Cissy Houston

[SoulKiss]

I've recently fallen in love with Cissy Houston's Warning Danger, especially the extended remix. Anyone know if Cissy ever made any music videos or anything like that? I've been a Dionne fan for ages, and only recently started to explore Cissy because of the family relationship; frankly, I'm sorry I waited so long! Can't get enough of her!

[markydefad]

I, too, am a big fan of Miss Cissy's Warning/Danger & Think It Over. Great records that don't get mentioned enough. Cissy was already a bit "matronly" by the time these records were released--don't recall any videos.

Remember how they had the skinny black model lip-syncing Martha Wash's "Everybody dance NOW!!!" in C + C's Music Factory? The same fate might have met Miss Cissy. :roll:

[Simon White]

I, too, am a big fan of Miss Cissy's Warning/Danger & Think It Over. Great records that don't get mentioned enough. Cissy was already a bit "matronly" by the time these records were released--don't recall any videos.

Remember how they had the skinny black model lip-syncing Martha Wash's "Everybody dance NOW!!!" in C + C's Music Factory? The same fate might have met Miss Cissy. :roll:

I seem to remember two different covers for the album too..and possibly different versions ?

I saw a privately owned video recently of a TV special with Cissy singing tracks from her pre disco album on Janus, including my personal favourite, something that at the right emotional moment can reduce me to jelly, a version of "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself' best know as a Dusty Springfield hit but originally sung by Tommy Hunt I believe.

I've also seen a more recent (well, twenty years old at least!) documentary with Cissy teaching her Church choir in New Jersey (I think). She was a pretty hard task mistress.

[garrybcoston]

I, too, am a big fan of Miss Cissy's Warning/Danger & Think It Over. Great records that don't get mentioned enough. Cissy was already a bit "matronly" by the time these records were released--don't recall any videos.

Remember how they had the skinny black model lip-syncing Martha Wash's "Everybody dance NOW!!!" in C + C's Music Factory? The same fate might have met Miss Cissy. :roll:

Yeah, she's a fan of mine as well, but shooting "off the hip," I don't think there's many music videos out there of her; best thing to do is go sniffing around "you tube" and see what you find; Loleatta Holloway has some old videos on "You Tube" so there's got to be something, even if it's piece meal on Cissy Houston.

I think she kind of packed her disco bags after it was all over because you don't ever hear her saying much of her disco days; maybe it was because of the scene, drugs, etc. in which I read that she had some problems with them. In addition, she is now a staunch Godly/Christian Lady, and maybe she wanted to leave that part of her past behind.

Garry

[Mixmachine]

Not a Disco tune but Cissy Houston is the vocalist on Herbie Mann's 1976 version of "Cajun Moon" a nice soulful/blues number, later in 1995 Randy Crawford released her version of this song.

[tony98]

I bought a good cover version of Cissy's "Think It Over" about 3 or 4 years a go by non other than Jennifer Holliday, it is a House version but it works really well.

[garrybcoston]

Here are a few "You Tube" videos of her recently, but hardly nothing from the 70's. If I come across those, I'll post them. It seems that her voice is deteriorating now as she is old, but on one of them, in which she duets with Whitney, about when Whitney first came on the scene, is pretty good:

YouTube - 1 - Whitney & Cissy Houston - I Know Him So Well

YouTube - Whitney Houston A Quiet Place

YouTube - Whitney Houston, Cissy and Gary Houston - When I Saw you

Garry:icon_lol:

[neonlights]

I love Cissy's disco work, too.. I remember being 10 years old and dancing my lil butt off to "Think It Over" on one of my parents' old K-tel 8 Tracks.. God, I was one gay little kid lol :icon_lol: If that didn't tip 'em off.. :icon_razz:

Anyway, some years later I came across her underrated self-titled LP from 77 on Private Stock. I thought it might have been a disco record, given the cover shot and that it was also produced by Michael Zager.. Instead, I got one tear-jerking, gut-wrenching, straight-ahead soul album.. The number of tracks and their lengths should have tipped me off, but that one remains one of my favourite Soul albums ever.. Her version of "Make It Easy On Yourself" just kills me every time.

[normvork]

The remix with all the sirens on Warning-Danger is so fantastic! But why no mention of You're the Fire? That song has enough energy to burn down the house!

[FlyRobinFly]

Wasn't Cissy Houston playing the choir director in a movie a while back with Whitney?

I can't think of the name of the movie at all but Denzel played an angel who helped Whitney and her husband.

[Cory Ander]

I'd like to recommend some Dionne Warwick recordings for you to explore: her album "Friends Can Be Lovers" has contributions from Whitney, Dionne's son David Elliott, Lisa Stansfield and her producers and a reunion with Bacharach/David. Dionne also does a wonderful duet called "It's You" with Stevie Wonder on his "The Woman in Red" soundtrack and if any song should have been a big hit, it's that one. And there are some wonderful tracks on the album she did with Luther Vandross...she wrote a song on that album, and the album includes guitar work from Peter Frampton, as odd a pairing as that sounds. 2/27/2012

[remicks]

I'd like to recommend some Dionne Warwick recordings for you to explore: her album "Friends Can Be Lovers" has contributions from Whitney, Dionne's son David Elliott, Lisa Stansfield and her producers and a reunion with Bacharach/David. Dionne also does a wonderful duet called "It's You" with Stevie Wonder on his "The Woman in Red" soundtrack and if any song should have been a big hit, it's that one. And there are some wonderful tracks on the album she did with Luther Vandross...she wrote a song on that album, and the album includes guitar work from Peter Frampton, as odd a pairing as that sounds. 2/27/2012

Cory , why didn't you start a thread specifically for Dionne ????

Dionne also does a wonderful duet called "It's You" with Stevie Wonder on his "The Woman in Red" soundtrack and if any song should have been a big hit, it's that one

ITS YOU


Anyway, if we're looking for missed opportunities for Dionne Warwick hits, my nomination:

Barry Gibb's YOU ARE MY LOVE

******

[The Disco Dentist]

...she wrote a song on that album, and the album includes guitar work from Peter Frampton, as odd a pairing as that sounds. 2/27/2012

Heading off topic here , but I recently realised that Peter Frampton played lead guitar on "Grease".
That seems somehow odd to me .
....Oh ! And Cissys' 'Think It Over' is on the next Disco Discharge C.D. in it's original 12" mix ( 6 mins).
Out soon.......

[PierreConstantin]

I've recently fallen in love with Cissy Houston's Warning Danger, especially the extended remix. Anyone know if Cissy ever made any music videos or anything like that? I've been a Dionne fan for ages, and only recently started to explore Cissy because of the family relationship; frankly, I'm sorry I waited so long! Can't get enough of her!

More info here :
http://www.discomusic.com/forums/sho...-THINK-IT-OVER

In the case of "Think it over" it was first released on the album with the same name on Private Stock and it charted during Summer 1978. At the end of the year Columbia bought the rights and thought that "Warning-danger" had some disco potential and remixed it for a 12". Finally Columbia released a new album with extended versions of four songs from the original album, including the previous hit "Think it over". One outtake from 1978 wasn't on any of those albums, "Out of my hands", but it ended on 1979 Dionne Warwick's lp "Dionne". And finally a picture of Cissy Houston taken during the photo session for the 1979 album "Warning-danger" is on the back of her 1980 lp "Step aside for a lady". The art of recycling ...

[Westwood]

I bought the "Think It Over" album as a reissue CD because of the fantastic title track but was let down by the rest of the songs.
Her other disco album "Step Aside For A Lady" on the other hand is overall a great album, even the slower tracks.

[SandraDee]

Her other disco album "Step Aside For A Lady" on the other hand is overall a great album, even the slower tracks.

I agree, it's so under-rated, probably 'cos it was 1980 when we were all supposed to suddenly hate disco! (according to a handful of white hetero male Americans anyway!)

[discokicks]

Holy Hannah...hold onto your hats! Here's Cissy Houston's only entry on the Billboard pop charts....her cover of the Ronettes' Be My Baby but wow ...cover it?! She buried it six feet under with a big how-you-like-me-now!

Why Cissy didn't become a household name after this is a real mystery...soared to #93 in April 1971.... maybe no one was interested in another cover since Andy Kim just did it four or five months earlier. But what a performance!



Listen up American Idol hopefuls...this is how you make a song your own.

[Bernie]

Discokicks,
That was amazing and the first time I've heard this song by her! I love Cissy's cover more than The Ronnettes after seeing/hearing this performance. Thanks for posting.

[NickNack]

....Oh ! And Cissys' 'Think It Over' is on the next Disco Discharge C.D. in it's original 12" mix ( 6 mins).
Out soon.......

Hi Disco Dentist --- Just wanted to say I checked my Disco Discharge CDs and DISCO FEVER USA does have Cissy Houston but it's YOU'RE THE FIRE, not "Think It Over". 3/17/12: DISCO DENTIST IS RIGHT. CISSY'S "THINK IT OVER" IS ON THE NEW DISCO DISCHARGE TITLED "AMERICAN HOT" COMING IN APRIL. (I am making waaaay to many errors lately. Bernie, you'll need and edit page just for me.)

And let's not forget before her disco days Cissy was lead singer for the girl group THE SWEET INSPIRATIONS in the 60's. They backed up anyone and everyone before going out on their own in about 1966 or '67. And for real inspiration, check out Cissy's vocalizing on Aretha Franklin's "Ain't No Way". When I hear Cissy Houston's name this is the first song that comes to mind. I've never forgotten being mesmorized as a kid hearing it on the radio and thinking whoever Aretha has in the background is killin' it!



I must have played "Ain't No Way" a half-dozen times today. (And, yes, the tears were flowing.) Aretha's touch on this song is both gentle and strong and Cissy's soprano is reaching the heavens.

[discokicks]

Discokicks,
That was amazing and the first time I've heard this song by her! I love Cissy's cover more than The Ronnettes after seeing/hearing this performance. Thanks for posting.

Little Whitney would have been 8 years old when her mother was belting out tunes like this. Imagine having that sort of direct musical influence...no wonder she went on to such great heights.