I Will Always Love You#Sarah Washington version
{{Short description|1974 single by Dolly Parton}}
{{About|the song originally recorded by Dolly Parton|the 1992 cover by Whitney Houston|I Will Always Love You (Whitney Houston recording)|other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name = I Will Always Love You
| image = I will always love you by Dolly Parton 1974 US single.png
| border = no
| caption = Side A of the original 1974 U.S. single
| type = single
| artist = Dolly Parton
| album = Jolene
| B-side = "Lonely Comin' Down"
| released = {{start date|1974|03|11}}
| recorded = {{start date|1973|06|12}}
| studio = RCA Studio B, Nashville
| genre = Country
| length = {{Duration|m=2|s=54}}
| label = RCA Victor
| writer = Dolly Parton
| producer = Bob Ferguson
| prev_title = Jolene
| prev_year = 1973
| next_title = Love Is Like a Butterfly
| next_year = 1974
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|lKsQR72HY0s|"I Will Always Love You"}}|header=Audio video}}
}}
"I Will Always Love You" is a song written and originally recorded in 1973 by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. Written as a farewell to her business partner and mentor Porter Wagoner, expressing Parton's decision to pursue a solo career,{{Cite news|url=http://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2015/12/26/dolly-parton-remembers-writing-always-love-you/77762172/|title=Dolly Parton remembers writing 'I Will Always Love You'|newspaper=The Tennessean|access-date=November 12, 2016}} the country single was released in 1974. The song was a commercial success for Parton, twice reaching the top spot of the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart: first in June 1974, then again in October 1982, with a re-recording for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas soundtrack.
Whitney Houston recorded a Pop-ballad arrangement of the song for the 1992 film The Bodyguard. Houston's version peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for a then-record-breaking 14 weeks.{{cite news | newspaper = Chicago Tribune | first = Jan |last=DeKnock | url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/1993/01/15/whitney-houston-hits-4th-triple/ | title = Whitney Houston Hits 4th 'Triple' | publisher = Tribune Company | date = January 15, 1993 | access-date =March 17, 2011}} The single was certified diamond by the RIAA, making Houston's first diamond single, the third female artist who had both a diamond single and a diamond album,{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2022/01/12/whitney-houston-joins-taylor-swift-and-mariah-carey-in-an-extremely-rare-musical-feat/|title=Whitney Houston Joins Taylor Swift And Mariah Carey In An Extremely Rare Musical Feat|work=Forbes|date=January 12, 2022|access-date=February 4, 2022}} and becoming the best-selling single by a woman in the U.S.{{cite web | url = https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=2&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Whitney%20Houston&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2010&sort=Artist&perPage=25 | title = RIAA certification for "I Will Always Love You" single | publisher = The Recording Industry Association of America | date = January 12, 1993 | access-date = July 5, 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130725043408/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=2&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Whitney%20Houston&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2010&sort=Artist&perPage=25 | archive-date = July 25, 2013 | df = mdy-all }}{{cite magazine |title=RIAA Certs Show Power of 'Titanic' |magazine=Billboard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rg4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA10|date=April 11, 1998|page=10|issn=0006-2510}}{{cite magazine | first = Gary | last = Trust | url = https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/267561/ask-billboard-battle-of-the-divas-round-3 | title = Battle of the Divas, Round 3 |magazine=Billboard | date = August 28, 2009 | access-date =September 25, 2010}}{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/whitney-houston-i-will-always-love-you-diamond-status-1235018992/|title=Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You' Is Certified Diamond by RIAA|publisher=Billboard|date=January 13, 2022|access-date=February 4, 2022}} The song was an enormous success worldwide, going number one in 34 official singles charts. With over 24 million copies sold worldwide, it became the best-selling single of all time by a female solo artist.{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2024 |title='I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU': WHITNEY HOUSTON REACHES A NEW MUSICAL MILESTONE |url=https://www.blackenterprise.com/whitney-houstons-music-top-charts-worldwide/ |access-date=September 27, 2024 |work=Black Enterprise}}{{Cite web |date=March 14, 2024 |title="I Will Always Love You", anche dopo cinquant'anni |url=https://www.ilpost.it/2024/03/14/i-will-always-love-you/?amp=1 |access-date=July 24, 2024 |work=Il Post}} It was also the world's best-selling single of 1992.{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-top-40-best-selling-songs-of-1992__33244/|title=Official Top 40 best-selling songs of 1992|date=28 May 2021|access-date=11 June 2023|publisher=Official Charts}} Houston won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/whitney-houston/3899 |title=Whitney Houston |website=grammy.com |access-date=January 5, 2024}} in 1994 for "I Will Always Love You".{{Cite web|url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/grammy/record.htm|title=Rock On The Net: Grammy Awards: Record of the Year|website=www.rockonthenet.com}} Houston also won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year for The Bodyguard - Original Soundtrack Album.
