American Idol Season 8 – Salt Lake City Auditions – Recap

Ooooooh, I like Take 6.

David Osmond = Luke Menard

Beautiful within a group. Pleasant but bland outside of the group.

Take 6….

Yeah David Osmond is good, but he way overran that song.

I’m not impressed that Archie only got like a 2-second mention and that was it. How lame. I’m guessing that they are done with him.

American Idol Season 8: The Garden. More plants than ever. David Osmond? Ugh….

I knew that Alan Osmond has MS, but I did not know that David also has MS.

I don’t get it. Are they trying to tell us that this year’s talent is the worst ever and they don’t want to show anyone who made it through in the audition shows?

Brilliant idea using att.net for Kelly’s new video. I love the song. :clap_tb:

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not impressed that Archie only got like a 2-second mention and that was it. How lame. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m guessing that they are done with him.

I agree IdolFanatic. Sigh. :(

They played some of A Daily Anthem again! Hmmm- possible Season 8 goodbye song?

Frankie is the only one I’m loving so far tonight.

Seriously what the hell was that? Jason got more pimping when his brother auditioned.

American Idol Season 8: The Garden. More plants than ever. David Osmond? Ughà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.

ROTFL!! So true.

I think Frankie Jordan used to have a deal, kinda like a Joanna Pacitti having songs on soundtracks, I have the Win a Date With Tad Hamilton soundtrack ( I don’t know why either) and she had a song on it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig7wWnmGZUY

This is a pretty good night – they had the most interesting voices/personalities especially the females. Quite a number of blues-y/jazz-y types.

They flashed on Scott McIntyre, Adam Lambert and Michael Castro twice each during the Hollywood Week promo. It would make me think they’re early TCOs, except that I can’t see them letting Michael get too far.

Salt Lake = awesomeness.

I liked everyone tonight. Some more than others, but lots of good people and very few bad ppl. Thank you producers.

Having said that, I really liked Osmond kid. I wasnt thrilled about him being allowed on the show, but his voice was fantastic (one of the best guys so far) and he was super nice.

I think the last girl’s, Rose, age will catch up with her unfortunately. Terrible song choice but probably the contestant with the most IT factor IMO so far. She just needs a guitar and to sit down and sing a soulful song.

I predict the kid who is the president of his school, Austin, will make top 5. DOn’t ask me why, i just think he has mass-crazy fan addiction written all over him.

And Frankie and Meghan i really liked a lot.

TONIGHT I AM A HAPPY CAMPER!!!

ps. i’m completely embarrassed to be from jacksonville after reading all the negative press it got from last night’s talent.

Seriously what the hell was that? Jason got more pimping when his brother auditioned.

TPTB are very transparent. Sorry, but that was lame. Not even a Jason-sized montage. The only other mention was showing him a tiny bit before insinuating that nice people were kinda weird. It’s not like I’m surprised, just disappointed. And it’s not like he needs the pimping. But DA always says such great things about a show that can barely stand to mention him anymore, and when they do it’s not like it’s in a really positive way.

It’s kind of ironic that the only post-Idol David we heard the entire episode was when “Crush” played during the New In Town commercial. Thanks Hollywood Studios!

The show has no obligation to any of them, not the Davids, Kelly, Carrie, etc, so you should be happy when they get something. Plus, Archie is doing quite well without any pimpage.

edit: You need to read my guidelines before you post here again

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m really sick of people complaining about this idol getting pimped and this one not getting pimped, BLAH BLAH BLAH. The show has no obligation to any of them, not the Davids, Kelly, Carrie, etc, so you should be happy when they get something. Plus, Archie is doing quite well without any pimpage.

I was expressing disappointment in TPTB (which have disappointed me so many times in the past over so many different issues that it’s not a new thing). I wasn’t complaining.

And ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not like he needs the pimping.

Everybody always needs pimping! A person can never have too much pimping.

Everybody always needs pimping! A person can never have too much pimping.

Pimping is nice, but most artists aren’t pimped by American Idol. So, no, DA doesn’t need the pimping. He was doing just fine without it (and I suppose he’ll continue to do just fine without it). Even before this episode aired, most of the DA fans I talked to weren’t expecting much from AI. So, AI did pretty much what a lot his fans thought they were going to do. TPTB don’t seem to keen on mentioning the accomplishments of the David named Archuleta… at least not yet.

Word, soundscene. Word.

I guess they figure he got enough pimpage during his run on the show…most of the online community complained about that last season. I wasn’t expecting Cook-like promo and I loved hearing a snippet of Daily Anthem even. But a little bit actual promo would’ve been nice rather than just mentioning his nice-ness. If this is any indication, I am guessing we can assume he won’t be invited back to perform this season, which would sadden me greatly. I wonder what it is they have against him all of a sudden anyway. I know that Kara and Randy had mentioned Archie to the cameras as there was some video of that over the summer that surfaced online…it was a Salt Lake City newscast I think. But the fact that they edited all that out is just lame.

awww I tuned in to see what they said about Archie and I got .. not much. I was hoping to hear a few seconds of Crush because I’m so proud of him for it. I’m going to blame this on his parents because they didn’t decide to take a walk around the audition area.

I really liked David Osmond but agree with what the judges said. There were quite a few that I liked this time around. I normally like listening to male voices but it was all females that I was rooting for tonight.

I also thought it was lame. Obviously Archie wasn’t going to get Cook levels of pimpage, but they could have at least mentioned Crush or something.

I liked David Osmond. I think he has more soul than Luke and doesn’t sing with Luke’s falsetto. David had great pitch too. Simon didn’t think he could be contemporary but why not see what he can do? Donny was able to leave his brothers and group singing before becoming a teen pop star.

I like Frankie too – much potential!

Lot of pretty girls through tonight!

Duke, sorry about Jacksonville. Maybe they are saving the best ones from Jacksonville for the top 50!

The mention of David was exactly what I expected. He did not win and is not signed to them. I don’t think you should worry about him not being invited back to perform. David is a very popular former contestant. They know people will tune in to see him perform. I would be suprised to see him not come back. I think all of the other runners-up except for Diana have been back on the show.

I wonder what it is they have against him all of a sudden anyway. I know that Kara and Randy had mentioned Archie to the cameras as there was some video of that over the summer that surfaced onlineà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦it was a Salt Lake City newscast I think. But the fact that they edited all that out is just lame.

You can pick an excuse:

(1) The episode was only 1 hour long so they couldn’t fit pimping into the episode.

(2) The episode wasn’t for DA pimping–that would just be a bonus.

(3) He’s the runner-up, not the winner.

(4) Nobody should ever expect pimpage for their favorite former contestant.

(5) He’s not managed by 19M, so 19 doesn’t have as much of a stake in his success even though 19R still gets money from his sales.

They may still invite him back. Who knows. I don’t know if it’s that they have anything “against” him. TPTB are kind of slimy, but I don’t know all their motives.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m going to blame this on his parents because they didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t decide to take a walk around the audition area.

ROFL!

I wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t complaining.

