Flashback Friday Spotlight on Mariah Carey’s ‘Dreamlover’

Mariah Carey set out to release a happy summer song in 1993, she ended up with the biggest hit of the year. This B101.7 Flashback Friday Spotlight is on the song, 'Dreamlover.'

While working on her third studio album, Music Box, Mariah Carey went after a new producer and started her work by listening to old tunes. Then, it happened, The Emotions 1972 song, 'Blind Alley,' provided the spark and inspiration to create her 'Dreamlover.'

The recording process which Mariah Carey explained during a 2003 interview with Fred Bronson for his book, The Billboard Book of Number One Hits:

The way I usually work is I do an untitled song. We'll grab the hook, whether sampled or created, and use it as the working title. I wrote the verses first, as well as the melody and the inclusion of several instrumentals. Sometimes I'll have an idea for a lyrics. If I'm collaborating with someone, I'll direct them in the direction that I'm going chord wise, because I get all these melody ideas and then I lose them if I don't have someone really good with the keyboard with me. That's why I tend to collaborate because I lose the ideas by the time I figure out the chord. All these melody ideas just go.

Enter Tommy Matola, the record executive and Mariah's fiance at the time. Yeah, how about being engaged to your boss, especially in a creative capacity like this. I would imagine a few struggles along the way. He apparently had "mixed feelings" after the first listen. Next thing you know, there is another person in the mix to change things up a little. Adjustments were made on the production level with the hook sample and adding new instruments.

In the end, a perfect summer hit was created!

Mariah Carey 'Dreamlover'

Listen to B101.7 Friday at 5 for when I feature the spotlight song on the radio! Saturday night catch a whole night of flashbacks during the B101.7 Saturday Night Party, starting at 8pm.

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