I'm Your Baby Tonight


I'm Your Baby Tonight is the third studio album of American singer Whitney Houston released on November 6, 1990 by Arista Records. The album has been certified quadruple platinum in the US by the RIAA.

Background

Houston's previous efforts featured material mostly chosen by the label. With this project, however, she had more control over the album's content. In addition to working with the previous producers of Narada Michael Walden and Michael Masser, she also worked with the production team of L.A. Reid and Babyface, as well as singer Luther Vandross, and did a collaboration with Stevie Wonder. Houston would also produce the song "I'm Knockin'", with tour music director Ricky Minor and co-write the song "Takin' a Chance".

Music

I'm Your Baby Tonight features funk and dance-driven pop music. The Walden-produced songs are divided by contemporary dance-pop tracks and ornate ballads, while Reid and Babyface's productions reappropriate 1970s black pop and danceable funk with aggressive 1980s dance rhythms. According to AllMusic's Ashley S. Battel, Houston "attempts to make a larger foray into dance music" with this album, while David Browne observed light synthesizer flourishes, thumping drum beats, and "dance-fever settings" throughout. James Hunter of Rolling Stone described the album as "a case study in how much can get out of her luscious and straightforward vocal gifts within a dancepop framework." J. D. Considine wrote that Houston's singing on the album features "sultry moans, note-bending asides, window-rattling gospel shouts". Rolling Stone magazine's Jim Macnie said that the album "displayed a slick R&B edge."

Singles

I'm Your Baby Tonight yielded four top-twenty singles on the Hot 100 Singles chart, and six top-twenty singles on the Hot R&B Singles chart between 1990 and 1992. "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and "All the Man That I Need" both reached #1. This success earned Houston a ranking of #3 Pop singles artist and #1 R&B singles artist on the 1991 Billboard year-end charts.
The title track, "I'm Your Baby Tonight", was released as the first single from the album in October 1990. While the L.A. Reid/Babyface mix version was released in the United States, an alternate Yvonne Turner mix, labeled the international version or European version, was released in other countries. The single debuted at number forty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the week ending October 20, 1990. Six weeks later, in the issue dated December 1, 1990, it reached number one and stayed there for a week, becoming Houston's eighth number-one single on the chart. It also peaked at number one in the same week on the Hot R&B Singles chart and remained on the top for two weeks, making it her fourth R&B chart topper. In addition, the song peaked at number seven on the Hot Adult Contemporary chart, spending a total of twenty-eight weeks on the chart. The single was certified Gold for shipments of 500,000 copies by the Recording Industry Association of America on November 27, 1990. Worldwide it was a big hit during her European promotion in November–December 1990. In Italy, it reached number one on the Musica e dischi singles chart in November 1990 and remained atop for five weeks, becoming her second number-one song on the chart, after 1987's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody ". In the United Kingdom, the single entered the UK Singles Chart at number sixteen on October 20, 1990, and peaked at number five two weeks later, becoming her eighth top ten hit. It also reached the top five in many countries such as Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. It also went top ten in Australia and Ireland. Houston was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female with this track at the 33rd Grammy Awards of 1991.
Houston's remake of a ballad, "All the Man That I Need" was the album's second single, released in December 1990. The single achieved great success on the Billboard charts. It debuted at number fifty-three on the Hot 100 on December 22, 1990 and topped the chart nine weeks later, in the issue dated February 23, 1991. On March 2, 1991, when it reached the number one on the Hot R&B Singles chart, the single enjoyed its second and third week at the top of the Hot 100 and Hot Adult Contemporary chart, respectively. As a result, it became her first single to top the Hot 100, Hot R&B, and Hot Adult Contemporary chart simultaneously—which "I Will Always Love You" also achieved for five weeks in 1992/93—and overall her third triple-crown hit, after 1985's "Saving All My Love for You" and 1986's "How Will I Know" both reached the top spot on those three charts in different weeks. The RIAA certified it Gold on March 21, 1991. Unlike the United States, it was a modest hit globally. It peaked at number one on the Canadian RPM Top 100 Singles chart for one week and number ten on Belgian VRT Top 30 chart. However, it only reached the top twenty in Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. With this song, Houston received a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female at the 34th Grammy Awards in 1992, which was her fifth nomination in that category.
After the release of "The Star Spangled Banner" single, "Miracle" was released as the third single from the album in April 1991. It peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 8, 1991, becoming her thirteenth top ten hit on the chart. It also reached number two and number four, on the Hot R&B Singles and Adult Contemporary chart, respectively.
The album's fourth single "My Name Is Not Susan" was released in July 1991. In September, the song peaked at number twenty on the Hot 100 and number eight on the Hot R&B, becoming her fifteenth R&B top ten hit.
A fifth single, "I Belong to You", became a top ten R&B single and garnered Houston a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 35th Grammy Awards.
"We Didn't Know", a duet with Stevie Wonder, was the sixth and final single from the album, released exclusively for R&B airplay in April 1992. It peaked at number twenty on the Hot R&B Singles chart in the issue dated July 4, 1992. Included on the track listing of the album's Japanese edition is a cover of Steve Winwood's "Higher Love", which was resurrected by Norwegian DJ Kygo in 2019, and "Takin' a Chance"; the latter became a success in the country.

