"One Moment in Time" is a sentimental ballad by American singer Whitney Houston and written by Albert Hammond and John Bettis, produced by Narada Michael Walden for the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea. It was released by Arista Records on August 27, 1988, as the first single from the compilation album, 1988 Summer Olympics Album: One Moment in Time, the soundtrack for the games. The song was Houston's third number one in the UK Singles Chart, and reached number five on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was later included on the second disc of her first greatest hits Whitney: The Greatest Hits and also on The Ultimate Collection and on the second disc of I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston.
"One Moment in Time" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Cover art for North American and UK editions | ||||
Single by Whitney Houston | ||||
from the album 1988 Summer Olympics Album: One Moment in Time | ||||
B-side | "Love Is a Contact Sport" | |||
Released | August 27, 1988 | |||
Recorded | May–July 1988 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:44 | |||
Label | Arista | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Narada Michael Walden | |||
Whitney Houston singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"One Moment in Time" on YouTube |
History
editThe song's melody was inspired by the timeless figure of Elvis Presley, with Hammond imagining it as being sung by Presley "in lavish style" at the Olympics' opening ceremony.[1] It appeared on the album 1988 Summer Olympics Album: One Moment in Time, produced in conjunction with NBC Sports' coverage of the Seoul Olympic Games and which, in addition to Whitney Houston who sang it live at the main ceremony, also featured artists such as: The Four Tops, The Bee Gees, Eric Carmen, Taylor Dayne and the film composer John Williams. The track is an anthem for believing in yourself against all odds as Houston asks for "One moment in time/when I'm racing with destiny/Then, in that one moment of time, I will feel eternity."
Houston recorded the song in May 1988 while in London for eight consecutive sold-out concerts at Wembley Arena during her Moment of Truth World Tour.[2] Houston's vocals and orchestral backing by the London Symphony Orchestra were recorded at the AIR Studios complex owned by former Beatles producer George Martin, with additional backing recorded at Walden's Tarpan Studios in San Rafael, California. At Clive Davis's request, Houston recorded a final set of vocals at her home studio in Mendham Township, New Jersey in July 1988. According to Walden, Houston resented that Davis had interrupted her brief rest at home during a year-long world tour but agreed to make the final recording.
Chart performance
edit"One Moment in Time" was released by Arista Records on August 27, 1988, as the first single from 1988 Summer Olympics Album: One Moment in Time, the soundtrack for the Games in Seoul, South Korea.[3] The song debuted at number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100, the issue dated September 10, 1988.[4] Nine weeks later, it peaked at number five on the chart, the issue date of November 12, 1988, becoming Houston's tenth top 10 hit on the Hot 100, and spent 17 weeks on the chart.[5] It also debuted on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (formerly "Hot Black Singles") at number 78, the issue dated September 17, 1988, and six weeks later reached a peak of 22, her lowest position on the R&B chart at the time.[6] On the issue date of November 5, 1988, the single peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart, making it her seventh number-one single on the chart, and stayed on the top for two weeks.[7][8] It ranked number 89 on the Billboard Hot 100 Year-End chart of 1988.[9]
Worldwide, it was a big hit. In the United Kingdom, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number 24, the week ending date of September 24, 1988, and within four weeks of its release reached the top position, a peak it maintained for two weeks, becoming Houston's third UK number-one single.[10][11] The single was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipments of 200,000 copies on October 1, 1988.[12] According to The Official Charts Company, the single has sold 400,000 copies in the country.[13] In West Germany, it debuted at number 58 on the Media Control Top 100 Singles chart, the week dated September 26, 1988, and the following week went straight into the top ten.[14] On October 24, 1988, the fifth week of its release, the song reached number one on the chart and stayed there for two weeks, making it her second West German number-one hit.[15] The single was certified Gold for shipments of 250,000 copies or more by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) in 1988.[16] Across Europe, "One Moment in Time" was successful, topping the European Hot 100 Singles chart for five weeks. It peaked inside the top five in Austria,[17] Belgium,[18] Finland, Iceland, Norway,[19] Sweden,[20] and Switzerland,[21] and reached top ten in France[22] and the Netherlands.[23] But the single became a minor hit in Oceania region, peaking at number 53 and 34 on the singles chart, in Australia and New Zealand, respectively.[24][25] The song re-entered the UK Singles Chart for week ending February 18, 2012, following Houston's death.[26]
Critical reception
editPan-European magazine Music & Media described "One Moment in Time" as "a grand ballad in a pompous production by Narada Michael Walden."[27] Following Houston's death, Entertainment Weekly published a list of her 25 best songs and ranked it #14 because: "The Seoul Olympics needed an anthem, and Houston rose to meet the challenge with this majestic carpe diem chest-thumper. The song, a staple of sports montages, yielded one of Houston's all-time best performances at the 1989 Grammys ceremony."[28]
Live performances
edit- 1989: Houston performed the song at the opening of the 31st Grammy Awards on February 22, 1989, where she was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.[29] This performance was broadcast live on CBS and released on the videos and CD: Grammy's Greatest Moments, Vol II (1994),[30][31] and Whitney: The Greatest Hits (2000).[32] It also appears on the CD/DVD Live: Her Greatest Performances.
