According to Universal Music Belgium, Mariah's new album will be released there on November 30th.

Tower Records Japan lists the availability of Mariah’s new single & album on the following dates:

New Single
Release Date : November 3
Title : TBA
Catalog No : UICL-5018
Price : 1260 yen (US$11)

New Album
Release Date : November 10
Title : TBA
Disc : 1
Catalog No : UICL-1047
Price : 2600 yen (US$23)

HMV Japan lists the exact same dates for both the single and the album. It also says there will be a bonus track for the Japanese edition of the album.

Universal Japan has confirmed the above dates but could not confirm whether or not "Misty Moon" would appear on the album. A promotional tour in Japan is said to be planned as well.

-- In Touch, September 2004 issue, page 49: "Hair Trauma, Even Celebs Have Bad Hair Days", Mariah is shown in two photos with different hairstyles taken in June 2004 from her appearances at (1) Jay-Z's 40/40 Club Anniversary Party to which In Touch comments: "Hair Don't: Nothing to cheer about. Does Mariah Carey have two pom-poms pinned to her head?" and (2) the Fresh Air Fund gathering, In Touch says: "Hair Do: As sexy as she wants to be. Face-framing waves with a deep side-part add sex appeal to any style. 'It's not a look for the timid; it's a real attention-grabber,' Bond notes."

-- Glamour, September 2004 issue, page 208, Editorial section: "12 Tough Questions We'd Like To Ask Celebrities", Mariah, among other celebrities like Paris Hilton, Hillary Rodman Clinton, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie, Mischa Barton, Jane Fonda, Beyonce, Uma Thurman, and Kabbalah are in the hot seat. Here's the "tough question" for Mariah: “Your voice is a wonder, and your breasts are too. But the, uh, overexposure's not helping your career. Can't someone in your innermost circle tell you to cover up?"

-- People, Best of Star Tracks special issue, page 131: a full page picture of Mariah is featured with the caption: “One Sweet Day, Capri, Italy, July 2003. Mariah Carey took a break from entertaining her legions of fans with a sea cruise aboard a rented yacht. The vacation was well-deserved - the singer just wrapped the first leg of her world tour in Asia.”

The New York Daily has published a list of upcoming album release dates. It listed Mariah under the category: "Old Reliables" and said:

"Mariah Carey (Title TBA) Nov. 19: One more attempt to regain the diva's former glory."

Pause & Play on the other hand, lists Mariah's upcoming album as an October release.

Editor's Note: This is just one of many speculations regarding the new album's release date. We are reminding you that nothing is confirmed and the author of the article says it the best:

"One serious caveat: Record companies are notorious for fiddling with release dates. So take these with a pound of salt. Also, some albums don't have titles or "firm" release dates yet. Feel free to make up your own."

Shanna Hife, the newest addition to the comedy band K and the Boxers and one of the finalists of ABS-CBN’s talent search "Star in a Million," possesses a vibrant voice minted in platinum, so to speak.

Truth be told: Shanna has been dubbed the "Whistling Diva" by the show’s staff because of her uncanny ability to do what few singers can achieve: The whistle, "a note that is even higher than a head tone." The whistle has become Shanna’s trademark on the amateur-singing contest and in her nightly gigs with K and the Boxers. In fact, when she refrains from doing her "whistleslashharmonics" on the show, Star juror and musical director Mel Villena invariably misses and looks for it.

Indeed, she can scale the dizzying heights previously conquered by such divas as Minnie Ripperton and Mariah Carey with ease and skill. Among her winning pieces on the show, in fact, are Minnie Ripperton’s powerhouse ballad "Loving You" and Bituin Escalante’s equally potent anthem, "Paano Na?"

Needless to say, Bituin and Minnie are but two of the divas that Shanna admires greatly. She also seeks to emulate the success and performance prowess of such US divas as Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé Knowles, and Alicia Keys. "I love the way Celine performs," Shanna explains her choices. "The range of her voice. The power of her voice. And when she’s onstage, you can’t help but stare in awe."

Mariah, Shanna also idolizes for the same reasons. "Mariah can reach any note you give to her," she elaborates. "In fact, she’s in the Guinness Book of World Records, as the only female singer who can reach the lowest note and the highest note, the whistle." Truth is, Shanna was able to master the whistle by listening to and studying Mariah Carey’s old hit, "Emotions." After doing the whistle, Shanna owns up that her nape sometimes hurt. "That’s where the voice comes from, they say," she remarks. "Sometimes my throat also hurt. But I still try my best to do it right each and every time."

Read the rest of the article here.

-- Check out a short analysis of Mariah's voice that includes clips of some memorable notes at this page.

