Chris Cornell Defends David Cook

Everyone on the show sings covers, so I agree with you, mj, that it’s about choosing the best cover. David using Chris Cornell’s version of Billie Jean is also a non-issue to me, but I’m glad Chris said that in his interview.

“It was clear to me [that] he was a big fan as he followed my arrangement down to the T, including the most subtle vocal nuances.”

That David Cook is some original. (Agreed: it’s no big deal as long as credit is at least attempted)

I think it’s funny that people get upset. The whole show is about singing covers! Ha ha ha.

nooney
Mar 28th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s funny that people get upset. The whole show is about singing covers! Ha ha ha.

Exactly!

It is kind of funny to read that Cook copied Cornell’s entire arrangement including the most subtle nuances. But I think I’ll save my “ha, has” for the next time Randy compliments him on his “originality.”

And as far as the whole à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“covering a cover dealà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’first of all, it happens more than it gets mentioned. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s only when a contestant does well that it causes a stir.

You hit the nail on the head here. I find it quite humorous that we resort to our childhood cries of “Cheater!” and “It’s not fair!” when our favorites’ are suddenly threatened. :smiley2_tb:

But, you’re right. Syesha did a Stephanie Mills cover of “If I Were Your Woman.” Strangely, everyone was pretty quiet about it.

All “controversy” aside though, David has raised the bar – even for himself. It will be interesting to see how he maintains that momentum in the weeks to come.

DC FTW!!

Of course, they’re all doing covers. I just think a)they should give credit where credit is due (Cook seems to have learned his lesson) and b)not be pimped for being original when they copy arrangements down to the T.

David Cook is a very good rock singer. I think at some point (Mariah week?) he may actually have to be original and that should be interesting.

P.S. I wonder how happy Cornell would have been if David Cook had done that arrangement and not credited him? Not very, I think.

With all of the “rock star names I’ve worked with” that Randy Jackson drops on a regular basis, I am shocked!!! shocked!!! that he was unaware that Chris Cornell had done that version of the song.

Or maybe he knew it (since Ryan mentioned it two minutes before Randy gave his comments), and he still thinks David Cook is different enough from the other contestants to be deserving of the “originality” praise.

On the other hand, I don’t think David Cook is the most original contestant. He’s very similar to Chris Daughtry, although without the annoying goat-vibrato that Daughtry over-used week after week.

The award for most “original” Idol contestant ever would be a tough battle between Taylor Hicks or Blake Lewis. Love them or hate them, there has never been anyone else like either one of them on the show before or since.

Okay, I have to ask … what’s FTW?

It’s the judges who need to learn their lesson, not the contestants. I don’t expect them to know every cover of every song that’s chosen but they should know by now that there’s a good chance the arrangement has been borrowed from another artist (obscure or not) and phrase their remarks accordingly. I would prefer they praise someone like David Cook for choosing/finding/etc. a unique arrangement rather than implying that he created it all by himself.

The show acknowledged upfront that it was someone else’s version. The judges need to pay more attention to what’s going on. :rolleyes_wp:

Okay, I have to ask à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s FTW?

For the Win

LOL, Karen! I asked the same thing yesterday in another thread. It is For The Win!

I think it’s interesting that Cornell said Cookie followed his arrangement to a T…I’ve compared both and I don’t think so (and I like DC’s performance better). But, anyway…

Glad Cornell was supportive.

When this contest turns into a show where they have to present only their own original material, then I’ll give credence to those moaning about how unoriginal it is to do a cover, or a cover of a cover.

Yes, Cookie FTW!

Most people knew it was Stephanie Mills cover. I mean those who actually even think about is as Gladys Knights was done at least a full decade earlier. And Syesha’s wasn’t a carbon copy of Stephanie’s down to every vocal nuance. She added her own. I think Chris Cornell saying that was a not so subtle dig. You can copy an arrangement, but vocal nuance? Hmmm. Gotta think about that.

Well, I love Chris Cornell’s voice and have been a fan of his for a long time, but I find his version of Billie Jean just a bit funeral dirge – and I don’t hear that in Cookie’s version. JMO. I wonder how much CC’s sales have gone up since last Tuesday night…

I remember Gladys Knight’s version, not Stephanie Mills (who I have never heard of, sorry), and no one can compare to Gladys’ version in my opinion.

Also, Chris Cornell’s version didn’t sound the same to me at all, especially the vocal nuances, which were very different. I prefer DC’s version as well.

