I know some of you have opted to stream or have a digital copy of The Rarities. I have collated the paragraphs of text Mariah wrote for each track for if anybody wanted to read them.
For good measure, I've also included the paragraphs for #1 to Infinity. In the UK, Someday, I Don't Wanna Cry and Thank God I Found You were axed in favour of Without You, Endless Love and Against All Odds, so I have also included their write ups too.
THE RARITIES
Here We Go Around Again
This was track #1 on my very first demo tape that has never before been shared with the world. I always liked it and did want it to be included on my first album. I don't remember why it wasn't, except we felt that we never quite captured the magic of that first demo. This recording is as close as we got.
Can You Hear Me
Working with the legendary Barry Mann was truly an honour. We recorded this demo in the hopes that la Streisand (a.k.a. Babs) would perform it. That didn't happen, but I just recently unearthed this rarity - our writing demo - and wanted to share it with you.
Do You Think of Me
This is one of my favourite songs from the Music Box sessions that ended up as a B-side on the "Dreamlover" single. I'm told it's a fan favourite so I wanted to include it on The Rarities.
Everything Fades Away
One of the more personal songs I wrote during this era. This was a B-side on the "Hero" single and never got the attention I feel it deserves. I guess the label didn't quite know how to categorise it musically at the time, but it's an early indicator of a place I would end up exploring further down the road.
All I Live For
I totally forgot about this track until we just found it in the depths of the vault. Hope you like it. Sooooo 90s...
One Night
An early collaboration with JD that both of us forgot about. Listed in the vault as "I Don't Know" because I didn't know what to call it, it collected dust until we brought it back to life. I think it's fun.
Slipping Away
Fans have been asking for "Justice for Slipping Away" for so long and now, here it is... sort of. I worked on this track with Dave "Jam" Hall when we were working on "Fantasy". We included it as a B-side on the "Always Be My Baby" single, and I hope it gets some love from new listeners.
Out Here On My Own
I won my first "trophy" singing this song as a little girl. You can read the whole story about this song in my memoir, in the chapter "Light of My Life." I decided to record it for Glitter, but for some reason, it didn't make the final cut.
Loverboy (Firecracker Original Version)
The long-lost original version of "Loverboy" before we had to change the sample and re-record the entire song. The full story is detailed in my memoir, in the chapter "Firecracker."
I Pray
I wrote this song for a beautiful young singer. Writing for a talented 12 year-old child was a nice and freeing experience because it was a way to channel a pure feeling of hope and optimism. Love you Lina.
Cool On You
I used to listen to this all the time but then it got lost somehow and finally resurfaced in my vault. I don't even think Jermaine remembers this writing session LOL. Also known as "Do the Coat", "Kick Rocks" and "Eat Dirt."
Mesmerized
I always enjoy a live studio session with the wonderful, multi-talented Loris Holland. This cool, retro 70's throwback is from one of those occasions. It never saw the light of day until now.
Lullaby of Birdland
A rare live performance of one of my favourite songs. This recording divinely fell into place after I had already written about the experience of singing this song with jazz musicians as a little girl in my memoir (chapter "Light of My Life"). Some of my favourite moments were improvising with the late Big Jim Wright on the piano and this is one example of that. Listen to him go.
Save the Day
I started writing this years ago, and the message rings true now more than ever: "we're all in this together." The Fugees' rendition of "Killing Me Softly" with Ms. Lauryn Hill's powerful vocals has always been one of my favourite recordings. I really enjoyed merging our voices together on this record.
Close My Eyes
After working through some emotional introspective moments for my memoir. I decided to revisit one of the most personal songs I've ever written.
#1 TO INFINITY
Vision of Love
I never expected this song to be a big hit, because it was so different than the songs that were popular in that time period. I started writing this song on the keyboard alone, which is a rarity because I'm not a great piano player to say the least :~) The song is very special to me because it encapsulates the story of my dream of becoming a recording artist, although most people interpret it as a love song.
Love Takes Time
This song came about when a record label executive told me that most of my songs were "urban leaning" and we didn't have a "pop ballad" to follow "Vision of Love." I sat down and wrote "Love Takes Time" in about an hour in a little studio in the back of the woodshed where I wrote most of my demos in.
Someday
This was one of my favourite songs when I was writing it for my demo. I remember being a kid and listening to it over and over on the subway after the studio sessions. I wish I could press rewind and delete some of the moments from the video and some of the overproduction on the debut album. That's why I included the version from MTV Unplugged on this album.
I Don't Wanna Cry
This song was my first collaboration with Narada Michael Walden. The label was very excited for me to work with him because of his collaborations with hugely successful vocalists. We wrote "I Don't Wanna Cry" together and it was very important for me to keep my identity as a songwriter. I was very grateful to him for the work we did together.
Emotions
This collaboration with Cole and Clivilles started my professional love affair with the late great David Cole. They made a great team but David and I had a really special musical connection. We worked on so many remixes that I still love to this day. I really miss him and am so grateful for our friendship and our collaborations. RIP.
I'll Be There
We were rehearsing for MTV Unplugged and I was going to perform "Vanishing" from my first album. The label came to me and said, "MTV really want you to perform a remake." It was the night before the show at rehearsal. My friend and background vocalist, the talented Trey Lorenz was there and we both are huge fans of Motown and the Jackson 5. I had the idea to sing "I'll Be There" and Trey was nice enough to accompany me. We never ever expected the song to be released as a single, let alone become a #1 record.
Dreamlover
I was working with Dave "Jam" Hall who was working with mainly hip-hop artists and we were "digging in the crates" and decided to use the loop from "Blind Alley" which was sampled by several big hip-hop artists. I loved the freedom of writing on top of that beat and bringing it into what most people consider a pop record.
