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Posted on 03/24/2006 9:00:43 PM PST by silent_jonny
Do you still want to get dial idol's software working? I have someone here that can trouble shoot it for you.
I'm not at home right now so I can't do it. What the local paper in Richmond VA is commenting on is the number of people here who cannot get through so even if I did dial idol all I would be doing is adding to the busy totals and not actual votes. Based on last week's numbers I suspect that Elliott's people in Richmond did DI and padded the busy signal figures.
All we want is for him to go one more week than Ace. I know that they are friends but talent wise Elliott is better.
The mantra for next week must be: ANYONE BUT ACE!!!!
Check your mail.
will do....
I completely agree. There is no doubt in my mind that Taylor will win this years competition. I'm only 20 years old and my number one pick is Taylor as well as everyone I know who watches the show at my college. I personally am a Beatles fanatic, and I’m drawn to older eras of music but I don’t think that music appreciation for the 60's and 70's is Taylor’s main pull. I think his love for music and performing is what really makes Taylor incredible to watch and listen to. I've watched the show since season 1 and as far as I can recall no other contestant has exuded nearly as much passion during performances. Taylor has an awesome and unique voice, but it’s really the soul that he brings to his music and his unspoken way of demanding stage presence that makes him so loveable. This along with his down to earth personality will make him the American Idol of season 5. Also, I think he will have no problem selling records… definitely double than what Kellie would ever sell. She’s automatically compared with Carrie and that is not to her advantage considering the fact that she lacks Carrie’s class and vocal talent. There will be no doubt in my mind that AI is rigged if Kellie wins this competition… also AI would be shooting themselves in the foot for it later… her attention will come purely from tabloids and from people hating her.
I've been downloading it all and it's addicting to listen to! lol :)
What an eloquent beginning.
Welcome to FR!
This shouldn't have made me laugh.... : )
Well said smarrin15.
I have been watching AI simply as a hobby, a distraction after I come home from a hard day'w work and simply want to get my mind off the political discussions in FR. I was largely immune to the Kelly/Reuben/Fantasia craze.
I liked Clay and Carrie because their music appeals to me but never posted for them, never lobbied for them, never had any "passion" for them other than mere interest. I bought Clay's Christmas CD for a keeper but simply borrowed both his and Carrie's CD from our library.
However, as I began watching season 5, complacently expecting more trainwrecks and some good singers, I was suddenly and unexpectedly moved by a gray-haired singer from Alabama. I immediately googled his name for any information. As I listened to his old MP3s, I rediscovered something that I seemed to have forgotten: great music is still being made all over the fruited plane ( as Rush Limbaugh with say it).
My music collection had become stagnant, discouraged around the time of the “boy-band” explosion. I looked into the past for great music, but have not really listened to new artists in over 5 years ( I am not 40 ).
My liking Taylor has nothing to do with his looks, or his dancing, or “personality”, but rather it has to do with his talent and love for music. YOU DON'T GET THAT VERY OFTEN -- SOMEONE WHO DEVOTES OVER 10 YEARS OF HIS LIFE SINCE TEEN TO JUST MAKING MUSIC EVEN IF HE DOES NOT MAKE MUCH MONEY OUT OF IT.
As he said "It's all about the music... you play it, you sing it, you perform it, you bust your buns doing it and that's what it's all about" ( quoted from him after Ryan interviewed him in his post LEVON performance ).
YOU SELDOM SEE THAT IN SOMEONE. All we see nowadays is some young punk coming out and some corporate producer trying to make something out of him/her. Heck even basketball players like Ron Artest are trying to hawk their own rap CDs.
Taylor made me remember why I like music in the first place, something I hadn’t experienced since I was a teenager listening to the likes of Don Mclean, Jim Croce, Ray Charles, etc. for the first time. Taylor is akin to these people in that he not only SINGS, he actual CREATES, WRITES AND ARRANGES his own music. WHERE HAVE ALL THESE PEOPLE BEEN ALL THESE YEARS ?
