Thirty years ago this year, also in Tampa, Whitney gave what has become known as the greatest rendition ever. The rearrangement into a 4/4 time and her voice at its best combine to make this a benchmark performance.

Still gives me chills.

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by Anonymousreply 72February 9, 2021 2:01 PM

Best version ever, in my opinion.

by Anonymousreply 1February 7, 2021 2:38 PM

Whitney brought class and prestige to the event unlike that whore who would perform in 2004.

by Anonymousreply 2February 7, 2021 2:41 PM

Best at shouting-singing.

by Anonymousreply 3February 7, 2021 2:44 PM

I was never a mega Whitney fan, but this is FLAWLESS.

by Anonymousreply 4February 7, 2021 2:52 PM

Absolutely beautiful rendition

by Anonymousreply 5February 7, 2021 2:53 PM

It was pre-recorded, though, wasn't it?

I don't believe she sang it live.

by Anonymousreply 6February 7, 2021 3:06 PM

It was acknowledged at the time that the vocal that aired was pre-recorded.

Whitney never tried to "trick" anyone.

by Anonymousreply 7February 7, 2021 3:08 PM

R6, yes and it was reported at the time that it was recorded in one take.

by Anonymousreply 8February 7, 2021 3:23 PM

Yes, it was pre-recorded because the NFL required it. She did the recording in one take with almost no preparation.

She sang it live a month or so later on her HBO "Welcome Home Heroes" special and it was BETTER than the recording.

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by Anonymousreply 9February 7, 2021 3:51 PM

And this year we are getting a poem!

by Anonymousreply 10February 7, 2021 3:58 PM

Phenomenal, but Queen Bey gave the best national anthem vocal performance at the Super Bowl of all time. People won't admit it because she never got on crack and is deemed as too perfect.

Also whispercoo overshadowed any and every aspect of the Superbowl that year, including the winning team, when she decided to show her titty.

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by Anonymousreply 11February 7, 2021 4:03 PM

R11 nice but doesn’t come close to Whitney’s

by Anonymousreply 12February 7, 2021 4:14 PM

CRACK IS WACK!! But Whitney's version both at the Super Bowl and on HBO still sends a chill down my spine. Amazing and so unforgettable.

by Anonymousreply 13February 7, 2021 4:14 PM

R12, Fair enough but Beyonce was singing live.

by Anonymousreply 14February 7, 2021 4:15 PM

Real people should sing the Anthem. Just don't get singers who believe it's a concert and sing it like a ballad with vocal masturbation points. Just do it simply and get on with it.

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by Anonymousreply 15February 7, 2021 7:39 PM

There will never be another rendition like hers. I didn't like the track suit, though.

by Anonymousreply 16February 7, 2021 8:11 PM

I love her outfit . It's understated but I think it's most appropriate for a sporting event.

by Anonymousreply 17February 7, 2021 8:12 PM

Was just listening to NPR discussing it

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by Anonymousreply 18February 7, 2021 8:32 PM

[quote] Real people should sing the Anthem. Just don't get singers who believe it's a concert and sing it like a ballad with vocal masturbation points. Just do it simply and get on with it.

Agree. Unless it is a voice that is extraordinary and singular like Whitney Houston. Which is almost no one.

by Anonymousreply 19February 8, 2021 3:28 AM

[quote]I don't believe she sang it live.

She sang live into a dead microphone.

by Anonymousreply 20February 8, 2021 4:16 AM

I would bet money that R15 is from Alabama.

by Anonymousreply 21February 8, 2021 4:19 AM

No National Anthem is sung live at the Super Bowl.

Same with the half time show.

by Anonymousreply 22February 8, 2021 4:21 AM

I really do like it. The National Anthem is sort of an arrhythmic mess, weird structure - tough to sing. I like what she did with the arrangement. Those last three stanzas ending in "wave", the multi-tiered "free" and of course the iconic "brave." It's a big, bold, inspiring, IMO gorgeous interpretation. She lip synched it good too.

by Anonymousreply 23February 8, 2021 4:23 AM

Whitney is great. People said she is a decent person too. Love her.

by Anonymousreply 24February 8, 2021 4:33 AM

Nailed it. Like a kid in a mahogany coffin.

by Anonymousreply 25February 8, 2021 5:18 AM

It says something that 30 years later, they're still talking about her rendition. Clive Davis and her musical director Rickey Minor talk about how it came to be.

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by Anonymousreply 27February 8, 2021 5:31 AM

Whitney's version of the national anthem: The Greatest Ever.

by Anonymousreply 28February 8, 2021 5:33 AM

This was one of the best articles about it.

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by Anonymousreply 29February 8, 2021 5:35 AM

When she hits the high note at the end, it reminds me of the time we were in the back of Dionne’s soon to be repossessed Omni and my tongue just happen to hit her.........Bible.

by Anonymousreply 30February 8, 2021 6:01 AM

It was at that moment she became a cultural icon...

