| The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album | ||||
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| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | November 26, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | January – February 1996 | |||
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| Length | 62:20 | |||
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| Whitney Houston chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Preacher's Wife | ||||
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The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album is thesoundtrack to the1996 film of the same name and features songs performed and produced by American singerWhitney Houston, who also stars in the film. The soundtrack was released on November 26, 1996, byArista Records andBMG Entertainment.
The album has sold 6 million copies as of 2016, and over 10 million to date, making it thebest-selling gospel album of all time.[2] The soundtrack and film cemented Houston’s status as apop culture icon.
In 1992, Whitney Houston's film career was launched by the release ofThe Bodyguard. The film and heraccompanying soundtrack from it were both hugely successful, with the soundtrack selling over 45 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling soundtrack album of all time, the best-selling album by a female artist and thethird best-selling album of all time.[3][4]
Houston then followed that up with the film,Waiting to Exhale, which Houston contributed to three songs from itsmulti-artist soundtrack, which was also hugely successful, selling over 12 million copies worldwide.[5]
Following the release ofWaiting to Exhale, actorDenzel Washington offered Houston a role in the upcoming comedy,The Preacher's Wife where she was to play the role of Julia Biggs, wife of Rev. Henry Biggs, played byCourtney B. Vance and the leader of a church choir. Houston eventually accepted the role for $10 million, which made her the highest-paid black female actress at the time.
Because the film was focused on family and religion, Houston offered to record and produce the entire soundtrack as she had long desired to record a gospel album. Houston had been brought up in gospel music under the tutelage of motherCissy Houston at Newark'sNew Hope Baptist Church as a child.[6][7] She sang her first church solo at the age of twelve at the same church.[8] While seeking a record deal in the early1980s, a teenage Houston recorded three gospel demos to grab the attention of record labels before she signed toArista Records in 1983.[9]
After finding mainstream stardom withpop andR&B material, Houston added gospel songs during her concert tours. Houston collaborated with members of theWinans family, includingBeBe & CeCe Winans, recording two songs on their album,Heaven, in 1988. For the soundtrack toThe Bodyguard, Houston recorded and produced a pop-rendered rendition of the traditional gospel hymn, "Jesus Loves Me", which she received critical praise.
Houston recruitedMervyn Warren, founding former member of the gospel groupTake 6, to be her collaborator in producing the album.
The duo decided to record the more traditional gospel material at Atlanta's Greater Rising Star Baptist Church with theGeorgia Mass Choir while some other songs were recorded at Houston's Crossway Recording Studios in her hometown ofMendham Township, New Jersey, as well as studios in New York and Los Angeles, including a gospel and jazz-inspired rendition of theFour Tops' "I Believe in You and Me".
Among the "traditional" gospel recordings on the album, Houston and Warren recorded renditions ofKirk Franklin's "Joy",Dottie Rambo's "I Go to the Rock",Richard Smallwood's "I Love the Lord", an up tempo rendition of "Joy to the World" and two original compositions, "Hold On, Help Is on the Way" and "Who Would Imagine a King".
For the more pop-leaning work on the album, Houston reunited withDavid Foster, who later produced a more pop-friendly version of "I Believe in You and Me". WhenAnnie Lennox learned of Houston seeking material to record for her next soundtrack, she sent her 1992 composition "Step by Step", which was produced by English producerStephen Lipson in ahouse-inspired gospel arrangement; Lennox contributed background vocals to Houston's rendition.New jack swing producerTeddy Riley contributed a remix of the song that would be featured on the album.
The album would be the first full-length Houston recording in which songwriterDiane Warren would participate in after co-composing Houston andAretha Franklin's 1989 duet, "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Ever Gonna Be".
Warren would send Houston the song "You Were Loved", which would be produced byBabyface, with the latter producer recording thefunk andR&B-leaning "My Heart is Calling", the album's sole love song, dedicated to Houston's character Julia's growing attraction to Denzel Washington's film character of the angel Dudley.
Houston also produced, with longtime musical directorRickey Minor, ahip-hop soul-inflected rendition of "Somebody Bigger Than You and I", which featured her husband, singerBobby Brown, hisNew Edition band matesJohnny Gill andRalph Tresvant and female R&B singersFaith Evans andMonica; Brown and Tresvant provided a rap for the song as well.
