A little news–On Wednesday’s results show, Ruben Studdard will be the guest performer. He’ll be singing the new boot song, “Celebrate me Home.” Next week, Katharine McPhee performs with David Foster.
This week, the Idols take on the Beatles’ song book. I’m simultaneously excited and horrified. As a Beatles freak I look forward to hearing these great songs performed–but performed well. And as we know, anything can happen on the Idol stage. I remain cautiously optimistic…
Check out my song picks for the Idols after the jump. What are yours? Share in comments! Remember, only Lennon/McCartney songs count. George Harrison wrote many incredible songs recorded by the Beatles (”Something”, “Here Comes the Sun”). Lucky for George, Michael Jackson/Sony ATV never got their grubby little hands on his songs…
ETA: Looks like I’m going to have to revise my list:
Here is what Nigel Had to Say about Beatles week:
Now that the Idol finally has use of the entire songbook — which includes 180 tunes — Lythgoe knows just when to use them.
“When the Top 12 sing for the first time this season, it will be the music of Lennon and McCartney,” he told Seacrest. “We’ve given them a list because it’s all of the early songs — from ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ to ‘Got to Get You Into My Life.’ These fantastic songs. It’s one of the few areas that everybody knows.”
The list ends with Revolver–nothing from Sgt Pepper onnward…
My favorite period is the middle period–Beatles for Sale through Revolver.
This is really a wish list. There are too many obscure songs on here that would never get picked, but here goes:
- David Archuleta - “Here, There and Everywhere”
- Jason Castro - “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away”
- David Cook - “I’ve Just Seen a Face”
- Kristy Lee Cook - “What Goes On”
- Chikezie - “I’m Down”
- David Hernandez - “Got to Get You Into My Life”
- Michael Johns - “We Can Work It Out”
- Amanda Overmyer - “Wait”
- Ramiele Malubay - “Eleanor Rigby”
- Syesha Mercado - “Drive My Car”
- Carly Smithson - “Can’t Buy Me Love”
- Brooke White - “For No One”
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BITE YOUR TONGUE!!
Well the sentiment sounds kinda like Jason! “tomorrow may rain so I’ll follow the sun” lol
But I was hoping he’d sing Norwegian Wood. Sadly sciencefan, me too so I know them all!
I love “I’ll Follow the Sun”.
VFTW says the call in phone number is so we can ask the judges or contestants a question!!!
SHRIEK!!
You have to leave your question on voicemail and they call you back if they want.
Norwegian Wood -
I didn’t recognize the name.
It’s funny how we like the sound of a song without realizing what the words are about.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Wood_(This_Bird_Has_Flown)
I just don’t get why TPTB fights back on song spoilers. Heck, I think they should even release them. I think a lot of people will get excited/nervous/curious when they know who’s doing what and it would get them even more excited about tuning in to the show. JMO.
I think so, too.
Or they might fear that people might choose NOT to watch the show based on the song choices.
Great song, one of my faves. It won’t have to be chopped in half either because it’s very short at under 2 minutes.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Gh6NS2D0pW8
My revised list.
David Cook: Eleanor Rigby
Jason Castro: Good Day Sunshine
Michael Johns: And I Love Her
David Hernandez: Michelle
Chikezie: Can’t Buy Me Love
David Archuleta: I Saw Her Standing There
Brooke White: If I Fell
Carly Smithson: I Want to Hold Your Hand
Amanda Overmyer: Got to Get You Into My Life
Syesha Mercado: P.S. I Love You
Ramiele Malubay: Here, There And Everywhere
Kristy Lee Cook: All My Loving
Oh boy, Im cringing already. Im very attached and protective of my Beatle songs. I think whoever gets “Oh Darling” will either soar with the eagles or crash. Its that kind of song. They will have to change some of these classics up so we wont be comparing it to the Beatles version.
I think songs like Paperback Writer for example will be “safe” choices but songs like “The Long and Winding Road”, “Let It Be”, “Oh Darling”, and “Hey Jude”, well that just aint right.
I hafta hand it to my boy T, he really took a chance on “Something” but even I had to cringe just a bit. He did the song very well BUT, its a Harrison tune and in my mind, it can never be duplicated but thats just me. Its a definite conundrum.
This will either be a curse or a blessing. Im thinking in most cases it will be the former.
Well, according to this article, they only had 25 songs to choose from this week. Should be an interesting show tomorrow.
Oh boy am I NERVOUS about tomorrow. The Beatles lover in me is afraid, the American Idol fan in me is crossing fingers.
