Whitney Houston catalog release in the works

As Whitney Houston’s February death is revisited on the pop titan’s birthday (she would have been 49 on Thursday), the late singer’s label, RCA Records, is prepping a greatest hits package.

A source at the label told Pop & Hiss that the catalog release was expected to come out this fall.

Houston’s first and sole stateside retrospective, 2000’s “Whitney: The Greatest Hits,” has proved to be a lasting smash. To date, the two-disc set has sold 2.6 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and shifted a staggering 836,000 copies in the wake of her death, making it the fourth bestselling disc of the year.

Although no further details of the impending release have been formally announced, a source told Billboard that the disc would span Houston’s entire discography, including her final album, 2009’s “I Look to You.”

The album is expected to include familiar versions of her singles, as opposed to the dance remixes of hits such as “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “I’m Every Woman” and “How Will I Know” that appeared on the second half of the 36-track “Greatest Hits” set.

So far, fans looking for a traditional set have had to rely on 2007’s “The Ultimate Collection.” On the U.K. release, Houston’s uptempo tracks -- other than “I’m Your Baby Tonight” -- weren’t remixed.

Her final performace, a lead in the upcoming remake of “Sparkle,” will premiere on Aug. 17. She was featured on two songs on the soundtrack: the gospel standard “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” and “Celebrate,” a duet with co-star Jordin Sparks and the last song Houston recorded.

Houston died Feb. 11 in Beverly Hills on the eve of the Grammy Awards ceremony. The cause of death was drowning, heart disease and cocaine use, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s report.

ALSO:

Whitney Houston’s drug issues resonate within the industry

PHOTOS: Whitney Houston, important moments in her life, 1963-2012

Pop artist Mariah Carey, who has had 18 No. 1 hits, is named 2012 ‘BMI Icon’