“Whenever You Call” is a song originally included on Mariah's 1997 Butterfly album, written with Walter Afanasieff. “It's more the traditional style ballad, more on the ‘Hero’ kind of feeling,” Mariah told Molly Meldrum in 1997. “I tried to keep that on as underproduced as I could for the type of song that it is. I didn't want it to get too overblown.”
A new duet version of “Whenever You Call,” featuring Brian McKnight, was included as a bonus track on Mariah's #1's compilation, released in 1998. “It was amazing to go into the studio with someone who's so successful and has that kind of track record,” McKnight told MTV in 1998. “Mariah is someone who could ask anyone in the world to sing with her, and they called me. The album contains a duet with Whitney Houston and a duet with me, so it's just been great company to be in.”
| Song | Remix | Run time |
|---|---|---|
| Whenever You Call | Duet With Brian McKnight |
4:23 |
The music video for “Whenever You Call” debuted in August 1998 and features footage from Mariah's concert at Hawaii's Aloha Stadium during her Butterfly tour.
Love wandered inside
Stronger than you
Stronger than I
And now that it has begun
We cannot turn back
We can only turn into one
I won't ever be too far away to feel you
And I won't hesitate at all
Whenever you call
And I'll always remember
The part of you so tender
I'll be the one to catch your fall
Whenever you call
And I'm truly inspired
Finding my soul
There in your eyes
And you have opened my heart
And lifted me inside
By showing me yourself
Undisguised
And I won't ever be too far away to feel you
And I won't hesitate at all
Whenever you call
And I'll always remember
That part of you so tender
I'll be the one to catch your fall
Whenever you call
And I will breathe for you each day
Comfort you through all the pain
Gently kiss your fears away
You can turn to me and cry
Always understand that I
Give you all I am inside
And I won't ever be too far away to feel you
And I won't hesitate at all
Whenever you call
I won't ever be too far to feel you
And I won't hesitate at all
Whenever you call
I'll always remember
That part of you so tender
And be the one to catch your fall
Whenever you call
Lyrics: M. Carey. Music: M. Carey, W. Afanasieff.
Produced by Mariah Carey, Walter Afanasieff.