- 1989: Houston performed the song during Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th Anniversary Celebration in Show Business, taped at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on November 13, 1989, and broadcast on ABC, February 4, 1990.[33][34]
- 1992: Houston performed the song at the 1992 Olympic Flag Jam at Atlanta's Georgia Dome on September 17, 1992. The concert, which Houston co-hosted with Dick Clark, was organized to welcome the Olympic flag to Atlanta ahead of the city hosting the 1996 Olympics.[35]
- 1997: Houston performed the song again at the US Open Tennis Championships: the Arthur Ashe Stadium Inauguration Ceremonies on August 25, 1997.[36]
Music video
editThe video for the song does not show Houston performing the song but is a basic collage of clips from the 1988 Olympic games. It opens from the Olympic flame march in Seoul as a black and white video until the lighting of the cauldron from the 1988 games is shown which fades to color. As the song plays throughout, footage from the games in 1988 are shown. When the chorus is sung for the last time, midway through it, scenes of the awarding of winners are depicted. The song video ends with the 1988 Olympic Cauldron blazing. The featured athletes include: Florence Griffith Joyner, Greg Louganis, Janet Evans, Kennedy McKinney, Matt Biondi, Phoebe Mills, Rosa Mota, John Smith, and Sergey Bubka.
Track listing and formats
edit- "One Moment in Time" by Whitney Houston ― 4:42
- "Midnight Wind" by Tony Carey ― 5:03
- "Olympic Joy" (Instrumental) by Kashif ― 4:03
- UK 12" vinyl single (Version 2)[39]
- "One Moment in Time" by Whitney Houston ― 4:42
- "Olympic Joy" (Instrumental) by Kashif ― 4:03
- "Rise to the Occasion" by Jermaine Jackson & Lala ― 4:43
- UK 12" vinyl single (Version 3)[40]
- "One Moment in Time" by Whitney Houston ― 4:42
- "Love Will Save the Day" (Jellybean Remix)
- "Olympic Joy" (Instrumental) by Kashif ― 4:03
- "One Moment in Time" by Whitney Houston ― 4:42
- "Olympic Joy" (Instrumental) by Kashif ― 4:03
- US 7" vinyl single[43]
- "One Moment in Time" ― 4:42
- "Love Is a Contact Sport" ― 4:16
- West Germany 5" maxi-CD single[44]
- "One Moment in Time" by Whitney Houston ― 4:42
- "Olympic Joy" (Instrumental) by Kashif ― 4:03
- "Rise to the Occasion" by Jermaine Jackson & Lala ― 4:43
- "One Moment in Time" (Instrumental) ― 4:42
- JPN 3" CD single[45]
- "One Moment in Time" by Whitney Houston ― 4:42
- "Olympic Joy" (Instrumental) by Kashif ― 4:03
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Certifications
editRegion | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
France (SNEP)[82] | Silver | 200,000* |
Germany (BVMI)[83] | Gold | 250,000^ |
Sweden (GLF)[84] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[85] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[86] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Personnel
edit- Whitney Houston: vocals, vocal arranger
- Narada Michael Walden: producer, arranger, drums
- Walter "Baby Love" Afanasieff: keyboards
- Randy "The Emperor" Jackson: Moog Source synth bass
- Robert "Bongo Bob" Smith: SP-12 percussion, drum sampling, programming
- Ren Klyce: Fairlight synthesizer
- Vernon "Ice" Black: guitar
- The London Symphony Orchestra: orchestra
- Claytoven Richardson, Jeanie Tracy, Jim Gilstrap, Karen "Kitty Beethoven" Brewington, Lynette Stephens, Rosie Gaines, Walter Hawkins: background vocals
Cover versions
edit"One Moment in Time" was performed live by then-11-year-old Teodora Sava in the auditions of the first edition of the Romanian children's talent show Next Star in 2013. Her performance gathered praise and positive reactions from all of the judges (who were seeing her for the first time) and online, and had 2.65 million combined YouTube views, making her well known to a wider audience in Romania and abroad.[87][88][89] Soon after, she recorded the song in a studio.[90]
British instrumental rock group the Shadows did a version on their 1989 album, Steppin' to the Shadows: 16 Great Tracks As Only the Shadows Can Play Them.[91]
In 1998, Diva Jane McDonald sang Houston's version of the song from the album Jane McDonald.
