“All The Man That I Need” by Whitney Houston
Of course Whitney Houston’s “All The Man That I Need’ is a love song, one which is based on the vocalist being holistically fulfilled via her romance with the addressee. And as for the actual verses go, they get more specific as to why Whitney feels so.
For instance, premise-wise, she was thoroughly depressed before getting into this relationship. And the implication is this was at least partially due to having suffered through a toxic romance or two. Indeed even in this case, the vocalist entered the relationship under the impression that things had to go wrong before they could get right. But the addressee has proven otherwise.
And yes, there is also a physical aspect to the singer being satisfyingly ‘filled up’. For as implied in the second verse, she and the addressee are intimate at least twice a day. But this isn’t a 21st century song, where his worth physically is determined by how hard he can be in bed. Instead, Whitney also appreciates simply snuggling with dude daily, as doing so is a further expression of the love they share.
And indeed, at the end of the day it isn’t like the addressee is presented as the bomb because he’s rich or has a big schl-ng or what have you. To the contrary, what the vocalist appreciates about him can simply be broken down to being treated respectfully and being loved consistently. For as insinuated, scoring someone with possessing those qualities may even be just as, if not more difficult than finding a dude with money or strong sex appeal.
Release Date of “All The Man That I Need”
This is a song recorded and performed by American music icon Whitney Houston. “All The Man That I Need” officially hit the airways in late 1990. This R&B track was issued as the second single from Houston’s third studio offering, “I’m Your Baby Tonight”.
In February 1991 “All The Man That I Need” became the singer’s 9th career single to claim the number one spot in the U.S. The song performed fairly well in the UK. It peaked at number 13 there. It also reached remarkable positions in the following countries:
- Canada – 1
- Zimbabwe – 1
- Iceland – 2
- Poland – 2
Awards and Accolades
In February 1992, this track earned the singer a Grammy nomination for “Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female”. At the end of the day, Bonnie Raitt’s hit song “Something to Talk About” took home that award.
Did Whitney Houston write “All The Man That I Need”?
Whitney didn’t write this R&B tune. It was authored by American songwriters Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford.
Notable Covers
“All The Man That I Need” has been covered by multiple recording artists. Some of the prominent cover versions are:
- Luther Vandross (in 1994)
- Jamily (in 2002)
- Rachel Stewart (in 2004)
- The Serenadas (in 2008)
- Deborah Cox (in 2017)
That said, it should be noted that Whitney’s version is also a cover. The track was first recorded in the early 1980s by US singer and actress Linda Clifford. “All The Man I Need” is the title of Clifford’s version.
Whitney Houston’ “I’m Your Baby Tonight” Album
“I’m Your Baby Tonight” is Houston’s 3rd studio project. She released it in November 1990. Record labels Arista and BMG Entertainment were responsible for releasing this project.
The album’s first single, which also happens to be the title track of the album, was released in October 1990. The album’s other singles are:
- “Miracle”
- “All The Man That I Need”
- “My Name Is Not Susan”
- “I Belong to You”
- “We Didn’t Know”
“I’m Your Baby Tonight” was, in April 1995, certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA. In addition to its incredible success in the U.S., the album also enjoyed considerable success in other countries. For instance, in November 1990, it received Platinum certification by the British Phonographic Industry. In addition, it peaked in the top 5 in Norway, Switzerland, Germany and Austria.
