Mariah Carey Inks Virgin Deal

Mariah Carey has signed a multi-record, multi-million dollar recording contract with Virgin Records, a subsidiary of EMI, exiting Columbia Records, her label of the past ten years. The details of the new deal have not been disclosed.

"I am elated about my new partnership with Virgin Records," Carey said in a statement, "and I look forward to being a part of their uniquely creative musical environment. Hallelujah!!"

That creative environment includes a lineup of heavyweights like David Bowie, Lenny Kravitz and fellow diva Janet Jackson.

Carey leaves an impressive record behind at Columbia. She stands as the best-selling female performer of all time with 140 million albums and singles sold worldwide, and she has had a Number One single every year for the last ten years. Carey recorded six full-length albums, one Christmas album and an MTV Unplugged EP for her former label, which is run by her ex-husband, Tommy Mottola.

Carey's first Virgin release will be the soundtrack to her upcoming film, All That Glitters. Carey plays Billie, an inner-city youth and burgeoning pop star who gets her big break when she is discovered by a DJ (Max Beesley) and a relationship develops. The film also stars Eric Benet and Da Brat and is scheduled for an August release.

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Song Stories

“All Along the Watchtower”

The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1968

Jimi Hendrix got hold of Bob Dylan's early John Wesley Harding tapes and in late 1967 recorded a version of "All Along the Watchtower" with the Experience in London. Dissatisfied with that first development, Hendrix brought those tapes with him to New York in early 1968 when he began work on Electric Ladyland. Eddie Kramer, Hendrix's engineer at the time, told Rolling Stone that Hendrix "was still looked upon by his basically white audience as the mammoth black guitar hero. There was a constant fight within him to expand himself." Hendrix's successful take on Dylan's work has long been recognized by the songwriter. "I liked Jimi Hendrix's record of this and ever since he died I've been doing it that way," Dylan wrote in the liner notes to his Biograph box set. "Strange how when I sing it, I always feel it's a tribute to him in some kind of way."

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