I mentioned a bit about this over in the country No. 1s thread, but I really love both You're Still the One and the follow-up From This Moment On. I've got the vinyl 45s of both songs and they both finished high in my year-end list for 1998. Despite how big the album was, it was never released on vinyl until a just few years ago. I picked up a copy and noticed that those two songs had different versions on it, more of a duet. I'm not sure if the 45s were unique mixes, or if the mix they used was on any of the other singles formats of those releases. Sometimes during the '90s there'd be different mixes on the 45 vs the cassette or CD single. Both versions of those songs are pretty good. I enjoy a lot of the songs on that album and it had something like eight charted singles between the pop and country charts, which I think is a record. Michael Jackson had eight commercial singles from Dangerous, but only seven charted.
And why, pray tell, was Next's run at the top non-consecutive? Well . . . #829 (8th of 1998): "My All" by Mariah Carey (#1 for 1 week - May 23, 1998) I have to tell ya: While I am familiar with many of Ms. Carey's #1's, this is one I ain't. And apparently most radio stations were shy about playing it, as it could only creep up to #15 in Radio & Records; its #4 finish in the UK was very much an improvement over that. (One UK #1 I forgot to mention of this period was something called "Feel It" by The Tamperer Featuring Maya, which could only "bubble under" here to #103.) Oh, and one other thing (to quote a certain TV detective who wore a rumpled raincoat): This Puerto Rican-flavoured number marked the end of an era, as this was the last time she and Walter Afanasieff would work together, in an association dating back to her earliest hit-making days (Mr. Afanasieff was caught in the middle of the breakup of Ms. Carey's marriage to Sony Music head honcho Tommy Mottola - all on a professional level, you understand).
The latter sounded very similar to another number I thought Ms. Twain also did, but was actually done by someone else and would chart in the next year.
A slow R&B ballad. How unique. Was this one of those 25 cent cassette singles or whatever? Were they trying to goose her sales because radio was finally tuning out? Nope.
Maria Carey - My All I'm not sure there is actually a song here!!! So forgettable and dreary... I wonder....has she ever tried to just sing without all the histrionics etc?? 1/5
Un-Break "My All"? No one owns an 'Unrequited love song with Spanish Guitar', but this one is too familiar. If anyone did it'd be Diane Warren for Ms. Braxton, who would have a song titled just that on her next album. "My All" is a nice Ballad though, I like her low notes, there is some good vocal texture in this one.
My All - Mariah Carey I tend to consider myself to be quite the music nerd on most things up to the year 2000 but I have ZERO recollection of this track. This fact bewildered me so I had a look at the MuchMusic weekly Top 30 charts for '98 and this snoozer didn't even chart at all. There was no shortage of pop on the May '98 charts with Spice Girls, Natalia Imbruglia, Robyn and Aqua all doing their thing but Mariah was nowhere to be seen. That's quite baffling! hmmmm....odd. Anyway, her low-note moaning and groaning of another ballad is not my thing, so I didn't miss out on anything with this one. 1/5
Well...finally another commercial single from Butterfly. This was just the second physical single (the first was Honey the previous September). Columbia still worked the album with a couple of promo-only singles to various formats between the two physical releases. This one's OK but I've said in the past I think this period was one of Mariah's weakest. After quite a number of wonderful singles thru the '90s, these ones just didn't measure up to these ears. Usually when I play any Mariah I'll choose something else. I wondered at the time if Mariah was "over"? It wouldn't take too long to get our answer! This was another example of a label trying for a high debut because of a delayed single release. It was played for several weeks before it was available to purchase, causing it to debut all the way up at No. 2 on the 5/16/98 chart, and move to No. 1 the following week. The fact that it stayed only one week on top probably meant others thought it wasn't as good as some of her other hits. Better Mariah singles were on the way soon.
