Mariah covered the song “I'll Be There” — originally recorded by The Jackson 5 — with backup singer Trey Lorenz during her MTV Unplugged show in 1992. “I didn't have any plans to do a remake and the people who do the MTV Unplugged show really really wanted me to do a remake,” Mariah told Entertainment Tonight in 1992. “So I thought about it and I decided on ‘I'll Be There.’ While we were rehearsing it I said, ‘This really needs another person to sing it.’ So I asked Trey Lorenz to sing it and it just worked. We had never planned to put the Unplugged show out as an album or a video or anything and it just happened to be that ‘I'll Be There’ came out as a single, so it worked out great for me.”
“I'll Be There” entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number thirteen, the highest-debuting song since The Beatles' “Let It Be” in 1970, and became Mariah's sixth number-one single three weeks later. On March 27, 2022, “I'll Be There” was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association Of America. Internationally, the song became Mariah's biggest hit at the time in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number two, and her first Top 10 in Australia, where it peaked at number nine.
In the United States, the “I'll Be There” single was released on cassette, including “ “So Blessed,” from the Emotions album, as the B-side.
The European “I'll Be There” single, released on CD, Cassette and 7" vinyl, include both the song and “So Blessed.” The Maxi Single was available on CD and 12" vinyl, also including the song “Vanishing.”
Two “I'll Be There” Maxi Singles were released in the UK on June 15, 1992. CD1 includes three additional ballads from Mariah's first two albums: “Love Takes Time” from Mariah Carey and “Can't Let Go” and “So Blessed” from Emotions. CD2 is limited edition picture CD which includes the live versions of “I'll Be There” and “Vision Of Love” from MTV Unplugged as well as “If It's Over,” from the Emotions album and “All In Your Mind,” from Mariah Carey. The “I'll Be There” single, available on 7" vinyl and cassette, included the song “So Blessed” as a bonus track.
In Australia, “I'll Be There” was released on CD and cassette, both including the song “So Blessed,” from Mariah's Emotions album as a bonus track.
The Japanese 3" “I'll Be There” CD Single was released on June 11, 1992, including “So Blessed” as the B-side.
The “I'll Be There” CD single was re-released by Sony Music in March 2002 as part of their Platinum Hits collection. The CD includes the songs “I'll Be There” and “So Blessed.”
You and I must make a pact
We must bring salvation back
Where there is love
I'll be there
I'll reach out my hand to you
I'll have faith in all you do
Just call my name
And I'll be there
I'll be there to comfort you
I'll build my world of dreams around you
I'm so glad I found you
I'll be there with a love so strong
I'll be your strength
You know I'll keep holding on
Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter
Togetherness well it's all I'm after
Just call my name
And I'll be there
I'll be there to protect you
With an unselfish love that respects you
Just call my name
And I'll be there
I'll be there to comfort you
Build my world of dreams around you
You know I'm so glad I found you
I'll be there with a love so strong
I'll be your strength
You know I'll keep holding on
If you should ever find someone new
I know she'd better be good to you
'Cause if she doesn't
Then I'll be there
Don't you know baby, yeah, yeah
I'll be there
I'll be there
Just call my name
And I'll be there
I'll be there baby
You know I'll be there
Just call my name
And I'll be there
Just look over your shoulder
Just call my name
And I'll be there
Written by Hal Davis, Berry Gordy, Willie Hutch, Bob West.
Produced by Walter Afanasieff and Mariah Carey.
