Here at That Grape Juice, we love the holidays. So, in order to spread the spirit and get you in festive mood, this week’s From The Vault pick is Whitney Houston’s reworking of the Christmas classic, ‘Joy To The World’.
This recording of “Joy” is lifted from the ‘Preacher’s Wife’ soundtrack, which happens to be the biggest selling gospel album of all time. The hit LP, released in 1996, spawned many Whitney classics such as ‘Step By Step’ and ‘I Believe In You And Me’ and was hailed by critics for Ms. Houston’s crystalline voice.
A remake of 40’s film ‘The Bishop’s Wife’, the movie saw Houston star opposite Academy Award winner Denzel Washington, all the while cementing her status as an artist of many talents.
As we have witnessed in the past as well as in recent times, it’s a hard task making a Christmas song sound exciting and authentic again. Well, that’s exactly what Team Whitney managed to do here with one of the most performed Christmas carol ever.
From the angelic intro to the high-octane ending, the Heartbreak Hotel singer’s delivery is simply flawless and the participation of the legendary Georgia Mass Choir elevates the song to a whole new height of ‘inspirational’.
Although many a purist would beg to differ and say that this interpretation is a butchering of a classic tune, we strongly feel that this version of the carol is amongst the very best there is. For, along side the obvious reasons – such as the diva’s unstoppable voice and technique, it too reminds us about why we’re celebrating Christmas to begin with.
So if you’re in need of some festive cheer, this live showing of the tune in 1996, will have you soul-clapping and stepping like it’s a Sunday all around your Christmas tree.
Happy Holidays!
Your thoughts?
![Whitney Houston's 'The Concert for a New South Africa' Celebrates 30th Anniversary with Live Album Release & New Song 'Love Is' [Stream]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/whitney-concert-live-south-africa-album-2024-stream-thatgrapejuice-houston-464x260.jpg "Whitney Houston's 'The Concert for a New South Africa' Celebrates 30th Anniversary with Live Album Release & New Song 'Love Is' [Stream].")
![WOW! Tori Kelly Soars with Live Performance of Whitney Houston's 'I Have Nothing' at David Foster's 75th Birthday Bash [Video]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/david-foster-birthday-bash-2024-thatgrapejuice-tori-kelly-i-have-nothing-whitney-houston-464x260.jpg "WOW! Tori Kelly Soars with Live Performance of Whitney Houston's 'I Have Nothing' at David Foster's 75th Birthday Bash [Video].")
![Sade Shares the Official 'Young Lion' Music Video Starring Her Son Izaak Adu [Watch]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/sade-young-lion-transa-thatgrapejuice-2024-music-video-izaak-adu-464x260.jpg "Sade Shares the Official 'Young Lion' Music Video Starring Her Son Izaak Adu [Watch].")
AMAZING
Happy holidays !!!!!!!!!
It’s always a pleasure hearing Whitney’s singing of these classics around the holiday season. She’s simply the best, what can I say!
http://www.thepagewithroyalkev.b*******.com
You betta RESPECT the Queen boo. Great article!
I´m going to say this:
Can TGJ get their s*** together?????????? Whitney is always great and she is the best or one of the best EVER and also talking about success one of the biggest four EVER as you all know. But there are hundreds and hundreds of Whitney performances better than this one.
Is this the way you want these ignorant kids usually comment on TGJ to learn about how great the true greats are? Didn´t you have something better? You need to slay them. Next time post a clip of Houston at her prime and let the poor kids cry and p*** their pants at how stunning she is.
ps: I can´t take tgjstaff seriously after that “I care” playback cos of how mad he was about grammy nominations
The best of the best, Music Royalty.
Classic indeed. Love how they merged two different song and speeds. It’s hard for even the choir to keep up. Go Nippy! Simply the best
I love the Lord Sam is also one of the standouts of Preacher’s wife soundtrack that she still sings
people play this song all times of the year.
Great job singing both songs, i love Whitney and can’t wait for the new movie Sparkle
#LAME, SAM GET YOUR S*** TOGETHER IS RIGHT!! THE BEST XMAS CAROL WHITNEY EVER DID WAS “DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR” ON JAY LENO 1990 IN HER PRIME. CONSIDERED THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER AND CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED RENDITION OF THIS CLASSIC XMAS CAROL. PEEP THE HD AUDIO BELOW. NOW THIS IS VOCAL PERFECTION!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IB8w2FK98sg
OMG! That voice was a force! Too bad, she’s become a trifling mess with a cooch that smells like an ashtray. Joy to the world! Crack was whack; She’ll never be back! MilloDollaDivo never lied!
@aimes
That´s one good example of what I was talking about
TGJ needs to get their s*** together. The Whitney performance you posted makes Whitney seem a lesser in the performance TGJ posted (despite obviously being great too)
LOVE IT!!! Although, DYHWIH would have been a great post too. Maybe post that on the Eve of Christmas.
This version of this song is the TRUTH!!! Mariah may have the best Christmas cd, as a total package, but Whitney’s version on this song TRUMPS that whole cd for me!
Puff Puff Pass! Yessssss!!!!! Whitney was singing joy to the world honey! Now that the truth is out, we know that Whitney was high right here. Praising the Lawd while puffing on the pipe is not cool. That’s exactly why I don’t like church people.
I’m a hardcore Whitney and even I know for a fact that Mariah’s Christmas album is the best-selling Christmas album of all time for a reason. I don’t like this performance of Whitney at all (i can’t stand when people, who aren’t familiar with WHITNEY HOUSTON, choose awful performances from Whitney to showcase her voice)- it’s a little too choppy for me (one of the reasons why I love Pre-Bodyguard Whitney a whole lot better.) Mariah’s take on Joy To The World way back in 93/94 seemed a little more heartfelt to me and more powerful. But that’s just me… 80s Whitney will always be > 90s Whitney.
@JohnVidal, I COMPLETELY agree. I can’t stand when people MISrepresent Whitney and her voice… They could have chosen the Do You Hear What I Hear performance