-- Keith Martin, a local Indonesian star, came to the Indonesian "Talent Search" show to give a vocal coaching lesson to the finalists. When Mariah's name was brought up, Keith expressed his love for her and said thsy Mariah's advantage is her ability to sing the low notes up to high notes smoothly.

-- Mariah has been added to two polls at Top Hits Online. One is for top artist of the 90s (currently Michael Jackson is leading) - Vote here. The second is for top song of the 90s (Fantasy, Hero and One Sweet Day are nominated) - Vote here.

-- Mariah's official site and fan club are no longer hosted on MonarC.com, but on MariahCarey.com. Be sure to change your bookmarks!

-- Mariah is featured briefly in the current issues of both "People" and "Glamour" magazines. In People's special publication "Best of Star Tracks", there is a full page picture of Mariah in Capri on page 131. In "Glamour", Mariah is featured in the "Do's and Don'ts" section.

-- From Shore Publishing: "I've got a base of 18 writers that work for me from all over the country," [Dave Pottie, owner of "Sound Waves" magazine] said. "We do some national interviews, and we've had some pretty good ones lately. We've done Britney Spears; we've done Mariah Carey."
Often Pottie gets requests for a particular issue from around the world because people like to read his interviews. When he interviewed Mariah Carey, he received an e-mail from France requesting a copy.

-- From Rockford Register Star: Rubloff Jet Express, which before the Ryan deal owned nine aircraft -- mostly corporate jets -- and leased two 757s, offered charter service to customers ranging from the Department of Defense to singers Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson and then-presidential candidates Wesley Clark and John Edwards.

-- From The Age: In his new book, [Paul Hanna] writes that what his audiences enjoy more than anything is seeing his vulnerability, that he shares his mistakes and failures in the same measure as his successes and happiness. He quotes Oprah Winfrey as an inspiration, and, more oddly, he pays homage to singer Mariah Carey, who suffered a public nervous breakdown when her career unravelled.

Lee was kind enough to scan the new pictures of Mariah in Capri that appeared in the UK paper "The Daily Star" today.

Click on the thumbnail below to see a larger version of the pictures.

According to Amazon Japan, Mariah's new album is scheduled to be released on November 10th, 2004 in Japan.

Price: 2600 Yen
CD (2004/11/10)
Universal International- ASIN: B0002Y4M1C

Editor's Note: While Amazon is a reliable source and the date is a plausible one, the release date for Mariah's new album is still tentative and has not been officially confirmed by her record label.

Mariah Carey shows the curves that have wowed a mysterious Italian count as she tops up her tan on a yacht in Capri.

Singer Mariah, 34, was sent a £50,000 bracelet and roses by the aristocratic local.

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the picture.

She was once a troubled pop diva, but now Mariah looks like she hasn't a carey in the world.

The busty 34 year old songbird is the picture of health as she takes a rare day off from recording her new album.

Bikini-clad Mariah was causing a splash on the beautiful island of Capri off Italy after overcoming her well-publicized personal and professional troubles.

Curvy Carey who has sold more than 150 million records, also made waves with a local count.

When the rich Italian discovered the singer was in town, he had 100 pink and red roses delivered to her luxury villa everyday.

Hidden inside one bunch of flowers, Mariah discovered a small box containing a 50,000 pound diamond bracelet.

It was specially chosen by the besotted aristo to tie in with her last album called CharmBracelet.

But despite the lavish gift, Mariah is going to have to tell him he's out for the count.

She is said to be dating Mark Suddack, one of her management team who has been on tour with her.

While the romance blossoms, Mariah hopes the new album will be out early next year and promises something special for fans.

As if the view on capri wasn't special enough.

Editor's Note: If you own a copy of the paper and you are able to scan the three new pictures that appear there, please send them to us!

Q: Hi Keith,

I just wanted to ask if you knew if seasonal or remix albums are profitable and big sellers? The reason I ask is because there are rarely ever any remix albums released, however I know there tend to be a lot of Christmas albums.

Regards,
Mints

A: Hi Mints,

Many Christmas albums are very big sellers. Towards the end of every year, a bevy of holiday sets are released. Some sell big, like Mariah Carey's "Merry Christmas" or Celine Dion's "These Are Special Times. Some don't sell quite as well. I won't mention those here.

Though it may seem like Christmas albums have a very short shelf life -- selling only significantly in November and December of each year -- if an album becomes a perennial seller, then the artist and label will have hit paydirt. Witness Barbra Streisand's "Christmas Album," released in 1967. Each year the album sells well, and to date, the Recording Industry Association of America has certified it quintuple platinum reflecting U.S. shipments of 5 million copies. Read the rest of the column here.