DARN on the EARLY Beatles….I totally thought Amanda would attempt “Helter Skelter”
Oh well. I’ll have to really think about the choices now…
I hope for some NICE surprises, because I’ll be so bored if I hear the overly done Beatles songs that are being butchered in enough commercials.
Here is to not hearing “Yesterday”
Leave it to Nigel. After making such a big deal of getting the Lennon-McCartney songbook finally cleared to sing, he limits the list to 25 songs.
It’s freaking ridiculous Sarah. 25 songs for 12 people to chose and it doesn’t sound like they are allowing repeats from the article pj posted. It’s an interesting read:
Now if that isn’t the biggest pile of bullshite I’ve ever read! Seriously? So ‘kids’ don’t know what the people like? REALLY? The old guy creating the show making people listen to the SAME frigging songs year after year definitely know what they are doing. I am not saying he’s completely stupid, AI is a cash cow, but the top 24 round was full of great songs last year IMO. Not sure what he’s thinking here….
MrsTrep… I can’t believe that I hadn’t thought of this before today, but I’d almost wager that part of the reason (and part of the reason for the limited list too) is to circumvent going over the producers’ heads to clear songs. It’s widely rumored that last year, Blake got Maroon 5 to clear “This Love” for him to sing on top 3 night as his “prodcuers choice” song, even after the producers said they couldn’t get it cleared. The rumor is that he had a connection to the band through the former drummer, and so after Nigel said they wouldn’t clear it, he personally called them and asked if he could sing it, and they said yes. Methinks Nigel might not have liked that too much. So now, not only do the contestants get restrictive themes, they also get restrictive lists to keep that from happening.
/tinfoil hat :)
Nah, I don’t really think that’s it, Sarah. Nigel himself admitted that Blake got his song cleared. I think it’s that they are erroneously connecting some dots. Last year’s show was universally panned (which I disagree about, but still) and they looked back at the semi’s and wondered what went wrong. They had Sligh, Blake and others doing songs that were actually interesting, instead of run of the mill Idol fare. Maybe TPTB think that’s why they didn’t “grab” the audience at first.
Or maybe, they didn’t want to show off the judges’ lack of recent musical knowledge. 311, anyone?
Or maybe they want to control the outcome through song choice and other manipulations. /tinfoil hat
LOL.
If they’re only doing the earliest Beatles songs it’ll be alot like last season’s British invasion show. The songs are very popish and will not show off strong vocals. The people who do the best will be the “personality” types for example,singers like Taylor and Sanjaya who did a good job with the Kinks song last season. The songs have to be fun to catch the spirit but not kareoke versions either.
People who I see not having a great night: Ramiele, Syesha, Carly, Micheal, Chiceze, Kristy.
Hmmm, why then Nigel did the first episode of the semis for the girls last year have a better selection of songs than anything we have seen so far this year?
Nigel’s an ass. Oh I’m sorry, did I say that out loud?
I have a wish list of what I’d like to see, but I think some choices aren’t popular enough, or not appropriate.
First I’d kill to see some one do “Why Don’t We Do It In the Road”, John once said in an interview that he thought this was Paul’s best song (heh, that John). Probably Amanda, it suits her range or lack there of.
You know one of the rocker guys has to do “Helter Skelter” (if its approved).
I want Jason to do “I’m Only Sleeping”. I love this song!
David A. should sing some thing fun and bouncy, how about “Bungalow Bill”.
Please God, don’t let any one do some of the sappier Paul songs (this is a vain hope I think). The girls will eat these up and probably David’s H&A.
“I’m So Tired” is another I like (hmm maybe I have sleep on the brain, go figure!). Ooo or maybe David A can do “Lovely Rita”! And a final must would have to be “Polythene Pam”!
Oh please let the fates hear me!!!!
25 songs is complete and utter crap. Way to ruin your own Beatles night. They probably asked the judges to name all the Beatles songs they know and it added up 25. It sucks even more that it’s first come, first served on song choice. They probably gave David A the list of songs when he was 12 years old singing for Kelly Clarkson.
This kind of takes the fun out of picking songs. Bleh
…lol
LMAO, cheese!
Exactly, Cheese. That’s why I didn’t even try after reading that. I was going to work on my picks tonight.
I said this on the other thread, but I’m pissed that we can’t have a David A (I think I’m gonna start calling him Archie) and Jason C smackdown on “Crazy.”
