Thelma Houston is an American singer who started her artistic career with a gospel choir called 'Art Reynolds Singers'.
Her professional career began in 1969 when she was asked to sign with the Dunhill Records label. Label which allows her to release a first album "Sunshower" in 1969, album which will know a nice esteem success.
It was the year after that she recorded her first notorious single success with "Save the country", which gave her her first Charts ranking in 1970.
Change of label two years later in 1971 and switch to Motown. Change that does not really benefit her since she will have to wait until 1974 to record her first success under this label with the title "You’ve been doing wrong for so long".
And it will take another two more years and 1976 to really take off with the release of the album "Any way you like it". Album from which will be extracted her enormous cover of the title "Don’t leave me this way" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes dating from the previous year. Revisited version which will make a real planetary success and literally explode the notoriety of the singer.
A particularly prosperous year for her, 1976, as she won a second major star with the title "If it’s the last thing I do".
New album "The devil in me" the following year in 1977, an album with notorious success but which paradoxically produced a hit worthy of the name except for the title "I'm here again", a title which will be the only one to shoot its pin of the game. The album "Ready to roll" which will be in 1978 will do even worse with no classified title !
A year 1978 which will be saved in extremis by the title "Love masterpiece", title present on the soundtrack of the film 'Thank God it’s Friday' and which will know a significant success that year.
The year 1979 will allow her to come back somewhat in the race with the notorious success of the single "Saturday night, Sunday morning", flagship title of the album "Ride to the rainbow" which will be released the same year and which will be her last album made with Motown.
New RCA label from the year 1980, label which allows her to release the album "Breakwater cat". Unfortunately, the change of label will not allow her to return to the race for a long time, at least on this album.
It was the next album "Never gonna be another one" which finally put her back in working order in 1981. In particular thanks to the notorious success of the single "If you feel it". And to a lesser extent “96 tears”.
She was once again in great shape three years later in 1984 on the album "Qualifying Heat", from which the huge single "You used to hold me so tight" was to be extracted. Single which this time will be her last major.
Other titles will be released later, but none will allow the singer to come back once again to the best in the years that will follow ...
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others ...) :
Baby mine 1966
Don't cry my soldier boy 1967
Everybody gets to go to the moon 1969
Save the country 1970
Piano man 1972
You've been doing wrong for so long 1974
Don’t leave me this way 1976
If it’s the last thing I do 1976
I’m here again 1977
I can't go on living without your love 1977
Don't pity me 1978
Love masterpiece 1979
Saturday night, Sunday morning 1979
If you feel it 1981
96 tears 1981
Working girl 1983
Just kile all the rest 1983
You used to hold me so tight 1984
What a woman feels inside 1984
I'd rather spend the bad times with you than spend the good times with someone new 1985
(I guess) It must be love 1985
Lean on me 1989
Hold on 1990
Out of my hands 1990
High 1991
Throw you down 1991
Brand new day 2007
Clips :
1966 ... the very beginning of a long, very long, very, very long career. But at this stage, nobody knows it yet, necessarily ...
1967 ... on the other hand, what we can see from the start is that this young singer has talent. Obviously a good omen for the continuation of events ...
1969 ... despite an obvious talent, it still does not take off unfortunately. We will therefore have to wait the following decade to hope to see things eventually change ...
1970 ... you just had to be a little patient. Here she won her first classified title and finally entered the big leagues. It remains to confirm this first success ...
1972 ... and confirmation will take some time to arrive. It is clear that there is still a little work to be done to hope to compete with the gratin of the moment ...
1974 ... anyway, she continues her adventure for whatever reason and believes it hard as iron. And rightly so, especially when you see what is looming on the horizon ...
1976 ... she was damn right to believe it ! She will deliver here quite simply one of the biggest dance hits of the decade and offer herself a direct ticket to posterity at the same time. All thanks to this revisited version of the title of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, a revisited version that will undoubtedly remain as the most emblematic of all. CULT !
1976 ... there are years when everything smiles as if by magic. For her, it will be this year 1976 which brings her a new top hit with this title full of finesse. When it wants, it wants !
1977 ... she will have been good in all areas, whether it be Dance or Intimist. A characteristic that is only found with the Greatest, obviously ...
1977 ... the rest will prove to be a little more complicated to manage than expected. And yet, she is far from unworthy, it is clear ...
1978 ... after an exceptional mid-1970s in all respects for the singer, the end of the decade will see her somewhat struggling. A new breath is needed and quickly ...
1979 ... it is the soundtrack of a small two-dollar film that will allow her to get by in extremis. She will save the furniture thanks to this title which will be part of the soundtrack of the movie 'Than God it's Friday'. Who still remembers this film, not many people it's clear ...
1979 ... and oh miracle, she will return to the race in a spectacular way thanks to the suction effect produced by the previous title. Like what nothing is ever finished !
1981 ... it will take her 2 more years to take stock of the changes to be made to stick to the new musical trends of the moment. It's done now !
1981 ... a BIG year 1981 with a level of success in very clear height thanks to an obvious sonic evolution. All good as they say !
1983 ... the adaptation will have been beneficial but unfortunately not sufficient. Faced with bloated competition and no freebie, an average level is not enough and she will learn it at her expense in the years to come ...
1983 ... she sees herself more and more relegated to the depths of the Charts and yet it is not for lack of goodwill. Attention danger...
1984 ... back in force in this year 1984 with a much more inspired title which will allow her to show that with her, anything is always possible. The proof !
1984 ... but the level of inspiration fluctuates constantly and makes the singer's position very unstable. And trying to save the furniture with pure and hard Intimist is not easy ...
1985 ... it is clear that Dance is the one and only way to keep her a little afloat for a while during the 1980s. Let's hope it lasts ...
1985 ... she will never be unworthy during the 80's. Admittedly, the competition is far ahead but when we know that she began her career in the 60s, we can only welcome the fact that she is still there today !
1989 ... picking up from Bill Withers from 1972 and not just any of its tracks is a highly risky bet. But the result is far from ridiculous, it is clear ...
1990 ... and here she is starting the 90s in House mode, who would have believed it ?? It should still be remembered that she began her career in 1966 !
1990 ... and she will even achieve the feat of being classified with this title. An exceptional longevity for a decidedly extraordinary artist ...
1991 ... for each title we tell ourselves that it will be the last. It is very bad to know her. Once again the proof with this title which will also be classified ...
1991 ... and it continues ! When we think back to its very beginnings and where she is today, especially on the tempo side, the metamorphosis is to say the least bluffing !
2007 ... we suspected that at some point the rope was going to give way, with the key to crossing the desert that would last nearly 15 years. But once again it was very bad to know her. Because here she is again and moreover in a dazzling form. But this time, it will be the last time she will make a comeback of this level ...
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :