Albie's Top 25 Mariah Carey Dance Remixes - Completed!

[Albie]

So, my roommate and I were on a road trip last weekend and we spent a good 2+ hours jamming to Mariah Carey remixes. It had been quite a while since I'd listened to her remix catalogue back-to-back like that and it served as a reminder that Ms. Mariah truly is the Queen of remixes (amongst other things). The woman has mastered the art of good remixing by re-recording vocals and constantly producing top-notch hip-hop & dance remixes - usually re-singing vocals for each version! I mean, that's talent.

With that said, I was inspired to try and rank her dance remixes. This was quite a feat and I had to enlist my roommate's help to make some decisions that were very difficult. But nonetheless, they are ranked and I'm going to share my Top 25 Mariah Carey dance remixes of all-time.

I will begin either tonight or tomorrow morning and after that I will try to post 5 songs per night. I will also include some fun extras (not dance mixes) just because you can never have too much MC.

This was really fun to do and I can't wait to get started!

 

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Countdown Recap:

25. Joy To The World (Celebration Mix)

24. Someday (New 12" Jackswing)

23. Touch My Body (Craig C. Club Mix

22. Don't Forget About Us (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J. Martini Vocal Remix)

21. Obsessed (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Radio Edit) & (Cahill Radio Mix)

20. I Still Believe (Morales Classic Club Mix)

19. Shake It Off (Michael Angelo Meets Morales Mix)

18. It's Like That (David Morales Club Remix)

17. The Roof (Back In Time) (Funky Club Mix)

16. Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise) (Def B Fly Mix)

15. We Belong Together (Peter Rauhofer Reconstruction Club Mix)

14. Fantasy (Sweet Dub Mix)

13. You're Mine (Eternal) (Gregor Salto & Funkin Matt Remix)

12. Emotions (12" Club Mix)

11. Can't Take That Away (Morales Revival Triumphant Mix)

10. Through The Rain (Maurice Joshua Club Mix)

9. Say Somethin' (David Morales Club Mix)

8. Honey (Classic Club Mix)

7. My All (Morales Classic Club Mix)

6. Dreamlover (Def Club Mix)

5. Loverboy (Club of Love Mix)

4. Heartbreaker/If You Should Ever Be Lonely (Junior's Heartbreaker Club Mix)

3. Fantasy (Def Club Mix)

2. Anytime You Need A Friend (C&C Club Version)

1. Always Be My Baby (Always Club Mix)

[die Lotterie]

This is gonna be dope! My kind of countdown.

[Albie]

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25. Joy To The World (Celebration Mix)

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And we kick things off with a bit of holiday spirit.  A fine holiday song in original form but Mariah collaborates with her then-favorite house remixer, David Morales (one of many entries to come by this team) to remix this business. As remixes go, it didn’t blow anyone out of the water but it did the job. I like that it pepped it up a bit more and gave it just that bit of extra touch for me to play it non-stop for a while. I absolutely love that piano riff that picks up about a minute and a half in.

[Albie]

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24. Someday (New 12" Jackswing)

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“Someday” is one of my favorite classic Mariah songs from her early years and so I always thought it was just fine untouched. However, the New 12” Jackswing mix is fun – especially at the beginning. It’s a different sound for a Mariah dance mix so that’s cool (she hadn’t started working with Morales yet). However, Mariah’s songs tend to be so nicely done already that when I look for a remix it needs to really stand out. I do enjoy this remix, but its highly overshadowed by others, in my opinion.

[Albie]

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23. Touch My Body (Craig C. Club Mix)

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It took me a while to warm up to a remix of this song. “Touch My Body” wasn’t my favorite of her releases so I was really hoping something else would make me like it more. I could never get into the other remixes (Seamus Haji I found boring) until I came upon this one and I couldn’t stop dancing and snapping my fingers. Its not the best, but it gives slight nods to Mariah remixes of the past while being constant and effective for the vocals. I’d never heard of Craig C. until this mix but thank you for rescuing this song for me. The breakdown around 4:00 minutes along with the piano instrumentals sections after 6:00 are the highlight for me – sections without vocals, oddly enough.

