Saving All My Love for You
"Saving All My Love for You" is a song written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin, originally recorded by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. for their album Marilyn & Billy (1978). American singer Whitney Houston recorded it for her self-titled debut studio album (1985). It was released on August 13, 1985, by Arista Records, as the second single from the album in the United States, and third worldwide. The following article talks about this version.
"Saving All My Love for You"
August 13, 1985
1984
3:58
Michael Masser
Houston's version of "Saving All My Love for You" garnered positive critical response, with reviewers praising its melodious production and her vocal performance, and picked it as one of the album's highlights. The song became a global success and represented a commercial breakthrough for Houston, topping the charts in four countries and reaching the top 10 in various other regions. It became her first song to top the US Billboard Hot 100, staying there for one week, and is certified Platinum by the RIAA for sales of over 1 million copies. At the 28th Annual Grammy Awards, it won for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Background and release[edit]
"Saving All My Love for You" was written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin during the 1970s and originally recorded with Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. on their LP "Marilyn and Billy" (1978).[2] Years later, Masser saw Houston for the first time when he went into New York City's Sweetwater club, an invitation made by Arista Records president Clive Davis, and she was singing one of his songs, "The Greatest Love of All". After her performance, the singer told Masser that the song was one of her favorites and later, Masser was chosen by Arista to produce some tracks for Houston's self-titled debut.[3] After getting the right emotionally vulnerable-tailored take from Houston, the producer guaranteed her that it would become "a woman's song", meaning that women will feel a special affinity for the song.[3]
After the success of her previous single, "You Give Good Love", the label initially didn't think about releasing "Saving All My Love for You" as the next single. When Masser heard that another single besides the song was being considered for the next single, he made a friendly wager with Davis during one of Houston's performance at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles. He proposed that if all the women get on their feet when Houston sings "Saving All My Love for You", then Davis would agree that it should be the next single.[3] Ultimately, the song was released as the second single in the United States and third single worldwide.
Composition and lyrics[edit]
"Saving All My Love for You" is a soul and R&B song, composed in the key of A major,[4] having a slow tempo of 84 beats per minute. Houston's vocal range on the song extends from the low note of F♯3 to the high note of F♯5.[5] The song features a saxophone solo by Tom Scott[6] and its lyrics describe the thoughts of a young woman preparing for the arrival of her married lover,[7] with lyrics like, "You've got your family, and they need you there. Though I've tried to resist, being last on your list. But no other man's gonna do. So I'm saving all my love for you." Dave Heaton of PopMatters wrote that Houston sings some parts with bittersweet lightness ("that's just an old fantasy") and other parts with urgent heaviness ("tonight is the night"), which he considers exactly right for carrying the feelings in the song.[8]
The song caused controversy due to its theme of having an affair with a married man. Houston's mother, Cissy Houston, did not at all like the scenario described in the lyrics, claiming that the song's message would reflect badly on her daughter. However, Houston herself confessed, "I was going through a terrible love affair [with Jermaine Jackson]. He was married, and that will never work out for anybody. Never, no way."[9]
Music video[edit]
The music video was directed by Stuart Orme and was filmed in London, where Houston was doing a promotional tour. The narrative for the music video follows the song's theme: Houston's character is a recording artist who is emotionally involved with her married producer, played by American actor Ricco Ross. By the finale, he has returned to his wife and family, leaving her (the "other woman") romantically out in the cold.[27]
At the time of release, the adultery theme of the video for generated much media controversy, which led Houston to insist, "I could never see myself in that position. I wouldn't just take whatever someone wants to give to me, especially if I am giving a lot to him but not getting that much back. I could never find myself in that situation, but someone else might. The video tells a story but it's by no means my story."[27] It was also the first music video of Houston's to be played on MTV after the channel had initially rejected her previous video for "You Give Good Love" for being "too R&B", but played the video for "Saving" because the song was too popular to ignore, stating, "I love it when they have no choice [but to play it]",[28] in a 2001 MTV interview. Despite the controversy, the video won "Favorite Soul/R&B Video" at the American Music Awards of 1986. As of March 2024, the video has garnered over 80M views and 390k likes on YouTube. Its final part shows Houston walking along Southbank in London.
The song has been covered by many artists, including: