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  1. Life's A Party
    • Release Date: 1978
    • Album: Life's A Party
    • Artist: Michael Zager
    • Description: In 1978, writer/producer Michael Zager -who with the Michael Zager Band had released the disco hit "Let's All Chant", invited Cissy Houston to participate in his newest album, "Life's A Party". Cissy brought along Whitney, who was allowed to sing solo on the album's title track. This now obscure cut holds the distinction of being the first recorded product to present Whitney's voice loud and clear.

  2. Memories
    • Release Date: 1982
    • Album: One Down
    • Artist: Material
    • Description: In 1982, Gene Harvey and Seymour Flics, young Whitney's managers, arranged for her to work with disco producers Michael Bienhorn, Bill Laswell and Martin Bisi on an album entitled 'One Down'. The album contained 8 songs, each featuring a different lead singer. Bienhorn and Laswell chose for Whitney a sentimental song, 'Memories', which proved to be the perfect vehicle for Houston's young, soulful voice. A critic in 'The Village Voice' described 'Memories' as "one of the most gorgeous ballads you've ever heard."

  3. Eternal Love
    • Release Date: 1983
    • Album: Paul Jabara And Friends...
    • Artist: Paul Jabara
    • Description: While continuing to model and join her mother in studio background singing, Whitney became the featured guest on an album by flamboyant sonwriter/producer Paul Jabara, who had worked with Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer. His next project was with Izora Armstead & Martha Wash, two robust singers who went by the name of the Weather Girls and also recorded as Two Tons of Fun.

      Jabara had produced the ladies' hit single It's Raining Men and was now planning an album that would feature them. He enlisted the services of several other vocalists and produced an album entitled 'Paul Jabara & Friends, featuring the Weather Girls, Leata Galloway and Whitney Houston'. Whitney gamely recorded another ballad, 'Eternal Love', written by Jabara.

      Best known for writing the Donna Summer hit "Last Dance" and the Summer/Barbra Streisand duet "Enough Is Enough (No More Tears)," Paul Jabara also released an album in 1983 which helped introduce a virtually unknown singer named Whitney Houston. Paul Jabara and Friends also features Leata Galloway and the Weather Girls, but it is Houston's appearance which guarantees the album's significance as a musical footnote. The augmentation of the Jabara-penned club anthem "It's Raining Men" doesn't hurt either, although that song can be found on several superior dance compilations, as well as the Weather Girls' autonomous releases. Houston's rendition of the majestic "Eternal Love" is refreshingly unaffected, showcasing her precocious voice before multi-platinum diva status fueled her inclination toward egotistical histrionics. In fact, if anyone on this album can be accused of exaggerated vocalizing, it's Jabara himself, who sounds like a hoarse drag queen on the excruciating "Bad Habits." Thankfully, it's his only stint as lead vocalist. In addition to composing dramatic disco, Jabara's greatest strength is networking, as evidenced by his songwriting collaboration with Diana Ross entitled "Ladies Hot Line" (also sung by the Weather Girls). It's unfortunate he didn't have enough good material for everyone, because even Galloway's theatrical flair cannot enliven the inferior filler. Jabara deserves credit for promoting aspiring talents, but Paul Jabara and Friends is more of a hodgepodge than a comprehensive album. As such, it remains most interesting for fans of the "friends" rather than the titular headliner. ~ Vince Ripol, All Music Guide

  4. Shock Me
    • Release Date: 1985
    • Album: 'Perfect' soundtrack
    • Artist: Various Artists
    • Description: In 1985, producer Michael Omartian hired Whitney and Jermaine Jackson to do an upbeat song, 'Shock Me', one of the cuts on the soundtrack of a film titled 'Perfect', starring Jamie Lee Curtis and John Travolta. The 1985 film attempted to be a documentarylike examination of the health-club scene. Curtis played an aerobics instructor who had her class exercise to "Shock Me", which had an appropriately pounding beat.

