WHITNEY HOUSTON PART IV

 

The Bodyguard is the soundtrack from the movie of the same name, released on November 17, 1992, on Arista Records and features six songs by Whitney Houston, as well as songs from various other noted artists of the time. The album was co-executive produced by Whitney Houston and Clive Davis. Upon the sixth week after its release, the soundtrack became the first album to sell more than a million copies in a single week. The soundtrack later went on to win a Grammy Award for Album of the Year, and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it 17x Platinum on November 1, 1999, denoting shipments of 17 million copies in the United States, making it the best-selling soundtrack album of all-time in the U.S.^[1] It has sold over 42 million copies, and is the best-selling soundtrack of all time, worldwide.

“I Will Always Love You” was recorded in 1992 by singer Whitney Houston for the soundtrack to The Bodyguard, her film debut. Houston was originally to record Jimmy Ruffin's "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" as the lead single from The Bodyguard. However, when it was discovered the song was to be used for Fried Green Tomatoes, Houston requested a different song and her co-star Kevin Costner brought her Linda Ronstadt's 1975 version of "I Will Always Love You" from her album Prisoner in Disguise. Houston re-arranged the song as a soul ballad. Her record company did not feel a song with an acappella introduction would be as successful; however, Houston and Costner insisted to maintain an a cappella intro. Houston's version was a massive worldwide success, selling over 12 million copies worldwide.^[10] It became a regular on countdown lists: appearing at number 8 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the Past 25 Years; number 4 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s and number 1 on VH1's 100 Greatest Love Songs. The song also lists at number 68 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of all time.

When "I'm Every Woman" was released, Houston's preceding single, "I Will Always Love You", was still at number 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (it remained there for eight more weeks). Houston's version of "I'm Every Woman" would become a bigger hit than the original, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in just its seventh and eighth week of release; remaining in the top 40 for nineteen weeks. The song became number one on the Billboards Hot Dance Club Play, ^[6] reached the number five on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ^[7] and the top 40 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks. Houston's cover was also a bigger international hit than the original version as it peaked within the top 5 in the UK and the top 20 in France, Australia, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland.

After the back to back successes of Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and "I'm Every Woman," The Bodyguard soundtrack album had become a massive international success. "I Have Nothing" became yet another hit, peaking at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and being certified gold by the RIAA. On secondary charts, the song became a hit with a number 1 peak (for 2 weeks) on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks and a number 4 peak on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Internationally, the song performed well in the UK (peaking at number 3) and hit the top twenty in a few other markets; but performed moderately in Australia (number 28), Germany (number 39), and Switzerland (number 39). Remarkably, for the weeks on the Billboard chart ending March 13 and March 20, Houston had three 3 songs in the Top 11: "I Will Always Love You," "I'm Every Woman," and "I Have Nothing;" all from her Bodyguard soundtrack. The song received nominations for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, and for a 1994 Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B Single - Female, although not winning either nomination. The music video (directed by Steve Barron), shows Houston performing the song to an audience in a dining room hall. The video is intercut with scenes from The Bodyguard.

"Run to You" is the fourth single released from The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album. It was written by Jud Friedman and Allan Rich. Originally intended to be a break-up song, it was approved by the production and stars. However, a month later, the director of The Bodyguard (Mick Jackson) called, saying he liked the song so much, but he'd rather have it to be a love song so the entire song was rewritten, except for the title. All of the previous releases from The Bodyguard had been successes, landing in the top five. "Run to You" became a moderate hit, peaking at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the U.S., it spent six weeks inside the top 40, five of which were spent at the number 31 peak. Airplay and singles sales topped out at number 26 and 41, respectively. The single sales stalled at number 41 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart, most likely due to the fact its parent album, The Bodyguard, already was certified 8x platinum and nearing 9x platinum status quickly. Single sales were moderate because most consumers own the song by simply owning the album.

"Queen of the Night" is a song co-written and performed by American pop/R&B singer Whitney Houston. It was the fifth and final single released from the multiplatinum The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album. "Queen of the Night" is an uptempo rock-pop-dance number, with Houston expressing how she "rules the club scene," proclaiming herself "queen of the night." It was not released as a single in America, but it received such substantial radio play that it rose to number 36 on the Hot 100 Airplay. However, because of Billboard magazine rules at the time (which have since been modified), a song with no commercial single available could not chart on the main Billboard Hot 100. The song reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play, becoming Houston's fifth number 1 dance single. It was released in several other countries, peaking at number 14 in the UK.

