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I'm Your Baby Tonight (song)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = I'm Your Baby Tonight
| cover = Whitney Houston- I'm Your Baby Tonight single.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Whitney Houston
| album = I'm Your Baby Tonight
| B-side =
| released = October 2, 1990
| recorded = 19891990
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
| length = 4:59
| label = Arista
| writer =
| producer =
| prev_title = It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be
| prev_year = 1989
| next_title = All the Man That I Need
| next_year = 1990
| misc =
}}
"'I'm Your Baby Tonight'" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her third studio album of the same name. Written and produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface, it was released by Arista Records as the lead single from the album on October 2, 1990. The single features a B-side, "Feels So Good", which has not been featured on any of the Houston's albums. While the original version, produced by Reid and Babyface, was released in the United States, the Yvonne Turner mix (also known as the "European Version" or the "International Version"), was released in other countries. Marking a musical transition for Houston from the pop and dance music sounds of her previous singles, Im Your Baby Tonight is a new jack swing song with elements of urban pop and contemporary R&B.
Im Your Baby Tonight received mixed reviews from the music critics who praised the production & Houston's musical progression and vocal performance, but found the lyrics questionable. The song became a worldwide hit, topping the charts in five countries, including the United States, becoming Houston's eighth chart topper, and reached the top-ten in over fifteen countries.[http://www.billboard.com/articles/list/506203/whitney-houstons-biggest-billboard-hits-a-look-at-her-legendary-chart-career Whitney Houston's Biggest Billboard Hits: A Look at Her Legendary Chart Career] The song received a nomination for the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 33rd Grammy Awards.
A live performance was included in the 2014 CD/DVD release 'Whitney Houston Live: Her Greatest Performances'.
Composition
"I'm Your Baby Tonight" is written in the key of A minor (recorded in G-sharp minor) with a tempo of 110 beats per minute in compound quadruple meter ( time). The song follows a chord progression of Am9Fmaj7Bm75E7susE7, and Houston's vocals span from C4 to A5.
Critical reception
"I'm Your Baby Tonight" received mixed-to-positive reviews from music critics. AllMusic named it as a stand-out track from the parent album. Larry Flick from 'Billboard' wrote that it "kicks a firm beat under a retro-pop/R&B instrumental vibe. Most striking is Houston's relaxed and soulful performance. Expect a quick sprint to No. 1." A reviewer from 'Entertainment Weekly' said it "tries too hard to follow in the footsteps" of Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel". Pan-European magazine 'Music & Media' stated that the song is a "sure hit", and noted that its "moody dance beat, soberly orchestrated, and a prominent piano form the basis for La Houston's chilling vocals." Duncan Holland from 'Music Week' said Houston "fails to rescue her crown from Lisa Stansfield and Mariah Carey. Weak to the point of little return, only safe airplay policies will save this. A belting ballad is what's required."
Following Houston's death in 2012, 'Entertainment Weekly' published a list of Houston's 25 best songs and ranked "I'm Your Baby Tonight" at number 18. BET placed it at number 23 in their list of "The 40 Best Whitney Houston Songs", writing that the producers "deliver a streetwise production" which gives Houston "a perfect launchpad for one of the funkier, harder-edged performances of her career". Slant Magazine ranked this as the second best Whitney Houston song.
Chart performance
"I'm Your Baby Tonight" hit the top-ten in several major markets, including Portugal (#1), Greece (#1), Iceland (#1), Italy (#1), Belgium (#2), Canada (#2), Finland (#2), Austria (#3), Norway (#3), France (#4), Switzerland (#4), Germany (#5) and United Kingdom (#5). After having charted ten top-ten hits (and seven consecutive number-one's) on the 'Billboard' Hot 100, Houston continued her chart momentum as "I'm Your Baby Tonight" would become her 11th top-ten hit and eighth number-one single. The single had an impressive debut at number 42 the week of October 20, 1990. Six weeks later it hit the number-one spot, ending Mariah Carey's three-week run at the top with "Love Takes Time". "I'm Your Baby Tonight" spent one week at number-one, being knocked off by Stevie B's "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)". It also reached number-one on the 'Billboard' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for two weeks. "I'm Your Baby Tonight" was Houston's eighth number-one single on the 'Billboard' Hot 100, sixth number-one single on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 Airplay chart and fourth number-one single on the 'Billboard' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It's also notable for being the first production by Reid and Edmonds to go to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, its most successful peak beforehand had been Sheena Easton's "The Lover in Me", which peaked at number 2 a year prior in 1989.
