underground mix of "Love Will Save The Day," the Dronez's Club mix of "I'm Your Baby Tonight," David Morales' Emotional Club mix of "So Emotional," and Junior Vasquez's Club mixes of "How Will I Know" and "Greatest Love Of All." Making its debut is the Club 69 mix of "Greatest Love Of All," which was done specifically for this boxed set and which is not included on the two-disc greatest-hits collection. From Entertainment Weekly: The diva will release phase 1 of her greatest hits package on Tuesday -- a vinyl box set featuring mostly unreleased dance remixes of some of her staples: ''I'm Your Baby Tonight (Dronez Club Mix),'' ''I Will Always Love You (Hex Hector Remix),'' ''Greatest Love of All (Junior Vasquez Remix),'' and more. Shorter versions of these mixes, along with four new songs, will be included on the double CD ''Whitney: The Greatest Hits,'' to be released May 16. I was able to pick up the "Unreleased Mixes" vinyl box set. WOW is all I have to say. The box is pretty heavy and each vinyl has a different head shot of Whitney. Inside is a sheet with thanks to all the DJs, etc. Very cool and it was only $21.99. (Thanks Joe O.) BMG Taiwan has reported a Whitney Greatest Hits tracklisting that seems different to the U.S. and other countries' versions. Read here... I heard a remix for "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" on 92 Kiss FM in Chicago last night. They made the song faster and added some echoes after Whitney's long notes. So I guess while R&B is playing "Same Script Different Cast," mainstream is starting to play CIHTKF. (Thanks Bud) Here's what Enrique Iglesias told Canada AM about the duet today: "It was great. It was great working with Whitney Houston. I mean, the song is a beautiful song and to have her sing on it -- it's amazing, you know. I think it's the best of both worlds: a great song and a great singer." "Same Script Different Cast" was played for the first time on all of the stations in the Maryland/Washington D.C. area. On WPGC 95.5, it was the No. 1 most requested song at 3 p.m. and it was at No. 4 on the Top 4 at 4! (Thanks Kyana) Whitney's duet with Enrique Iglesias was played on radio station Z104 in Hampton Roads, Virgina. (Thanks Jay) Destiny's Child told one of Sweden's biggest newspapers that their job has its surprises, like one time when they met a huge guy in a hotel lobby "screaming" that his wife was a big fan! Beyonce Knowles said: "We thought he was crazy, but he turned out to be Bobby Brown. Later we got to meet his wife who gave us compliments of our voices. I will never forget that." (Thanks Henry)
2000/4/20
Same Script Different Cast: Read the lyrics so you can see what you'll be missing if you don't request the song or buy the CD! On the Charts: Whitney falls off two charts this week as the MLIYL project winds down and makes way for the Greatest Hits. Read the complete statistics... Capital Radio London's Breakfast show played the Whitney/George Michael duet this morning! Whitney is in fine voice and George Michael is great too, although Whitney kind of outshines him! It looks as if they are going to be giving it a lot of airplay this weekend as they have a charity event that George always massively supports, so they will probably want to support him back. Tune in! (Thanks Stephen) Two More New Whitney Screensavers: Check out the "I Have Nothing" and the "And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going" screensavers! (Thanks Larry A.)
