Danny Gokey New Single “It’s Only” Will Debut Friday Morning 11/06

Gotta admit, I’m kinda curious.

I just can’t see him as a country artist.

nah, I’ll pass. I’m surprised he has a new single already though.

There’s been a lot of good talent from season 8, but this guy isn’t one of them, for me.

I have to admit, I can’t wait to hear this.

Wow, I’m surprised this is coming out so quickly. So far S8 Idols have had well written/produced songs. I hope Danny gets a good one too.

jinxx315
11/05/2009 at 5:18 pm
I just can’t see him as a country artist.

Oh I can. He definitely connected with the crowd at the concerts when he sang the two Rascall Flatts songs. That kind of inspirational country?? I think he could do really really well. Will he?? Who knows. But I actually think he has a shot.

I’m curious to hear this one, too.

WOW!! This came out of left field.

Danny’s fans are shocked and buzzing right now. Didn’t expect his single until early December.

From 106.1 facebook

FM106.1 We will debut the new song from Danny Gokey at 7:20 Friday monring with the Moo Crew. Spread the word and be listening! The song was written by Dave and Charles from Lady Antebellum and produced by Mark Bright, the guy behind Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts. (3 hours ago)

I have to admit I love Lady Antebellum and their new song “Need You Now”. I am really excited to hear the song.

I thought his single wasn’t coming out until December. Not interested eough to get up early and listen to it live, but I’ll give it a chance when someone posts it on YouTube or whatever.

I am very excited and a little nervous! I love Danny’s voice and I know he has an excellent producer so I’m feeling confident about it, but can’t wait to hear.
I agree CindyM, I think Danny has the potential to do extremely well, it’s going to be about getting good songs and promotion. I assume that Mark Bright would not get involved if he wasn’t confident about that himself, so the prospects seem good.

It’s only…what is the question. I am VERY curious.

Well I’m excited for the Danny fans who get to hear his new single, and so quickly too!

And I admit to also being curious about what it sounds like. I’ll wait for the YouTube, but I will check it out.

I’m curious. And there are big country names behind it. It should be interesting.

Can’t wait, I’m a huge Lady A fan. Hope it’s good!

Wow that was really speedy considering not much has been said lately.

I’m really excited to hear this one.

I can’t believe it……….but I’m actually interested in this news.

I have to admit, I can’t wait to hear this.

Me too. I am intrigued by Mr. Gokey.

hmmmmm i don’t like this. i never got a country vibe from him so i don’t know how he is going to be able to sell country music.

i’ll hold judgement until i hear the track tomorrow…

jambajim Hi. (waves)

Too bad I don’t like country music because I like Danny’s voice.
Oh well.

good for danny and his fans. the top 4 will all have something to entertain their fans this nov. i want to hear his sound cos i have no clue right now except that he’s gone country. haha (there’s a show called gone country with some idols in it.).

quick maybe silly question, can autotune be used to give someone a twang?.

Good for Danny – can’t wait to hear it.

Bring it on Danny. Not judging until I hear your song. Could be the break you have been waiting.

Dannystorm!

I’m not a huge country fan, but Lady Antebellum is really good and Mark Bright is no doubt a top notch producer so I think this should work out well for him. Danny was never one of my favorites, but he does have a good voice and I wish him well. I’ll be up anyway so I’ll probably tune in.

I’m curious too! Will Danny be in the studio or is he calling in (from Mexico-lol)?

Will definitely be tuning in to hear it tomorrow, can’t wait!

This’ll probably be a song that didn’t make Lady A’s album or maybe Luke Bryan’s album. Charles and Dave are decent writers and doing really well now with Luke’s single Do I and their own songs but I don’t find their lyrics to be that great. Danny’s voice is in the style of Charles’s voice so that should be good for him although Charles is a much better singer.

Danny confuses me but I think I know why. I think he is very “green” and confused himself. He doesn’t have the experience and polish of a Kris or Adam and can’t blame it on youth like Alisson.

It will be interesting to see how this works out. He pretty much dissed both country and christian music – holding out for something more attractive that just never came along. The problem is that country fans seem to like “country” in their country artists, not people that sing country because that is all they could get signed to.

I’m from Milwaukee and he definitely has his fans here, we’ll see how it plays out elsewhere.

I’m looking forward to hearing Danny’s single. I don’t like country music but I love Danny’s voice! With the right songs I think he could do very well.

After Adam , I thought Gokey’s vocals were worth a listen. So will check his music out though have never been a country music fan .
But this is surprisingly quick though. Adam’s single just came out . And out of nowhere Gokey’s is now coming out .
It’s a good move though ,to be part of the current hoopla. Though if the song is bad, will easily flatten the mood.