The following article was written by Gilles Ollevier aka Cake;

Damion Young better known as Damizza is the biggest name in the Westcoast's hip-hop game. For a young man of 28 years old, he's probably the best producer of his generation. Damizza showed his talents on his first release, the all-star featured compilation "Damizza Presents...Where I Wanna Be", and on his latest release "The Baby Ree Mixtape Vol. 2" hosted by Pamela Anderson and a lot of other releases. He's also the Senior VP of Programming and Artists Relations of Power 106 in Los Angeles. He worked with artists like Ja Rule, Bone Thugs n Harmony and Nate Dogg and was personally asked by Mariah Carey, to remix her song "I Still Believe", after the best-selling pop diva heard one of his tracks in the background of a cellphone conversation they were having.
Damizza owns Baby Ree Entertainment, which is named after Damizza's grandmother.
He's also a really great and funny guy with a good laugh and above all, he's real.
Damizza has been so kind to answer a few questions. I selected the most interesting among all the questions sent to Heroes of Mariah / Go 4 Hit Promotions. Enjoy.

Q: How did you become interested in music?
A: It all started when I was 12 years old. I turned on the radio and it sucked me in. I kept calling the radio station KHTY in Santa Barbara until they hired me as an intern. I did all the jobs in between until I was 19 and started programming it. I was eventually in charge of three radio stations. It all began there to where I am today.

Q: Are there any new artists you would like to work with as a producer in the near future?
A: Stacee Adams, Lil’ Flip. I actually just did a remix with Korn their remake of Cameo’s 1986 hit song“Word Up”.

Q: How do you plan on reviving Westcoast hiphop?
A: Very very carefully…

Q: What is your advice to anyone looking to get into the music game?
A: If it’s in your heart than do it. If I’ve made it this far, than anyone can. And most importantly, do not give in to negativitiy.

Q: What has been the most gratifying or exciting moment during your career in the music industry?
A: Definitely working with Mariah Carey.

Q: What song or album are you feeling at the moment?
A: I’m feeling DJ Quik’s new hits collection. It’s like a greatest hit package.

Q: If you had the choice to start all over again, which other career would you choose?
A: Probably in movies, like acting.

Q: Why was your song with Mariah Carey, 'Mizza', never released commercially, other than a release on a mixtape?
A: We did it for the mixtape. We also did another one which is coming out on the Baby Ree Mix Tape Volume 3, which comes out September 2004, but it’s a surprise.

Q: What's in your opinion the best song you've ever produced for Mariah?
A: It has to be Crybaby. We are also doing another remix on the Volume 4 Baby Ree Mix Tape.

Q: What is the perception of Mariah from most industry insider's viewpoints?
A: That she is purely a hitmaker.

-- The Ukrainian gymnast Anna Bessonova has used Mariah's "My All" as a background song for her exhibition in the gymnastics gala yesterday night at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

-- Artgate Puppets features a caricature of Mariah in their "pop idol" section. The caricature was done by Vie Nolmans. Click here to check out the Mariah puppet.

-- According to Chloe, Claire's Accessories Automatic Princess merchandise is only available in-store and no home delivery is provided.

-- From The Portland Tribune: “I just heard that Prince was in a club last weekend when ‘Listen to Me’ was played,” says Chelsea Nutt, who was recently a featured performer at the New York International Music Festival in Las Vegas and counts Christina Aguilera and Mariah Carey as professional role models.

-- From Oakland Tribune Online: The cast of "Noah's Arc", a new black gay TV series, includes Dwen Curry, a native of Detroit who moved to Oakland and opened a hair salon. Among his clients have been rappers Eve and Ja Rule, and singer Mariah Carey.

-- From ESPN: Derek Jeter's name appeared regularly in the gossip pages of The Post and The Daily News, and when he dated pop singer Mariah Carey in 1998, one of the tabloids sent a writer to Tampa specifically to dig out information on the two. His fame surrounded his life, in a way that it had encircled Joe DiMaggio, a Yankees' star of another generation.

-- From The Washington Post: The first hour of "American Idols Live!" performance at MCI Center was devoted to individual performances, giving each singer a chance to shine (such as La Toya London's outstanding vocal control on Mariah Carey's "My All") or falter (as in the case of Camile Velasco's moaning version of Lauryn Hill's "Ex-Factor").

She’s taken a series of knocks in recent years from those who accuse her of drifting too far from her pop-soul origins, but now it seems Mariah Carey is going back to her roots.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Carey, who’s early hits such as Vision of Love, Make It Happen and Anytime You Need A Friend showed the strong influence of her early heroes Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder, is being lined up for an appearance of Aretha’s planned duet album.