[Albie]

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22. Don't Forget About Us (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J. Martini Vocal Mix)

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The best of the various remixes out there, in my opinion. I liked this song ok in its original form but I thought a house remix would give it more life and feeling – and it did. Ralphi Rosario (along with Craig J.) put his signature touch on it and it worked. I mean, give me a flute and some piano riffs and I’m in. My favorite pieces are about 4:30 minutes in – that flute sound is unstoppable (it may not be a flute – I don’t know my woodwind instruments too well). Plus, the bridge follows this part and it sounds pretty killer with that whistle note finishing it off. Done.

[Albie]

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21. Obsessed (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Radio Edit) AND (Cahill Radio Mix)

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I wasn’t sure that I was interested in a dance remix of “Obsessed” at first. I liked the song as it was and didn’t think it could sound right. Then, various mixes emerged and I ended up liking two of them a lot. I really love both of these remixes and couldn’t choose one over the other for this countdown so you get them both. The Haji & Emanuel mix is so bouncy and upbeat that it won’t be neglected. I don’t think this sound always works for an MC song but I like the groove here – there is just enough attitude. When Cahill’s remix came out, I knew I’d love it as he is one of my favorite DJs. He did not disappoint. It sounds very Cahill but also sounds very Mariah remix. Its just a bit deeper than the Haji & Emanuel mix and the piano works well. Oddly enough, these two mixes are a rare case where I prefer the radio edits – I don’t think the extended mixes contribute much more.

[🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾]

Aug 3, 2014 0:15:18 GMT -5 Albie said:

24. Someday (New 12" Jackswing)

I liked that one though I was always a fan of the New 12" House mix. Great mixes all around.

Aug 3, 2014 1:14:49 GMT -5 Albie said:

22. Don't Forget About Us (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J. Martini Vocal Mix)

I liked all of the mixes for that one.

Aug 3, 2014 1:33:53 GMT -5 Albie said:

21. Obsessed (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Radio Edit)

I did like some of those, but I ended up loving the Cajjmere Wray mix. His mixes included some of Mariah's whistle notes doing the melody of the chorus.

[Albie]

Aug 3, 2014 1:34:12 GMT -5 🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 said:

Aug 3, 2014 0:15:18 GMT -5 Albie said:

Aug 3, 2014 1:14:49 GMT -5 Albie said:

22. Don't Forget About Us (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J. Martini Vocal Mix)

I liked all of the mixes for that one.

Aug 3, 2014 1:33:53 GMT -5 Albie said:

21. Obsessed (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Radio Edit)

I did like some of those, but I ended up loving the Cajjmere Wray mix. His mixes included some of Mariah's whistle notes doing the melody of the chorus.

Agreed on "Don't Forget About Us" - they were all great!

OMG thank you for sharing that link for the Cajjmere remix of "Obsessed"!!  I heard that at the club one random night a while ago and never figured out what mix it was. The whistle notes throughout the chorus haunted me lol!

[Albie]

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Countdown Extra: Favorite Mariah Carey feature

"U Make Me Wanna" by Jadakiss ft. Mariah Carey

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Our first countdown extra is the feature category.  MC may not be the starring performer on the track but she makes her presence known, of course.  Love this beat.  But that whistle note at 3:30 minutes, basically. That’s what does it. (p.s. I hate how this video has that random bit of whatever other Jadakiss song in the first 20 seconds). 

[Albie]

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20. I Still Believe (Morales Classic Club Mix)

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And its back to the countdown...

The Mariah Carey/David Morales collabos are back! I did like the original version of this song but it wasn’t my favorite ballad by any means. This remix really picked things up for me on this song. Its got that classic sound and the original vocals suit the beat properly – which I don’t always find to be the case with her ballads. This song picks up for me after the 5:00 minute mark, once the main song is over actually. Mariah really starts riffing and if she’s not going to re-sing then I’ll take a good riff any day. I believe too, Mariah.

