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CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY (MARIAH'S THEME) When it was time for another single from the album "Rainbow", Mariah insisted it should be "Can't take that away (Mariah's theme)". It was a song that had always had a close and personal feeling for Mariah, and she felt it would translate well on the radio. But the Sony executives were not happy with her choice. They felt that something a little more upbeat, a little more in keeping with current Top Forty radio formats was necessary. The folks at Sony also realized that the success of the next single would be integral to keeping the momentum of the album going. And on this issue, Sony was not going to back down without a fight. But neither was Mariah. The ensuing arguments grew increasingly negative and angry. Mariah was taking it personally and complained bitterly to close friends that the Sony suits did not understand her or her music. But the bottom line was that Mariah was too big an artist to cross, and Sony knew that. They blinked and Mariah won. "Can't take that away (Mariah's theme)" was finally released as a single, but, as Mariah would soon discover, with drastically reduced promotion and marketing. Her victory was bittersweet because the lack of promotion would almost ensure that her song would not get the all-important radio play that would guarantee her another number one hit. Mariah was so upset at this lack of support and, she reasoned, the deteriorating relationship with Sony since her divorce from Tommy that she took what was for her a drastic step. In late May, she began posting messages on her official website in which she chatted directly to her fans, telling them that she was receiving less-than-full support from Sony on her latest single and that it was up to them to help her make "Can't take that away (Mariah's theme)" a hit by calling in and requesting the song at their local radio station. One of those messages said, "Basically, a lot of you know that the political situation in my professional career is not positive. It's been really, really hard. I don't even know if this message is going to get to you because I don't know if they want you to hear this. I'm getting a lot of negative feedback from certain corporate people. But I am not willing to give up." Reactions to Mariah's clandestine messages were mixed. Her loyal fan base thought it was great and eagerly flooded their local radio stations with requests for the song. But industry observers were split on the issue. Some considered it a childish ploy that would ultimately do more harm than good. Others felt it was a bold, self-generated publicity move in an attempt to save the record she felt strongly about, but nobody doubted her sincerity. Mariah began posting messages attacking Sony on an almost weekly basis on her website throughout the month of June and into July. What she did not know was that the people at Sony had quickly taken notice of Mariah's attacks and would immediately strip the website, which the record company sponsored, of her messages the moment they appeared. Mariah quickly got wind of Sony's deception and fought back with the only weapon she had. She brought it to the attention of Sony corporate officials that her upcoming soundtrack album to her film "All that glitters" was her last album on the contract she had signed with Sony back in 1990. Mariah soon began acknowledging that fact in public and began suggesting that in the wake of all the roadblocks being put in her creative path, she might not remain with Sony and was looking forward to exploring other offers. That certainly got Sony's attention, and they suddenly began showing more interest in promoting Mariah's latest single. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late. "Can't take that away (Mariah's theme)", while doing respectable chart business, did not come close to matching her previous successes. It only debuted at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. This was also the highest ranking for this single. On the sales chart it peaked at number 2. Billboard wrote about the song: "Carey delivers the single that her die-hard fans have been hankering for since the release of her fine 'Rainbow' opus. Gossip-mongers will have a field day dissecting the lyrics, given that the song is subtitled Mariah's theme. Ultimately, what they'll find is a sweet, well-crafted anthem of personal empowerment in which Carey deftly straddles the line between everywoman and soothsayer. She fleshes out her lyrics with a performance that comfortably glides from soft verses to appropriately dramatic belting at the chorus. While there's certainly a familiarity here that will trigger comparisons to past hits like 'Hero', a sharp ear will detect a raw, emotional edge in Carey's vocal that elevates 'Can't take that away' miles above previous efforts. Added pleasure and inspiration can be found in David Morales' uptempo dance remix, which is destined for club saturation. The remix is also a suitable entry to radio stations in need of a respite from the ongoing glut of chirpy-voiced teen acts." The video for "Can't take that away (Mariah's theme)" featured clips of fans and celebrities who overcame hard times. The video ended with Mariah standing in the rain on the balcony and getting wet. After the video was shown only a few times, the balcony scene was cut and replaced with another scene.
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