Here is an outtake from the photoshoot Mariah did in 1998 for Arena Magazine and subsequently her "#1's" album.

It's very similar to the cover shot but can you spot the differences? Click the thumbnail for a larger, full-scale view.

-- Univision is polling its viewers and asking them, "What celebrity has the nicest clevage?" Mariah is currently in third place. You can vote for her at univision.com.

-- Mariah is currently nominated in three other polls at Top Hits Online: most beautiful female singer, best Christmas song, and best song of the 1990s. Be sure to vote! At the same site, Mariah was named the sexiest female pop star. Her song "One Sweet Day" also finished as the second favorite song of all time.

-- The British subsidary of music channel VH1 polled more than 25,000 people for their ultimate number one single of all time. Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" was voted the best. And Mariah sneaked into the top 10 with her ballad "Without You".

-- British singing group SugaBabes are Mariah fans, although they apparently don't know Mariah writes her own music. Group singer Mutya Buena says, "I love Mariah Carey's version of 'All I Want for Christmas is You.' She's a fantastic singer and I like the fact that she updated it." When member Keisha Buchanan was asked if there is any philosophy behind the group, she said. "Not really - we're just ourselves. Heidi's the Mariah of the group, Mutya's the Toni Braxton, and I don't even know what I am, I suppose my strength's in ad-libbing." Heidi says her childhood dream was to become Mariah.

-- Mariah was on Foxtel's Music Max Top 200 songs Of the 1990s, with "Fantasy" coming in at #95.

-- "Intimate Portrait: Mariah Carey" will premiere in Australia on Wednesday, August 4th at 9:30pm on Foxtel and is an Australian Exclusive on the W Channel.

-- Mariah's relationship with her boyfriend Mark Sudack was mentioned today in two major tabloids: the Daily Star (which said that Mariah is "keeping her boyfriend out of the spotlight" and that they "hope it stays that way") and the Daily Mirror (whose article was accompanied by a rare photo of Mariah).

Mariah Carey, who was holed up at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach for a number of nights last week while in town to record her new CD. Although she remained free and clear of clubland, she did surface from time to time in the hotel, where she was apparently gracious and very pleased to be seen. Despite the fact that the low-laying diva used to make absurd requests at hotels such as the Shore Club, where she once demanded a treadmill, cases of red wine and Secret Service-like protection, at the Ritz, her only demand was for menus so she could order food. Lame, yes, but still, in this columnist's opinion, infinitely more interesting than an athlete with big feet.

MARIAH Carey has a new boyfriend — Mark Sudack, a member of her management team. "They met during Mariah's world tour," tattled our spy. "Mark used to work with L.A. Reid at Arista and L.A. brought him over to work at Def Jam. Mark was Mariah's 'house photographer' and traveled with her everywhere. They are very close and spend a lot of quality time not in the spotlight together." Carey has other good news: The songbird's next album will feature a duet with Kanye West. "It is amazing," said a Def Jam insider.

Did you know that last Thanksgiving, Mariah visited with 50 young people living in the Good Shepherd Services group residences and foster care program who were unable to go home for the holiday?

The gym of the East 17th Street location in New York City was transformed into a banquet hall complete with a DJ, balloons, and beautiful centerpieces that were donated by Mariah.

Joining her for the feast was her mother, nephew, staff and their children, as well as her chef who helped to prepare the turkey dinner.

The young residents had the opportunity to chat with Mariah and one young woman even read a poem. Many were able to have photos taken with her, which she autographed.

Mariah’s visit was not only a dream come true for many of these young men and women, but a wonderful surprise on a day that is often difficult for young people in out-of-home care.

Good Shepherd Services is a non-sectarian, social service and youth development agency which positively affects the lives of more than 10,000 children and families annually.

Throughout their history, they have shown leadership in developing effective programs that help New York City's more vulnerable residents gain the support, skills and opportunities necessary for success in life. United by their shared mission and vision, these programs are characterized by a profound respect for the strengths inherent in individuals, families and communities.

Good Shepherd Services provides city-wide residential and foster care services with concentrations in Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn. For more information, log on to goodshepherds.org

Everyone seems to be writing a Web log these days, and those without day jobs have a decided advantage. So perhaps it did not seem unusual to see Bill Clinton joining the ranks.

There were, for example, the jottings about a stay in San Francisco while promoting his memoir, "My Life", including a night out in which he and Robin Williams ultimately regaled their wives with a song and dance while playing a Mariah Carey CD:

"What happened was this. Robin put Mariah Carey's CD in the CD player, took the remote control, told the women me and him were going to get some wine and we went into the kitchen.

"In the kitchen we took off all our clothes except for our boxer shorts and socks. We put on ties and sunglasses. We both had one of those plastic microphones kids play with in our hands. Robin pushed the play button on the remote control and Mariah Carey started singing.

"Me and him went into the living room and stood in front of the women. We did this whole dance routine as Mariah Carey sang 'Oh, when you walk by every night, Talking sweet and looking fine, I get kinda hectic inside....'

"We must've looked like two drunken sailors. Oh God, what was I thinking? That's the kind of influence Robin has on me and all his friends. The guy is crazy, but he also manages to make us lose our minds.

"Oh and when Mariah sang 'I'm in Heaven, With my boyfriend, My laughing boyfriend, There's no beginning, And there is no end...' the two of us would look at each other like we were in love and put both of our hands on our hearts."

Delve more deeply into the postings at Bill Clinton's Daily Diary--at once thoughtful, educated and down home--and only one conclusion can be drawn: It's a hoax.

Not everyone can say that they’ve had Mariah Carey over at their apartment for songwriting sessions, but Gavin Christopher is one of the very few people who can. By the time Gavin had met Mariah as a teenager, he was already a hot property in the music industry and had worked with everyone from Herbie Hancock and Chaka Khan to Grandmaster Flash and Sheila E. He had also signed a deal in 1985 with EMI Records and would soon release his own album, which would spawn the hit club staple “One Step Closer To You”. Amidst all this, Gavin took time out to work with an unknown and inexperienced singer named Mariah.

Mariah Daily: What convinced you to write with this unknown singer called Mariah Carey?
Gavin Christopher: I was so impressed with her personality and voice that I jumped at the chance to work on some songs with Mariah. We made a schedule to get together at least twice a week. We began working on some ideas that Mariah had.

MD: When did you first become aware of her?
Gavin: I was first introduced to Mariah by her brother Morgan when she was 15 years old. Morgan had asked me to listen to his sister and tell him what I thought about her voice. I immediately walked into my living room after hearing her voice and told Morgan that his sister was going to be a huge success some day.

MD: Did you ever think this teenage girl you were working with would one day become a superstar?
Gavin: Yes! I knew immediately. Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to work together very long. Maybe a few months at the most. But, it was the most rewarding.

MD: How did the writing process usually start? Did Mariah come up with something first, or did you?
Gavin: I had a small writing studio in my flat in New York. Mariah’s mother Pat would bring her to the house. We would spend a few hours at a time working on ideas for songs.

MD: Where did you usually write together?
Gavin: In my apartment on 23rd Street in New York, where I was living with Clarissa Dane, who became one of Mariah’s closest friends.

MD: Did you have set writing times or was it spontaneous?
Gavin: We were very spontaneous.

MD: Did Mariah usually write from her own experiences, or from things she saw going on around her?
Gavin: Well, from what I gathered, it was her own experiences and influences from artists like Stevie Wonder, who gave Mariah the inspiration to become who she is today.

MD: Did Mariah have a specific genre in mind for her songs or did you help guide her way?
Gavin: I think that initially we just had a few songs we were working on with no specific genre in mind. We were co-writing. So, there was a bit of guidance on my part. But, I think Mariah already knew who she was and where she wanted to go. That is where she went straight to the top.

MD: About how many songs did you and Mariah work on together? Do you have any favorites amongst those?
Gavin: Maybe two or three at the time. One I remember the most was the song titled “I Can’t Hold It Back”.

MD: You were the one that introduced Mariah to Ben Margulies, who Mariah wrote most of her first album with. How did that come about?
Gavin: Ben was my drummer in a band in Santa Cruz, California. After working with Herbie Hancock on several albums, I was playing at a club when Ben introduced himself to me and asked me if I wanted to sing in his band. I said yes and we played together for short while in California. I then moved to New York to pursue my career further. Then, Ben moved to New York and set up a small studio in his house and began writing. I am not sure, but Mariah and Ben first met at my apartment. Few years later, they started writing together. One day, I came home to a message on my machine. It was a recording of “Vision Of Love”. They were excited that they had gotten a budget to work on Mariah’s record. The rest is history.

MD: What do you think the world should know about Mariah Carey?
Gavin: Mariah is a truly gifted human individual, who has given the world a voice that is one of the great voices of the century. There will never be another like her. She is the one of a kind. I think we should all grateful that we have someone like her to soothe our souls with wonderful sound and grace. Thank you Mariah. I am happy to be a part of your story.

Gavin Christopher is currently living in Los Angeles and working on several projects. He is also a contributing member for the band Aquabox. Their album release, "The Evolution Will Not Be Televised", is available for purchase from amazon.com.

-- Jadakiss' song with Mariah, "U Make Me Wanna" remains one of the top songs on WVEE in Atlanta. You can phone requests to 404-741-9833 or e-mail janetk.jack@infinitybroadcasting.com. The song has not yet appeared in rotation on any other stations.