 

Waiting to Exhale is a soundtrack for the film of the same name. Released in 1995, the soundtrack became a huge hit featuring appearances by some of the biggest names in the industry, including Whitney Houston, Shanna Wylie, Brandy, Toni Braxton, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Mary J. Blige, SWV and TLC. All the main performers on the soundtrack are African American women. The album remained at number one on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart for five weeks, going 7× platinum, on Sep 4, 1996. It spawned the #1 hits; "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" and "Let It Flow", the #2 hits "Sittin' Up In My Room" and "Not Gon' Cry" and the #8 hit "Count On Me". All songs were written and produced by Babyface, except for "My Funny Valentine"

"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" is a 1995 hit single by R&B/pop singer Whitney Houston, featured on the soundtrack of the film Waiting to Exhale. Babyface was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song. Whitney Houston was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The song, written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, is a call to handle the emotional pain of a breakup by leaning on your friends. Houston sings the lyrics "When you got friends to wish you well... you'll find the point when, you will exhale". The song is also notable for the 1960s arrangement of the chorus, repeating 'shoop shoop shoo-be-doop.' Houston entered the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at the #1 position with "Exhale", becoming only the third single in U.S. history to enter at number one. It stayed at number-one for just one week as Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's duet "One Sweet Day" debuted at the summit the next week. This in turn led to "Exhale" settling into the number-two position where it resided for eleven weeks, becoming the single with the longest stay at number two on the U.S. Hot 100 in Billboard history. The single was certified platinum, and remained in the Top 40 for twenty weeks.

"Count on Me" is a duet by American Pop/R&B singer Whitney Houston and American gospel singer CeCe Winans. It is an uplifting song about leaning on a friend for support when needed. Released in early 1996, the song was the fourth single from the soundtrack album of the motion picture Waiting to Exhale, and the second single by Houston released from that album. It became Winans highest position reached on the US Hot 100 as the single reached the top ten, peaking at number eight. It was certified Gold in the U.S.

"Why Does It Hurt So Bad" is a song by R&B/Pop singer Whitney Houston from the soundtrack album to the motion picture, Waiting to Exhale. Released in July 1996 as the album's fifth single (Houston's third from the soundtrack), it reached number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds.

The Preacher’s Wife is the soundtrack to the 1996 film of the same name and features songs performed by Whitney Houston, who also stars in the film.It sold an estimated 6 million copies worldwide. The lead single, "I Believe in You and Me", became a top five hit in the U.S.^[1] and was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 40th Grammy Awards, as well as for Best R&B Album.^[2] "Step by Step" was another hit single and has a music video.

"I Believe in You and Me" is a ballad written by Sandy Linzer and David Wolfert. The song was first recorded and released by the R&B group The Four Tops in 1983. Later in 1996, R&B/pop singer Whitney Houston recorded it for her film The Preacher's Wife and released it as a single. The song was written by Linzer and Wolfert in 1982, and the Four Tops released it as a single in 1983 (although the song is, in essence, a solo recording by lead vocalist Levi Stubbs). While it failed to crack the US Top 40, it became a moderate R&B hit for the group on the US R&B chart, peaking at #40 on the Hot Soul Singles chart in early 1983. Fourteen years later, Whitney Houston's cover of the song peaked at number four on the main US Hot 100 singles chart. The song is the biggest hit from The Preacher's Wife soundtrack album, which is the best selling gospel album in history.

"Step by Step" was later recorded and released as a single by R&B/Pop singer Whitney Houston as the second single from her 1996 soundtrack album, The Preacher's Wife. Annie Lennox provided background vocals for Houston's version, which reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the U.S. Houston's single charted successfully across the globe, reaching the Top 20 in over 45 countries. It was certified Gold by the RIAA. In the United Kingdom the song was released in late 1996 and peaked at #13 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1997 and went on to spend 13 weeks in the chart^[1].