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I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour

1991 concert tour by Whitney Houston From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour
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The I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour was a concert tour by American singer Whitney Houston, in support of her multi-platinum third studio album I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990). Prior to Houston performing two dates in Japan early March, the official tour started on April 18. In North America, Houston performed 99 concert dates throughout 1991 in North America and Europe.

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Background

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After a successful series of concerts in Japan during March 1991, Houston returned to the United States to prepare for the world tour to support the four-times platinum selling album of the same name. Houston initially planned to start the tour in the U.K. However, due to the Gulf War, the European leg was rescheduled until the fall.[1] Houston instead started the tour in the US. Houston kicked things off with her "Welcome Home Heroes Concert" on March 31 in Norfolk Virginia. The special, which aired on HBO, was dedicated to the troops who were fighting in the Gulf War. All proceeds went to the Red Cross.[2] A night prior to her performance at the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky on April 20, Houston made headlines after she reportedly was involved in an altercation at a Lexington hotel involving her brother Michael and three autograph seekers, who verbally attacked Houston with racial slurs, leading to a physical fight, which ended when Houston jumped on one of the men for attacking her brother and punching him.[3][4] Initially charged with fourth degree assault, charges were dropped on the singer in May when prosecutors were confronted with "contradictory evidence" to claims made against her by Ransom Brotherton, one of the men involved in the melee, and for struggle to prove Houston guilty.[5][6]

Mid-1991 was considered one of the worst touring seasons ever. Many big names were cancelling dates and playing to low capacities. Houston was no exception. The singer played to low attendances and even cancelled some dates due to poor ticket sales. Experts cited the ongoing recession and financial crisis as the main reason.[7][8] In August, Houston also developed a throat ailment. As a result, the singer was forced to cancel the end of her Canadian tour to rest her voice.[9]

The tour resumed in late August when Houston reached the UK. She played ten consecutive sold-out dates at Wembley Arena in London, surpassing her own record of nine straight dates at the same arena during the Moment of Truth World Tour, in 1988. The ten-date residence remains the most performances in a single year by a female artist in the history of the arena.

A month and a half after the tour concluded in Paris, October 1991, Houston would begin production on her first feature film, The Bodyguard in December.[10]

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The show

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Unlike her previous tours, the shows had more focus on visuals. The stage was lit by 300 lights spinning and flashing in synch with the music. The state of the art system was designed by Mark Fisher and Jonathan Park. The system had only been used previously by Pink Floyd in his "The Wall" show in Berlin and the Rolling Stones' "Urban Jungle Tour".[11] Houston also incorporated costume changes during her sets for the first time. She often wore skin tight jump suits. Houston also took part in choreographed dancing with backup dancers. Unlike her previous tours, the stage was not in the round. She was backed by a seven piece band. After her previous musical director John Simmons died, bass player Rickey Minor became the tour's musical director. R&B group After 7 opened during the North American leg. Dance act Snap! supported her on the European leg. One of the most noted features was Houston wearing flamboyant catsuits, designed by South African fashion designer Marc Bouwer, who would be her personal designer for a number of years.[12]

Houston reworked most of the songs during the show with improvisations and spontaneity, adding funk to the uptempos while slowing down the ballads.[13] According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, "Saving All My Love for You" was "sultry, taking excursions through the church and jazz world that aren't heard on the recorded version."[14] She incorporated her popular love songs into a "Love Medley", giving her time to try out the newer uptempo/new jack swing numbers on her current album.[13] Midway through the shows, Houston introduced her band while singing the gospel "Revelation". This started the gospel set which included a cappella and solos from her backup singers. Her brother Gary Houston also performed a Marvin Gaye medley. With hip hop music becoming popular during the time, Houston incorporated rappers into the show. Rappers were given verses during "How Will I Know" while shouting "yo Whitney yo" throughout other songs.[13] During some of the shows, Houston incorporated her hit "All The Man That I Need" into a medley with the Billie Holiday classics "Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?)" and "My Man", which she dedicated to her own man at the time. At the time, Houston was rumored to be dating singer Bobby Brown. The rumor of course turned out to be true.[15] The Holliday cover earned praise from many critics. The Vancouver Sun said "her delivery was achingly soulful" and that the singer should continue towards that direction musically.[16] For some of the US dates, she performed her top ten pop hit "Miracle". Houston ended her show with "I'm Your Baby Tonight" before the encore, "Greatest Love of All", in Europe for some of the London, UK dates included the encore "I Belong to You".

