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Post by nicola on Feb 12, 2012 21:39:26 GMT
I didn't notice Jai's album release at all, and didn't know anything about Hayley! I saw his album for £3 and saw 'Bring Me To Life' and 'How You Remind Me' on it, which enticed me to buy. I don't think any Amy Lee/Evancescence fan can be impressed by Jai's dull interpretation. He's delivery sounds so bored I find the song unlistenable. Honestly, I know these are just words and I sound cliched, but I find his version painful. Actually painful. I wince at it. Completely missed the point of the song. It's passion, it's angst - it's like he is not hearing the words he is singing. Pay attention to the lyrics! That goes to Katherine Jenkins too! And it's SUCH a shame, because the arrangement is amazing (just like Katherine's version), but neither he or Katherine could sing it properly. It's an iconic song - it's a big deal. I'm not saying this to be harsh, it's just how I feel about it. Rant over. Wanted to get that out of the way since Katherine did it too - nothing personal! XD I do like this album though. He sounds very sweet and warm and the arrangements are good. I just skip that one track if I notice it's on. 'How You Remind Me' is the most successful cover, I think. I love 'With or Without You' but I prefer Blake's and Amaury Vassili's versions.  All time favourite version has to be Scala & Kolacny Brothers. Will still listen to Jai's though. It's one of those songs that is just brilliant so will always work. |
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Post by Libby on Feb 13, 2012 7:02:34 GMT
You know, Scala and Kolacny are on Jai's version, too! Oh, that's right, his album insert is not the most informative one I've ever seen!  But they sang with him on the RVP show, too. One thing about his live perfs. of that song, to me it sounds like he goes too high (or too sharp) on the verse where he first gets more powerful, and louder. If you know what I mean. He goes "with or without you.... WITH OR WITHOUT YOU!!" then the choir goes "And you give yourself away..." So, for that reason, I kind of like the album version better, because he doesn't sound too sharp (or whatever). Yeah, I think he could use new producers and management, let's just hope he gets them. He sings different songs in his concerts, pop and country songs, and he does really well. But then, I heard him sing Time to Say Goodbye on China's Got Talent, and he did really, really good with that one! I haven't heard Amy Lee's version often enough to know the difference. I first heard his version on the BGT peformance video, and I reallly, really liked it. It does sound very similar to his album recording, so you probably wouldn't like it, either. Actually, I think the chorus is a little weaker than it could be, but I enjoyed the rest. I'm blissfully ignorant, and I think I'll stay that way, so I can still enjoy it! If Hayley wasn't supposed to be on the album, I never would have heard of him at all. Not a huge loss, I guess, but I'm still glad I know him now. But did you see the video of Jai singing To Where You Are with Josh in Glasgow? It was great! |
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Post by nicola on Feb 13, 2012 8:48:43 GMT
If the Scala choir are merely used - they are just another choir. They need the brothers - they are what makes them who they are and makes their sound. I've seen Scala & Kolacny Brothers live in concert and they are incredible. So atmospheric. The girls could be any girls, you know - it was the guys creativity and vision that made it so amazing. Their arrangements are genius. <3 Their string version of With or Without You is beautiful beyond compare. Downton Abbey used that version on their promo reel. But anyway, if Scala are featured on the album, the guys wouldn't have had input on the arrangement of the song - only to direct the girls performance. I wouldn't recognise them just from that. I have to say, I am astounded you haven't heard 'Bring Me To Life' before, especially since you are in America. Evanescence (Amy Lee's band) is a massive name over there and that song was their biggest hit (deservedly so). The single went platinum in America and was a top ten hit across the world. Got to number one in the UK. They haven't been able to top it since, sadly. If you don't like rock music, you are unlikely to like the original anyway. I assume you haven't heard it at all, because you would certainly notice the difference! But this is Jai's thread. I doubt he will be signed again. Selling 25,000 is a flop even by Decca's standards, so they won't rescue him, and no one will take him on after such a poor commercial performance. He can make a career for himself away from the recording booth, I think. He would do well in the West End with his name. He doesn't really stand out enough to become a star. I really like him though. Played the album often lately. He is just nice easy listening. Pleasure to listen to. And oh - I know from other artists that Modest Management (who managed Jai and most performers from Cowell's shows) are absolutely awful. |
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Post by Libby on Feb 15, 2012 1:29:26 GMT
What good does it do to win those shows then?  I guess you have to be really, really good in order for it to do you any good, I guess. Or be on the show, and not place that high, so you at least get signed by somebody. There was a girl on AI last year who was really good, vocally, at least, who was shockingly eliminated very early. She definitely got signed almost right away (not by Simon). Of course, Simon's not there anymore, but she was #9. As for Evanescence, I have heard a few of their songs. I've heard My Immortal, and I think another AI contestant sang a song by them once, although I can't remember which song. There are tons of artists in America, I can't possibly know them all. Yes, I knew the name, but I got the impression they were kind of dark, and I always found the album cover kind of ghostly looking, so that probably turned me off. Another thing, I don't listen to the radio very much, because I just don't like much of what they play. It's not that I don't like rock music. I like various genres, by certain artists. But I'm not going to have a hundred CDs in each genre, just because I like that genre.These days in order for me to buy somebody's album, they have to be really special (or have the prospect of having a Hayley duet  ). They have to really impress me. I was impressed by Jai when I heard him singing To Where You Are. Not because he was as good as Josh; he wasn't. But I was impressed enough to buy his album, but the duet was the main reason. Take classical crossover. I like a few artists who qualify in that category, but I don't like all of them. I am not fond of opera, particularly mezzo-sopranos or tenors. I like sopranos, but I can't stand the screaming, warbling that operatic sopranos do. I don't like tenor voices like Jose Carreras or Jonathan Ansell (sorry). You say Jai is a tenor, and that surprised me, because he doesn't irritate me like a lot of tenors. I like Hayley and Josh because they have wonderful, outstanding voices. Not that the others on your website aren't good, but as I've said before, I can't like all of them, especially when so many sing the same songs, or so it seems. So, if somebody asked me what kind of music I listen to, I have a hard time explaining, since I normally listen to a singer, for the singer, not because they're a certain genre. I was drawn to Hayley because I already liked Josh, I was familiar with and liked Andrea Bocelli, Sarah Brightman, and Charlotte Church (it was partly Charlotte's switch to pop that helped turn me to Hayley!) Having said that, of course, I'm more likely to like a singer if I like the genre too. But sometimes, as in the case of CC music, I like the genres because of the singers! I don't dislike all rock music, but I don't like all rock, either. I don't like "heavy metal" or "grunge", certainly. I don't like any of the gothic, dark type stuff, either. I would just have to really like the singer in order for me to become a fan of them. I do like Amy Lee's voice, but again, I'm not really into the dark stuff. That goes for Within Temptation, too. I think the lady has a really good voice, and I'd probably like her if her videos hadn't disturbed me.  I guess I'm more about singers themselves than genres. |
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Post by Bamafan on Feb 15, 2012 1:41:48 GMT
I'll have to agree with Libby on being more about the singer than the song. I can appreciate almost any song when it's sung well and correctly.