  5. Moment Of Truth
    • Release Date: 1987
    • Album: "B-side" of "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" single

  6. Do You Hear What I Hear?
    • Release Date: 1987
    • Album: A Very Special Christmas
    • Artist: Various Artists
    • Description: 'A Very Special Christmas' is an album of exclusive recordings by celebrated artists compiled to raise money for Special Olympics International. The beautiful red-and-gold sleeve was designed by US artist Keith Haring, and the album features tracks by Madonna, Bon Jovi, Sting, U2, the Pointer Sisters, Eurythmics, Bruce Springsteen and others. Whitney contributed the gospel song 'Do You Hear What I Hear?' aided by vocals from Darlene Love, a veteran of Phil Spector's Sixties Pop Factory.

  7. Hold Up The Light
    • Release Date: 1988
    • Album: Heaven
    • Artist: BeBe and CeCe Winans
    • Description: In 1988, Whitney Houston contributed vocals to a song called 'Hold Up The Light' which can be found on BeBe (Benjamin) and CeCe (Priscilla) Winans' album 'Heaven'.

  8. Feels So Good
    • Release Date: 1990
    • Album: B-side of "I'm Your Baby Tonight" maxi-single

  9. Higher Love
    • Release Date: 1990
    • Album: I'm Your Baby Tonight (Japanese CD)
    • Artist: Whitney Houston
    • Description: 'Higher Love' was a No. 1 hit for its songwriter Steve Winwood from his 1986 comeback album. Whitney also sang the song on her 1990 Japan Tour.

  10. Takin' A Chance
    • Release Date: 1990
    • Album: I'm Your Baby Tonight (Japanese CD)
    • Artist: Whitney Houston
    • Description: "Takin' A Chance" is on the japanese version of the "I'm Your Baby Tonight" album. It was also released as a single in Japan (it went to No. 1).

  11. Dancin' On The Smooth Edge
    • Release Date: 1990
    • Album: B-side of "All The Man That I Need" single
    • Artist: Whitney Houston

  12. America The Beautiful
    • Release Date: 1991, 2001
    • Album: B-side of "Star Spangled Banner" single
    • Artist: Whitney Houston
    • Description: This gospel version of 'America The Beautiful' recorded by Whitney in 1991, is available only on the "Star Spangled Banner" single. Originally released in 1991 after Super Bowl XXV, it was re-released 10 years later as a charity single in response to the Sept 11 terrorists attacks.
    • More Info: Whitney sang an unreleased traditional version of 'America...' with other artists at the close of the 1986 Statue of Liberty Centennial Festivities.

  13. Love Will Find A Way
    • Release Date: 1993
    • Album: Friends Can Be Lovers
    • Artist: Dionne Warwick
    • Description: "Love Will Find a Way" was written by Dionne Warwick's son David Elliott and his songwriter partner, Terry Steele. The song was performed as a duet with cousin Whitney Houston for Dionne's "Friends Can Be Lovers" album. "The entire album feels the way that it actually happened, which is why I am so proud of it," Warwick told Jet. "It's full of love. It's full of friendship, it's full of family and it's full of people (producers) who wanted to give the very best that they could possibly give."

  14. Look Into Your Heart
    • Release Date: 1994
    • Album: Tribute to Curtis Mayfield
    • Artist: Various Artists
    • Description: 'Look Into Your Heart' is among 17 songs recorded by some of the biggest names in pop music as a tribute to the great American soul artist Curtis Mayfield. Mayfield was one of the best songwriters and most innovative soul musicians of his generation. The tribute album features tracks performed by no less than Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and others.

  15. Nobody Does It Better
    • Release Date: 1997
    • Album: Forever
    • Artist: Bobby Brown
    • Description: Whitney sings part of 'Nobody Does It Better' at the beginning of Bobby Brown's "Feelin' Inside" from his 1997 album ('Nobody Does It Better' was the theme song for the James Bond movie, 'the spy who loved me').


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