Saving All My Love for You
Encyclopedia
"Saving All My Love for You" is a song written by Michael Masser
and Gerry Goffin
with arrangement by Gene Page
. It was originally a minor hit for Marilyn McCoo
and Billy Davis Jr. in 1978
on their album Marilyn & Billy (although Davis’ voice was not heard on their version). This article focuses primarily on the cover version by Whitney Houston
, the second hit single
from her self-titled debut album
. The song charting topped Billboard Hot 100
, being his first number one in the chart.
, directed by Stuart Orme, was filmed in London
, and features Houston singing and recording with her married music producer, and falling in love with him along the way.
at #53, jumping to #39 the following week (August 24), and reaching the Top 10 five weeks later. The single reached the #1 spot the week of October 26, 1985, and would became the first of seven record-setting consecutive number-one singles in the United States
for Houston; a record that still holds. The single eventually spent fifteen weeks in the top forty. The song also became a global hit, hitting #1 or the Top 10 in various countries around the world. It also hit #1 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart. It ranked #5 on Billboard year-end top black singles chart. In the UK the song hit #1 in December 1985 for two weeks. The single went on to become one of the top 25 best-selling singles of 1985 in the UK.
and the American Music Award for Favorite R&B/Soul Video for "Saving All My Love For You".
Michael Masser
Michael Masser , a former stockbroker, is a composer and producer of popular music. He attended the University of Illinois College of Law, but left to pursue his interest in music...
and Gerry Goffin
Gerry Goffin
Gerry Goffin is an American lyricist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 with former songwriting partner and first wife, Carole King. he has co-written six Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers.-Career:Goffin enlisted with the Marine Corps Reserve after graduating from...
with arrangement by Gene Page
Gene Page
Eugene Edgar "Gene" Page, Jr. was an influential conductor, composer, arranger and record producer most active from the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s....
. It was originally a minor hit for Marilyn McCoo
Marilyn McCoo
Marilyn McCoo is an American singer, actress, and television presenter, who is best known for being the lead female vocalist in the group The 5th Dimension, as well as hosting the 1980s music countdown series Solid Gold...
and Billy Davis Jr. in 1978
1978 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1978.-January–April:*January 14 – The Sex Pistols play their final show at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom....
on their album Marilyn & Billy (although Davis’ voice was not heard on their version). This article focuses primarily on the cover version by Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
, the second hit single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from her self-titled debut album
Whitney Houston (album)
Whitney Houston is the debut album of American R&B and pop singer Whitney Houston, released March 14, 1985 on Arista Records. The album initially had a slow commercial response but began getting more popular since the summer of 1985...
. The song charting topped Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, being his first number one in the chart.
Song information
This jazzy ballad is about a love affair with a married man, and the singer is saving all her love for him.Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, directed by Stuart Orme, was filmed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and features Houston singing and recording with her married music producer, and falling in love with him along the way.
Chart performance
Released in 1985, Whitney's version of "Saving All My Love For You" entered the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at #53, jumping to #39 the following week (August 24), and reaching the Top 10 five weeks later. The single reached the #1 spot the week of October 26, 1985, and would became the first of seven record-setting consecutive number-one singles in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for Houston; a record that still holds. The single eventually spent fifteen weeks in the top forty. The song also became a global hit, hitting #1 or the Top 10 in various countries around the world. It also hit #1 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart. It ranked #5 on Billboard year-end top black singles chart. In the UK the song hit #1 in December 1985 for two weeks. The single went on to become one of the top 25 best-selling singles of 1985 in the UK.
Accolades
Houston won the 1986 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal PerformanceGrammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist...
and the American Music Award for Favorite R&B/Soul Video for "Saving All My Love For You".
Track listings
- US Vinyl / 7" Single
- A "Saving All My Love For You" — 3:46
- B "All At Once" — 4:26
- Germany Vinyl 7"
- "Saving All My Love for You" — 3:57
- "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do" (duet with Jermaine JacksonJermaine JacksonJermaine La Jaune Jackson is an American singer, bassist, composer, a member of The Jackson 5, older brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson and occasional film director...
) — 3:46
- UK Vinyl / 12"
- A "Saving All My Love For You"
- B1 "All At Once"
- B2 "Greatest Love Of All"
- Germany Vinyl / 7"
- A "Saving All My Love For You" — 3:57
- B "How Will I Know" — 3:35
Personnel
- Writer — Michael Masser, Gerry Goffin
- Producer — Michael Masser
- Arranger — Gene Page
- Saxophone solo by Tom ScottTom Scott (musician)Tom Scott is an American saxophonist, composer, arranger, conductor and bandleader of the west coast jazz/jazz fusion ensemble The L.A. Express.-Biography:Scott was born in Los Angeles, California...
- Mixer — Bill Schnee
- Engineers — Michael Mancini, Russell Schmitt
Chart positions
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... ) |
1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1985) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S Black Singles | 5 |
| U.S Pop Singles | 23 |
| Chart (1986) | Position |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 28 |
Certifications
| Country | Provider | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Gold |
| United States | RIAA | Gold |
Chart procession and succession
See also
- List of number-one singles of 1985 (Ireland)
- List of number-one singles from the 1980s (UK)
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1985 (U.S.)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1985 (U.S.)
- List of number-one R&B singles of 1985 (U.S.)
In pop culture
- The New York Daily News ranked it #79 in its list of the Greatest Love Songs.
- The song appears on the music video game Karaoke Revolution Presents: American IdolKaraoke RevolutionKaraoke Revolution and its many sequels are video games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Nintendo GameCube, Wii, Xbox, and Xbox 360, developed by Harmonix Music Systems and Blitz Games and published by Konami in its Bemani line of music games. The Original Concept for Karaoke Revolution was...
. - The song also appears on The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
' fifteenth episode, season seventeen. - The point-of-view character in the song and video bears a striking similarity to the role Houston played in 1995's Waiting to ExhaleWaiting to ExhaleWaiting to Exhale is a 1995 romance film starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett, directed by Forest Whitaker. The movie was adapted from the 1992 novel of the same name by Terry McMillan. Loretta Devine, Lela Rochon, Dennis Haysbert, Michael Beach, Gregory Hines, Donald Faison and Mykelti...
. - This song also appears on Everybody Hates ChrisEverybody Hates ChrisEverybody Hates Chris is an African American television period sitcom inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock , while growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York . The show is set from 1982 to 1987; however, Rock himself was a teenager during years...
Other cover versions
- Lester BowieLester BowieLester Bowie was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the AACM, and cofounded the Art Ensemble of Chicago.-Biography:...
's Brass Fantasy recorded a cover in 1986 on his Avant Pop album, arranged by Stever Turre. - Jazz saxophonist Hank CrawfordHank CrawfordBennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. was an American R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, soul jazz alto saxophonist, arranger and songwriter...
covered the song for his 1990 Groove Master album.
External links
- Saving All My Love For You at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...