For Danny fans worrying that this will sound too country: If It’s Only is anything like Luke Bryan’s Do I (which Luke wrote with Charles and Dave) or Lady A’s last 2 singles Need You Now and I Run To You, it won’t be very country at all. It’ll be more like soft rock.

I like some country and Danny’s voice was pretty nice, it’s just “how” he sang, the phrasing I guess, that I wasn’t crazy about. Hopefully they have worked with him on this and I’m definitely willing to take a listen.

I’m really excited to hear Danny’s single, and I’m sure he’s picked up numerous fans along the way during the tour who are eager to hear it as well.

Well I like Danny so I will definitely listen to the single and if it’s good, I will most certainly buy it.

This is a pleasant surprise. The rumor was that his single would be released in December. I am not a huge country fan but I do really like Lady Antebellum and downloaded both of their latest singles. When I heard Need You Now I was hoping that Danny would do something similar. Song doesn’t really sound that country to me but is a big hit and is played a lot on country radio and selling well on Itunes. It is funny that Danny has been so tight-lipped on anything to do with songs he has recorded – didn’t even know the names of songwriters, only that he was working with Mark Bright. I can’t wait to hear the song tomorrow.

I love Danny’s voice, so I will definately tune in. It’s good he’s got it done early and ready for the holiday drive. I think he’s better of than Kradison since he’s the country newbie. If the song is good, togehter with his voice and huge fanbase, he will surely make it bigtime.

When I heard Need You Now I was hoping that Danny would do something similar.

Jx223 is another Danny fan, and she posted a week or two ago that she thought the same thing. She posted three songs that she thought would be a good fit for Danny, and I liked the other two but not the Lady A one for him. Ha, goes to show how much I know about modern country music! (Not much). Actually, I thought that Need You Now was nice, just a bit wispy for what I would hope to see for Danny’s inaugural effort..not every song needs to be a barn burner of course, but I hope that the first song leverages the power in his voice. I definitely trust Mark Bright’s judgment on this more than my own though.

Oh, wow, I wasn’t expecting much from Danny, but the song being written by Lady Antebellum sounds very promising to me. Will have to check this out!

i expect this to be very rascal fattts……

VERY interested to hear Danny’s single. I am betting it is country/rock or country/soul, no twang involved.
Catchy name also for the title.
Love his voice and have loved what he’s done ever since AI ended so I’m pretty excited for him!

Charles Kelley of Lady A has a very souful voice like Danny. I also expected Danny’s first single to be similar to Rascal Flatts songs but now I’m not so sure since Charles Kelly and Dave Harwood are the songwriters. Guess we will know tomorrow.

hopefully Danny’s single is a hit. Danny should stick up reputation of this season idols. so much disappointing with this season singles so far.

Can’t wait to hear this!!!!!! I didn’t like him on the show but LOVED him on the tour so I will definately be buying this

Awesome! I wasn’t expecting to hear his single this early; I thought I’d have to wait until December. I’m definitely excited for it!

Oh please let this shoot up the charts. That would be hilarious. LOL.

Somewhere somehow, I’ve actually started rooting for the guy. He means well. I hope he gets a hit, after everyone has pretty much written him off.

I am very, very curious to hear this.

Oh please let this shoot up the charts. That would be hilarious. LOL.

Somewhere somehow, I’ve actually started rooting for the guy. He means well. I hope he gets a hit, after everyone has pretty much written him off.

I’m rooting for him too. Not because I actually like him now, like you seem to… just because omg, the reactions we’d get around all the idol blogs and fansites. lol forever.

I’ve said it before (once ^.^) and I’ll say it again. He’ll be a superstar. Wait and see.

Oh please let this shoot up the charts. That would be hilarious. LOL.

Somewhere somehow, I’ve actually started rooting for the guy. He means well. I hope he gets a hit, after everyone has pretty much written him off.

Well that would be funny and I’m all for the funny. But I’m still not rooting for him, even though I do really like his voice.

But hey, for the lulz and the Danny fans? could be a good time if he was the Daughtry of his season.

lol @ Sherena and Truthiness!

I can’t say I’m really a fan of his now. For that to happen, he would have to show me some sign that he’s learned to actually handle that voice of his. I want some artisticgrowth, then I’ll think about it. Hmph.

But seriously, the more I thought about it the more I realized that Danny’s only crime was being an actual amateur. He’s never sang anywhere but church really, and has absolutely no media savvy. Honestly, the show was originally marketed to be about the Dannys of the world. So as amusing as I find him, I don’t dislike him at all. He’s just clueless. And I think he got the shit end of the stick becoming this seasons whipping boy.

