Whitney (album)

Whitney is the second studio album by American singer Whitney Houston, released on June 2, 1987 by Arista Records as the follow-up to her self-titled debut album, Whitney Houston.

The album features five top 10 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100, which also became international hits. The album's first four singles—"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", "Didn't We Almost Have It All," "So Emotional" and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go"—all hit number one on the US Hot 100, making her the first female singer to get four number one hits from one album. Along with three straight to number one singles from Houston's previous album, this gave the singer a seven consecutive number one hits, surpassing popular boy bands the Beatles and the Bee Gees, who each had six number one consecutive hits.

Critical reception

When the album was released, the critical reviews of Whitney were mixed. Some liked the material released from the album and compared it to her 1985 self-titled debut album, whereas some felt that Houston was not able to show her individuality as a singer.

Track listing

Personnel

"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)"1
Narada Michael Walden – drums
Walter Afanasieff – synthesizers
Randy Jackson – bass synth
Corrado Rustici – guitar synth
Preston Glass – percussion programming
Marc Russo – alto sax
Gigi Gonaway – electronic drums
Sterling – synth horns
Jim Gilstrap - background vocals
Kitty Beethoven - background vocals
Kevin Dorsey - background vocals
Myrna Matthews - background vocals
Jennifer Hall - background vocals
Whitney Houston - background vocals

"Just the Lonely Talking Again"1
Narada Michael Walden – "Brushes on the Kit of Life"
Frank Martin – DX7 Vibes, synthesizers
Corrado Rustici – guitar synth
Kenny G – tenor sax
Jim Gilstrap - background vocals
Kitty Beethoven - background vocals
Niki Haris - background vocals
Jennifer Hall - background vocals
Michael Gibbs - string arrangements, conducting

"Love Will Save the Day"2
Jellybean – drum programming
Linden Aaron – Simmons toms
Jack Waldman – synthesizers
Fred Zarr – synthesizers
Paul Jackson, Jr. – guitar
Roy Ayers – vibes
Paulinho da Costa – percussion
Bashiri Johnson – percussion
Sammy Figueroa – percussion
Whitney Houston - background vocals

"Didn't We Almost Have It All"3
John Robinson – drums
Paul Jackson, Jr. – guitar
Nathan East – bass
Robbie Buchanan – Rhodes, acoustic piano, rhythm arrangement
Lee Holdridge – string arrangement

"So Emotional"1
Narada Michael Walden – drums
Walter Afanasieff – keyboards, synth bass
Corrado Rustici – guitar synth
Bongo Bob – percussion programming, drum sampling
Whitney Houston - background vocals

"Where You Are"4
Kashif, Ralph Schuckett – keyboards, synths
Kashif – programming, rhythm arrangement
Paul Leim – drums
Bashiri Johnson – percussion
Marcus Miller – bass
Dann Huff, Ira Siegel, Paul Pesco – guitar
Vincent Henry – sax solo
Gene Page – string and horn arrangements
Whitney Houston - background vocals
Kashif - background vocals

"Love Is a Contact Sport"1
Narada Michael Walden – drums
Preston Glass – keyboards, synth strings, percussion programming
Paul Leim – drums
Walter Afanasieff – DX7, Prophet 2002, Oberheim Matrix-12
Cory Lerios – Oberheim Xpander
Randy Jackson – electric bass
Corrado Rustici – guitar synth
Shambhu Neil Vineberg – acoustic guitar
Bongo Bob – percussion programming
Gigi Gonaway – Simmons, tambourine
Kenny G – tenor saxophone
Raul Rekou – congas
Jerry Hey – horn arrangements, horn section
Marc Russo - horn section
Wanye Wallace - horn section
Premik Russell Tubbs - horn section
Jim Gilstrap  - background vocals
Kitty Beethoven - background vocals
Niki Haris - background vocals
Claytoven Richardson - background vocals
Jennifer Hall - background vocals

