Anytime You Need a Friend

For her third studio effort, Columbia Records decided to market Carey in a similar fashion to that of her debut, only having her produce a more commercial and radio-friendly album. Their plans were to tone down Carey's vocals, and soften the album's production, leaving a more contemporary pop record. Agreeing to the change, Carey and Afanasieff began writing and recording material for her third studio effort, Music Box (1993). On the album's first track "Dreamlover", Carey worked with Dave Hall throughout the song's entire production. To help with some of the song's arrangements, Mottola enrolled the help of Walter Afanasieff, who took on the completed track and transformed it into a more commercial hit. The only song that was not subject to the common criticism was "Anytime You Need a Friend," which some called the album's only real glimpse of Carey's upper vocal registers, and one of the only passionate and gospel moments on Music Box. In an interview, Carey described that although the album's main goal was to be more commercial and radio-friendly than her previous release, she felt the need to include at least one song that featured a church choir and traces of the music that influenced her growing up as a child. ==Composition==

"Anytime You Need a Friend" is a mid-tempo song that draws influence from pop, R&B and gospel musical genres. It has a "moderately slow" tempo of 69 beats per minute. The song was written by Carey and Afanasieff, with production helmed by the pair as well. After the song's bridge, a church choir is introduced and featured throughout its final chorus and climax. Carey's vocals are layered over the background gospel-styled vocals on the final chorus, after which she uses the whistle register to close the song. The song's lyrics describe a relationship the protagonist has with another individual, telling them that anytime they need a friend, she will be there unconditionally. ==Critical reception==

"Anytime You Need a Friend" received acclaim from music critics, many of whom praised the song's gospel influence as well as Carey's vocal range. Following the mixed reception to its parent album, Music Box, it was deemed a strong contrast to the album's pop influence. Critics agreed that through lowering Carey's vocal bombast, the album suffered due to lowered passion and energy levels. The song however, was considered the only standout from the album, altering heavily from the pop oriented formula of Music Box. A writer from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution branded it as "the center of the album." J.D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun wrote, "Where another singer might have been tempted to turn 'Anytime You Need a Friend' into a full-blown sanctified sing-out, Carey and producer Walter Afanasieff use the gospel harmonies on the chorus as contrast for Carey's pop soul vocal." Larry Flick from Billboard described the song as "a sweet and spiritual vow of support woven into a melodic pop ballad." He added, "Displaying soulful finesse and earnest warmth, Carey continues to prove her growth as a vocalist, soaring over a grand gospel choir with ease." Troy J. Augusto from Cash Box declared it as "a potent mix of spirituality and faith (long-running themes for Mariah, of course) and radio-driven pop." In 2003, Daily Record named it one of the "World's Greatest First Dance Songs." While calling it "undeniably strong", David Browne from Entertainment Weekly gave the song a mixed review, writing Anytime You Need a Friend' feature gospel-inflected choirs seemingly intended to demonstrate that Carey has soul — which she doesn't — but they're beautifully arranged, and they serve as a nice counterpoint to Carey's own lapses into show-offy vocal gymnastics." In an article from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a writer commented that her vocal range in the song sounds as if it is from a "glass-shattering dimension" and complimented the singer's incorporation of the gospel genre and church choir into the song's climax. Gavin Report stated that "with its serious gospel overtones", it is Carey's "most powerful track to-date." Music & Media wrote, "Her last two singles were both ballads, and with this new one the triptych is fulfilled. She kicks of slowly, then a gospel choir joins in and together they take it to a grand finale." People Magazine noted that she "shines on the gospel-tinged testimonial". Pop Rescue said the gospel choir "works perfectly in contrast to Mariah’s vocals, allowing her to focus on hitting some incredibly high notes with the strength of the choir behind her." A writer from Portland Press Herald called the song one of Carey's "original classics", and felt it earned a place on her compilation album ''#1's, even though it did not top the Billboard Hot 100. Suraya Attas from The Straits Times'' described the singer's voice as husky, and felt it "exploited her vocal range to the fullest." Christopher John Farley from Time noted the song as "gospel flavored" and wrote that it "demonstrates Carey's vocal power, although too fleetingly." USA Today critic John T. Jones called it "inspirational", while "Anytime You Need A Friend" won a Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) Pop Award and an American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Pop Music Award for the Songwriter Award in 1995. ==Chart performance==