Plus, Danny blowing up, as you ladies have duly noted, would be the funniest thing to ever happen to Idoldom. Seriously. OMG the internet would explode. [evil laugh] BWWWWAAHHHH[/evil laugh] It has to happen.

I’m rooting for Danny and I’m rooting for all of them. I always said the top 4 were extremely talented and that was evident when I saw them on tour. I hope they all find success – there is plenty room for them all. Danny is in a totally different genre than the other three – the competition is over.

wow!!!!!!!!!!! who would have thought danny might have the best single???

i didnt like him on idol, but I FREAKN’ LOVE LADY ANTEBELLUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE ALL THEYRE LYRICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sorry, but when i was reading this article i was listening to:
All we’ve ever need!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4lWolUeQ-0

wow!!!!!!!!!!! who would have thought danny might have the best single???

Some of us certainly considered that within the realm of possibility, lol, though it remains to be seen.

Although I liked 3 of the Top 4 pretty well (not a Kris fan, sorry), agree I’d like to see them all do well. Haven’t totally loved the first singles yet for Adam, Kris or Alli. Seem way overproduced to me, and not the best showcase for them.

I hope Mark Bright will do better by Danny than some of the producers for the other singles so far this year. Guess we’ll get a better idea very soon.
.

“I love Danny’s voice, so I will definately tune in. It’s good he’s got it done early and ready for the holiday drive. I think he’s better of than Kradison since he’s the country newbie. If the song is good, togehter with his voice and huge fanbase, he will surely make it bigtime.”

I think this is pushing it a bit. At the moment, I’m not actually seeing any of the four S8 idols doing superb. There going to sale-split. It’s not the BEST thing for all four, that they were all signed. Of course it is cuz they got signed but I really think there’s a big chance of sale-splitting, the same way the four vote-split. E.g. top 5 week-Danny and Allison were the top 2 vote-getters while Kris and Adam were 3 and 4. And then Kris and Adam wound up being the top 2. It also doesn’t appear as if any of the 4 have huge AI fanbases and Adam clearly has the largest. That being said, I will most probably be buying Danny’s single b/c I like Danny and I thought he took a lot of shit from idol faithful, in particular Michael Slezak and Kristen Baldwen and the rest of EW.com. Not that I have anything against Slezak, but I felt he treated Danny disrespectfully in his interview with him. How can you face a guy, you referred to as a “ghoulish widower” and not apologize. That is plain rude and Danny should have refused to even speak to Slezak.

I think this is pushing it a bit. At the moment, I’m not actually seeing any of the four S8 idols doing superb. There going to sale-split. It’s not the BEST thing for all four, that they were all signed. Of course it is cuz they got signed but I really think there’s a big chance of sale-splitting, the same way the four vote-split.

Maybe sale-split is a good thing because they can see right away what kind of fanbase they REALLY have and can count on. Since the majority of AI fans only stick around the first album anyway, the first albums’ sales can reflect a distorted view of how popular the Idol alum really is and can count on being in the future.

Besides, nobody’s gonna make it long term without getting mainstream success outside of the AI anyway. Maybe it’s good that they’ll have to realize this from the beginning, and maybe build from the ground up realizing that they can’t just depend on the AI fans.

Not sure if this has been posted, but Christian artist Merideth Andrews talking in a radio interview about having listened in to Danny recording in the studio with Mark Bright this week. She’s apparently with Mark’s own label Word Entertainment.

Cindy_Swanson: I spoke with Meredith Andrews @meremusic about her recent encounter with @dannygokey http://tinyurl.com/ygbzx8u

Yeah Danny singing salsa country will be a hoot.

“Plus, Danny blowing up, as you ladies have duly noted, would be the funniest thing to ever happen to Idoldom. Seriously. OMG the internet would explode. [evil laugh] BWWWWAAHHHH[/evil laugh] It has to happen.”
Lol, love this comment! And I would love to see Slezak and Kirsten’s expressions after all the hateful crap they gave him. No matter if you are a fan or not, it was almost libelous what they did to Danny Gokey, whose only crime was being a naive, nice guy amateur who loved and grieved for his wife.
Not sure if Danny will be the “Daughtry of season 8″, but he is a hard working, decent human being who wants more than $ and fame, and there are a lot of present fans (not always a huge internet presence BTW) and potential future ones who are gonna love that sexy voice.
He may not start out barn burner style; but I think he is a guy who can hang in there, delay gratification and come out well in the end, just like he has done the past year.

I’m curious to hear it. I wish it will be very successful, I think Danny deserves it

Aww, I’m so happy for Danny. I wasn’t a fan during the season, because it’s all about the competition while the show is airing. But, I always thought he and Adam had the best recording voices of the bunch. I expect Danny to do incredibly well. I’m not a country fan, but I’ll buy Danny’s single. Why not? I know for a fact his vocals will be excellent.