Dana Winner did a cover of the song; her version has garnered more than 35 million views on YouTube.[92]
In popular culture
editAppropriately for the song's origins as an Olympic anthem, British Olympic gold medal-winning heptathlete Denise Lewis selected the song as one of her eight recordings on the BBC's Desert Island Discs in February 2012. That same month, the song featured at the beginning of the 2012 Brit Awards at London's O2 Arena in tribute to Houston who had died earlier in the month by playing the song accompanied with a 30-second-video montage of her music videos.[93]
Dexter Darden performs the song in Season 2 Episode 10 of Saved by the Bell.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Walden, Narada Michael (2012). Whitney Houston: The Voice, The Music, The Inspiration. San Rafael, CA: Insight Editions. pp. 64–71. ISBN 978-1-60887-200-8.
- ^ Ahmed, Tufayel (August 5, 2016). "Whitney Houston's 'One Moment In Time': The Anatomy of an Olympic Anthem". Newsweek. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- ^ Gary Trust (February 16, 2010). "Going For The Gold (& Platinum)". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ "The Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart listing for the week of September 10, 1988". Billboard. September 10, 1988. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ "The Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart listing for the week of November 12, 1988". Billboard. November 12, 1988. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ "The Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart listing for the week of September 17, 1988". Billboard. September 17, 1988. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ "The Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart listing for the week of November 5, 1988". Billboard. November 5, 1988. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 119.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100 Year-End chart of 1988". Longboredsurfer.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2010. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ "Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive: the week ending 24th September, 1988". Official Charts Company. September 24, 1988. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ "Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive: the week ending 22nd October, 1988". Official Charts Company. October 22, 1988. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ "BPI certification searchable database". British Phonographic Industry. October 1, 1988. Archived from the original on February 2, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ "The Official UK Countdowns: Whitney Houston > Official Top 20". MTV (UK and Ireland). Archived from the original on August 12, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ "The Official Media Control Top 100 Singles, the week date of October 3, 1988". Media Control GfK International. October 3, 1988. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ "The Official Media Control Top 100 Singles, the week date of October 31, 1988". Media Control GfK International. October 31, 1988. Archived from the original on December 8, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank [Gold/Platinum database]" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ ""One Monet in Time" performances on the Ö3 Austria Top 40 chart". Hitradio Ö3. January 15, 1989. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ a b "Radio 2 - Top 30 van zaterdag 5 November 1988" (in Dutch). Radio 2. November 5, 1988. Archived from the original on 9 April 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ ""One Moment in Time" performances on the Norwegian VG-lista Singles chart". Verdens Gang. 1988. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ ""One Moment in Time" performances on the Sverigetopplistan (Swedish Singles Chart)". Swedish Recording Industry Association. October 19, 1988. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ ""One Moment in Time" performances on the Schweizer Hitparade (Swiss Singles Chart)". Media Control AG. December 4, 1988. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ ""One Moment in Time" performances on the French SNEP Singles Chart". the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. March 18, 1989. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ ""One Moment in Time" performances on the Dutch Top 40". Radio 538. October 29, 1988. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ a b "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received June 17, 2014". imgur.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
- ^ ""One Moment in Time" performances on the RIANZ Singles Chart". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. December 4, 1988. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ Griffiths, Peter (February 19, 2012). "Whitney Houston back in UK charts after funeral". Reuters.
- ^ "Previews: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. September 24, 1988. p. 21. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ Anderson, Kyle; Goldblatt, Henry; Greenblatt, Leah; Rahman, Ray (February 17, 2012). "Whitney Houston: Her 25 Best Songs". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2012.
- ^ Jon Pareles (February 23, 1989). "Grammys to McFerrin and Chapman". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ Grammy's Greatest Moments, Vol 2 (VHS, 1994). Amazon.com. February 8, 1994. ASIN 6303029256.
- ^ "Grammy's Greatest Moments, Vol 2 (CD, 1994)". Amazon. February 9, 1994. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ "Whitney Houston - Greatest Hits (2000)". Amazon. May 16, 2000. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ Aldore Collier (December 4, 1989). Hollywood Honors Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60 Years in Show Business. Jet. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ John J. O'Connor (February 2, 1990). "TV Weekend; American Indian Dancers and Sammy Davis Tribute". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ Johnson, Ellen (September 17, 2019). "Hear Whitney Houston, Trisha Yearwood and More Gather in Atlanta on This Day in 1992". Paste Magazine. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- ^ Clifford Krauss (August 22, 1997). "Arthur Ashe Stadium's Opening Serve Is in Giuliani's Court". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ One Moment in Time (German 12-inch Vinyl Single liner notes). West Germany: Arista. 1988. 611 725.
