I know it's old but I often listen to Matt Cardle's bootcamp audition of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.

It's a spine tingling performance, in my opinion, but I felt his abridged live show version never quite had the raw emotion of the first.

I would have loved Simon to let him continue singing it at bootcamp instead of cutting it short.

It was probably not cut as short as the TV edit would imply. But I agree with you, it was a spine tingling performance, that set him on the road to winning the whole show. I did enjoy the live show performance too, but love his albums since the show even more. Porcelain in particular has some brilliant songs - and I am looking forward to his fourth album, due out this summer, which by all accounts is heavily influenced by his experiences leading up to him going into rehab last year.

I love The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face, so much that I have it on my iTunes. Such an amazing performance. Probably one of the best X Factor performances ever.

I can't wait for his next album, I really wish he got more success.

Leona's live one is far superior. I find Matts vocals to be very unstable and uncontrolled! Not much depth to them. One of the most overrated x facor performances ever. I loved his "nights in white satin" performance and find that much better!

Despite that, I think his albums are spectacular and are very well written.

I really like Matt's version and I think he made it his own. Leona's version is good but it's no different to all the other versions I had. Leona pretty much copied Robert Flack.

I do agree with the OP, I prefer Matt's bootcamp First Time over the live show version, shame the edit cut it so short. There's an extra rawness to it that's not quite the same in the studio, although I do think that's a good version too. I also agree with the earlier poster who said Nights In White Satin was a stand-out performance, was one of my favourites too.

I'm very much looking forward to his fourth album, I love the other three and the new album sounds very interesting. I'm lucky enough to have seen him live on a number of occasions and as good as his albums are, his voice live is on another level, plus he plays with the live arrangements a lot so it's always a different experience.

I agree with this - I like Leona a lot, especially her version of Run, but her version of First Time is too like Roberta Flack's version, and I never liked that. In fact, I never actually liked this song at all until Matt Cardle sang it - there's something in the emotion he puts into it, that makes it a stand out version of what is normally a pretty dreary song. But I have to say my favourite X Factor performance of his was "Baby One More Time". But regardless of whether Matt or Leona's version of First Time is better, they both have new albums ready to launch, and I am really looking forward to both.

This was when he turned my heard, very few performances actually reduce me to tears but he did here. Been a huge fan ever since!

There is a studio version of it that comes as a bonus track on his album The Fire. Have a look on iTunes or Youtube.

THAT boot camp version of FT made me look up from the paper I was reading, XF was only casually on in the background & I wasn't really paying much attention until then. Your right, it's just so raw & full of emotion that I couldnt quite believe what I was watching to be honest, especially from a bloke - it was such a surprise! It really is my fav version, apart from hearing it live which is something else altogether. He's currently working on his 4th album which I'm really looking forward too (he always writes something I'm not quite expecting), plus a tour - his live vocal really is something else. If your curious just pop along to a gig & have a listen for yourself

I see Leona is now Syco free so I'm looking forward to her new music, see what she does without the previous restrictions she was under, always loved her voice but not necessarily the music. Run is a fav but again I prefer the live Radio1 live lounge version with all its raw emotions.

This song has been one of my favourites since a child, usually when you hear someone cover one of your favourites it's never quite as good, but when Matt came on it was definitely a WOW moment, spine tingling. In fact I now think Roberta Flacks version is quite dirgey, much preferring Matts version. Listening to Matt sing this live just reduces me to mush everytime.
Can't wait to hear his new 4th album which is out soon

I love Matt's boot camp version of this song. I love the rawness and the vulnerability in it. To this day it remains my favourite XF from the whole show from start to finish. As much as I like Leona, I really didn't enjoy her version