-- Steve attended "Mariah Carey night" at Club Rich's in San Diego yesterday. During his stay there, they played "Loverboy", "Emotions", "Through The Rain (Dance Mix)" and "Honey". They did several giveaways. Steve says it was a decent crowd for a Tuesday night.

-- Kelly's website, Mariah Central, is down temporaily because her webhosting company has a problem on their end. She wants everyone to know that her site is down and it will be up as soon as possible when the techincians fix it.

-- From The Oregonian: Following a video vignette that showed her getting lost trying to find the stage and being befuddled by the buttons on an elevator, [Jessica Simpson] took the stage swathed in flowing pink silk and started singing some B-grade, Mariah Carey-style R&B lite.

-- From The Courier Mail: When Amy Wilkinson was 18, she thought opera was for big blokes with Italian accents. But then one of her girlfriends heard her belting out a Mariah Carey song. "She said to me, Amy, you've got such a beautiful voice, why don't you get some training?"

Besides the Terror Squad and Kanye West, rapper Mase said he might also be doing tracks for Mariah Carey and Faith Evans.

Mariah Carey has turned down the chance to work with boy band Westlife again. The American Beauty, who sang with the Irish lads on a chart-topping cover of Phil Collins' "Against All Odds" four years ago, feels they won't do her career any favours now. She told my source: "I like them and they are very talented but to be honest I have moved into a different musical direction."

This burning issue is second only to that of whether the whole Westlife enterprise can be dragged out any longer. True, their cover of Barry Manilow's "Mandy" had black-metal fans singing along, but that was just a tiny moment that roused an otherwise ballad-fatigued nation. After all, where does any band go after duetting with Mariah Carey?

-- Tuesday, July 27, 2004 will be "Mariah Carey night" at Club Rich's in San Diego, California. The night is called POPplanet and their will be lots of Mariah give-aways. This night is not like others because a giant screen on the dance floor projects all the videos that go with the song. Come and support Mariah (and win some Mariah prizes) at Rich's. Admission is $5, but free if you sign up on the VIP list on the website at clubpopplanet.com.

-- A petition has been created asking Mariah's record label to release a DVD of all of her music videos. The petition states, "We the fans of Mariah Carey would like to see a product that contains a DVD/EP of Mariah Carey's music videos. We believe a Mariah Carey musical collection is by far from complete without a music video release. Please consider this idea, as it would be highly appreciated by the millions of Mariah Carey fans, from around the world." If you agree and want to sign the petition, log on to petitiononline.com.

-- From Wired News: For inspiration [on getting my friends to comment on president George W. Bush], I turned to US Weekly's famously mean "Fashion Police" spread, in which a gaggle of comedians, fashionistas and pop-culture reporters bash celebrities' wardrobe choices. A recent one on Mariah Carey included comments like, "This dress eliminates the need to stand over a blowing vent" and "Victoria has a secret. Mariah does not."

-- From The State: The only obstacle that kept April Bradley-Spann from singing to “American Idol’s” Simon Cowell was her age. But that won’t stop her from facing local competitors in Sumter’s Palmetto Idol competition, being held tonight through Friday. Since about age 3, she has preferred inspirational tunes with other musically inclined members of her family. For the competition, she has selected Mariah Carey’s “Hero.”

The August 2nd issue of Star Magazine goes behind the busts and butts of celebrities and features covergirls Mariah Carey and Britney Spears.

"The trend right now is bigger breasts -- more showy," says New York City plastic surgeon Dr.Cap Lesesne.The reasons:

"We passed the implants scare in the '90s," says New York City plastic surgeon Dr. John E. Sherman. Both saline and silicone implants are safe today.

"Implants are no longer just for topless dancers," says Dr. Sherman. Some great fakes are just B-cups.

The newest trend is to insert the implant via the armpit or the belly button, both of which cause minimal scarring. And by placing the implant under the chest muscle, it looks more natural.

-- From a NY Times article about Zach Braff: "Mr. Braff's most back-breaking experience occured during Mariah Carey's 'Up on the Roof' video, when he and his colleagues had to schlep equipment up to the roof with no elevator. 'We worked 20 hours straight for a video that probably aired twice on MTV,' he joked, 'I told all my friends that I hoped her next video was called "In the Lobby".

-- In a song called "Fall Back" by Lloyd Banks with Brandy and Fabulous, Lloyd mentions Mariah 3 minutes into the song. He says: "I get smooth like Mariah's skin"

-- From Reuters: Truwarier is Allure's fourth label. Its first, Mariah Carey's Crave, folded after the release of the group's self-titled debut.

-- In an interview for The NY Times, Joey Fatone (of 'N Sync) and Joey McIntyre (of New Kids on the Block) brought up Mariah:

FATONE: Look, the transition from music to acting can be brutal. For instance, you got "Glitter."

ZINOMAN: With Mariah Carey?