He opened my mind and my heart, and has made me seek out others who are still waging the good artistic, musical fight against corporate marketers.
Which brings me to Simon. As amusing and dead-on as I have always found him, I think he just doesn’t know what to make of true artists like Taylor.
In his world view (remember he unleashed the Spice Girls into our world), “fame” is something CONSTRUCTED, MARGINALLY RELATED TO SINGING ABILITY, CREATIVITY OR TALENT.
His business is NOT ABOUT ART, IT's ABOUT CREATING A PRODUCT. As an analogy to food, it's not about creating the gormet dish but creating the latest fast food, the same burger that you get from Mcdonalds, Wendys and Burger King and other places that try to immitate them.
American Idol is really designed to be the focus group for the next musical product coming out of FreeMantle or 19 media. They really don’t care about sustainable careers or artistic contribution. They want the next Britney, Jessica Simpson not the next Jim Croce.
When Simon sees Taylor, he sees a middle-age looking, drunk dad, with an excellent yet odd voice. He is not sexy, not young, not hummable and as said before, not hip-hop. In short, Taylor is a risky product.
I suspect that even if Taylor wins and becomes an incredible success, Simon will never get it. It is outside his paradigm. So what to do if you are Simon? Resort to the low blow, to the ridicule. Of course, he doesn’t realize that this will only continue to galvanize an army of music-loving fangirls (and boys) who will take this as the fight against the evil powers of “product”.
Now here's where a savy marketeer can step in and say -- LOOK, IF SIMON DOES NOT GET TAYLOR, THEN LET ME TAKE OVER AND PROMOTE HIM.
Taylor actually has a pretty wide appeal across generations, though his largest audience is most likely over 30. This demographic actually does buy music, maybe even more than the younger audience who might be more prone to pirate their music.
Marketing gurus are realizing (or should be) that baby boomers and post baby boom are the hugest market and 50 is fast becoming the new 30. Our tastes in our teens and 20s were eclectic and that has remained with us.
I couldn’t tell you how many of my friends are iTunes junkies and have considered putting limits on their spending there.
If I were Taylor's agent I would think that Buzz is everything in marketing and Simon would be stupid not to promote an album if Taylor were to win.
Firstly, I would not ask Diane Warren to compose a song for him ( singing what Kelly and Carrie sang in their coronation night would be trying to force a round hole in a square peg ).
Secondly, I would ALLOW Taylor to highlight his own composition in the finals sing off as a nod to the millions of Soul Patrolers. LET HIM SING — Soul Thing or Heart and Soul ( there you go --– HEART AND SOUL, what a promo catch phrase).
Thirdly, HERE IS SOMETHING YOU CAN CONSIDER :
TREND SETTING.
Elvis and Tom Jones started the side-burns trend, John Travolta and Saturday Night Fever started the DISCO and Bell Bottom trend, Tom Cruise started a mini sun glasses trend with his TOP GUN movie in the 80’s.
Folks, American Idol clearly INFLUENCES BUYERS. You just cannot ignore a 35 million audience folks. THAT’s HUGE. If only 10% of these are Soul Patrolers and another 2% are his overseas fans ( of which there are many from as far as Canada, the UK, the Philippines, Singapore and Japan ), you have potential 3 million records right there.
Look folks, people of all generations from 15 up to 60 don’t watch AI simply because of ONE STYLE of music. I don’t believe young kids for instance are so inflexible and incapable of re-discovering good music when they hear it.
The VERY POPULARITY of American Idol and even the peak audience they experienced during the 50’s night shows that there is CURIOSITY from the young ones regarding their own heritage and history.
Granted that I observe a “generation gap” in regards to the music industry.
Older people abhor popular music. Formulaic, boring, no talent, over-produced, poorly written, non-instrumental crap.
But here is what draws people to a person — PASSION.
