I tried to write down the interview Whitney Houston gave for Bravo TV last Sunday so you and all the other non-German fans can read it. It's been kind of hard to write it down word by word, because they translated the interview simultaniously while Whitney was talking and therefore I had some difficulties understanding Whitney. So on those parts where I didn't understand her, I just translated the German back into Enlish (But those are only 2 short passages).

Voilą:

Florian: So, hi Whitney. How are you?

Whitney: Hi, I'm fine. And how are you?

F: Perfect. Doing fine.

W: Good, nice to meet you.

F: Thank you first of all for making it possible to have you for an interview here in L.A.. It's a big pleasure for me.

W: Thank you. You welcome.

F: Your new album "My love is your love" is a really huge success in Germany and it's sill climbing in the charts.

W: Yeah!

F: When I listened to that album first, I wondered, why you called it "MLIYL"?

W: It's a song that Wycleff Jean wrote. And I just thought, it was a good title to come back with, after not having recorded a studio album in a long time. I kind of wanted my fans to know that my love was theirs and their love was mine. That there was still a love thing going on between music and me and my fans. That's why. That's why I called it that.

F: Is tha also your preferred song on the album?

W: It's one of them, yes it is.

F: Many people say, it's your best album ever. You think so, too?

W: Well, I don't think I've already done my best album. It's a very good album. I decided to put my heart and my soul in it. I don't know anything else to put into a record than my heart and my soul. That's what makes it good. I thought my other albums were very good also, you know, this is just today. And the people love it. And I'm loving that they love it.

F: That's cool.

(They show how the album was produced and what different people like Missy Elliot and Babyface said about it)

F: Okay, There we're back again. You just mentioned that you didn't realy do a studio album in 8 years. You've recorded soundtrack albums and made a lot of other things. What made you go back to the studio to record that one?

W: People I listened to, like Missy Elliott. I love the music she did and what Missy would do with Total and people like that. And I knew that Missy and I could work together and do some really cool stuff, you know. But titled Whitney. They compelled me to want to go back to the scene and to do it. I basically like to do different things, you know. I like my ballads and I like my up tempos. And I like whomever gets it inti his heart and who's got, let's say, the flavour. I like to work with people that are exceptionally talented.

F: Wasn't there a real effort to go back to the studio again after such a long time?

W: Yes there was. Well, it took me about 2 months. Actually, this has been the fastest album I ever did, the quichest one I've ever recorded in my entire carreer. So it's like I had to be careful about not doing it too fast so it was missing the quality that I am accustomed to with all my other records.

F: You've worked together with so many different producers and this in such a short period of time. Was that stress for you or was it still fun?

W: I had fun. My husband allowed me to be the crazy woman that I could be during this record. (She laughs) And I did it. And I had support from my family and people who believe in what I was doing.

F: And if we listen to your new album the sound is faster and harder than before. Was that somehow your decisionto create this new style, this kind of Whitney Houston style?

W: You know, it allows me to exprss myself. I'm the interpreter. I like to sing people's words. That's my forte, that's what i do. And as I understand, no matter if we have different clothesor beliefs or colors, we do all basically the same things at one point or another. Whether we have money or not. It doesn't matter. That's life. We all go through the same things. We all grow and hopefully we'll all become better people.

F: That would be great.

W: Yeah!

F: When you released your first album , have you been nervous or not?

W: My 1st album...I was nervous. I didn't know what to expect. You don't know what to expect. It's a really funny business.

F: After the release of the album it became the most successful debu album of a female artist. Have you ever predicted that this wa just the geginning of all of it?

W: No. No. All I know I wanted was to sing great songs. Good songs that would last a lifetime.

F: And they do.

(They show clips from all of her songs 'till IWALY)

F: As we had a look on your history right now, I wonder what was your personal highlight concerning to your musical career?

W: Hmm...I think...the first thing that comes up to my mind is...the 7 consecutive numbr ones. That's the 1st thing that comes up to my ming. Because at that point of time I remember Clive calling me and saying:' Wow, you passed the Beatles and Elvis!' And this was...these were people that were gigantic and overdimensional in every capacity of music you could think of and I had passed thaem...that was kind a cool. (She laughs.)

F: You've workd together with so many other artsts like Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Bobby Brown and Cisy, your mother and so on. What is it like to work together with other artists?

W: For me it's great. I love collaborating and making things that are great. It gives people the feeling that we can make it all together and yes we can do some wonderful things together because 2 heads are better than one. It's more power, more force, more impact. In fact, nobody thought that Mariah and would come together and record a song, but we did.

F: You've been in the business for such a long time and you have sold tons of records and I wonder if it is still important for you how a record sells?

W: Oh yes. That's an important thing. It's not nice if nobody buys your record. It's not cute.

F: Are you still nervous when a new record comes into the shops?

W: No, you know, theonly cause to know is, you're doing this, because you know people love to hear you sing, what you write or produce or whatever. And that inspires me to do what I do, that people love it. A nickel by your record that's not what it's about. It's important that the people want to hear you and you still make them feel good even if things aren't so good. (They show parts of all of her movies including Cinderella.)

F: The songs that you performed have been nominated for an Oscar twice and you also performd a song that recently won. Did you expect that?

W: Well, you know, we had a pretty hard competition: Armageddon "I don't wanna miss a thing", a great record, great Aerosmith. Ilove to hear them and then Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion and Rany Newman. There were a lot of good songs. It was really an honor for me to be in the same category as those great musicians and writers. But we took it home.

(show Whitney at this year's Oscars, 1994 Grammies and Soul Train Hall of Fame)

F: So, here we are back again. And I wonder at the end of the interview, what your plans will be for the future?

W: Well, I'm putting a tour together, one thet will probably start in the United States.

F: Will you also be coming to Germany?

W: Absolutely. I won't miss German, never. But before I'm going to tour through Europe, I think, I'm probably going to release a Greatest Hits album.

F: When will that be?

W: I think it's going to be by the end of the year and then we'll see from there. I may be doing 1 or 2 movies...

F: 1 or 2 movies...

W: Yes , we got some projects that really sound great.

F: Well, as we are from German TV, I have to ask you, do you have a certain message for your German fans?

W: Oh, you know, going to German has always been a thrill to me. My German fans are very very loyal and very staying, I've noticed from years of being in this business. And you watch who the fansare, you know, Germany is a big market with a lot of people and has always been a good market for me. So, I love you all very much and I thank you for your support. And take care. Whitney's always there for you. Thanks a lot.

F: That's sweet.

(He askes her to sign 5 CDs that can be won in a competition from BRAVO TV)