FATONE: If you took her out of the movie, it wouldn't be that bad.

MCINTYRE: I don't think it would be that good, but maybe. People, mostly writers, underestimate young artists in the music business. They figure they're being told what to do because of the history of Hollywood and Motown. Yes, you need a great manager and you need a great producer, but you got nothing unless you got the talent. No one ever told us how to be. It was natural. I was the little cute one. Donnie was the tough leader. Jordan was the sexy lead singer. Danny gave his 110. Jon was the shy one. That's what we were. And then, that was exploited.

-- From The Miami Herald: As far as Winston Churchill is concerned, he may be the only visitor who never made it to the [Fort Lauderdale's] Elbo Room but he was supposedly one of the notable guests (along with the likes of Al Capone, Casey Stengel and Mariah Carey) at historic Cap's Place Island Restaurant, only reachable by boat in Lighthouse Point.

-- From The Journal News: At the tryouts to "Haverstraw Idol", a local version to "American Idol" in a NY county: Prior to going up on stage, Angelica Martinez, 20, of Haverstraw discussed with her sister, Alisa Martinez, 26, and cousin Natalie DeLacruz, 22, what song she would sing. The younger Martinez hoped that her a capella version of "Open Arms" as performed by Mariah Carey would win her first prize and $1,000.

"That would be nice for my college tuition," said Martinez, who plans to attend Hunter College and study elementary education.

Afterward, Martinez's sister and cousin were her toughest critic.

"It was dreadful," DeLacruz said. "I'm Simon (Cowell). It was too pitchy."

"And too long," Alisa Martinez added.

-- Stephanie scanned Mariah's pictures from the "Star" tabloid. Click on the following links to see the cover and the mention inside the paper.

Security will be so tight during next month's Republican National Convention that protesters will be kept blocks away from Madison Square Garden - out of sight and out of mind for President Bush and his co-partisans.

But hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons - with the AIDS activist group Still We Rise, the New York Civil Liberties Union and other like-minded folks - has somehow managed to obtain a permit to march right up Eighth Ave. to the Garden, on the convention's opening day, Aug. 30.


There they'll stage a rally against the so-called Rockefeller Drug Laws, Simmons told me, noting that he expects to be joined by Sean (P. Diddy) Combs, Jay-Z, the Beastie Boys and Mariah Carey.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

In all the excitement over Usher having three No. 1 songs on Billboard's Hot 100 in 2004, one fact was overlooked. He's the first artist to have three consecutive releases reach No. 1 since Mariah Carey did it in between 1995-98. Carey had a run of five No. 1s in a row with "Fantasy," "One Sweet Day," "Always Be My Baby," "Forever" and "My All."

It was the second time in her career that Carey put together a string of five No. 1s in a row. Her first five chart entries ("Vision of Love," "Love Takes Time," "Someday," "I Don't Wanna Cry" and Emotions") all topped the chart.

Trendsetters, fashionistas, rappers — P. Diddy wants you. Specifically, he's looking for the "sexy people" to help him entice young people and minorities to vote in the presidential election, as part of his new nonpartisan voting initiative called Citizen Change.

Citizen Change plans to link up with MTV, BET, Clear Channel and other media outlets to increase voter awareness, and P. Diddy said there will be registration drives on college campuses and education initiatives to make people more aware of the election and the issues.

The organization will hold functions tied to both the Democratic and Republication conventions. P. Diddy also said both President Bush and Democratic challenger John Kerry will be invited to participate in Citizen Change events.

P. Diddy already has enlisted stars Mariah Carey, Ben Affleck, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mary J. Blige, Queen Latifah and Ellen DeGeneres for the effort, and labels such as Ecko, Phat Farm, and his own Sean John have been tapped to create clothing featuring the initiative's motto — Vote or Die! — which Diddy himself wore at the news conference.

-- At a party that was held last night in NYC, Mariah Carey's manager Benny Medina, looking buff, stopped by to say that Carey's new album is underway here in New York. For the first time in years, Carey is not recording on the Isle of Capri.

"We're not doing the diva thing," Benny said.

-- In his new single "Everywhere", Bizzy Bone from "Bone Thugs 'N Harmony" mentions Mariah towards the end. Extract from the lyrics: "No baloney, I been diggin' on Mariah, Since back at the days of Sony"

-- Yesterday, Mariah was on the cover of the "NY Daily News". The picture they used was from Mariah's visit to McDonald back in 1999 at the day of the "Heartbreaker" single release. Take a look at the cover here.

-- Yesterday on "Good Day Live", the cover of "Star" magazine's next issue was shown and Mariah is on it. The two pictures they are using are from 1997's "7 Years in Tibet" premiere and from last month's Fresh Air Fund event.