And that was before she solidified it with The Bodyguard soundtrack the following year! There will never be another like her. She was a once-in-a-lifetime type of vocalist.

by Anonymousreply 32February 8, 2021 6:10 AM

never a fan of her bombastic style of singing, but yes, i think her version is the best i've heard...

sadly and ridiculous that 99% of singers who sing the song, make it about THEM and NOT about the song itself! of course today most singers sing at you not to you and are horrible storytellers, forgetting that is what a singer is suppose to be in the first damn place, a storyteller!...

lastly, countless singers around nowadays, but very very few incredible VOCALISTS!....

by Anonymousreply 33February 8, 2021 6:26 AM

Better than Roseanne? eh.

by Anonymousreply 34February 8, 2021 6:41 AM

Not to take anything away from Whitney, but Jennifer Hudson's rendition back in 2009 was absolutely stunning!

Especially considering it was her first public appearance after the murder of her mother and nephew.

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by Anonymousreply 36February 8, 2021 6:50 AM

R33 When singing the National Anthem, current (popular) seem to want to have their “Whitney” moment or their “Marvin” moment. I think it is funny that weaker vocalists will go for Marvin style as it is so much more difficult to execute.

Marvin Gaye’s 1983 rendition of the Star Spangled Banner only works because of his vocal and storytelling brilliance.

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by Anonymousreply 37February 8, 2021 8:26 AM

The two who performed it last night sucked so bad. That country guy was embarrassingly bad.

by Anonymousreply 38February 8, 2021 10:55 AM

I absolutely hate the way the national anthem has become a vehicle for singers to show off vocal gymnastics. It's become such a look-at-me event that I'd like to see it played as an instrumental only.

And--separate issue--it should be played like it used to, before the players come onto the field, so as to forestall stupid kneeling and other political gestures.

What place does it have in a sporting event anyway?

by Anonymousreply 39February 8, 2021 11:41 AM

Luther Vandross did an amazing job as well. He had extraordinary voice control here. Almost effortless.

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by Anonymousreply 40February 8, 2021 11:56 AM

r16, that style of track suit is back.

by Anonymousreply 41February 8, 2021 12:01 PM

Rickey Minor was an arranger/producer extraordinaire. Here he is with the amazing Gladys Knight doing the best version ever of The Way We Were.

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by Anonymousreply 42February 8, 2021 12:10 PM

So, I guess white people are incapable of singing the Anthem well?

by Anonymousreply 43February 8, 2021 12:24 PM

Whitney's version always bring tears to my eyes.. rivoting.

by Anonymousreply 44February 8, 2021 12:55 PM

After Whitney, this is my 2nd favorite Super Bowl National Anthem. Another masterclass in how to sing the Star Spangled Banner.

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by Anonymousreply 45February 8, 2021 1:19 PM

R45 Same here. No frills or bullshit in the interpretation and their harmonies are phenomenal

by Anonymousreply 46February 8, 2021 1:24 PM

The Dixie Chicks version was very unusual, as I don't think I've heard the National Anthem sung in harmonies. It is very nice rendition...I like it. Most singers try to belt it out, make it a powerhouse song. Nothing wrong with that, just this was different and refreshing.

by Anonymousreply 47February 8, 2021 1:29 PM

If they had to dress Whitney in a tracksuit couldn't they give her one with a better fit and one that didn't look like something a tacky suburban frau would think was "athletic looking"?

by Anonymousreply 48February 8, 2021 1:39 PM

I liked Whitney's tracksuit and everything about the performance. I had recorded it on a VCR tape and watched it over and over. I was so bummed when I discovered my now spouse had taped over it. Bless you internet.

by Anonymousreply 49February 8, 2021 3:53 PM

I actually don’t like all of the excesses of contemporary R&B, all that OTT warbling.

by Anonymousreply 50February 8, 2021 4:11 PM

[quote]I absolutely hate the way the national anthem has become a vehicle for singers to show off vocal gymnastics.

Sadly true. The National Anthem never used to be a big deal and was usually sang by nobodies, often school kids, at such events. Now, we've had to endure 30 years of recording stars trying to manufacture their Whitney moment They fail to notice how many stars aligned that day, from patriotic sentiments after the gulf war to a once-in-a-lifetime voice at its very peak. It was lightning in a bottle.

by Anonymousreply 51February 8, 2021 4:12 PM

Let’s hear it for The Star Spangled Note Strangler.

by Anonymousreply 52February 8, 2021 4:15 PM

A track suit may be appropriate for singing the national anthem at a sports event—I think that’s debatable—but her particular suit, in style or not, looked like one of those disposable Tyvek coveralls that house painters or CSI type wear. It looked cheap.

by Anonymousreply 53February 8, 2021 4:23 PM

I don’t understand how it’s a different “arrangement”. It sounds like it’s supposed to sound. Can someone explain specifically what things were different in Whitney’s version versus the standard anthem?

by Anonymousreply 54February 8, 2021 4:35 PM

Christina Aguilera should get special recognition for somehow inserting ten times as many notes than what were written on the sheet.

by Anonymousreply 55February 8, 2021 4:38 PM

R54, I think that Houston's version used a slowed down tempo.

