Maps of Music

Whitney (1987)

Where the lyrics of Whitney take you, and where it was really made.

Whitney was the first album by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, yet many critics called its formula safe and its songs shallow.

Key places

Recording starts at Tarpan Studios (1987)

Recording site Tarpan Studios — Houston began recording the album in December 1986 with Narada Michael Walden at his recently purchased Tarpan Studios in San Rafael, California. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Whitney: second studio album by Whitney Houston
• Released 1 June 1987 by Arista Records
• Follow-up to her 1985 debut, aimed at the same audience with mostly ballads and love songs plus several upbeat songs
• Mostly produced by Narada Michael Walden and Michael Masser, with Kashif and John 'Jellybean' Benitez contributing
• Guest output from Kenny G, Roy Ayers and Premik Russell Tubbs
• Became an immediate hit upon release; estimated 20 million copies sold worldwide

Background

• Houston was discovered by Arista Records CEO Clive Davis
• Her debut album was released on 14 February 1985 and topped the Billboard 200 for 14 weeks
• In summer 1986 Houston became a global superstar and began her first headlining global tour, The Greatest Love World Tour
• Davis had planned the next album for September 1986, but the continued success of the debut forced him to change those plans
• Davis wanted more uptempo material, as Houston had gained a reputation for love ballads beyond her age range
• Davis also wanted fewer duets and turned down a Michael Jackson duet offer
• Previous collaborators Michael Masser, Kashif and Narada Michael Walden returned

Recording

• Recording began in December 1986 with Walden at Tarpan Studios in San Rafael, California
• Walden had bought the studio in 1985, shortly after the debut's release
• The first song recorded was a rendition of The Isley Brothers' 'For the Love of You'
• Kenny G played saxophone on two of the tracks Houston recorded with Walden
• 'Love Will Save the Day' features a vibraphone solo by Roy Ayers
• Houston received credit for vocal arrangement on all songs on the album

Cover

• Front cover and inner sleeve photography by Richard Avedon

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born August 9, 1963 in Newark, New Jersey.
• Began as a background singer for her mother Cissy Houston at age 14.
• Signed to Arista Records in April 1983 after a performance seen by Clive Davis.

Career

• Debut album Whitney Houston (1985) topped the Billboard 200 for 14 weeks.
• Second album Whitney (1987) debuted at number one in the US and UK simultaneously.
• Starred in The Bodyguard (1992); its soundtrack is among the best-selling of all time.
• "I Will Always Love You" is the best-selling single by a female solo artist.
• Died February 11, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Reviews were mixed; most critics acknowledged the album's commercial value
• Critics faulted the formula, which repeated the winning pattern of the debut
• Jon Pareles of The New York Times said the album played everything safe and that her singing had not grown much more expressive since the debut
• Vince Aletti of Rolling Stone gave an unfavorable review and called the record smug, repressive and ridiculously safe
• Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times called it another commercial blockbuster but was disappointed that it did little to define the singer's vision
• Dolores Barclay of the Associated Press praised Houston's voice but found the song material shallow
• The St. Petersburg Times gave a favorable review and called it a well-designed, good product
• Billboard said she showed no signs of the sophomore jinx
• Time's Richard Corliss gave a favorable review and called it bolder, blacker and badder than the debut

Reappraisal

• Ron Wynn of AllMusic, in a retrospective review, said the album was far from soul but was the ultimate in polished, super-produced urban contemporary material

Records

• Debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 on 27 June 1987, the first female artist in chart history to do so
• Stayed at number one for eleven weeks
• Debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart on 13 June 1987 and stayed there for six weeks
• Estimated 20 million copies sold worldwide
• Certified Diamond in the US in October 2020, for sales over 10 million copies

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Walden said Houston looked tired and weary from the end of her world tour when recording began, so he asked her what she wanted to record first
• Walden later said Houston took one day to rest at the studio, and after that she was ready to record
• Davis turned down a Michael Jackson duet offer, fearing the song would detract from the promotion of this album
• John 'Jellybean' Benitez was the only new collaborator on the album; he had produced a remix of Houston's earlier hit 'How Will I Know'
• The Moment of Truth World Tour was named after a leftover song from the album's sessions, which was also a b-side of 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody'

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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