Whitney Houston - Greatest Love of All (Alternate Version)

[CutiKaCi]

oh wow this is simply beautiful! ive never heard this before! thanks so much for sharing!

[djdavemick]

Not even close. This version is much better. Doesn't yell "MAAA dignity" either. Just as fantastic as George Benson's original--even so, his version dragged on (half a minute longer).

[1pixie]

This is the version I used to hear on the radio back when it first came out.I noticed years later that it sounded different than I had remembered.

[jeliarra]

Thank you for sharing this version. Just wish Whitney would have followed the lyrics to her own song.

[djdavemick]

This was the only version Casey Kasem played. Never heard it anywhere else. Incredible. RIP

[cusa1979]

but what its the first version.. the piano version or the other one??

[jojo34209]

@cusa1979 The piano version was released with the album originally in 1985, the upgraded version was released with the video when it premiered in 1986, and in later prints of the album as well.

[cusa1979]

@jojo34209 OK thank you very much!!!

[jojo34209]

@cusa1979 You are welcome. My pleasure.

[GPATRS1]

@cusa1979 From Wikipedia:

Houston's album version features a piano intro, while the single version begins with a keyboard intro. After the single became a success, it replaced the original album version on subsequent pressings of the album. However, the original version was restored for the 2010 Deluxe Anniversary Edition reissue of the album.

[cusa1979]

@GPATRS1 Thank You very much.. is because i got the both CD's .. one with the piano and other one with the keyboard song!! im so lucky!! :) thanks!!

[GPATRS1]

@cusa1979 You're welcome

[JonnyTainment]

This song means a lot to me. When I was a kid I had learning disbilities and was made to feel like a misfit at a rich-kid school. Laughs came at my expense. When I heard the line: "No matter what they take from me, they can't take away my dignity." I leaned to get self-respect especially during a time when I refused to be respected. She's right: "Learning to love yourself IS the greatest love of all." RIP Whitney.

[rafachinchilla]

The difference between the two versions are more than just the piano; it is way more than a remix.  The voice changes too; they have choose different takes of her singing, and the did a "copy paste": the last "learning to love yourself" in the original piano version has been duplicated to fit in the first verse too of the keyboard one. Definitely the best is the original, piano version.

[jojo34209]

@rafachinchilla SO wrong, that version is empty and shallow, the definite version is the one used for the video, which is fuller and better defined, her voice is magnificent in the video version, as compared to just a lead work on the first version.

[XxGetSideWaysxX]

I feel a deep sadness in my heart right now. whitney houstons music saved my life when i was growing up. The Greatest Love of All touched me in a way that i will always be thankful for. I love you, may you rest in peace and sleep with the angles.

[terristrialable]

Thank you Whitney for showing us your spirit and joy I love you so much. R.I.P.

[NupeWD1993]

God Bless your soul, Whitney .......You will absolutely missed!

[sithass]

Rest in peace Whitney, i will remember this song for the moment our kindergarden teacher taught us sign language to this song :')

[dlryder100]

This is THE DEFINITEVE VERSION of The Greatest Love Of All. The piano version is just stunningly beautiful with THAT VOICE. Clive Davis says (and the world wholeheartedly agrees) 'NOBODY SINGS BETTER THAN WHITNEY HOUSTON and this song is living proof of that. Best female vocalist that has ever lived!

[CiconneAnnaMae]

This is the version found on the non-US pressing of her LPs and CDs. The US LPs/CDs contain the single (remixed) version. The same goes for How Will I Know - the non-US LP/CD has a different version from the US copies. ;-)

[TeamWhitney]

Sounds so much more heart-felt with the piano intro - this version shall be replacing the more common one on my iPhone :]

[cjacja21]

Sounds much nicer with a piano. Its a soulful song, but this gives it more soul xx

[vlankky]

I personally like this original piano version here than the keyboard version that was mass released over the years. I'm sure music execs at Arista at the time wanted the keyboard version since electronic keyboards were what was "in" at the time and standard pianos weren't "hip". Alot of the radio stations that still play this song have switched to the original piano (known now as the alternative version) in the recent years. On the syndicated Delilah radio show, she plays this version of it.

[etyvnio]

The best vocal ending on a song ever!

[jaecht83]

i got the '85 "whitney" album in the fall of '98 but it did not have this version. it had the standard version with the electronic piano in it. so does this mean that any self-titled '85 album that came out later had this version and the other one as well?

[Cicilo1983]

@jaecht83, only the first 200 000 pressings of "Whitney Houston" featured this version. Later on, it was remixed with keyboards instead of the piano intro. You can find this version of "Greatest Love of All" on the 25th anniversary edition of "Whitney Houston", which was released in 2010. I was lucky enough to have the original version on my vinyl copy of this album, and I was really happy when she finally released it on CD.

[jaecht83]

@Cicilo1983 what's interesting is that in 1/2004 I used ares (a file sharing program at the time) and downloaded the piano solo version in mp3 format. i believe you, but it might have been someone recording from a record-player to a computer, as there were no CD versions until 2010.