Young and Old fans are drawn to Taylor because of his passion for music and artistry. It pours from his soul (thus Soul Patrol). You can see it on stage that he was born to do this. Give me a passionate person any day over one that is “designed” to just make music through crappy music. I BELIEVE THIS CONSUMER ATTITUDE *CAN* TRANSCEND AGE and *THIS* is a potential marketing tool Simon has overlooked and not tapped.
And in terms of CREATING trends like Elvis and Tom Jones did with their sideburns — hows about this — GRAY HAIR (remember the Soul Patrol Kid in 21st century song night who powdered his hair gray ?).
Jay Leno can even promote the gray hair schtick and George Clooney will be thanking heaven for the free publicity.
etc., etc..
SIMON MY MAN —- USE YOUR IMAGINATION. GET OUT OF THE BOX. And THINK OF AMERICAN IDOL AS A TREND SETTER, not a trend follower. IN OTHER WORDS — DON’T MAKE SOUL PATROL YOUR ENEMY BUT ENLIST THEM AS AN ALLY.
At least that’s what I would do in terms of selling this so called “nightmare”.
They seem to be the two standouts going in, maybe add Mandisa as the best female talent this year.
What happens that's fun, though, is every year one or a few will get better and more professionally marketable because of the AI experience.
Eliot and Paris seem to be that way....I enjoy their performances and the fun they're having on stage.
Thing about Taylor is that he'd probably be better off right now without AI. With all the publicity he has, his band could easily sell out casino theaters and other small venues now. And Chris could probably be more creative and interesting as a second singer to a major rock band.
My first choice....still Taylor. Then, I'd vote for Eliot or Paris.
I'm not willing to settle on small venues and casinos and I hope he isn't either.
With some of these contestants people are having their eyes opened to new artists as well as music styles they have not listened to before. I would buy something from Elliott based on his singing ability and the right song mix. Taylor I would go see on stage. Chris's stuff I might listen to on the radio but I wouldn't go see him. The women I have no interest in at all....
Can't wait!
Would you let me know please?
I would listen to him on the radio, depending on the song but that's about it.
Taylor I would go see on stage.
Taylor I would see live and buy his CD's. I've even thought of ordering up some of the t-shirts!
Chris's stuff I might listen to on the radio but I wouldn't go see him.
I would change the station.
The women I have no interest in at all....
Same here.
A gynecologist? ROFL. Hope she's not giving advice on female troubles to Kellie and McPhee.
Mid-40's here, both me and my wife. Don't know if I'm a typical Taylor fan, but I never liked Joe Cocker(didn't care for his voice). I don't remember paying much attention to him at all--seem to recall him performing on Saturday Night Live but other than that I have no memories of him. Rock was my main interest back then(also beginning to develop a liking for classical music). Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, AC/DC, and similar. Queen was considered pansy-ish, although my friends and I thought the Bohemian Rhapsody video was pretty interesting. My path to being a fan of Taylor is through people like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding whose music I developed a taste for in my mid to late 20's. Probably would buy a CD of Taylor; not sure I'd buy one by any of the other contestants. My wife(who is the country music fan and country music CD purchaser of the household) is also a Taylor fan. She was more of a pop fan(even Manilow) though the same years I was a hard rocker. These days my CD purchases(maybe 25/year) are mainly trad Irish(performers like Dervish, Danu, Liz Carroll), Bluegrass, and classical(by far the genre with largest number of CDs in my collection), and also a little jazz(Clifford Brown being my favorite in that genre.)
My favorites in AI are(or were) in order are Taylor(although I'm not as big of a fan of his as I was at the beginning), Mandisa(wish she would have gotten another week to try to recover), Elliott, Katharine(was my 2nd favorite early but has fallen a little), and I liked Gedeon(wish he would have had a few more weeks to develop.)
My wife's favorites are/were Taylor, Mandisa, Bucky, and Paris. She also liked Ace and Kellie at the beginning but that faded pretty quickly. Still thinks Ace is just okay, but strongly dislikes Pickler. She doesn't like Elliott or Katharine--thinks their performances are forgetable.
I would have liked to have seen Gedeon last longer, too.
will do
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