The album gave Houston the opportunity to produce a song for her mother Cissy, who records the only song on the album to not feature Whitney, "The Lord is My Shepherd" withHezekiah Walker and his Love Fellowship Crusade Choir. In addition, Houston recorded a duet with family friendShirley Caesar on their rendition of "He's All Over Me".
Overall, the album took two months from January to February 1996 to record.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Billboard | (favorable)[10] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A−[11] |
| The New York Times | (favorable)[12] |
| Rolling Stone | [13] |
Music critics saw a more emotionally engaged side of Houston, particularly with the soundtrack's gospel offerings. “For the first time in her 12-year recording career, Houston sounds genuinely moved by her material. Early on she stumbles through the Annie Lennox-penned "Step By Step," but the presence of the Georgia Mass Choir on six subsequent tracks melts her frosty reserve,” People magazine wrote.[14]
Released on November 26, 1996,The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album debuted at number 12 on theBillboard 200 albums chart on the issue dated December 14, 1996, selling 90,500 units in the first week.[15] On its second week, the album jumped to number four on the chart with the Greatest Gainer mark, and the following week reached number three which was the album's peak position, with reported sales of 330,000 copies that week, producing the highest first-week sales of a gospel release in history,a record it holds to this day.[16][17] The album also debuted at number eight on theBillboardTop R&B Albums chart, and in three weeks later, peaked at the number one and remained there for two weeks, becoming her fourth number one album on the chart.[18][19] It stayed for a total of 43 weeks and 49 weeks on theBillboard 200 chart and the Top R&B Albums chart respectively.[18][20] In Europe, the soundtrack became the first and only gospel album in history to sell a million copies in the continent.
In addition, the soundtrack was more successful on theBillboard Top Gospel Albums chart. It debuted at number one, becoming the first album by a female solo artist to do so. It spent 26 consecutive weeks at the top from December 14, 1996, to June 7, 1997. It remained on the chart for 117 weeks during its initial run.[21][22] It has since returned to the Top Gospel Albums chart for 48 more weeks, bringing its total to 165 cumulative weeks. The album was the number one gospel album on the 1997Billboard Top Gospel Albums year-end chart.
Prior to the album's release, music industry insiders had expectedThe Preacher's Wife soundtrack to "do at least as well as"Waiting to Exhale's soundtrack, which sold 5,100,000 copies in the United States.[23] The album was the Best-selling Gospel Recording by theNational Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) in 1996–1997.[24][25] It was certified 3× Platinum for shipping 3 million copies in the United States alone by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on June 30, 1998.[26] According toNielsen SoundScan, as of 2012, the album has sold 2,627,000 copies in the United States alone.[2]
The lead single, "I Believe in You and Me" (originally byThe Four Tops), became a top five hit in the U.S.[27] and was nominated forBest Female R&B Vocal Performance at the40th Grammy Awards, where the soundtrack overall was nominated forBest R&B Album.[28]
"Step by Step" was another hit single, peaking at number 15 on theBillboardHot 100 chart and was a huge hit all throughout Europe. "My Heart Is Calling" became the soundtrack's final single release.
Though not released as a single, Houston submitted the track "You Were Loved" to thePrincess Diana tribute album,Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute in 1997, following the Princess'tragic death that year.
Chart success of the soundtrack and its hit singles, "I Believe in You and Me" and "Step By Step", the singer further promoted the album and singles touring across Asia, Australia, and in North America. Known as thePacific Rim Tour, Houston played shows in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Australia and Hawaii. The setlist featured tracks from the album, as well as duet performances of "Count On Me" with singer CeCe Winans and "In Return" at select shows in Japan.
| Date | Title | Details |
|---|---|---|
| December 13, 1996 | Rosie O'Donnell Show |
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| December 14, 1996 | Saturday Night Live |
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| March 15, 1997 | UK National Lottery Show |
|
Like the majority of her work, Houston received awards and accolades from the soundtrack.