Well He was tied with Allison as my 3RD favorite. And I love when Danny sings what hurts the most,so am really excited to hear his single. I really think the top 5 are all really great. And I want all of them to succeed.

Not sure if this has been posted, but Christian artist Merideth Andrews talking in a radio interview about having listened in to Danny recording in the studio with Mark Bright this week. She’s apparently with Mark’s own label Word Entertainment.

Cindy_Swanson: I spoke with Meredith Andrews @meremusic about her recent encounter with @dannygokey http://tinyurl.com/ygbzx8u

I found out about this from a tweet of Phil Stacey’s to Danny. He and Meredith, along with Christian artist Matt Maher, are on the “A New Hallelujah” tour with Michael W. Smith. So he heard it directly from Meredith herself. She also tweeted Danny about how she got emotional when hearing this song he was recording. Danny’s reply to Phil was that he was so honored about Meredith being moved, and that she was so nice. He is in good company in Nashville, that’s for sure,:-). Can’t wait to hear the song!

cookcricket
11/05/2009 at 7:38 pm

I like some country and Danny’s voice was pretty nice, it’s just ‘how’  he sang, the phrasing I guess, that I wasn’t crazy about. Hopefully they have worked with him on this and I’m definitely willing to take a listen.

ITA: He has a good tone but just don’t know how to use it. I don’t see superstar in Danny at all, like Kris he will probably be successful moreso because he has a better voice than Kris., and there’s nothing wrong with making a living in what makes you happy, so I can’t wait to hear his song.

He has a good tone but just don’t know how to use it. I

Have to disagree with this one. Danny uses that raspy growly tone pretty well when he wants to, I don’t think it’s at all accidental. Expect to hear even better now that he’s working with a quality team focused on helping him do his best.

don’t see superstar in Danny at all, like Kris he will probably be successful moreso because he has a better voice than Kris., and there’s nothing wrong with making a living in what makes you happy, so I can’t wait to hear his song.

I think it’s too much to expect for any of the AI performers that they be “superstars” right out of the gate, including Adam despite all of the expectations and media push he’s had. I do agree though, Danny’s voice is better than Kris’s in most respects as far as the vocals. I like Adam quite a lot also, but on balance I prefer Danny as he has a more natural quality to his voice and more emotional content to his singing. Not that Adam doesn’t or can’t do that, but it’s very organic with Danny.

Quite interested what his single will sound like tomorrow.

‘And I would love to see Slezak and Kirsten’s expressions after all the hateful crap they gave him. No matter if you are a fan or not, it was almost libelous what they did to Danny Gokey, whose only crime was being a naive, nice guy amateur who loved and grieved for his wife.”

Amen to that. It was actually unbelievable that they did that and none of the other idols called them out on it. Anoop told EW that he felt their coverage of AI was humorous and in no way meanspirited. Towards Danny, it was extremely meanspirited and disrespectful. I was apalled. And as a fan of Danny from his audition, I saw it impact a lot of ppl’s opinions. I didn’t vote for Danny solely b/c I found Adam to be trully outstanding and in another class from the other contestants but I still felt Danny was taking an ourageous amount of stick. Gokey should have been permitted to enjoy his moment as an idol contestant who had the ability to go deep in the competition instead of being cast negatively on EW.

‘And I would love to see Slezak and Kirsten’s expressions after all the hateful crap they gave him. No matter if you are a fan or not, it was almost libelous what they did to Danny Gokey, whose only crime was being a naive, nice guy amateur who loved and grieved for his wife.’ 

Amen to that. It was actually unbelievable that they did that

Absolutely. I concede some credibility to Slezak that he could acknowledge when Danny performed well. He did come out on Idolatry and commend Danny’s performance at Top 5 week with Come Rain or Come Shine, for example.
But his girlpal Kristen was pretty much vile to Danny without any obvious redeeming qualities.

Must say, I totally enjoyed watching the “turn the tables” interview Danny did with Idolatry, however — even though in parts of it, they still could not resist mindlessly snarking on him months after the AI8 season had wrapped. http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/08/21/danny-gokey-idolatry-albany/
[ little heart 4 u honey. lol.]

it was almost libelous what they did to Danny Gokey, whose only crime was being a naive, nice guy amateur who loved and grieved for his wife.’ 

I agree. It was awful how Danny was attacked by a bunch of noodle heads who had media access.

Danny has a gorgeous voice. Great stage presence. He is cute too and I think a lovely person.