[Albie]

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19. Shake It Off (Michael Angelo Meets Morales Mix)

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I really love this remix – it was nice to have Mariah work with Morales once again. Anytime you get started with a nice piano/organ intro, you’re off to a good start. What kept this from being higher up for me was that I was really hoping she’d re-record some vocals. At any rate, I loved hearing this out. It was a floor-filler and a sing-a-long one, at that. Now, I can only picture weaves getting brushed off shoulders in the middle of the dance floor. A pretty feel-good remix with the quality I look for from Morales. Plus, a sax and flute combo to boot? I’ll take it!

[Ginger Spice]

Yess! I LOVE the Morales Classic Club Mix of "I Still Believe." In fact, it might even be in my top 5 Mariah remixes. Can't wait to see the rest of the list! :)

[Albie]

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18. It's Like That (David Morales Club Remix)

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This was an instance where I was looking forward to a remix. I like the original just fine but I was hoping for a little more. This remixed delivered because it was fun. It wasn’t too showy or anything – the versus are pretty similar to the original – but Mariah has some fun with the chorus and adding in some extra riffs which I thought the original was missing. Plus, its accompanied by a fun, flirty beat which I thought suited the song well. I love the “just living it up” background vocals and runs around 4:00 minutes in. The “It’s like that ya’ll” parts towards the 5:00 minute mark are cute too. My favorite are the falsettos and scatting towards the end around 7:00 minutes though. Overall, I feel like there was a nice effort behind the vocal part of the remix – just enough.

[Albie]

Countdown Extra: Favorite Mariah Carey/Jermaine Dupri collaboration

"Sweetheart" by Mariah Carey & Jermaine Dupri

Another of Mariah's favorite collaborators is JD.  They definitely pumped out some hits but, to me, this is hip-hop Mariah at her best.  Vocals are sultry and smooth, beat is hard (for Mariah) yet evocative - it just works.  I could never figure out if this was Mariah's song or JD's song but whatever.  It works.

[Albie]

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17. The Roof (Back In Time) (Funky Club Mix)

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Ok, so like most MC fans, I adore “The Roof” in its original form but actually was highly anticipating a good remix for it. Since it was a European release I felt like she’d cater nicely to them with a remix. Plus, I knew she'd get together with Morales on this.  I was very pleasantly surprised by what we got here. Originally, this song is so smooth and effortless and I feel like the remix really carried that vibe as well. Mariah’s vocals are already so on-point here so the ad libs she went with were perfect. That guitar (maybe its not a guitar?) around 4:30 minutes in is cool and chill and fits right in with the organ pieces that follow. Another instance where, for me, the vocals weren’t necessarily the highlight but the production as a whole was well done.

[Albie]

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16. Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise) (Def B Fly Mix)

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Final entry for the night and I mean, way to turn up an interlude. Seriously. When Mariah teams up with David Morales anything is possible, as witnessed here. This mix is beautiful. It has such an ethereal, loungey effect to it and all I can do is snap my fingers. I do think this is a fantastic job by the Carey/Morales duo and this would be much higher on the list if not for one thing. I need my remixes to make me want to tear up the dancefloor. It’s a bit too chill for my dancefloor but the production is flawless. But again – that flute – I just can’t get enough (tune in around 6:00 minutes for it).

[🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾]

Aug 4, 2014 22:24:45 GMT -5 Albie said:

20. I Still Believe (Morales Classic Club Mix)

The Mariah Carey/David Morales collabos are back! I did like the original version of this song but it wasn’t my favorite ballad by any means. This remix really picked things up for me on this song. Its got that classic sound and the original vocals suit the beat properly – which I don’t always find to be the case with her ballads. This song picks up for me after the 5:00 minute mark, once the main song is over actually. Mariah really starts riffing and if she’s not going to re-sing then I’ll take a good riff any day. I believe too, Mariah.

[/p][/quote]

I think she did re-record some or most parts of it to match the faster production along with some vocals from the original session, just as they did with the "My All" mixes. I liked this mix a lot. It was very simple, but the less is more approach worked so well. Most of the radio stations where I live played the Morales radio edit instead of the original version or the alternate R&B mix which had resung vocals.

