"We Didn't Know" is a mid-tempo duet by American recording artists

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...

and

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

, and was released as the sixth and final single from Houston's third album '' I'm Your Baby Tonight'' (1990). The single was released on April 14, 1992 by

Arista Records Arista Records ( ) is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously a division of Bertelsmann Music G ...

. Wonder wrote and produced the song. The single peaked at number 20 on ''Billboard'''s R&B Singles chart. There was no music video made for the song. This is the first and only single from the album that was issued without a music video. The song is about two good friends that realize they have romantic feelings for each other and are more than just friends — they love each other, and they "didn't know." Houston and Wonder performed the song on an episode of '' The Arsenio Hall Show'' in December 1990.

stopped working the album's singles to top 40 after " My Name Is Not Susan" became her first solo single to not reach the top ten. The duet was thus never sent to pop radio. "We Didn't Know" and the prior release, " I Belong to You", were both R&B-only releases. The song managed a decent placing despite no video and being a nearly two-year-old track by the time of its release.

Critical reception

Matthew Hocter from Albumism described "We Didn't Know" as a "gentle

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

". J.D. Considine from ''

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...

'' wrote that it, "in which Houston merely follows the lead of duet partner

, also has its pleasures, most of which stem from Wonder's deliciously idiosyncratic writing." David Browne from ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' called the song "sluggish". He added that this contribution "blends into the mush". ''

People Magazine ''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC (company), IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''Peopl ...

'' stated that "if Houston thought she could shut critics up by recording a tartly appealing Stevie Wonder song about friendship turning into love, 'We Didn't Know'—and recording it as a touching duet with Wonder himself—she was right". James Hunter from ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' adored the song and praised it with a long review, "Still, the key to the kind of music Houston sings on '' I'm Your Baby Tonight''—the black-and-white,

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

-and-

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

-driven pop that is the soundtrack of this cultural moment—is 'We Didn't Know'." He noted further, "Wonder, who practically invented the keyboard-based pop that Houston and her fans hear as natural and contemporary, understands Houston totally. He knows what she likes about the expressive properties of ballads, about the passion of rock, about the well-regulated technological zing of dance music. So, as he's done before in his own music and with other singers, he puts all of this—the barreling rhythm tracks, the soaring choruses, the personable background voices—at the service of 'We Didn't Know', which is about when 'innocent friends/Turn serious lovers.' Chances are—and with any luck—this emotionally engaged song on Whitney Houston's consistent and resourceful album will affect the music she sings for the rest of her life."

Track listings and formats

All tracks are written by Stevie Wonder, except "Lover for Life", which was written by Sam Dees and produced and arranged by

Narada Michael Walden Narada Michael Walden ( ; Michael Walden; born April 23, 1952) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He acquired the nickname Narada from Sri Chinmoy. He began his career as a drummer, working primarily in the jazz ...

*;US CD single # "We Didn't Know" (remix edit) – 4:45 ^A # "We Didn't Know" (album edit) – 4:26 # "We Didn't Know" (extended remix) – 6:14 ^A *;12" vinyl **A1 "We Didn't Know" (remix edit) – 4:43 **B1 "We Didn't Know" (extended remix) – 6:09 ^A Additional production and remix by Vincent Herbert and Kiyamma Griffin *;Cassette maxi single **A1 "We Didn't Know" (album edit) – 4:26 **A2 "We Didn't Know" (remix edit) – 4:40 **A3 "Lover for Life" – 4:45 **B1 "We Didn't Know" (album edit) – 4:26 **B2 "We Didn't Know" (remix edit) – 4:40 **B3 "Lover for Life" – 4:45

Charts

Personnel

;Credits *Producer, writer, vocal arrangement – Stevie Wonder *All instruments – Stevie Wonder *Background vocals – Kimberly Brewer, Lynne Fiddmont-Linsey, Dorian Holley, Keith John *Engineer, mixer – Bobby Brooks *Assistant engineer – Steve VanArden, Danny Normando *Sound design – Robert Arbittier *Stevland Morris Music Project Coordinator – Stephanie Andrews ;Recording and mixing *Recorded and mixed at Wonderland Studios, Los Angeles *Lead vocals recorded at Sigma Sound Studios, New York City

References

{{Authority control 1989 songs 1990 songs 1992 singles Whitney Houston songs Stevie Wonder songs Songs written by Stevie Wonder Arista Records singles New jack swing songs Male–female vocal duets