Mariah's second-ever cover song was a sweeping, moving version of "Without you", which had been such a big, enduring hit for Harry Nilsson in the early seventies that it was generally assumed he'd written it. In actuality, it had been penned by Pete Ham and Tommy Evans of the ill-fated British band Badfinger (troubled by financial problems, both those songwriters would eventually commit suicide). But it was Nilsson's hit that Mariah had grown up with and loved, and which she used as a basic for her version. Mariah and Walter's arrangement owed a great deal to Nilsson's rendition, rather than to the original, although it did strip away some of the massive orchestration that tended to overwhelm the Nilsson cut.

In a rather sad, ironic footnote, on the day Mariah's version of "Without you" was released, Harry Nilsson, only in his early fifties, died from heart problems. However, the record was not withdrawn, but allowed to stand, at least in part as a tribute to his talent (he had released a number of excellent albums, and was a very talented songwriter in his own right). "Without you" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at the end of January 1994 at number 53, then climbed speedily to numbers 35, 12, 7 then to number 6 and number 4, where it remained for three weeks before managing one more small jump to number 3, where it stayed. That would be its peak.

In Europe, "Without you" would be Mariah's biggest hit up-to-date. It entered the UK Top 40 at the top position, her first number 1 hit. And in the Netherlands it occupied the same position for five weeks, her second number 1 hit after "I'll be there". Thanks to "Without you", the album "Music box" would become the best-selling album of 1994 in the Netherlands.

CD-SINGLES

5" CD-single from Australia (0824) 660056 1 collection Eric de Ridder Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you

5" CD-single from Australia (1973) 660056 1 promo collection Sharon Zagame Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you This CD-Single is exactly the same as item 0824, but on the back cover is a stamp saying "promotion only - not for sale".

5" CD-single from Austria (0727) 659919 1 collection Eric de Ridder Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you

5" CD-single from Austria (0728) 659919 2 first pressing collection Eric de Ridder Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you 3. Dreamlover (Live)

5" CD-single from Austria (0729) 659919 2 second pressing front and back cover different from 0728 collection Eric de Ridder Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you 3. Dreamlover (Live)

5" CD-single from Austria (0730) 659919 5 also known as "The Ballad's CD" collection Eric de Ridder Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Vision of love 3. I'll be there 4. Love takes time

5" CD-single from Brazil (0825) 44.008/2-659919 collection Eric de Ridder Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you

3" CD-single from Japan (0732) SRDS 8271 collection Eric de Ridder Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you

5" CD-single from Spain (2360) 659919 1 collection Wojciech Sichniewicz Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you

5" CD-single from Spain (3513) 659919 2 collection Wojciech Sichniewicz Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you 3. Dreamlover (Live)

5" CD-single from the UK (0975) XPCD-358 promo collection Amanda Erickson Tracklisting: 1. Without you

5" CD-single from the UK (0974) 659919 3 collection Marco Musolino Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you 3. Dreamlover (Live)

5" CD-single from the USA (0731) CSK 5620 promo collection Eric de Ridder Tracklisting: 1. Without you

5" CD-single from the USA (0726) 38K 77358 collection Eric de Ridder Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you

VINYL SINGLES

7" vinyl single from Holland (0733) 659919 7 collection Eric de Ridder Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you

12" vinyl maxi-single from Holland (1970) 659919 6 collection Yoann Ignacel Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you 3. Dreamlover (Live)

7" vinyl single from Italy (3421) JC 15451 without picture sleeve collection Wojciech Sichniewicz Tracklisting: 1. Without you - Mariah Carey 2. Drunk on love - Basia

7" vinyl single from Jamaica (2198) 38 77358 collection Luc Baumgartner Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you

7" vinyl single from the USA (1528) 38 77358 without picture sleeve collection Luc Baumgartner Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you

CASSETTE SINGLES

cassette single from Australia (0973) 660056 4 collection Licinio Lisboa Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you

cassette single from Holland / France (1909) 659919 4 tracks repeated on both sides collection Kerry Scrimshaw Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you

cassette single from the UK (0723) 659919 4 tracks repeated on both sides collection Eric de Ridder Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you

cassette single from the USA (0972) 38T 77358 collection Licinio Lisboa Tracklisting: 1. Without you 2. Never forget you

SHEET MUSIC

sheet music from Australia (1832) 36476 Warner Chappell Music Ltd collection Sharon Zagame

sheet music from the UK (3512) 19134 Warner Chappell Music LTD 6 pages collection Wojciech Sichniewicz

sheet music from the UK (1444) AM 18706 published by Apple Publishing Limited distributed by Music Sales Limited 4 pages collection Miguel R.C.

sheet music from the USA (1057) VS6358 Warner Bros. Publications 6 pages collection Eric de Ridder