- ^ One Moment in Time (UK 12-inch Vinyl Single (Version 1) liner notes). United Kingdom: Arista Records. 1988. 611 725.
- ^ One Moment in Time (UK 12-inch Vinyl Single (Version 2) liner notes). United Kingdom: Arista Records. 1988. 611613.
- ^ One Moment in Time (UK 12-inch Vinyl Single (Version 3) liner notes). United Kingdom: Arista Records. 1989. 611 866.
- ^ One Moment in Time (UK 7-inch Vinyl Single liner notes). United Kingdom: Arista Records. 1989. 111 613.
- ^ One Moment in Time (Europe 7-inch Vinyl Single liner notes). Europe: Arista Records. 1988. 111 725.
- ^ One Moment in Time (US 7-inch Vinyl Single liner notes). United States: Arista Records. 1989. AS1-9743.
- ^ One Moment in Time (West German 5-inch CD Single liner notes). West Germany: Arista Records. 1989. 661613.
- ^ One Moment in Time (Japanese 3-inch CD Single liner notes). Japan: Arista Records. 1989. A10D-111.
- ^ a b "Whitney Houston – One Moment In Time" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8683." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ Lwin, Nanda (2000). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. p. 135. ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
- ^ "Whitney Houston – One Moment In Time". Tracklisten.
- ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972. Finland: Otava. p. 161. ISBN 951-1-21053-X.
- ^ a b "Whitney Houston – One Moment In Time" (in French). Les classement single.
- ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 10 (7. október 1988)" (PDF). Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). Retrieved July 23, 2018.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Whitney Houston". Irish Singles Chart.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Whitney Houston" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
- ^ "Whitney Houston – One Moment In Time" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "Whitney Houston – One Moment In Time". Top 40 Singles.
- ^ "Whitney Houston – One Moment In Time". VG-lista.
- ^ "Whitney Houston – dorobek wykonawcy na LP3" (in Polish). LP3. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
- ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. p. 694. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ^ "Whitney Houston – One Moment In Time". Singles Top 100.
- ^ a b "Whitney Houston – One Moment In Time". Swiss Singles Chart.
- ^ "Whitney Houston: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
- ^ "Whitney Houston Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Whitney Houston Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
- ^ "Whitney Houston Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
- ^ "Whitney Houston". Gghunt.utasites.cloud. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ^ "One moment in time". Gghunt.utasites.cloud. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Whitney Houston – One Moment In Time" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
- ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ^ "Whitney Houston – One Moment In Time" Canciones Top 50.
- ^ "2012 Week 08 Digital Chart - 국외". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
- ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ "Whitney Houston Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard.
- ^ "Top 100 Singles of '88" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 10. December 24, 1988. p. 9. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
- ^ "1988 Year End Eurocharts" (PDF). Music & Media. January 1, 1989. p. 30. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl - Jaaroverzichten - Single 1988" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
- ^ Scaping, Peter, ed. (1991). "Top 100 Singles: 1988". BPI YearBook 1989/90. London, England: British Phonographic Industry. pp. 64–65. ISBN 978-0-9061-5410-6.
- ^ "1988 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 52. December 24, 1988. p. Y-20. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ "1988 The Year in Music & Video: Top Adult Contemporary Singles" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 52. December 24, 1988. p. Y-26. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ "French single certifications – Whitney Houston – One Moment in Time" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved April 5, 2022. Select WHITNEY HOUSTON and click OK.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Whitney Houston; 'One Moment in Time')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-17. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ "British single certifications – Whitney Houston – One Moment in Time". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ "American single certifications – Whitney Houston – One Moment in Time". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ "Teodora Sava - Whitney Houston - "One Moment In Time" - Next Star". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved February 3, 2019 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Teodora Sava -Next Star sez.1.2013-One moment in time(Whitney Houston )". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved February 3, 2019 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Teodora Sava - One Moment in Time (Whitney Houston) live la Next Star Romania". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved February 3, 2019 – via YouTube.
- ^ "One Moment in Time by Teodora Sava - Official Site". Teodorasava.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "Steppin' to the Shadows: 16 Great Tracks As Only the Shadows Can Play Them by The Shadows (Audio CD)". Amazon.co.uk. 1989-05-08. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ "Dana Winner - One Moment In Time - live [English Lyrics] HD | English". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 25 April 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Brit Awards 2012: Rhianna and Bruno Mars win international gongs at Brit Awards 2012". The Daily Telegraph. February 22, 2012. Archived from the original on February 22, 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2012.