Discography | The Mariah Carey Archives

ALWAYS BE MY BABY

After 16 weeks on the top, "One sweet day" was replaced from the number 1 position by Celine Dion's "Because you love me". But Mariah wasn't finished with the singles chart yet. On May 4, 1996, "Always be my baby" toppled Celine's single. It hadn't gone straight in at number 1, but it did manage to climb there, giving Mariah her eleventh number 1 hit (which put her in tie with Whitney Houston and Madonna as the female artist with the most top singles). And, as with "Fantasy", there was a hip-hop remix, featuring a rap by Da Brat, with a video shot at Camp Mariah.

Mariah had been a fan of musician and producer Jermaine Dupri ever since she'd heard Kriss Kross's "Jump" (Dupri had gone on from there to found his own So So Def label). For "Always be my baby", Mariah noted, "Jermaine, Manuel [Seal] and I sat down and Jermaine programmed the drums. I told him the feel that I wanted and Manuel put his hands on the keyboards and I started singing the melody. We went back and forth with the bridge and the B-section. I had the outline of the lyrics and started singing Always Be My Baby off the top of my head."

Although the background vocals included longtime co-horts Kelly and Shanrae Price and Melanie Daniels, it was mostly Mariah, building the wall of voices that she loved. This would be true for all the album's backing vocals. This time out, there was no long stay at number 1, but that didn't matter. The singles from "Daydream" had given Mariah more than six months at the top, something virtually unbelievable in the modern age.

The rhythm of "Always be my baby" was a little downbeat, but the changes had a warm feel, and Mariah's vocal almost purred over the top. Indeed, on much of this record, she sounded slightly different from the Mariah of old, a little sassier, a little more R&B, like a soul sister. And it wasn't someone playing a wannabe, either; this was in her blood and was gradually coming out. Her love of soul, gospel, R&B, and hip-hop all fed into it. While not quite a slow jam, the song had a lush, sexy vibe that just glowed.

CD-SINGLES

5" CD-single from Australia (1116)
SAMP 755
promo without picture sleeve

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Album Version)
2. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri No Rap Radio Mix featuring Xscape)
3. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri Mix featuring Da Brat and Xscape)

5" CD-single from Australia (1113)
662922 2
collection Eric de Ridder

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri No Rap Radio Mix featuring Xscape)
2. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri Mix featuring Da Brat and Xscape)
3. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri Extended Mix featuring Da Brat and Xscape)
4. Always be my baby (Reggae Soul Mix featuring Lil' Vicious)
5. Always be my baby (Album Version)

5" CD-single from Australia (0062)
663240 2
also known as "The Remixes"
collection Eric de Ridder

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Def Classic Radio Version)
2. Always be my baby (Always Club)
3. Always be my baby (Groove A Pella)
4. Always be my baby (St Dub)

5" CD-single from Australia (2184)
663240 2
promo, also known as "The Remixes"
collection Stacey Lane

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Def Classic Radio Version)
2. Always be my baby (Always Club)
3. Always be my baby (Groove A Pella)
4. Always be my baby (St Dub)

This CD-Single is exactly the same as item 0062, but on the back cover there is a sticker saying "sample product - not for sale".

5" CD-single from Austria (0060)
663104 1
collection Eric de Ridder

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Album Version)
2. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri Mix featuring Da Brat and Xscape)

5" CD-single from Austria / Spain (1117)
663104 1
collection Vasily Antashov

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Album Version)
2. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri Mix featuring Da Brat and Xscape)

Front and back cover are the same as 0060, except for a sentence in Spanish on the back cover: "Distribuido por Sony Music, Castellana 93, 28046 Madrid". The logos on the back cover are different as well.

5" CD-single from Austria (0061)
663104 2
collection Eric de Ridder

5" CD-single from Austria (2199)
663104 5
collection Lucie Hagelaar

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Always Club)
2. Always be my baby (Dub-A-Baby)
3. Always be my baby (Groove A Pella)
4. Always be my baby (St Dub)

5" CD-single from Brazil (0058)
44.012/2-663104
collection Eric de Ridder

5" CD-single from Canada (1367)
38K 78276
collection André Champagne

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Album Version)
2. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri Mix featuring Da Brat and Xscape)
3. Slipping away

5" CD-single from Japan (1125)
XDCS 93209
promo without picture sleeve
collection Jamshed

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Album Version)
2. Always be my baby (Mr Dupri Mix featuring Da Brat and Xscape)

3" CD-single from Japan (0066)
SRDS 8308
collection Eric de Ridder

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Album Version)
2. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri Mix featuring Da Brat and Xscape)
3. Long ago (Album Version)

3" CD-single from Japan (2074)
SRDS 8308
promo
collection Luc Baumgartner

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Album Version)
2. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri Mix featuring Da Brat and Xscape)
3. Long ago (Album Version)

This item is exactly the same as item 0066, but on the back cover is a sticker saying "not for sale".

