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Archive-name: music/mariah-carey-faq/part4
Posting-Frequency: monthly (third Wednesday) Last-modified: 2001/04/09 Version: 39 URL: http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/6413/MCFAQ-index.html See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge The Mariah Carey Newsgroup Frequently Asked Questions (for rec.music.artists.mariah-carey) Issue #039, 9th April 2001 MOVIE QUESTIONS S1. What can you tell me about Paint Your Wagon? This is a musical motion picture released in 1969, first released on video in 1983 by CIC/Arena. It featured the song that Mariah is supposedly named after, They Call The Wind Mariah. This was perhaps the most popular song from the movie, bar Wand'rin Star which was sung by Lee Marvin. The film was directed by Joshua Logan and starred Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood, Jean Seberg, Harve Presnell and Ray Walston. It runs for 164 minutes, and is the "wild west" story of a couple of prospectors who make their way to No Name City. Rumson (Marvin) meets a travelling Mormon, and buys his wife (Seberg) at auction for $800. Rumson falls in love with her, but she falls in love with Pardner (Eastwood). S2. Which movies has Mariah appeared in? She had a bit part as an opera singer in The Bachelor, which stars Chris O'Donnell and screened worldwide. For details, The Bachelor website at http:/ /www.bachelormovie.com/ should be your first point of call. For some time now Mariah has also been involved in a project with the title All That Glitters, supposedly based on a concept developed by Mariah. Mariah will star and sing in the movie, which has now been filmed. The story is not meant to be autobiographical, although it may borrow from some aspects of Mariah's life and rise to fame. All That Glitters has finished post-production and is expected to be released shortly. The Internet Movie Database has additional information on this production at: http://www.imdb.com/Title?0118589 Some details have now emerged about the film. Initial reports (now several years old) on the director and production arrangements were based on old information. Originally Buena Vista, the distribution arm of the Disney studio, was associated with the production, which was also linked to German backers. Promotion of the film indicates that Twentieth Century Fox and Columbia TriStar (Sony Entertainment) now own the rights and will distribute the film. Mariah plays Billie, an up and coming singing sensation, who rises from the ashes, facing adversity and striving against the odds to make a place for herself in the cutthroat entertainment business. Sound familiar? Directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall (writer/director Gridlock'd) and written by Kate Lanier (writer What's Love Got To Do With It, Set It Off and The Mod Squad), the production showcases new talent itself in its actors, and also includes rapper Da Brat in the supporting cast. Mariah was also cast as the step-daughter of the arch-villan in "Double-0- Soul". The movie was supposed to be an action comedy starring Chris Tucker. In the movie, Tucker's character is a bungling secret-agent, suddenly saddled with the age old task of saving the world after all the top agents are taken out. An acceptable script for the film failed to surface, so the movie is now dead in the water. S3. What's the story with the Honey video clip? Speculation on a movie role for Mariah began when many fans observed that the video for Honey is like a mini-movie, and does place Mariah in an acting role of sorts. This is much apart from her other videos, just as her intention to move into making movies is unexpected. As recently as two years ago she laughed in disbelief at the very idea. Interestingly, the Honey video has more in common with a James Bond story than simply the broad brush strokes of plot and subtle nuances of extravagant costumes and tongue-in-cheek acting. The bikini costume which Mariah wears is almost identical to that worn by Ursula Andress' character, Honey Ryder, in the first ever James Bond film, Dr No (1962). PERSONAL QUESTIONS P1. What is Mariah's family like? Mariah was born of a multicultural parentage, with a European descended mother (Patricia) and a