The dream pairing previously collaborated on a rapturously-received live performance of Franklin’s classic hit Chain of Fools for 1998’s Divas Live extravaganza and were said to have struck up a close friendship.

Carey, who in recent years has preferred to focus on contemporary hip-hop seems to be happy to turn to the old school for her next album project, set for release in November.

Having already recorded a track for the album said to be a based around a sample from 70s soul act The New Birth, the first single is rumoured to be a collaboration with superproducer Kanye West, whose penchant for 70s soul samples has propelled tracks by Brandy and Alicia Keys straight to the top of the charts on both sides of ther Atlantic.

The Queen Soul herself has of course collaborated with a number of the younger generation of soul singers in recent years, including Mary J Blige and Lauryn Hill. But aside from Carey, the artist at the top of her list of dream duet partners is apparently Latino songbird Gloria Estefan.

-- Here are the latest Mariah scans from magazines across the world. Star Magazine from the United States features a story on celebrities with cellulite, Who Weekly from Australia lists Mariah as number two in the Worst Dressed list of the year, and Gala Magazine from Germany has an article on Mariah and her boyfriend. Click each thumbnail for a larger, full-scale view.



-- PopDirt.com is polling site goers to vote for the artist that they believe will be able to charge the most for tickets to do a performance in the year 2020. Mariah is on that list along side others such as Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears. Visit the link to cast your vote!

-- From MTV News: Aretha Franklin, who has performances scheduled in Los Angeles and Las Vegas next month, has studio time booked with Mariah Carey and Gloria Estefan for her upcoming duets album. Clive Davis, who oversaw Santana's star-studded Supernatural, is producing. Carey's fashion and accessories line, "Automatic Princess" — which includes key chains, necklaces, rings, tiaras, and, of course, charm bracelets — was to launch in October, but is now available at select Claire's stores nationwide. The singer is planning a children's book series of the same name.

-- From Daily Star: When Samantha Sayegh left Beirut in early August for the World Karaoke Championships in Finland, she never dreamed of winning. But when she did, a star was born. "Maybe the Japanese girl didn't choose the songs that suited her voice the best," mused Sayegh, who definitely had a clear idea what she would sing. Among her favorite stars are Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin and Celine Dion; all of them great technicians with well-trained voices. "They are my idols, not just because of their great voices, but also because of the difficulties they encountered in their personal lives," the young singer admitted. Sayegh loves to interpret the songs of these stars, and apparently she was doing it extraordinarily well.

-- We have added Mariah's upcoming television appearances to the Important Dates section in the sidebar to the right of your screen. There is also a new picture of the week, thanks to Keitha.

In addition, we have a new poll which asks, "Which reported Mariah vocal collaboration are you most excited about?" Please cast your vote now! Our last poll asked, "Which director would you most like Mariah to work with for her next music video?" Here are the results:

18% (504 votes) Jake Nava (Beyonce, "Crazy In Love")

17% (482 votes) Francis Lawrence (Justin Timberlake, "Cry Me A River")

14% (392 votes) Mr. X (Usher, "Yeah")

13% (351 votes) Chris Robinson (Snoop Dogg, "Beautiful")

11% (322 votes) Mark Romanek (Jay-Z, "99 Problems")

7% (186 votes) Sophie Muller (No Doubt, "Underneath It All")

7% (185 votes) Floria Sigismondi (Christina Aguilera, "Fighter")

5% (144 votes) Sanji (Mary J. Blige, "No More Drama")

4% (124 votes) Chris Applebaum (Hilary Duff, "So Yesterday")

4% (111 votes) Bryan Barber (Outkast, "Hey Ya")
Total Votes: 2,801

-- Christie Green, a contestant on Australian Idol has performed Mariah's song "Anytime You Need A Friend" on tonight's episode. She is competing for a spot on the top 12. To vote for her - SMS 'CHRISTIE' to 19 10 10 or call 1902 55 55 63. On her contestant page on the official Australian Idol site, Christie mentions Mariah twice. When asked what the first CD she ever bought was, she said, "Mariah Carey’s ‘Music Box.’ It’s been stuck with me ever since." She also says her favorite song to sing is Mariah's "Hero".

-- Mariah was recently the subject of AskMen.com's Fact of the Day: "Mariah Carey paid $3,200 US for a photo of Tupac Shakur sitting in a bubble bath."

-- The remix of Mary J. Blige's "Ooh!" features G-Unit. During his verse, group member 50 Cent says, "I got her hittin' notes that's higher than Mariah's."

