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Always and Forever - The Auditions


Couch Tomato

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Let's get started -- Post your thoughts on each audition episode here. We can figure out our pace as we go along. Let's try to stay in order but feel free to start related AI2 topics in this forum. I've been looking forward into delving into the season and putting a comprehensive AI2 review on the website. All suggestions are welcome.

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EEEE the auditions...

Would you all believe I missed Clay's auditions. I was watching this episode. I remember Keith and Vanessa...but I think I went out of the room when Clay sang. So I have no "take" moment.

I have to rewatch these episode...look at my clack collection if I have them.

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Are we discussing ALL the audition episodes? Because I only have the episode with Clay, Kim, Ruben, Vanessa, and Corey.

Let's see, I watched this episode about a week and a half ago...what can I come up with?

1) First of all, I didn't see "Take" the first time either. So don't feel bad Ansa. Having said that...I watched Clayton in this episode, and could see the Clay we know today there. Kinda buried, I suppose, but he's there. Actually, now that I think about it...maybe Clayton is buried in the Clay we see today. The lip bite, things like that, those are still there to this day. I like that.

2) I know Randy today talks out of both sides of his mouth. However, I can never forget that he's the one that said "yes."

3) There's a guy who sings "Always and Forever" not 10 minutes later in the episode. I bet he felt terrible after watching Clay's performance. (And the guy even made it to Hollywood!)

4) I loved Vanessa. Quirky is good, in my book.

5) Ruben's voice was smooth. Watching again, though, with the history of the show behind it now...he really didn't change all that much, did he?

6) Corey Clark was smarmy. Even then. Icky.

7) KLo knocked it out of the park.

That's all I can come up with now. Maybe more later.

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I do have a lot of the full eppy that had Clay...right now we don;t know if we will host it on FCAmedia...yes a new site to host our vidoes and mp3...but not as extensive as ATCA...or by you send it.

FCAmedia is not totally ready yet....so right now maybe I will do a you send it for som eearly episodes I have.

If anyone has other episodes that they can share pm me.

eta: I just checked my stash I only have the full episode of the atlanta auditions...hollywood and Group 2...

I do have all the other final 12 shows.

I am uploading the Atlanta Auditions on yousendit now.

If anyone has the other audition episodes and semifinals and are willing to share jsut PM us.

thanks

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Ok...here is Atlanta auditions in this you send it link.

Its around 200 MB and is not high resolution...and WMV..but great for reminiscing

Its incredible cos this audition had so many good people Clay, ruben, Klo, vaness, corey...and also the infamous Keith.

enjoy and looking forward to your comments...I will watch it again tonight.

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I have been downloading and burning like mad, and have only watched bits and pieces as I checked out my discs.

One quick observation about the auditions: Clay was not the only one who benefitted from getting an "Extreme Makeover" by the show stylists. Kimberley Locke is almost unrecognizable in the early episodes. She is a beautiful woman, but she definitely needed some help getting her hair and make-up together.

I have no memory of the original "Take", either. At this point, I can't distinguish between my original reactions, and how my memories have been colored by everything that has happened since. :blink:

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Let me start with the Charlotte audition. I know that is pre-TV Idol, but still it is where it began. We never saw Quiana's - someone should ask her if she saved her audition, so we can share it. It must have been good, but we don't have any Ai Quiana.

OK - Charlotte - First of all, it was a patterned shirt with white collar and cuffs and not a sweater - why do people insist that it was a sweater? Moving on for this eternally bothering me topic.

Clay was nervous but trying to be funny when he held his number and asked it the 88 was upside down. Then he samg the weiredest version of Over the Rainbow I ever heard. I wondered if they had limited songs to choose from because it was a local news station and they had to sing limited number of songs and he just faked this one. Hmm someone should ask him some time. He melismaed this song to death. His voice was good, but you had to really listen.

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The Charlotte audition - I just saw this clip for the first time recently.  Umm, yeah, based on that kinda overwrought performance of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, it's not so hard to understand why Quiana went on and Clay didn't.  IMO, It.was.just.not.good.  :huh:

Hee...I think that is one clip I really never watch. I have it...if people are interested I will put it up on you send it.

I really think Clay went to Charlotte more as a favor to Diane...or to just get her off his back about it. I don't think he was taking it seriously at all. However, I think losing kinda got his competitive juices flowing...it made him want to take this competition seriously that is why he drove to Atlanta and got on the hard way. I think this is one of those blessing in disguise things. If Clay got through in charlotte...who knows he might've sang that version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow...on National TV...*shudder*

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I'm one of those people who has a real hard time watching Clay's early stuff...overwrought is a great term for his singing during many of the performances. Sure, I can see the Clay we know today in those performances, but the heavy duty melissma just makes me turn off right quick. (I'm very glad he's learned somewhat to tone that down...although he still does it a bit much for my taste every once in a while.) So, therefore, I watched the Charlotte audition once, and never again.

