American Idol 2006--Live Thread I

FOX ^ | 1-16-06

[silent_jonny]

for Tammy

[Palladin]

Your suggestions are just OK, Man. (That's my Randy impression).

If Bucky does Elvis, I hope it's lively one like "Jailhouse Rock" or "Return to Sender".

Kevin should do "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window"...BOW-WOW!!!

[SirLinksalot]

TWO SPOILERS FOR THE CURIOUS ( CAVEAT : NOT SURE IF RELIABLE. PAST PERFORMANCE IS NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE RESULTS ).

1) This supposedly From Taylor Hick's Grandma :

A) look for Taylor to sport a blue suit with white
shoes in keeping with the 1950's theme night.

B) He has chosen to do Buddy Holly's NOT FADE AWAY.

NOTE : I'm not sure which version he'll try to emulate as I've heard Buddy Holly's version as well as the Rollign Stones ( complete with Harmonica Riffs ) and even the Grateful Dead do this.

2) Rumor has it Elliott Yamin will be singing Al Jarreau's version of "Teach Me Tonight," originally recorded by Frank Sinatra in the '50s.

IMHO, Taylor's song choice (IF CORRECT) sucks ( big time as Dick Cheney would say ). The song only has a few chords, does not showcase your voice ( unless you're there to perform again) and is BORINGLY REPETITIVE. If he chooses the Buddy Holly version, look to the back-up singers to work overtime doing those DOO-WOP thing to cover him.

[Netizen]

I had thought Bucky could do Rave On by Buddy Holly, and shoot Taylor could do What'd I Say by Ray Charles or even Stagger Lee. Hopefully the source is wrong. As for Katharine, she could do Lipstick on Your Collar, that was recorded in 59 and still giver her a Connie Francis tune, or even Who's Sorry Now.

I checked the recording sessions for Where the Boys Are and it wasn't recorded in 58 or 59.

Recording Sessions.

[SirLinksalot]

Hot new rumor from the official Idol fox boards -- Taylor Hicks has decided to sing “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry (allegedly some woman’s father works with his cousin who gave this info…).

IMHO, THIS IS A MUCH better song choice than Not Fade Away.

Not Fade Away does not have much melodic variation and has too much repetition and too dependent on back-ups as Balladeer noted above.

The Chuck Berry Duck Walk will bring the house down if he attempts it.

I’m getting excited.

[Texas2step]

Separated at birth.

My kids (13 and 15 year old girls) call Chris "Vin Diesel".

[Wyatt's Torch]

Saw something else on the Fox Idol boards that said that the Chuck Berry info was incorrect and that it would be Not Fade Away. The Holly version is bland but the Stones is better. Taylor can also jazz it up a bit. Any thoughts as to the harmonica snuck onto stage last week was a trial run and he'll give it go tonight? :-)

[SirLinksalot]

Any thoughts as to the harmonica snuck onto stage last week was a trial run and he'll give it go tonight? :-)

It all depends on whether the powers that be allow instrumentals by performers. THEY NEVER ALLOWED THAT IN THE PAST. I don't see why they would do it right now. Bo Bice really wanted to play his guitar last season but admitted in an interview that it was only allowed during group performances. He later played his guitar when peforming DRIFT AWAY on the Morning Show ( that was after he won second place already and the season was over ).

[b9]

That pic of Vin Diesel looks like a cross between Chris Daughtry and Adam Sandler.

[retrokitten]

This morning I was having trouble sleeping and got out my trusty XM radio. They told me today is Single Parents Day. In honor, I thought I would post Fantasia's Baby Mama song.

Baby Mama

B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A
This goes out to all my baby mamas
This goes out to all my baby mamas
B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A
This goes out to all my baby mamas
I got love for all my baby mamas

It's about time we had our own song
Don't know what took so long
Cuz now a days
it's like a badge of honor
To be a baby mama
I see ya payin' ya bills
I see ya workin' ya job
I see ya goin' to school
And girl I know it's hard
And even though ya fed up
With makin' beds up
Girl, keep ya head up
All my

B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A
This goes out to all my baby mamas
This goes out to all my baby mamas

B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A
This goes out to all my baby mamas
I got love for all my baby mamas

I see you get that support check in the mail
Ya open it and your like "What the Hell"
You say "This ain't even half of daycare"
Sayin to yourself "This here ain't fair"
And all my girls who don't get no help
Who gotta do everything by yourself
Remember: What don't kill you can only make you stronger

My baby mama...

