Whitney Houston: Didn’t We Almost Have It All – Live (1987) | Lets just focus on Whitney Houston’s Voice in her Prime for a minute.

Nah. I’m not done ranting about Whitney yet. I’ll keep this one short and to the point though.

The essential song about break-ups to never make-ups that will always haunt you, sang by one of the most beautiful voices that ever found its way to this earth. When everyone speaks on favorite Whitney Houston songs, the standard tracks always find a way into the conversation: I will always love you, How will I know, Saving all my love for you, the entire Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, so on. Don’t know if its because it was never released as a single, or if it’s a case of the “incredibly underrated song”, but someone needs to point out that Didn’t We Almost Have It All is fucking mind-blowing, to be frank. Maybe not so much as a pop single or soul song, but as a straight up classic power ballad that puts a young, fresh and ample voiced Whitney on FULL DISPLAY for you to hear. It will quickly remind you why you fell in love with her in the first place… why they always called her The Voice.

I wont get too deep into the musical technicalities of this particular song, but I will talk a bit about the effortless perfection by Whitney on this track, however. The things she was doing with her voice were just not normal. Her ability to swing from whispery singing to a belting chest voice without even taking a breath or pause for vocal transition is Opera Diva-like. Her range is just fucking stupid; the root of this song starts at a low G and reaches to a full out belting treble F like the shit was easy. That’s not easy on any term folks, unless you want to sound like your screaming. She made it sound angelic. Where Mariah has that uncanny high note range, Whitney had an unparalleled talent to fully belt out high range notes. Most people cant even hold a treble G; she could hit it LOUDLY with strength. On top of all THAT… she has an amazing melisma technique no one can copy, and a clear vocal vibrato you can hear at all times. And everything I just ranted on can be heard in this ONE AWESOME SONG.

In short, this bitch was the Maria Callas of pop music. As if Barbara Streisand grew up in the church. She took an opera/gospel voice and sang the hell out of pop songs. That’s why she sounded amazing all the damn time.

I know I’m nerding hard right now, BUT THE SHIT IS REAL.

You want proof of how real it is? She not only delivers not only on the record version, but also in early live format. Its hard to find that quality 1980s footage on YouTube, but when you stay up all night secretly crying at your computer screen for Whitney, you will find things. Case in point, what could be the BEST FOOTAGE of a young Whitney Houston vocally styling on bitches. The video above you dates backs to 1988, Whitney delivered probably the best live version of Didn’t We… that youre probably going to hear outside of the album version. She is showing out and off in this video people. Adding runs and vocal tricks to the chorus just to show you how EASY it was for her… and a stage presense that reminds you why you fell in love with her in the first place. 80′s nostaliga in its finest form, you’ll find Whitney rocking the androgenous model make-up, big 80s hair, sparkly black blazer with the shoulder pads in it, the synthisized orchestration… her youth. It melts my heart watching this. Truly Whitney in her prime.

Also, I just wanna throw in some amazing footage of 1985 Whitney too. Yeah, she’s lip syncing in this but it doesn’t matters. What you need to focus on is a fresh, baby-faced Whitney in the picture you see at the top of this post (taken as a promo pic before she went onstage). Before the weight of the world (and the gift) started changing things.

Oh man.
I am going to miss this woman.
Treat your favorite musicians good.