| "Never Too Far" | ||||
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| Single byMariah Carey | ||||
| from the albumGlitter | ||||
| Released | August 14, 2001 | |||
| Recorded | 2001 | |||
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| Label | Virgin | |||
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| Mariah Carey singles chronology | ||||
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| Audio | ||||
| "Never Too Far" onYouTube | ||||
"Never Too Far" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriterMariah Carey for her first soundtrack and eighth studio albumGlitter (2001). It was written and produced by herself andJimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The song was released as the album's second single on August 14, 2001, byVirgin Records. The song is amid-tempoballad which lyrically deals with heartbreak. "Never Too Far" was used on the charity single "Never Too Far/Hero Medley", which combines the first verse of the song with a re-recorded version of the first verse and bridge of Carey's previous single "Hero" (1993).
The single did not make much impact on the US charts; however, it did reach the top forty in the UK and Australia, as part of adouble A-side with "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)". Aradio edit of "Never Too Far" was released and found as the opening track of the song's release. Carey was unable to film amusic video for the single as she was recovering from a breakdown. Instead, a video was created using a scene taken directly from the filmGlitter, where Billie Frank (played by Carey) sings the song atMadison Square Garden during a concert. Carey promoted "Never Too Far/Hero" medley through live performances at the 2001Radio Music Awards, herA Home For The Holidays With Mariah Carey TV special, and "Never Too Far" during aGlitter medley 18 years later on herCaution World Tour.
In April 2001, Carey signed a US$100 million record deal withVirgin Records (EMI Records).[2] Following commencement forGlitter — her first album under the new label — and thefilm of same name, Carey embarked on a short promotional campaign for the project. On July 19, 2001, Carey made a surprise appearance on theMTV programTotal Request Live (TRL).[3] She came out onto the filming stage, pushing an ice cream cart while wearing an oversized shirt. Seemingly anxious and exhilarated, Carey began giving out individual bars of ice cream to fans and guests on the program, while waving to the crowd down below onTimes Square, while diverging into a rambling monologue regarding therapy. Carey then walked to Daly's platform and began astriptease, in which she shed her shirt to reveal a tight yellow and green ensemble, leading him to exclaim "Mariah Carey has lost her mind!".[4]
Following other appearances on which her publicist Cindy Berger said the singer was "not thinking clearly",[5] on July 26, she was hospitalized, citing "extreme exhaustion" and a "physical and emotional breakdown".[6] Following her induction at an un-disclosed hospital inConnecticut, Carey remained hospitalized and under doctor's care for two weeks, followed by an extended absence from the album's promotion.[7] However, her record company had begun promoting "Never Too Far" as the second single from the soundtrack, but Carey was not able to promote it due to still recovering from her breakdown.[8] The song was sent to multiple radio formats in the United States on August 14, 2001.[9]
In the film, Carey's character Billie Frank argues with her boyfriend and producer Dice (Max Beesley) and they break up. Her emotional pain leads her to solo songwriting. Dice also misses Billie, and also begins writing a song. Billie goes to Dice's apartment in an attempt to reconcile. He was not home, but the music he has written is and Billie realizes they wrote the same song: "Never Too Far". She kisses the sheet music, leaving a lipstick imprint, which Dice later discovers. Dice plans a reconciliation, but is killed by Billie's former producer Timothy Walker (Terrence Howard) after Dice did not pay the US$100,000 from their agreement to release Billie from Walker's contract. At Billie's first show atMadison Square Garden, her management and support crew see a report of the murder on television. They wonder if Billie was with him, they see that she is there and has seen the report. Billie onstage commands the band to stop playing "Loverboy", tells the crowd never to take someone for granted, and that if you love them, you should tell them, because you might never have the chance to tell them how you really feel. She then starts to sing "Never Too Far".