B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A
This goes out to all my baby mamas
This goes out to all my baby mamas
B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A
This goes out to all my baby mamas
I got love for all my baby mamas

Cuz we the backbone (of the hood)
I always knew that (that we could)
We can go anywhere, we can do anything
I know we can make it if we dream
And I think it should be a holiday
For single mothers tryin' to make a way

But until then
Here is your song
Show love to my....

B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A
This goes out to all my baby mamas
This goes out to all my baby mamas
B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A
This goes out to all my baby mamas
I got love for all my baby mamas

[retrokitten]

I bet they won't let him. People will be screaming it's an unfair advantage. It would be awesome if they let him.

Remember last year when during the finale they had the whole top 12 back to sing with different popular singers/bands? If they do something like that they may let him do it then since the votes will already be counted.

[Wyatt's Torch]

Oh. My. God.........

Please tell me that's a joke. I know, I'm a white suburban conservative who just doesn't understand....

[retrokitten]

Please tell me that's a joke.

I wish.

Sadly, it's really catchy. Roe Cohn on WLS in Chicago has a very silly afternoon talkshow and he was playing it constantly when it came out. A listener called up and said, "Listen, I am a 275 pound truck driver and I just stopped to get gas. As I am going in to pay I'm singing in my head, 'B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A.' Stop playing that song!" It was really funny.

[Wyatt's Torch]

I'm just wondering if he wouldn't sneak it onstage an play it and deal with the repricussion later. Would they kick him off the show?

[StrictTime]

My belief is that AI should allow instruments next season, to help spice up the format. Kick it up a notch to keep it interesting. I'm getting a little bored of hearing the same old, same old.

[Netizen]

The Chuck Berry Duck Walk will bring the house down if he attempts it.

I like that a lot better too. Didn't do a little bit of duck walking in his last performance?

[Wolfstar]

Thought you might enjoy this article from MTV about AI alumni who finished 3rd through 12th.

American Idol: No Love For Idol Losers
— by Corey Moss, MTV.com
(This is an excerpt. Click link in title to read entire article.)

The comments from a just-eliminated "American Idol" contestant are as predictable as Simon Cowell's wardrobe: "It was a blessing just to make the final 12 ... The world hasn't seen the last of me ..."

Actually, we probably have seen the last of you.

There are four seasons in the history books now, and few, if any, of the 40 people who made it to the finals but didn't win or come in second have been able to transition their instant fame into legitimate stardom.

Millions of Americans watched or voted for them on "Idol," but of the 12th through 3rd place finishers who have gone on to release records, only one has gone gold: second-season country singer Josh Gracin (around 646,500 copies sold), who finished fourth.

Another second-season singer, third-place finisher Kimberley Locke, has sold approximately 209,000 copies of One Love, but after her, the next-best loser is — tellingly — William Hung's Inspiration (194,00). Trailing in the dust of "She Bangs" are Tamyra Gray's The Dreamer (122,000), RJ Helton's Real Life (21,000), John Stevens' Red (18,000), George Huff's Miracles (17,000) and self-titled albums from Jasmine Trias (12,000) and Corey Clark (2,400).

Compare that to sales of Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway (4,811,000), Clay Aiken's Measure of a Man (2,740,000), Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts (2,184,000), Ruben Studdard's Soulful (1,779,000) and Fantasia's Free Yourself (1,674,000) and it becomes quite clear: To make a significant impact in the music industry, making the final 12 of "American Idol" is not enough. You need to make the final two.

[NOTE FROM WOLFSTAR: The sales figures here are not the latest. They are from mid February 2006. In addition, the article compares sales figures for Kelly's 2nd album with figures for everyone else's debut album, which is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. Kelly's debut CD sold a little over 2,000,000.]

Why? Well, that's up for debate.

Some — including songwriter/producer Kara DioGuardi, who has worked with most of the winners and runners-up — say that at the end of the day, it's a show that's all about the winners. "American Idol is the dream," she said, "it's not the dreams."

