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.

## Personnel

"**I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)**"<sup>1</sup>
- 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**"<sup>1</sup>
- 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**"<sup>2</sup>
- 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**"<sup>3</sup>
- John Robinson – drums
- Paul Jackson, Jr. – guitar
- Nathan East – bass
- Robbie Buchanan – Rhodes, acoustic piano, rhythm arrangement
- Lee Holdridge – string arrangement

"**So Emotional**"<sup>1</sup>
- 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**"<sup>4</sup>
- 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**"<sup>1</sup>
- 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**"<sup>3</sup>
- 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**"<sup>1</sup>
- 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**"<sup>1</sup>
- 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**"<sup>1</sup>
- 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

<sup>**1**</sup> **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

<sup>**2**</sup> **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

<sup>**3**</sup> **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

<sup>**4**</sup> **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

### Weekly charts

|Chart(s)|Peak position||
| --- | --- | --- |
|Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)|style="text-align:center;"|1|
|US _Billboard_ 200|style="text-align:center;"|87|

### Year-end charts

|Chart (1987)|Position|
| --- | --- |
|9||
|6||
|4||
|13||
|5||
|3||
|23||
|20||
|26||
|12||
|5||

### Decade-end charts

|Chart (1980–1989)|Position|||
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|Austrian Albums Chart|align="center"|22||
|align="left"|UK Albums Chart|align="center"|6|

## Infobox (album)

- **name**: Whitney
- **type**: studio
- **artist**: Whitney Houston
- **released**: June 2, 1987
- **recorded**: 1986-1987
- **length**: 52:48
- **label**: Arista Records, Arista
- **prev title**: Whitney Dancin' Special
- **prev year**: 1986
- **next title**: I'm Your Baby Tonight
- **next year**: 1990