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ARCHIVE NEWS -
MARCH 1997 - JULY 1997
The Singles Page has recently been redesigned. You can now find details of all the singles Whitney ever released along with details of additional tracks that appeared on them and details of all the different mixes that were issued.
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Thanks to Gary for scanning the cover of the "My
Heart Is Calling" CD. Don't forget you can download a sound sample of the song from my Multimedia Page. |
The Hollywood Reporter
NEW YORK - George Strait and Monica have both agreed to join that superstar lineup (Whitney Houston, Michael Bolton, Johnny Mathis, Shirley Bassey, et al.) who'll be entertaining at producer David Gest's Sept. 28 gala in Los Angeles honoring Gregory Peck, Jennifer Jones, Veronique Peck, Celine Dion, Diane Warren, Smokey Robinson and a few celebrated others. The event's official title: the third annual International Achievement in the Arts awards gala.
Whitney's record label Arista Records have announced their half year
sales of US$400 Million for the half year ending 30 June 1997. It's a slight improvement
on last year and Arista's best financial performance yet.
The large sales (actual profits were not disclosed) have been attributed in part to actual
US sales of the following releases:
"Secrets" - Toni Braxton 4.4 Million.
"Life After Death" - The Notorious BIG 2.3 Million.
Puff Daddy's singles "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" 2.6 Million, and "I'll Be Missing You 1.9 Million (so far).
Kenny G's "The Moment" - 2.3 Million.
Whitney Houston's "The Preacher's Wife Soundtrack - 946,000.
In an interview with the label's president Clive Davis, the report in Billboard Magazine states that Arista is looking to it's next slate of releases to close the year including new albums by Sean "Puffy" Combs, Aretha Franklin, Lisa Stansfield, Tony Rich, Ace Of Base Gary Barlow and a new Babyface Soundtrack called "Soul Food".
No mention was made of any Whitney Houston releases this year.
Whitney needed hospital treatment after tearing her cheek during a
cruise around the Italian island of Capri. The cut is expected to heal in time without
scarring.
How Whitney got the cut is not clear as there are conflicting reports about the injury.
One report says that she got the cut as she was diving, whilst another says she got the
cut on board the yacht she was on.
Reports say there was a police investigation but this is probably a routine process for insurance purposes - both for Whitney and for the owner of the yacht.
You read that right. Whitney's latest US Single "My Heart Is Calling dives
from it's No.77 peak last week to No.97 on this week's Hot 100. This marks the song as
Whitney's lowest charting single to date. More details about Sales/Airplay tomorrow.
It's still a great song, Whitney.
The BMG Music Service Club Magazine reports that Whitney is
to be honoured by her home City of Newark by having the international airport named after
her.
An Airport spokesperson said "We can't think of anyone more appropriate for this
honour. We aspire to have each of our flights take off as smoothly and undelayed as
Whitney's entertainment career has taken off."
I wonder who thought THAT line up!
Submitted by Grantie
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This Site has been Awarded 4 Stars by Link City! Thanks! |
Firstly, I must apologise for not having updated this web page in a while.
I've spent the most part of this week re-writing and re-designing many different aspects of the page - As you may have noticed from this page alone!
Some of the major changes can be seen on the Albums Page,Multimedia Page and the Links Page.
The one most extensive change is on the SinglesPage where - for the first time anywhere on the Internet, I have listed all of Whitney's commercial singles along with track timings and additional tracks to be found on the various format as well as the titles and timing of remixes and not forgetting the Official Chart Positions!
Please let me know what you think!
"My Heart Is Calling" climbs another three places in this
week's Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. It now holds the No.77 position. It has yet to
appear in the Singles Airplay Chart but is climbing in the sales chart where it now sits
at No.57.
In the Hot R&B Singles chart, "My Heart Is Calling" is not fairing too well
as it's chart career maps as 43-35-37-43
"The Preacher's Wife" soundtrack is about to be certified for US sales of three million copies by the RIAA. Well done Whitney!
The third commercial single from "The Preacher's Wife" makes it's Billboard Hot 100 debut on the chart dated 5th July 1997 at No.81. "My Heart Is Calling" is available in the US only on CD and Cassette single. A Maxi-Single has not been issued and a video is not scheduled for the single. A UK release date has not been set and UK radio has not been serviced with the single thus far.
Whitney's May 29 Concert at the Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii grossed US$1,634,370 according to Billboard Magazine. The figure is a result of a sellout show where 29,118 fans came to see the No.1 female artist perform live.
This week's No.2 Debut on the Hot 100's bubbling under chart was a bit of a surprise but by no means the lowest debut of Whitney's Hot 100 career. In 1993, "Run To You" also debuted in the Bubbling Under chart before making it's bow on the big chart at No.85 (upon which it registered itself as Whitney's Lowest Hot 100 debut).
The Bubbling Under chart operates in a complex manner in which a song at No.1 on that chart could actually register as No.130 if the Hot 100 were extended - or the following week, the No.1 Bubbler could be the No.101 song. That's why it's unclear - and unfair - to write off "My Heart Is Calling" just yet as Whitney's lowest debut.
We will shortly hear Whitney speak those magical words when she begins work tomorrow (23rd June) on a remake of the classic tale "Cinderella". The story of the poor Cinderella who meets her prince with the help of her Fairy Godmother is produced in a joint venture between ABC and Walt Disney and is due to be televised in November.
Whitney plays the Fairy Godmother and Brandy Norwood will star as Cinderella. Seinfeld's Jason Alexander will star as the prince's valet. What's special about this production is that it is a multi-racial affair. It's About Time!
Whitney's elementary school in East Orange, New Jersey has been renamed "The Whitney E. Houston Academy For Creative And Performing Arts". A real honour for Whitney.