Also, he is hotter than shrimpy Kris. Okay, sorry for that, but still, Danny has some very buff arms!!! lol…They’re better than Adam’s too and I love Adam!!!!

I’m being silly. lol. Just want to say that Danny has a great voice.

steph6449
11/06/2009 at 12:43 am

He has a good tone but just don’t know how to use it. I

Have to disagree with this one. Danny uses that raspy growly tone pretty well when he wants to, I don’t think it’s at all accidental. Expect to hear even better now that he’s working with a quality team focused on helping him do his best.

We can agree to disagree, If his tone was used well he would not need help. To kris’s credit he’s taking voice lessons, something that Danny should consider, All singers should have vocal coaches to help them. For me Danny has the potential to damage his voice if not used properly especially when he starts to shout.

I like Adam quite a lot also, but on balance I prefer Danny as he has a more natural quality to his voice and more emotional content to his singing. Not that Adam doesn’t or can’t do that, but it’s very organic with Danny.

For me this whole “organic” stuff is a butch of BS. I have been listening to music for over 40yrs and never heard of this word used pertaining to music until I started reading this board. To me is another way of trying to authenticate ones body of work. Danny has admitted that he knew nothing about music other than singing in church. He knows nothing about country music and pretty much dissed the genre before he had no other choice but to go there, but I am not mad at him, so I am looking forward to hearing his new song.

For me this whole ‘organic’  stuff is a butch of BS. I have been listening to music for over 40yrs and never heard of this word used pertaining to music until I started reading this board. To me is another way of trying to authenticate ones body of work. Danny has admitted that he knew nothing about music other than singing in church. He knows nothing about country music

I think you just argued against your own point! I may be wrong, but from I’ve read the whole idea of Danny being “organic” is that he HASN’T had music experience or knowledge and that it just comes from naturally, or from the heart, without training.

Sherena
11/06/2009 at 1:58 am

I think you just argued against your own point! I may be wrong, but from I’ve read the whole idea of Danny being ‘organic’  is that he HASN’T had music experience or knowledge and that it just comes from naturally, or from the heart, without training.

Sorry, but I have to disagree, “organic” is another made up word to me. Singing naturally from the heart is something I can apply to all 4 idols, none come across fake to me, some just have more experience than others, but when people try to label singers as “organic”
It is a subtle way of saying I am the real deal and your not. All of the top 4 Idols have a “natural” gift for singing. This “organic ” word is just pure nonsense to me. There is no such word pertaining to music unless you are talking food.

But his girlpal Kristen was pretty much vile to Danny without any obvious redeeming qualities.

I suspect that it might be my fault that the site went down for awhile, I wrote out a post about how I really feel about how Slezak and (especially) Kristen treated Danny, and I pressed “submit” and suddenly there was a strange buzzing and smell of sulphurous smoke in the air and then I got the “Fatal Error Krunk Krunk Krunk” thing. So I guess I will just say that if I ever see Kristen as a bag lady panhandling at Grand Central Station I might give her a quarter and I might not, and just leave it at that.

Sherena, I think you are right. Danny’s appeal includes an element of just raw heart and talent. Although I think his church background, which seems limiting on the face of it, has in fact given him a strong foundation on some important fronts. I wrote a detailed post about that recently. But no doubt he has a lot to learn, and it pleases me to no end that people who are in a position to be excellent mentors to him (Matthew Barnett with the foundation, Mark Bright with the music) see potential in him that make them want to help him along the way.

I am just so excited to hear this first single! I have high hopes for him.

Danny and Kris are both great vocalists. I don’t think you can say that one has a better voice than the other. They’re just different. Kris has a beautiful tone and a strength in his voice that’s very pure. Danny’s got that awesome raspy quality and a powerful voice. They’re both excellent singers with very different styles. Kris would not be able to pull off the acoustic sound so well with mainly just his voice to carry him without some skills. He’s much better than he’s often given credit for.

JosieX
11/06/2009 at 2:26 am

Danny’s appeal includes an element of just raw heart and talent. Although I think his church background, which seems limiting on the face of it, has in fact given him a strong foundation on some important fronts. I wrote a detailed post about that recently. But no doubt he has a lot to learn, and it pleases me to no end that people who are in a position to be excellent mentors to him (Matthew Barnett with the foundation, Mark Bright with the music) see potential in him that make them want to help him along the way.

ITA: This is my problem with the word “organic”. They all have made some sort of living with their music and have some sort of experience. I have the same issue with Kris being “organic”, unless you came straight from singing from your bathroom to American Idol than I can see. I think Danny has a lot of potential but he needs vocal training if for no other reason but to protect his voice.

Impressive credits. This might be a hot one.