Music video
The video, directed by Julien Temple, features an edgier, rougher version of Houston very different from in videos such as "How Will I Know" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" paying homage to the sounds of black music that have helped define her sound, paying tribute in simulation of the Harlem Renaissance (with Houston as Marlene Dietrich in 'Morocco'), Motown (most notably The Supremes as Houston uses cloning imagery to create two clones of herself), and Hollywood's Golden Age (with Houston dressed as Audrey Hepburn in 'Funny Face'), finally returning to the present day by the video's end. Two versions of the video exist; one uses the single edit of the song, and the other is the album version; Houston's greatest-hits compilations have usually used the album version.
Track listing and formats
*;Europe CD Maxi-Single
# "I'm Your Baby Tonight" (Album Edit) 4:16
# "I'm Knockin' 4:04
# "I'm Your Baby Tonight" (Extended Remix) 6:20
# "Feels So Good" 4:07
*;Germany, CD Maxi-Single (The Remixes)
# "I'm Your Baby Tonight" (L.A. Babyface US Mix) 4:16
# "I'm Your Baby Tonight" (Dub Mix) 5:25
# "I'm Your Baby Tonight" (Whit-A-Pella) 4:35
*;US, 12"Vinyl-Single
# "I'm Your Baby Tonight" (Extended Remix) 6:20
# "I'm Knockin'" 4:59
# "Feels So Good" 4:55
*;US, Cassette-Single
# "I'm Your Baby Tonight" 4:15
# "I'm Knockin'" 4:59
*;UK PAL VHS promo single
# "I'm Your Baby Tonight" (Music video) 4:15
;Notes
"I'm Your Baby Tonight" (Remix) Producer Remix, Producer, Additional Production Yvonne Turner.
"I'm Knockin'" Producer Rickey Minor, Whitney Houston; Vocal Arrangement BeBe Winans, Whitney Houston.
"Feel So Good" Producer, Arranged By Narada Michael Walden; Vocal Arrangement By Narada Michael Walden, Whitney Houston.
Credits and personnel
;Credits
*Producer L.A. Reid, Babyface, Remix produced by Yvonne Turner
*Remix engineer Rodney Ascue
*Remix Keyboards & Programming - Kenneth Richardson
*Writers L.A. Reid, Babyface
*Vocal arrangement L.A. Reid, Babyface, Whitney Houston
*Rhythm arrangement L.A. Reid, Babyface
*Assistant engineer Jim Zumpano
*Production managers Phyliss Parker, Donald Parks
*Keyboard programming Donald Parks
*Drums and percussion L.A. Reid
*Bass and keyboards Babyface
*Background vocals Whitney Houston
;Recording and mixing
*Recorded at Elumba Recording, Los Angeles and Axis Studios, New York City
*Mixed at Studio LaCoCo
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
All-time charts
Certifications
See also
*List of European number-one airplay songs of the 1990s
*List of number-one hits of 1990 (Italy)
*Hot 100 number-one hits of 1990 (United States)
*R&B number-one hits of 1990 (USA)
*Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1991
*List of UK top 10 singles in 1990
*List of Cash Box Top 100 number-one singles of 1990
*List of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles in 1990
*List of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles in 1991
*List of Radio & Records number-one singles of the 1990s
*List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of the 1990s
References
Buy I'm Your Baby Tonight (song) now from Amazon
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