I was, soundscene (and Llamakhan).

This is the first year I’ve watched the audition process from beginning to…well, now…and am actually disappointed in what I have seen. It seems like the judges allowed marginally talented people to pass through to Hollywood because they could argue or plead, had cute kids, a dog, or a gimmick, or *ahem* used other “talents” (think bikini girl). So I was already kind of losing interest and watched tonight simply to see Archie.

I hear what you are saying, Llamakhan, and actually think you are right. Each former Idol is in charge of his or her future. AI opened opportunities for many of them and, in the end, owes them nothing. I understand with my head, but I was still sad. I guess I realized tonight that I’m really an Archie fan, rather than an American Idol fan.

So, I still don’t think that a person with as many connections as David Osmond has belongs on AI, but that said – he does have a very nice voice. And I know a guy who has MS and is also a musician. It’s really tough. So, that segment struck a chord with me.

Liked the girl who sang the Amy Winehouse song… but that could possibly be more about the song than the girl. Heh. We’ll see, I guess, if we hear more from her in Hollywood or beyond.

I was confused by what the judges apparently saw in Megan Corkrey that we didn’t see. Because honestly, I thought she was good, but I didn’t see the OMG!the!best!evah! that the judges saw.

Taylor is sooooo Jordin 2.0. I saw that coming a mile away.

Rose, I like. I like the tone of her voice a lot. She might be my fave from tonight.

Overall they were good. No earth shattering talents, imo, but in total, a much better show than both SF and Jax.

I was definitely surprised that they didn’t mention David A. at the beginning. They always mention past Idols (not just winners) when they are in their home towns. They must really have an issue with him/his parents. Just weird…

Perspective is a funny thing. I thought they did acknowledge DA pretty well, but I didn’t turn in to see how many times he would be mentioned and for how long. I turned in to see the audition show. Everything else is gravy.

As far as Castro exposure. Well, yeah. His brother showed up for an audition and it was all very entertaining. No mention of Brooke or Slezak’s “Wonderwoman” when they went to Florida or Arizona, so three out of five ain’t bad.

Kansas City has sure been the bright spot of all these audition shows, huh? The show has jumped the shark this year. The only one that impressed was Frankie in the past three audition shows. It’s really uninspired this year despite all of their “inspired” back stories.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m going to blame this on his parents because they didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t decide to take a walk around the audition area.

LOLOLOLOL.

Archie only got a 2-second mention? I was definitely expecting a montage type thing on Archie after seeing a clip of him from last night’s preview. That was kinda surprising that they showed more of Archie at the end of Jacksonville auditions than today.

Anyway, speaking of previews, looks like Hollywood week is all about the DRAMA! I actually was doing other stuff so I had it on mute but it looks like there’ll be tears, nerves, breakdowns, a new stage? Ooh, spotted Adam Lambert, annoying laugh girl crying, the cool blind pianist, Von, Jason’s bro. Cool, kinda looking fwd to it.

Thank goodness tomorrow is the last night of auditions-I’m over them completely. Bring on Hollywood!

I’ll say this for David Osmond-I liked his voice more than I thought I would. I wasn’t as blown away by Taylor Vaifanua as the judges were, but she has a pretty good voice.

The mention of David was exactly what I expected. He did not win and is not signed to them. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think you should worry about him not being invited back to perform. David is a very popular former contestant. They know people will tune in to see him perform. I would be suprised to see him not come back. I think all of the other runners-up except for Diana have been back on the show.

Although I agree with most of what you said, Kris, I was expecting a bit more pimpage because you would think that AI would want to highlight that they have two former contestants from the same season that are doing well in their post AI careers. They are lucky if they have one former contestant per season do well. I think they squandered an opportunity there. But yes, there is no doubt that he will be back to perform sometime during the season.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think you should worry about him not being invited back to perform. David is a very popular former contestant. They know people will tune in to see him perform. I would be suprised to see him not come back. I think all of the other runners-up except for Diana have been back on the show.

Yeah I was pissed about Diana not being invited back also back in the day. They sure love to screw over my favorite runners up. Here’s to hoping the same won’t happen to Archie.

Thank goodness tomorrow is the last night of auditions-Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m over them completely. Bring on Hollywood!

Yes plz.

I want more Adam Lambert, like right now.

They played some of A Daily Anthem again! Hmmm- possible Season 8 goodbye song?

Hmmm, I wondered this too CathyMK.

I normally like listening to male voices but it was all females that I was rooting for tonight.

ITA. I really liked Meghan, Rose and Frankie.

I was shocked at the lack of promo for DA too.

Keel, I think at this point they don’t want to highlight that both the winner and runner-up are doing well. They are all about highlighting the winner to show how important winning is.

I have to say I am ready for these auditions to be over. I’m ready for the live shows.

I am torn – what is the show really about – watching an unknown skyrocket to stardom by the end of the season, mj’s words ” a re-gifted” previously signed singer and giving them maximum exposure, a performer who has connections but hasn’t been in the limelight on their own or is it all of the above combined to make good tv?

Keel, I think at this point they donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want to highlight that both the winner and runner-up are doing well. They are all about highlighting the winner to show how important winning is.

Could be. Yes, they seem to still want people to naive and believe that winning is the only guarantee of success. Thing is, Cook would still be just as successful without the title. Idol will never, ever admit that. On the other hand, they have given Daughtry some good promo in past seasons, but probably because he’s still with 19 Management.

They are all about highlighting the winner to show how important winning is.

It’s obvious that’s what they are about this year, but I think it’s a pointless attempt they’re making. No matter how much they highlight the winners and downplay the others who are successful, people will still see Jennifer Hudson, Daughtry, David Archuleta, Clay Aiken, etc. and know American Idol isn’t just about winning. To achieve what they apparently want they have to stop the others from having careers. Ultimately the show is doing itself a disservice. It should be embracing all the successes to come from its cheesy reality show roots, because nobody is going to believe this “winning is important” spin no matter how much they try. That angle was damaged in season 2 and they completely lost it in season 5. They seem to want to regain it this season, but it’s too late.

“I was shocked at the lack of promo for DA too.”

Im not.. lol
Especially after the fact when they intro Kara on the premiere and conveniently left off his album on idols she’s worked with, considering the fact one of her songs is on the cd and she does the back up for it.. lol

I ddint figure theyd show much at all for him.

Rose might not be the best but her story tugged at my heartstrings and made me tear up. Wow. I wish for nothing but the best for her in life from this point on.

I’m looking for to Adam. Bring on Hollywood already.

ETA.. I missed the show tonight so am watching them as you add them MJ. I LOVE Frankie! She is the only one that has really grabbed my attention in the auditions so far. She will go far whether she wins or not.

Taylor was the best to me tonight.

Im not.. lol
Especially after the fact when they intro Kara on the premiere and conveniently left off his album on idols sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s worked with, considering the fact one of her songs is on the cd and she does the back up for it.. lol

Yea frog, that was kind of ….. odd. LOL

I do agree that Hollywood can’t come soon enough. These auditions this year have been some of the dullest ever. Either that or I’m starting to really get over this show.

