Waiting To Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album [Soundtrack]

Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Babyface, TLC, Toni Braxton | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 14, 1995)
• Original Release Date: November 14, 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Arista
• ASIN: B000002VPH
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (106 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,987 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #21 in Music > R&B > Contemporary R&B
  • #57 in Music > Miscellaneous

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Waiting to Exhale is the exception that proves the rule about mish-mash '90s soundtrack albums. Even though it features 22 different female voices, the album boasts a rare continuity because Babyface wrote or cowrote 15 of the songs and produced all 16. Moreover, the gifted R&B artist used every song to explore the film's theme of women trying to balance self-respect and romantic desire. Not only has Babyface (nee Kenny Edmonds) created a fascinating song suite, he has produced one of the best middle-of-the-road-pop, adult- contemporary albums of the decade. Mary J. Blige stakes out a claim as the new diva on the block with an astonishing performance on "Not Gon' Cry." Babyface's music and lyrics suggest a woman barely holding back a swelling flood of anger and heartache, and Blige's brilliant vocal captures both the agitation and the restraint. --Geoffrey Himes

Product Description

Tracks: Whitney Houston - Exhale (Shoop Shoop) 3:24 / Whitney Houston - Why Does It Hurt So Bad 4:37 / Toni Braxton - Let It Flow 4:27 / Aretha Franklin - It Hurts Like Hell 4:19 / Brandy - Sittin' Up In My Room 4:52 / Tlc - This Is How It Works 5:00 / Mary J. Blige - Not Gon' Cry 4:57 / Chaka Khan - My Funny Valentine 4:06 / Sonja Marie - And I Gave My Love To You 4:48 / Swv - All Night Long 4:31 / Chanté Moore - Wey U 4:32 / Patti LaBelle - My Love, Sweet Love 4:21 / Faith Evans - Kissing You 3:23 / For Real - Love Will Be Waiting At Home 5:59 / Shanna - How Could You Call Her Baby 5:09 / Whitney Houston & CeCe Winans - Count On Me 4:26

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best soundtracks in the entire world!!!! October 8, 2003

By A. R SCOTT

Format:Audio CD

First, of all this is an exceptional soundtrack I don't know any soundtracks that every song on the soundtrack is good not to mention there are legends on this album and a lot of people who have made a mark in music such as :Whitney, Aretha,Mary J.Blige, TLC, Faith Evans, Brandy, Chaka Khan, Toni Braxton, and Chant'e Moore!!!! this is good soundtrack with some fantastic songs if I missed giving anyone their props I sincerely apologize and am sorry for overlooking you !!!! But I would recommend anyone who likes any of these people mentioned to buy this album it is wonderful and I still enjoy listening to it!!!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's the Best November 17, 2005

By C. Hawkins

Format:Audio CD

This album came out in November of '95, so that means that at this time I had just begun the third grade. As such, when my aunt and mother used to play it non-stop, I didn't even realize the star power behind this soundtrack. I, of course, knew the Whitney Houston tracks because (1)she was in the movie, and (2)her voice is so distinctive, but the only other artists I knew just from a listen were Aretha Franklin, Mary J, Chaka Khan and Brandy (8-year-olds just don't read liner notes). That's surprising, now, because this soundtrack had some of my favorite R&B singers on it. Despite this fact, I've loved the disc from the very beginning, and I know almost every song verbatim--and that includes the ad-libs at the end; I'm telling you at eight, I could riff with the best of 'em.

Exhale - although this is the "signature" song for the movie, this track is actually not the best here; with that said, Whitney's voice and those infectious, almost trilling "shoops" are enough to make it standout...9/10

Why Does It Hurt So Bad- this one is also good, but made almost great by Ms. Houston's vocals...9/10

Let It Flow - here we have Toni Braxton who wraps her golden voice around this this airy, truly "flowing" piece; in some lines she makes you rethink just how low the female voice can go, and I find the dichotomy of placing her just after the trilling soprano of Whitney Houston interesting...9.8/10

It Hurts Like Hell - I always enjoyed this number by the Queen of Soul, but could never sing along with it, because 3rd graders aren't allowed to curse (i.e, hell); still you should delight in how fresh and rangy her voice still sounded amongst all those younger gals (Patty and Chaka, excluded)...9.8/10

Sittin' Up In My Room - this is Brandy's selection: so sweet and teenage it is, in lyric and production; I believe this song was quite popular (I think I saw the video) and it's one of her best...9.9/10