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Post by nicola on Feb 15, 2012 15:13:49 GMT
I don't know where the subject of genre has come from? I listen to all types of artists from a string of different genres. There's many classical crossover artists I don't like (more than half, really), but it's not something I translate in any of the profiles I write. I don't know if you are implying that I listen to music by genre (?), and I guess that's understandable if you think that since I have a website dedicated to a genre, but that's really not the case. Only music I don't listen to really is jazz and country - and yes, those are genres, but I don't like the sound, full stop, so I'm not likely to like the artists that abide by those sounds. There are all kinds of different "tenors". It's an umbrella term. Voices from the rich Pavarotti, to the clean crisp vocals of Joe McElderry are tenors. I wouldn't judge a singer by their vocal classification, as it doesn't tell you much. Sorry about going so off topic, mods.  |
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Post by martindn on Feb 15, 2012 18:05:52 GMT
I have always taken the view that I like music. I don't want to be put off listening to something I might enjoy becuase it is from a genre that I generally don't like. And "don't like" is the wrong term for most of it. It is usually closer to "am bored by".
Like Libby, I'm not too fond of the "dark" stuff, and that isn't the property of any one genre. And like you Nicola, I don't listen to Jazz or Country, and have a dislike of "Rap" too as a rule.
And tenors, sopranos, some I like and some I don't. I don't like sopranos who screech as a rule.
Jai McDowell I enjoyed, I watched the programme he won. Not the very best for sure, but pleasant to listen too. Sounds like he upset someone important, or that Cowell didn't like him.
Martin D
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Jillian
Global Moderator
Posts: 3,050
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Post by Jillian on Mar 31, 2012 7:30:58 GMT
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Post by Jeff on Mar 31, 2012 10:54:06 GMT
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Post by martindn on Mar 31, 2012 11:31:52 GMT
Why am I not surprised! It was clear months ago that they were not going to give him a fair crack of the whip. I suspect pulling the Hayley duet was a part of that - might have sold a few more albums and made it harder to drop him.
I feel sorry for anyone that really does have talent that gets mixed up with Simon Cowell and his organisation.
Martin D
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Post by Richard on Mar 31, 2012 14:05:12 GMT
Thanks for the link, Jillian! I see most of the comments posted agree with my own opinion of Simon Cowell!  Richard  |
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Post by nicola on Apr 1, 2012 8:21:07 GMT
Well, I think we all already knew he had no record deal.
He wasn't "dropped" though. His contract was up and they didn't renew.
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Post by martindn on Mar 21, 2013 21:39:02 GMT
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Post by Libby on Mar 23, 2013 6:04:39 GMT
I heard it, and it's pretty good, but it still does not showcase his vocal power. That's the problem with some of these singers. They have the potential to sing songs with a lot of power, but they just don't. It's nice that he's writing his own songs, now, though. There's another singer that I like, named Peter Hollens, that does a cappella covers of a lot of pop songs, on youtube (a youtube artist, I guess you'd call him). He has a very good voice. Very versatile and has some power. His version of Shenandoah is absolutely wonderful. He did a Skyrim music video with Lindsey Stirling (they dressed up and everything!), and his voice sounded really powerful there. He would be great at classical songs like O Fortuna (the fact that he's a cappella would make it especially unique). However, he seems to just stick to the annoying pop songs. He does sing them way better than the originals for the most part, and makes me like songs that I might not normally... but not that much. |
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Post by Richard on Mar 23, 2013 8:19:20 GMT
Hello folks! I've changed the title of this thread so it can now relate to any discussion about Jai McDowall. Richard |
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All time favourite version has to be Scala & Kolacny Brothers. Will still listen to Jai's though. It's one of those songs that is just brilliant so will always work. 
But they sang with him on the RVP show, too. One thing about his live perfs. of that song, to me it sounds like he goes too high (or too sharp) on the verse where he first gets more powerful, and louder. If you know what I mean. He goes "with or without you.... WITH OR WITHOUT YOU!!" then the choir goes "And you give yourself away..." So, for that reason, I kind of like the album version better, because he doesn't sound too sharp (or whatever).
I guess you have to be really, really good in order for it to do you any good, I guess. Or be on the show, and not place that high, so you at least get signed by somebody. There was a girl on AI last year who was really good, vocally, at least, who was shockingly eliminated very early. She definitely got signed almost right away (not by Simon). Of course, Simon's not there anymore, but she was #9.