The song has been recorded by many other artists including Linda Ronstadt,{{Cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2007/09/linda-ronstadt-i-will-always-love-you.html|title=Linda Ronstadt – I Will Always Love You|date=September 1, 2015|website=www.pastemagazine.com|language=en|access-date=October 10, 2019|archive-date=October 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191010230848/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2007/09/linda-ronstadt-i-will-always-love-you.html|url-status=dead}} John Doe,{{Cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/bp/12-things-didn-t-know-always-love-192744564.html|title=12 Things You Didn't Know About 'I Will Always Love You'|website=Yahoo|date=February 14, 2012 |language=en-US|access-date=October 10, 2019}} Amber Riley, Kenny Rogers,{{cite web | url=https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/291044 | title=I Will Always Love You by Kenny Rogers | website=SecondHandSongs }} LeAnn Rimes,{{Cite web|url=https://countryrebel.com/blogs/videos/14-year-old-leann-rimes-blows-crowd-away-with-rare-i-will-always-love-you/|title=14-Year-Old LeAnn Rimes Blows Crowd Away With Rare 'I Will Always Love You'|website=Country Rebel|date=October 19, 2017 |language=en-US|access-date=October 10, 2019}} and Sarah Washington, whose dance version reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. "I Will Always Love You" has been recognized by BMI for over ten million broadcast performances.{{cite web|title=BMI Presents Dolly Parton With 7 "Million-Air" Certificates |url=https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/bmi-presents-dolly-parton-with-7-million-air-certificates |access-date= March 6, 2023 |date= August 13, 2020}}
Background and composition
{{listen
| filename = Dolly Parton - I Will Always Love You.ogg
| title = "I Will Always Love You"
| description = A 19-second sample of Parton's 1982 recording of "I Will Always Love You".
| pos = left
}}
Country music singer-songwriter Dolly Parton wrote the song in 1973 for her one-time partner and mentor Porter Wagoner, from whom she was separating professionally after a seven-year partnership.{{CN|date=July 2023}} She recorded it in RCA Studio B in Nashville on June 12, 1973.
Author Curtis W. Ellison stated that the song "speaks about the breakup of a relationship between a man and a woman that does not descend into unremitting domestic turmoil, but instead envisions parting with respect – because of the initiative of the woman".{{cite book |last1=Ellison |first1=Curtis W. |title=Country Music Culture: From Hard Times to Heaven |date=1995 |publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi |isbn=978-1-60473-934-3 |page=195 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P1qyHCmpT7EC&pg=PA195 |language=en}} The country love track is set in a time signature of common time with a tempo of 66 beats per minute. (Larghetto/Adagio){{cite web|url=http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/scorchVPE.asp?ppn=SC0084633|title=Dolly Part I Will Always Love You – Digital Sheet Music|work=Music Notes|date=September 1999|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|access-date=February 6, 2010}} Although Parton found much success with the song, many people are unaware of its origin; during an interview, Parton's manager Danny Nozel said that "one thing we found out from American Idol is that most people don't know that Dolly Parton wrote [the track]".{{cite book |last1=Cardwell |first1=Nancy |title=The Words and Music of Dolly Parton: Getting to Know Country's "Iron Butterfly": Getting to Know Country's "Iron Butterfly" |date=22 July 2011 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-0-313-37804-1 |page=134 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DVqsWsJyAWIC&pg=PA134 |language=en}} During an interview on The Bobby Bones Show, Dolly Parton revealed that she wrote her signature song "Jolene" on the same day that she wrote "I Will Always Love You."