father (Alfred Roy) of mixed South American and African-American parentage. Alison and Morgan are Mariah's only siblings, and are significantly older- by ten years. Alison is the most outspoken of the two, frequently speaking negatively about Mariah to the gossip press, and perpetually threatening to write a "tell-all" biography. Alison turned to drug use and prostitution in her teenage years. Mariah dedicated her debut album to her, but these days the two are bitter enemies, largely due to a custody battle over Alison's offspring where Mariah took her mother's side. Morgan suffered from serious symptoms of cerebral palsy and epilepsy in his youth, but is now part of the recording industry, CEO of Big Kid Records (http://bigkidrecords.com). Morgan is currently single, and has no children. He was briefly married to actress Jeannie Millar in August 1996, but the rest of the family never met her. P2. When and where was Mariah born? Mariah was the third and final child born to Patricia, an Irish-American mezzo soprano opera singer, and Alfred Roy Carey, an aeronautical engineer of mixed Venezuelan and African-American descent. She was born on Friday March 27th 1970 in New York. She was raised on Long Island, New York. P3. How would I pick Mariah in a crowd? Mariah used to be most commonly recognisable for her shoulder to elbow length slightly reddish brown curly hair. But given the number of changes in the last few years, the trademark look is now a thing of the past. Mariah's hair was darker and straighter than her natural red/brown during part of 1994 (see the Fantasy and Daydream covers), and in interviews and video clips after the release of Daydream, her hair appeared much lighter, although was once again curly. Often Mariah appears to be almost completely blonde, and her hair is now most often straight. But this changes, so don't take it as gospel. In summary, I certainly wouldn't envy anyone who tried to pick out Mariah in a crowd based on her hairstyle. Better to look for her now well-established trademark- dark sunglasses. Mariah has brown eyes, stands 175 cm tall (5'9") and weighs approximately 55 kg (120 lbs). She is tall and lean, and has tanned skin, partially natural due to her parentage. Her dress size was once reported by Cosmopolitan magazine in the US as European 10 (US 6). P4. What are Mariah's favourite things? Mariah's favourite colour is pink, though she likes to wear black. Mariah enjoys having fun outside, especially at the beach or at an amusment park- but anywhere really. She also likes swimming, water-skiing and horseriding, but appears to exclude competitive sports from her recreational activities. For thrills she likes to try rollercoasters. Mariah likes pets, has always liked pets, and will probably continue liking pets for the foreseeable future. Her oldest animals, mentioned in many early interviews, were Princess and Duke, a pair of dobermans, Ginger, a Yorkshire terrier, and Ninja and Tompkins, a pair of cats. Mariah no longer has these pets- Ninja and Tompkins have passed away. Jack, a Jack Russell terrier which appears in many videos (Honey for one), is still with Mariah. Jack travels with her where possible, and often has to be rescued from hotel pools by Mariah's bodyguards. Over the years, Mariah has had other pets as well, including two other cats, Clarence & Puffy, and another dog Tommy gave her as a gift a number of years ago. In Japan last year she added two further small dogs, Bing and Bong. She picks up pets almost everywhere she goes, and it is very hard to keep track of all of them. Her pets live with her in her Manhattan apartment, though some, such as Bing and Bong, have been entrusted to the care of friends. Mariah likes listening to rap and other contemporary music styles. Covers of Without You, Open Arms and the reworking of Genius Of Love into Fantasy demonstrate Mariah's strong sentimental attachment to songs of the late '70s and early to mid '80s. (This period formed the musical backdrop to her teenage years.) Mariah was inspired to her original style of singing by listening to Alison's collection of soul, jazz and gospel. But lately she has been showing a leaning towards a more urban sound. When curling up to watch a movie, Mariah prefers comedy and horror. However, her