Blah. I agree with the poster above who said TPTB are slimy. I really think they thought they could throw Archie under the bus at the end of his season and then sign him and make $$ off him anyway. I remember an early article where Simon called him a “genuine pop star.” then after he signed with Azoff Simon never had another kind word. Too bad for them…Archie will make it anyway! :tongue1_tb:

I really liked Meghan, Rose and Frankie.

Me too, and Taylor too. I thought the judges were very reserved with Frankie and I wondered why. Almost like they didn’t like her. I thought she was one of the more interesting ones.

In general they seemed less relaxed in SLC than in other cities so far. Paula was dressed like a nun. Maybe SLC made them nervous for some reason.

At times I also think that Paula feels competitive with having another attractive female on the show. I noticed it more last night. Kara’s great though, she holds her own.

The mention of David was exactly what I expected. He did not win and is not signed to them. I don’t think you should worry about him not being invited back to perform. David is a very popular former contestant.

Exactly.

I recall some of Archie’s fans expressing the attitude when he didn’t sign with 19M, “the further from American Idol, the better!”. Well, not signing with 19M has advantages–Archie is out from under their onerous terms for instance, and there are the disadvantages–he’s not going to get pimped on the show like Idols who are signed to 19M. That’s just the way it is.

Of course, he’ll be invited back to perform on the show. I’d bet my hat on that.

Taking off from what soundscene said, I guess I’ve always been confused as to why the show doesn’t want to celebrate more of its contestants. Isn’t it in the best interest of the BRAND to celebrate both in some fashion? For the show to say, “Hey, look at all the talent we discovered! Look at their success!”

I don’t get it. In order to be truly credible and vital over the long term it needs as many success stories as possible. Why not embrace them all?

They played Jordin’s Permanent Monday during tonight’s episode, and she’s not with 19M either.

Hi, first time to post here. I’m usually at rickey’s.

Anyhoo…I’m a huge David Archuleta fan and was a little surprised to learn that he wasn’t mentioned at the top of the show. In a way I am glad because I missed the first 15 minutes and tuned in just in time to see the 2 seconds where he’s mentioned….it’s AI’s loss IMO. TPTB continue to piss me off.

I may be showing my age, but I grew up listening to the Osmonds as a group and followed Donny’s solo career. So it was no surprise that I loved David Osmond, overkill runs and all. The biggest surprise was finding out that he also has MS like his father. I always believed that once in the wheelchair, always in the wheelchair. It’s amazing that he’s up and walking around. What a story.

Rose’s story made me cry…what a sweetheart. I’m looking forward to Hollywood week….hoping that she does well.

Hi frogcooke!

They flashed on Scott McIntyre, Adam Lambert and Michael Castro twice each during the Hollywood Week promo. It would make me think theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re early TCOs,
==========================================
What does TCO stand for?

Oh, forgot to thank MJ for the video of David Osmond…I missed the portion of the show he appeared on.

Okay, the ladies are coming around. Frankie Jordan and Megan Corkrey, definitely yes.

This is only the auditions and I think DA got the amt of exposure he should have. Also, to say that AI does not embrace and/or celebrate past contestants on the show…..uhhhhhh….last season Bo,KellyP. Kat (I think she was on??) and Kimberly Locke were all on the show and sang. ( Did I forget anyone else??) Not to mention the video they did of the Idols in Nashville like Phil. AI does recognize past contestants. Just because the “pimping” wasn’t OTT doesn’t mean jackshit. Would you rather DA get tons of screen time during a 1 hour audition episode or come on the show and sing??? Hell try being a Taylor Hicks fan…and he WON the damn show.

FINALLY, Idol rolls out some interesting, unique, quirky girls. Loved Rose, Meghan and Frankie.

They played some of A Daily Anthem again!

That song sounds good on TV.

last season Bo,KellyP. Kat (I think she was on??) and Kimberly Locke were all on the show and sang

Yep. And they’ve had Elliott on in season 6 and 7. I’d much rather them have the opportunity to sing on the show than talk about them on an audition show. I’m with MJ… David A will be on the show this year and will probably be singing his latest single. It will be great for him and he’ll get a huge bounce in sales.

Tonight, both David Osmond and Rose got to me. Geesh, I’m such a softy.

I really think they thought they could throw Archie under the bus at the end of his season and then sign him and make $$ off him anyway.

They threw Archie under the bus? When did that happen? Seems like the judges praised him up to the very end. All the judges pretty much gave him the title on the finals show. Did I miss something?

I became an instant Meghan fan! I’ll have to agree with Simon “One of my favorite auditions”

Taylor Vaifanua – Age 16 – à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Joyful Joyfulà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

The best vocal? C’mon, Randy! Noticed he mentioned Jordin Sparks and her only being 16 when she auditioned. If this girl makes Top 12, I can imagine him reminding us of her age over and over and over and over all. season. long.

Actually, she had a nice voice. But, all I could think about when she was singing was the Lauryn Hill version, which I like more. I’m sure I’m only one of a handful of people who knows about that version, though.

edit: Season 7 is over. Let’s stay on topic.

Sorry :-(

They threw Archie under the bus? When did that happen? Seems like the judges praised him up to the very end. All the judges pretty much gave him the title on the finals show. Did I miss something?

We are NOT reliving Season 7 fan wars in this thread. So, please stop it right now.

Get back on topic, please. I’ll be deleting posts that stray.

I’m just glad this part of the season is over. I’m really curious to see a larger group of the best contestants.

What does TCO stand for?

TCO= The Chosen One- The producers/judges favorites that they give extra attention to.

Frankie, Rose, and David Osmond were my favorites for the night. David O has a good voice and the Osmond mega-watt smile, but seriously, do we really need ANOTHER David to obsess about?

Austin Sisneros – no, not ready at all.

David Osmond – loved his attitude in front of the judges.

Rose Flack – sounded awesome.

I’m pretty sure I read here that David O got cut in Hollywood. I’m really disappointed about that now cause I’d like to hear him sing some more. He does have a great smile. I liked Megan too.

I didn’t like Rose’s singing all that much but her story made me cry. The Osmond story made me cry… good grief.

I actually think the guy that had the great big rabbit with him may have had a shot if he had left his bunny at home. I thought he had a pretty good voice.

I watched the auditions a few peeked my interest so I am holding out hope for hollywood rounds.. Lu still up want to meet me in chat?

About David A–AI could have given him some exposure for what he’s doing now, like they did for Cook, but you know, they have no obligation to help him anymore. He’s not with 19 except for recording, and it’s better for the show for David Cook to succeed more. So, it’s disappointing.

You know, I wasn’t wild about anyone tonight. I liked Rose. I didn’t go so crazy for the cute, young mom who sang from Showboat because she seems to be a jazz singer, and the public just doesn’t vote for it. Remember that woman who was a jazz singer in Season 6–Leslie?–she was out in the semis and even scat “America don’t care for jazz” during her sing out.