Commercial performance

In the United States, I'm Your Baby Tonight debuted at number 22 on the Billboard 200 chart, the issue dated November 24, 1990. In its second week, it leaped to number five and the following week reached its peak position at number three. The album spent 22 weeks in the top ten and was on the chart for a total of 51 weeks. It also debuted at number 10 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart, the issue date of December 1, 1990, and reached the number one in three weeks later. It stayed on the top of the chart for eight non-consecutive weeks and was present on the chart for a total of 53 weeks. Due to its great performance on the chart, it became #1 R&B Album on the 1991's Billboard year-end charts. The album was certified 4× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on April 5, 1995, and since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales data in May 1991, it sold, as of 2009, 1,728,000 copies in the United States, an amount which does not include copies sold in the first months of release and sales through BMG Music Club. It is not its sales total, as the biggest part of the sales occurred between November, 1990, before there was Nielsen SoundScan.
The album was a hit internationally though its sales didn't reach the level as high as the previous two albums, boosting Houston to global super-stardom. In the U.K., it entered the UK Albums Chart at number 6 on November 17, 1990 and peaked at number 4 nine weeks later. The British Phonographic Industry certified it Platinum for shipments of 300,000 units on November 1, 1990. In Germany, the album peaked at number three on the Media Control Albums Chart, receiving Platinum certification for shipments of 500,000 copies by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie in 1991. It also reached the top five in other countries such as Austria, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. To date the album has sold approximately 10 million copies worldwide.

Track listing

;Notes
DateTitleDetails
December 4, 1990The Arsenio Hall Show
  • Houston performed "All the Man That I Need" and "We Didn't Know with Stevie Wonder, followed by both Houston and Wonder interview with Arsenio Hall on recording their first duet song.
December 11, 1990The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
  • Houston performed "All the Man That I Need" and interviewed by Jay Leno, followed by another performance of "Do You Hear What I Hear?".
    • January 4, 1991The Arsenio Hall Show
  • Houston performed "I'm Your Baby Tonight" followed by an interview with Arsenio Hall.
    • February 23, 1991Saturday Night Live
  • Musical guest; performance: "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and "All the Man That I Need".
    • March 31, 1991Welcome Home Heroes
    with Whitney Houston
  • Houston performed for the troops, their families and military and government dignitaries in honor of those returning home from the Persian Gulf War.
  • This exclusive one-time-only event was her first-ever solo televised live concert on HBO.
  • Set-list was almost the same as the I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour's.
    • May 12, 1991The Simple Truth:
    A Concert for Kurdish Refugees
  • This five-hour telethon broadcast in 36 countries which raised $15 million. The main concert was staged at Wembley Arena, with five satellite sites beaming concerts from around the world.
  • Houston allowed MTV to simulcast her performances of "My Name Is Not Susan", "Miracle" and "Greatest Love of All" at her Oakland, California concert during a telethon held to aid the Kurds.
    • June 23, 1991Coca Cola Pop Music
    Backstage Pass to Summer
  • A Fox's TV special hosted by Cher, which previewed the Summer 1991 music scene.
  • It was aired to Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight" live performance at Greensboro Coliseum on June 16, during I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour.
    • January 27, 1992The 19th American Music Awards
  • Houston performed a medley of "I'm Your Baby Tonight", "My Name Is Not Susan" and "Who Do You Love" introduced by MC Hammer.
    • February 16, 1992Muhammad Ali's 50th Birthday Celebration
  • This event was taped at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles on February 16, 1992, aired on ABC on March 1, 1992.
  • She dedicated "Greatest Love of All" to Muhammad Ali, which was the theme of 1977 film The Greatest about the life of him and later joined "You've Got a Friend" with Diana Ross & other celebrities at the end of the show.
    • May 6, 1992Whitney Houston: This Is My Life
  • It was her first hourlong TV special aired on ABC on May 6, 1992.
  • This special included eight edited live performances in A Coruña, Spain during the I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour on September 29, 1991 as well as her two live performances during rehearsals for that tour, "This Day" and "Greatest Love of All".
  • She talked about her musical and personal life with behind-the-scenes views of the world tour. Her co-star Kevin Costner in the movie The Bodyguard, and her parents Cissy Houston and John Houston appeared to talk about Houston.

    • Charts

    Weekly charts

    Year-end charts

    Certifications

    Accolades

    American Black Achievement Awards

    The Music Award is for the most creative and enduring contribution by a performer in live appearances or as a recording artist. Houston was presented this award for her achievements as an award-winning recording, performing and video artist, for her successful I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour, for her best-selling video and single of "The Star-Spangled Banner" performed at Super Bowl XXV and for her multi-platinum album, I'm Your Baby Tonight.

    American Music Awards

    ''Billboard'' Music Awards

    BRIT Awards

    Grammy Awards

    NAACP Image Awards

    The CableACE Awards

    Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Awards

    Soul Train Music Awards

    ''Billboard'' Magazine Year-End Charts

    Categories which Houston was ranked #1, were excluded. See above awards list for her #1-ranked-categories.
    YearCategoryWorkPosition
    1991
    		Top Pop Artiststotal six charted singles & albums#6
    1991
    		Top AlbumsI'm Your Baby Tonight#10
    1991
    		Top Album Artistsone charted album#11
    1991
    		Top Album Artists – Femaleone charted album#3
    1991
    		Top Pop Singles"All the Man That I Need"#16
    1991
    		Top Pop Singles"I'm Your Baby Tonight"#42
    1991
    		Top Pop Singles Artistsfive charted singles#3
    1991
    		Top Pop Singles Artists – Femalefive charted singles#2
    1991
    		Top R&B Singles"All the Man That I Need"#18
    1991
    		Top R&B Singles"Miracle"#24
    1991
    		Top R&B Singles"I'm Your Baby Tonight"#79
    1991
    		Top Adult Contemporary Singles"All the Man That I Need"#3
    1991
    		Top Adult Contemporary Singles"Miracle"#33
    1991
    		Top Adult Contemporary Singles"I'm Your Baby Tonight"#50
    1991
    		Top Adult Contemporary Artistsfive charted singles#6