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Is it just me or does anyone else think she totally blew with the version of To Sir With Love that she sang on the March 21 elimination show?
I like the original version. I even like the Jann Arden version.
The American Idol version sucked and when one of the contestants re-phrases, re-works a classic and tries to make it current, the judges rake them over the coals for it. Obviously no one is going to complain at what or how she chooses to sing on the show, they’re just happy she’s there, but me… I was disappointed. The frac-man was watching the show with the younger boy and I, and couldn’t recall who the heck she was. I assured him that when she came out and sang, he would recognize the song.
So imagine how annoyed I was when, following her introduction, out she comes and though the other viewers in the room were (all male) mightily impressed with her appearance… the song was barely recognizeable. The frac-man left the room. I’m sure he thought I was full of it. At any rate, no one really thought the song was worth listening to.
It seemed to me she was trying too hard to be young and hip and all that crap. I’m sorry to burst her bubble, but we know
the movie with Poitier was released in what… 1967? We can do the math; we didn’t expect her to be 22. (Her website states she was born in 1948)
I just had to get that off my chest and you know… I even had to go to my playlist and find both the original version and the Jann Arden version, and play them a couple of times just to get the stench of the one she sang that night out of my head.
So even big stars and legends frac up.
Imagine that.
On the plus side Lulu… kick-ass shoes!
I’ll forgive you for the song just so long as I don’t have to listen to that version again, but only… only because you wore kick-ass shoes.
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[...] even have to worry about elimination. Malakar is widely considered the weakest singer on the …Lulu on American Idol The American Idol version sucked and it seems that when one of the contestants re-phrases, re-works [...]
Pingback by American Idol Fever » American Idol March 22, 2007 4:34 pm March 22, 2007 @ 4:23 PMI actually think she sounded okay, although I thought I heard a bi tof that Whitney-style over-singing here and there, plus a moment of a her hitting a bad note.
But check Lulu out on PBS’ newest “oldies” show devoted to the “British Invasion,” which was broadcast just days ago.
She sounded incredible on that one and was much more faithful to the original (great) song, which I have to come to realize is a real classic. I’ve heard it on and off through my whole life (born two years after it came out) and it still has a lot of power.
So I give Lulu a lot of credit for landing this gig and I dare say most will have liked her. Plenty of great blues and soul singers go on well into their ’50s, ’60s and ’70s and she is a kind of soul singer, definitely. She still “has” it and yes, the shoes were fab. Check her old videos out on youtube!
Comment by Greg Nolan Jr. March 22, 2007 @ 7:18 PMwas it just me or did you notice that she took a while after they announced her name? I think she was too concerned with her appearance and missed her que to get onstage.
i was laughing.
Who is she anyways?
Comment by skywindows March 22, 2007 @ 8:08 PMWikipedia has a page that’s easier to read than the page at her website (linked in my post). Her site is one of those white/light type on black background kind that kill your eyes.
Lulu at Wikipedia
She’s actually known for a lot but what most people remember here, is the movie To Sir With Love with Sidney Poitier, in 1967. She was 19 or something at the time. If you haven’t heard the song, you should download the original and even the Jann Arden version just to see what a nice song it really is, and then… you’ll see what I mean about the arrangement for it she sang on Idol. I thought it was horrid.
I just used the Jann Arden version in a presentation I just did for a school, and really… it needed no changing. WHy she/they decided to butcher it for Idol, I’ll never figure out
Comment by fracas March 22, 2007 @ 8:45 PMWho is she? Who are *you*?
Take a few minutes to learn about that which came before you, please. :)
As for her coming out too late, she was worth waiting for.
Comment by Greg Nolan Jr. March 22, 2007 @ 9:00 PMSorry, I am product of the 70’s and was brought up on Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Barbara Mandrell, and Crystal Gail.
I have read the wiki on her and now I remember her as being married to the BeeGee’s guy.
She is a beautiful woman for her age. Wow.
And nice shoes.
