I'm Every Woman
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| “I'm Every Woman” | ||
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| Single by Chaka Khan from the album Chaka |
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| Released | 1978 | |
| Genre | Soul/R&B | |
| Writer(s) | Nickolas Ashford Valerie Simpson |
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| Producer | Arif Mardin | |
"I'm Every Woman" is a 1978 hit single by Chaka Khan, her first hit outside of her recordings with funk band Rufus. Produced by Arif Mardin and written by successful songwriting team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, the soul/disco song was a number one hit on the R&B singles chart, and is today Khan's signature song. Whitney Houston and her mother Cissy sang backup on this version. Houston would then cover the song in 1992, turning it into an even bigger hit. The track was remixed and re-released in 1989 for a Chaka Khan remix album and, though not a hit in the U.S., it reached number eight in the UK.
| “I'm Every Woman” | |||||
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| Single by Whitney Houston from the album The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album |
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| Released | January 2, 1993 (U.S.) | ||||
| Format | CD single, cassette single, 7" single, 12" maxi single | ||||
| Recorded | 1992 | ||||
| Genre | Dance-pop/R&B | ||||
| Length | 4:10 | ||||
| Label | Arista | ||||
| Writer(s) | Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson | ||||
| Producer | Narada Michael Walden, David Cole and Robert Clivilles | ||||
| Certification | Gold (US) | ||||
| Whitney Houston singles chronology | |||||
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Contents |
[edit] Cover versions
Whitney Houston recorded for the soundtrack to the film The Bodyguard (1992). Houston's cover was co-produced by Ashford and Simpson, and it was released as the soundtrack's second single in January 1993 (see 1993 in music and The Bodyguard OST).
When "I'm Every Woman" was released the soundtrack's preceding single, "I Will Always Love You", was still at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (it remained there for eight more weeks). "I'm Every Woman" peaked at number four on the Hot 100 in its seventh and eighth weeks of release, remained in the top forty for nineteen weeks and was ranked thirty-ninth on the Hot 100's year-end chart. As with other Houston singles released during this period, "I'm Every Woman"'s popularity on the radio surpassed its commercial sales. The song became Houston's fourth chart-topper on the Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, reached the top five on the R&B chart and the top forty on the Adult Contemporary chart.
It was well-received outside the U.S., but it did not match the success of "I Will Always Love You". It peaked within the top five in the UK and the top twenty in France, Australia, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. The single's video, directed by Randee St. Nicholas, features Houston performing the song and is intercut with scenes from The Bodyguard that signify strong female independence. It won an NAACP Image Award for "Outstanding Music Video", and the song received a 1994 Grammy Award nomination for "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance".
Australian singer-songwriter Tina Arena performed a live duet of the song with Natasha St-Pier at La Fête de la Musique in Paris in early 2006.
More recently, it was recorded by American Idol 5 finalist Mandisa and put on the album American Idol Season 5: Encores, Girls Aloud & Young Divas member & season 3 of Australian Idol contestant Emily Williams.
- On series 4 of The X Factor, the song was sung by Beverley Trotman.
- On season 2 of American Idol,the song was sung by Trenyce
- On season 4 of American Idol,the song was sung by Vonzell Solomon.
- On season 5 of American Idol,the song was sung by Mandisa
[edit] Houston track listing
- "I'm Every Woman" (album version)
- "I'm Every Woman" (radio edit)
- "I'm Every Woman" (Clivilles & Cole mix)
- "I'm Every Woman" (club mix)
- "I'm Every Woman" (C&C dub mix)
- "I'm Every Woman" (a cappella mix)
- "I'm Every Woman" (Every Woman's Beat mix)
[edit] Trivia
- There are backing vocals on the track by none other than Chaka Khan, for whom the song was a hit originally, also gospel music legend Cissy Houston, (Whitney's mother). As a tribute to Chaka Khan, Whitney proclaims her name twice towards the end of the song.
- The Music Video Features TLC
[edit] In pop culture
- Houston's version served as the theme to The Oprah Winfrey Show from 1994 to 1996.
- The song was used in the movie I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.
- This song is featured on DANCE! Online, a multiplayer online casual rhythm game.
[edit] Houston version charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Singles & Tracks | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 26 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Club/Dance Play Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart | 4 |
| Sweden Top 60 Singles | 7 |
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 11 |
| France Singles Chart | 11 |
| German Singles Chart | 13 |
| Swiss Chart | 18 |
| Austrian Chart | 19 |
| Preceded by "One Nation Under a Groove (Part 1)" by Funkadelic |
Billboard's Hot R&B Songs number one single (Chaka Khan version) November 11 - November 25, 1978 |
Succeeded by "Le Freak" by Chic |
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