‘Organic’ seems to be a more exciting word than I had ever meant, lol. I had no idea it was a hot-button word in the AI world; it’s just a term we use in my line of work, totally different context. I do think Danny’s soulful style is pretty organic and innate, both in the type of raspy tone he has, and the way he goes about presenting his music. I’m sure Danny could learn some things from a good vocal coach though, to give him some additional skills and help him with how to protect his voice. For all we know, he may well be working with one.

I suspect that it might be my fault that the site went down for awhile, I wrote out a post about how I really feel about how Slezak and (especially) Kristen treated Danny, and I pressed ‘submit’  and suddenly there was a strange buzzing and smell of sulphurous smoke in the air and then I got the ‘Fatal Error Krunk Krunk Krunk’  thing. So I guess I will just say that if I ever see Kristen as a bag lady panhandling at Grand Central Station I might give her a quarter and I might not, and just leave it at that.

Lol. ITA. Or, well, I might give her a dollar, I guess. (Christmas spirit coming up soon, you know.)

When one of Danny’s songs comes up on my ipod, it always give me pause – it’s just the voice for me. So I am excited to hear his single and will more than likely buy it. Yay for Danny!

I thought Danny has said several times that he doesn’t want to do country (or christian?) and that he doesn’t have the ‘twang’?

Agree regarding Slezak and Kristen. They went over the top with their anti-Danny antics.
I have to say, at first, I really thought that Danny was using the story to his advantage. Then I thought about what happened to him and developed sincere respect for his determination to move on.
He did not use his wife to get ahead in the competition. He used the competition to get past one of the worst loses a human being could ever suffer.
I wish him the best.

Don’t get me wrong, I love watching AI and am thrilled when a “voice” catapults off the stage and becomes a hit in the real world of recorded music…but I do want it to be real and not totally manufactured. The other top finishers of season 8 are taking their skills down the path of music they listen to and have an affinity towards…but then you have Danny.

If I were a country fan I wouldn’t give Danny the time of day. I think this manufactured “new” country artist is a slap in the face towards the hundreds of young men and women who LOVE this genre, have grown up singing their hearts out, and are struggling every day to get someone to notice and listen to them.

Then here comes a singer from a reality show who has no “country music” heritage or sensibility and is singing in the genre, not because he has an affinity for the music, but because it is a way to “become famous and make some money”. Bah humbug! Danny should have gone the Christian music route, where his affinity does lie and where he would have “fit in” very nicely. Instead he is choosing to mock a whole lot of peeps by “saying” that any Joe-blow off the streets can make it in their genre. I think it is a slap in the face…and I don’t have any respect for Danny, his producers, or the whole “set up”.

Not that I wish failure on Danny, it just proves to me that the music industry has deteriorated, and that it is no longer about passion and love…it is about everything but that.

I did not like Danny at all on the show (thought as time went on that he was completely out of his league and didn’t get the love from the judges), thought Kristen and Slezak were hilarious in their taunts (altho definitely mean-spirited), but I thought he was terrific on tour this summer…his voice live sounded great, he really seemed to connect with the crowd and enjoy performing…I am not a country music fan and doubt I will have any interest in his upcoming music, but he does have a beautiful singing voice and is a good live performer…wish him all the best

There going to play talk to him in minute now and then play the song. Am very interested. I really liked Danny alot.

Danny’s on now

I was another one that was contaminated by the hate against danny during AI and now I can barely remember why… It was not very fair to him. The fact that he finished ai in a fair position for him makes me warmer. I like his voice, its very nice, and sincerely hope for the best for him. I think he will get much better with training and experience – he has the goods. I am looking forward to hearing it, although I dont like country (well, internationals in general dont care about it). Maybe I can stand a crossover to pop.

By the way, after this season, I hate the word organic. It doesnt mean anything and annoys me to the core. My salad will be forever full of agrotoxic now.

The single won’t hit iTunes until Dec. 14th? So why are thet premiering it 5 weeks early?

I missed it. Did anyone record it?

It was beautiful. A little breathy at the beginning but he brings it home. Nice falsetto.

Can’t decided if I like it or not very church like.

Okay, I listened to it. It’s 100% Danny dealing with Christian issues and helping people So props to him for being sincere. It’s not something you’re going to want to listen to over and over again. However, by the end I was digging it. I’d give the vocals an A though. Really good.

Well I’m not going to buy it, but it wasn’t bad. Danny sounds very breathy through much of it before the power in his voice kicks in. That’s probably the tone they were going for, though.

Pretty melody but a little too bland.

But good luck to Danny — he must be excited to hear his single on the radio.

I think its a winner – he has a great recording voice.

I hope someone recorded it as I’d like to hear it a second time.

