First I gotta than Kristen the promotions coordinator at MIX 98.5. for allowing me to hang out at the breakfast! The peeps at MIX were all really cool. Lander, the morning guy did not poke his head into the MIX lounge, (he’s like OZ says Kristen, ha ha) But, Fast Freddie, the guy who does gossip did come into the lounge for a bit. I promised him I’d send him any scoop I found it. Heh.
I just edited this paragraph to add info and fix typos! First things first: Here’s the information I managed to get from David and his Dad: There is a song that David wrote completely on his own for the album. It’s called “Falling” and it’s a bonus track on the iTunes deluxe version. He wrote the song when he was 14 years old. David wrote non-stop the two weeks before the album deadline, because he and Jeff felt there weren’t enough good tracks to choose from for the album. He wrote about 8 songs, four of them are on the album. He wrote the bonus track for the Wal-mart edition with Daniel Bedingfield. It’s an acoustic number, and the “heaviest” on the album. He also wrote “Don’t Let Go” with JC Chasez and “A Little Too Not Over You” with Matt Girard and Robbie Neville.
Check out my pictures and read my account of the morning after the JUMP…
When I arrived at the studio, there was no crowd waiting outside the building for David like at some of the other radio station events. Once inside, the fans invited to the event were milling about. They were mostly teens and their moms. Skipping school to see David Archuleta! Interesting, none of them are on the internet. Nobody I talked to knew that David’s album was available for pre-order on iTunes or that a full version of “Angels” was available for download. Most of these kids know “Crush” because it’s on the radio, but are pretty unaware of everything else going on with him. When I said, “his album is available for pre-order,” nobody appeared to be chomping at the bit to order it. They will probably buy his album when it’s available. Here’s a pic of some of the kids I met.
We waited around in the lobby for awhile before we were ushered into the MIX lounge. Breakfast from Panera was waiting for us. Yum. The original plan was for David to do his interview first, and then come back to meet the fans. But, he was stuck in traffic trying to get across town from the other radio station. He finally arrived:
And it turned out that David didn’t arrive in time to do a live interview, so he came out to have breakfast with the fans first. He sat up front, and it was so funny, because it was very quiet at first, so I asked the first question, about “Falling”–he mentioned that it was “only” a bonus track, then I thanked him for bringing peace to my blog–that his friendship with Cook helped bring all the fans together. Ha ha. I also mentioned that his pre-order had hit #6 on iTunes and he didn’t seem to be aware of that. He was all “Cool!”
He turned to talk to another fan and said, I think I have something in my teeth. After the fan left, he turned to me and said, “Do I have something in my teeth?” He squinted his eyes and grinned so I could inspect. Heh. David is so random, and so funny. No, he didn’t have anything in his teeth. David also sings to himself. All the time. When he’s signing autographs, when he’s answering questions…I mean all the time! Also, according to Kristen, when he walked into the building, he saw pictures of Jason Mraz and John Mayer from past MixFests on the wall and he got really excited.
David signed a picture for me, and he asked me my name, I said “MJ” and Jeff Archuleta was standing there, and said, “You’re MJ? I want to talk to you!” And I was all “Ruh Roh!” By this time, the kids got over their shyness and approached the table for autographs, it got crowded, so I retreated to the back to talk to Jeff and that’s when he told me about the cuts on the album and the songs David wrote right before deadline. Anyway, he said that he found me last November when I was posting spoilers from IDF, and that I introduced him to the wonderful world of AI online. Ha. He said he found the information useful, and didn’t mind at all that I spoiled David. He also was OK with the fact that I criticized David during the competition, and that he realizes that’s “part of the business.”
One other thing he made a point of telling me (probably because I criticized David’s penchant for ballads during the show) that David sang mostly ballads because he couldn’t hear himself during the faster numbers like “Shop Around”. They allowed the kids to wear in-ear monitors, but only for a couple of weeks.
So I pulled myself away from Jeff to snap some more pictures of David:
Jeff also said that album is “very mature” and has a variety of styles on it, and that people will be “blown away”. Towards the end of the breakfast, some of the staff came in to talk to David and take pictures, including Fast Freddie, and the music director and a few other people. Right before David left, he grabbed some breakfast for himself. He says there are no Paneras in Utah.
Here are some more random pictures:
Kristen, the promotions director was gushing. She said David was one of the nicest people she’s ever met.
Afterward, David left to record his interview. You’ll be able to hear it live tomorrow at the MIX 98.5 website
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Don’t mean to bring this up since it’s over, but I just had to LOL at this:
It took me a second– I was like, what fingers? Oh, like literal typing fingers, as opposed to a talking mouth. Haha. Sorry, easily amused.
I wouldn’t put it past them, for sure. I also get that the constraints of the competition are designed to make things challenging for the contestants (I believe Brooke said as much in her popwatch interview with Slezak, which btw, was a great interview, gotta love her). But I just hope TPTB realize some of those constraints *don’t* make for good TV, and hurt the ratings because narrow theme nights with short song lists mostly result in mediocre or “not-current” performances that bore viewers, rather than ratings-enhancing trainwrecks.
smallie.. yeah… they need some less restricting themes going on… and 60’s stuff… what was that about… seriously…
thanks for the pics and info MJ. David looks great of course and it’s so funny how he’s always singing to himself.
Personal opinion. I have heard some people say the hand songs and crush are alike, but I just don’t hear it. OK, “My Hands” in style is closer to Crush, but “Touch my hands” (has a beatles vibe to me) is way different and “A little too not over you” is way different.To each his own.
I get it now- David is not hard of hearing- he was dealing with the mosh pit and screaming. That seems unfair since he had some of the loudest screaming. Oh well, he did fantastic anyway. It seems like it would be wise for the producers to let the contestants have realistic circumstances so they could see what they can really do in a normal setting, but oh well.
There have been contestants who hear just fine who handled singing on the big stage without ear monitors. My Elliott theory was just one example. Every singer is different.
^^ I think somebody mentioned that this year’s big stage was bigger and oddly set-up. The band was right behind the contestants. I can imagine that would make a difference from past years.
Just curious. I didn’t watch other seasons of AI. Did other season have tons of girls screaming every week from a mosh pit?
This year was the first time there was ever a mosh pit. There was a show called “Another 25 Things You Didn’t Know About Idol” on the TVGuide Channel where it was mentioned that they saw like 3 people faint at just the sight of David A coming on stage.
I know it’s not spoken about much, but I often hear David talk about hearing issues. When asked about if music doesn’t work out for him (fat chance at the moment) he often mentions wanting to be a ENT doctor. When asked why he talks about his vocal paralysis, but also that he thinks he has hearing problems. He has mentioned it more than once, but as far as I can see nobody has taken this and ran with it the way we tend to dissect everything else. Has anyone besides me noticed or hear about this? I
That is not to make any excuse for him, WCWIO was a trainwreck as was With You, although at the end of With You he had caught up to the music and was working it out and the studio of WCWIO is incredible. We all know now that David is indeed a pop singer, and with all of his issues both real and manufactured he still made it to top 2. No small feat!
I really hope the producers do away with that mosh pit this season, and I would also like to see them do away with the dated theme weeks (especially during the semifinals).
I think the whole ear monitor issue/explanation for why Archie stuck to ballads for most of the season is a fair excuse. Very few of this season’s finalists had to contend with the screams and squealing every week from the girls in the mosh pit. Contestants in previous seasons may have had to deal with Bandzilla, but they didn’t have to deal with the double whammy of Bandzilla plus the mosh pit girls in front of the stage.
abbysee I was going to mention that… he’s brought it a few times. Whether its actual hearing problems or not who knows.. but he doesnt like the sound of his voice, at least lol and being a perfectionist, maybe he thinks he has hearing problems. I dont know. But I have heard it brought up
I have heard David himself say several times that he thinks something is wrong with his hearing. It’s usually brought up when interviewers ask him about his vocal paralysis. It’s not something that David has dwelled on because it didn’t sound like he has been specifically tested for hearing issues.
I think it’s one of those things that you notice about yourself that is a constant issue, but you don’t really see a doctor about it because you function pretty well the majority of the time.
You’ll notice he says “WHAT?” a lot of the time, during interviews and meet and greets (even when it’s not too loud or chaotic). Not to say that he has serious hearing problems by any means, but it could explain why he has a tough time w/ loud background music. The ear monitor was a BIG relief to David when they were able to wear them.
I think AI should accomodate singers if they need an ear piece. Who cares what it looks like?! Any artist on stage is going to wear an ear piece so they can hear the music!
I wish I could remember the last interview where he spoke about maybe having hearing issues. It must have been an interview done sometime w/in the tour time. I think he was talking about Crush as well, so it may have been in August.
Toma.. I think also sometimes he kinda zones out or gets spacey.. lol that may be part of the ‘what?’ issue lol. I know if im not fully paying attention, ill do the same.