DC FTW

I’ve never heard of Chris Cornell, but he was credited with the cover, so nuf said. I seriously doubt David Cook created every vocal nuance because not everyone has the same skills. I can desire to sing Whitney and even try but dang-i just can’t get every nuance cause she is way better than i am.
I’m glad that Ryan said it and if DC has watched idol in the past, he may have known what happened with Daughtry and the credit being edited out of his video package. The judges should get a list before the show mentioning who is doing what and what version (and who’s) they are performing. then they don’t look stupid when they don’t know.

Wondering why CC thinks “this song is special”?? Last time I checked, there have been numersous cover of covers on this show and other than Daughtry, has anyone caught so much flack for it? Why this is so special I have no idea. Quite frankly I would think any artist would be honored and thankful that their cover is performed on AI. I’m sure CC got a nice bounce on ITunes and major hits on his website. But special, I don’t think so….IMHO! You don’t see Whitesnake screaming the roof down when DC covered their cover, and it was recognized on the show as such. Is it because the CC cover was so obscure? so different?

Also I felt that when Randy used the dreaded word ” original” he was referring to DC not the arrangment. Poor choice of words on Randys part….OH YES!! DC’s fault…uhhhh NO.

Michael Jackson covers are having the Best Week Ever!! Fall Out Boy’s cover of “Beat It” is thisclose to entering the Top 10 songs on iTunes.

I think Chris Cornell saying that was a not so subtle dig.

Eep, I kind of agree. But at least he said he did a good job.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve never heard of Chris Cornell,

Really? Does Soundgarden ring a bell?

this is SUCH a nonissue. with all the shenanigans going on during the show, seacrest barely has time to tell us what the song is called sometimes, never mind who originally wrote/performed it or what cover version it is.

this time thanks to doxology-gate they took the time to spell it out and still it’s a “controversy”.

david c has emerged as a surprise contender and the media is looking for a story.

blah, this is all randy’s fault for using the “o” word

star
yep, have heard of soundgarden. have one of their cd’s. thanks for posting. had no idea who the singers were for soundgarden, just that i like them. i used to listen to Sister Hazel too, but couldn’t tell you any of the singers or group names. i also love rascal flatts but don’t know the name of the guys. i would, however, like to know where their name comes from.

I seriously don’t get the controversy over this. I kind of got it in Season 5, but only because the judges were praising Chris Daughtry for being so original when, no, he really wasn’t. Even then, though, it had nothing to do with Daughtry himself. But everyone knew this year that David Cook was doing the CC version, so what’s there to get in a huff about, media?

Chris Cornell: It was clear to me [that] he was a big fan as he followed my arrangement down to the T, including the most subtle vocal nuances. I think he did a great job at pulling it off.

Heh. That comment isn’t as complimentary as Chris Cornell thinks it is, because what he’s essentially saying is “David Cook is a very, very good mimic.”

And as far as the whole à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“covering a cover dealà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’first of all, it happens more than it gets mentioned. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s only when a contestant does well that it causes a stir. And the real problem starts with the judges, who havenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t heard the original version and assume the contestant did the arrangement. Or, when the contestant mentions the inspiration in their video package, and the producers cut it out.

Agreed 100% — it’s not as if Cook has the sufficient time to cook up (sorry, no pun intended) something like the arrangements he’s been performing every week in the space of 3 to 4 days. And like Gwen said, Syesha covered Stephanie Mills’ cover of “If I Were Your Woman” but no one ever said anything about it. As for the judges, I know that at least Simon is well aware of what Cook’s been doing (as shown in recent interviews), but I don’t know about Randy (who is always the one to keep gravely making the mistake of raving about Cook’s “originality”) and Paula…is not even worth mentioning here.

“I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s interesting that Cornell said Cookie followed his arrangement to a Tà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve compared both and I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think so (and I like DCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s performance better). But, anywayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

Cookie followed at least the acoustic guitar and the basic melody line on that, but generally his arrangement was a lot more band-reliant and he did play a little with the melody (FYI, I’m basing this on the live since I happen to not be able to afford or have the means to properly get and pay for the studio recordings). He was also so much more on the beat than Cornell, and overall I liked his performance better, too.

to sum up Chris Cornell’s, he said, “David Cook is a theif and should have been voted off.”

I think David C. is such a talented performer, and that is where the focus should stay. He is also, apparently, a GREAT song writer/recording artist. Correct me if this has been posted, but Amazon still has David’s CD Analog Heart for sale in MP3 form. It is great. He is #11 on the most downloaded artist list. Yay David!! Click here to buy the album

Brave? Seriously? Isn’t choosing an interesting arrangement of a very well known song sort of the M.O. for success in AI these days? Oh I think it was a smart choice but brave? Hardly.

