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They Aren't All That Good.
Doghouse Riley
Posts: 32,491 Forum Member
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As a show I'm sure it provides a lot of entertainment for many. No problems with that.
But every singer is applauded as if they are something special, when a lot of them aren't at all.
In a "proper" talent contest, some would be booed off the stage, or at least greeted with rather subdued applause rather than the "adulation" encouraged here, by floor managers.
The tragedy is there's far better singers out there than most, who have learned their craft rather than their only experience of not much more than "singing in front of a bedroom mirror with a hairbrush in their hand." These professionals just about earn a living wage in a very competitive industry.
I came across this the other day. Far better than anything I heard tonight.
A young lady with a fantastic voice who made this recording, because she liked the tune.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivRp1Y8CIlY
Her "day job" is as a very accomplished trombone player who "sings a bit" in a jazz band.
But every singer is applauded as if they are something special, when a lot of them aren't at all.
In a "proper" talent contest, some would be booed off the stage, or at least greeted with rather subdued applause rather than the "adulation" encouraged here, by floor managers.
The tragedy is there's far better singers out there than most, who have learned their craft rather than their only experience of not much more than "singing in front of a bedroom mirror with a hairbrush in their hand." These professionals just about earn a living wage in a very competitive industry.
I came across this the other day. Far better than anything I heard tonight.
A young lady with a fantastic voice who made this recording, because she liked the tune.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivRp1Y8CIlY
Her "day job" is as a very accomplished trombone player who "sings a bit" in a jazz band.
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I'm smiling now, but the phrases, "Faint praise" and "Back-handed compliment" spring easily to mind.
There are endless people all vying for the same thing everyone else is, the odds are small. Also, do these people want to sing? Be a singer? Be a famous singer? Be famous? Be a pop star? Sadly millions of others want to be one of them to. Frankly, this show (and others like it) isn't the best route to be any one of them.
No one sounds original, they are all variations of what went before. Almost everyone I've heard on this show can sing. But no one stands out for me. I can't remember one of them.
How true that is.
Take away the "hype" and what you have is pretty average at best.
I can post links for so many far better contemporary singers, many of whom who like this one learned their craft and can demonstrate the fact, in their performances, yet receive little recognition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU4R32VggwY
Of course some of it is in the "genes," so there's a natural element, but it is no guarantee of success.
This is Donny Hathaway's daughter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3LUP_KICl8
Take last night's show. Luciee was another in a long line of contestants with that horrible, screechy, fake, put-on voice that's really "in" at the moment but which I detest. I much preferred Aaliyah, Joe and Angie Brown.
Pleased Gary's through - though now I've said that he'll no doubt be knocked out in the battles!
The most popular are often those who actually can't hold a note or stay in tune. I'm afraid the "wrappings" and presentation, often disguise a mediocre performance.
Same here! There are loads they don't turn around for, those with pure voices, obvious maturity and control, and who connect to the music. But they go for the affected minnie mouse screechy stuff, that, as you say, is in right now. I don't dislike that style of singing per se, but detest it when it's fake. Some do naturally sound like that, most don't.
And yeah, the moment I heard that girl, I knew she would be picked. The formula seems to be: sound like a fake, soulless combination of Billy Holiday, Amy Winehouse and Duffy, add extra Minnie Mouse and scratchiness, and despite sounding like a million others doing the same fake vocal contortion, you'll be called 'original', and get through. Good luck to the girl, not knocking her personally. But, she doesn't naturally sing like that. As Doghouse Riley said, it's all about wrappings and presentation.
There are two types of singers on this show, those who are about playing around with the vocals, or those who are connecting with the lyrics, and telling a story, I.E, singing soulfully.
Very true.
Some if not all seem to be picked for other reasons than having a good voice ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRFHiBW9RE8
I won't dignify the "Voice" performance with a link.
I thought it was rubbish, the judges thought it wonderful and such is the power of TV that a YouTube clip of that performance has totaled nearly three hundred thousand hits.
But I don't see a great future for her, you can't get away with a second "novelty performance."
Sadly, in the "field of pop" a "good voice" is not too essential.
For women it's how attractive you are, how you look in a skimpy costume and whether you can take, "three steps at a time without falling over." The latter can be cobbled together to make a pop video, splicing together a multitude of clips.
The singing bit can be sorted with digital enhancements like auto-tune and at any live performance you just need to be able to lip-sync a bit better than Britney Spears.
Your manager will ensure you're featured in all the pop magazines,get you booked for an appearance on "This Morning" and that your lack of ability never gets exposed, by avoiding booking you in at small venues, where your only aids are a microphone and a bog-standard amplifier or a dodgy PA system.
I realise that, which is why I am puzzled over the 16 year old who sounded like a dunk squeaky mouse for one.Can't remember her name but she was one of the last ones on and looked a bit like a blond Sophie Webster.
If the judges can tell someone who can be moulded and has the right image, just from listening to them over someone with a decent voice then they are geniuses.
If anyone from this series has a decent run in the charts, never mind a career longer than 2 years, then I am an old fart with no taste in music.
Amen!!
Yes x 100 to all of that Linda, especially the BIB!
Ditto. I absolutely hate the way Jai and Luciee sing. It sounds so fake and just a horrible noise to my ears.
I've seen Gary live a couple of times and his live vocals are superb. Check out the song 'Running Around' by Cool Million that he does the vocal on - great tune
Then you get the ones who are already accomplished even if it was a while ago that they started, those are the ones the coaches probably feel they can't mould. Of those we see, I am not sure too many have no performing experience, though level of ability obviously varies. Will in particular is looking for people he can make part of his stable, and I don't blame him for that, but it certainly colours his judgement in particular. I suspect, as others have said on other threads, that he chooses his "team" not as an exercise in pure talent spotting but by selecting some he wants to go far and sprinkling in a few that will be sacrificial lambs later on.
You're not wrong Blondie. Definitely my kinda thing. Fingers crossed for him
I totally agree and the key thing to longevity in the music industry (apart from singing ability) is being able to write your own material. There are countless people who can do passable imitations or karaoke but if you have no originality or anything to say you might as well forget it.
I'm sick to death of the singers who think that warbling around the note (fake Mariah Carey style) makes them sound soulful. No it doesn't - most of them don't have a clue and just think that plucking any random notes out of the air will do! It's horrible.
Why don't we have talent shows devoted to finding talented singer/songwriters instead of this endless karaoke?
Why not have programmes just featuring artists who can actually sing?
There's enough established talent around. Problem is no one needs to watch the TV to listen to them.
These shows are just a load of reality hype, apart from well know faces amongst the judges, the people appearing on them are just a minor consideration.
We did have such a show, Fame Academy and it was dropped due to poor ratings.
Also, aside from Lemar (who came 3rd iirc) no one from the show ended up with much success
Never the less, a lot of singers will get some exposure on BBC 1 and none of them will have been rubbished.