Posted on 05/08/2006 4:22:13 AM PDT by silent_jonny
Well, I tracked down "Open Arms" and had a listen, and frankly, I think this song could be a home run for Elliott. This sort of song is absolutely his bread-and-butter, if he doesn't get carried away and get all melismatic on its a$$, so to speak. :) The sustained notes in the top part of his range are great for him. Also the song is well-known, but not SO well-known that people sigh, "Oh, no, not that thing again!" Well-known is a good thing, in this competition; that's what people vote for. Elliott needs to make sure he doesn't get schlocky with the vibrato, but I think he can do that. (Any singer who's worth anything *can* control the vibrato -- they just need to be aware of it.) Also he needs to make sure the arrangement has a big finish, but hopefully he realizes that now. So all in all, I think Tay-Tay had better watch his butt! :)
I went to my hairdresser about 2 months ago and she watches Idol too. I commented that both Kat and Paula were wearing their hair in a style she had tried on me back in October. She quickly pointed out that their hair looked so good due to their extensions, while mine was all real.
Compliments like thar are why she's been my hair dresser for over 10 years now!
Heh, heh ....:)
I'll just send you this keyboard, shall I? It's got cat fur all over it, but better that than nameless ... spewed substances. :)
E's big problem is that is he extremely raw although very gifted as a singer. I have seen him get better and better as he has gone through the weeks and he soaks up coaching whenever it has been offered. Once he learns how to control his voice and when to use the vibratto he's golden.
Thanks, RK! Great minds must think alike. That was exactly what I did! Then I came back on and saw your post afterward. Made me laugh. :)
I totally agree. Elliott is obviously very gifted, but he is still somewhat raw and untried. Still, he's an instructor's dream -- he takes the information and really uses it!
What do *you* think of "Open Arms" for him?
I refreshed and saw your post that you had already heard it. I thought, "Nevermind." LOL!!
"Dancing In The Dark," music and lyrics by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz. From the Broadway musical "The Band Wagon," 1931. The original cast included Fred Astaire and his sister Adele, John Barker and Roberta Robinson. John Barker sang "Dancing In The Dark" in the original Broadway production. Sung by Fred Astaire, who danced to it with Cyd Charisse in the 1953 film "The Band Wagon," the song was recorded by many big-name singers, from Bing Crosby to Barry Manilow.
The lyrics are fairly simple, because the emphasis in this song is on the romantic melody:
Dancing in the dark Till the tune ends,
We're dancing in the dark and it soon ends,
We're waltzing in the wonder of why we're here,
Time hurries by, we're here and gone;
Looking for the light of a new love,
To brighten up the night, I have you love,
And we can face the music together,
Dancing in the dark.
The song was written as a waltz to be briefly sung by a man to a woman, and then danced to -- the lyrics are almost an intro to the dance.
There is a second song entitled "Dancing In the Dark," and it's by Bruce Springsteen. I've never heard this song, so can't comment on it. Here's the lyrics:
I get up in the evening
and I ain't got nothing to say
I come home in the morning
I go to bed feeling the same way
I ain't nothing but tired
Man I'm just tired and bored with myself
Hey there baby, I could use just a little help
You can't start a fire
You can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
even if we're just dancing in the dark
Message keeps getting clearer
radio's on and I'm moving 'round the place
I check my look in the mirror
I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
Man I ain't getting nowhere
I'm just living in a dump like this
There's something happening somewhere
baby I just know that there is
You can't start a fire
you can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
even if we're just dancing in the dark
You sit around getting older
there's a joke here somewhere and it's on me
I'll shake this world off my shoulders
come on baby this laugh's on me
Stay on the streets of this town
and they'll be carving you up alright
They say you gotta stay hungry
hey baby I'm just about starving tonight
I'm dying for some action
I'm sick of sitting 'round here trying to write this book
I need a love reaction
come on now baby gimme just one look
You can't start a fire sitting 'round crying over a broken heart
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
You can't start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Hey baby
Do we know which song with this title that Taylor is supposed to sing? If it's the 1931 song, Clive could only have chosen it somewhat tongue-in-cheek. It's hard to imagine what Taylor could do with it other than sing it like a ballad.
Good points, and this song might be a bit of a stretch for him. Still, I think perhaps he's *ready* to stretch -- we'll find out tonight. Also, it is ALWAYS easier to sing a song you know even casually, than one you have to learn from scratch. For instance, I'm sure that was part of why Kellie bombed so abysmally on "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered." I am positive she'd never even heard of that song before that week, and it showed. If you have to learn the melody in addition to the words, a week just isn't enough. I had a feeling that Elliott had to learn "I Can Dream" (or whatever that Elvis song was called) from scratch, or nearly so, which was part of why it wasn't as good as it could have been. This one he should already know.
BTW, I'd just like to say that I have all kinds of respect for all of these kids for taking on new songs every week and doing even a passable job with them! It is NOT easy to learn a whole set of lyrics in a week, well enough that you can get up in a very stressful situation and sing them. Just not easy.
The old one is really meant to be sung to a woman, with whom the guy is dancing. Singing it alone is just....weird. Maybe Taylor can dance wth a chair.
It's usually more then one song, too. They have the Ford song and sometimes a group song. Like you said, not easy.
Agreed...well, maybe not weird, but singing it alone misses the whole point of the song. It's really a dancer's song.
Yes, its the Bruce Springsteen version.
Hey, ready for the show tonight?
This should be interesting.
As mentioned, I have never heard Springsteen's song, but it has to be better for Taylor than the 1931 song. They are two different songs. I think there are some similarities between Taylor's voice and Springsteen's.
Hey there, lady! Ready as I'll ever be! Are you going to make it?
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