Hero
I guess this is the song that people associate with me the most. Over the years I've grown to love performing it. I sing it differently each time because I am singing it directly to people's hearts. Through the years, people have told me that this song helped get them through difficult moments in their lives. When I sing this song, it seems as though it is a moving experience for myself and the audience together.
Without You
My mother used to sing Harry Nilsson's "Without You" to me when I was a baby. I think she even sang it when she was pregnant with me. Years later I heard the song when I was sitting in a restaurant and realised that it could be a worldwide hit all over again for a new generation of people who had not heard it yet. That's where the idea to remake "Without You" came from.
Endless Love
I remember hearing "Endless Love" when I was a little girl, and I loved the duet between Diana Ross and Lionel Richie. It was an honour to sing with the great Luther Vandross.
Fantasy
This record was a major turning point in my career as a recording artist. The collaboration with both Bad Boy and ODB was so unexpected yet exactly what I really wanted to be doing for myself. This song remains one of my proudest and happiest moments. If I wanted to be cocky, I would say that this song helped pave the way for a specific genre of rap collaborations that followed. And many careers that were made on this specific model. Whenever I hear the song, it still makes me smile. I freaking love it. RIP ODB.
One Sweet Day
This is a very, very special song to me. I knew that the best collaboration for me would be to work with Boyz II Men. They are such a talented group of male vocalists. This collaboration came at such a perfect time in the song's evolution. When we first got together, Nate was working on a song with a similar subject matter, and ironically enough, very similar melody as well. We decided to document the writing and singing and recording of the song because we had a feeling we wouldn't be able to get back together with our hectic schedules, thus the video in the recording studio and all the real moments you see when you watch it. As a songwriter, I'm very grateful to the millions of people who tell me that the song has changed their lives and helped them get through the difficulty of losing a loved one. I know a lot of people have very strong memories associated with this song. I certainly do.
Always Be My Baby
It never ceases to amaze me how the audience responds to this song when I sing it live. It is such a feel good record and the audience really loves to participate with me. It still sounds so good when I hear it on the radio. I think it really stands the test of time.
Honey
The song represents a real transition in my life. In many ways, I was really coming into myself when I wrote it and I think the video also surprised a few people ;) Needless to say, it was one of the happiest times of my life both personally and professionally, as tumultuous as it was.
My All
"My All" is one of the more passionate songs in my catalogue. I really love singing it.. It takes me back to a really specific moment in my life where I fell in love with love.
Heartbreaker
This was one of my many collaborations with DJ Clue, only this time the song became a main version - not a remix. I was thrilled that the incomparable Jay-Z was a part of it. It features a sample of Stacy Lattishaw's "Attack of the Name Game." I feel like all of the elements work so well because the song has both an edge and a mass appeal sound. The video, directed by my dear friend Brett Ratner, pushed it over the top and helped give me my fourteenth #1.
Thank God I Found You
I worked with Jimmy Jam and Terry lewis who are incredible producers and I was honoured to work with them. We collaborated in a way that was not one of your typical collaborations. The songs and the interludes from this album are some of my best work. This was a collaboration of my voice mixed with Joe, one of my favourite R&B singers ever and the boys from 98 Degrees. I am very grateful for the success of this song.
Against All Odds
"Against All Odds" was one of my favourite songs growing up, Phil Collins is a fantastic writer and an incredible artist. I was very happy to perform the song with Westlife. I remember recording in Capri, which was one of the first times I met Simon Cowell. He saw me producing in the studio and we worked very well together, all of us there in the beautiful studio in Capri where I recorded so many songs. I'm really proud of the fact that this song went to number one in England.
We Belong Together
Obviously this song was an undeniable hit that reintroduced me to the world at a crucial time when I felt very vulnerable. I put all of my emotions into all of it. I love singing this song in concert and seeing the audience reaction as they sing along to the lyrics. It feels like we are singing the soundtrack to my life together, in union, just me and my fans.
Don't Forget About Us
When we decided to re-release "The Emancipation of Mimi" album, LA Reid felt that we needed to have another mid-tempo ballad to go along with this new, special platinum edition. I really love this record because I feel it's got so man dynamics and it speaks directly to the person I'm writing to. It still allows people to interpret the song their own way and to connect with whoever they may be feeling they need to talk to when they listen to the song. I feel like that's what makes it a #1 song. I love the beat, I love the track, I love the musicality of this piece. It's definitely a personal favourite of mine.
Touch My Body
I remember walking into the studio and meeting The Dream and Tricky for the first time. Dream just started humming some melodies: "mmm mmm my body my body mmm mmm my body"... it was vert interesting and pretty smurfing hilarious. The track was inspired by early '90s hip-hop; it's a feel good record. We were all really feeling the same type of vibe with regard to the beat and how the song should evolve. We then finished the lyrics with Crystal Johnson, a fav collaborator of mine. We had so much fun writing this song because there are so many little private jokes and yet such overt ones as well. To all of our surprise, this is the song that broke Elvis' record of #1 singles on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. I'm still kinda in shock about it. As magical as it is to be a part of history in this way, it is indescribable and extremely humbling as well.
Infinity
Here I am, back at Sony Music, and we've come all circle. Sony was where I signed my first record deal when I was just a teenage girl, clutching my demo of many of the songs that are featured here now. "Infinity" felt like the right new song to add to my 18 original #1 hits. I went into the studio with some amazing collaborators and those sessions were literally the most fun experience I've had in years. And when I sang "Infinity", I felt free. I thought it was a perfect bookend to "Vision of Love" and truly encapsulates my career. "Infinity" represents my infinite musical journey that has now brought me back home. I hope you like... it feels really good to me.
(Bill from the UK)
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