{{Cite web|url=https://www.out.com/music/2019/3/19/dolly-parton-wrote-jolene-and-i-will-always-love-you-one-day|title=Dolly Parton Wrote 'Jolene' and 'I Will Always Love You' in One Day|date=March 1, 2019|website=www.out.com|language=en|access-date=March 28, 2019}}{{cite web| url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/dolly-parton-2-songs-one-day/|title= Did Dolly Parton write 'Jolene' and 'I Will Always Love You' in one day?| first= Bethania| last= Palma| date= October 25, 2019| website= Snopes.com| access-date= December 28, 2019}} Parton clarified later, "I don’t really know if they were written in the same night."{{Cite news |date=March 4, 2022 |title=Dolly Parton debunks tale of writing 'Jolene,' 'I Will Always Love You' on same day |url=https://www.kentucky.com/news/nation-world/national/article259049603.html |work=Lexington Herald Leader}}
Several times (long before Whitney Houston recorded the song), Dolly Parton suggested to singer Patti LaBelle that she record "I Will Always Love You" because she felt LaBelle could have sung it so well. However, LaBelle admitted she kept putting off the opportunity to do so and later deeply regretted it after she heard Whitney Houston's rendition.{{Cite web|url=https://www.iloveoldschoolmusic.com/patti-says-she-regrets-turning-down-these-2-major-hits-missing-millions/2/|title=Patti Says She Regrets Turning Down These 2 Major Hits, Missing Millions|date=July 1, 2015|website=I Love Old School Music|language=en-US|access-date=October 10, 2019}}
1974 version
File:I Will Always Love You - Cash Box ad 1974.jpg advertisement, May 11, 1974]]
"I Will Always Love You" was issued on March 18, 1974, as the second single from Parton's thirteenth solo studio album, Jolene (1974). During its original release in 1974, "I Will Always Love You" reached number four in Canada on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart and peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, becoming one of the best selling singles of 1974.{{cite book |last1=Dean |first1=Maury |title=Rock N Roll Gold Rush: A Singles Un-Cyclopedia |date=2003 |publisher=Algora Publishing |isbn=978-0-87586-207-1 |page=477 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i6RMBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA477 |language=en}}
When the 1974 recording of the song reached number one on the country charts, Elvis Presley indicated that he wanted to record the song. Parton was interested until Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, told her that it was standard procedure for the songwriter to sign over half of the publishing rights to any song Elvis recorded.{{Cite web |url=http://kool.cbslocal.com/2016/06/08/this-day-in-music-history-june-8th/ |title=This Day in Music History – June 8th |website=kool.cbslocal.com |publisher=CBS Radio |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303215240/http://kool.cbslocal.com/2016/06/08/this-day-in-music-history-june-8th/ |archive-date=March 3, 2017 |access-date=March 3, 2017}} Parton refused. She recalls:
I said, 'I'm really sorry,' and I cried all night. I mean, it was like the worst thing. You know, it's like, Oh, my God… Elvis Presley.' And other people were saying, 'You're nuts. It's Elvis Presley.' …I said, 'I can't do that. Something in my heart says, 'Don't do that. And I just didn't do it… He would have killed it. But anyway, so he didn't. Then when Whitney [Houston's version] came out, I made enough money to buy Graceland.{{Cite web |url=http://www.wideopencountry.com/the-greatest-country-love-song-of-all-time/ |title=The Surprising Backstory of Dolly Parton's 'I Will Always Love You' |website=wideopencountry.com |publisher=WOS Inc. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303220521/http://www.wideopencountry.com/the-greatest-country-love-song-of-all-time/ |archive-date=March 3, 2017 |access-date=March 3, 2017}}
The song won Parton Female Vocalist of the Year at the 1975 CMA Awards.