Oh, I missed it. Hopefully, mj will post it soon. I really liked Danny during the tour, so I hope he’s successful. Good luck, Danny!

They said it well be up later on there website. And that they well be playing it off and on all day today.

Missed it. I guess I’ll have to wait until somebody uploads it to youtube.

Okay, I listened to it. It’s 100% Danny dealing with Christian issues and helping people So props to him for being sincere. It’s not something you’re going to want to listen to over and over again.

Are you referring to the melody, singing, theme or all three? The theme of the song isn’t going to be a problem on country (look at Carrie’s JTTW).

The themes are very Christian. I just meant I might not like hearing it over and over again because it’s very preachy. I think it’ll do well on country but I know zero about that type of music. I really like Danny’s voice though and hope his other songs are less social and more personal.

The single won’t hit iTunes until Dec. 14th? So why are thet premiering it 5 weeks early?

It’s normal to let a song saturate radio as much as possible between 2 to 4 weeks after its debut, before releasing it for sale. As we’ve seen with Kris, Adam, and pretty much anyone else who’s been on the show, the first week or two of sales are made by those who watch the show, obviously none idol fans are not going to buy a song until they’ve heard it on the radio a few times. By waiting, Danny’s people are probably hoping that they will give the song to debut high on the chart, as well as give the song time to build up a base of people who will purchase the song because they like it.

MJ just made a new thread and you can listen there.

“I really like Danny’s voice though and hope his other songs are less social and more personal.”

I think Danny has said he wants to touch hearts and have his music be a “movement” so I think he will do fun stuff too, but I think we will continue to see a lot of songs with messages about caring for one another and humanity.

I thought it was beautiful! Not what I expected; thought we’d hear more big voice Danny with his growl (sure there will be plenty of that on the album), not sensitive, falsetto Danny but I really loved it.
Think they picked a song like this for his first single because it is so different from the other Idol’s pop songs and because it is the Christmas season- a time of messages.
Definitely not a song to dance to, but I will listen to it again and again because the vocals are superb and the melody is beautiful.

Okay, I listened to it. It’s 100% Danny dealing with Christian issues and helping people So props to him for being sincere. It’s not something you’re going to want to listen to over and over again.

I am one who does not mind listening to it again and again. I will take all the positivity that can come my way, concerning all the negativity that life brings. As a Christian, I am taught to have a faith that will help me through the rough times of life, and I think the song brings that message. I loved the softness and tenderness he put in the song, and loved the falsetto. Go Danny! It is a winner for me.

The single won’t hit iTunes until Dec. 14th? So why are thet premiering it 5 weeks early?

I am thinking that they wanted to bring it to the public before Adam’s and Kris’ cd’s come out. They did something similar with Phil Stacey, when he released “If You Didn’t Love Me.” It was on radio in January, but it was released as part of his cd till April. You never know; they may even make it available sooner than

And Tess, concerning your earlier post: Danny is not the kind to mock anyone, I feel. I believe that country is the way he was encouraged to go because that is the genre his style fits in the best. Whether country embraces him or not, that remains to be seen. I know he will have many a fan who will not care about what genre the song falls under. If the song touched them, I know they will listen to it and request it.

I thought this was a country label? Its very Christian/Jesus based. And I just don’t care for his voice either. I was bored.

Long time lurker whose come here every day enjoying all the talks and debates. Have to say Fabulosity that I agree with your views on the word “Organic” but was wondering if I could use that term when interviewing for a job. “No sir, I’m not a black belt in Six Sigma but I’m very “Organic” in that area.

I listened to it on the radio and Danny sounded really good. I thought the song was a bit more Christian than country. It’s not the genre I usually listen to, but Danny did a good job, and I’m sure there are many people who will love it.

I thought it was a pretty song. The only problem was that I thought Danny’s voice was a little too breathy and strained. He definately is talented and I hope that he does well. He is a good guy.

He sounds a lot better then I thought he would…voice sounds great on the track and on the radio. One of the top releases by an Idol this year.

Ok finally got a good listen The song itself dont do a thing for me. Danny can do so much with his voice and the song just didnt let him do that. Also Danny said himself he wanted to take the twang out of country music. Well that didnt work Danny. You failed doing that with this tune. Either that or you didnt have a choice or cant help make decisions on what you are doing. Depends on the contact you signed. I dont have any idea why you went country when your real strenghts comes with R&B and soul. im confused on your decision. If you couldnt get a contract then you should of went independently and then you get to do what you truely want to do. I have not given up on you yet. I will wait for the whole cd to come out next year and see what other songs comes out with. Hope I wasnt being harsh just being true to myself. Something I hope Danny would of been before signing to a country label

Also Danny said himself he wanted to take the twang out of country music. Well that didnt work Danny.