After all the comments from Randy and Paula today, I guess Michael or Carly will be in the pimp spot tomorrow singing the song of their choice. I was thinking that David C and Jason would be getting some love from the judges in these interviews, but I guess Paula and Randy are sticking to the pre-season script. I wonder which one they’ll stick in the dreaded first slot tomorrow?
Well, haven’t both MJ and CS had the pimp spot? I guess they may wipe the slate clean now that it’s top 12. Oh well. Grr.
I went back and re-listened to last week’s performances, and for me Jason and Brooke were the clear standouts. Carly and Michael didn’t sound as good as I remembered, but David A and Chikeze were better than I had thought. David Cook, on the other hand, didn’t sound nearly as good as I remember. I give him props on the original arrangement, but the vocals weren’t as strong as they could have been.
I’m excited about tomorrow– the new set (which, according to spy reports sounds pretty darn cool), the finals atmosphere, the Beatles (even if it is just 25 songs)… and an overall talent level that should hopefully give as good a Top 12 show as season five and especially season three (GREAT night, if you don’t remember!).
Undercover News
Dang it. Sounds like it’s perfect for David. Plus it’s upbeat, so I think he’ll get another tongue bath from the judges. BRING YOUR TOWELS. Pimp spot anyone?
Oh and the press will declare the winner (again) because they’re just as dumb as the judges. I can just imagine the headlines Wednesday morning.
(Why am I am so anti-Archie, you ask? Well, I just have a hard time swallowing things that are forced down my throat.)
My favorite Beatles song is going to be sung by David A.!?!!? Bleech. That’s information I didn’t need.
Yuck. I don’t like the Stevie Wonder version of “We Can Work It Out” at all. I’m sure it won’t be any better with gasping and lip licking.
Oh yeah the slate is definitely wiped clean when the top 12 starts re: pimp spots, etc.
Season 5, Chris D had the pimp spot in top 20 week and then again on top 12 week (which bodes well for David A having it again). IIRC, Jordin had it last year, but it was her first pimp spot.
So I fully expect one of the judge faves (Gasp!, Carly, or Michael) to have it, even though they’ve all had it already. And yeah, whoever goes first is who they want to throw under the bus. I’m betting on David H. Again. Could be Chikezie or Kristy Lee though… maybe. If they really want to piss us off, it will be Jason or David C (who will likely start showing tire tracks across their backs in 2 weeks, max).
OMFG. Pimp, pimp, pimp. Even if I didn’t like just about all the other finalists better than him, I wouldn’t agree that his talent is “well” above the others. Puh-lease.
ETA: It will be interesting to see who’s swallowed up on the new biggah!than!evah! stage.
I bet it’s Jason who is swallowed by the new stage, and that short Asian girl.
I am concerned for David’s voice after last week, but believe he could pull it off. That’s a good song choice for him, allowing the audience to see a different side of him. The kid is smart.
Didn’t Earth Wind & Fire do a cover of “Got to Get You Into My Life?” That version could work for Chikeze or Syesha..
I’d love to hear one of the girls do “For No One” (assuming they do it well of course) which has always been my favorite less-known Beatles song.
And I’d love it if David C or Jason do “Nowhere Man”.
Taylor did Lennon/McCartney on tour: “Don’t Let Me Down”. Has anyone else? It must not be such a big deal clearing the songs for the tour?
I don’t see what good it’s going to do David A. to do a karaoke version of a Stevie Wonder cover. The whole point is to make it their own. But since he’s the golden boy, perhaps no one will reprimand him for it.
Jason Castro is supposedly singing “I’ll Follow the Sun.”
That’s a perfect song for him.
I’m glad.
TROUBLE!
“The “Idol” rehearsals are on, and we’re told the new set is amazing — but it’s got some big problems!
We hear the computers that control the doors to release the contestants at the beginning of the show are not working.”
TMZ
Song Spoilers from TMZ!
David Hernandez — “I Saw Her Standing There”
Syesha Mercado — “Got To Get You Into My Life”
Michael Johns — “Across the Universe”
Carly Smithson — “Come Together”
David Cook - a rocked-out version of “Eleanor Rigby”
Brooke White — “Let It Be”
Chikezie — “She’s a Woman”
Ramiele Malubay — “In My Life”
Jason Castro — “If I Fell”
Amanda Overmyer — “You Can’t Do That”
Kristy Lee Cook - country rendition of “Eight Days a Week”
She sang next to last.
David Archuleta — “We Can Work It Out”
Archie went last.
Speaking of Katharine McPhee does she still have that guy stalking her from St. Louis?