Love Takes Time

" Love Takes Time was the second single from Mariah Carey's 1st album, the self titled debut, Mariah Carey

The single, released in 1991, was co-written by Mariah and Ben Marguiles. The single was produced by Walter Afanasieff. (Mariah had fought to co-produce but was denied permission for the most part for her debut album by her record company at the time, Sony). In her first A/C influnced ballad as a single, Mariah laments on how once she had it, but she let it let it slip away; with that in mind, she warns others to take things easy in a relationship as "love takes time".

"Love Takes Time" was originally intended to be the first single for Mariah's then untitled second album (which would later become Emotions). However, Mariah had played a demo of the track to Sony executives like Tommy Mottola, and the executives, floored by the track, insisted that Mariah put it on her debut album, Mariah Carey. As this decision was made as Mariah's debut was about to be printed, Walter Afanasieff,a struggling producer, in a "make or break moment", was given the pressuring task of producing the song in time for the pressing of Mariah's debut. Luckily for Walter, he produced the track in time, and went onto enjoy an almost 10 year career of co-writing and co-producing songs with Mariah. Nevertheless, some copies of Mariah's debut have the song on the actual recording, but it is not listed on the tracklisting.

Chartwise, "Love Takes Time" churned out to be Mariah's 2nd #1 hit single. The single stayed at

1 for 3 weeks on The Hot 100, and was her 2nd consecutive #1 single after Vision of Love. The song also hit #1 on the Adult Contemporary charts.

The music video of the song is features Mariah (after recieving a heartbroken phone call from a phone booth walking around a beach with only a blanket over her swimsuit as she laments over the fact that "love takes time".

Although there are no remixes of the song, it is rumored that a slight radio edit which de-emphasizes the high note at the bridge exists on selected promotional copies of the song.