Yeah i dont remember which interview it was in either… I should be on top of this stuff lol lol
frogcooke, he is definitely easily distracted and spacey, as he calls it. I think it is funny when he tells the story of why his friends call him “Lettuce Boy”. He says they were all talking about hating lettuce and that he told them he likes lettuce. The way his friends told it was that he was zoning out and he heard the word lettuce and suddenly came to life, saying “I love lettuce”.
frogcooke,
YES.. there’s definitely some zoning going on.. lol His musical wheels are constantly turning and that’s ok!
But you know how the whole ears, throat and nose thing go together. If something is wrong w/ either one or more.. then you can bet on all of them having some kind of issues. Personally, I think David is fine, but i’m glad his parents keep taking him for medical observation.
To top it off, David is quite sensitive to his allergies, which can plug up those ears as well.
Oh well. David still has more singing talent in one fingernail than i’ll ever hope to have! LOL
I can’t wait to get my hands on that cd of his!
From the interview they did at top 4 with billboard:
BTW Thanks for the photos MJ, glad you have fun…
yeah he gets allergies, which plays havoc with it all. lol And yeah I cant wait for the cd.
Thanks celeste!
Glad you all brought this up. I was going to do the same. I have always had a very slight hearing impairment - no big deal in daily life, but it’s a bit challenging to speak on my mobile phone, and being put on speakerphone drives me bonkers. Even a tiny hearing loss can throw you off in certain situations. When I watch David in interviews he reminds me of me in that he tends to have to ask people to repeat themselves if they are speaking quickly or in a lower voice. He often has a look that reads, “I didn’t quite catch that but I’ll smile and nod politely.” I do that all the time.
I’m definitely not making excuses because certainly all contestants faced the challenge of singing without an earpiece. I guess my point is that everyone’s got strengths and weaknesses, and if hearing and/or auditory processing is in fact an issue for David then he would have a greater difficulty under those circumstances (in the same way a slightly nearsighted person would if they were asked to read a teleprompter - they could probably do it but not with ease). Sounds like choosing ballads was his way of dealing with that challenge - and for me that was just fine!
Not that I’m trying to slap a diagnosis on David, but since he brought the hearing issues up himself …
MJ, sounds like you had fun! I’m happy to hear it, and thanks for all the great scoop on the album!
108 with David Archuleta…. you have to see this video is just awesome!!!!!
Or you can see it at Snarkyarchies
From the Boo Bash Thingy tonight, it seems like to Hooters like girls were flirting wit Archie… hillarious bit in here…
David now has two songs in the iTunes Top 20! “Crush” is at #15 and “Angels” is at #20!
Also, he can apparently do a mean running man! LOL
^^where did you see that Tatiana (the Running man LOL)
Angels now at 19 and Crush holding at 15 (and pretty far ahead of 16). If Angels can move up one more spot, then Angels and Crush will be right next to each other on the pop chart on iTunes. lol.
RV65, in case you haven’t found the ‘Running Man’ bit yet, it’s in the 108 interview link that Cruzceleste posted. Go to the ‘108 seconds’ with David Archuleta interview. It’s pretty hilarious…the part about his favorite cereal will have you rolling!
David gives many details about his AI experience in the Pro 92 FM interview. He seemed very comfortable with the DJ and went back through his thoughts and emotions during the auditions and show. It’s worth a listen!
Angels at 19? I didn’t think it could go any higher, but go Angels! Who’s buying disturbia? haha
The sales for “Angels” should provide a very accurate account of Archie’s first week Itunes preorders. After all, who is going to buy a recording of him singing a cover of an old song (relatively speaking) unless they’re a dedicated fan of the guy himself? And if they’re dedicated fans, then they’re almost definitely pre-ordering the whole the album upfront.
On the other hand, LO’s sales last week would not correspond to Cook’s first week album downloads because LO is his current single, so some people who bought it would have just wanted the song itself.
Anyway, from just looking at the Itunes album and singles charts the last two weeks, it’s very difficult to project how the Davids’ preorders are going. On one hand, Cook was at #2 on the albums chart by some time on Thursday whereas Archie is at #8. But, that just may mean it’s a stronger week for album sales on Itunes this week.
And on the other hand, while Angels and LO have both (so far) peaked at #19 on the singles chart (the weeks their album pre-orders started), that means Archie’s preorders alone are enough to get his “new” single that high on the singles charts (since as I explained, almost everyone getting the single is also getting the album) whereas Cook depended on both album preorders and singles-only purchasers to get LO that high. But, that could just mean that this week Itunes singles sales are weaker than they were last week.