I thought she did a very good job even if I don't particularly care for TSSB as a song. Given the complicated feelings that African Americans may naturally and understandably have about patriotism, the flag and the anthem, it is quite remarkable that for many people the most indelible version of TSSB is one by an African American woman.

by Anonymousreply 56February 8, 2021 4:42 PM

[quote] Given the complicated feelings that African Americans may naturally and understandably have about patriotism, the flag and the anthem

Isn’t that a stereotype, to say that African Americans are or should be unpatriotic?

by Anonymousreply 57February 8, 2021 4:46 PM

R54, I hope I don’t lose you in musical terms but the traditional timing is 3 beats to the measure. 1-2-3, 1-2-3. It swings like a waltz with the accented beat falling on the 1.

Whitney’s version uses a 4 beat per measure arrangement. 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4. It swings more symmetrically with the beat falling on the 1 and the 3.

by Anonymousreply 58February 8, 2021 4:48 PM

[quote] Isn’t that a stereotype, to say that African Americans are or should be unpatriotic?

What I meant was that it would be understandable if many African Americans experience conflicting feelings about the expression of patriotism and the symbols associated with it, given the long history of continued oppression they have been subjected to. Not to say that they cannot or aren't patriotic, but I'd find it very reasonable if African Americans felt uncomfortable in the presence of loud and gaudy displays of patriotism, which often come from segments of the population who preach hatred, bigotry and racism.

by Anonymousreply 59February 8, 2021 5:00 PM

[quote]No National Anthem is sung live at the Super Bowl.

Then how did Christina fuck up the lyrics??

by Anonymousreply 60February 8, 2021 5:07 PM

NOTHING can beat this SSB, sung at the Salt Lake City Olympics right after the Sept 11 attack. The flag was from the WTC.

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by Anonymousreply 61February 8, 2021 5:55 PM

Comparing the sheet music of Whitney’s version to the standard version, it looks like the primary change is to add an extra beat to the first note of every measure to make it 4/4 instead of 3/4.

by Anonymousreply 62February 8, 2021 6:16 PM

Did her version of SSB chart on the Billboard charts? Or was it ineligible?

by Anonymousreply 63February 8, 2021 6:39 PM

Its not just the beat that's unique in Whitney's version. There's also Ricky Minor's brilliant fusion of classical, jazz and church styles as he describes above. The final product is magnificent.

And TSSB is one of the ugliest national anthems on the planet. So quite the achievement.

by Anonymousreply 64February 8, 2021 9:18 PM

R62, you’re right. It slows down the song and I would say there are a couple of places where she’s rushing because, like we all, was used the 3/4 arrangement.

R64, I don’t know if it charted but it was released as a single and rereleased after 9/11, with all proceeds going to charity.*

*Auntie Dionne was not involved in this particular charity.

by Anonymousreply 65February 8, 2021 9:19 PM

R65, Cousin Dionne, no? Wasn't Dionne's mother Cissy's sister?

by Anonymousreply 66February 8, 2021 9:24 PM

R66, people from the South, and black people across the country by proxy, all refer to older first cousins-once-removed as Aunt or Uncle.

by Anonymousreply 67February 9, 2021 2:16 AM

[quote]I don’t understand how it’s a different “arrangement”. It sounds like it’s supposed to sound.

Her version, and those inspired by it, have become so ubiquitous that many like you now think it's the default. She changed it.

by Anonymousreply 68February 9, 2021 2:33 AM

Not only was Whitney gorgeous with a stunning sounding voice, she knew how to build a song.

Her National Anthem is the one every other is compared to. No one comes close

by Anonymousreply 69February 9, 2021 3:11 AM

Magnificent rendition!! Still gives me chills!

They should just use this every year. It would save us from the embarrassment of something like yesterday’s attempt.

by Anonymousreply 70February 9, 2021 4:24 AM

[quote] Her version, and those inspired by it, have become so ubiquitous that many like you now think it's the default. She changed it.

As was pointed out, the change was mostly lengthening the first note of each measure. To musicians, that is probably considered a “huge” change. To everyone else, it’s going to sound the same although noticeably slower.

by Anonymousreply 71February 9, 2021 1:49 PM

[quote] people from the South, and black people across the country by proxy, all refer to older first cousins-once-removed as Aunt or Uncle

R67, Bobbi Cristina Brown and Dionne Warwick were first cousins once removed.

Whitney Houston's mother and Dionne Warwick's mother were sisters. Whitney and Dionne were therefore first cousins. Whitney herself corrected interviewers when they referred to Dionne as her aunt. She'd point out that Dionne was her cousin. If anything she probably thought of Dionne as a much older sister rather than an auntie.

by Anonymousreply 72February 9, 2021 2:01 PM

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