Whitney Houston is number 1. On Saturday morning, Whitney’s cover of Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love,” remixed by Kygo, hit the top of the iTunes charts.
This morning the single is number 3. But it’s a solid hit, streaming like crazy according to Spotify, on their US and Global charts.
I am told EXCLUSIVELY that an album will follow later this year with other unreleased and live tracks remixed.
The idea for “Higher Love” came from a meeting Whitney’s team had with the folks at Larry Mestel’s Primary Wave music publishers. “Seth Faber suggested we get Kygo to listen to some tracks,” says a source. “And it just went from there.”
Originally the meeting was for remixes for Sony’s Legacy label, which has had a lot of success with Bob Dylan reissues and so on. But once everyone heard “Higher Love,” the project moved to sister label RCA, which could manage radio play for an actual chart hit. Kygo, as it happened, is on RCA.
Of course, Clive Davis, Whitney’s impresario, gave his blessing and signed off on the project.
What a lovely turn of events for Whitney, her family and fans. She sounds fresh as a daisy on the single, recorded in 1990 when her voice was at its very best. and she was healthy and free of scandal. It’s the way she should be remembered, as the greatest voice of her generation.
Hey–about a Record of the Year nomination from the Grammys?