=Critical reception=
In Curtis W. Ellison's book, Country Music Culture: From Hard Times to Heaven (1995), he stated: "In the early 1990s, when ambiguity in romantic relationships accompanies changing expectations for both men and women, this song demonstrates Dolly Parton's appeal as a songwriter in the pop music market." Writer Paul Simpson criticized the singer, stating that the track was only written to "soften the blow" of Parton and Wagoner's split.{{cite book |last1=Simpson |first1=Paul |title=The Rough Guide to Cult Pop |date=2003 |publisher=Rough Guides |isbn=978-1-84353-229-3 |page=241 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F7hpXcrqA-8C&pg=PA241 |language=en}}
=Track listing=
- "I Will Always Love You" – 2:53
- "Lonely Comin' Down" – 3:09
=Credits and personnel=
{{div col}}
- Dolly Parton – vocals, guitar
- Jimmy Colvard – guitar
- Chip Young – guitar
- Stu Basore – pedal steel guitar
- Bobby Dyson – bass
- Larrie Londin – drums
- Buck Trent – banjo
- Bobby Thompson – banjo
- Mack Magaha – fiddle
- Johnny Gimble – fiddle
- Hargus "Pig" Robbins – piano
- Dolores Edgin – background vocals
- Hershel Winginton – background vocals
- Joe Babcock – background vocals
- June Page – background vocals
{{div col end}}
=Charts=
Weekly
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1974)
!Peak |
|---|
| align="left"|Canada Country Tracks (RPM){{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/index-e.html |title=Introduction – RPM – Library and Archives Canada |date=April 16, 2013 |publisher=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=March 31, 2014}}
| style="text-align:center;"|4 |
| align="left"|US Hot Country Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|author=Overall Popularity Top |url=https://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/chart_display.jsp?g=Singles&f=Hot+Country+Songs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051216231729/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/chart_display.jsp?g=Singles&f=Hot+Country+Songs |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 16, 2005 |title=Charts |magazine=Billboard |access-date=March 31, 2014}}
| style="text-align:center;"|1 |
Year-End
| class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Chart (1974) !align="left"|Peak |
| align="left"|US Hot Country Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine |title=Billboard Hot Country Songs - Year-End Charts (1974) |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1974/hot-country-songs |magazine=Billboard |access-date= December 4, 2020}}
|align="center"|22 |
1982 version
{{Infobox song
| name = I Will Always Love You
| cover = Dolly Parton - I Will Always Love You.jpg
| caption =
| type = single
| artist = Dolly Parton
| album = The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
| A-side = "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind"
| released = {{start date|1982|07|12}}
| recorded = {{circa}} February 1982
| studio = RCA Studio A (Nashville)
| genre = Country
| length = {{Duration|m=3|s=02}}
| label = RCA Records
| writer = Dolly Parton
| producer = {{hlist|Dolly Parton|Gregg Perry}}
| prev_title = Heartbreak Express
| prev_year = 1982
| next_title = Hard Candy Christmas
| next_year = 1982
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|0KjO3YwlhEE|"I Will Always Love You" (1982)}}|header=Film clip}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|LfAICh1u230|"I Will Always Love You" (1982, from Greatest Hits)}}|header=Audio}}
}}
Parton re-recorded the song for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, released July 12, 1982, as the first single from the soundtrack album. The single eventually hit number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, earning Parton a rare distinction: reaching the number one position twice with the same song.
=Critical reception=
Billboard gave a positive review which said, "The first single from The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas isn't the sort of brassy main theme normally used to launch a major movie musical: here Parton reinterprets one of her earliest exercises in pure pop writing, and while older fans may be divided over the breathier, more stylized reading she offers here, the song itself is still a lovely ballad with a soaring chorus."{{cite web |title=Top Single Picks |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Billboard-IDX/IDX/80s/1982/BB-1982-soul-OCR-Page-0191.pdf |website=American Radio History |publisher=Billboard |access-date=December 27, 2019 |page=63 |date=July 24, 1982}} Cashbox also reviewed the single favorably, saying that "hoisted over a building arrangement, Parton's vocals have never been more convincing or moving. The single choice from her Hollywood flick, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the tune is sentiment wrapped in an appropriate package replete with strings, oboe and harp in addition to a delicate rhythm section."{{cite web |title=Reviews |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/80s/1982/CB-1982-07-24-OCR-Page-0050.pdf |website=American Radio History |publisher=Cashbox |access-date=December 27, 2019 |date=July 24, 1982}}