Oh, and the joyful, joyful Amazon girl? I can hardly wait to see if she sings another religious song in Hollywood.

Not a bad show tonight. There were a few that I liked including David O. I am getting tired of runs, though. I liked seeing a preview of Hollywood because I’m so ready for auditions to be over.

Not a lot of “off the wall” contestants shown this episode. Guess the Utah conservatism won over the “never funny stupid horrible singers” that have populated the audition process in prior shows and prior seasons. I must say that the auditioners were, for the most part, very respectful of the judges and the process. A nice change.

Also, what’s up with the song choices. In my humble opinion I would think that an auditioner has more of a chance to win fan support early if they sing something reasonably main stream. I would identify with the song choices and would at least have some comparison to judge their singing ability, since I’m not a voice expert.

You know the more I think about it, I’m really surprised that I DO want to hear more from David Osmond – especially considering how much I went off about him back when he was first spoiled as a Hollywood contestant. But I really would like to hear how he sounds on a more current pop song. He might be able to fit along the lines of a Michael Buble type singer. I do think he has a really nice voice, and his audition wasn’t OTT or cheesy. I’m not sure what I expected from him, but it wasn’t that. And I agree with Connie that his attitude in front of the judges was refreshing to see.

I think I’m going to be disappointed when he gets cut in Hollywood. Unless, of course, he really sucks. LOL.

After all the SLC hype, I was underwhelmed. My favorite was Greg the Rabbit.

For me, it’s a parade of the same old generic genres blurring together into one long melisma run. Frankie and Meghan are different but in a highly stylized way that never seems to adapt well to AI theme nights.

I so hope that Hollywood Week offers some welcome surprises and greater variety.

I found the entire show a giant snoozefest. And, please, I’m really sorry that folks have MS and that their parents died young, but I’d really prefer it if contestants advanced on the basis of their singing. I found most of the girls who got golden tix to be doing impersonations of other successful singers. It used to be tons of Mariah and Whitney wannabes. Now everybody has to be Amy Winehouse, Colbie Caillat or Adele! It’s all so affected. A little originality would go a long way, IMHO. The show is definitely on the verge of jumping the shark.

Thanks for the clips, MJ! Btw, the Andrew Gibson link seems messed up. I agree, better than last night, but not that blown away by SLC. I liked Meghan. I guess the Amy Winehouse mimic was decent too.

Being a David A fan, I am a bit disappointed that they didn’t at least mention his Crush success. I don’t think mentioning him lessens the importance of a win at all. That being said, I don’t think for a moment that he won’t be invited back on the show. Frankly maybe a little less pimping now will equate to a bit more when he might need it. For some just seeing him will be the reminder of him and his enormous talent.

I did enjoy this show the best so far, even though I too think that now that I have seen the man behind the curtain, the show has lost it’s emerald colored tint for me. I am not in Oz anymore. That is not so say I won’t watch and enjoy, it’s just not quite as special. Hollywood week could change that who knows. David Osmond did grab me a bit, OTT runs and all that. I also like Meghan, Frankie and Austin, off the top of my head.

I guess I’d rather the contestants copy Amy, Duffy or Adele than Whitney, Celine or Mariah.

I didn’t care for the Osmond kid, but the MS story got to me a little. One of my very dear friends has MS, so I can relate. She’s doing great, though. Oh, Sarah, he was exactly what I expected, vocally.

I thought tonight had much more promise than last. I’m reserving picking faves until we see them on the big stage.

Boo to all the quirky girls trying to sound like someone else. I wonder how their “unique” voices will sound singing some of the corny songs insisted upon during theme nights? Or some of the same old tired songs the producers roll out during Hollywood week. “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch” anyone?

I’m guessing that if you can sing an Amy Winehouse tunes, you can sing Sugar Pie Honey Bunch. Like I said above, I’m not even going to try to pick faves until they make it to the top 36.

I go back to Brandon Rogers. His delivery of “Always on My Mind” was inspired. He was never able to capture that again during the actual competition. So, at this point, I figure whatever gets them by gets them by. We shall see how it all unfolds.

Would you rather DA get tons of screen time during a 1 hour audition episode or come on the show and sing???

Why can’t he have both? Cook didn’t really got “tons of screen time” during the premiere and KC audition episodes — but the brief montage and the mentions of him during the 2 episodes (and probably, most effectively, the commercial) certainly helped remind people who liked him last season that he had a new single and album out and collectively, that exposure helped bump his sales for that week. Every little bit helps, and I’m sure DA’s sales would have benefitted from being more actively pimped on the top rated show on TV.

Every little bit helps, and Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sure DAà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s sales would have benefitted from being more actively pimped on the top rated show on TV.

I don’t think having a song played on the show means automatic boost. See: Lewis, Blake.

Besides, nothing about AI is fair. No crying in baseball.

On the pimping/not pimping, I think the best proof of whether or not the show is interested in promoting a former contestant is whether or not that contestant performs on the show. I mean a non-appearance of a 30 second snippet of a former contestant doesn’t really say that they don’t want a particular contestant to succeed. That’s too far a stretch, IMO.

On the show itself, I wish that the judges would issue a moratorium on runs… even for just one episode. Just tell the contestants, okay, here’s a song. These are the notes. No runs at the end of each and every line. Showcase your voice and not your ability for vocal calisthenics. Go.

Since I am not in the David/David wars, I can honestly say he was acknowledged properly, twice on the show. It was very nicely done.

Regarding David Osmond, some may consider him to be a professional singer. His appearance on the show was touching and may have provided great hope for thousands of people. I am glad he appeared on the show and this should help his group appearances at Branson or other entertainment venues. I am also happy he is not going on, though. There’s something about the Osmonds and popularity.

i really enjoyed megan’s audition. she showed alot of promise. i enjoyed david osmond but i’m just an osmond fan, so call me weird. Frankie was good as was Taylor. I will have to keep an eye on them.

can’t wait for hollywood.

and not really surprised about the david a. thing. i knew they weren’t going to do a montage at least they mentioned him and showed his initial audition. (he looked sooo young!)

I predict the kid who is the president of his school, Austin, will make top 5.

I really liked Austin too, but I don’t know if he can make it past Hollywood. He’ll have to pick better songs and make himself a little more current, but I think he’s adorable and I hope he can surprise everyone. As another cute teenager from Utah, he could pick up Archie’s fanbase.

I too was disappointed at the lack of Archie pimpage, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. But Archie’s doing just fine, so it’s no great loss, IMO.

I agree with Sarah about David Osmond. He could have easily walked in there like, “I AM AN OSMOND. LOVE ME” and been cocky. But he just seems like a nice talented guy. Sure, he’s an Osmond, but clearly that hasn’t helped him become a mainstream pop artist yet. His story and the interview with his dad was very sweet and touching. I didn’t expect to like him, but I did.

Austin Cisneros seems like a sweet kid with a nice voice and NO musical identity. I think if he came back in a few years knowing who he was, he might have a better shot.

I liked that a lot of the girls tonight had unique voices. Rose Flack wasn’t the best singer we’ve seen, but she’s got tons of personality and her own style. (Her backstory was a hell of a heartbreaker too.)