"Never Too Far" is amid-tempoballad. The song was written and produced by Carey andJimmy Jam and Terry Lewis; it was released as the second single from her first soundtrack album,Glitter (2001).[10] It incorporates music from several musical instruments, including thepiano,guitar andorgan.[11] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com byAlfred Music Publishing, the song is set incommon time with a moderatetempo of 60beats per minute.[11] It is composed in the key ofC major with Carey's vocal range spanning from the low-note of D♯3 to the high-note of Ab5.[11] The song'schorus has a basicchord progression of Gsus2–G–G/F♯–Em7–G/D–C-G/B–Am7.[12] Described as an "adult-contemporary, slow-jam love song", the song's lyrics read "Too painful to talk about it, so I hold it in / So my heart can mend and be brave enough to love again", speaking of emotions felt by the protagonist in the film. "Never Too Far" features "a bed of synthesized strings, gentle drums and Spanish-style guitar" as its primary instrumentation, and incorporates violin and keyboard notes prior to the first verse.[8] According to Chuck Taylor fromBillboard, Carey sings the lyrics with "appreciable subtlety, gliding effortlessly" through the song. It ends with a 15-second note that would "evoke a satisfied sigh".[13]
Following the weak commercial success ofGlitter, Carey's other label,Columbia Records, planned to release acompilation album of her biggest hits, titledGreatest Hits (2001).[10][14] As they had one more album to release from Carey under her old contract, they began assembling content for its release.[14] Though still signed to Virgin, Carey composed a charity single in which all proceeds would go towards helping rebuild America, followingthe terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.[15] Consequently, she re-recorded her 1993 song "Hero", and made a medley of it with "Never Too Far".[10] The song features a different instrumental introduction, and begins with the first verse and chorus of "Never Too Far", and blends into thebridge of "Hero".[15] Several writers for the medley are credited, with Carey having written "Never Too Far" with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and the latter withWalter Afanasieff. Aside from Jam and Lewis,Randy Jackson assisted Carey in the song's production.[10] In an interview withMTV, Carey described the single and its conception:
I started doing different charity events where I did a combination of 'Never Too Far' and 'Hero'. We made it into a medley and put them in the same key and made it work. People responded really well to it. It's been interesting for me, since the events of September 11, the way people have been playing 'Hero' and really even talking to me about 'Never Too Far', 'cause that song is also about loss. I figured that it would be a nice thing to do, to put them both out for Christmas. There's also an unreleased track on the B-side, which is called 'There for Me' which kind of has the same sentiment. The proceeds from 'Never Too Far' and 'Hero' and 'There for Me' are going to go to the Heroes Fund, and it's going to benefit police officers' families, relief workers' families.[15]
"Never Too Far" received positive reviews from critics. Mark J. Marraccini from Albumism described it as "a classic Carey requiem full of big emotion".[16]Billboard'sChuck Taylor called it a "shimmering ballad", that showcases the singer excelling at what made her a famous: "singing the hell out of a straight ahead love song free of gimmicks, gymnastics and self-conscious attempts at targeting any particular demographic"; he also said that "Never Too Far" would relieve fans that think Carey had been "relying more upon samples and guest vocalists lately than melody and artful performing".[13] A writer fromBET network included the track on their list of "Mariah Carey Singles That Deserved to Be No. 1 (But Didn't Get There)", calling it "an absolute stand out among a slew of songs draped in 80s garb".[17] Can't Stop the Pop stated that it "remains a hugely underappreciated ballad", adding that this is "classic Mariah territory; a dramatic, sweeping that could comfortably segue into most of her signature ballads".[18] James Salmon fromDotmusic felt that "there's not much you can really say. It's a slow number with all the vocal showboating you'd expect from her".[19]
Kara Brown ofJezebel called it the album's strongest ballad.[20] Harry Guerin fromRaidió Teilifís Éireann wrote that "Never Too Far" showcased "her four octave range but sound[s] roughly like everything else she's committed to tape during her career".[21] Sal Cinquemani ofSlant Magazine called the song another "syrupy-sweet" ballad on the album and that it "harbors over-the-top performances worthy of "Star Search" (more than fitting considering the film's '80s-era rags-to-riches storyline)".[22] Writing forVariety, Danielle Turchiano said it was the song that "transcended Carey’s catalogue and deserved to become an anthem".[23] Turchiano said that the song's lyrics, which talk about a lost loved one, "held against the backdrop of Sept. 11" and transmitted the message "most needed to hear" at the time; "inspire[d] everyone [who had been through the trauma of the attacks] to look inward to find strength to push through".[23] While reviewing the soundtrack on its 20th anniversary, Albumism's Mark J. Marraccini highlighted "Never Too Far" as a "classic Carey requiem full of big emotion" that "stuns in its simplicity".[24]