2000/4/19
Same Script Different Cast: The song reportedly made its radio debut today in New York City on WBLS-FM! Stay tuned... (Thanks Alan M.) Here is an excerpt of a letter from Deborah Cox's site regarding her duet with Whitney! "For all of you who have inquired about the duet...... It is currently being played on stations throughout the country......So many people like yourselves have been excited about hearing it and radio has already started playing the song before we've even done the video! That is really gratifying to see such a tremendous amount of support for this song. I have been a Whitney fan since I first heard her song "You Give Good Love" on the radio back in the day, and it was always a dream of mine to meet her one day....so singing with her is really a dream come true. I will keep you posted as to when we do the video. Be sure to check out Arista's 25th Anniversary on NBC May 15th and get a taste of what Whitney and me sound like together! (Thank you Rachel) This picture, from an eBay ad, is of a promo for the latest Greatest Hits tracklisting, featuring the "Cool Down" and "Throw Down" discs! (Thank you Alan M.) Here are three new pictures of Whitney from Arista's web site! Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3 (Thanks Rami) Translation from Yahoo.de: George Michael sings Solo-Duet How much feeling must be in a duet when the partners do not sing face to face? George Michael came to Los Angeles to record a song with Whitney Houston. That was reported by "The Sun." There the British pop star heard that his lines would be recorded in a separate studio and that he would not see his partner. Michael took it professionally because he understands those things and he is happy with the result. (Thanks Nadine) Note: Separate recordings are common practice for duets. Whitney sang vocals alone in at least the following duets, and probably more songs belong on this list: "Hold Me," "Something In Common" (Bobby said singing with her made him nervous at the time!), "When You Believe," "Could I Have This Kiss Forever," and now, "If I Told You That." Two Additional Whitney Screensavers: Check out the new "One Moment In Time" and "There's Music In You" screensavers! (Thanks Larry A.) Egreetings features two animated Whitney online greetings. One has an audio clip of GLOA and shots from the INRBIO video. The other features an audio clip of IBIYAM with shots from the MLIYL video. At the end of each animation, it says: Music from the 2 CD collection "Whitney Houston the Greatest Hits" available May 16th. A great, free way to advertise it to your friends! (Thanks Jared) Online coupon sites, stores added to Greatest Hits pre-order list! If you know of additional sites that should be added to the list, please e-mail the Nippy News. Thanks! (Thanks Anthony, Neil, Jared)
2000/4/18
Song of the Week: Listen to Whitney's rendition of "All At Once" from the 1986 American Music Awards! The extra touches in her delivery of this song bring the lyrics out even more than the original recording. "I Learned From The Best" has been released as a single today in France! (Thanks Julian S.) Vote for Whitney as one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People! Their recent cover story was terrible to say the least, but this particular annual issue gets a lot of positive attention. If Whitney is chosen, they'll likely throw in some of their negativity, but they will have no choice but to comment positively about her in some ways. Making the list is good publicity, so let's vote! Two additional online stores have been added here if you want to pre-order Whitney's Greatest Hits! If you know of additional stores that are selling the Greatest Hits online, please e-mail the Nippy News! (Thanks Kevin H., Tony L.) New Whitney Screensaver: Download a new screensaver with the theme "Why Does It Hurt So Bad." (Thanks Larry A.)
2000/4/17
From Entertainment Tonight: Whitney's spokesperson said she has no plans to be interviewed on The Oprah Winfrey Show despite reports that an appearance was planned for May 9th. The spokesperson said it is not true and she will not appear on the show. (Thanks Michael, Marg, Fernanda) New Feature! Click on the link at the left or on the white banner at the top of this page for a list of online stores where you can pre-order Whitney's upcoming Greatest Hits! If you know of additional large online stores that should be included on the list, please e-mail the Nippy News. Thank you!
2000/4/16
U.K. Chart News Update... Many German radio stations are playing old Whitney tracks on high rotation. The other night I heard "I'm Your Baby Tonight," "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)," "Step By Step," "Greatest Love Of All" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody." It was in the regular program, not a Whitney special. Maybe they are starting to push the Greatest Hits. (Thanks Dominik) This is a really interesting article on possibilities that could result from Clive Davis leaving Arista Records. Again, they're only possibilities, but it shows Whitney has other options even though a particular clause in her contract was bought out by BMG. Even if these possibilities never come to pass, Whitney does have the power to exit her contract with backing from a competing company. Here is a picture of Whitney at the Arista pre-Grammy party that is included in the April 21 issue of Entertainment Weekly. (Thanks John G.) New Whitney Web Sites! Take a look at Sene's Exhale Shoop Shoop Homepage, and Sylwia's Whitney Diva Site, based in Poland! Congratulations to both on your sites! New Whitney Chat Room: Check out Marcelo's Whitney chat on IRC! If you missed the earlier Nippy News, use the News Archive or the news log.