Not loving Taylor much though.

Yeah, brilliant editing on the Osmond bit. Way to make a guy with some disadvantages so likeable! (Clearly, he’s likeable himself, but the editing is so important too.) BTW, I mean the Osmond name is his disadvantage here.

Like so many posters, I liked Meghan and Rose, and Frankie too. I don’t think it’s impossible for a stylized singer to do well, but it doesn’t happen as much on AI. The X Factor is all about it, though, and had a swinger as runner up … I think these girls could definitely do well if they’re good enough musicians. David C was brilliant at picking good arrangements/arranging things himself to match his style. I hope there’ll be somebody who does the same this year!

baxter – LOL Idol’s treatment of Taylor Hicks throws a whole new spin on the pimpage speculation…….

Sorry people, but I am not in with you on Meghan. She was altering her voice in some strange way and didn’t seem to have control of it. I am bothered, not dazzled. She must have that IT factor, as the judges loved her to pieces, but I’m not feeling it.

What a Joke Cowell truly is! he says to David Osmond that he would be making a “massive mistake à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ if you think you’re contemporary” – this is from a guy who made his name with novelty records from puppets and soap stars who didn’t sing on the records, add to that nearly every artist he works with has to record “Unchained Melody” – add to the Paula and the criticism of singing a group sound? how many others have done this and no comment? also how many lead singers of groups have gone on to solo success.

David Osmond has a superb vocal and range, with or without American Idol he will release a solo album, it is time the contestants became the STARS again in American Idol and not the judges!

I am torn – what is the show really about – watching an unknown skyrocket to stardom by the end of the season, mjà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s words à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  a re-giftedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  previously signed singer and giving them maximum exposure, a performer who has connections but hasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t been in the limelight on their own or is it all of the above combined to make good tv?

Idolbeat, you are probably right when you ask, “…or is it all of the above combined to make good tv?” I know it is still early, but no one has really jumped off the screen and said, “Vote for me.”

Thanks Grammie – I think the fans all argue for one of the above based on who they like!

Regarding David Osmond, I think his attitude had a lot to do with how he was received by the public last night. Whoever said he was at a disadvantage I think, nailed it. He came across very likable, polite, cute ( that always helps!) but more importantly, leaving me wanting to hear more from him.

I can’t wait to see Hollywood!

Yeah, brilliant editing on the Osmond bit. Way to make a guy with some disadvantages so likeable! (Clearly, heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s likeable himself, but the editing is so important too.) BTW, I mean the Osmond name is his disadvantage here.

I know. I was sure I was gonna hate him or at least be very annoyed (I was already annoyed when I first heard a long time ago that an Osmond was going to audition.) but I ended up liking him. And the dad was adorable!

I don’t understand why someone like Frankie is considered different. I thought she was a complete Winehouse copycat. I guess if you copy someone who is a bit edgy you are considered original or different in Idol.

What a Joke Cowell truly is! he says to David Osmond that he would be making a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“massive mistake à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ if you think youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re contemporaryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Song choice is key. The song he chose to audition with, as much as I love it, did not give him a contemporary sound. That does not mean that he cannot be marketed as a contemporary artist.

In other news…is my Frankie Jordan a plant??? Gasp!

I was very impressed with Rose Flack last night. Extremely charming with a very good voice. Hope she makes the finals!

Came across this on another site — current entry on Frankie Jordanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s myspace page where she talks about her husband winning an ABC singing competition hosted by Donnie and Marie Osmun:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=31547358&blogID=466869552

A link to her husbandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s site:
http://www.dionmcintosh.com/

Anyhooà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m a huge David Archuleta fan and was a little surprised to learn that he wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t mentioned at the top of the show. In a way I am glad because I missed the first 15 minutes and tuned in just in time to see the 2 seconds where heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mentionedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s AIà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s loss IMO. TPTB continue to piss me off.

He was mentioned at the top of the show briefly too. The second mention seemed to be making fun of his “oh gosh”-ness a bit, but oh well…could’ve been worse I guess. I would like to see him get a bit more respect down the road.

David Osmond. Don’t care for his singing, don’t care for his MS. Well too bad but that’s life. However he’s oh so cute, the cutest yet this season. And tall.

Frankie Jordan. She even looks like Amy Winehouse so it’s kinda creepy. AW might OD someday but a fake one is never going to work.

Megan Corkrey. Love, my favorite audition yet.

Meagan was the only person to stand out for me. I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t put my finger on it, but there is just something about her that I absolutely love. I wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t too impressed with Frankieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s audition. I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think it was bad, I think she can do well in the competition, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m just not seeing anything amazing yet. I like Rose too, her audition was pretty good, but her story really got to me. I thought at this point I would be desensitized to all these sob stories, but hers really brought me to tears.

I do not think the singers with the sad stories advanced because of the stories, I think that their sad stories were dug up because they actually could sing. Now, using them over and over on the show is getting old to me, hearing Ryan say – just wait till you hear their sad story makes me think – oh not AGAIN! But I am not so cynical to not be touched by them when they are shown, you cant help it – “Dont care for Ms??” Well who in their right mind does? My family has members with that and none of them have done as well as David Osmond, he actually gave us some hope that this disease will allow some a better life in the future – there IS hope

Brooke didn’t even get her name mentioned in the episode that took place in her own hometown. So DA could have gotten a lot worse than he did.

Brooke didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even get her name mentioned in the episode that took place in her own hometown. So DA could have gotten a lot worse than he did.

Good point. I love Brooke too.

I really enjoyed the girls last night, didn’t see any guy I enjoyed, though. Can Hollywood week get here already? I’m sick of the auditions.

The use of “A Daily Anthem” was really well-done and the song worked great in it. I’m really starting to wonder if they’ll use the song again during the season, since they already used it two times in 6 episodes.

About the Archie pimpage – he was mentioned 2 times, albeit briefly. I know some people thought they weren’t going to mention him at all, so that’s something at least. I think his sales will see a bump from this, even if not a massive one.
Oh, and the show never said anything about Cook’s album or singles or post show success, either.

If I was a DA fan, I would have been disappointed with the brevity of the coverage last night, but looking at it objectively, I guess they’re into promoting the winner at this point (or perhaps the one who’s selling more cds, as they don’t automatically promote the winner, Taylor for instance). AI has always looked out for their own narrow interests. But DA will surely be on the show at least once this season, to showcase a new single, and that will be huge exposure for him, so it’ll all work out. I understand fans feeling disappointed though. (I’ve been there.)

Frankie – like most contestants, she sang someone else’s song. Yes she sounded like Amy Winehouse, but that is quite a feat in itself. You have to have a good voice and great vocal control to be able to sing like that. It wasn’t an easy song to sing. The girl has looks, presence, and talent. Of course if she makes the finals she’ll have to show some originality, however, maybe the world could use an Amy Winehouse who wasn’t a total wreck.