On the US Billboard Hot 100, "Anytime You Need a Friend" debuted at number 45 on the chart and eventually peaked at number 12, remaining in the top-40 for 18 weeks and on the chart for 21. It was popular on US radio and was ranked number forty-seven on the 1994 Year-End Charts, giving Carey three singles in the top half of the chart. Seven weeks later, the song reached its peak of number five on the singles chart, spending three consecutive weeks at the position and a total of 20 weeks on the chart. On the RPM Year-End Charts, "Anytime You Need a Friend" finished at number 39. On the week dated June 19, 1994, on the Australian Singles Chart, the song entered at number 48. Weeks later, it ascended to its peak position of number 12, where it stayed for one week, and a total of 17 weeks fluctuating inside the singles chart. "Anytime You Need a Friend" was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of over 35,000 units. On the Dutch Top 40 chart, "Anytime You Need a Friend" reached the number ten position on the singles chart. In Switzerland, "Anytime You Need a Friend" peaked at number 15, however spending 17 weeks fluctuating in the Swiss Singles Chart. On the UK Singles Chart week dated June 18, 1994, the song debuted at number nine. The following week, it reached its peak position of number eight, spending a total of ten weeks in the singles chart. Following a live performance of the song by Eoghan Quigg on the fifth series of the British talent show The X Factor, "Anytime You Need a Friend" re-surged onto the singles chart at number 96 on November 22, 2008. As of 2010, MTV estimates sales of the song in the United Kingdom to be at 100,000 units. ==Remixes==

"Anytime You Need a Friend" was remixed by David Cole and Robert Clivillés of C+C Music Factory. Although over fifteen various edits and extended mixes were created, for the most part they are based on the "C+C Club Mix." Other variations, extended mixes, and edits include but are not limited to the "All That and More Mix," "Dave's Empty Pass," and the "Boriqua Tribe Mix". Cory Rooney and Mark Morales created a "Soul Convention Mix" and a stringapella for the song. Because of the large number of remixes, two maxi singles were released in the US Carey was given co-producing credit for both the C&C mixes and the Soul Convention/Stringapella, the first time that she had been given producing credit on remixes of her songs. Gregg Shapiro from the Windy City Times complimented the remix, writing "the presence of each improves on the original. They have something new to say; even with the songs that began as dance tracks." Jose F. Promis praises the re-recorded vocals for the C+C remix, writing how the remix found Carey "getting quite gritty and earthy." He concluded his review with "It made for a topnotch dancefloor number, and stands as an excellent example of early- to mid-'90s dance music, not to mention being one of the singer's most compelling, underrated, and forgotten efforts." ==Music videos==

''. In March of the year 2020, Entertainment Tonight released behind the scenes footage from a scrapped version of the original music video on their YouTube channel. This version has Carey in a floor-length gown with her hair styled into her signature curls and was to feature a medieval structure as well as a gospel choir. In the video posted by Entertainment Tonight, Carey talks about the concept of the video with director Diane Martel, shows Entertainment Tonight around the set and performs a short a cappella rendition of her song "Now That I Know" from her album, Music Box. Carey also has moments where she gets her hair and makeup retouched during the filming. This version of the music video was ultimately shelved and remains unreleased to this day. ==Live performances==