Due to theSeptember 11 attacks, radio stations began playing "Never Too Far" before its official add date to rotation.[13] However, it failed to enter the USBillboard Hot 100, peaking at number five on theBubbling Under Hot 100 Singles.[25] It also reached number 17 on the USAdult Contemporary component chart.[26] Worldwide, "Never Too Far" was released as adouble A-side with "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)", and failed to reach the top-forty in most countries. In the United Kingdom, the release however reached a position of number 32.[27] In contrast, "Never Too Far/Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" reached numbers 67 and 65 in the Netherlands and Switzerland, respectively.[28][29] It managed to reach peaks of numbers 36 and 16, in respective countries Australia and Spain.[30][31] The double A-side single enjoyed moderate success in both the Flemish and Wallonian territories in Belgium, peaking at numbers 4 and 1 respectively on the equivalent of the "bubbling under" charts, registering songs just below the main charts.[32] As a solo single, "Never Too Far" performed weakly in Germany reaching number 97 on theGerman Singles Chart,[33] while in Sweden it peaked at number 56.[34]
Carey was unable to film an accompanyingmusic video for the single; at the time of its release, she was recovering from a physical and emotional breakdown that left her hospitalized in August 2001, and caused her to cancel all public appearances to promoteGlitter.[8] She said, "When I was asked about the video I said, 'I can't do it today'. And nobody could accept that answer. And that's when I started to get mad. I was, like, look, I am too fatigued. I'm overly-tired, I can't do it as a human being. And nobody was hearing those last two words — human being. They were used to the Mariah that always says, 'Come on, let's fight, let's go'. They just weren't used to me ever saying no. I never said no before".[35] Instead, a video was created using a scene taken directly from the film, where Billie Frank (played by Carey) sings the song atMadison Square Garden during her first sold-out concert. Frank's performance of the song in the film omits its entire second verse, and the song's development runs in parallel with the film's love story.[8]
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Though having not promoted "Never Too Far" during the time of its release, Carey embarked on a short promotional campaign for "Never Too Far/Hero" medley, as well as charity benefits for theSeptember 11 attacks victims. At the 2001Radio Music Awards, Carey made her second public appearance following her breakdown, the first being a performance of "Hero" at theAmerica: A Tribute to Heroes telethon on September 21, 2001.[36] Entering the stage in a long black evening gown, Carey performed the medley live, followed by a standing ovation from the audience.[36] On October 21, 2001, a benefit titledUnited We Stand: What More Can I Give was held atRobert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium inWashington, D.C., accompanied by the charity single "What More Can I Give", in which Carey participated.[37] Carey donned a black open-back dress with a plunging neckline, and performed "Never Too Far/Hero", followed by a live rendition of "What More Can I Give".[38]
On November 16, 2001, Carey taped a special titledA Home For The Holidays With Mariah Carey, which aired onCBS on December 21 of that same year. The special featured additional performances byDestiny's Child,Josh Groban,Enrique Iglesias andMandy Moore.[39] Carey opened the special, with a performance of "Never Too Far/Hero" while wearing a form-fitting red evening gown. Aside from the medley, Carey performed "I'll Be There" and "Reflections (Care Enough)", also a single fromGlitter.[40] 18 years later, Carey included "Never Too Far" as part of the #JusticeForGlittermedley on herCaution World Tour.[41]
Benelux 2-track CD single[42]
Australian, European and Malaysian CD maxi-single[43]
European cassette single
European 12-inch vinyl single
Credits forGlitter adapted from the album's liner notes.[44]
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| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | August 14, 2001 | Virgin | ||
| Italy | September 24, 2001 (2001-09-24) | Digital download | EMI | |
| United States | October 23, 2001 | Maxi CD | Virgin | |
| Australia | November 5, 2001 | EMI | ||
| United Kingdom | December 17, 2001 |
| Virgin |
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