I sincerely hope David Osmond does not make it out of Hollywood. I am so sick of the Osmonds on ET. They are so sentimental and cheesy. No offense to him but I don’t need Marie and Donnie hanging around Idol and showing up every week. They tend to monopolize wherever they appear. And the judges were right, he picked a group song, not a song for a solo singer.

I was moved by Rose and Megan, look forward to them and Frankie making the top 36 and maybe 12. Aside from Adam I haven’t seen one man yet who made an impression on me. I thought the judges said it was definitely going to be a man this year? They must be hiding them until Hollywood. LOL. As for Taylor, she’s talented, but if she’s going to be overtly religious it will turn me off. Time will show. They do seem to have one Christian singer each season. Something for everyone, I guess.

p.s. The show’s been much better this year, with not showing so many of the bad auditions, and showing more of the good. Finally the producers got some sense in them. I always wondered what kind of people tuned in only for the bad auditions. Not music lovers, for sure. People looking for comedy I suppose.

I do not think the singers with the sad stories advanced because of the stories, I think that their sad stories were dug up because they actually could sing.

sumidol, I think you bring up a great point. Every time they introduce a contestant with a clip package that shows them outside of the audition area interviews, we know they got through. It’s pretty obvious that the producers only bothered to follow this person home/to their work/families after they’d already made it to Hollywood. I never watched this stage of the show very carefully in the past, so I wonder if you guys have insight: if a contestant had a YES audition without an intro clip package, does that generally mean the producers don’t expect them to go far in Hollywood week? Or just that they didn’t have an interesting backstory? Hmmm… I don’t think that girl that they had come back without her jacket or whatever didn’t have one of those backstory clip packages, but they spent a lot of time following her just outside the venue. Come to think of it, I don’t think Archie or DC or Brooke had one of those clip intros either…?

Come to think of it, I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think Archie or DC or Brooke had one of those clip intros eitherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦?

Brooke had an intro clip…when she was singing that apples and bananas song to those twin girls she was taking care of. I was sold on her because of that, LOL.

deleted- posted too soon before finished and can’t fix the block quotes once posted.

I seem to recall in years past that we saw a lot more back stories. Even Carrie Underwood was highlighted…small town girl etc. with no real drama in her life. The back story I remember most…for some odd reason…was the kid from Montana who sang to the animals on his ranch and had never really been anywhere or done anything.

I’m sure there are hundreds of viewers who base their decisions solely on these back stories, whether positively or negatively. These stories make for “good” TV. They get people emotionally involved and help them to identify with a contestant.

Sorry for the long post in advance.. have been so busy.. trying to catch up.. have put name of original poster on each comment.

(Idolfanatic)
If this is any indication, I am guessing we can assume he wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be invited back to perform this season, which would sadden me greatly.

I just heard a rumor in the past few days that DA will be coming on the show in April sometime. I hope it is true.

(idolbeat)
Simon didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think he [Osmond] could be contemporary but why not see what he can do? Donny was able to leave his brothers and group singing before becoming a teen pop star.

Simon said that about DA. That is ridiculous. It is all about song choice here.

(erennick)
They must really have an issue with him/his parents.

I think it is all about not wanting to promote the nonwinner.

(soundscene)
Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s obvious thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s what they are about this year, but I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a pointless attempt theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re making. No matter how much they highlight the winners and downplay the others who are successful, people will still see Jennifer Hudson, Daughtry, David Archuleta, Clay Aiken, etc. and know American Idol isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t just about winning. To achieve what they apparently want they have to stop the others from having careers. Ultimately the show is doing itself a disservice. It should be embracing all the successes to come from its cheesy reality show roots, because nobody is going to believe this à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“winning is importantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  spin no matter how much they try. That angle was damaged in season 2 and they completely lost it in season 5. They seem to want to regain it this season, but ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s too late.

YES! They need to wise up and realize that saying nice things about any idol’s success helps the show. I was so impressed with “So You Think You Can Dance” in that they seem to encourage success from all of their contestants future and former. I know AI wants their winner to be successful, but it is also great for the show if all of the top ten are successful because of their time on AI.

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I was shocked at the lack of promo for DA too.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

(frogcooke)
Im not.. lol
Especially after the fact when they intro Kara on the premiere and conveniently left off his album on idols sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s worked with, considering the fact one of her songs is on the cd and she does the back up for it.. lol

I was shocked when they introduced Kara and talked about who she had worked with that she didn’t mention Crush, since it has been such a hit. It was obvious that it was ommitted on purpose.

(keel) Although I agree with most of what you said, Kris, I was expecting a bit more pimpage because you would think that AI would want to highlight that they have two former contestants from the same season that are doing well in their post AI careers. They are lucky if they have one former contestant per season do well. I think they squandered an opportunity there. But yes, there is no doubt that he will be back to perform sometime during the season.

Absolutely– squandered an opportunity.

(jaybs)
What a Joke Cowell truly is! he says to David Osmond that he would be making a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“massive mistake à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ if you think youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re contemporaryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  – this is from a guy who made his name with novelty records from puppets and soap stars who didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t sing on the records, add to that nearly every artist he works with has to record à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Unchained Melodyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  – add to the Paula and the criticism of singing a group sound? how many others have done this and no comment? also how many lead singers of groups have gone on to solo success.

They let so many through without giving as many comments. They were obviously giving Osmond a hard time. If he wasn’t an Osmond, I think he would be a front runner. Having the Osmond name will be held against him but it shouldn’t be. But I guess having the Osmond name has probably gotten him some opportunities as well.

Marie drives me a bit crazy, but the Osmonds are a wonderful family and they have lasted in the business for a long, long time.

Someone said that David Archuleta looked young in those clips. It is amazing how much he has grown up since he started AI. The time between end of 16 and 18 is huge.

Come to think of it, I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think Archie or DC or Brooke had one of those clip intros eitherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦?

DC had an intro clip that also pimped Daughtry LOL It was an intro clip that that segwayed into all the rockers Daughtry has inspired to audition and they interviewed DC in the waiting room saying he’s a bartender, that he just watched Daughtry’s audition the night before etc.

Good call, hardkandy, I somehow thought Brooke’s clip with the babies didn’t show up until Top24 or something. Trina, DC had an intro clip which included a brief interview, yes, but I was talking about the ones where they followed you home. Those interviews at the venue, they do for rejects, too, but if you see clips of the auditioner in school, with their family, at their farm, etc. it’s a telltale sign that they made it past the first round.

I think it is all about not wanting to promote the nonwinner.

No, I think it’s attributable to the fact that Archie opted not to sign with 19E. Prior to that, TPTB were very happy to push the co-winner angle, a la S2.

Osmond guy can sing pretty well. I have no idea who is the family, I see they’re famous and all. But this is the first time I listen to an Osmond sing, I think he was good.
Overall the girsl were better though, just like they’ve been in every audition. Thumbs up for Frankie.

No, I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s attributable to the fact that Archie opted not to sign with 19E.

