Gavin Christopher
July 28, 2004

Not everyone can say that they’ve had Mariah Carey over at their apartment for songwriting sessions, but Gavin Christopher is one of the very few people who can.

By the time Gavin had met Mariah as a teenager, he was already a hot property in the music industry and had worked with everyone from Herbie Hancock and Chaka Khan to Grandmaster Flash and Sheila E. He had also signed a deal in 1985 with EMI Records and would soon release his own album, which would spawn the hit club staple “One Step Closer To You”.

Amidst all this, Gavin took time out to work with an unknown and inexperienced singer named Mariah.

Mariah Daily: What convinced you to write with this unknown singer called Mariah Carey?
Gavin Christopher: I was so impressed with her personality and voice that I jumped at the chance to work on some songs with Mariah. We made a schedule to get together at least twice a week. We began working on some ideas that Mariah had.

MD: When did you first become aware of her?
Gavin: I was first introduced to Mariah by her brother Morgan when she was 15 years old. Morgan had asked me to listen to his sister and tell him what I thought about her voice. I immediately walked into my living room after hearing her voice and told Morgan that his sister was going to be a huge success some day.

MD: Did you ever think this teenage girl you were working with would one day become a superstar?
Gavin: Yes! I knew immediately. Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to work together very long. Maybe a few months at the most. But, it was the most rewarding.

MD: How did the writing process usually start? Did Mariah come up with something first, or did you?
Gavin: I had a small writing studio in my flat in New York. Mariah’s mother Pat would bring her to the house. We would spend a few hours at a time working on ideas for songs.

MD: Where did you usually write together?
Gavin: In my apartment on 23rd Street in New York, where I was living with Clarissa Dane, who became one of Mariah’s closest friends.

MD: Did you have set writing times or was it spontaneous?
Gavin: We were very spontaneous.

MD: Did Mariah usually write from her own experiences, or from things she saw going on around her?
Gavin: Well, from what I gathered, it was her own experiences and influences from artists like Stevie Wonder, who gave Mariah the inspiration to become who she is today.

MD: Did Mariah have a specific genre in mind for her songs or did you help guide her way?
Gavin: I think that initially we just had a few songs we were working on with no specific genre in mind. We were co-writing. So, there was a bit of guidance on my part. But, I think Mariah already knew who she was and where she wanted to go. That is where she went straight to the top.

MD: About how many songs did you and Mariah work on together? Do you have any favorites amongst those?
Gavin: Maybe two or three at the time. One I remember the most was the song titled “I Can’t Hold It Back”.

MD: You were the one that introduced Mariah to Ben Margulies, who Mariah wrote most of her first album with. How did that come about?
Gavin: Ben was my drummer in a band in Santa Cruz, California. After working with Herbie Hancock on several albums, I was playing at a club when Ben introduced himself to me and asked me if I wanted to sing in his band. I said yes and we played together for short while in California. I then moved to New York to pursue my career further. Then, Ben moved to New York and set up a small studio in his house and began writing. I am not sure, but Mariah and Ben first met at my apartment. Few years later, they started writing together. One day, I came home to a message on my machine. It was a recording of “Vision Of Love”. They were excited that they had gotten a budget to work on Mariah’s record. The rest is history.

MD: What do you think the world should know about Mariah Carey?
Gavin: Mariah is a truly gifted human individual, who has given the world a voice that is one of the great voices of the century. There will never be another like her. She is the one of a kind. I think we should all grateful that we have someone like her to soothe our souls with wonderful sound and grace. Thank you Mariah. I am happy to be a part of your story.

Gavin Christopher is currently living in Los Angeles and working on several projects. He is also a contributing member for the band Aquabox. Their album release, "The Evolution Will Not Be Televised", is available for purchase from amazon.com.