choice of favourite actors- Marilyn Monroe and James Dean- might also indicate a soft spot for movies made during Hollywood's golden years. For a TV dinner, Mariah is likely to choose pasta, or perhaps salad. She used to be a vegetarian, but lapsed when she married Tommy. P5. What was Mariah's first wedding like? Her first wedding, to Tommy Mottola (see P7), was a bit like a Royal wedding, as Mariah modelled it on the wedding of their Royal Highnesses Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Her excuse for using this wedding as a basis for her own was that she never really had much interest in weddings as a girl, and she wanted to know what such a gala affair should be like. Even the tiara she wore, a family heirloom, was redesigned to look like the Princess's. Her wedding dress was an ivory-silk duchess satin gown designed by Vera Wang, with a 8.25 m (27') train and matching satin pumps. The whole affair cost almost $US0.5M, not including the 1893 sixpence Mariah put in one of her shoes for luck. There has not yet been a second wedding, but Mariah is romantically linked with latin singer Luis Miguel. P6. Does Mariah smoke? Most people assume not, and that assumption is true. However, a more pertinent question is "Has she ever smoked?" This is a question that appears only have ever been asked of Mariah by the public, and the answer is yes. Mariah smoked during her teenage years, until the age of 18 when she gave up in one day. Legend has it (and it is probably as good as any other explanation) that just before she quit, Mariah lost her voice and promised God she wouldn't smoke if she got it back. She did, so she doesn't. P7. Who was Mariah's first husband? Thomas D Mottola Jr was married to Mariah in June 1993. Tommy, as he is known, has risen from being a so-so talent manager to CEO of one of the biggest and most dominant entertainment corporations in the world, Sony Entertainment. Born into a warm Italian family, Tommy carries the stigma attached to his father's alleged connection with the mob. A hazard of sharing his name, though marrying the daughter of an alleged mobster in 1971 certainly didn't help. Along his rise to the top, Tommy has been a guitarist in a rock band, drag raced, acted in four films under the stage name Tommy Valentine and even tried his hand as a solo vocalist. Jack of all trades, master at none, Tommy admits he was never a showman. But when he signed up Hall and Oates to Epic records in the early 70s, his ascent to prominence was assured, perhaps more through slick contracts than actual foresight. Tommy even has had songs written about him. One is called Cherchez La Femme, originally recorded by Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band. It was rerecorded in 1994 by Epic Records' Gloria Estefan on her covers album Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me. About singing of her boss, Gloria says in the credits, "I got a real kick out of singing this one... I loved singing [Tommy's] name [on the song]... Thankyou [Tommy]... My love to Mariah!" Tommy was also recently the subject of a Vanity Fair article called "Tommy Boy" [Vanity Fair 97]. The divorce of Mariah and Tommy was finalized in March 1998 after a nine month trial separation. Mariah has not remarried. FAN QUESTIONS F1. What unofficial fan clubs are there? The following are web pages with information on currently active fan organizations: Brazil Mariah Forever Fan Club [free] http://welcome.to/mariahforever/ Dutch Mariah Carey Association [F1 30,-- (Dutch guilders)] http://huizen.dds.nl/~dmca/ Mariah Carey Fan Organization [$US20-25] http://www.xs4all.nl/~mariah/mcfo/index.htm The South African Mariah Carey Fan Club [free] http://www.mariahcarey.co.za/ The following are the web pages of fan organizations which no longer appear to be active: The Fly Away Fan Club (Brazil) [unknown] http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/7443/ The Italian Mariah Carey Fan Club [free] http://www.geocities.com/Paris/5670/ Mariah Carey IRC Fan Web Site [free] http://www.newageco.com/irc/ Mariah (Carey) Internet Fan Organization [free] http://www2.southwind.net/~ksims/carey/mifo/ Singapore Mariah Carey Fan Club [free] http://www.come.to/singaporemariahcarey/ All these fan clubs are