It’s the 30th Anniversary of Mariah Carey’s MTV Unplugged EP! Celebrate the People & Stories Behind the Scenes.
Mariah Carey’s MTV Unplugged celebrates its 30th anniversary! Exactly 30 years ago, “I’ll Be There,” was released as the first single from MTV Unplugged: Mariah Carey (EP released June 1992). Along with millions of people around the world, I tuned in to MTV Unplugged to witness Mariah Carey’s first televised live show.
What many people don’t know is Mariah Carey’s Unplugged performance was a strategy to rescue her career. At the time, her album sales were slipping and people were beginning to question her talent. Not only did the strategy work, but it propelled her from states-side phenom to an international icon. Mariah was able to prove her nay-sayers wrong and gained a newfound respect for her talents. To say she SLAYED is an understatement.
I can talk about every song on this EP – I love the whole thing! But I’ll narrow it down to three of the most important songs, plus some behind-the-scenes people and stories you need to know!
- “Emotions”
- “If it’s Over”
- “I’ll Be There”
BTS of Mariah Carey’s MTV Unplugged
Despite two highly successful albums, Mariah Carey (1990 debut) and Emotions (1991), no Mariah concerts or tours were on the horizon. Her performances were limited to talk show and award show appearances. It was not enough! This caused a lot of critics and fans to doubt her talent. People started to suspected she was a manufactured “studio girl.” Speculations that she could not sustain or replicate her vocals in a live show ran rampant. Was she the real deal? Could she deliver those power vocals outside the sanctuary of the studio? Maybe her short, random performances on TV were all she could manage. Audiences were suspicious, especially with Milli Vanilli still fresh on their minds. So, what did Milli Vanilli have to do with Mariah Carey’s career?
The Milli Vanilli Connection
Less than two years before her appearance on MTV Unplugged, the Milli Vanilli debacle of 1990 happened. Early in the year, Milli Vanilli, received the 1990 Grammy Award for Best New Artist. They were two gorgeous, seemingly talented men dancing on top of the world. They had a string of hit songs from two huge albums. Unlike most up and coming artists, they avoided media interviews. Red flag!
When they started doing interviews at the height of their fame the controversy began. Their poor English skills and speaking voices just didn’t fit with what people heard in their music. They were also notorious for lip-syncing all of their performances. The straw that broke the camel’s back occurred during a live performance on MTV. A hardware malfunction caused their track to glitch. To make matters worse, instead of playing it off like true pros, they panicked and literally ran off the stage.
Soon after, Frank Farian, their controversial producer, revealed they didn’t even sing on their own albums! Upon this revelation, class action lawsuits were filed against Farian and music label, Arista. The result? Consumers who bought Mili Vanilli albums received the right to refunds. By the end of 1990 the Recording Academy forced Milli Vanilli to return their Grammy. The incident tarnished the Grammys, particularly the Best New Artist category. With that mess still fresh in people’s minds, skepticism grew for 1991’s Grammy winner for Best New Artist, Mariah Carey.
Mariah’s Album Sales Disappoint
In addition to growing skepticism in Mariah’s talent, Sony Records was concerned that her career was tanking. “Make it Happen,” the third single from the Emotions, did not perform as well as expected. It only reached number five on Billboard’s Hot 100 and her album sales were plummeting. One of her collaborators, producer Walter Afanasieff, pushed the label to book her on MTV Unplugged and they agreed. It was an opportunity to shut down the haters and give a much-needed boost to her album sales and career.
3 Most Important Tracks from Mariah Carey’s MTV Unplugged
“Emotions”
Mariah Carey’s MTV Unplugged opens with “Emotions,” the title track from her second album. The album version was her fifth consecutive single to hit number one in October of 1991. The song pulls influences from several genres, including funk, soul, disco, and gospel. For the Unplugged performance, its gospel roots were pushed to the forefront. With David Cole on piano and gospel-heavy backing vocals, Mariah launches into her soaring intro. The Church of Mariah was open for service! Very appropriate, considering Mariah Carey is one of the most worshipped artists of all time. But Mariah was nervous!