-- Mariah fan Bobby Cipolla is looking for a copy of Mariah's appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show on December 3, 2002, when she performed "Through The Rain" and "My Saving Grace". If you have a copy that you are willing to duplicate, please e-mail Bobby. He is willing to provide financial compensation.

-- From SUR Online: If you happen to be famous, immensely wealthy and in need of a spot of privacy, head for the nearest harbour, drop anchor and set sail for the distant horizon. Everybody who has the money to pay for one of these floating palaces that the rich and famous like to call yachts is doing it. “Mariah loves yachting too, whenever she has a little time off,” says G. Kates, in charge of Mariah Carey’s travel schedule.

-- From Mindanao Times: The highest new entry on the Filipino album charts is Rachelle Ann Go, the 17-year-old Search For A Star 2004 champ, with her self-titled debut album at #9. The 13-track album contains her version of Mariah Carey’s Through The Rain, the ditty that won her the recognition as the grand champ.

-- From The Star: Musicians who tried to crack the silver screen have given us some of the worst movies of all time. Elvis Presley and Madonna head a list that includes dishonourable mention for Vanilla Ice and Mariah Carey.

-- From The Daily Record: Surely Vin Deisel, who spends his time in some of the most sophisticated places on the planet and counts Mariah Carey and Nicole Kidman as rumoured squeezes, is in full flatter mode?

-- From Douglas County Bank: American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino left the crowd with I Believe, a song penned by Idol alumna Tamyra Gray. It's a typical pop song -- the kind that has grown out of style with the passing of the good girl Mariah Carey; it's the kind of song that Gloria Estefan would have written in the early '90s after she had that horrible bus accident.

American singer Mariah Carey’s seclusion on Mount Tuoro continues at Capri Digital Studios, the Queen of R&B/Pop’s favorite recording studio, and the same one in which she is currently recording her new album.

Despite her planetary reputation, the capricious star has received a style lesson from designer Stefano Gabbana in D&G arts. The famous fashionisto, who is also in Capri with his partner Domenico Dolce, had invited Mariah to supper, which she accepted with delight.

The meeting was scheduled for 9pm, but it wasn’t until 11pm that Mariah showed up. It was then that Dolce, the other half of the Italian styling team, turned off the outer lights of his yacht and raised a footbridge for the beautiful Mariah, who was escorted by her athletic bodyguards.

The singer and designers remained momentarily to talk and later returned to the Piazzetta, Capri’s famous plaza, and sheltered themselves at Franco Schiano’s restaurant, where they were consoled with spaghetti that was flavored with tomatoes from Franco’s home garden.

As previously reported, Mariah's accessories line, Automatic Princess, is now available at several locations within the United States at Clarie's stores.

Claire's customer service representative Nicole Thomas states that the Automatic Princess line should be available nationwide by October. You can call 1-800-CLAIRES (1-800-252-4737) to see about getting the merchandise delivered to your local Claire's store, or even directly to your house! Visit claires.com to locate the closest store to you.

Mariah fan Kat picked up the following Automatic Princess items (keychain, $3.50; necklace, $6.25; and jeans fashion piece, $8.50) at her local Claire's in Texas. Also available from the Automatic Princess line are rings, tiaras, charm bracelets, and a two-piece hair brush. Click the following thumbnails for a larger, full-scale view.

Kristin G, the Film Instructor at Camp Mariah, gave us some details about Mariah's visit there a couple of weeks ago, on August 3rd, 2004.

Mariah arrived at the camp at approximately 7:00pm. She was accompanied by her manager Louise McNally, her beauty team, her nephew Sean and a reverend among other people who came to talk to the kids. Many press people were present at the visit and Mariah spent some time taking pictures and giving interviews.

170 kids at the camp were divided into four groups and Mariah spent time with each group. She played games with them including one on the grass after which she noticed it was very dirty. She'd commented jokingly: "I didn't know there was so much goose poop here! Gotta have my feet cleaned specially."

Afterwards, Mariah, the kids and the camp's counselors all had ice cream in the dining hall. Mariah originally planned to have a big camp fire, but the idea was scraped due to "complex logistics".

When talking to her fans at the camp, she mentioned that something had happened to her pink pair of "Automatic Princess" shorts and that she needed new ones. Prior to leaving, Mariah made sure to sign photographs for all those who wanted. Her visit lasted for about three hours.

Kristin will try to give us more details of Mariah's visit, but for now, here is a picture of Mariah with the kids taken that day:



Picture credit: Tara Engberg

The producers of "Bombay Dreams" are also hoping to line up some sort of pop star to boost sales.

They made an offer to Janet Jackson, but so far she hasn't bitten.

Mariah Carey is on their list, as is Brandy.

