I Still Believe

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"I Still Believe"
Single by Brenda K. Starr
from the album Brenda K. Starr
Released 1988
Format CD single
Genre Pop
Length 3:50
Label MCA
Writer(s) Antonina Armato, Giuseppe Cantarelli
Producer E. Deodato
Brenda K. Starr singles chronology
"Breakfast in Bed"
(1987)		 "I Still Believe"
(1988)		 "What You See Is What You Get"
(1988)
"I Still Believe"
Single by Mariah Carey
from the album #1's
Released February 15, 1999
Format CD single, cassette single, 7" single
Genre Pop, R&B
Length 3:54
Label Columbia
Producer Mariah Carey, Stevie J, Mike Mason
Certification Platinum (U.S.)
Mariah Carey singles chronology
"When You Believe"
(1998)		 "I Still Believe"
(1999)		 "Heartbreaker"
(1999)

"I Still Believe" is a pop-ballad song written by Antonina Armato and Giuseppe Cantarelli and originally recorded by pop singer Brenda K. Starr. It is a ballad in which the singer is confident she and her former boyfriend will never be together again, but still believes that some day it may happen. It was covered by American singer Mariah Carey and cantopop singer Sandy Lam.

Contents

[edit] Brenda K. Starr version

Brenda K. Starr recorded the song for her debut album Brenda K. Starr, and it was produced by E. Deodato. The song was based on a real life relationship of one of its songwriters, Antonia Armato: Armato's former boyfriend had proposed to her, but she felt that the timing was not right. He was not pleased, and pushed her into an ultimatium: to get married or break up. Even though Armato loved her boyfriend at the time, she stuck to her convictions and the couple broke up. To deal with her emotional pain, Armato wrote the song.

It was released as the first single from Starr's debut album in 1988 and peaked at number 13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming Starr's first and only top twenty single on the Hot 100. Its music video comprises scenes of Starr singing the song in a warehouse intercut with scenes of her walking past many romantic couples. It is considered her signature song, and in 1996 she recorded a new version of it. While the original version of the song was dance-pop, the re-recording was based on a more Latin-styled production, and parts of the song were also translated into Spanish. The original version of the song was ranked 7 on VH1's list of 40 Most Awesomely Bad Breakup Songs.

[edit] Mariah Carey version

Mariah Carey co-produced her cover of the song with Stevie J and Mike Mason for her eighth album, #1's, and it was released as the album's third single in 1999. She re-recorded the song as a tribute to Starr, as she had been Starr's backing singer in the late 1980s and Starr had helped jump start Carey's career by handing a demo tape to Sony Music Entertainment executive Tommy Mottola, who then signed Carey's first recording contract.

Unlike the preceding single from #1's, "When You Believe", "I Still Believe" enjoyed more success within the United States than elsewhere, peaking at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though it was Carey's first single to chart on radio airplay points alone, its airplay was relatively low while sales were much stronger. It was certified platinum by the RIAA, and was ranked 36 on the Hot 100 year-end charts for 1999. Outside the U.S. it settled in the middle of the charts, such as the United Kingdom where it reached the top twenty. It entered the Canadian top ten, but did not reach the top forty in Australia or Germany.

[edit] Music videos and remixes

Carey on the set of the music video for "I Still Believe".

The single's music video, directed by Brett Ratner, was heavily inspired by Marilyn Monroe's 1953 visit to U.S. troops in Korea for a United Service Organizations show. It shows Carey (who emulates Monroe's make-up and hairstyles and Judy Garland's performance gestures) visiting Edwards Air Force Base in California and singing for airmen and soldiers as Monroe had done during the Korean War.

A remix of the song was produced by Carey and Damizza titled "I Still Believe/Pure Imagination" (formally "I Still Believe" (Damizza Reemix) [sic]). It differs significantly from the original, as it retains none of the music and only minor lyrical elements. The melody is based heavily on interpolations of the song "Pure Imagination" from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and the song features rapped and sung parts by Krayzie Bone (of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony) and Da Brat.

An abbreviated version of "I Still Believe/Pure Imagination," without Da Brat and more from Krayzie Bone, can be found on Bone's album Thug Mentality 1999. A video for the remix was commissioned and directed by Carey herself, showing her as a peasant girl in a Mexican village as she tends to her goats and gathers water for her family. Bone is portrayed as a pariah of sorts in the town, in whom Carey may have a romantic interest. Da Brat takes on the role of the community gringo, as she arrives in a car with a lot of money.

Several other remixes of the song were created, and each was carefully overseen by Carey, who re-recorded her vocals for all of them. Stevie J, who co-produced the original song, enlisted the help of rappers Mocha and Amil to join Carey on a remix he was developing. Although it contains completely new musical elements (with no music derived from the original and only small lyrical elements), Carey, Stevie J and the rappers do not receive songwriting credit.

David Morales created several remixes of the song, including theClassic Club" mix. It retains the song's original music and chord progressions with Carey's original vocals and considerable ad libs. Other remixes by Morales include The King's Mix and the Eve of Souls mix, which do not contain complete vocals of the song, and feature little more than ad libs and shouting over club beats.