This Is How It Works - my parents didn't actually play this song that much, and thus it is more unfamiliar to me than the other songs; it's typical of TLC at the time, but not necesarily good (more like a filler cut for Crazy, Sexy, Cool)...8/10-->What can I say? Crazy, Sexy, Cool was a good album

Not Gon' Cry - Here we have the disc's other Queen (of Hip-Hop Soul) and here she definitely reigns supreme; this is the standout track from the entire set; the voice was full of pain and power and emotion; 11 years y'all! I was singing this song straight up like I was ready to leave my husband too (except I'm male, and was eight at the time, but you get the point); it's very cathartic and probably even more so for someone who's hurting...on a side note, I'd like to point out that Mary J recorded this song, while she was still battling with drugs: if only Whitney could sound that good on dope; still they have very different instruments and throughout the course of their careers have used them differently, but I digress...11!/10

My Funny Valentine - here's Chaka! With a sound as distinctive and jazzy as her first name, Chaka Khan delivers a truly original and smoldering "Funny Valentine"...10/10

And I Gave My Love To You - this song is spoken word with a nice smooth chorus, by a woman whom I can only assume is a spoken word artist: Sonja Marie; at eight you don't really appreciate (or listen to) speaking adults, so I never "loved" this song; still, though you can groove to it, and now that I'm older I can appreciate her gifted speaking voice, even moreso because I don't have one...9/10

All Night Long - this is one of those surprises, where I found out who the artist was later; this song is atypically SWV; despite the racy subject matter the song only comes across as tasteful and sweet...it has some of the softest and pretty vocals lead-singer Coko has ever laid down...9.7/10

Wey U - I was so happy when I found out the title to this song, because before I thought I was crazy; this is one of those songs that you love even though you have no idea What the hell the artist is saying: in this song Chante Moore uses her sensuous rasp to scat to the slow groove; again most of the lyrics to this song aren't words, but it's still amazing...9.85/10

My Love, Sweet Love - I like this song because it is decidedly less high-octane than what you'd expect from Patti LaBelle; yet, it still maintains a goodly amount of soul (because you know, a soul-less Patti LaBelle gets the "next" button); the climax is also great because it satisfies your need for some "Patti" notes...9.7/10

Kissing You - Thank God (or Comcast) for the advent of digital cable (the Music Channels), because otherwise I would've never known this was Faith (another singer whom I adore); the vocals are distinctly mid-90s Faith Evans: high and seemingly endless soprano notes combine with the lower ones to make this effort truly unique from her debut album--which was out at around the same time...it is less bass-driven and presents a side that was more explored on her sophomore release; I just love this song...10/10

Love Will Be Waiting At Home - this song is by the R&B quartet For Real, and I'll admit that I'm not at all familiar with them, but this song is amazing...10/10

How Could You Call Her Baby - this song is by another artist of whom I've never heard, Shanna; yet, she was defintely the right choice for this song: her voice os the perfect vehicle for the lyrics; ever since I first heard the song, I could see the scenes laying about before me (in my mind, of course)...10/10

Count On Me - this, the Whitney Houston closer is the best selection featuring the "diva assoluta"; it is a decidedly un-"diva" effort, however, with it being a duet with Cece Winans. Their voices match up well, and are remarkably similar, especially when they are belting; this song is quite inspirational (if a bit saccharine) and very relevant to the movie; remember if you pair sappy lyrics with amazing voices, who cares about the lyrics...10/10

I could get my graphing calculator and average out my "grade" for all the songs and give a you a concrete figure; I'm not going to do that, however. All you need to know is it's a 10; and you should buy it.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Babyface Calls Up a Few Divas. The Result? This CD. August 28, 2002

By The Groove

Format:Audio CD

For all intents and purposes, this soundtrack to the hit movie "Waiting to Exhale" is a Babyface record all the way. Here, Kenny Edmonds is in top form as a songwriter and producer, coming up with stellar tracks featuring a handful of the most respected female singers in r&b. "Why Does it Hurt So Bad" is Whitney's best, and most crushing, breakup song ever; the legendary Chaka shows off her pipes in her reworking of "My Funny Valentine," and Brandy gives her best single yet in the cutesy "Sittin' Up In My Room." Mary J. Blige brings the house down in "Not Gon' Cry," based on the movie's character, the troubled Bernadine. SWV shine in "All Night Long," and I absolutely love Chante Moore's seductively mellow "Wey You." This would be Babyface's last great project before he would experience a slow and steady decline, but you can always turn to this soundtrack, which was one of the best albums of the 1990s.