=Charts=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Chart (1982)
!Peak |
|---|
| align="left"|Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|title=Australian Chart Book: 1993–2005|publisher=Australian Chart Book|year=2006|page=282|isbn=0-646-45889-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c1YMPQAACAAJ&q=australian+chart+book|access-date=July 2, 2009|author-link=David Kent (historian)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|72 |
| {{singlechart|Flanders|4|artist=Dolly Parton|song=I Will Always Love You|access-date=December 13, 2020}} |
| align="left"|Canada Top Singles (RPM)
| style="text-align:center;"|8 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM){{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=8376& |title=Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |date=October 30, 1982 |access-date=February 19, 2018}}
| style="text-align:center;"|1 |
| align="left"|Canada Country Tracks (RPM)
| style="text-align:center;"|1 |
| {{singlechart|Dutch100|2|artist=Dolly Parton|song=I Will Always Love You|access-date=December 13, 2020}} |
| {{singlechart|Sweden|45|artist=Dolly Parton|song=I Will Always Love You|access-date=July 16, 2013}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardhot100|53|artist=Dolly Parton|access-date=April 23, 2017}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardadultcontemporary|17|artist=Dolly Parton|access-date=April 23, 2017}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardcountrysongs|1|artist=Dolly Parton|access-date=December 13, 2020}} |
=Certifications=
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|artist=Dolly Parton|title=I Will Always Love You|award=Gold|relyear=1982|certyear=2021|access-date=February 3, 2022}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Dolly Parton|title=I Will Always Love You|award=Silver|relyear=2004|certyear=2020|id=3165-30-1|access-date=January 8, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Dolly Parton|title=I Will Always Love You|award=Platinum|relyear=1974|certyear=2021|access-date=November 2, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Separator|title=Streaming}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Sweden|type=single|artist=Dolly Parton|title=I Will Always Love You|award=Gold|relyear=1973|certyear=2021|source=artist|access-date=March 5, 2023}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true|streamsonly=true}}
1995 version
{{Infobox song
| name = I Will Always Love You
| type = single
| artist = Dolly Parton and Vince Gill
| album = Something Special
| B-side = "Speakin' of the Devil"
| released = November 1995
| recorded = 1995
| studio =
| genre = Country
| length = {{Duration|m=3|s=17}}
| label = Columbia
| writer = Dolly Parton
| producer = {{hlist|Steve Buckingham|Dolly Parton}}
| misc = {{Extra_chronology
| artist = Dolly Parton
| type = single
| prev_title = When You Tell Me That You Love Me
| prev_year = 1994
| title = I Will Always Love You
| year = 1995
| next_title = Just When I Needed You Most
| next_year = 1996
}}
{{Extra chronology
| artist = Vince Gill
| type = single
| prev_title = Go Rest High on That Mountain
| prev_year = 1995
| year = 1995
| title = I Will Always Love You
| next_title = High Lonesome Sound
| next_year = 1996
}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|1N8a_4EaJF0|"I Will Always Love You" (1995)}}|header=Audio}}
}}
Parton recorded "I Will Always Love You" in 1995 as a duet with Vince Gill for her album, Something Special. Following an August 26 performance of the duet at the Grand Ole Opry which aired on TNN, radio stations began giving the duet unsolicited airplay, causing it to debut on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart at number 53. After a performance at the 29th Annual CMA Awards, the song was officially released as a single in November 1995, peaking at number 15. This marked the third time Parton had a top 20 hit with the song. The song was nominated at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals and was named Vocal Event of the Year at the 30th Annual CMA Awards.
=Personnel=
Adapted from the album liner notes.
- Assa Dormi – concertmaster
- Paul Franklin – steel guitar
- Vince Gill – duet vocals
- Owen Hale – drums
- David Hungate – bass
- Brent Mason – guitar
- Terry McMillan – percussion
- Dale Oehler – string arrangements, conductor
- Dolly Parton – lead vocals
- Matt Rollings – piano
- Brent Rowan – guitar
=Charts=
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1995)
!Peak |
|---|
| align="left"|Canada Country Tracks (RPM)
| style="text-align:center;"|22 |
| align="left"|US Hot Country Singles & Tracks (Billboard)
| style="text-align:center;"|15 |
Whitney Houston version
{{Main|I Will Always Love You (Whitney Houston recording)}}
{{Infobox song
| name = I Will Always Love You
| type = single
| artist = Whitney Houston
| album = The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album
| B-side =
- "Jesus Loves Me"
- "Do You Hear What I Hear?"