Comment by skywindows March 22, 2007 @ 9:05 PMGreg – I fully understand why you’d say she was worth waiting for. She looked (as my youngest son put it) “hot”. He didn’t care much about the singing after that, he just enjoyed the show.
She does look remarkable for her age, don’t get me wrong. I’m not the kind of woman who has to be snide and vindictive when I see another woman looking awesome. I’m the kind of person who can give credit where credit is due, but it also goes the other way; every coin has two sides.
All in all, her appearance and singing ability were great but the arrangement of the song was lousy. That’s a fair comment that shouldn’t really lend itself to people hopping all over the place to “defend” her. Sheesh. No wonder I take Simon’s side so often..
I realize your comment was directed at skywindows. I think she was asking the “Who is she” question in the literal sense, which is perfectly ok by me. I don’t see anything wrong with her asking the question here instead of taking the time to go look it up herself (which you suggested). After all, she posted the question at a blog where the owner clearly already knew the answer, so why not just ask here? That’s what friends are for. (Oops… different song) LOL
Comment by fracas March 23, 2007 @ 9:35 AMI like your blog, it’s great.
Come check out my site!
http://www.HollywoodHeadache.com
XOXO
Miss Hollywood
P.S. I agree, the song was butchered!
Comment by misshollywoodheadache March 23, 2007 @ 11:28 AMHey! Fac happens!
Comment by Bice March 23, 2007 @ 11:40 AMThought she made the song current and showed she’s more than a melodic, sweet, innocent voice. She has the big guns and I never knew it until she took a chance with the big notes. To me it took the song to a new dimension with the likes of Whitney and Celine.
Comment by Randy March 24, 2007 @ 9:30 PMYup.. and I give her that for sure. I just don’t think that was the song to do it on. I’d have been happier to hear the big guns doing something else.
Comment by fracas March 24, 2007 @ 10:04 PMI think there was something wrong with her ear piece. She pulled it out half way through the song. She must have been getting feedback or something in her ear. She looked dissapointed at the end. You can imagine trying to sing when the music is out of sync in your ear. I think if she had been keeping to the beat – that newer up tempo version would have sounded very right on! Lulu is very popular in the UK. She had many of her own t-v shows and has a GREAT voice! Cheers.
Comment by Derek March 28, 2007 @ 6:08 AMIt was too bad that Lulu took the best song ever and ruined it. I used to love that song till I heard her on American Idol. Why she didn’t keep it the way it was recorded back in the day is beyond me.
Comment by Bizmark September 2, 2007 @ 5:41 AMbtw- I think Simon should step up his game a little and audition these old artists to make sure they still sing their songs the way they recorded them back in the day, before booking them.
Comment by Bizmark September 2, 2007 @ 5:44 AMWhat a bunch of idiots on this web-site, with the exception of those who have the abilty to recognize talent. How many of you who are so quick to be critical of someone else can even sing in tune.?Get a life!
Comment by cruisinsmooth March 28, 2008 @ 11:44 PMLulu was fantastic and the arrangement was updated, and on the money.
This lady is like a fine wine who has only gotten better with age. She was discovered and introduced to the public by Paul McCartney…someone who does know a little something about talent. For you MORONS who don’t know who he is, why don’t you Google “Beatles”.
As for you cynical babes who had negative comments about Lulu….couldn’t be that a gal in her 50’s looks hotter than you do invokes a little jealousy could it?
I loved it! As for the rest of you, have another beer and return to the Karaoke Bar at your local bowling alley!
A) No one here was trashing her, some of us just didn’t like the re-arranging of the song… which is our perogative. Methinks you’ve gone of the deep end for not much of an apparent reason. Sheesh. Who are these ‘cynical babes’ you refer to? Are we not allowed to dislike the new arrangement of the song without worrying about someone like you to freak out about non-existent issues? Or do you just do this all the time?
ROFL.
Comment by fracas March 23, 2009 @ 1:02 PMgreat great great could not have been better
Comment by lou durando March 23, 2009 @ 8:55 AMSome parts were good, some parts weren’t. Regardless, she did look fabulous!
Comment by fracas March 23, 2009 @ 1:02 PM