Time is not on their side, however. "Bombay Dreams," a $14 million show, only did $475,000 last week, and is poised to go over the cliff in the weeks ahead.

The Star, completing its first year under American Media chief editorial director Bonnie Fuller, showed a 10.5% drop on newsstands.

But the company said in its recent quarterly report, newsstand sales have grown since the Star's makeover in April - to a glossy mag from a tabloid.

The "Best & Worst Beach Bodies" cover in late June, which showed a bikini-clad Mariah Carey (best) opposite an unflattering shot of Guess Who (Jerry Hall, worst), was the Star's newsstand topper, at more than 1.2 million copies.

With production on songs like Terror Squad's "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" and Lloyd Banks' "Work Magic," Scram Jones is one of the fastest rising producers in the game.

Currently Scram is working on tracks for Xzibit and Mariah Carey's uncoming LP's and was recently featured in XXL Magazine for his production skills.

Even though he is mostly know for the beats, Scram can also hold down the mic. And is preparing to unleash his talents with a new album titled Loose Cannon's where guest appearances include Saigon, Havoc of Mobb Deep, N.O.R.E., Jim Jones, Cam'Ron, Terror Squad, Sadat X, T.I., Tragedy Khadafi, Jae Millz and Drag-On to name a few.

-- Waiting for Mariah's New Album
From Windy City Times: In case anybody is going through withdrawal for some big hair and big voices, Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera are both on the verge of releasing new material. Mariah’s forthcoming CD is due out this fall and is supposed to be a more radio-friendly Mariah. Hopefully the LP will be something like her first two albums, because Lord knows we don’t need no more Charmbracelets girl.

Mariah on Worst Dressed List
-- From The Herald Sun: WHO magazine today unveils its Best and Worst Dressed for 2004. The usual offenders copped a caning this year, but there're a few surprise inclusions.
Topping the worst list is rapper Lil' Kim, followed by pop diva Mariah Carey and Queer Eye fashion guru Carson Kressley.

Newcomers, Idol Winners Mention Mariah
-- From The Guardian: Raised on the mean streets of New York, Nellie McKay is a jazz sensation who also raps. ... Contemporary pop music didn't really turn McKay's head. "I remember not responding to tapes my friends had: Madonna, Mariah Carey. There was a teacher at our school who was Mariah Carey's cousin, which was meant to be a big deal.

-- From Cheshire Online, UK: Sarah-Jade Rimmer, who hails from Prescot, has already grasped at fame by winning a string of televised competitions - and this weekend she managed to wow the crowds at Halton Lea.

Singing the karaoke favourite Hero by Mariah Carey, the 15-year-old fought off tough competition in the Youth Idol contest which involved 80 youngsters taking part in a total of nine heats.

-- From Malay Mail Online: At the first Malaysian Idol, Faradina Mohd Nazir, the 19- year-old Johorean, pulled a surprise when she did a great cover of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston’s When You Believe.

She started well midway through the song but the shine was gone when she appeared to be trying too hard to stay true to the original.

-- From The Sun Sentinel: Highlights from the American Idol tour stop show at the Office Depot Center in Florida, included DeGarmo's performance of her single Dreams; LaToya London's rendition of a Mariah Carey song was well received, and dorky redhead John Stevens even surprised the crowd with sultry version of Come Fly With Me and My Funny Valentine.

-- From Metro Weekly: On Tamyra Gray's first single, "Raindrops Will Fall, " [She] seems intent on out-belting Mariah Carey, in reconstituted Carey territory. ... Gray draws most of her influence from Whitney, Mariah and Brandy.

Various Mentions
-- From SMH.com.au: To be a plaything takes talent and usually a splash of sex appeal. But Hello Kitty - a mute, cartoon cat - has neither. Yet she's a favourite of Paris Hilton, Mariah Carey and other ditzy starlets, is at the centre of a billion-dollar toy, fashion and gift industry and is the subject of serious biography.

-- From ABC Australia: Venetta Fields talks about recording background vocals for Bob Dylan's first album: "It was a very unusual session. It felt and sounded like a negro spiritual. There were no other parts. It was all in unison. I had no idea what was in both Bob's heads. Dylan didn't even sing on it. It's high. Like a Mariah Carey voice. But I had to do it. There was no looping in those days so you had to sing it all the way through."

-- Jerry O'connell was recently asked by Page 3 about his appearance on Mariah's video "Heartbreaker". As you can see below, his did not even mention Mariah in his answer:

Q: You starred in Mariah Carey's "Heartbreaker" video. Who is tougher to work with, and who is the bigger diva: Mariah Carey or Kangaroo Jack?

