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Hero followed Mariah’s first single Dreamlover from her most successful album Music Box. As Dreamlover started to fall down on the Billboard charts Hero was released. The single reached number one spot on December 25, 1993 - on Christmas Day. This was Mariah’s eighth number one single, which was a record that only nine artists had at that time. Hero stayed on the top for full four weeks, starting her total of 28th week on #1 for Mariah.
It came out on a single with two different versions: LP and live performance. There was also a song Everything Fades Away, a beautiful ballad, that was also released on non US versions of Music Box. The single sold in over a million copies worldwide.
The story on how the Hero was created is pretty interesting. While Walter Afanasieff and Mariah were working together, he received an offer to make a theme song for a movie 'Hero' (w. Dustin Hoffman and Geena Davis). The song would be intended for somebody like Gloria Estefan, because Mariah was too busy working on Music Box at that time. Walter told Mariah about the movie and together they've started creating the lyrics and music intended for Gloria. At the time they were working in the studios, Tommy Mottola came in and after hearing the song, he said: 'Are you kidding me? You can't give this song to this movie. This is too good, Mariah, you have to take this song. You have to do it.' So with some changes the song ended up on the Music Box and the movie theme 'Heart Of A Hero' was then written by Luther Vandross.
Hero is a beautiful song, a ballad that reveals the secret, how to hold on through life, when you are out of luck and your fears want to takeover. Everybody must find a ‘Hero’ in her/himself and so you will find your way, your guiding light through all the troubles. The song changed so many lives of so many people, who almost gave up. That is, what makes the song so special and what makes Mariah the greatest singer of all times.
Mariah said about the song: ‘One person could say ‘Hero’ is a schmaltzy piece of garbage, but another person can write me a letter and say, ‘I’ve considered committing suicide every day of my life for the last ten years until I heard that song and realized after all I can be my own hero.’ And that, that’s an unexplainable feeling, like I’ve done something with my life, y’know?... it meant something to someone.’
When Mariah was touring in 1993, just a week before her fifth concert in NY, a gunman killed several commuters and wounded many others. This is better known as the Long Island Rail Road incident. Mariah announced at her performance, that the profits from the sales of the single will be donated to a fund for the families of the victims, which was really a beautiful gesture.
The lyrics for the Hero was written by Mariah and for the music she worked with Walter Afanasieff, but there was this guy Christopher Silletti, who claimed that they stole his song. Allegedly he worked on a similar song while he was a bodyguard to Sly Stone, a 70s funk star. There was of course no prove for that, but he started a lawsuit against her. Mariah won the long court process in June 1997 and Sly’s bodyguard had to pay her $5,000.
After the tragic death of Princess Diana Sony Music released a special Tribute album in November 1997, which also included Mariah’s live version of Hero.
US:
1. Hero (LP Version)
2. Hero (Live)
3. Everything Fades Away
4. Dreamlover (Club Joint Mix)
UK:
1. Hero (Album Version)
2. Dreamlover (Def Club Mix - Edit)
3. Dreamlover (Theo'c Club Joint Mix)
4. Dreamlover (Def Tribal Mix)
Europe (Austria):
1. Hero (LP Version)
2. Hero (Live)
The video for the Hero was filmed at Mariah’s life performance at Proctor’s Theater in New York City. It’s available on the NBC Thanksgiving Special home video. The video was directed by Larry Jordan. Mariah is wearing in a long black dress with slits on both sides. Her hair is curled, what was her trademark at that time. The stage was nicely lighted, creating a smooth and romantic atmosphere...
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