She was there to shut down the haters in her first live show. Millions tuned in and many were eager to see her falter. If you listen to the track carefully, you know exactly where things take a beautiful turn. After her soaring intro, she eases into the first verse, as if dipping her toes into a cold pool. Then she dives in with her first signature whistle notes and swims underwater through the first chorus. At the other end of the pool, she emerges! At the top of the second verse, the key change hits and you can feel her energy shift. Acclimated, the nerves disappear and she becomes the mermaid we all know. Long before the Emancipation of Mimi, this moment was the emancipation of Mariah Carey – from questionable studio girl to bona fide diva.
“Emotions” Producers, David Cole and Robert Clivilles
Cole and Clivilles (C&C) formed C&C Music Factory in 1989 when they recruited rapper Freedom Williams and singer Zelma Davis to perform their productions. Their 1990 album, Gonna Make You Sweat, was their most successful project. Its title track, “(Gonna Make You Sweat) Everybody Dance Now,” was used in a handful of commercials, TV shows, and movies. Just about every high school and college cheerleading squad included the song in their repertoire.
In addition to their collaboration with Mariah and their own albums, C&C enjoyed success behind the scenes with other artist. They produced the girl group Seduction, which included RuPaul Drag Race’s Michelle Visage. They also wrote and produced for Lisa Lisa and another girl group called The Cover Girls.
Sadly, David Cole passed away from HIV-related complications in 1995, at just 32 years old.
Interesting C&C side note:
Although Zelma Davis was originally credited for all of C&C’s vocals, Martha Wash sang on most of the earlier recordings. Wash later filed a lawsuit over uncredited vocals on several songs, including “Everybody Dance Now”. Wash also filed a similar lawsuit against Italian dance/house group Black Box.
Copyright Infringement
If you are familiar with her body of work, you know Mariah Carey likes to pay homage with a good sample. It’s a big part of her story-telling DNA. “Emotions” was the first time she employed this tactic, but it landed her in hot water. The song borrows elements from a 1977 song called “Best of My Love,” from The Emotions, written by Earth, Wind, and Fire’s leading man, Maurice White. Carey and her team did not receive proper permission to borrow from “Best of My Love.” White filed a copyright case against Mariah, C&C and Sony. They eventually settled their dispute out of court, and details were never disclosed to the public.
“If It’s Over”
The next important track from Mariah Carey’s MTV Unplugged is, “If It’s Over”. Much like “Emotions,” this song pulls its sound from R&B, soul, jazz, gospel, and blues, with musical stylings borrowed from the 50s and 60s.
Mariah Carey’s MTV Unplugged was only a 30-minute show. For the sake of time, she shortened “If It’s Over” without compromising its integrity or her vocals. For Unplugged, it served to showcase Mariah’s vocal power and range. And without her whistle register! Mariah begins the song in her lower register, a “simple” feat where some singers tend to be a little shaky. As a master vocalist, she knows how to do it right. Halfway through the song, Mariah already covers most of her range, but you know there’s more. When she hits the climax of the song she lets you have it all. She channels her vocal and emotional delivery into a canon, takes aim at your soul, and fires! It’s breathtaking, literally and figuratively.
“If It’s Over” Co-writer, Carole King
Carey collaborated with the legendary singer and songwriter, Carole King, a major influence on modern pop music. How important is she? Important enough to have an award-winning and popular Broadway musical about her, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical!
In 1998 Carole King was honored on VH1’s Divas Live by Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, Gloria Estefan, and Shania Twain. Long before her collaboration with Mariah, King established herself as an important figure in popular music. King started in the music business in the late 50s. As a prolific, award-winning singer and songwriter, she released 17 studio albums and wrote or co-wrote 118 songs. A few of her well-known classics include “The Loco-Motion,” “Will You (Still) Love Me tomorrow,” and the Aretha Franklin classic, “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman”.
Fun Fact
The Saturday Night Live Band’s horn section accompanied Mariah on this performance of “If It’s Over.” While the band’s musicians work on other projects individually, they’re not known to collaborate as a group with other artists.
