For Purists Only: Minnie vs. Mimi

This is one of the funniest YouTubes I've ever seen...a note by note smackdown of vocal range between the fabulous Minnie Riperton and the shortbus hooker Mariah Carey. If you've ever wondered what on earth possessed Mariah to start whistling for dogs in her head voice, then you're probably not familiar with Riperton who got there first (and got there better, in the opinion of many). Though we lost Minnie way too soon--she died of cancer, at just 31 years old, in 1979--Mariah's carried the dog-whistle-as-vocal torch quite ably; I imagine she's shattered a glass or two along the way (surely she's ruptured a sinus?)

I'll admit this video is way too long if you don't find it funny, but it's truly a note-by-note match-up. Try to ignore the poorly selected text fonts (the video creator used an ALL CAPS font which means that "E flat" renders, stupidly as "EB") and you might want to have earplugs at the ready. As for me, I'm going to see about snapping up all the Riperton gaps in my collection!