I agree. Simon is only concerned with creating a Westlife sounding record. That is what Simon and Louis do best, make cheesy boybands.

Take That have had their cheesy moments but now I think they are musically a lot better and even serious musicians can admit to liking the new Take That without being mocked for it. Gary seems more passionate about the music as well, whereas Simon just seems to be trying to make a quick return on his investment, a Xmas number one, a number one album and that is it he has made his money and moves on to the next sucker.

Let's be honest, the brief comment from Gary Barlow - which may have been meant as a boost to Diana after she's been ill for a couple of weeks - didn't really constitute a serious offer.

I'm not saying that he wouldn't sign Diana, if he actually got the chance, but that conversation didn't really amount to a proper 'offer', did it?

Is that the evidence for a contract being offered though?

That is what has been puzzling me.
Is this what is being discussed?

I'd buy Diana's album.... would prefer one with GB's input instead of SC's.

i agree that cowells efforts alot of the time r half assed, although i would not say same difference was half hearted , i was shocked at there first single/video, it was pretty slick.

but he gets results last year 40% of sony bmgs profit were due to the association with SYCO

diana has loads of females to compete with in that quirky genre and lets be honest most r miles better than her so she is high risk to go blowing loads of dosh on

40% of Sony BMG profits? Where did you get that figure from? You have artists like Foo Fighters, AC/DC, Avril Lavigne, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, Dido, The Hoosiers, Mark Ronson, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Duran Duran, Pink, Chris Brown, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake...I very much doubt Simon's acts contribute to 40%. Possibly in the UK alone, but even then I doubt it, there are some huge artists on Sony BMG.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2...g-hits%27.html

for 2006, i guess its just uk

I think Same Difference had the benefit of Tim Byrne (Steps) taking an interest as he now works at Syco.


I'm not sure exactly how that figure works out. But Simco (a Cowell company) owns recording rights to every Idol contestant in the world from 2006. And Ronagold (another Cowell company) owns the rights for all before that. Plus, Syco TV owns the Got Talent franchise, one of the worlds biggest TV shows as well as The X Factor.

Among the top 40 best selling albums in the world last week, 5 were signed to Sony through Cowell totalling more than 600,000 albums sold in one week which is about 30% of their total sales at this key time of year.

But I'd guess the 40% was specifically about the UK.

Even rock gods Status Quo thought she was amazing !!

I wouldn't read too much into the Gary Barlow comment. It was made when Diana was still favourite to win and it no doubt added to her profile.

The fact that it wasn't edited out of the final show suggests to me that it wasn't a serious offer and Simon Cowell knew this.

Doesn't Simon Cowell get first refusal of signing every finalist on the show anyway? If so then Diana doesn't have a choice to make.

mmm yeah sign with Simon and enjoy the same success as the likes of...Steve Brookstein...Michelle McManus...Shayne Ward...Leon Jackson...Hear'Say...

...and they were the winners. how many 4th placed acts has Simon moulded to stardom???

go with Gary girly!

Why because you don't like her?

I wonder if Gary has been in contact with Diana since she left the show if he does sign here up he may even write some songs for her.

Whether i like her or not as nothing to do with it but no one knows for sure whether his offer was a serious one or something he said to boast her confidence only time will tell.

Yup. Unless they're doing it different this year, SC has them 'in handcuffs' for the next 12 months.

Its only until the end of the tour that they are contracted.

No, it's because we saw Gary in Carphone Warehouse on Sunday, buying a new mobile and he seemed to be VERY insistant that it came with a new number!!!

LMAO

DOODLE DE AND DOODLE DUM

hear'say was nothing to do with simon they were signed to polydor records


simon was involved with the irish popstars winning band called six, they flopped LOL

Exactly: Universal take on these types of deals because they reckon the people involved, eg Gary in this case, will be good sources of talent. They will obviously do the nitty gritty back office stuff, not him!

Also, look at the other "quirky" solo females who've had success over the last couple of years - Kate Nash, Lily Allen, Duffy, Adele etc. etc. What do they have in common? They all write their own material. I am curious as to whether Diana can write, or wants to?? (But unlikely she'd get the opportunity with Simon in charge).

She wrote this short song before she got on The X Factor. Pretty good for a 16-year-old or however old she was when she wrote it:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xepZG9J90-I

^^She writes her own material and plays the guitar [http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xepZG9J90-I] & in a recent interview she mentioned she's interested in writing her own material.

It was Louis that was involved with them (he was a judge on Irish Popstars). I don't think Simon signed them?

Although there is a little connection between Hearsay and Cowell. "Pure and Simple" was an album track on the debut (and final!) album from Girl Thing who were signed by Simon and flopped massively.

(There's some useless trivia for you!)