Don't shoot me, but I also thought he looked TERRIBLE in that audition too. I NEVER saw the cute there.

Ansa, I think you are probably right in the fact that he only did Charlotte because of Diane. Do we really know, though, if he went to Atlanta totally because of his own desires? I was thinking Diane had something to do with that too.

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Don't shoot me, but I also thought he looked TERRIBLE in that audition too. I NEVER saw the cute there.

No arguements from me there, ldyjocelyn. The early hair made his face look very triangular to me. I don't think he started having good hair until the Wildcard performances, and I personally think it made an enormous difference in bringing the pretty to the forefront. YMMV, as always.

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Ansa, I think you are probably right in the fact that he only did Charlotte because of Diane.  Do we really know, though, if he went to Atlanta totally because of his own desires?  I was thinking Diane had something to do with that too.

I think he said as much in some interveiw...don't make me search for them cos my Clay card catalog in my brain is no longer working...totally overwhelmed by the amount of info out there. But I do remember getting the impression from an interveiw that he kinda thought..."You gotta be kidding...I can so do this..." so he hopped in his car...got a friend and went to Atlanta. He even tried to work on his clothes and his hair before that. Unfortunately...not very good results. But he did try to look better.

I did see the cute when he smiled and was playing with the number.

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He said he never really watched Ai1,until DIane made him watch an episode before he applied. Knowing him, he problably applied and then looked stuff up to see what was happing with the top people. I think that might have driven him more than just his competitive juices.

I am still thinking that he may have had a small choice of songs to sing because rainbow is the one song we never hear him sing again, and this is a man who seems to repeat a lot of music. Or he could have just let it go to KimL out of courtesy.

I actually thought he looked cuter in Charlotte than in Atlanta. He had a nice warm smile, even it he did havethe triangle look. Hey, isn't Raleigh considered a triangle area?

I like some the old clips of Clay, but that might be because I still think of him as a kid and this is just a younger kid. I can see him as an earlier version of who he is now and enjoy it for it's earlier perspective and the insghts that it can give on his development.

Should I put up a you send it of the platinum after clip for after the Atlanta audition discussion?

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Re watching the auditions....comments as I watch..

I watched the AI5...there is very small difference except that there is nto as much people auditioning in this one. They were just in a small theater for this I think.

OMG..omega...what a hoot! her hair reminds me of the "others" on the last episode on Lost.

EEEEEEE crooner Clay Aiken...he came on so early...

he is totally cute and had such confidence...he seem to have a bit of a smirk like he wasn;t really taking himself so seriously.

He definitely not the most geeky guy that came on. He looks like just a regular guy

why they called him a crooner from another generation.

His teeth definitely looks different now.

what wonderful power and control he showed. the lip bites are totally cute.

And I love that hug he gave kristin...he sure knows how to get close to the pretty girls. He was also very chummy with that pretty blonde girl. the last one from Atlanta Stephanie schultz.

Hee that shove it up your ass girl was too funny. I don;t remember her in hollywood though

Another guy did Always and forever...not as good as Clay but he was more r&b..he did sound good though.

I think the whole show still had a lot of autheticity...the people auditioning seem very sincere...they all seem so friendly with each other. Just having fun

Vanessa was good...but pretty cabaret too.

I feel so sorry for Keith. I think he really was just clueless. I think he really was crushed. They must;ve given him the impression that he was doing very well in the earlier rounds.

I did notice that they tried not to lauch outright the way they do now. I thought Randy didn't really want to mock him the way they do in the later season.

Hee...I like the clip of bad auditions and the clip where the people kept going the wrong way...

hee...the guy singing NO more pain...hilarious!

Nashville...next

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second half of this episode...Nashville. Its really too bad that FOX is milking all the rating and ad revenue they can get from AI cos I really prefer these shorter audition shows with two cities in one episode.

Anyway..back to the auditions.

They had the NAshville audition in a country bar...it sure was much smaller then...

hey 42 came from Atlanta...a record for that season...

Paula looks so much better 3 years ago...

OMG...the first guy looks like robin hood...he even drank from paula's glass...

...a guy did beaver song...and a girl even burped...heee I am freaking out with this guy singing I love you over and over again. I don;t think it was even a song

Hey Ruben...sounds great....and always cute, but he sounded the same in the beginning and in the end. Hey he had a long stuff after. I think Clay and his auditions were both very memorable.

AWWW te 5 yr old boy was just precious...

Hee...alden wynn was introed as hard working window washer...ironic since he was seen as a slacker in the end for partying...he did sound good...hey Simon really liked him...kept saying very good.

EEEEWWW Corey next...dubbed as the Justin guarini clone...

hee he does look like snoop dog...and Simon loved him...even said he was not really like Justin...just had similar hair.

wow klo really improved her looks now...she sounded great too....this is when Simon said vocals versus image.

