MARK SCHEERER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you're going to tell the story of Moses and transform the book of Exodus into a big screen cartoon, you might as well throw in a soundtrack of biblical proportions. So DreamWorks has come up with three CDs to accompany "The Prince of Egypt."

SCHEERER (on camera): Is this not perhaps overkill?

HANS ZIMMER, COMPOSER: Of course, it's overkill. I mean, you know, look, everything one does these days in a peculiar way is overkill. To even attempt this movie is overkill of a sort.

SCHEERER (voice-over): Composer Hans Zimmer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz (ph) collaborated on the actual soundtrack album, while two other CDs were inspired by the movie: one with Nashville artists and one with gospel and urban acts.

The signature song, "When You Believe," can also be found on both new CDs from Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.

WHITNEY HOUSTON, SINGER: I have knowledge of the book of Exodus. I have knowledge of the Bible and its stories. So it was really thrilling for me to watch it in animation.

JEFFREY KATZENBERG, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: We took the film under our arm in one hand and our hat in the other, and showed the movie, and everything else came from that. The movie is what talked to them and it made them want to sing and be a part of it.

BRIAN McKNIGHT: This story has just been so near and dear to all of our hearts for so long, it's just great that they had the foresight to do it this way. So I think that's probably why this is such a big deal.

SCHEERER: In Nashville, country stars like Vince Gill, Clint Black, Randy Travis, Allison Krause (ph), and Faith Hill joined the choir. Boys II Men, Jars of Clay, and the Wynans, among others, are on the inspirational CD from "The Prince of Egypt." About the only one missing is the artist formerly known as Prince.

(on camera): Is there a danger that people might not get the CD that they hope they get with the three of them? There might be some confusion.

KATZENBERG: I think they're pretty -- You know, they're really well-labeled, and you know, there's a distinctiveness of them. I think it's pretty clear, so I don't think there will be a tremendous amount of confusion.

SCHEERER (voice-over): There may need to be some prayers, though. The soundtrack came on the Billboard Album Chart at 94, and the other two debuted even lower: "Inspiration" at 121, and "Nashville" at 139.