| released = {{Start date|1992|11|2}}
| recorded = April 22, 1992
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = {{hlist|Pop{{Cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/dolly-parton-shattered-when-whitney-houston-funeral-included-i-will-always-love-you/blogEntry?id=16057436 |title=Dolly Parton 'Shattered' when Whitney Houston Funeral Included 'I Will Always Love You' - ABC News |website=ABC News |access-date=August 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822113550/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/dolly-parton-shattered-when-whitney-houston-funeral-included-i-will-always-love-you/blogEntry?id=16057436 |archive-date=August 22, 2018 |url-status=dead }}|soul{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopfeatures/9086771/Whitney-Houston-and-Dolly-Parton-why-I-Will-Always-Love-You-is-Whitneys-ultimate-song.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopfeatures/9086771/Whitney-Houston-and-Dolly-Parton-why-I-Will-Always-Love-You-is-Whitneys-ultimate-song.html |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton: why 'I Will Always Love You' is Whitney's ultimate song|newspaper=Telegraph|last=Brown|first=Helen|date=February 16, 2012|access-date=October 20, 2017}}{{cbignore}}|R&B|adult contemporary{{cite magazine|url=http://www.complex.com/music/best-90s-r-b-songs/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129004800/http://www.complex.com/music/best-90s-r-b-songs/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 29, 2018|title=The Best 90s R&B Songs|magazine=Complex|date=January 23, 2018|access-date=May 13, 2018}}}}
| length = {{Duration|m=4|s=31}}
| label = Arista
| writer = Dolly Parton
| producer = David Foster
| prev_title = We Didn't Know
| prev_year = 1992
| next_title = I'm Every Woman
| next_year = 1993
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|3JWTaaS7LdU|"I Will Always Love You"}}}}
}}
In 1992, American singer and actress Whitney Houston recorded a new arrangement of "I Will Always Love You" for the soundtrack to The Bodyguard, her film debut. Houston
"I Will Always Love You" won the 1994 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Houston's third win in the latter category after earlier wins in 1986 and 1988. In addition, it received Favorite Pop/Rock Single and Favorite Soul/R&B Single awards at the 21st American Music Awards, which was the first record by a solo female artist to win both categories. "I Will Always Love You" won two Japan Gold Disc Awards in 1993 for International Song of the Year, and a 1994 International Song of the Year Special Award for Japanese sales of over one million units.{{cite book | author = Steve McClure | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=NQgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA51 | title = Wands Takes Top Honors at Japan Gold Disc Awards | publisher = Billboard | date = March 26, 1994 | access-date = September 1, 2010}} In 2020, "I Will Always Love You" was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".{{cite news |date=March 25, 2020 |title=National Recording Registry Class Produces Ultimate 'Stay at Home' Playlist |url=https://loc.gov/item/prn-20-023/|work=Library of Congress|access-date=March 25, 2020}} In 2021, "I Will Always Love You" was listed at number 94 on the updated list of Rolling Stone
Sarah Washington version
{{Infobox song
| name = I Will Always Love You
| cover = Sarah_Washington-I_Will_Always_Love_You.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Sarah Washington
| album =
| B-side = Body Heat
| released = {{start date|1993|8|2}}{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=21|date=July 31, 1993}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
| length = 5:27
| label =
| writer = Dolly Parton
| producer =
- Martyn Norris
- Richard Cottle
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = Careless Whisper
| next_year = 1993
}}
British singer Sarah Washington released a dance-cover of "I Will Always Love You" in August 1993. It became her highest-charting hit, reaching number three in Spain, number 12 in the UK, number 15 in Ireland, and number 32 in Sweden. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it peaked at number 44 in September 1993. It was released on Almighty Records, which described Washington as "an eager young hopeful" and cited her "sensational studio performance" as being key to the ultimate success of the track, also giving credit to London radio station 95.8 Capital FM and its heavy rotation of the song.{{cite web|url=http://www.almightyrecords.com/product/ALMY033/|title=Sarah Washington: I Will Always Love You|website=Almighty Solar|access-date=March 31, 2009|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090810/http://www.almightyrecords.com/product/ALMY033/|url-status=dead}} A black-and-white music video was produced to promote the single. In 2006, Almighty Records released an 11-mixes package of "I Will Always Love You".
=Critical reception=