Carey promoted "Anytime You Need a Friend" on several live televised performances throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Carey's performance of the song at an intimate concert at Proctor's Theatre on July 15, 1993, was filmed and released as the VHS Here Is Mariah Carey. Carey performed the song during a live appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, which was followed by an interview regarding the album. During the performance, a live band and several male and female background vocalists were featured. Promotion through Europe included a visit and performance on the British music chart program Top of the Pops, German entertainment show Wetten, dass..?, ''Hey Hey It's Saturday'' in Australia, and the 1993 Japanese Music Fair. Aside from the several televised appearances, Carey performed the song throughout her Music Box Tour (1993) and Daydream World Tour (1996). During the shows in 1993, Carey featured the song as the fifteenth song on the set-list, and was performed in a similar fashion as on her televised appearances. Prior to beginning the song, Carey urged the crowd to "never be lonely" and "always try and find that special person in your life." Following the show in Chicago, Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot felt that her performance of the song truly "demonstrated that her multi-octave voice is no studio fabrication." During her shows at the Tokyo Dome during 1996, Carey sported a long and wavy hairstyle, while wearing a long black gown. She sang the original version of the song, up until halfway through the last chorus, until merging into the C+C remix. Several background vocalists were once again featured on stage, all donning black garbs. However, once the remix began, six male dancers made their way to the right and left sides of the stage, performing heavy dance routines as Carey walked around the stage. Once the remix began, the lighting was altered. Aside from the usual fluorescent lighting that was used throughout the show, additional pink and purple lighting was added for the number, as it served for the shows closing and final song. During her succeeding shows in Europe, Carey's outfits altered as well as her hairstyle. She wore a long, white strapless gown and sported her hair in a straightened ponytail style. From 1996 to 2019, Carey has not performed the song live on television or on her tours. Carey started performing the song for the first time in 23 years on Caution World Tour in 2019. ==Other versions==

In a review done by Digital Spy for Leona Lewis' debut album, Spirit, Nick Levine felt the song "Footprints in the Sand" borrowed heavily from Carey's track, writing "'Footprints In The Sand' seems hellbent on revisiting Mariah Carey's schlock-pop masterwork 'Anytime You Need A Friend.'" "Anytime You Need a Friend" was covered on several occasions on a variety of reality and talent competitions. Some became heavily popularized by the media due to the nature of the performance or performer. On the fifth season of the British talent program The X Factor, contestant Eoghan Quigg performed a live cover of the song during a "Mariah Carey" themed week. The song was chosen by Simon Cowell, who felt it would fit his younger vocals. Following the performance, he received acclaim from all three judges. Following the show's end, Quigg embarked on a live tour throughout 2009 alongside the other finalists, performing the song at each show alongside fellow contestant, Diana Vickers. Similarly, on the fourth season of the reality talent show ''America's Got Talent'', a trio of children named Michael, Avery and Nadia, together forming "The Voices of Glory," performed a live rendition of the song. Their performance was well received by the judges, with David Hasselhoff exclaiming "Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful job." ==Track listings==

• Austrian CD maxi-single • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (album version) – 4:36 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (Soul Convention Remix) – 4:51 • European 7-inch vinyl • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (album version) – 4:26 • "Music Box" – 4:57 • European CD maxi-single • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (album version) – 4:36 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (C+C radio mix) – 4:14 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (Soul Convention Remix) – 4:51 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (C+C club version) – 10:53 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (Dave's Empty Pass) – 10:54 • Canadian and US CD maxi-single 1 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (Soul Convention Remix) – 4:51 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (Stringapella) – 4:49 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (album version) – 4:36 • "Music Box" – 4:57 • Canadian and US CD maxi-single 2 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (C+C club version) – 10:53 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (Ministry of Sound Mix) – 9:45 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (Dave's Empty Pass) – 10:54 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (7-inch mix) – 6:59 • Anytime You Need a Friend EP • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (C+C radio mix) – 4:14 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (C+C club version) – 10:53 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (C+C extended mix) – 8:18 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (C+C dub) – 10:19 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (Boriqua Tribe Mix) – 9:16 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (All That and More Mix) – 10:54 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (Soul Convention Remix) – 4:51 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (Ministry of Sound Mix) – 9:45 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (7-inch mix) – 6:59 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (Dave's Empty Pass) – 10:54 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (Anytime edit) – 4:45 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (video edit) – 6:10 • "Anytime You Need a Friend" (Stringapella) – 4:49 ==Credits and personnel==

These credits were adapted from the Music Box liner notes. "Anytime You Need a Friend" was recorded at Right Track Studios, New York, and mixed at Sony Music Studios, New York. • Mariah Carey – co-producing, songwriting, vocals • Walter Afanasieff – co-producing, songwriting, keyboards, synthesizer, organ • Michael Landau – guitar • Cindy Mizelle – backing vocals • Kelly Price – backing vocals • Mark C. Rooney – backing vocals • Melonie Daniels – backing vocals • Shanrae Price – backing vocals • Ren Klyce – programming • Dana Jon Chappelle – engineering • Bob Ludwig – mastering • Mick Guzauski – mixing ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications and sales==