unofficial and are not endorsed by Sony Music. I cannot vouch for the legitimacy or otherwise of these organizations, and whether they are worth their membership dues. F2. How do I join Sony's official Mariah fan club? The official fan club is a commercial enterprise run by Fan Emporium on behalf of Mariah's management. They can be contacted at FnEmporium@aol.com or you can visit their web page at http://www.fanemporium.com/mariah.html As of December 1996, it costs $US28.00 to join the fan club (or $22.00 if you live in the US). Renewal is cheaper at $US24.00 (or $18.00 in the US). Mail your application or queries to one of the following addresses. In the US, Europe and Australia (as well as other countries not listed individually below): Mariah Carey Fan Club PO Box 679 Branford CT 06405 USA In the UK: Mariah Carey Fan Club C/- Fan Emporium, Inc. 37 Store Street London WC1 E7BS ENGLAND In France (this address is unconfirmed): Mariah Carey Fan Club C/- Columbia 131 Avenue de Wagram 75017 Paris FRANCE In Japan: Mariah Carey Fan Club Fan Emporium Japan PO Box 5445 (Tokyo International Post Office 2-33 Otemachi, Chiyodaku) Tokyo 100-31 JAPAN In Hong Kong/China: Mariah Carey Fan Club C/- Fan Emporium Inc. PO Box 98467 (Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office) Kowloon HONG KONG Members of the club receive: 20 x 25 cm (8" x 10") colour photograph 20 x 25 cm (8" x 10") black and white photograph Fan club membership card Exclusive biography Personal fact sheet on Mariah Official fan club photo pin Mariah Carey Information Line Annual newsletters, updated quarterly for new members Merchandise offers (Editor's note: I am not a member of the club, so I cannot offer any advice as to the quality of service they provide. My own personal thought is that membership would offer little benefit. Commercial outfits of this kind are there to make a profit, not to help fans.) F3. Where do I write to Mariah Carey? The preferred addresses are those of the Fan Emporium given in the previous question. All the addresses I list below are fairly old, and I wouldn't rely on any of them. Anyone with some better ones should contact me. Mariah may possibly be reachable by mailing her record company, but don't count on it. The most recent address I have is: Mariah Carey C/- Columbia Records Sony Music Entertainment 550 Madison Ave New York NY 10022 USA F4. What are some Mariah collectables? There are so many, I could never possibly hope to cover them all. Check auction sites and the occasional announcements on the newsgroup and mailing lists (particularly the marketplace list, see G7). Don't pay too much for the items listed here- I save the most expensive items until the next question, F5. [Older posters] Daydream black & gold release banner Daydream album cover square poster Daydream poster 55 x 100 cm featuring Fantasy cover pose Fantasy poster (A) featuring mirrored Fantasy cover pose (portrait) Fantasy poster (B) featuring retouched Fantasy cover pose (landscape) Daydream cardboard display (approx 1.5 m tall) Butterfly album cover square poster Butterfly poster 100 x 70 (landscape) [Previous tour merchandise] "Mariah Carey" Butterfly world tour book (32 pages, 35 x 28 cm, full colour) Butterfly tour T-shirt (black, eyes open; cream, eyes shut) Butterfly cap Butterfly crop tops (two designs) Butterfly key rings [Limited release albums] Cinderella Story (Japan; promo) Music Box- Gold Souvenir Edition (Australia) Let's Party With Mariah Carey (Japan; rare promo) Love And Dream (Japan; very rare promo- see question F5) See also M2b(ii). [Limited release singles] Fantasy- Remixes (Australia) Fantasy- Remixes (UK) Joy To The World (Australia) Open Arms (Cream) (Austria) Open Arms (Blue) (Austria) Open Arms #1 & #2 (Australia) Always Be My Baby- Remixes (Australia/UK) Joy To The World 12" Red Vinyl [Special album versions] Music Box (outside US)- featuring Everything Fades Away Merry Christmas (Australia)- featuring God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen [Computer software] Dreamlover screensaver Merry Christmas CD ROM session (see question T1) Assorted MIDI files * [Instrumental and Karaoke albums] The Music Of Mariah Carey (Elap; 16 tracks) Mariah Carey Sing-A-Long (Volumes 1-5) [Known bootlegs] All I Want