Brave would have been to rock a moonwalk, do a few spins and hit the tiptoes. Stupid of course, but brave.

Picking the #1 song of the year and remembering an arrangement by a hard rock guy you know is hardly brave. It’s simply the way you win – yeah baby!

He is also, apparently, a GREAT song writer/recording artist. Correct me if this has been posted, but Amazon still has Davidà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s CD Analog Heart for sale in MP3 form. It is great. He is #11 on the most downloaded artist list. Yay David!!

Got ‘em! Thanks for the link. :thumbup_tb:

I’m 100% sold on this guy. He’s the real deal. That’s talent – - his own songs, own arrangements – - and no one can take that away from him. I am so glad he’s had this opportunity for exposure. Now, should he win this? Or should he not so he has more elbow room for creativity? He wants to win it…okay, I’ll do my part to help him. :smile_wp:

When this contest turns into a show where they have to present only their own original material, then Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll give credence to those moaning about how unoriginal it is to do a cover, or a cover of a cover.

SO much effing word to that.

to sum up Chris Cornellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s, he said, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“David Cook is a theif and should have been voted off.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Oh? Then I suppose that David Archuleta should have been voted off weeks ago for “thieving” Eva Cassidy’s arrangement of “Imagine.”

Oh the ridiculous statements we make when our favorite is threatened…

Brave? Seriously? Isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t choosing an interesting arrangement of a very well known song sort of the M.O. for success in AI these days? Oh I think it was a smart choice but brave? Hardly.

Yes, it is brave. Because as MJ said, picking such a well-known and iconic song and doing such a radical rearrangement of it runs the risk of people not warming to it at all and subsequently not voting for him. As Simon said, it could have been “insane” or “amazing.” It’s one way or the other with a situation like that and an arrangement like that, there is no middle ground.

I’ve been a huge Chris Cornell fan since the days of Soundgarden and Audioslave. I own everything he’s ever done and have even traveled to Dallas to see him perform. However, after downloading DC’s version of “Billie Jean” I actually prefer David’s version. I never thought I would say that. David’s version BLEW ME AWAY. I don’t think it’s a carbon copy – it’s better.

I saw DC perform with Axium in Kansas City several years ago and then at a bar in Tulsa early last year. I was impressed enough that I picked up “Analog Heart.” I’m a fan for life and don’t think we’ve heard the best from David yet.

“Oh? Then I suppose that David Archuleta should have been voted off weeks ago for à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“thievingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Eva Cassidyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s arrangement of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Imagine.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

I missed the parts where Randy pimped him for being brave and original. Isn’t David A known as the pageant kid who certainly has nothing original about him?

“Oh the ridiculous statements we make when our favorite is threatened”

I totally agree, for example calling any contestant on American Idol “brave.” They may be bold, nervy, risk takers but brave is pushing the envelope. They’re all looking for their short cut to fame and fortune so I’m not ready to pin medals for bravery on any of them myself .

I would agree that “brave” is a little OTT. Smart, for sure. Honestly, even if it hadn’t worked, there was no way he would’ve been out the door and he knew it, so why not take a small risk?

The so-called controversy? Much Ado About Nothing.

I’m guessing we’re gonna return to fanwars this year.

Now, should he win this? Or should he not so he has more elbow room for creativity?

Here is a little blog entry that I put up on the Team Plaid blog when fans were questioning whether or not they wanted Blake to actually win.

Granted, I wrote it when he’d already made the finale (which, as much as we want it and inevitable as it might seem, is not guaranteed at this point for DC; there’s still a lot more singing to do). But it still gives my thoughts on all that.

I was trying to be inspirational to the fanbase, so remember that while reading. It’s a bit cheesy.

David C I liked “Hellow” the last song he was shouting a bit to me.I really think the stealing song thing is ridicluous and mooot point. If I get him shoved down my throat like Daivid A thiers a good chance I just will not care one way or another. Thier a law I have to luv him and not just like him…It is early in the contest what if he gets kick out before winning will thier be a posse..Oh what I think is wierd Jason Castro been doing the same thing it is bad but Daivid C rocking songs out is good? Jason is not a rocker and would been labled having an ego…

I think it’s fun to have some controversy on the show. I don’t get all the defensiveness myself. David Cook would have to fall off the stage on top of Simon to get voted off at this point. There’s tons of fodder between him and any danger no matter what songs he steals…oops I means sings. Actually he’s probably better off leaving 3rd or 4th and doing a Daughtry than winning. That might really be the kiss of death for his career. Once they win if they don’t sell a million records they’re considered flops. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

They may be bold, nervy, risk takers but brave is pushing the envelope.