Aww ricky...he is really sweet ,,I forgot they had a problen with his image too...he needed to dress younger...he was so cute with the Hercules.

I really love a lot of people in AI2...so many great talents..so many of the talents in the top 12 wouldve kicked butt in the other seasons.

OK...glendale auditions next.

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OK - Charlotte - First of all, it was a patterned shirt with white collar and cuffs and not a sweater - why do people insist that it was a sweater? Moving on for this eternally bothering me topic.

OK so to recreate my post that was lost.....

what do you mean that wasn't a sweater. REALLY THAT WASN'T A SWEATER? I need glasses. Oh I wear glasses already -- big thick ones.

Well to me the auditions in season 2 were quaint. Things have changed - A LOT. The humilation aspect has really gone way up. The way they take the cameras out and just create shit... yes there was some of that in two but it seemed to flow from what was happening in auditions..like the worst singer going out to try to find a singer worse than him..that was fun. He took that in stride and seemed kinda normal. Or showing Coffey's baby. Now, if Coffey was in Season 5 we would see the life and death chase to the hospital, the baby popping out and yodeling Born to be wild or some such nonsense.

There seemed to be so many people that actualy thought they could sing and were genuinely hurt that their dreams were shattered. Are people really that unaware of self or were they acting. Like Karissa, the girl whose mom didn't want her to pursue singing. Maybe her mama should just tell her it's because you suck. But the judges encouraged her to take lessons. WHY? Really. I sing better than her and there is no way that I believe I have any sort of chance to be a professional singer.

I loved Clay right from the beginning. I called my sister right after he sang with exclamations of surprise and awe. He was definitely in my top few along with Equoia and Kimberley locke and this cute young girl named Kewanna Nibblett. She reminded me of my cousin which is why I took to her so much. I don't think she made top whatever though.

One of my favorite things of all the auditions was the longest Unchained Melody ever. The effects of day going to night, the baby yawning... it was just funny.

Don't know what to make of Edgar and Keith. Were they delusional or just wanting to be on TV. I have no idea. I pray they just wanted their fifteen minutes.

All in all I loved the auditions. I htink the show has gotten more mean spirited as time has gone all. Ryan was sweet and funny in season 2. Kristin was ok... glad they didn't continue down the "reality tv" big brother route in that or any other season.

I hated Hercules Hercules. Not Rickey. But that shtick. I think it hurt him in the long run and wasn't taken seriously. He already had enough strikes against him but I think some people thought he wsa dense too. I just hate that movie Nutty Professor. I am so not part of America that liked it.

Just saw glimpses of Trenyce and Charles Grisby. And Carmen ..where the hell did she come from again? Did she even make it to Hollywood?

Next, off to watch the Hollywood rounds.

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Couchie, you are so right about Ricky...I did think maybe he was borderline impaired when I first saw do that "Hercules, Hercules" thing. And I'm afraid Keith was serious - he was one of those who apparently refused to voluntarily participate in the mockery.
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Couchie, you are so right about Ricky...I did think maybe he was borderline impaired when I first saw do that "Hercules, Hercules" thing.  And I'm afraid Keith was serious - he was one of those who apparently refused to voluntarily participate in the mockery.

Yes about Keith...I remember I read a short article on him on that special People AI edition. He even completely changed his hairstyle and look. He said the preliminary judges told him they liked his singing...no one told him he was bad until Simon. Apparently he has people in his life like his mom, and his brother that owns a karaoke bar, that encourages him.

See when people are tone deaf...that is literal...you do not hear how badly out of tune you are. Its really hard to hear yourself sing specially when you sing with music. Thats why you often see singers covering one ear when they are not sure of the blending...that is so that they can hear themlselves too. I know a lot of tone deaf people. My brother is one of them. Unfortunately...he also loves to sing. So he would join their carolling group...and would sing really loud...they just put him in the back so hopefully no one hears. I often ask him if he can;t hear himself...he honestly thinks he sounds ok! Its truly bizarre.

Ricky...yeah I really thought he was a bit of a clown. Although I liked Vanessa in the auditions. I thought she became way too cutesie during the semi. I got irritated with her. watching motown today to see if America got it right...

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Ooooh ansa, your brother is moi! The only reason I know I sound bad is because of recordings - I can sound NOT PAINFUL if its a song I have been trained like a monkey to sing and at long as I don't deviate from what I'm taught. Y'all should hear what I sound like in my own head - it's G-R-R-R-R-EAT! Delusional, but GREAT!

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Ooooh ansa, your brother is moi!  The only reason I know I sound bad is because of recordings - I can sound NOT PAINFUL if its a song I have been trained like a monkey to sing and at long as I don't deviate from what I'm taught.  Y'all should hear what I sound like in my own head - it's G-R-R-R-R-EAT!  Delusional, but GREAT!

One thing I know for sure...you must look fabulous when you sing...I say distract them with stage presence and bling!!!!

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