The album was nominated for theAmerican Music Award for Favorite Soundtrack at the1998 American Music Awards.[30]
Houston was nominated for two Blockbuster Entertainment Awards in 1997 and 1998 in relation to the soundtrack, winning one for favorite female R&B artist in the former year.[31][32]
For her overall contributions to music as well as her humanitarian efforts, Houston received the Triumphant Spirit Award at the 1997 Essence Awards, which was accepted by Houston's motherCissy.[33][34]
At the Dove Awards, Houston received two awards. In 1997, Houston received the special Dove Award for Outstanding Mainstream Contribution to Gospel Music, honoring her for incorporating gospel music into her art for mainstream pop audiences.[35] The following year, in 1998, Houston won a competitive Dove Award in the category for Best Traditional Gospel Song of the Year for the song "I Go to the Rock", along with the song's writer and original performerDottie Rambo.[36][37]
At the40th Annual Grammy Awards in 1998, the album was nominated forBest R&B Album, while the ballad "I Believe in You and Me" was nominated forGrammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, losing both to singerErykah Badu'sBaduizm and Badu's hit "On & On" respectively.[38] The nominations were controversial since the album was shunned from the Grammy gospel category.[39] Houston responded to the snub by boycotting that year's ceremony.[39]
Houston won twoNAACP Image Awards for the soundtrack includingOutstanding Gospel Artist, along with theGeorgia Mass Choir and the album wonOutstanding Album.[40][41][42]
At the 1997NARM Best Seller Awards, Houston received the award for best-selling gospel recording of the year for the soundtrack.[25]
Her work with the soundtrack also resulted in Houston winning thePeople's Choice Award for favorite female musical performer in 1998, shared with country artistReba McEntire.[43][44]
Houston received two more special honors during the era, receiving theSoul Train Music Award lifetime honor, theQuincy Jones Award for career achievement.[45][46] Houston also received the Pinnacle Award at the Trumpet Awards, which honored notable black Americans for achievement.[47][48]
The Preacher's Wife was ranked the top gospel album onBillboard for the year of 1997.[49]
All tracks are produced by Houston andMervyn Warren, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Believe in You and Me" (film version) |
| 4:01 | |
| 2. | "Step by Step" | Annie Lennox | Stephen Lipson | 4:12 |
| 3. | "Joy" (with theGeorgia Mass Choir) | Kirk Franklin | 3:16 | |
| 4. | "Hold On, Help Is on the Way" (with the Georgia Mass Choir) | Rev. Kenneth Paden | 3:09 | |
| 5. | "I Go to the Rock" (with the Georgia Mass Choir) | Dottie Rambo | 4:05 | |
| 6. | "I Love the Lord" (with the Georgia Mass Choir) | Richard Smallwood | 4:57 | |
| 7. | "Somebody Bigger Than You and I" (FeaturingBobby Brown,Faith Evans,Johnny Gill,Monica andRalph Tresvant) |
| 4:42 | |
| 8. | "You Were Loved" | Diane Warren | Babyface | 4:13 |
| 9. | "My Heart Is Calling" | Babyface | Babyface | 4:14 |
| 10. | "I Believe in You and Me" (single version) |
| David Foster | 3:52 |
| 11. | "Step by Step" (Remix) | Annie Lennox | Remixed byTeddy Riley | 4:34 |
| 12. | "Who Would Imagine a King" |
| 3:31 | |
| 13. | "He's All Over Me" (withShirley Caesar and the Georgia Mass Choir) | Alvin Darling | 3:53 | |
| 14. | "The Lord Is My Shepherd" (performed byCissy Houston with Hezekiah Walker & The Love Fellowship Crusade Choir) | Traditional | 4:24 | |
| 15. | "Joy to the World" (with the Georgia Mass Choir) | Isaac Watts | 4:41 |
Weekly charts[edit]
Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[90] | Gold | 35,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[91] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[92] | Platinum | 20,000* |
| Italy (FIMI)[93] | Gold | 50,000* |
| Japan (RIAJ)[94] | 2× Platinum | 400,000^ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[95] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Sweden (GLF)[96] | Gold | 40,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[97] | Gold | 25,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[98] | Silver | 60,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[100] | 3× Platinum | 2,471,000[99] |
| Summaries | ||
| Europe (IFPI)[101] | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
| Worldwide | — | 6,000,000 (as of 2016)[2] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Studio albums | |
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| Soundtrack albums | |
| Live albums | |
| Compilation albums | |
| Other releases | |
| Tours | |
| Concerts and appearances | |
| Family | |
| Related articles | |