The vinyl version of Come On Over is its original country version, which has the steel guitar bridge and the spoken intro. The pop mix removes the steel and both radio mixes (country and pop) remove the spoken intro. "From This Moment On" also had a few different versions. It was a duet with Bryan White on the album and it had a spoken intro. The country radio version removed the spoken intro but was a duet, topping the R&R country chart. The AC version also went to No. 1, which removed the spoken intro and had Twain singing it solo. The top 40 version was completely remixed, featuring a prominent Spanish guitar behind Twain's solo vocal. They issued both the pop and country versions of Up! on vinyl, but the pop (international) version of Come On Over that features pop remixes of all 16 tracks hasn't been released on vinyl yet (I don't think?)
haha, Ooh it hadn't even entered my mind! I could hazard a guess though! I'm sure it will collide with the #1 it knocks off the top spot! The (international) version of Come On Over had some good mixes, but in the UK we got that 'In retrospect' Dance Mix of "That Don't Impress Me Much". But it was the Hit single version, I guess. "Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)" would also feature one of 'Mutts' dance mixes, I have to say I did love that one at the time. 12 Singles were released from Come On Over, I can't believe none of them got to #1 on the Hot 100! That album was a Blockbuster, it even outsold fellow Canadian's, Jagged Little Pill! My personal favourite from Come On Over is 'When', just the right mix of Country/Rock/Pop, and I really enjoy the lyrics; especially the bit about John being back with The Beatles, and they're going out on tour and Shania being the first in line for tickets cos she as to see the show! haha But as the song says When Elephants fly and John getting back with The Beatles, that's When your lover will return! Never! 'When' was a top 20 single in the UK, Part 1 of the CD Single had the original Country Album Version of "That Don't Impress Me Much", which was my introduction to the original and I of course found it far superior! I then tracked down an Import copy of the album, and was surprised by the differences!
#829 (8th of 1998): "My All" by Mariah Carey (#1 for 1 week - May 23, 1998) Nope, not even remotely familiar! The fact that no one's heard this #1 is some real #2, if ya catch my drift... That said, she looks effin' fantastic in the video.
"My All" by Mariah Carey Stunning Video indeed, Is she supposed to be shipwrecked, with the capsized small boat and intricately purposely torn and frayed dress? Then it's Titanic but at a Lighthouse, Is that a flashback? It's okay, Mariah, Celine says your heart will go on!
I remember this one vividly because I was working a job that had top 40 radio on all of the time, so I'm weirdly more familiar with it than some of her bigger No. 1 hits. I like the way she sings the chorus. That's all I've got.
My All is one of my favorite #1's by Mariah and definitely one of her better remembered ones. It has a similar vibe (and video) to You're Still The One. I love the Spanish guitar on it and her whispery tone doesn't grate on this track. It's one of my go-to Kareoke songs.
"My All" - A very sleepy, unremarkable track, and the start of an extended string of #1 nothingburgers coming up.
Now for the one that took the prize for the most weeks at #1 this year . . . #830 (9th of 1988): "The Boy Is Mine" by Brandy And Monica (#1 for 13 weeks - June 6-August 29, 1998) Now, in spite of the title, this is not a gender-transposed cover of the corny, sappy Michael Jackson/Paul McCartney duet "The Girl Is Mine." That song, however, was the inspiration for this (as was a typical Jerry Springer episode) - which, typically in the post-Cash Box era, fell short on the other chart, Radio & Records, where this could only get as high as #3. Over in the UK, meanwhile, Ms. Norwood and Ms. Arnold got to #2 with this record. During this quarter of a year this topped the charts here, the UK #1's included a record by a girl group (no, not the Spice Girls) which, in the next year, would make #9 here; "Three Lions '98," a typical football (soccer) related number, credited to David Baddiel, Frank Skinner and The Lightning Seeds; "Because We Want To" by Billie [Piper]; a cover of Silk's "Freak Me" as by Another Level; "Deeper Underground" by Jamiroquai; "Viva Forever" by the Spice Girls (this, as Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell was leaving the group); and a Boyzone record that shared the same title as a Badfinger hit, that would "bubble under" here at #116. Incidentally, one of the writers of this is someone you'll be hearing from down the road in a behind-the-scenes capacity. Rodney Jerkins.
“The Boy is Mine” is so low energy. It never sounded to me like they were all that interested in the fight or the boy.