Another popular presumption is that finalists — who sign an agreement not to release music until the debut singles from the winner and runner-up are in stores and the subsequent Idols Live Tour is completed — are missing their window of opportunity.

"Pop culture has a short-term memory," said Andrew Wallenstein, senior TV reporter for The Hollywood Reporter. "And as much as we embrace these people who are great contestants year in and year out, for some reason we forget them two weeks after the show ends. And I think the problem is there is only so much room in our hearts for these big winners."

And by the time the singers finally can approach record labels, they are being met with apprehension, almost to where some might call being an "Idol" finalist a curse. After all, credibility is part of the music business, and doing cheesy Ford commercials and singing Stevie Wonder covers for Paula Abdul doesn't carry a lot of weight.

"I think these A&R guys are excited (about the 'Idol' experience), but at the same time they deal with people every day who have wide audiences, and I think they're nervous," said Jon Peter Lewis, a third-season finalist who is shopping a solo record. "I mean, 60 million people watched the finale the year I was on, and I think Fantasia sold just over a million. It's a small fraction of the viewers who actually buy the records."

"People all around in the industry — and I've had hundreds of meetings — everyone is a little gun shy," added Constantine Maroulis, one of last season's most experienced contestants. "You see the 'Idol' ratings and it seems like an obvious decision. We come in with a huge fanbase, television exposure and experience, relationships with the talk shows. What other artist that a label is about to break has that already? But people are a little hesitant."

Paul Fischer, an associate professor in the recording industry department at Middle Tennessee State University, has a theory about why labels are reluctant to sign "Idol" runners-up.

"The fact that they tried and failed on 'Idol' could be seen as a negative," he said. "For many, being on the show may truly be their only shot at a music career. For most music-star wannabes, there's no shortcut to success. You've got to hone your craft, play shows, get better, build up a network, maybe write some songs cut by others, and hope for a break."

Still, others warn that finalists shouldn't be counted out just yet. "I could see people surfacing later, just like people who lost 'Star Search' back in the day have popped up," Roy Trakin, senior editor of radio trade magazine Hits, added, referring to Destiny's Child, Christina Aguilera and Alanis Morissette. "It's a long race."

Lewis is planning a tour for the spring, but his expectations are realistic. "You have to be visible, and to be visible you have to get on the radio," he said.

And radio, for one reason or another, has never been too kind to "American Idol," with the exception of Clarkson. So, as DioGuardi noted, with the winners having to push so hard for airplay, where does that leave the other finalists?

[NOTE FROM WOLFSTAR: Carrie Underwood has been embraced by both country and Christian radio, and Josh Gracin has been embraced by country radio.]

"You have to be like Clay Aiken, who is a very distinct artist," she said. "What happens is the audience has to be so blown away and feel like there's nothing like them out there. All those R&B singers, they're a dime a dozen."

Trakin's belief is that the show sets up entertainers to go on to careers in musicals, which Jennifer Hudson (the "Dreamgirls" movie), Diana DeGarmo ("Hairspray") and Frenchie Davis ("Rent") have demonstrated. And then there are those who have transitioned into television, such as TV Guide Channel anchors Kimberly Caldwell and Matt Rogers.

[NOTE FROM WOLFSTAR: Diana and Jennifer got their gigs only a few months ago, after Kelly Clarkson's 'Breakaway' album became a smash hit. Coincidence? Maybe, but many industry types believe Kelly's success has opened doors for at least some of the more talented AI alumni.]

[Netizen]

I bet they won't let him. People will be screaming it's an unfair advantage. ,P> You mean, like the light show and smoke that they used on Chris' song?

[Wolfstar]

"Baby Mama" celebrates unwed motherhood for very young girls. It is an absolutely shameful piece of trash. Fantasia will always be on my list of never-buys because of it.

[Netizen]

My belief is that AI should allow instruments next season, to help spice up the format. Kick it up a notch to keep it interesting. I'm getting a little bored of hearing the same old, same old.

I doubt they will change the format to allow instruments. On Larry King, he said there is a new show coming out called America Has Talent or something like that and that show will take dog acts, dancing, instrument playing etc.

[StrictTime]

America Has Talent or something like that and that show will take dog acts, dancing, instrument playing etc.

Wasn't that show called "Star Search"? No, thanks! : )