The Live Debut – 1990

The Live Debut – 1990 is the second live EP by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey, released on July 17, 2020, by Columbia Records. The digital-only release includes live performances from Carey's debut showcase at New York City's Club Tatou on October 22, 1990, to promote her self-titled debut studio album.

The Live Debut – 1990
EP by Mariah Carey
Released	July 17, 2020
Recorded	October 22, 1990
Venue	Club Tatou (New York City, New York)
Genre	R&B[1]
Length	16:48
Label	Columbia
Mariah Carey chronology
Caution (2018) The Live Debut – 1990 (2020) The Rarities (2020)
Mariah Carey EP chronology
MTV Unplugged (1992) The Live Debut – 1990 (2020)

This live EP marks the first release of the 30th anniversary celebration since the release of the singer's debut album, a promotional campaign which was billed "#MC30". Other releases include The Rarities, a compilation of previously-unreleased songs, as well as six other EP's and The Meaning of Mariah Carey, the first memoir written by the singer, both of which were released in 2020.

Background

On June 12, 1990, Mariah Carey released her self-titled debut album under Columbia Records.[2][3] Despite the album being a commercial success, which sold more than 15 million copies worldwide and receiving a nine-platinum certification from Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she did not embark on a tour to promote the album, citing long travel times and strenuous schedules on her voice as the issues.[4][5]

During June 2020, Mariah Carey announced plans to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the album's release, but released a statement in which she announced her plans to delay the commemoration due to the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement and fight for racial justice in the United States. A month later, on July 15, the singer released a teaser video for the anniversary celebration, which was billed "#MC30" in the promotional campaign.[6][note 1] The "#MC30" campaign was said to feature weekly releases of digital EPs and live recordings, remixes, bonus cuts, rare tracks, a cappella recordings, photos, video footage and photos.[8] The Live Debut – 1990 was issued as a live EP as the first release of the campaign on July 17, 2020, on music streaming platforms, and on the same day, Carey published the video footage of the showcase on YouTube.[9] The digital EP was well received by critics, with Chuck Arnold of New York Post commenting "Mimi left no doubt that she was going to be a melismatic force to be reckoned with for years to come."[10]

Performance

On October 22, 1990, Carey performed one of her first live showcases as a solo artist, at the Tatou Club in New York City.[8] Carey worn an olive green, crushed velvet dress, where she described that it was not her pick.[11] After being introduced by the emcee, she sang five songs, which included "Love Takes Time" and "Vanishing."[12] "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" was the final song performed by Carey as a cover, which was famously covered by Aretha Franklin. She reportedly based her rendition of the cover on Franklin's version.[11] The performance was filmed and released as part of The First Vision, Carey's first long-form video release, which was published on VHS in 1991.[13] The performance of "Someday" was not included on the release.[14] The audio tracks of "Vanishing" and "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" were later included in the Australian special edition of Mariah Carey.[15]

Track listing

Credits adapted from Apple Music.[16]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Introduction/Announcer"		0:16
2.	"Love Takes Time"	Mariah Carey Ben Margulies	4:15
3.	"Vision of Love"	Carey Margulies	4:22
4.	"Vanishing"	Carey Margulies	4:54
5.	"Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" (Ben E. King cover)	Ahmet Ertegun Betty Nelson	3:01
Total length:			16:48

Notes and references

Notes

1. The singer previously announced the release of her first memoir The Meaning of Mariah Carey, which she co-wrote with Michaela Angela Davis.[7]

References

1. "The Live Debut - 1990 (REMASTERED)". Highresaudio. July 17, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
2. Kennedy, John R. (June 12, 2020). "What Happened June 12th in Pop Music Industry". iHeartRadio. Archived from the original on August 24, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
3. "Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
4. Runtagh, Jordan (September 15, 2017). "Music's 30 Fiercest Feuds and Beefs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
5. Shapiro 2001, p. 60.
6. Rowley, Glenn. "Mariah Carey Shares Cryptic Teaser For 30th Anniversary Celebration of Debut Album". Billboard. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
7. "Mariah Carey Celebrates 30 Years Of Music With Debut Memoir". Unreserved Media. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
8. "Mariah Carey's first #MC30 goody is her first-ever live performance". 102.9FM KBLX. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
9. Haylock, Zoe. "Mariah Carey Launches a Weekly Celebration of Mariah Carey". Vulture. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
10. Arnold, Chuck. "Mariah Carey releases footage and EP from 1990 NYC club gig". New York Post. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
11. Kaufman, Gil (July 17, 2020). "Missed One of Mariah Carey's First Live Performances 30 Years Ago? Time to Catch Up!". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 24, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
12. Nickson 1998, pp. 35–38.
13. "Sweet Destiny: Mariah Carey's First 'Vision of Love' TV Performances on Song's #1 Anniversary". EurWeb. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
14. "Mariah Carey Concert Setlist at Tatou Club, New York on October 22, 1990". Setlist.fm. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
15. "Mariah Carey - Mariah Carey (1991, CD)". Discogs. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
16. "The Live Debut - 1990 - EP by Mariah Carey on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved August 23, 2020.

Bibliography

• Nickson, Chris (1998). Mariah Carey revisited: her story. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-19512-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Shapiro, Marc (2001). Mariah Carey: The Unauthorized Biography. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-55022-444-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)