A: These days, Rebecca Romijn is Jerry O'Connell's leading lady.I've got to tell you that "Kangaroo Jack" has made me popular. Now, all of the guys I work with don't want to hire a Princess Bell or the Teletubbies for their kids' birthday parties, they expect me to show up as Kangaroo Jack. So I get to make a little extra cash on the side.

Below of a picture of Mariah's recent visit to Camp Mariah, her Career Awareness camp in conjunction with the Fresh Air Fund. Click the thumbnail for a larger, full-scale view.

Mariah's accessories line, Automatic Princess, is apparently available at the following locations within the United States and its territories:

Anchorage, AK - Dimond Center
Wasilla, AK - Cottonwood Creek Mall

San Bernardino, CA - Inland Center
Palmdale, CA - Antelope Valley Mall
San Diego, CA - University Towne Center
Glendale, CA - Clendale Galleria
Redondo Beach, CA - South Bay Gallera
Cerritos, CA - Los Cerriots Mall
Montclair, CA - Montclair Plaza
Torrance, CA - Del Amo Fashion Center
Montebello, CA - Montebello Towne Center
West Covina, CA - West Covina Plaza
Fresno, CA - Fashion Fair
Riverside, CA - Tyler Gallera
Citrus Heights, CA - Sunrise Mall
Pleasanton, CA - Stoneridge Mall
Sacramento, CA - Arden Fair Mall
Northridge, CA - Northridge Fashion Center
Lakewood, CA - Lakewood Center Mall

Ontario, CAN - Ontario Mills
Temecula, CAN - Promenade Mall

Danbury, CT - Danbury Fair
Waterford, CT - Crystal Mall

Miami, FL - Dadeland Mall
Orange Park, FL - Orange Park Mall
North Miami Beach, FL - Aventura Mall
Pembroke Pines, FL - Pembroke Lakes Mall
Forty Myers, FL - Edison Mall
Plantation, FL - Broward Mall

Honolulu, HI - Kahala Mall
Honolulu, HI - Ala Moana Center
Hilo, HI - Prince Kuhio Plaza
Aiea, HI - Pearlridge Center
Kaneohe, HI - Windward Mall

Lomboard, IL - Yorktown Shopping Center
Aurora, IL - Fox Vallery Center
Orland Park, IL - Orland Square Mall
Joliet, IL - Louis Joliet Mall
Schaumburg, IL - Woodfield Mall

Indianapolis, IN - Castleton Square Shopping
Merrillville, IN - Southlake Mall

Peabody, MA - Northshore Mall
Braintree, MA - South Shore Plaza
Leominster, MA - Searstown Mall
Saugus, MA - Square One

Annapolis, MD - Westfield Shoppingtown
Baltimore, MD - White Marsh Mall
Bel Air, MD - Harford Mall

Sterling Heights, MI - Lakeside Mall
Westland, MI - Westland Mall
Grandville, MI - River Town Crossings

Bloomington, MN - Mall Of America

Fayetteville, NC - Cross Creek Mall

Fargo, ND - West Acres Shopping Center

Nashua, NH - Pheasant Lane Mall
Salem, NH - Rockingham Park Mall
Newington, NH - Fox Run

Bridgewater, NJ - Bridgewater Commons
Wayne, NJ - Willowbrook Mall
Rockaway, NJ - Rockaway Town Squate
Phillipsburg, NJ - Phillipsburg Mall
Paramus, NJ - Garden State Plaza
Deptford, NJ - Deptford Mall
East Brunswick, NJ - Brunswick Square

Reno, NV - Meadowood Mall

Plattsburg, NY - Champlain Center North
Huntington Station, NY - Walt Whitman Mall
New York, NY - Lexington Street Store
Bayside, NY - Bay Terrace Shopping Center
Massapequa, NY - Sunrise Mall
Hicksville, NY - Broadway Mall
Bay Shore, NY - South Shore Mall
Brooklyn, NY - Kings Plaza
Garden City, NY - Roosevelt Field Mall
Buffalo, NY - Boulevard Mall
Buffalo, NY - Walden Galleria
White Plains, NY - Westcester Mall

Columbus, OH - Easton Town Center
Cincinnati, OH - Eastgate Mall
Toldeo, OH - Franklin Park Mall

Tigard, OR - Washington Square

Whitehall, PA - Leigh Valley Mall

San Juan, PR - Plaza Las Americas

Warwick, RI - Warwick Mall

McAllen, TX - La Plaza Mall
San Antonio, TX - Ingram Park Mall
San Antonio, TX - Northstar Mall
Friendswood, TX - Baybrook Mall
Cedar Park, TX
San Marcos, TX - Tanger Factory Outlet

Chesapeake, VA - Greenbrier Mall
Woodbridge, VA - Potomac Mills
McLean, VA - Tyson's Corner
Virginia Beach, VA - Lynnhaven Mall
Norfolk, VA - Macarthur Center

Puyallup, WA - South Hill Mall
Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Mall
Bellevue, WA - Bellevue Square

Appleton, WI - Fox River Mall

As soon as her concert stints are done, Aretha Franklin will head back into the recording studio. She and music legend Clive Davis, chairman of BMG North America, are teaming again for her new album.