“I’ll Be There”
Finally, you cannot talk about this CD without mentioning Mariah’s cover of the Jackson 5 classic, “I’ll Be There.” Carey’s Unplugged cover was released as a single exactly 30 years ago, on May 26, 1992. At the time, it was her sixth and biggest number one hit. This massive hit single catapulted her from a states-side pop artist into an internationally recognized legend. Of Mariah’s 19 (and counting) number one singles, this is the only one that she did not write.
“I’ll Be There” was added to the setlist at the last minute. According to legend, Mariah and crew had to throw it together and did not have enough time to rehearse. And they pulled it off beautifully! Mariah does it in her own, unmistakable way without any serious changes to melody and arrangements. She truly honors and pays her respects to the original creators. Any artist that Mariah decides to cover knows she will do their song justice. But there is a downside to a Mariah Carey cover. When Mariah decides to cover your song, it becomes hers. She’s just that good!
“I’ll Be There” Partner, Trey Lorenz
One of the two major collaborators on “I’ll Be There” is Trey Lorenz, Mariah’s long-time BFF, backup singer, and duet partner. Lorenz started working with Carey in 1990, as a backing vocalist on promotional club gigs. Although Lorenz is most known for his work with Mariah, he has his own body of work to speak of. As a backup singer, he worked for other artists, including New Kids on the Block, Aretha Franklin, Usher, TLC, Snoop Dogg, and the late Selena Quintanilla-Peréz, on “I Could Fall in Love“. In addition to being a prolific backing vocalist, he released two of his own albums, Trey Lorenz (1992) and Mr. Mista (2006). Additionally, he contributed songs to the movie soundtracks for Men in Black and Money Train.
Walter Afansieff, Superstar Collaborator
The second collaborator on “I’ll Be There”, Walter Afanasieff, was a major contributor to Mariah Carey’s body of work. Their working relationship started with her 1990 debut album and ended with 2001’s Glitter. He was instrumental to her success early in her career and was responsible (albeit, under-recognized) for co-writing and co-producing “All I Want for Christmas is You.” During the Unplugged performance you can see him playing piano on several songs, including “I’ll Be There.” In addition to booking MTV Unplugged, he also worked with her to produce, arrange, and musically direct the show.
Afanasieff’s discography is a long and impressive list of accomplishments. He wrote, produced, played keyboard and piano, and provided studio programming for some of the biggest names in music. His long roster of collaborations include Patti Labelle, Natalie Cole, Boys II Men, Whitney Houston, Richard Marx, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, and Ricky Martin.
The Mariah-Walter Split: What’s The REAL Story?
2001’s soundtrack and album, Glitter, was his last collaboration with Mariah. Was their parting due to creative differences or corporate politics? Her departure from Sony/Columbia gave her the freedom to focus more on R&B and less on adult contemporary music. Mariah’s departure from Sony/Columbia, after 1999’s Rainbow album, may also be a factor. Afanasieff mainly works with adult contemporary artists under Sony’s many music labels, which include RCA, Columbia, Epic. As many people know, Mariah’s infamous marriage with Sony Music head Tommy Mottola did not end well. The ugly divorce, the end of Mariah’s Sony contract, and her focus on R&B may all be contributing factors for their split.
MTV Unplugged: Mariah Carey – A Must-Have for Any Music Collector!
Mariah Carey did not always have the respect and admiration she has today. Despite her immense popularity in the 90s, there were many people who didn’t take her seriously, disregarded her talent, and judged her harshly for every move. She endured a lot of cruelty and criticism for her music, her appearance, her personal choices – basically, just for being a famous, biracial woman. Even other women in the entertainment industry, including comedians, actors, and fellow pop stars, jumped on the anti-Mariah bandwagon. These days, they are eating their words.
32 years have gone by since Mariah Carey’s debut and there still isn’t a singer who can go head to head with her talent and success. She’s truly a living legend and a celebrity’s celebrity. Her appearance on MTV Unplugged was the moment of all moments that shot her into superstardom. Whether you’re one of Mariah’s ride-or-die Lambs or not, MTV Unplugged: Mariah Carey deserves a spot in your music collection.