I Believe In You And Me

"I Believe in You and Me" is a song written by Sandy Linzer and David Wolfert in 1982. The song was first recorded and released by the R&B group The Four Tops, who released it as a single from their album '' One More Mountain'' (1982). While it failed to reach the US Top 40, it became a moderate hit for the group on the US ''Billboard'' R&B chart, peaking at number 40 in early 1983.

In 1996, R&B/pop singer Whitney Houston recorded a cover of the song for her film ''The Preacher's Wife'' and released it as a single. Following its release, the song became a top 5 pop and R&B hit in the US, also peaking on music charts worldwide.

History and composition

The original version recorded by The Four Tops was a moderate success, charting at number 40 on the US ''Billboard's'' Hot Black Singles chart.The Four Tops AllMusic
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Due to the bigger success of the Whitney Houston version, "I Believe in You and Me" is most popularly known as a Whitney Houston song.

Shortly before the death of Four Tops lead singer Levi Stubbs in 2008, who was sidelined from the group due to complications of a stroke, and confined to a wheelchair, appeared with the other members of The Four Tops, and Aretha Franklin, and sang "I Believe In You and Me" live onstage in Detroit, in his final television appearance on ''From The Heart: The Four Tops 50th Anniversary Special'' (2004) on PBS.

Charts

Whitney Houston version

Thirteen years later in 1996, American singer and actress Whitney Houston recorded a cover of the song for her soundtrack album ''The Preacher's Wife'', produced by Mervyn Warren and herself on the film version, and David Foster on the single version of the song. It was released as the soundtrack's first single on December 10, 1996 by Arista Records. Houston received a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for her performance of the song at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards on February 25, 1998.
Whitney Houston's version was edited & sampled to create a duet with Barry Manilow for his album ''My Dream Duets'' (2014).

Composition

"I Believe in You and Me" is a slow tempo R&B song with strong gospel influences. Written in the key of C major, the beat is set in common time and moves at a slow 66 beats per minute. Houston's vocals in the song spans from the low note of G₃ to the high note of A₅.

Critical response

J. D. Considine of ''The Baltimore Sun'' called the song "the Designated Hit Ballad" and added " tis pretty much what we've come to expect from Houston ― a slow, Streisand-esque build-up, a subtle sense of drama and a big, full-voiced payoff in the final chorus." Also American magazine ''Billboard'' gave the song a positive review, saying "As she did with Dolly Parton's ' I Will Always Love You,' Houston redefines the composition with a soaring, glass-shattering performance that will leave her legions of fans breathless." While reviewing the soundtrack, Elysa Gardner of ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote described it as "a cheesy classic in the tradition of 'I Will Always Love You,' with an instantly familiar melody and a poignant, bolero-like arrangement." A reviewer from ''Music Week'' commented, "More serious schmaltz from ''The Preacher's Wife'' sountrack. Clearly destined for the Top 20 and anyone with a chocolate box heart." In his review for the soundtrack, Neil Strauss from ''The New York Times'' praised the song as one of "the year's most virtuosic pop ballads."

Commercial performance

"I Believe in You and Me", the first single from '' The Preacher's Wife Soundtrack'', debuted at number seven and number six, on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and Hot R&B Singles charts, the issue date of December 28, 1996, respectively. Four weeks later, on January 25, 1997, it was released in the R&B marketplace as a two-sided single with "Somebody Bigger Than You and I" from the soundtrack. It peaked at number four on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B chart, staying on the chart for 20 weeks. The following week, it also reached a peak of number four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, becoming Houston's 16th top five hit. The song entered the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary chart at number 19, the issue date of December 14, 1996 and peaked at number two, making it her 21st top ten hit of the chart, the issue date of March 1, 1997. The song was ranked thirty-three on the 1997 ''Billboard'' Year-end Hot 100 Singles chart. Additionally, "I Believe in You and Me/Somebody Bigger Than You and I" two-sided single placed at position number twenty-nine on the 1997 ''Billboard'' Year-end Hot R&B Singles chart. On the Billboard Adult R&B Songs list, the song peaked at number one staying there for four weeks.

The single was certified Platinum for the shipments of 1,000,000 copies or more by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 4, 1997, becoming Houston's fourth Platinum single.

Worldwide, it was released as the second single from the soundtrack after " Step by Step". The single peaked at number 16 on the UK Singles Chart, number 59 in Canada and number 46 in Sweden.

Live performances

Houston performed "I Believe in You and Me" on ''Saturday Night Live'' on December 14, 1996. Houston also sang the song on the ''National Lottery'' show, broadcast live on the BBC
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