Mariah Carey’s Early Demo Tape Could Sell For $20,000 At Auction

Mariah Carey’s rise to superstardom is being revisited in the form of a newly unearthed demo tape that’s heading to auction next month. The ultra-rare cassette, recorded in the 1980s, is believed to be one of the earliest recordings that helped the young singer secure her first record deal. The seven-track tape, discovered in the personal collection of renowned producer DJ Arthur Baker, will be auctioned by New York music magazine Wax Poetics.

Before she became a household name, Carey was hustling to make her dream a reality. In her memoir The Meaning of Mariah Carey, she described scraping together money and exchanging favors just to record her songs in the studio. This particular demo, made with songwriter Brenda K. Starr, includes early versions of songs that later appeared on her 1990 debut album, such as “Vision of Love,” “Someday,” and “Alone in Love.”

Baker told Rolling Stone that he was immediately struck by Carey’s unmistakable voice when he first heard the tape. “Her voice still stands out, and the songs still stand out. Some songs have aged incredibly well. It still sounds incredibly fresh. She was a star even back then, and she’ll always continue to be a star,” he said. He recalled first meeting Carey at an industry Christmas party when she was just nineteen and realizing her potential the moment he pressed play. “I stick the cassette in and the first three songs are all hits and I’m thinking holy shit it’s Madonna meets Whitney. She writes like Madonna, sounds like Whitney. This is it, I’ve discovered gold.”

Legend has it that this same demo found its way to Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola that same night. After hearing it, he tracked Carey down and eventually signed her in 1988. The auction, which begins December 2 and ends December 11, will include a certificate of authenticity, archival notes, and materials from Wax Poetics’ collection. CEO Alex Bruh called the demo “one of the most sought after items we have come across,” estimating it could sell for up to twenty thousand dollars.