Aug 4, 2014 22:47:50 GMT -5 Albie said:

19. Shake It Off (Michael Angelo Meets Morales Mix)

I really love this remix – it was nice to have Mariah work with Morales once again. Anytime you get started with a nice piano/organ intro, you’re off to a good start. What kept this from being higher up for me was that I was really hoping she’d re-record some vocals. At any rate, I loved hearing this out. It was a floor-filler and a sing-a-long one, at that. Now, I can only picture weaves getting brushed off shoulders in the middle of the dance floor. A pretty feel-good remix with the quality I look for from Morales. Plus, a sax and flute combo to boot? I’ll take it!

This mix was actually a mashup produced by mashup artist DJ MichaelAngelo. He used the David Morales instrumental from M People's "Itchycoo Park". He did change the pitch of the instrumental to make it work with the vocals. It remains one of DJ MichaelAngelo's finest mashups. The vocals complemented the instrumental in a way that made it seem like they were originally intended to be used together.

Kazuhiko Gomi was commissioned to remix this song but the remix was rejected and subsequently leaked online.

Aug 5, 2014 0:02:56 GMT -5 Albie said:

16. Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise) (Def B Fly Mix)
Final entry for the night and I mean, way to turn up an interlude. Seriously. When Mariah teams up with David Morales anything is possible, as witnessed here. This mix is beautiful. It has such an ethereal, loungey effect to it and all I can do is snap my fingers. I do think this is a fantastic job by the Carey/Morales duo and this would be much higher on the list if not for one thing. I need my remixes to make me want to tear up the dancefloor. It’s a bit too chill for my dancefloor but the production is flawless. But again – that flute – I just can’t get enough (tune in around 6:00 minutes for it).

[/p][/quote]

Both versions were fantastic. This one was better with the re-sung vocals with the lyrics from the album version. The other Fly Away mix which is an extended version of the interlude on the album had totally different lyrics. A handful of them and the ad libs from the other version are heard here.

Aug 4, 2014 23:17:57 GMT -5 Albie said:

"Sweetheart" by Mariah Carey & Jermaine Dupri

There was a dance mix of this by Eddie Arroyo. It was programmed by Joey Moskowitz who was doing programming for David Morales, Frankie Knuckles, Jonathan Peters, Junior Vasquez, and Satoshi Tomiie around that time. Many of the productions he was involved with would have the same signature elements such as certain drums, the types of keys, breakdowns, and of course the hi hats.

[Albie]

Thank you for commenting 🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 (sorry, I don't know what to call you)! You and KonamIII always have such insight and I really appreciate it. 

And yes! Same with the "I Still Believe" remix - that's what got played on the radio here too. I don't think the R&B mix got much love over here. But most of my stations were dance-leaning at the time so I guess that makes sense.

I couldn't decide what to do with the "Fly Away" remixes because you're right, they're both so good! This one edged out the other - just barely. 

[Albie]

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15. We Belong Together (Peter Rauhofer Reconstruction Club Mix)

Peter Rauhofer has such a decidedly dark sound to his productions and he did not disappoint here. I mean, to produce two versions of the same song – that’s cool. I absolutely love Part 2 but I’m not including on the countdown to keep things simpler for me. I totally love the original version of ‘We Belong Together’ but I love the way this brings an even bigger sense of despair and need to the song. Again, the vocals are mostly similar to the original but it works so well – the tone of the vocals versus the beat matches up well for me. And that extended note after the second verse just locks it in. When this came on in the club, the floor went crazy. Not a bad sign.

More to come later tonight, hopefully. 

[Albie]

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14. Fantasy (Sweet Dub Mix)

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Here we go again making magic out of interludes. Another proper score for Morales. I mean, I feel like Mariah went into the studio and sang ‘Fantasy’ like 20 different ways (more on this later in the countdown) and here we have a nice compilation of a bunch of it. Kill me with the whistle notes around 1:15 minutes. Then drop a nice, deep beat that just takes me away – no, really. I’m transported to her damn fantasy. Her riffing after the beat picks back up around 5:50 minutes – again slayed. Basically Mariah is just doing any variation of scatting, riffing and just plain ad libbing – and it works so well. Such a classic house beat deserves a classic voice and Mariah delivers.