"Clive and I are working on a duets (album)," she says. "I'm also going to do three or four new cuts for that." So far, she plans to sing songs with Mariah Carey and Gloria Estefan, among others.

According to an upcoming music/DVD release sheet posted on Universal Switzerland's site, there is a DVD tentatively set for release sometime later this year (4th Quarter '04). However, the information appears to be dated so it's quite possible that they might have scrapped the release altogether. There is no indication as to what specifically this sheet was referring to but we will definitely keep you posted.

-- You can listen to a clip of the Japanese version of "Misty Moon" recorded by Mika Nakashima here.

-- Mariah is featured with numerous other celebrities in the August 23rd edition of the National Enquirer with the cover headline "Hollywood Hotties with Cellulite." On page 34 there are two photos of Mariah - one showing her thigh and what they claim is cellulite and another photo allegedly showing her trying to hide it with her hand. The caption states: "Cover-up? The songbird moved her hand into a strategic position when a photog approached her and Jay-Z. But she's all 'Glitter' in this outfit."

-- Frommer's Online recently updated their Florida section with a Mariah mention: "If you're looking to splurge, there are places for that, too, including The Ritz-Carlton South Beach's Americana where the likes of Spike Lee and Mariah Carey have been spotted dining on Kobe beef meatloaf and lobster Rockefeller."

-- Becky recently wrote us to let us know that she recently ordered customized (Mariah-themed) checkbook covers, calendars, and address books from Steven - steven1213@comcast.net. She informs us that she was pleased with what she had received and wanted us to pass the info along to fans. If you are interested, send him an email with a note that Becky referred you and you will get a good deal.

-- Lee writes: The Daily Star (UK publication) reported recently that Mariah was spotted vacationing on one of Richard Branson's islands this week and noted that the two have become good friends.

-- Raina from Lancaster, CA says that on a recent trip to a local mall she stopped by Claire's and saw Automatic Princess merchandise for sale including bracelets and necklaces. Be on the lookout for AP items at your nearest Claire's location!

-- Be sure to check out the new and improved 'La Mariah' fan site @ www.lamariah.com

After record store HMV reported that Mariah's new album would be released internationally on Monday, October 4, they received several e-mails regarding its authenticy.

An HMV Customer Service representative stated that, "The October 4 date is not officially confirmed, but is a tentative date given by the record company. We will update our site with any date changes as we are made aware of them. Hopefully it wont be too long. It should be a great album, as are all Mariah records!"

Meanwhile, a Universal Music Group representative reportedly told a Mariah fan in the retail business that the new album, which is "not finalized yet", will be released in the United States on Tuesday, November 23.

As previously reported, Mariah's management has told MariahDaily.com there is no official date set for her new album.

In July and August, the Bay of Naples and the little island of Capri become the forestage of a huge superyachts show.

Recently, Regina d'Italia, a yacht measuring "only" 30 metres long, stopped for a few days at the Mergellina piers and waited for August 13 when Dolce & Gabbana, the trendiest fashion stylists couple, set out for Capri.

On the contrary, Mariah Carey, the U.S. pop queen, boarded the 46 metres charter called Istranka last Friday when she also left Naples to set out for Capri.

This year for her italian summer holiday, she chose a very comfortable charter to visit all of the Bay of Naples' beauties, but she's considering coming back to Naples as soon as she can to visit the city too.

Joe, who has met Mariah numerous times, caught up with frequent Mariah backup singer Melonie Daniels at Coach Leather Goods in Garden City. Melonie says she just finished doing background vocals for two Mariah songs in New York last week, and that Mariah is in Capri, Italy right now finishing her new album. Promotion for that record, according to Melonie, should begin sometime in September.

For a rap star, Kanye West is extremely soft-spoken — though without any modesty when it comes to his abilities and influence. "I think my work is the reason album sales are up this year," West told The Post.

Strange thing is, the guy may be right. Not only has "Dropout" sold a couple million in the U.S. since dropping in February, but his production prints can be found all over records by top-selling acts from Brandy, Jadakiss and Dilated Peoples to Maroon5. Currently he's in the studio twisting knobs for Mariah Carey's next album.