"You're Still My Man"3
Robbie Buchanan – Rhodes
Randy Kerber – acoustic piano
Nathan East – bass
Paul Jackson, Jr. – guitar
John Robinson – drums
Michael Boddicker – synths
Gene Page – string and rhythm arrangements

"For the Love of You"1
Narada Michael Walden – drum programming
Randy Jackson – Moog synthesizer
Paul Rekow – congas
Preston Glass – Linn, Roland 808 
Frank Martin – DX7, Oberheim Matrix-12, birds
Kenny G – alto sax lyricon
Raul Rekou – congas
Whitney Houston - background vocals

"Where Do Broken Hearts Go"1
Narada Michael Walden – drum programming
Frank Martin – piano, synths
Preston Glass – synth programming, bells
Randy Jackson – bass synth
Corrado Rustici – guitar synth
Gigi Gonaway – Simmons
Michael Gibbs – string arrangements, conductor
Jim Gilstrap - background vocals
Kitty Beethoven - background vocals
Niki Haris - background vocals
Jennifer Hall - background vocals

"I Know Him So Well"1
Narada Michael Walden – acoustic drums
Walter Afanasieff – Kurzweil, DX7, Super Jupiter
Preston Glass – DX7
Cory Lerios – synth
Randy Jackson – electric bass
Corrado Rustici – guitar synth
Michael Gibbs - string arrangements, conducting

1 Narada Michael Walden - producer, arranger
David Frazer - recording, mixing
Dana Jon Chappelle - assistant engineer
Lincoln Clapp - engineer
Gordon Lyon - engineer
Jay Rifkin - engineer
Ken Kessie - engineer
Maureen Droney - engineer
Additional assistant engineers – Gordon Lyon - assistant engineer
Stuart Hirotsu - assistant engineer
Paul "Goatee" Hamingson - assistant engineer
Noah Baron - assistant engineer
Bill "Sweet William" Miranda - assistant engineer
Ross Williams - assistant engineer
Rob Beaton - assistant engineer

2 Jellybean Benitez - producer
Jack Waldman - arranger
Toni C. - arranger
Michael Hutchinson - engineer
Doc Dougherty - engineer
Dennis McKay  - engineer
Nick Delre - assistant engineer
Toni Greene - assistant engineer
Jay Healy - assistant engineer
Fernando Kral - assistant engineer
Tony Maserati - assistant engineer
Paul Pesce - assistant engineer
Don Peterkofsky - assistant engineer
Tim Reppert - assistant engineer
Mark Roule - assistant engineer
Craig Vogel - assistant engineer
Michael Hutchinson – mix engineer

3 Michael Masser - producer
Engineers – Michael DeLugg - engineer
Dean Burt - engineer
Jim Boyer - engineer
Mike Mancini - engineer
Russ Terrano - engineer
Fred Law - engineer
Fernando Kral - assistant engineer
Tony Maserati - assistant engineer
Russ Torrano - mixing engineer
Alicia Winfield - production coordinator

Design 
Richard Avedon - front cover and inner sleeve photography
Mark Larson - design
Bernard Maisner - hand lettering
Milton Sincoff - art production

4 Kashif - producer
Darroll Gustamachio  - engineer
Russ Terrana, Calvin Harris
Larry Smith  - assistant engineer
Dennis Mitchell - assistant engineer
Bob Loftus - assistant engineer
Steve MacMillan - assistant engineer
Mike Ross - assistant engineer
Mike Dotson - assistant engineer
Amy Ziffer - assistant engineer
Milton Chan - assistant engineer
John Drankchak - assistant engineer
Darroll Gustamachio - mix engineer
Russell Sidelsky - production coordinator
George Marino - mastering
Whitney Houston - vocal arrangements
Clive Davis - executive producer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications and sales

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References 

1987 albums
Whitney Houston albums
Pop albums
Dance albums
R&B albums