The Bridge: Wesley on Whitney

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Arts, Tv & Film, Music

4.2 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 13 March 2020

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this mini-episode of Hit Parade, host Chris Molanphy is joined by Wesley Morris, Pulitzer Prize–winning critic, New York Times critic-at-large, and co-host of Still Processing. They discuss the most recent full-length episode of Hit Parade about the chart legacy of Whitney Houston, which was inspired in part by Wesley and his co-host Jenna Wortham’s analysis in Still Processing of Houston’s life, identity, and artistry. Wesley talks about his first memory of seeing Whitney on TV, his respect for the versatility of her voice, and his commiseration with her sometimes-cold reception by Black fans.

Next, Chris quizzes a Slate Plus listener with some music trivia, and the contestant turns the tables with a chance to try to stump Chris with a question of his own. Then, Chris teases the upcoming full-length episode of Hit Parade, which will look at Latin pop crossover on the American charts.

While this episode is available to all listeners, our trivia round is open only to Slate Plus members. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Want your question featured in an upcoming show? Email a voice memo to hitparade@slate.com.

Podcast production by Asha Saluja.

Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening, ad-free on Amazon Music.
0:03.4	Hello, Slate listeners.
0:05.2	Do us a favor and help us make a better slate by answering our survey.
0:09.6	It'll only take a few minutes.
0:10.8	You can find it at slate.com slash survey.
0:15.4	Well, there's a bridge and there's a river that I still must cross as I'm going.
0:25.5	Hey, everybody.
0:26.4	This is Chris Malampe, host of Hit Parade, Slate's podcast of Pop Chart History.
0:31.6	Welcome to The Bridge.
0:34.7	That's step by step by Whitney Houston, her cover of an Annie Lennox song,
0:40.9	taken from the soundtrack to her 1996 film, The Preacher's Wife.
0:45.5	Like so many hits in Houston's career,
0:48.4	step-by-step aimed to bridge her white and black fan bases.
0:57.2	In this case, with a pop soul song by a white singer-songwriter,
1:02.0	recorded for a gospel-centered film about a black Baptist church.
1:06.5	Step-by-step hit number 15 on the Hot 100 and number 29 on the R&B chart in 1997.
1:15.1	And these mini episodes bridge our full-length monthly episodes. Give us a chance to catch up with listeners and enjoy some hit parade trivia.
1:23.8	This month, I'm delighted to be joined by Wesley Morris, Pulitzer Prize-winning critic, New York Times, Critic at Large, and a friend and frequent guest on Slate Podcasts.
1:35.3	I first encountered Wesley at Grantland, where he hosted the podcast, Do You Like Prince Movies?
1:42.2	Now at the Times, Wesley writes about everything from music to film to cultural criticism.
1:48.4	And he co-hosts the Still Processing podcast with fellow Times writer Jenna Wertham.
1:54.2	Always a great listen.
	...

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