The following report was written by Mariah's friend and MTV News reporter Jasmine Dotiwala:

I am truly blessed! I’ve just spent the past week at Sir Richard Branson’s private place in the Caribbean – the very isolated Necker Island. Mariah Carey and I had arrived simultaneously and were required to quickly change into all-white clothes for Richard’s "all-white beach party", which was under way. It was lavish with silk cushions scattered around the sunset-lit beach and the choice of drinks was mimosas.

Myself, Mariah, Mariah’s choreographer Rachael and friend Karen were all put up in Bali-Hi, which was just stunning. It’s a three-tiered Balinese fashioned house with its own plunge pool, huge outdoor kitchen, dining room and lounge with lovely princess-like bedrooms. The open-air lounge was a bit unnerving at night, but it’s at the top of a cliff so the panoramic hillsides, ocean and beach below were spectacular.

We had to use the craziest bathroom ever. It was an actual room cut out of the cliffside with no fourth wall, so you’re showering and sh***ing in the open air, with a view of the whole ocean. So now all the wildlife on Necker have seen my butt and other bodily parts. I guess that’s one toilet that never needs air freshener!

One night there was a steel and reggae band, so we were able to teach the posh folk how to "blasé, row de boat and do the dollar dance".

After dinner on a couple of evenings Richard took us to his rooftop to lie on the outdoor beds and watch shooting stars light the sky. Heavenly. We also indulged in some religious and spiritual conversations on the rooftop – how adult of us! He informed us that in the past he’d also had Peter Gabriel, Princess Diana and Janet Jackson out there, so we were in good company.

Then July 4 came around so Mariah showed us Brits how to celebrate Independence Day in style with a huge red-white-blue dinner and an amazing fireworks display. As if that wasn’t enough I was treated to numerous exclusive listens to Mariah’s new music, which is gonna blow up.

My favourite track is possibly going to be titled To The Floor, which is where I’m headed now to recover from my astounding adventure!

Mariah Carey pulled in an average of $7K a year as a waitress/coat check girl. She then auditioned to be a back-up singer for Brenda K. Starr and was being paid an annual gross of $55k. She then was signed to Columbia Records for $350K contract with them.

She then grossed in over $30M for her debute self-entitled album Mariah Carey and $10M for her sophomore efforts Emotions and $12.5M for MTV Unplugged and in 1993 grossed in over $60M for her best selling album to date "Music Box" and married President of her label Tommy Mottola, wearing a $25K Vera Wang Dress styled similiar to Princess Diana's. Then went out on her first outing and sold out her World Tour for her promotion of her best seller Music Box.

After the success in 1993, she took a break from her power ballad studio albums and recorded her first and ever Christmas album getting paid over $20M just to sing jingle tunes.

She then followed the success of the best selling Christmas album in Japan and went back into the studio to record her next best seller to date "Daydream" grossing in over $47.5M and followed the success of the second biggest selling album of her career and her best #1 single on the charts and sales she went out on another World Tour, touring more dates from the previous.

She then released her metaphoric meaning of her life entitled (what other than) "Butterfly", producing every single track on the record. The sales of this record didn't match previous success, but she still grossed in over $12.5M. And a new image of Mariah Carey with self empowerment divorced her husband the following months afterwards. She then decided to Tour the world again.

The following year, Columbia Records, decided to release an album solely honoring Mariah's chart-topping 13 #1 hits. This album grossed in also $12.5M for the star. She also got to duet with her (reported rival) but friend, soulful R&B singer/actress Whitney Houston. The power house divas joined forces again to sing at the Academy Awards and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

The following year, Mariah released another metaphoric meaning to her life, titling the album "Rainbow." This album grossed in over $7.5M for the Best Selling Female Vocalist of the 90's and earned her two additional #1 hits. She now tally's in 15 chart topping #1 hits. She also was inspired to Tour again with a star studded roster of entertainers.

She then felt stressed and wanted to leave the label that was run by her ex-husband. She owed Columbia Records another album and Carey bought out the rights to her contract reported to be worth over $9M.

But she was then catered to every label wanting to sign her. And she decided to go with Virgin Records. They signed her for $100M for a 5 album deal and movie. Making Carey the highest paid female entertainer of all time. But it didn't work out and they bought her out of contract for a reported sum of over $30M. Mariah got the last laugh, though. Because they shelled out over $22M to film the movie that barely grossed in $2.5M. They also had already paid her $14.5M for starring in the movie and recording the soundtrack. So Virgin records earned that year an average of $4,000,000 and Mariah walked away with over $44,500,000.

Mariah wasn't a free agent for long, though and was signed to Island Def Jam Records willing to sign her to a contract worth $21M and giving the Butterfly loving singer her own label.

Charbracelet was then released in December of 2002. And grossed in over $2.5M for her plus a $7M advancement. She decided to really connect with her lambs (her fans) and toured for the first time at intimate venues. Still selling out almost everywhere.