5" CD-single from South-Africa (1996)
CDSIN 100 I
collection Marcel Trupia

5" CD-single from South-Korea (0064)
CPK-1708 (663104 2)
collection Eric de Ridder

5" CD-single from the UK (0956)
663334 2
collection Eric de Ridder

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Album Version)
2. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri Extended Mix featuring Da Brat and Xscape)
3. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri No Rap Radio Mix featuring Xscape)
4. Always be my baby (Reggae Soul Mix featuring Lil' Vicious)
5. Always be my baby (Reggae Soul Dub Mix)

5" CD-single from the UK (2397)
663334 5

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Def Classic Radio Version)
2. Always be my baby (Always Club Mix)
3. Always be my baby (Dub-A-Baby)
4. Always be my baby (Groove A Pella)
5. Always be my baby (St Dub)

The CD-Single was never commercially released in the UK with this picture cover, it was replaced with item 0063.

5" CD-single from the UK (0063)
663334 5
collection Eric de Ridder

5" CD-single from the USA (0065)
CSK 7633
promo
collection Eric de Ridder

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Album Version)
2. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri No Rap Radio Mix featuring Xscape)
3. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri Mix featuring Da Brat and Xscape)

5" CD-single from the USA (0057)
38K 78276
collection Eric de Ridder

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Album Version)
2. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri Mix featuring Da Brat and Xscape)
3. Slipping away

5" CD-single from the USA (0059)
44K 78277
collection Eric de Ridder

VINYL SINGLES

7" vinyl single from Holland (1118)
663334 7
without picture sleeve
collection Kerry Scrimshaw

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Album Version)
2. Always be my baby (Def Classic Radio Version)

12" vinyl maxi-single from Holland (0067)
663104 6
collection Eric de Ridder

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Reggae Soul Mix featuring Lil' Vicious)
2. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri Extended Mix featuring Da Brat and Xscape)
3. Always be my baby (Reggae Soul A Cappella featuring Lil' Vicious)
4. Always be my baby (Album Version)

12" vinyl maxi-single from Holland (1110)
663104 8

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Always Club)
2. Always be my baby (Dub-A-Baby)
3. Always be my baby (Groove A Pella)
4. Always be my baby (St Dub)

12" vinyl maxi-single from the UK (0068)
XPR 2296
promo, strictly limited edition UK pressing
collection Eric de Ridder

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri Extended Mix featuring Da Brat and Xscape)
2. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri No Rap Radio Mix featuring Xscape)
3. Always be my baby (Album Version)
4. Always be my baby (Reggae Soul Mix featuring Lil' Vicious)
5. Always be my baby (Reggae Soul Dub featuring Lil' Vicious)
6. Always be my baby (Reggae Soul Accapella featuring Lil' Vicious)

12" vinyl maxi-single from the UK (2141)
XPR 2299
promo, called "The Mariah Carey & Satoshi Tomiie Remixes"
collection Luc Baumgartner

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Always Club)
2. Always be my baby (Dub-A-Baby)
3. Always be my baby (Groove A Pella)
4. Always be my baby (St. Dub)

7" vinyl single from the USA (0069)
38-78276
collection Eric de Ridder

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby
2. Long ago

12" vinyl maxi-single from the USA (1114)
44 78277

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Reggae Soul Dub featuring Lil' Vicious)
2. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri Extended Mix featuring Da Brat and Xscape)
3. Always be my baby (Reggae Soul A Cappella featuring Lil' Vicious)
4. Always be my baby (Album Version)

12" vinyl maxi-single from the USA (1111)
44 78313

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Always Club)
2. Always be my baby (Dub-A-Baby)
3. Always be my baby (Groove A Pella)
4. Always be my baby (St Dub)

CASSETTE SINGLES

cassette single from Australia (1115)
662922 8

cassette single from Canada (1368)
38T 78276
collection André Champagne

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Album Version)
2. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri Mix featuring Da Brat and Xscape)
3. Slipping away

cassette single from Holland (1120)
663334 4
tracks repeated on both sides
collection Kerry Scrimshaw

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Album Version)
2. Always be my baby (Def Classic Radio Version)

cassette single from Malaysia (0056)
44T 78277
collection Eric de Ridder

cassette single from the UK (2443)
no catalogue number
collection Eric de Ridder

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Always Club Mix)

This cassette is from the Whitfield Street Mastering Studios.

cassette single from the UK (2173)
663334 4
tracks repeated on both sides
collection Billy

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Album Version)
2. Always be my baby (Def Classic Radio Version)

cassette single from the USA (1119)
38T 78276
collection Kerry Scrimshaw

Tracklisting:
1. Always be my baby (Album Version)
2. Always be my baby (Mr. Dupri Mix featuring Da Brat and Xscape)
3. Slipping away

cassette single from the USA (1112)
44T 78277

SHEET MUSIC

sheet music from the UK (1731)
AM 940071
5 pages
collection Pascal Bellerose

sheet music from the USA (1835)
HL00351305
Hal Leonard Corporation
collection Sharon Zagame