Danny has never said he wanted to take the twang out of country music. He’s made only respectful comments about country artists, twangy or otherwise. What he did say is that he himself has no twang and didn’t envision getting any. As he was going through his process to work out his record deal, that was clearly a point where he wanted reassurance that his twang-less style wouldn’t be an obstacle.

After hearing his song, doesn’t appear to me that it will be. I didn’t hear any pseudo twang in Danny’s song, at all. I did hear a fairly subtle country styling in the delivery, but more in the timing and phrasing to give it just a bit of country-ish swing. Similar really to what I felt Danny developed this summer as he performed the two country songs on his AI tour set.

As a country music fan (among other genres), when I first heard them, I didn’t get much country feel out of Danny singing those two songs although I enjoyed them anyway because I enjoy Danny’s distinctive vocal qualities and emotionally connected singing style. Toward the late stages of the tour though, I did start to pick up a hint of country vibe in Danny’s singing, and in the way he performed to the audience.

Hard to describe exactly what it was, but definitely felt there was a subtle difference he’d developed over time that was working for him. Part of it may simply be that he generally got more comfortable and relaxed deeper into the tour. I think this song uses Danny’s vocal strengths very well. I can really envision him knocking it out of the park in a live performance.

Ok, Here’s my take on it. It is a very pretty song, will do well on Christian
stations, maybe country. I thought his voice was breathy and a little weak, which weak is usually not a word i would use for Danny’s voice, it wasn’t until the very end until I really heard Danny. The power and the conviction in his voice just wasn’t there in the beginning, but I still liked it.
When it came to the guys on AI, I always thought Danny had the 2nd best voice., so I am looking to hear more from him.

yay danny! i think this fits right into the christian radio wheelhouse. it certainly sounds country, but i’m not sure if country radio will embrace this. let’s hope so.

Disclaimer: I’m not a country music fan, nor a Christian music fan, nor particularly a fan of Danny Gokey. But I did enjoy his AI performance of “Come Rain or Come Shine” and have kept an open mind about whatever he might do in the future. All that being said, I don’t like this song and I don’t like Danny’s vocals on this song. The instrumentals, complete with pedal steel guitar, sound too outdated Nashville for my taste. The message sounds too preachy for my taste and Danny’s vocals sound too weak and wispy, neither of which adjectives I would normally apply to Gokey’s voice. I find the song itself unmelodic and repetitious.

Bottom line? I think Gokey’s hard core AI fans will love this song. I’d be surprised if country music fans who aren’t particularly AI fans embrace this song. However, I think it has a good shot at being accepted by the contemporary Christian music genre. Good luck, Danny!

Posted this in the other thread also, but since there are two running in parallel… Danny’s single got great comments from the well-respected country music blogger Matt Bjorke. Good for Danny, and for Mark Bright’s role in giving Danny a country-oriented production that (finally, for the set of AI8 singles to date) isn’t ott heavy-handed, and lets Danny sound like Danny.

When Danny signed his deal he said that he loved the fact that he could sing mainstream songs which had messages and didn’t hide his faith, something he does with ‘It’s Only.’  With a voice that recalls Larry Stewart of Restless Heart at times and Lionel Richie in others, Gokey sings a message song that proclaims that love can and is all around us from various places, including Jesus and church. This is a song that recalls ‘Jesus Takes The Wheel,’  in that it melds a message of faith and love and giving one’s self up to a higher power in a time of need. The production from Mark Bright is crisp and never over the top. You can hear the acoustic mandolin and fiddle in the background while Gokey singls the message-filled lyric in a soft, tender and tuneful way.

…it’s hard to argue with the first results of his new deal with 19/RCA Nashville. ‘It’s Only’  is a smartly produced song that proves that Danny Gokey can sing and the vocalist does have a place in country music’ ¦ this one is a perfect winter/spring single and a good lead-off track for a new artist to release to radio.

I did also ran across comments by at least one Christian/’family friendly’ radio station personality who loved it and said that it should have no trouble crossing over into her market.

Danny’s single is up now at his myspace page, which seems to have just undergone a makeover by RCA Nashville, including new official photo, etc.

http://www.myspace.com/dannygokey

I am not a Danny fan, BUT I like this song. To me it is very country and should get play on some Christian stations, but I don’t see it as a Christian song. I think this is a perfect song for Danny and I may even buy it….I certainly will listen to it if it comes on the radio. I also won’t be surprised if this is the biggest hit amongst the 4 released (at least in the US). Personally though I am most looking forward to Adam’s album, but I will support Kris, Allison and Danny and buy several of their singles too:)