Columbia Records knows Mariah sells and almost every other year they try to release an album on her. They've already released, Greatest Hits, The Remixes, and reports of releasing a Legacy Edition album entitled from her debute chart topping single, "Vision Of Love."

Carey was getting paid $2.00 for every album sold and .50 for writting. Plus the summed earnings of her sold out World Tours. I haven't heard any figures yet. So I didn't post them. I only know from Billboard that Mariah earned over $20M from her Asia leg of the Charmbracelet World Tour. Her North American Tour earnings were never reported. Although you know it's in the sums of millions.

Mariah Carey has sold more than $150M records worldwide and has had a #1 single in each year of the 1990's. She cemented herself as the best selling female performer of all time and in the rock era. Mariah Carey is a "living legend."

Trendsetters, fashionistas, rappers — P. Diddy wants you. Specifically, he's looking for the "sexy people" to help him entice young people and minorities to vote in the presidential election, as part of his new nonpartisan voting initiative called Citizen Change. P. Diddy already has enlisted stars Ben Affleck , Leonardo DiCaprio , Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige for the effort, and labels such as Ecko, Phat Farm, and his own Sean John have been tapped to create clothing featuring the initiative's motto — "Vote or Die!" — which Diddy himself wore at the news conference.

Mariah Carey has signed a new long-term publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group. The worldwide pact includes 135 copyrights, including 14 of Carey's 15 No. 1 hits on The Billboard Hot 100. (Her remaining No. 1 was a remake of "I'll Be There.")

Carey previously was signed to Sony/ATV.

UMPG worldwide president David Renzer has had his eye on Carey's catalog for some time.

"There are certain artists that you always inquire about," he told Billboard. "I had been asking [Carey's attorney] Don Passman for years about her and when her catalog might become available. She was an artist who I respected, not only for her vocal range but for her songwriting."

After Carey's deal with Sony/ATV expired and her catalog reverted to her, Renzer says UMPG "stepped up in terms of how aggressively we were chasing her."

He declined to give a dollar figure for the multialbum deal, but called it a "very significant commitment. We made a deal where we're obviously projecting aggressively on her new studio album, but also looking at her back catalog."

Carey's next album for Island Def Jam (which, like UMPG, is part of Universal Music Group) is tentatively scheduled for fourth-quarter 2004. Among the producers on the set are Kanye West, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Swizz Beatz and Pharrell.

Renzer says UMPG will launch a campaign around the release of Carey's new album to trumpet her catalog. The plan includes sending a sampler to music supervisors and ad agencies worldwide. Carey's strongest territories are the United States, Europe and Asia.

"Our synch people around the world are very excited," Renzer says.

Carey's music has not been widely exploited in commercials or soundtracks. Pursuing those options is something Renzer says UMPG is discussing with Carey's manager, Benny Medina.

"His first comment to me was 'How are we going to aggressively work this catalog?'" Renzer says.

Carey released "Charmbracelet," her debut on IDJ, in 2002. It has sold 1.1 million units in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The singer came to IDJ following a tremendous run at Columbia Records, where she sold more than 40 million albums in the United States alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan. She was signed briefly to Virgin Records between Columbia and IDJ. The only release during that time was the soundtrack to "Glitter," which has sold 596,000 copies.

As it becomes increasingly difficult to break artists, Renzer notes, catalogs from career artists are more valuable because of the income stream they can generate.

"You can work the entire catalog," he says, "instead of one hit album that may be gone from the public consciousness 6 months from now."

In the past several months, UMPG has signed Prince and inked long-term administration deals with Paul Simon and Emilio and Gloria Estefan.

According to Japanese fan site Love Love Jack, Mariah's new album will be released in Japan in November, earlier than the rest of the world. And the new single is scheduled for October. "Misty Moon", the theme song Mariah sang for the Japanese tea drink Sokenbicha, might be released together with the first single as a double a-side single in Japan. If "Misty Moon" couldn't make it to the first single, it would probably be the bonus track for the new album. Also, Mariah is planning to visit to Japan again to promote the new album.

-- Don't forget to tune into E! tonight to watch "It's Good To Be Mariah Carey" at 10:30pm.

-- worldofbritney.com has a video for download showcasing Britney Spears' greatest moments over the past few years, and the background music is set to Mariah's "Can't Take That Away".

-- Mariah's edition of OutSmart, the online game where you play against a celebrity opponent to try to beat them at their own fame, has been re-added to MSN Zone. Click here to play against Mariah!

-- A contestant on the Malaysian edition of Pop Idol contestant sang Mariah's "Emotions" and even did the high notes. Click here to view a clip!

