The Preacher’s Wife: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Description

The Preacher’s Wife is an original motion picture soundtrack featuring the American singer Whitney Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) on lead vocals, released on Arista Records in November 1996. It is the best-selling gospel album of all time. The soundtrack also remained at number one for a record twenty-six weeks on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums Chart. The Georgia Mass Choir appears in the film. The soundtrack to the film (performed by Whitney Houston) consists of gospel numbers and includes performances by Monica (Monica Denise Brown), Cissy Houston, and Shirley Caesar among others.

The Preacher’s Wife is a Christmas romantic comedy-drama family film directed by Penny Marshall, and starring Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, and Courtney B. Vance. It is a remake of the 1947 film The Bishop’s Wife. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score. The film was nominated for five Image Awards, including Outstanding Motion Picture, and won two – for Best Actress (Whitney Houston) and Best Supporting Actress (Loretta Devine).

Unlike the soundtracks to her last two screen efforts, this is a Whitney album and not a various artists compilation, although guests abound and mum Cissy takes centre stage on one song. It’s the gospel album she’s hinted at on previous offerings, but never committed to fully (the fact that it took a film to get it out of her is something you might want to discuss amongst yourselves). Mervyn Warren (ex-Take 6) produces, the Georgia Mass Choir provide a perfect backdrop to Whitney’s vocal pyrotechnics, and when Shirley Caesar joins them on «He’s All Over Me» the result if just awesome. Bobby Brown, Faith Evans, Johnny Gill, Monica and Ralph Tresvant all chip in on «Somebody Bigger Than You And I», a team effort in the same vein as the Luther/Janet classic «The Best Things In Life Are Free», and Hezekiah Walker’s choir accompany Cissy for a blinding interpretation of Psalm 23. There are a few let downs, both versions of the Annie Lennox-penned «Step By Step» being the biggest (and I didn’t care much for «I Believe In You And Me» either). Having read in a dozen different music publications that Rev Run’s acapella group Soul Tempo appeared in the film, I scoured the CD cover looking for their names – zilch! But apart from those quibbles, this is traditional gospel at its best; polished and exceptionally well produced – but for the soundtrack to a movie made by Penny Marshall for Disney, what did you expect? [George Luke, Cross Rhythms, February 1997]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-preachers-wife-original-soundtrack-album/267929798)

CD tracklist:

01. Whitney Houston – I Believe In You And Me – 4:03
02. Whitney Houston – Step By Step – 4:14
03. Whitney Houston – Joy – 3:16
04. Whitney Houston with The Georgia Mass Choir – Hold On, Help Is On The Way – 3:09
05. Whitney Houston with The Georgia Mass Choir – I Go To The Rock – 4:05
06. Whitney Houston with The Georgia Mass Choir – I Love The Lord – 4:57
07. Whitney Houston feat. Bobby Brown, Faith Evans, Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant – Somebody Bigger Than You And I – 4:42
08. Whitney Houston – You Were Loved – 4:13
09. Whitney Houston – My Heart Is Calling – 4:15
10. Whitney Houston – I Believe In You And Me (Single Version) – 3:55
11. Whitney Houston – Step By Step (Remix) – 4:34
12. Whitney Houston – Who Would Imagine A King – 3:31
13. Whitney Houston with Shirley Caesar and The Georgia Mass Choir – He’s All Over Me – 3:53
14. Cissy Houston with The Hezekiah Walker Choir – The Lord Is My Shepherd – 4:24
15. Whitney Houston with The Georgia Mass Choir – Joy To The World – 4:41