For Xmas Is You * Best Ballads * Camp Mariah * (similar to Fox special; 16 tracks, including JTTW (live)) Dance Collection * Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend * (similar to NBC special) Lovely Night * (similar to NBC special) Mariah Carey Live * (similar to NBC special; Amcos; 10 tracks) Mariah Carey Live In The USA * Mariah Carey Greatest Hits Live * (similar to NBC special; Amcos; 15 tracks) Out In Japan (similar to NHK special; 15 tracks, including Just Be Good To Me) Someday * Someday Somewhere (similar to NBC special) Take Me Away * (similar to NBC special) Twelve Inch Collection of Mariah Carey, The * (TCOMC1001; 13 tracks) Very Best Of Mariah Carey Live In Concert, The * (from Aust; 17 tracks; 70:39; also known as Music Box Tour '93, One Night In LA) Visions Of Love * Without You * * These items may not be licensed, and so artist royalties are in doubt. F5. What are some rare Mariah collectables? One of the most highly valued Mariah Carey collectables (according to an issue of Record Collector magazine) is one of two "greatest hits" promos released for the Japanese concerts. Love and Dream, of which 200 copies were produced, is currently valued at $US300. (The other is called Let's Party With Mariah Carey- see question F4.) The promo issue of the Japanese picture CD double set Open Arms/ One Sweet Day is an equally treasured rare item. [Love And Dream (special Japanese tour promo; mixed set)] SONG Title 1. All I Want For Christmas Is You 2/10. One Sweet Day 3. Hero 4. Open Arms 5. Miss You Most (At Christmas Time) 6/14. One Sweet Day (Live Version) 7. Vision Of Love 8. Underneath The Stars 9. Without You 11. Anytime You Need A Friend (C&C Radio Mix) 12. Open Arms 13. I'll Be There 15. Joy To The World 16. Fantasy Sony Brazil recently released a rare CD promo containing remixes of 'Butterfly' by DJ Meme (Marcelo Mansur). Less than 100 copies were produced, which could indicate this item would be of a high collectable value. Other very rare items include: (a) The Spanish 1-track wallet sleeve edition of 'Never Forget You'. Very few (in the order of 100) of these were produced. (b) The Australian bonus limited edition CD, supplied with copies of Mariah's debut album (see M2(i)a for details). The set is very hard to obtain. (c) The Canadian promo-only CD Unplugged- The Radio Special, which includes music and an interview. The CD has a picture sleeve and a custom cue sheet. It's rarity is indicated by the fact that it is currently valued at around $US550. (d) Underneath The Stars promo-only CD. This item is notably hard to get. (e) Heroe single CD from Spain. Nobody seems to be selling these. F6. Where can I get Mariah collectables? [Freelance collectable traders on Internet] NAME Address Location (Notes) Ahmed, S & R ahmbros@yahoo.com South Africa (expert) Allison, Simon simon@fantasydiscos.demon.co.uk United Kingdom Hansson, Kade kade_fh@postoffice.utas.edu.au Australia (recent releases) Yeko, Jennifer jennifery@aol.com United States (large stock) (If you would also like your name to appear here, please contact the FAQ maintainer.) You could also join the Mariah Carey marketplace mailing list. (See question G7.) In Australia, a company called Just Entertainment has a complete listing of posters, calendars, autographed photos, T-shirts and cards. If you write to them, they will send a catalogue if you include a self addressed business- sized envelope. They do accept overseas orders, but only if payment is made in Australian dollars and adequate payment for postage and handling is included. The address is: Just Entertainment PO Box 153 Paddington NSW 2021 AUSTRALIA (Phone [61] 2 9361 6952; Fax [61] 2 9361 6952) The above address is taken from Mariah Carey: A Musiclife Tribute [13], and was current in December 1996. Please submit the addresses of reputable traders in other countries to the FAQ maintainer. (Editor's note: I cannot offer any guarantee that any trader listed (apart from myself) is reliable, and I cannot be held liable for loss or damages arising as a result of information provided by this or any other question in this FAQ.) -- Archer http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/6413 End. User Contributions: |
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