-- Jadakiss' "U Make Me Wanna" featuring Mariah is getting spins on WPWX in Chicago. That makes at least 4 high impact stations playing the song: WVEE (who has the song in its top 20; 404-741-9833) and WGCI (404-741-0955) in Atlanta, WPWX in Chicago and WBOT in Boston (617-931-1977). Be sure to request the song if you'd like to hear it! Other places you can send requests to are: requests@kube93.com, requests@955thebeat.com, feedback@wgci.com and through forms at thebeatla.com and power106.com.

-- Magic 92.5 of San Diego counted down the 500 greatest oldies songs of all time (Urban AC format). Mariah had 5 songs make the list, including Someday, I'll Be There, One Sweet Day, Can't Let Go and Emotions (coming in at number 12). You can check out the list at magic925.com.

Mariah Carey has signed a long-term publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group. The worldwide pact covers 135 copyrights -- including 14 of Carey's 15 No. 1 hits on The Billboard Hot 100 -- and future works. (Her remaining No. 1 was a remake of "I'll Be There.")

The following report was written by Mariah's friend and MTV News reporter Jasmine Dotiwala:

"Speaking of partying, I’m off to re-energise my A-list, top-notch, jet-set, diva lifestyle at Sir Richard Branson’s Necker island – I’ve been invited to film an MTV Cribs show at his home. Being the polite young lady that my mum brought me up to be, I thought I’d better not turn up without a gift, so I took… Mariah Carey!

"I figured what with it being Independence Day and Mariah loving to spend time on tropical islands, we should buck up and kill three birds with one stone. Richard Branson would meet Mariah, Mariah would get a free party on an exclusive island with her mates, and I would get to mix bizness with pleasure and top up my tan. So I’ll catch you rain-dwelling Brits on the other side. First-class everything, palm trees and butlers to do my every bidding – Necker island here I come!"

In Touch Weekly named their 20 hottest stars in swimsuits, including Mariah Carey at #20, Jennifer Lopez at #15, and Britney Spears at #4. Mariah said, "I started to pack on too much extra weight, so I began a crash exercise program, sweating it out on the treadmill and bike." She added, "I'm in the best shape I've been in for years."

Pop star Mariah Carey's forthcoming foray into literature will be ghost written by another author.

The "Thank God I Found You" singer is busy writing an illustrated children's book to compete with her bookish chart rival Madonna, whose third children's book Yakov and the Seven Thieves reached seventh place on The New York Times' best-seller list last week.

But Carey's own record boss has admitted Mariah's getting a lot of help. CAA head Rob Light, "She has an idea based on her bi-racial heritage. It's something she's worked on with the help of ghost writers."

Editor's Note: The writer of this article must have confused the facts. The original, true quote stated, "It's something she's worked on without the help of ghostwriters. She has a whole idea based on her biracial heritage; she thinks there is a huge audience."

The following records were taken from the BDS (Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems) records book. Notice these are records on the Hot 100 airplay charts and not the Billboard Hot 100 singles.

-ALL-FORMAT DETECTIONS: "Dreamlover" by Mariah Carey (Columbia), with 10,122 detections (9/20-26, 1993).

-MOST ADULT CONTEMPORARY WEEKS AT #1: "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men (Columbia) and "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion (550 Music), both at 13 weeks.

-MOST HOT 100 GROSS IMPRESSIONS: "Dreamlover" by Mariah Carey (Columbia), 89,177, 800 (9/15-21, 1993).

-MOST HOT 100 AIRPLAY WEEKS AT #1: "I'll Make Love To You" by Boyz II Men (Motown), "The Sign" by Ace Of Bace (Arista) and "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men (Columbia) at 13 weeks.

-MOST TOP 40/MAINSTREAM WEEKS AT #1: "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men (Columbia), 13 weeks.

-MOST TOP 40/CROSSOVER DETECTIONS: "Fantasy" by Mariah Carey (Columbia), 1,951 detections (10/30-11/05, 1995).

-MOST TOP 40/CROSSOVER WEEKS AT #1: "Fantasy" by Mariah Carey (Columbia) at 11 weeks.

-- Hi Keith,

I must say that I have always admired how you are able to answer some of the most ridiculous questions that people can come up with. But, I was so confused by last week's "Ask Billboard" question about the top selling female recording artists. Now, were the totals based only on U.S. sales or on worldwide sales?

I distinctly remember last year's Super Bowl halftime show where they introduced Mariah Carey as "the biggest selling female recording artist in history". I have also heard that she has sold over 120 million albums, definitely beating out Celine Dion.

Shania Twain is trying to steal Mariah's glory. Just because she had a bad movie, an even worse soundtrack album and a nervous breakdown doesn't mean that Mariah is gone. She will always be the best, along with Whitney Houston.

What do you have to say about this? Can people make up things like what happened on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" [where Shania was introduced as the top selling female artist of all time]? Defend your answer!