[edit] Formats and track listings

Australian CD single

  1. "I Still Believe" (Album Version)
  2. "I Still Believe" (David Morales Remix Edit)
  3. "I Still Believe" (The Eve Of Sould Mix)

European CD single

  1. "I Still Believe" (Album Version)
  2. "I Still Believe" (Morales' Classic Club Mix Edit)

U.S. CD single

  1. "I Still Believe / Pure imagination" (Damizza Reemix Edit featuring Krayzie Bone & Da Brat)
  2. "I Still Believe" (Morales' Classic Club Mix Edit)

Australian CD maxi-single

  1. "I Still Believe" (Album Version)
  2. "I Still Believe" (David Morales Remix Edit)
  3. "I Still Believe" (The Eve Of Sould Mix)
  4. "I Still Believe / Pure imagination" (Damizza Reemix featuring Krayzie Bone & Da Brat)
  5. "I Still Believe" (Stevie J. Clean Remix featuring Mocha & Amil)

European CD maxi-single #1

  1. "I Still Believe" (Album Version)
  2. "I Still Believe" (Morales' Classic Club Mix Edit)
  3. "I Still Believe" (Morales' Classic Club Mix)
  4. "I Still Believe" (The Eve Of Souls Mix)
  5. "I Still Believe" (The Kings Mix)
  6. "I Still Believe" (The Kings Mix Instrumental)

European CD maxi-single #2

  1. "I Still Believe" (Album Version)
  2. "I Still Believe / Pure imagination" (Damizza Reemix featuring Krayzie Bone & Da Brat)
  3. "I Still Believe" (Stevie J. Remix featuring Mocha & Amil)
  4. "I Still Believe" (Stevie J. Clean Remix featuring Mocha & Amil)
  5. "I Still Believe / Pure imagination" (Damizza Reemix A Cappella featuring Krayzie Bone & Da Brat)

Japanese-U.S. CD maxi-single

  1. "I Still Believe" (Album Version)
  2. "I Still Believe" (Stevie J. Clean Remix featuring Mocha & Amil)
  3. "I Still Believe" (Morales' Classic Club Mix)
  4. "I Still Believe / Pure imagination" (Damizza Reemix featuring Krayzie Bone & Da Brat)
  5. "I Still Believe" (The Kings Mix)

UK CD maxi-single #1

  1. "I Still Believe" (Morales' Classic Club Mix)
  2. "I Still Believe" (Morales' Classic Club Mix - UK Edit)
  3. "I Still Believe" (The Eve Of Souls Mix - UK Edit)

UK CD maxi-single #2

  1. "I Still Believe" (Album Version)
  2. "I Still Believe" (Stevie J. Remix featuring Mocha & Amil)
  3. "I Still Believe / Pure imagination" (Damizza Reemix featuring Krayzie Bone & Da Brat)

[edit] Charts

[edit] Brenda K. Starr version

Chart (1988) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 13
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 14

[edit] Mariah Carey version

Chart (1999) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart[1] 54
Belgian Flandres Singles Chart[2] 48
Belgian Wallonia Singles Chart[3] 25
Canadian Singles Chart[4] 9
Dutch Singles Chart[5] 51
European Singles Chart[6] 30
French Singles Chart[7] 33
German Singles Chart[8] 58
New Zealand Singles Chart[9] 24
Swiss Singles Chart[10] 31
UK Singles Chart[11] 16
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[12] 4
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks[12] 8
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[12] 1
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[12] 31

1 "I Still Believe / Pure Imagination"

Preceded by
"Heartbreak Hotel" by Whitney Houston featuring Faith Evans and Kelly Price		 Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single (Mariah Carey version)
April 10, 1999		 Succeeded by
"Baby Wants to Ride" by Hani

[edit] Other versions

In 1989, Hong Kong singer Sandy Lam covered this song in Cantonese, with the title 依然 ("Still"). She also covered the English version of the song in 1990.

Jamaican dancehall artist Beenie Man sampled most of the lyrics under the song "Crazy Notion" from his Art and Life album, released in 2000.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Australian Singles Chart
  2. ^ Belgian Flanders Singles Chart
  3. ^ Belgian Wallonia Singles Chart
  4. ^ Canadian Singles Chart
  5. ^ Dutch Singles Chart
  6. ^ European Singles Chart
  7. ^ French Singles Chart
  8. ^ German Singles Chart
  9. ^ New Zealand Singles Chart
  10. ^ Swiss Singles Chart
  11. ^ UK Singles Chart
  12. ^ a b c d Artist Chart History - Mariah Carey
v • d • e
Mariah Carey
Studio albums
Mariah Carey (1990) · Emotions (1991) · Music Box (1993) · Merry Christmas (1994) · Daydream (1995) · Butterfly (1997) · Rainbow (1999) · Glitter (2001) · Charmbracelet (2002) · The Emancipation of Mimi (2005) · E=MC² (2008) · Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel (2009)
Compilations
#1's (1998) · Valentines (2000) · Greatest Hits (2001) · The Remixes (2003)  · The Ballads (2008)
Live albums
Video compilations
Concert tours
Selected filmography
The Bachelor (1999) · Glitter (2001) · WiseGirls (2002)  · Ally McBeal (2002) · State Property 2 (2005) · You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008) · Tennessee (2008) · Precious (2009)
Charities
Related articles
v • d • e
Mariah Carey singles
Mariah Carey
Emotions
"Emotions" · "Can't Let Go" · "Make It Happen" · "Till the End of Time"
MTV Unplugged
Music Box
Merry Christmas
"All I Want for Christmas Is You" · "Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)" · "Joy to the World" · "Jesus Born On This Day" · "O Holy Night" · "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town"
Daydream
"Fantasy" · "One Sweet Day" · "Open Arms/El Amor Que Soñé" · "Always Be My Baby" · "Forever" · "Underneath the Stars"
Butterfly
"Honey" · "Butterfly" · "Breakdown" · "The Roof" · "My All" · "Whenever You Call"
#1's
Rainbow
Glitter
Charmbracelet
The Remixes
"U Like This (Megamix)" · "Miss You"
The Emancipation of Mimi
E=MC²
The Ballads
"Hero" (2009 version)
Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel
Other releases
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