Larry Flick from Billboard commented, "There are no less than nine dance music covers of the Whitney Houston megahit "I Will Always Love You". So far, only Sarah Washington's hi-NRG rendering on Almighty Records is worth a spin."{{cite magazine|first=Larry|last=Flick|url={{Google books|rw8EAAAAMBAJ|plainurl=yes}}|title=DanceTRAX|magazine=Billboard|date=March 6, 1993|access-date=February 22, 2020|author-link=Larry Flick}} In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton wrote, "If anything this new version adds a little more to the song, and at least proves it had genuine soul to start with. Top 10 for sure."{{cite web|last=Masterton|first=James|title=Week Ending August 14th 1993|url=https://chart-watch.uk/archives/1993/week-ending-august-14th-1993|website=Chart Watch UK|date=August 8, 1993|access-date=September 15, 2021|author-link=James Masterton}} Chris Roberts from Melody Maker added, "And now you can shake a tailfeather to it as well."{{cite magazine|first=Chris|last=Roberts|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/52948716868/|title=Singles|magazine=Melody Maker|date=August 14, 1993|page=29|access-date=June 5, 2023}} Alan Jones from Music Week gave it four out of five, complimenting "a sinewy garage groove with a powerful vocal from the Donna Summer school of disco divas."{{cite magazine|first= Alan |last= Jones |title= Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles |magazine= Music Week |date= July 24, 1993 |page= 6 |access-date= March 30, 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-07-24.pdf}} Stephen Dalton from NME felt the record "hop, skip and pump along with a breezy, good-natured charm."{{cite magazine|first=Stephen|last=Dalton|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/52951334803/|title=Singles|magazine=NME|date=August 14, 1993|page=13|access-date=June 5, 2023}} James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update described it as a "I Will Survive-ish" remake.{{cite magazine|first= James |last= Hamilton |title= Dj directory |magazine= Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert) |date= August 7, 1993 |page= 7 |access-date= March 30, 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-08-07.pdf |author-link= James Hamilton (DJ and journalist)}}
=Track listings=
- CD single (Dance Mix), UK (1993)
- "I Will Always Love You" (The Dolly Mix) – 6:20
- "I Will Always Love You" (7" Edit) – 5:25
- "I Will Always Love You" (Mighty Mix) – 7:26
- "Body Heat" – 4:38
- CD single (Dance Mix), Scandinavia (1993)
- "I Will Always Love You" (7" Edit) – 5:27
- "I Will Always Love You" (12" Original Mix) – 7:27
- CD single (Dance Mix), Australia (1993)
- "I Will Always Love You" (7" Edit)
- "I Will Always Love You" (12" Original Mix)
- "I Will Always Love You" (Luv'd Up Mix)
- "Body Heat"
=Charts=
Rik Waller version
In 2002, English pop singer Rik Waller took his own version of "I Will Always Love You" into the top ten of the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 6.Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 590. {{ISBN|1-904994-10-5}} It was his debut single and the first released from his debut studio album From Now..., after his taking part in the Pop Idol series.
Kristin Chenoweth version
{{Infobox song
| name = I Will Always Love You
| cover = DollyKristinAlwaysLove.jpeg
| type = single
| artist = Kristin Chenoweth and Dolly Parton
| album = For the Girls
| released = August 9, 2019
| recorded = 2019
| studio =
| genre = Pop
| length = {{Duration|m=3|s=22}}
| label = Concord
| writer = Dolly Parton
| producer = {{hlist|Steve Tyrell|Jon Allen {{small|(co-producer)}}}}
| prev_title = Dreams
| prev_year = 2011
| chronology = Kristin Chenoweth
| misc = {{Extra_chronology
| artist = Dolly Parton
| type = single
| prev_title = Smoky Mountain Rain
| prev_year = 2019
| title = I Will Always Love You
| year = 2019
| next_title = God Only Knows
| next_year = 2019
}}
{{External music video|header=Audio video|{{YouTube|3cfMBmIOjLc|"I Will Always Love You"}}}}
}}
"I Will Always Love You" was covered by American actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth as a duet with Dolly Parton. It was released on August 9, 2019,{{cite web |title=I Will Always Love You by Kristin Chenoweth & Dolly Parton on Amazon Music - Amazon.com |url=https://www.amazon.com/I-Will-Always-Love-You/dp/B07VRJK5XT |website=Amazon |access-date=December 27, 2019 |date=August 9, 2019}} as the first single{{cite web |title=I Will Always Love You - Single by Kristin Chenoweth, Dolly Parton |url=https://open.spotify.com/album/33BtAQRiuT5LdKd9j80tLC |website=Spotify |date=August 9, 2019 |access-date=November 30, 2020}}{{cite web |title=I Will Always Love You (Single) by Kristin Chenoweth & Dolly Parton |url=https://www.pandora.com/artist/kristin-chenoweth-and-dolly-parton/i-will-always-love-you-single/AL6pPwqd9mnp33P |website=Pandora |date=August 9, 2019 |access-date=November 30, 2020}} from Chenoweth's album, For the Girls.
