Actually Madonna is not a songwriter. She demands a writing credit to use your songs because she wants a share of the royalties. Certainly didn't write a note or word of Like A Virgin.

Marc Almond has always had a distinctive style. I'm amazed anyone would call the original Tainted Love weedy.

Why should she have to? Why can't she just be herself?

Sorry but no she she is just another Janet to me...and hopefully will leave the competition early with her over-sincerity and flowers in her hair. Sorry but no.

She doesn't have to lick a sledgehammer. She will need to show a bit more maturity and depth of personality, more facets than she currently has or people will get bored.

If Abi released a record it would probably be in the style of Gabrielle Aplin etc, I see her appealing to the fanbase of singers like Gabrielle Aplin, Birdy etc

Could any other contestant do this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spTZt0tiNb0

That's why I was careful to use the term "co-written."

I'm suspicious of people who don't play and therefore have no concept of the underyling harmony labelling themselves as "songwriters."

But then, if it's good enough for Victoria Beckham?

Re Marc Almond, obviously "Tainted Love," wasn't one of his compositions, but I was thinking more of "Say Hello Wave Goodbye," the original recording of which is almost painfully sharp, in places and I'd describe it as "weedy!"

Mind you, the version of the same song he did a few years back with Jools Holland, I'd describe as a powerful and masterful effort...the last note always leaves me flabbergasted, even if he does take a sneaky breath before he holds it and he can do it live too!

Rich.
x

I like the kind of music she does but I don't think she's cut out for xfactor. A strong and versatile personality / talent is needed to succeed in the live shows for the themes and I can't see that she'll be able to change from what she does.

Also the amount of guilt she's felt and insecurities over every single episode she's appeared in. Feeling guilty in that kind of industry would cause so much strain on her emotions I don't think she'd cope. A winner needs to be confident (but not arrogant!) in their ability.

She looks like a really nice girl and she is talented but there is only so far that wearing flowers on your head and singing the same style each time in xfactor will get you.

I reallllllllly like her too.

No way.

She is so limited.

Another Janet Devlin.

Abi is an ok singer but not the best and is dull as dishwater.

Abi's good but I wouldn't say the best I think Tamera or Hannahs voice is better. She's quite like Janet.

Certainly not the other two girls I don't think Hannah and Tamera are able to sing soft.

I think they could.

But,there seems to be this unwritten rule these days, that everything has to be delivered at full pelt, or else, notes have to be "added" willy-nilly to a melody, perhaps in order to show that you have, to coin a phrase, "made," it your own, see Jahmene Douglas murdering "Imagine," for details.

However, all you've achieved, IMO, in fact, is to lose the beauty of the original melody, or end up sounding exactly the same as everybody else who thinks their doing the same thing.

Thanks for the link, lovely and give me this sort of simplicity, anyday, it moves me far over some of the more hectic stuff..

Rich.
x

Point more was could the write that song (as Abi has done) and play and perform it?

This, I think is one of the reasons so few people who've won the X-Factor are capable of lasting careers and yes, I include the likes of One Direction, with whom, facile comparisons to the Beatles have been made, yep, I can really see them playing all of their groundbreaking songs in 50 years time!

Trick is, artists such as many of those who come out of the X-Factor, rely heavily upon finding good writers to provide them with decent songs to sing..

If they don't write themselves then they may very quickly find themselves running out of options and being dropped very quickly..

Perhaps the best thing for them to do is to take a leaf out of JLS's book and make hay while the sun shines, because most of them are going back to their day jobs very soon, or ending up having to be satisfied with "lesser," musical options...or, appearing on "Stepping Out," SCD, or Panto.

;O)

Rich
x

Pop has a huge tradition of performers being different from writers. Labels like Motown used to have rooms full of people sat at pianos writing songs for their artists. One Dimension are simply following on from that.

They do create the obsessions, the hyperventilating, the knicker-wetting anticipation that all great pop acts inspire.

I think they're doing it pretty well. If they can get a few girls threatening to kill themselves when they finally call it a day, they'll have done a good job (assuming the girls don't actually go through with it).

I like her, she's genuinely musical and she's more likeable than both other girls too. I think Hannah is overrated and tameras personality might let her down with votes, she's a bit like mischa b.

Thanks, I'm aware of the history of Motown and the fact that in New York, there were teams of writers such as Neil Sedaka and Carole King working and writing songs for themselves and other artists.

I'm also aware that One Direction are following on from that tradition, though whether any of the songs they've recorded will stand the test of time, like those of the great Motown artitsts, or anything out of Phil Spector's stable remains to be seen..

I'm also aware of their "impact," but it's nothing that's not been seen before, to a greater, or lesser degree..and when the next bunch of gonky boys who can sing and dance a bit come along, they may well find themselves sinking into obscurity pretty fast..that's happened before..

My point was simply that these people do not create and therefore have to rely on others to do that for them, which is what I'm pretty sure I said?

A number of them, have seemed to disappear without trace and when the songs dry up they don't really have many options..unlike some of those who actually do create..

As and when One Direction fall apart, it'll be of interest to me, to see how quickly they're forgotten, or end up reforming down the road, for one last go after their "solo," careers flop..

I'm not sensing any budding McArteny's, Lennons, or Harrisons, or even a Gary Barlow, emerging,...as yet?
And, yep, I'm aware that Barlow didn't have a successful solo career, but I think he was still writing for other artists and his song writing prowess has been the powerhouse behind the re-emergence of Take That..

But, it's early days!



Rich.
x

this is what they are trying to find / copy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8aSrLda8_Q

I don't see anything objectionable about Tamera's personality as yet, but we shall see how she conducts herself during the lives. Hannah on the other hand, I would agree is overrated. Nothing about her or her voice grabs me.

I am afraid that you have it all wrong. Tamera and Hannah are a country mile better than any of the other contestants left in the show.

That's your opinion which is fine - everyone else is entitled to theirs. Besides, I wasn't disputing their obvious singing ability. I was referring to them personality-wise.

Hannah seems to want to make everyone feel as miserable as she does. Tamera seems arrogant and not as good as she :sleep:thinks she is. Hannah's like Bilie Holliday without the heroin. Tamera's like Loleatta Holloway (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22fRZ...e_gdata_player) without the talent.

Completely irrelevant, this is a competition based on popularity and variety, if an act cannot adapt to the theme weeks they usually get the boot.

Vocal range is one of the single most important factors in judging relative success in this competition. It's not the defining factor, that is simply potential popularity and likability, but it's still important.

If X factor was a "who can sell the most albums" competition then maybe, but it's not.

How many winners have been outsold by the runners up? Almost all of them