Thanks buddy,

John
Chicago

-- Hi John,

I received a few e-mails this week, questioning the figures that I quoted in the answer to that question. As I stated in the last column, the figures were only for U.S. sales and/or shipments. There is no firm that tabulates worldwide sales, and therefore, accurate tallies of worldwide sales are subject to interpretation.

When Mariah Carey is introduced as the "biggest selling artist" at an event, that's usually because her press materials suggest that fact. With artists like Madonna, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, and so forth, each one of them will often lay claim to some sort of sales feat or crown. Such information stems from an artist's record company's figures regarding worldwide sales or shipments.

When Shania Twain was introduced as the biggest selling female artist on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," it was a rather large error. Twain has the biggest selling album in the U.S., in the Nielsen SoundScan era -- 1999's "Come On Over," which has sold 15.1 million. But Celine Dion is the biggest selling female artist overall, in the U.S., in the SoundScan era.

And for all-time U.S. shipments, per the Recording Industry Association of America, Barbra Streisand is tops.

-- From MTV News: On the third edition of the American Idols Live Tour which got under way on Wednesday, [Jennifer] Hudson and [LaToya] London had plenty of chances to show off their big voices, including their solos of Aretha Franklin's "Since You've Been Gone" and Mariah Carey's "My All," respectively, and their rip-roaring version of "Dangerously in Love."

-- Mariah mentions on TV:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno - Derek Jeter was being interviewed and was asked: "What would you rather be in; the All-Star game or Mariah Carey?"
Derek reacted with a shy laughter and the segment cut off to another person.

The Early Show - On an "I Love the 90's" trivia game, the contestants were asked a question to which the answer was Mariah. None of them were able to answer it correctly.

-- From Chart Attack: Lindsay Lohan just signed a deal with Casablanca Records, the label run by Tommy "I Was Married To Mariah Carey" Mottola.

-- From Perfect Beat: There's pretty much nothing redeeming about this single. Ballad singles need to be pretty amazing, or by Mariah Carey, to get any recognition, and [Jennifer Lopez's] Baby I Luv You is neither.

-- Amazon.com reports that a CD single of "Bringin' On The Heartbreak" will be released on July 20th, 2004. However, the release is titled "Import" and includes the same tracks as the European release of the single. It is most likely the same European single, which is now available to order on Amazon.

Anyone in attendance at any of the 70 shows of Mariah Carey’s Charmbracelet Tour couldn’t help but notice Preston Mui, a young, charismatic dancer exuding talent and confidence. Always upfront and always wearing a smile, Preston makes it quite obvious that performing is a personal passion and not just a routine job.

“I have been a performer my entire life,” he says. “My mother took me to my first music class at age 5. I was in acting classes at age 10. I've taken dance, martial arts, gymnastics, acrobatics; anything that involves movement, I have done. I did plays and musicals throughout my childhood. So, my entire life has been full of music, art and dance.”

Mariah Daily: So what initially attracted you to dancing?
Preston Mui: I took my first dance class when I was 10 years old. I was originally a gymnast, but after a long-term recovery from an injury, I strayed away from gymnastics and I stumbled upon dance. I took my weekly dance classes for a couple years, but I was by no means a dancer. Half way through high school, I transferred from a regular high school, to an arts high school. Then I started to train and really learn to love dance. After high school I moved to Los Angeles and was on scholarship at a dance studio called The Edge Performing Arts Center. It's a one year program, at an open dance studio, that trains and prepares you for the professional dance world. It was a grueling schedule, with 30 hours of dance, plus 15 hours of non-dance classes, like voice lessons, gymnastics classes and acting classes, a week. It's a wonderful program for young aspiring dancers.

I grew up in a very traditional household. My background is Chinese, and I was raised with more of a Chinese influence. ... For me, performing was like an escape from my traditional, conservative family. Onstage, I was free. Even today, when I'm onstage, nothing else matters. It doesn't matter that my car broke down, or that I barely make enough money to eat. Being onstage is an escape for me. I feel like I’m truly alive. If there is one thing I know about myself, it is that I am a performer. Performing has been my life, is my life and will be my life forever.

MD: How did you get the job to be a dancer on the Charmbracelet Tour?
Preston: I first found out I got the job in late April of 2003. After I did a series of auditions, I got a call from my agent telling me I had booked it. The first audition was a private call, meaning, if you were not invited to the audition, you could not audition. To audition at a private call, you either have to know the choreographer or be submitted by your talent agency. There were about 100 people, mixed with boys and girls. That is a fairly small audition, considering Janet Jackson had over 1,000 people at her audition. Every audition is usually run the same. Everyone shows up and you sign in, fill out information sheets, turn in your headshot and resume, get a number and get your picture taken. Usually, they then teach you a dance combination and you perform it in groups. We learned a hip hop dance combina