[snip]

Theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re all looking for their short cut to fame and fortune

Which is exactly why it is brave and, if I may use YOUR choice of word, bold to do what he did on the show. He’s risking the loss of that by doing something, as I said, so radically different with such a well-known song. You completely missed my point.

I guess I should call up Randy and Simon and tell them to choose their words more carefully next time. :rolleyes_wp:

My point about David Archuleta and the Eva Cassidy cover is that if we’re gonna be bitching about one person doing a cover of a cover (on a show that is ABOUT covers), IMO, the criticism should be evenly applied to all of them. Double standards really annoy me.

I confess I read some posts on one of David C’s fanblogs the other night that amused me, after what we’ve been through with the American Idol contestants we’ve followed. They don’t know what they’re in for.
He’s talented enough, and even more important, smart enough to win if he wants it. Now he has to decide if he does.

jpfan-”I missed the parts where Randy pimped him for being brave and original. Isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t David A known as the pageant kid who certainly has nothing original about him? ”

David A= Eva Cassidy= John Lennon ( with NO mention of the version he sang)

David C= Chris Cornell= Michael Jackson ( stated by ryan what version was being used)

I think the word in your statement that stands out to me is RANDY. DC had nothing to do with what Randy said. If there is any issue at all it should be with Randy and Paula, not DC. He gave credit where credit was do. Little D…not so much.

Critism and tratment will necer be the same for each contestant Like Daivid A now David C has the eye on him…Controversey is a little fun also I learned from season 5 nothing you can do about or what people think..

Jpfan–I am starting to lean towards your view of this season.

DC has moved from #11 to #6 on amazon’s top downloaded artists of the day!

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m guessing weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re gonna return to fanwars this year.

MJ. pj was only kidding. LOL Can you imagine another 9 months like S5 running into S6? *shudder*

Pop, unfortunately I realize that the criticism will never be evenly applied. But that doesn’t change the fact that the double standard really annoys me and will continue to.

Controversy? Sure, fine. Making a big deal out of one instance of something that happens all the time on a show that is about covers? Not “controversy.” More like grasping at straws for a story. I guess if this is “controversy” it means that DC really is a frontrunner now. Fine with me!

Honestly, the person who REALLY should be outraged over this is Michael Jackson. His name was never even mentioned in the introduction! I mean, OMG, you’d think it was Chris Cornell’s song or something! :doh_tb:

Can you imagine another 9 months like S5 running into S6?

Gah, don’t remind me. This is NOTHING compared to that. Yikes.

Friends, give it time. We’re only at top 9. Hee.

But no, let’s hope it’s not like that.

It’s kinda West Side Story… the Archies vs the Cookies.

I kid. I kid.

Oh, I think there are going to be big time fan-wars this season. I’ve already seen random “Do you want your children to idolize David Cook? What would become of the youth of this country? What about the children?” comments on certain boards that I’d rather not mention that I’ve been to.

I suspect things will temporarily calm down after Archie sings “I Will Always Love You” better! than! Whitney! on Tuesday. DC will probably go back under the radar at least for awhile.

pj- I guess deep down I do not care even if one contestant sells 3 million out of the bunch..Two I am just happy to make it and will be waiting with my Late’ for them if thier music is what I listen to. Past season I like the ones whose music I sort of listen to annyways……Fans wars cristicsm no longer care at all I am tired of it……….The bands or Artists I listen to the contestants would luv or dream of lasting that long from this season…Thier all kids with talent whon either belong from a model agency or commercial..Some I like thier music so far..but jjeze pj was it is in inning two a….

one to watch with talent Stphen Curry

AP Breaking: Chris Cornell, Chief of the Diplomatic Division of the United Nations, has ended the war in Iraq.

And I agree Sarah, David A. should have been voted off before voting began ! ( I think he might be Lawrence Welk’s great grandson from the right wing side.)

oops

This is a complete non-issue, in my opinion. Every contestant does covers of covers. You or I could do the same thing and fail miserably, because we have no talent. David Cook may have imitated Chris Cornell, but he did so capably. Very few people could have done as well.

It wasn’t Cooked’s fault, it was definitely the judges fault.

JC came out of a gobsmacking rendition of Hallelujah, bum note et al, with the judges saying Jeff Buckley had done it all before!! Can you imagine the impact if they hadn’t said that? I know Hallelujah is very popular but many don’t know it. I didn’t. And I like JC’s better.

