Mariah Carey’s Rare Demo Tape Hits Auction Block for Wax Poetics: ‘I’ve Discovered Gold’

As the holiday season gets underway, an ultra-rare Mariah Carey demo tape is coming up for auction. This centerpiece of an historic archival release sourced from the collection of legendary producer/DJ Arthur Baker, the demo tape is being auctioned by Wax Poetics. The auction preview opens today (Nov. 11) with bidding going live Dec. 2 at 3 p.m. ET through Dec. 11 here.

In addition to the Carey cassette, described as “one of the only original demo tapes in existence,” the auction will include a verified certificate of authenticity, archival notes and historical context from Baker’s collection and the Wax Poetics archive team.

In a statement announcing the auction, Wax Poetics co-owner/CEO Alex Bruh said, “This tape is one of the most sought-after items we have come across. It captures the exact moment an era-defining artist was emerging, before the world knew her name. Our mission has always been to preserve and grow music culture with care, context and respect. This release honors one of the greatest singers and songwriters of our time by preserving a rare piece of her story.”

The story behind the demo tape dates back to the night when Carey was discovered. While attending a Christmas party in New York, she personally gave Baker (whose credits include Bob Dylan, Al Green and Planet Patrol) the tape, which contained covers and self-written songs she had recorded with Brenda K. Starr. He took Carey to his studio that same evening and was blown away by what he heard.

“I stick the cassette in and the first three songs are all hits,” Baker said in the press announcement. “And I’m thinking holy shit, it’s Madonna meets Whitney. She writes like Madonna, sounds like Whitney. This is it; I’ve discovered gold.” In the video below, Wax Poetics and Baker share more about that fortuitous evening.

The upcoming Carey auction follows prior Wax Poetics auctions featuring memorabilia from Don Blackman, Bootsy Collins, Louie Vega, DāM-FunK and Baker.