I think it was 19′s option, no? At least what I’ve heard is that in the first year or something, if they want you you can’t say no. I’m sure someone knows better though.
They didn’t talk about Time Of My life, Light On, David Cook’s album… why would anyone expect them to talk about Crush? Not me. They used David Cook to remind people that American Idol can change you life in a big way, make your dreams come true and bla bla but there wasn’t much about his work, so I wouldn’t expect that for someone else.
I agree that they’re probably waiting for later in the show. They mentioned Archie, which is a lot more than most contestants get.
This kinda of reminds of Jason fans complaining how the show hates Jason, and then they were really nice to him in that episode in Kansas City. TPTB sometimes are kind to former contestants.

All this talk of Archie and The Osmonds reminds that last season, I had said that Archie reminded me of a young Donny Osmond. I think David Osmond is someone Archie fans might get behind due to that similarity. I liked him too, but I’m not sure I will end up liking him as much as I like Archie.

Last night was better than Tuesday, the girls stood out for me I liked Frankie Jordan, Megan and Rose, Taylor was just meh.
If Frankie Jordan sounded like Amy Whinehouse it escaped me, I thought she looked like her though but maybe that was deliberate, maybe she plays on that.
I thought Megan had an Alanis Morrisette thing going on with her voice.
The whole Osmond thing was just weird to me.

If I have learned anything from watching this cheesy show, it is that the competition is largely unpredictable and the contest changes most of what we think we learned from the auditions and Hollywood week.

My primary concern is about how much control the AI crew has to stack the top 36 with their favorites and then manipulate each semifinal group of 12 to benefit their favorites. This year voters will select only 9 of the final top 12 with all the remaining 3 as judges’ wild card picks. If the AI8 rules had been in effect during AI2, Clay Aiken — who was eliminated by judges in the semifinals and voted into the finals as the viewers’ wild card pick — would probably still be an unknown.

Speaking of the top 36 and the sing down. When they had this format early on how were the contestants divided up? Who made the decision as to who would sing off against who?

Speaking of the top 36 and the sing down. When they had this format early on how were the contestants divided up? Who made the decision as to who would sing off against who?

The producers put the groups together.

Going back to the old system puts a lot more power in the hands of TPTB to shape the outcome. I’m sure that played into the decision to ditch the Top 24

Taylor opened her mouth to sing an obscure religious tune.

I’d say she screwed up some Beethoven. Lauryn Hill she is not.

All this talk of Archie and The Osmonds reminds that last season, I had said that Archie reminded me of a young Donny Osmond. I think David Osmond is someone Archie fans might get behind due to that similarity. I liked him too, but Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not sure I will end up liking him as much as I like Archie.

Personally, I see very little similarities between David A and Donny, other than their religion and living in Utah. I followed Donny when young but kind of casually. David A has an amazing voice (no disrespect is meant to the Osmonds, but David is way better), but he is much more than a voice. I would hope that people would only get behind David Osmond if they like his voice and his personality. From the sounds of it, they may not get the chance to find out what he is like.

I think it was 19à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s option, no? At least what Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve heard is that in the first year or something, if they want you you canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t say no. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sure someone knows better though.

For something like 3 months after the show, you can only sign with 19…but after that you’re free to go wherever you want. They figure the shine will be off most contestants by then. Obviously they were wrong about DA.

I don’t read any nefarious motives into last night’s ep re: DA and 19. They did mention him twice, and I’m almost certain he’ll get a performance slot during the season and maybe finale.

UGhhh I am so tired of these auditions…they took away the stupid auditions but only have sob stories to fill, and those get old and tired after a while too. Let’s get down to business and get them competing already!

I liked some of the funkier girls this week. The last one – Rose – the one who lost her folks – she struck me as the type of girl w/ a quirky voice that would be good on some indy songs. I wonder how she would do with “broadway night” and things like that. That’s where people with specific vocal styles tend to suffer on this show.

For something like 3 months after the show, you can only sign with 19à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦but after that youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re free to go wherever you want. They figure the shine will be off most contestants by then. Obviously they were wrong about DA.

I think that 19 would have been happy to sign DA (and therefore continue promoting the co-winner storyline) but the dealbreaker may have been the family’s insistence that Jeff Archuleta be co-manager. Isn’t that the current deal that DA has now with his management company? I’m not saying that that’s a bad decision for David’s career, but I just think it was a combination of one party (Simon Fuller) not wanting to share and another party (David’s parents) wanting to have an official hand in the direction of DA’s career.

All this is purely my speculation, by the way.

But on topic? Man, was that a sucky run of audition episodes or what? Maybe they’ll show more of the talented singers in Hollywood, but geez, what we’ve seen so far have been mostly mediocre to crap.

I think it was 19à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s option, no? At least what Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve heard is that in the first year or something, if they want you you canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t say no.

19 certainly has the option and you are not allowed to sign with another label for 3 months, but that doesn’t mean the artist doesn’t have any options. Bucky Covington said that Elliott Yamin was offered a deal with 19R/Sony back in the day, but he turned it down. I don’t recall Elliott saying anything about it and it is possible that Bucky was wrong. But, you can’t sign somebody up for a deal until all parties know what the deal is. So, 19 has the right to exclusively negotiate with Idols for 3 months, but if they don’t come up with a deal that is attractive enough for the Idol, the Idol is still allowed to say “No”.

19R probaby also has some rights for a little longer than those 3 months. If 19R makes an offer and the Idol says no and then quickly accepts a deal with somebody else which is less attractive, 19R can argue that the Idol did not negotiate in good faith (there are limits to that). At least, that’s how I recall it working.

Anyway, 19R/Sony and all that is not relevant here. Archie did sign with 19R/Sony. What he didn’t sign with is 19M. It’s a little iffy in the first place being managed by basically the same company that is your label. I believe it would be illegal if it weren’t for the fact that they are different subsidaries of the parent company. Managers are supposed to represent the artists and get the best deal from the label. Pretty hard to do if you are the same company.

It is rumoured that 19M used to pretty much make the Idols they signed to 19R sign with 19M, but that the contract was loosened after it was pointed out to them that it’s iffy territory to be on. It is rumoured that Clay got out of his contract with 19M because he was able to prove that 19M passed up a lot of offers for him because they wanted to either bundle the offer with Ruben or to make Ruben look better (since they were both their clients and 19, in general, wants it’s winners to look better). 19M was not working in his best interest. Certainly, there is a lot of leaks about how Justin was held back by 19 (from having to turn down everything from modeling contracts to guest appearances on “Friends”) to show that 19 doesn’t always have the runner-ups interest at heart.

Given 19′s history, it was probably a wise decision on the part of Archie to chose independent management. It likely means that 19 won’t feature him as much on the show, but it means that his management is more likely to have his interest at heart. For the winner, 19M and the winner likely have the same interests. For runners-up, there is potential for that not to be so.

David A has an amazing voice (no disrespect is meant to the Osmonds, but David is way better), but he is much more than a voice.

Well, I’m no Osmond fan, but in fairness to Donny, he’s much more than a voice too. And, I’m thinking David A has a long way to go before he can really compare to a guy who’s sustained a 50 year career in about 5 different segments of show businesses.