My sense is that both albums are doing about the same on pre-orders so far. And that probably reflects a relatively equal size among both Davids’ committed fanbases.
So why did I write this long piece of analysis? Well, these observations got me thinking that maybe it’s the case that all popular Idols come off of the show with a roughly even amount of dedicated, pre-existing fans. After all, didn’t I hear that Taylor sold almost as many albums his first week as Daughtry? So, beyond the already-existent fanbase, what matters then is how well the Idols cross over to the public at-large, and that will determine how well they will eventually do in the end.
Which link is that? Sorry, so many fancy links to sort through, I’ll never find the right one on my own.
ETA: thanks, ozarka!
sma11ie, you can listen to the Pro 92 FM interview at Fans of David. Or you can download the MP3 here.
There is a rumor from Fanblast that says that David will be going on a solo tour beginning early next year…
“Female Daytime Show”… David will be on Ellen on 11/14 and the Bonnie Hunt show on 11/18. I guess we’ll find out during one of those shows if this is true or not. How exciting if indeed it is!
Part 1 & 2 of the Q100 interview is up now on their website….video.
http://allthehitsq100.com/video/TBS_David-Arch_102708/
Part 1 - You get to see the video of the setup on the surprise for the fangirls…and the reaction
of the third girl. LOL!
Part 2 - OMG! Thank you video guy! And fantastic interview.
David’s so funny without it being on purpose…and it’s adorable. 108 Seconds is a must see! It’s RFLOL hilarious!
Also the Kiss cleveland meet and greet videos are now up. Some really nice stuff. ESpecially the last part of part 2. He talks about how he would listen to stuff play it back and try to sing it. and gives advice for others. He certainly can talk…. lol
Part 1 & Part 2
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Here is a short vid of David at the Boo Bash last night.. lol He accidently almost hits someone on the head, and then pats them on the head after like Carly does lol
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I wouldnt put too much stock in what fanblast is saying, supposedly that came from an annoymous commenter at their site..
Will the new “Angels” be played on the radio? At mediabase quickcut, they only show the studio version from idol, and they don’t list this new “Angels” from Jive. Anyone know?
noctem:
I don’t think you can base Archie’s preorder numbers on Angels. From what I understand (I don’t live in the US), Angels is also available as single, so people can actually buy Angels without having to get the whole album. As for the album, there’s the deluxe and there’s the regular one, lol it’s very hard to estimate I’m not going to try.
Great report and awesome pictures, as usual, mj! That’s cool about your “talk” with Jeff. ;)
Archie has to come to our shores. He certainly has lots of fans here (including me) and many of them are truly “hardcore” and would be thrilled if he visits. :)
I’ve been wondering that for months.
Thankfully, it’s finally started its descent.
Disturbia cant fall fast enough… its still at 14… Im waiting for it to fall past crush.. that song needs to die a quick death..
PRO-FM Video interview is now up on snarkie archies, in 3 parts. THey basically just let him talk. Good interview :)
For a while he idnt realize the we could see and hear him especially on the breaks lol. After realizing he was like ” oh, what do you know.. lol’
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3
In the first part of part one they have pu together a bunch of his songs, and hge sings along to a bunch of them lol its soo cute.
Somehow this is hard to believe for me, I wish this were true, but I don´t think David can hold a World Tour on his own… they will have to be another really big artist with him, like Coldplay or Britney… not even Jordin had gotten a World Tour … and as much as I think David is very talented, I don´t think he is that big yet…
Beside FANBLAST isn´t a reliable source anymore…
Actually there is also a PART 4.
During Part 1 it was really fun to see his reaction to himself listening to clips of his performances. He sang along to himself in some instances, at times really belting it out. When they got to the clip of Simon saying, “You have so many things going for you. You’re young, you’re good-looking…,” he quickly interjected, “Oh no I’m not!” I thought that was funny.
cruzceleste , what makes you think “FanBlast” isn’t a reliable site anymore?
I love that beginning segment in Part 1….he usually won’t listen to himself at all when people play his old performances, but he did good listening to all of that, and singing along to himself, lol. I love his little falsetto he did singing along to the end of “With You”…at 2:26
Rickey.org has an Archey report plus 3 videos of the lunch meet and greet from the 92 PRO-FM visit. During the first video, in response to a question, we hear him saying…