Some criticized Houston for focusing on the MTV trend of relying on dancing and big production lighting. The Sun Sentinel noted that the singer should opt for smaller venues and theaters that are "far more suitable to her sophistication and talent."[17] USA Today praised the singer because she "shakes the confinements of her recordings' calculated productions and gets downright gutsy and soulful"[18]

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Opening acts

Set list

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This set list is representative of the concert on May 11, 1991 at Oakland Alameda County Coliseum Arena in Oakland, California.[19] It does not represent all concerts for the duration of the tour.

  1. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)"
  2. "So Emotional"
  3. "Saving All My Love for You"
  4. "How Will I Know"
  5. "All at Once" / "A House Is Not a Home" / "Didn't We Almost Have It All" / "Where Do Broken Hearts Go"
  6. "Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)" / "My Man" / "All the Man That I Need"
  7. "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" / "What's Going On" (performed by Gary Houston)
  8. "My Name Is Not Susan"
  9. "Anymore"
  10. "Miracle"
  11. "Revelation" (contain elements of "He's All Right")
  12. "In Return"[a]
  13. "This Day"[b]
  14. "Who Do You Love"
  15. "I'm Your Baby Tonight"
  16. "I Belong to You"[b]
  17. "Greatest Love of All"

Notes

  1. performed at select dates in North America
  2. performed at select dates in Europe

Additional notes

  • March 14 and 15: in Yokohama, Japan, Houston performed a stirring rendition of "In Return".
  • May 11: her performances of "My Name Is Not Susan", "Miracle" and "Greatest Love of All" at her Oakland, California concert were shown during a televised telethon that aired on MTV, May 12, for The Simple Truth: A concert for Kurdish Refugees.
  • September 29: the concert in A Coruña, Spain was recorded and aired on TV in several markets of Spain, and select countries in Europe.
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Shows

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Festivals and other miscellaneous performances

[A]Summerfest[21]

Cancellations and rescheduled shows
May 13, 1991 Mountain View, California Shoreline Amphitheatre Cancelled[22]
June 22, 1991 Maryland Heights, Missouri Riverport Amphitheatre Cancelled[23]
June 23, 1991 Kansas City, Missouri Starlight Theatre Cancelled[23]
June 25, 1991 Omaha, Nebraska Omaha Civic Auditorium Cancelled[23]
July 5, 1991 Hampton, Virginia Hampton Coliseum Cancelled[24]
August 11, 1991 Moncton, Canada Magnetic Hill Concert Site Cancelled[25]
August 13, 1991 Halifax, Canada Halifax Metro Centre Cancelled[25]
August 15, 1991 Montreal, Canada Montreal Forum Cancelled[25]
August 16, 1991 Ottawa, Canada Lansdowne Park Cancelled[25]
August 17, 1991 Toronto, Canada CNE Grandstand Cancelled[25]
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Personnel

Band

  • Musical Director – Rickey Minor
  • Bass guitar, bass synthesizer – Ricky Minor
  • Guitar – Ray Fuller
  • Keyboard: Michael Bearden
  • Drums – Ricky Lawson
  • Keyboard – Bette Sussman
  • Saxophone – Kirk Whalum
  • Keyboard – Kevin Lee
  • Percussion – Bashiri Johnson
  • Background vocalists – Gary Houston, Vonchita Rawls, Carmen Rawls, Tiawana Rawls

Choreography Choreographer – Khandi Alexander

Dancers

  • Diesko Boyland, Bryant Cash-Welch, Jonathan Webbe, Luca Tommassini

Tour Management

  • Manager – Tony Bulluck
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External links

I'm Your Baby Tonight Tour | Whitney Houston Official Site

References

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