No, I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s attributable to the fact that Archie opted not to sign with 19E.

I don’t think it has much to do with that (IMO). Archie still has a connection to 19 even though he’s not being managed by them. Jordin’s song was used in last night’s episode and she’s no longer with 19M. I do still think they could have included a little snippet of the Crush video or something, but they chose not to pimp his post-Idol music for whatever reason. Maybe they really are doing things differently this season and choosing to only focus on the winner’s (or past winners’) successes. I don’t know. That said, they did show him a few times last night so they didn’t ignore him or act like he doesn’t exist (unlike how they usually treat Taylor Hicks, who actually won).

Came across this on another site à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  current entry on Frankie Jordanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s myspace page where she talks about her husband winning an ABC singing competition hosted by Donnie and Marie Osmun:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=31547358&blogID=466869552

OMG! We watched this show! LOL! I can’t remember why, but it was on one night after something else and my kids were into it, so I watched it peripherally and I remember him (kinda). I didn’t recognize him last night though.

Thanks for posting!

For something like 3 months after the show, you can only sign with 19

Is this just 19R and a Sony record label, or does this extend to management also? Cuz I thought a handful of past winners/runners up signed straight away to other management when they signed with their Sony label.

Anyway, I honestly think Archie and his dad made the right choice not signing with 19M. Obviously there are pros and cons, and the cons can include less pimpage on the AI show… but that’s not a huge con, really. Less pimpage won’t mean no pimpage– TPTB have invited back and mentioned tons of past contestants not signed to 19M. Unless your name is Taylor Hicks, you will still benefit from the AI association, even if it’s to a lesser degree than the likes of DC, Carrie, Daughtry. I think Archie signing with 19M would’ve been a mistake, because I highly doubt they would push the co-winner meme for the sake of the show. They would’ve pushed the “both Davids are doing amazing” meme, but would still push DC more, because DC was the winner. If I were Archie, I wouldn’t want to sign with management that would always push me a little less than another client– one who will drop an album and try to book the same promotions as myself. It’s a conflict of interest. All in all, Archie is better off with different management. Didn’t Clay and/or Justin G complain at some point about how 19 turned down some of their promos/gigs in order not to compete with Ruben/Kelly? I thought I heard that at some point.

ETA: I took too long composing this and Kirsten basically covered everything, haha. Oh well, I’ll leave it anyway, if only to agree with the Archie’s better off bit :).

I’m a little confused by the comments. I thought DA got some great exposure last night. They showed a clip of his original audition, which I had never seen, and pictures from his triumphal return to SLC, and they mentioned him at the top of the show. Yes, these were each brief, but they were promotion for him. They were certainly enough to cause people who loved him but were less invested to go check out his music. He appears to have at least a small iTunes uptick since last night, too.

This year’s auditions have not been too exciting for me. Too many sound alike.

Is this just 19R and a Sony record label, or does this extend to management also? Cuz I thought a handful of past winners/runners up signed straight away to other management when they signed with their Sony label.

They keep those contracts pretty secret, but I think you are right. From what I recall, originally, the 19M thing was part of the 3 month thing (I may be misremembering it, but when Kelly won, wasn’t the management contract mentioned as one of the things she “won”?). Then, around season 3 or 4, it seemed that they loosened up that part of the contract because they were on iffy legal territory with enforcing that (especially since your management firm is supposed to help negotiate the contract, so if they have the option for the same period as the contract, what is the person supposed to do?). By Season 5, you have both the winner and runner-up signing with somebody other than 19M (season 3 runner-up, Diana, had her Mom has her manager). I don’t recall who Bo originally signed with.

Personally, I see very little similarities between David A and Donny, other than their religion and living in Utah. I followed Donny when young but kind of casually. David A has an amazing voice (no disrespect is meant to the Osmonds, but David is way better), but he is much more than a voice. I would hope that people would only get behind David Osmond if they like his voice and his personality. From the sounds of it, they may not get the chance to find out what he is like.

I mainly meant the young, cute, clean-cut kid type of appeal that Donny had back in the day. That’s where Archie reminded me of him some.

Austin, president of his high school class isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t a great singer, but his pinch-his-cheeks cuteness rules the day.

I didn’t think he was amazing, but he is not bad either. I doubt he has the chops of Archuleta.

spencerj- I should have written that there is no doubt that the Osmonds are great entertainers. I wasn’t meaning to disrespect them. I saw them in their 50th last concert and thought it was a great show. What I meant was that David has captured people not only with an incredible voice, but with his kind, caring, selfless, humble personality.

Idolfanatic- yes, I agree that they are both clean cut, etc. Funny thing is that I lived in Ohio and read those teen magazines and as far as the magazines showed, they were all clean cut then. I guess I was very naive and they just didn’t put out the garbage then. I had no idea that the Osmonds were different in any way.

SpenserJ – word!
Donny had 10 songs in the top 20′s during a two year time period, 1#1 in the US and 3 #1′s in the UK! He has charted 19 times solo and 7 with Marie. I think I have Puppy Love, Go Away Little Girl and Sweet and Innocent packed away somewhere! Those 3 and ABC by the Jackson 5 were my first record purchases!

He also was a huge hit on Broadway.

You know…the whole deal about signing options and 19 really is off topic. Thanks Kirsten for answering peeps questions, but I don’t want this discussion to take over the thread. The Topic is Season 8–The Salt Lake City Auditions.

How bout that Meghan Corkrey? I thought she was awesome!

Thanks.

LKO9, what is really different is that with the internet, information is spread so much more quickly – people’s opinions move through the internet like wildfire. Today’s pop stars are so connected and travel is so much easier. My parents would not have taken me 50 miles to a concert – today I take my kids 6 hours away.

Sorry MJ – back to David O.

Meghan Corkrey has a stunning face. That could either work for or against her. Vocally, I think her voice is interesting, but whether she’ll be strong or versatile enough, can’t really tell at this point. I’m looking forward to how she holds up in Hollywood.

The memorable ones for me out of these audition rounds so far are Anoop, Felicia and Lil. I hope there’s a strong rock contender from those we didn’t get to hear. It’s obvious that Adam Lambert will be pretty entertaining, but from the random intarweb clips so far his vocals just didn’t grab me.

While I enjoyed last night, no one has yet topped Danny Gokey for me yet :)

I liked Meghan the best from last night I think but, call me old-fashioned, her tattoos really bother me. I’m just not a big fan of tattoos, I guess, specifically THAT many tattoos and placed somewhere so visible. But her voice was fantastic, very Duffy-esque. I think if this one makes it into the top 12, I’ll enjoy the studio versions very much.

Sorry MJ, my fault.
But thanks everyone for replying. :)

I don’t like when they keep telling someone’s story is coming up… makes me tired even before I see that person. I think that could be one of the reasons I didn’t feel Rose. I was already bored by ehr story even before listening to it.

If they had Blake Lewis and K McPhee last year, they’ll have Archie this year. He’s already much more successful. And they had Bo and Kimberley Locke last year too. It was quite the homecoming last year.