[Cicilo1983]

@jaecht83, Yes, I guess someone did make an mp3 file out of their vinyl recording. And it was a great idea and I'm glad you found it, because for years you couldn't get it anywhere. I'd dig up my old vinyl copy of the album every now and then just to hear this lovely piano intro. Love it !

[NuchChaBa]

I found the greatest love of all : Inside of me bcuz everywhere everything I see ~ K'Mom *^_^* <3

[TheBLED19]

NO COMENT IS VERY VERY VERY GOOD

[Spyrobandi]

i only have this on the Whitney Houston Vinyl record, this verson sounds alot better than the one they always seem to use

[Spyrobandi]

best verson

[tsntana]

For the longest time, I only heard this version on FM radio. Desperately looked for it but no record store had it.

Eventually the radio staions stopped playing this version and I never heard it again.

It wasn't until about 4 years ago when I could finally hear a CD quality version of this song.

[joshblaize]

There are two of these identical Whitney Houston albums from 1985, that were recorded differently.

Most of these album pressings have the jazzy piano version, just like George Benson's version.

A few of these album pressings have the xylophone version, from her single.

[italygirlnancy]

i love this song

[jojo34209]

The video version of the song finally became available on audio media in 2000 with the release of the Greatest Hits album. Better late than never.

[jojo34209]

The info on this clip is very incorrect, this was the only version of this song released to audio media back in 1985, every copy of this album only had this version, which was extremely disappointing to everyone that was expecting to have the version that was released on the promotional video, which was a fuller and better sounding version than this one, they even made the video using the newer take of the song, her vocals are far superior on that version.

[MrDerbilliardprinz]

ich hab immer diese version gesucht und nun hab ich sie endlich gefunden

thank you for upliading ;)

nice greets from germany :)

[Chimier]

I have ALWAYS preferred this version to the other one.

[musicexpo]

Me too! I prefer it because it showcase her voice without all the musical distraction.

[Chimier]

Right! It's so beautiful. They should have just released this version.

[musicexpo]

Whitney needs to come out with an album with alternate and live versions. They are always better than the studio versions, expecially the live ones.

[Chimier]

I know right! Us fans have been saying that forever!

[jojo34209]

This version has been available forever, since this was the only version released on the album back in 1985. The fuller version of this song was only released for the video, and later on 15 years later in the Greatest Hits album.

[Undefeated92]

Amazing ... She's the best ... !

[CherBarbra]

this version, the piano version, is fine, delicious, classic, noble!!! a shame that this version is so hard to get.

[jojo34209]

No it isn't hard to get, this version was released with this album since the first day it came out, the other fuller version was released with the video and in the Greatest Hits album.

[tsntana]

@jojo34209 It must have been just the LP then. Because the CD and the cassette didn't have this version. The 45 also had the "fuller version".

Unless there were limited releases.

[jojo34209]

@tsntana That is incorrect, as of today, every CD and cassette and LP, even the new 25th anniversary remastered edition, had this version on it, at least the ones released in the Americas. This version has been available since day one, unlike the superior version that was used for the video, which was never released in the Americas on a CD until the greatest hits collection came out.

[tsntana]

@jojo34209 Not the ones I purchased. Both the cassette and CD I bought had the "superior" version used in the video. I remember because I wanted THIS version.

[tsntana]

@jojo34209 I remember hearing it on 2 radio stations in my area and never finding it (the rest of the stations played the other version). I even put a 45r.p.m. of the song on order at Sam Goody/Musicland and waited a week hoping it would be THIS version only to find that it was the other version.

So not EVERY CD and cassette had this version.

Not that I didn't like the version in the video. It's just that I had enough copies of that version. I wanted THIS version.

[tsntana]

@jojo34209 And you mentioned it was the releases in the Americas. I bought mine in South TX.

The cassette I got at Wal-Mart. The CD I got from Musicland. Only reason why I got the CD at the time was because I was hoping it would be a bonus track.

[pannoni1]

To be more speciic to differentiate the versions, the original more familiar version features the Yamaha DX7 synthesizer "fulltines" sound. This is a actual piano that takes away the '80s cliches that makes it sound more timeless and traditional.

[pannoni1]

I just checked my vinyl LP and INDEED it was THIS VERSION! I feel like those special GLOA issues should be collector's items! Since over 13 million of these albums were made, only 1 in 65 have this version!

[jojo34209]

Not so, every edition of this album has this version, the fuller version was finally released on the Greatest Hits album, and before that it was only available with the promotional video.

[cusa1979]

@jojo34209 sorry.. but i have the whitney 1985 CD and i have this version,,, and i have the same whitney 1985 cd with the keyboard version!!!

[jojo34209]

@cusa1979 It came to my knowledge that the album has gone through different prints and the video version was included in later prints of this album instead of the simpler piano intro version.

[jojo34209]

@pannoni1 The piano version sounds so much simpler and like an outtake, missing the fuller and more complex sound that the video version has. Even her vocals are far superior in the video version than this one, considering that she lip-synched to the latter version for the video, most definitely the superior take.

[pobh0501]

uuuuuuuauuuuuu

sooo beautifuuul

just love it

i did the download =D