=Background=
Chenoweth reflected on recording "I Will Always Love You" with ET Online, saying "it is a song I've loved since I was a child." She went on to say, "I used to think, 'One day I'm gonna sing that song.' Little did I know that I'd get to sing it with the queen herself."{{cite web |title=Kristin Chenoweth and Dolly Parton Duet on 'I Will Always Love You' |url=https://www.etonline.com/kristin-chenoweth-enlists-dolly-parton-for-new-cover-of-i-will-always-love-you-exclusive-debut |website=Entertainment Tonight |access-date=December 27, 2019 |date=August 8, 2019}}
"Forever Country"
The song found further chart success as part of the "Forever Country" medley, created in 2016 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Country Music Association Awards. The medley also features "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and "On the Road Again". Parton performs on the medley, along with 29 other country music artists. The medley debuted at number one on the Billboard US Hot Country Songs chart and number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on October 8, 2016. name="Billboard October 8">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7519013/forever-country-artists-then-now-forever-charts|title='Forever Country' Debuts at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs|author=Gary Trust|magazine=Billboard|date=September 26, 2016|access-date=September 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927123746/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7519013/forever-country-artists-then-now-forever-charts|archive-date=September 27, 2016}}
Dolly Said No To Elvis
In February 2018, Fairground Attraction member Mark Nevin released Dolly Said No To Elvis,{{Cite web|last=Nevin|first=Mark|date=February 2, 2018|title=Dolly Said No To Elvis (Download)|url=https://www.marknevin.com/products/dolly-said-no-to-elvis-download|publisher=www.marknevin.com}} a single that recounts Parton's refusal to let Presley cover I Will Always Love You, yet allowing Houston to sing it for The Bodyguard. A few days prior, the official stop motion animated music video for Dolly Said No To Elvis was uploaded on Nevin's YouTube channel{{Cite web|last=Nevin|date=January 29, 2018|first=Mark|title=Mark Nevin - Dolly Said No To Elvis|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebjWpqbY5eE|publisher=YouTube}} and the director Heather Colbert's Vimeo channel.{{Cite web|last=Colbert|first=Heather|date=January 29, 2018|title=Dolly Said No To Elvis (official music video)|url=https://vimeo.com/253228558|publisher=Vimeo}}
See also
{{div col|colwidth=35em}}
- List of Australian number-one hits of 1993
- List of Austrian number-one hits of 1993
- List of number-one hits of 1993 (Belgium Flanders)
- List of RPM number-one singles of 1992
- List of RPM number-one singles of 1993
- Dutch Top 40 number-one hits of 1992
- Dutch Top 40 number-one hits of 1993
- List of European number-one hits of 1992
- List of European number-one hits of 1993
- List of French number-one hits of 1993
- Number-one hits of 1993 (Germany)
- List of number-one singles of 1992 (Ireland)
- List of number-one singles of 1993 (Ireland)
- List of number-one hits of 1992 (Italy)
- List of number-one singles in 1992 (New Zealand)
- List of number-one singles in 1993 (New Zealand)
- List of number-one songs in Norway
- List of number-one singles of 1993 (Spain)
- List of number-one singles and albums in Sweden
- List of number-one hits of 1993 (Switzerland)
- List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 1990s
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1992 (U.S.)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1993 (U.S.)
- List of Hot 100 Airplay number-one singles of the 1990s
- List of Billboard Mainstream Top 40 number-one songs of the 1990s
- List of Billboard Rhythmic number-one songs of the 1990s
- List of number-one R&B singles of 1992 (U.S.)
- R&B number-one hits of 1993 (USA)
- List of million-selling singles in the United Kingdom
- List of best-selling singles of the 1990s in the United Kingdom
- List of best-selling singles by year (UK)
- List of UK Singles Chart Christmas number ones
- List of UK top 10 singles in 1992
- List of best-selling singles in Australia
- List of Top 25 singles for 1992 in Australia
- List of Top 25 singles for 1993 in Australia
- Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1993
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of the 1990s (U.S.)
- List of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles in 2012
- List of top 10 singles in 2012 (France)
- List of best-selling singles in Japan
- List of best-selling singles
- List of best-selling singles in the United States
{{div col end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{discogs master|51729|I Will Always Love You|type=single}}
{{Dolly Parton songs}}
{{Whitney Houston singles}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for "I Will Always Love You"
|titlestyle = background: lightblue
|list =
{{American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Song}}
{{American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Song}}
{{CMA Musical Event of the Year}}
{{Grammy Award for Record of the Year 1990s}}
{{Billboard Year-End number one singles 1980–1999}}
{{UK best-selling singles (by year) 1990–2009}}
{{UK Christmas No. 1s in the 1990s|song}}
}}
{{The Bodyguard (soundtrack)}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Whitney Houston songs
Category:Sarah Washington songs
Category:Kristin Chenoweth songs
Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Category:Number-one singles in Australia
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Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles
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Category:Number-one singles in Germany
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Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
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Category:UK singles chart number-one singles
Category:Grammy Award for Record of the Year
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Category:Music videos credited to Alan Smithee
Category:Song recordings produced by Bob Ferguson (musician)
Category:Song recordings produced by David Foster
Category:Arista Records singles
Category:Christmas number-one singles in the United Kingdom
Category:United States National Recording Registry recordings