The latest single to be lifted from "The Preacher's Wife" is out now in the US. "My Heart Is Calling" is backed with "I Go To The Rock". Hopefully there will be remixes of "My Heart Is Calling" as well as the brilliant "I Go To The Rock".
After 26 weeks as the No.1 Gospel album, Whitney Houston's "The Preacher's Wife" slipped to No.2 a week ago to make way for the new God's Property album "God's Property From Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation".
"The Preacher's Wife" Soundtrack remains No.1 in the US Gospel Album chart for the 24th consecutive week. In other words, it's been at No.1 in that chart since the moment it debuted...And it's not over yet!
Whitney had to cancel her Melbourne, Australia show on the 22nd May after having vocal trouble. The show was to be her second night in the City. Tonight she moves on to Taiwan and her final show in this mini-tour will be in Hawaii on 28th May.
It looks like all the questions over Whitney Houston's long awaited Greatest Hits project are about the start getting answered. Billboard Magazine this week reports that a Whitney Houston Remix Album is due for release as early as July. A street date for the project has not been confirmed as yet - but remixes already in the can include David Morales on "Love Will Save The Day" and "So Emotional", Junior Vasquez on "How Will I Know" and C J Macintosh on "I'm Your Baby Tonight".
The first of the remixes from the project was released last Autumn in the US only in the form of a Junior Vasquez remix of "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (on the back of "Why Does It Hurt So Bad"). It is hoped (by all!) that the project will incorporate new club cuts from Whitney.
I think it'll be interesting to see what Arista does here - Are they going to release a Whitney Houston ballad Greatest Hits to close the year? And does this mean that remaining two singles from "The Preacher's Wife" - "Joy" and "You Were Loved" will no longer be serviced? Guess we wait and see...
"My Heart Is Calling" written and produced by Babyface will be the fourth US single to be lifted from "The Preacher's Wife" soundtrack. The single is to be released this month to co-inside with the video release of the movie. "My Heart Is Calling" follows "I Believe In You And Me", "Somebody Bigger Than You And I" and "Step By Step" off the album and should be remixed in time to be included on this summer's Whitney Remix CD.
"Step By Step" drops to No.43 on the Hot 100 but at the same time, earns a Gold disc. This is Whitney's sixteenth Gold disc, fifteen of which have been solo discs.
The second UK single from "The Preacher's Wife", "I Believe In You And Me" dropped from it's debut position of No.16 to No.33 last week and this week is already absent from the UK Top forty singles.
The song has more or less been dropped from radio stations and for a song which got it's first live television performance in the country by Whitney in ten years, it has under-performed in a big way. The song is Whitney Houston through and through and is made of the kind of stuff which gave Whitney four UK No.1 singles. This bad showing is the fifth solo single and seventh in a row to fail to hit the top ten for Whitney. A career low.
Having recently got my hands on a copy of the US Import of the "Step By Step" single, I noticed that the remix by K-Klass is actually different than the version issued to the UK last December. The US version is the same length and has the same basic structure but the difference is that it has more of a 'pop' feel to it than the UK version which has a harder edge - and is in my opinion a better mix.
Tonight, Whitney performed "I Believe In You And Me" live on the UK National Lottery Show. The performance was nothing short of STUNNING. Seated as she sang, Whitney toyed a little with the arrangement of the song to give it a great feel. Vocally, Whitney was on top form.
For all those fans out there that were worried about her recent TV appearances - I can only say I wish you had seen this one! Amazing! Whitney did not speak to the host during the show and did not "get the balls rolling" or even do a cheesy wave to the audience at the very end for a minute as most acts have to.
Credibility still intact.
I have managed to get hold of a copy of the new UK Whitney single "I Believe In You And Me" three days ahead of it's release. The single is on one CD - and it's not yet clear whether a second CD will be issued or not. The track listing is as follows:
1. I Believe In You And Me (Single Version) 3:51
2. Step By Step (Tony Moran Diva x Diva Mix) 10:04
3. Step By Step (K-Klassic Mix) 10:06
Although the K-Klassic mix was released last year in the UK, this version seems to have been re-mixed again - adding a lighter feel to the track which, in it's original (and my preferred) remix, there was a harder edge. Still, it's great news for the UK fans to have both remixes!
Whitney Houston will arrive later this week to promote the release of "I Believe In You And Me" and "The Preacher's Wife" CD. The only confirmed performance will be on Saturday 15th March on the UK National Lottery show.
This marks Whitney's first promotional visit to the UK since 1990's "I'm Your Baby Tonight" (when she appeared on "The Word" and she performed two songs on quot;Des O'Connor Tonight show). It is not yet clear whether Whitney will perform for Top Of The Pops - her last performance on that show was ten years ago.
"Step By Step" debuted this week on the Hot 100 at No.22. That makes it Whitney's third highest debuting single ever.
The video for "I Believe In You And Me" got it's first UK airing yesterday on The Chart Show. The single is due to be released on 17th March 1997.
Some of the hottest R&B and pop vocalists gathered on Thursday (27th Feb) at the Hit Factory recording studio in New York to record a song aimed at helping fight against AIDS in minority communities. The song, "Every Nation", was written and is being produced by R Kelly and will feature solo performances by Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Mary J Blige, Monica and Lauryn Hill of the Fugees. Joining the chorus are Curtis Mayfield, Montell Jordan, Case, Mona Lisa, Tony Rich, Gerald Levert, Malik Yoba, Faith Evans and the groups 112, Dru Hill, SWV and Total.
The single and it's video will be released on Whitney's label Arista Records this Spring through the Red Hot Organisation which has given more than US$6 Million to AIDS charities since 1989 by raising money through various recording projects. The Red Hot and R&B album will follow later in the year.
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