[Albie]

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13. You're Mine (Eternal) (Gregor Salto & Funkin Matt Remix)

I still can’t get enough of this remix. I haven’t been the biggest fan of Mariah’s latest releases (I know that’s not very Lambish of me) but this brought me in 100%. This has such a current sound to it and yet it takes me back to the 90’s a bit as well. The vocals work so well over the production. That extended whistle note on here sounds flawless. I know there were a bunch of remixes out there for this but this is such a bouncy production that I just can’t stop listening. It says a lot for me to have ranked it so high up compared to some of the other songs that I’ve been listening to for years. I wasn’t familiar with these DJs before but I’m a fan now.

[Albie]

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12. Emotions (12" Club Mix)

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This. I mean, seriously, this is ALL about that intro. Could it be any better? No. That intro alone catapults this song for me but the rest of it is not bad at all. The vocals are pretty much as the original but C&C put a nice, simple touch on the beat that gives it a life all its own. This is my second-favorite C&C remix and I always appreciate how the smallest tweaks and effects work so well on their productions. Everything after the 5:00 minute mark is just perfection. She had me feeling emotions!

[Deleted]

Your #12 is my #1. I can never get enough of it. That intro is just so I can't even put into words how heavenly it is.

[Albie]

Aug 6, 2014 1:01:00 GMT -5 @drag27 said:

Your #12 is my #1. I can never get enough of it. That intro is just so I can't even put into words how heavenly it is.

Ahhh! You have no idea how I struggled with this! I'm going for something specific with the songs that ranked higher though - but trust me, I get it. Love this song!

[Albie]

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11. Can't Take That Away (Morales Revival Triumphant Mix)

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The intro to this song is so pretty. Way to be inspirational. This is another example where I just love the match-up between the tone of the vocals and the tone of the beat. It flows so well and its all so uplifting. Plus, there’s a harmonica (maybe its not a harmonica but, again, not the best with instruments)! What adds even more to the beauty of this song is the background vocals. Mariah has great background vocalists but this is a stand-out for me. You know I live for the ad-libbing so I probably don’t even have to mention it at this point but, yeah (about 9:00 minutes in and she’s still going).

[Albie]

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Countdown Extra: Favorite Mariah Carey ballad

"Vision Of Love"

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What is there to say really?  This is a classic.  There's no getting around it - I love this song.  Her debut song continues to be my all-time favorite ballad from her 24 years later.  This song has everything I look for in a ballad and that's because it was so ahead of its time, vocally, that it has set the bar for what a ballad should be.  Plus, it officially gave us the infamous whistle register.  Hello!

[Ginger Spice]

14-11 are complete winners for me. The Sweet Dub Mix of "Fantasy" is just heavenly. The Gregor Salto & Funkin Matt remix of "You're Mine" made me appreciate the song more, it's a total jam. The 12" "Emotions" is a classic. I love all the Morales mixes of "Can't Take That Away" but that one especially. Very uplifting, and much better than Mariah's later attempt at being "Triumphant."

[Albie]

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10. Through The Rain (Maurice Joshua Club Mix)

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There were a ton of remixes of this song but this is my absolute favorite. Maurice Joshua tends to have really smooth, silky productions and I thought this was another great example. I feel like Mariah’s vocals are so tender and soft and they go well with a sound like this. I also really appreciate the background vocals and runs that are included here. After about 5:30 minutes in its just pure fun. It’s a very housey classic sort of sound that I really enjoy. To me, this is how this song was meant to sound. The original isn’t my total favorite but this brings it where it should be for me. And I absolutely love the last minute of this song.

[Albie]

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9. Say Somethin' (David Morales Club Mix)

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Another remix that I just thought turned out super fun. I appreciate the slightly re-recorded vocals too because it added to the fun tone to the mix. This song actually picks up after the two verses with the nice background vocals and the riffing and runs begin. I especially love the parts at around 5:30 minutes and after that. If it weren’t for the parts after 6:00 minutes I would say the radio mix is just fine but I love Mariah’s vocals at that point. Plus those whistle notes after 7:30 minutes are not to be missed – although if you’re not listening close enough you just might miss them. It’s the vocal show that I don’t think she gave on the original that elevates this song for me. The ‘meat’ of the song is over for a while but the last two minutes are so good.