I suspect things will temporarily calm down after Archie sings à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I Will Always Love Youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  better! than! Whitney! on Tuesday.

Speaking of which… I wonder if any of the contestants does the Whitney Houston version of IWALY next week, a shitstorm will start in the media for “OMG STEALING WHITNEY’S VERSION!”

Probably not, since most people don’t have the sense to know it’s not a Whitney song in the first place.

this youtube combining dcook and cornell’s versions of BJ goes to show, IMO, that david in no way followed “every vocal nuance” and blah blah blah. i like soundgarden and generally enjoy chris cornell, but his interview struck me as really passive-aggressive and bitchy.

and i agree with those who said that doing this arrangement of BJ was certainly a bold, risky move. it doesn’t matter WHO tweaked it – it’s a wildly unfamiliar version of a very well-known song. i have no doubt that plenty of people went “uh, what the fuck?” and that was that. david sang his ass off and really sold the song, so it went over well, but if he hadn’t been 100% on point, it could’ve been a disaster. (hell, i still want to shake carrie underwood for her version of “piece of my heart” no matter how many people are all “no, it’s ok, she was doing the faith hill version!”)

fwiw, FOB’s cover of “beat it” is pretty rad, for anyone on an MJ cover kick. also, analog heart is up to #5 on the amazon mp3 albums.

Damn, wordpress was unkind and I lost my post.

4got, I never really thought about “Hallelujah” that way. Except for useless Randy, it was praised very highly by the judges. Honestly, I am glad they mentioned it was the Jeff Buckley version. That’s part of the reason his version made such an impact on iTunes. It’s STILL in the top 100 songs. Very impressive.

Jason’s vocals and phrasing were different, so I give him props. Although I loved many performances, he’s the only one who’s actually “moved” me this season.

OMG, I sound so corny. *goes back to packing*

if we take this down to the end point-every single person who sings a song that someone else did is a thief.
now doesn’t that sound stupid?
this show is about doing covers-no one steals anything-they merely borrow a cover for the night. if the contestant gets the song cleared-then the borrowing is allowed. you can’t steal something that is freely given, however, it is the right thing to do to give credit to the lender. if the judges aren’t in the loop-then it is their fault not the fault of the contestant.

Jasonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s vocals and phrasing were different, so I give him props. Although I loved many performances, heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the only one whoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s actually à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“movedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  me this season.

OMG, I sound so corny. *goes back to packing*

That’s okay. I know what you mean, lol.

I actually don’t care if DC did a cover because who has time to pick a song and come up with a completely different arrangement in time to rehearse and record the studio version? The only thing that bothers me is that he’s done it 3 times already and instead of being surprising, it’s a little repetitive. I didn’t like this cover all that much and part of it was that he’s gone to the well too many times for me. I love his voice and give him credit for pulling it off but I’d like to see what else he can do.

I do think that it’s kind of amazing that Blake was able to come up with the arrangements he did given the short time they have.

I have Analog Heart as an item in my Amazon Idol store… Just click the link. .

As far as “fanwars” go–this has been a great discussion. People disagreeing, but respectfully.

I have to say, I pride myself on having one of the most readable, intelligent comments sections around. In short–You guys rock.

As long as everyone who chooses to post here remembers that it’s only a Tee Vee show, and that this shiz is meant to be fun and not angst-ridden and rage-inducing, we’ll have a fab and fun season.

i didn’t think it was ON itunes, mj…did i miss it? where’s the link i’m supposed to click? *confused*

edit: nvm! firefox was blocking the store ad thing; it showed up in IE.

MJ, I always just click the iTunes box at the top and then search for what I want. That works, right?

As for Jason, it seems to me that he’s picking songs that are meaningful to him (minus Mee-shell). Maybe not the best strategy, but I lurve him for that.

I’m such an effing space cadet. LOL. I meant my Amazon IDOL store. You’ll see it pop up from time to time in the featured items box. I fixed the link.

I need a brain transplant. lol

David Cook was friggin’ fantastic on Billie Jean. Chris Cornell should be a little more diplomatic in his thinly veiled praise, especially while he’s counting the money in his pocket that David personally made for him.

BTW, Cook gave credit to Cornell (via Ryan) before he performed and I, personally, went to listen to Cornell’s performance and you know WHAT??? David Cook completely outsang Cornell and he had to do it live. Cornell’s video voice came in a poor second to Cook.

And Cook is not a one trick pony as he proves on his low register, singing slow and does a great glory note to prove his versatility. He’s the only one who thrills me week after week on that stage, although I do give props to Michael John on his very good rendition of a tough duo of songs by Queen.