Last week one of my friends shared a video on Facebook of Luther Vandross’ live performance of “A House is not a Home” at the 1988 NAACP awards. Now I’m not sure if this is something I saw live since it aired the year I was born, but I can’t recall seeing it before last week.
Since that day I’ve watched it at least once a day.
I’ve always had that song on repeat for hours at a time.
That clip reminded me of how much I love this song. Now what struck me as odd was that the camera kept panning over to Dionne Warwick. I was confused, it wasn’t like Luther was dating her so it wasn’t like he was serenading her but it definitely looked like it. I combed the comment section and quickly found out that she’d originally sung the song! Luther’s 1981 cover of it is the one that’s best known, but Dionne released the song back in 1964.
What?! I can’t be the only one who didn’t know this, right? I mean there’s no way I pulled another “I Will Always Love You” and totally missed the original version until it was pointed out so many years later. Was Luther’s version just that more iconic? Probably not, but it was the version I grew up with. It was the version I sing in the shower to this day. It was the version that’s played at numerous family functions while people sway side to side with brown liquor in their cups. It’s the version that’s sang at karaoke parties year after year along with other R&B staples like “End of the Road” by Boyz II Men or “Can You Stand the Rain” by New Edition. Luther’s version of the song is the one that Kanye ended up sampling for “Slow Jamz”!
Now I don’t know if it’s Luther’s velvety voice, the deep lyrics or the runs that he does so effortlessly on the track that make me love it, but I do. And I really loved this clip of him singing it at the award show. It was just him on the stage with a mic. No theatrics, no band, no inner ear. This man legit sang this entire song listening to the playback in the hall. Now if that isn’t talent I don’t know what is. He wove in and out of the various keys, up and down his register and had the audience (and even me) catching the spirit before he even started the first verse. Please take a listen for yourself, and while you’re at it go ahead and check out the playlist I made of my favorite versions of the song.
Comment below or tweet me and let me know your favorite version!