You Give Good Love

"You Give Good Love"
Single by Whitney Houston
from the album Whitney Houston
Released	April 1985
Format	—
Recorded	1984
Genre	R&B/Pop
Length	4:37
Label	Arista
Writer(s)	LaLa
Producer	Kashif
Whitney Houston singles chronology
"Someone for Me" (1985) "You Give Good Love" (1985) "Saving All My Love for You" (1985)

"You Give Good Love" is a song by American pop/R&B singer Whitney Houston from her self-titled debut album. It was her first major hit from her first album, peaking at number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1985 (see 1985 in music).

Writing and recording

Arista Records signed Houston to a recording contract in 1983. Over the next two years, songs and producers were gathered for Houston's debut album. Songwriter and producer Kashif was among those whom Arista Records president Clive Davis wanted to work on the album. When LaLa, a songwriter for Kashif's publishing company, sent Kashif a copy of "You Give Good Love", originally offered to Roberta Flack, Kashif thought it would be a perfect fit for Houston and told Davis he would be interested in recording with Houston.

Chart performance

"You Give Good Love" peaked at number three on the U.S. Hot 100 the week of July 27, 1985 and hit number one on the Billboard R&B chart. ^[1]. It reached the Top Five of the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. It ranked #2 on Billboards year end top black singles of 1985.^[2]

The video for "You Give Good Love" featured an off-duty cameraman entering a club that's being refurbished. Houston is on the stage rehearsing for a performance. Taken aback by her impressive singing, the man begins filming Houston as she performs.

Track Listing

US Vinyl, 7", Single

• A You Give Good Love 3:58
• B Greatest Love Of All 4:55

References

• "Whitney Houston" article in Ashyia Henderson Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 28, Gale Group 2001 reproduced on Biography Resource Center Thomson Gale 2005
• "Whitney Houston" article in Contemporary Newsmakers 1986, Gale Research 1987 published on Biography Resource Center Thomson Gale 2005
• Allmusic.com article on "You Give Good Love"
• Whitney Houston singles discography and chart placings

Footnotes

• Note 1: Chart positions from Allmusic.com [1] and from Whitney-Houston.com [2].
• Note 2: Chart positions from Allmusic.com and sales figures from Contemporary Black Biography.
• Note 3: Washington Post June 28, 1985 cited in Contemporary Newsmakers 1986.

References