No folk on American Idol

Subject: No folk on American Idol
From: GUEST,Lin
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 02:01 AM

I have been watching American Idol for quite a few seasons now.
I have noticed that just about every genre of music has been covered.
Of course current pop/rock music but other genre's; blues, country, Motown, soul, classic rock - but no folk.

I know the singers are very young, under 30 but there other genre's of music selected for them that they have to learn that are often from eras before they were born. So it's not like it is all current music but yet folk is never one of them.

I know that when they do cover various artist's songs - if is from an artist who was/is well known and famous. They would have plenty of famous to choose from in the folk music world. I would love to hear them cover some songs from Dylan, Donovan, Gordon Lightfoot, Peter, Paul & Mary, Joni Mitchell, etc.(just to name a few famous folk singers (60's folk).

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: Genie
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 02:45 AM

First, don't forget that "American Idol" is a spin-off from the British show "Pop Idol."
That speaks volumes about the genres they are looking for -- e.g., not "Broadway," not opera, not semi-classical, not rap, not heavy metal, not folk, not jazz.   They're looking for music you might hear on contemporary pop / country / r&b/ soft rock/ adult contemporary radio (which genres kind of bleed into each other).

Second, they actually have had some "folk" music performed on Idol over the various seasons. Just not a major focus.

They have covered songs by John Denver ("Take Me Home, Country Roads"), Don MacLean ("Vincent"), Dolly Parton ("Little Sparrow" and "Coat Of Many Colors") and I think a few others. As for Dylan, I wouldn't be surprised if he has refused permission for his songs to be used on the show.

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: r.padgett
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 02:46 AM

I am not too sure what UK Idol would make of English Trad folk, altho I do recall a talent competition where Mr Carthy appeared incognito under a large hat! as part of a band years ago

I think folk needs to continue in its own separate field in US and UK as an "alternative" vying for air play time and being reasonable non commercial, if this makes sense?

Ray

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 03:19 AM

Thank god for that. In part it is folk music's peculiarity and unpopularity which attracts me.

Don't get me wrong. I think it is great when celebrated musos from the mainstream discover and do their own takes on folk gems. I just don't want to see a posse of wannabes trawling for and corrupting folk songs for that unusual piece that will rocket them to stardom.

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: GUEST,Desi C
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 07:25 AM

You want them to murder Folk as well! I take it as a great compliment to Folk that American Idol ignores it. However they have featured quite a few Folk songs, Dylan, Ewan MColl to name but few.Brit's X-Factor also thankfully avoids Folk as a genre, again I say that as a compliment to Folk as it needs real singers and musicians to do it justice

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: GUEST,999
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 07:41 AM

"As for Dylan, I wouldn't be surprised if he has refused permission for his songs to be used on the show."

FYI, Mr Dylan could refuse permission all he wants, but he has NO legal control over who plays any of his already-released songs. Writers can control who plays their unpublished material, but once it's released for sale to the public on a record, tape or CD, anyone has the right to play, sing or record the song. They have to pay for that right, but on released material, the writer has no say.

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: Jeri
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 09:15 AM

Hey, 999, you missed Shania Twain on there!

I IS pop. People vote for these guys, and I think they like familiar songs. They have the [multiply hyphenated expletive deleted] Beatles night every [see previous note] year. They couold get away with a
Dylan night, because people know the songs.

Personally, I wouldn't mind a Leonard Cohen, a Neil Young, or a Joni Mitchell night, but it'll never happen.

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: Bobert
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 09:33 AM

Let's get real here, folkies...

"American Idol" is about "pop music" and folk ain't "pop music"...

Sorry, but that's the way it is so...

...get over it...

With that said, I love the show and I think that this year's crop is the most collectively talented ever...

B~

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: Amergin
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 09:41 AM

They have done Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah plenty of times....but I think that's because it's used as a dramatic piece in practically every movie out of Hollywood these days....

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: Bobert
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 09:48 AM

Hey, if they did Dylan you can bet it would be up-tempo and pop-ish...

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 12:14 PM

On the English Pop Idol last time out, the early auditions included a bloke with an atrocious moaning voice. He was quickly dismissedn but as he left the stage Sarcastic Simon called after him 'You should try singing Folk'

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: GUEST,999
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 12:16 PM

I think Simon is an arrogant ass. I ever watched the show once, and that was enough for me.

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: Jeri
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 12:18 PM

He's not on it this year. Stephen Tyler replaced him.

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 12:20 PM

Surely there are pop hits of Dylan songs - for example "Mighty Quinn", no?

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: GUEST,999
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 02:14 PM

Tambourine Man by the Byrds

Rainy Day Woman # 12 & 35 by Bob Dylan

Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: Bobert
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 05:35 PM

Steven Tyler has been GREAT this season... He understands music, musicans and he knows when to give someone a hug or a pat on the back... So does Jennifer Lopez... She is so supportive...

Simon Cowell was an emotionally disturbed individual who only knew how to put people down... If I were running an open mic I would let the creep thru the door...

As for Dylan's music??? Hey, most of it can be "converted" to pop... But why??? I mean, there was a time for it commercially speaking... That time is gone... That's fine... It's now ours and the commercial bastards can keep their hands off our music... We don't do it for them anyway...

Sorry about the rant...

B~

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 10:46 PM

Ain't much at most folk festivals, either

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: J-boy
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 10:50 PM

Yes. But what is folk? (I am so seriously joking it's not even funny.)

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Mar 11 - 12:55 AM

To Bobert:

Yes, I know American Idol is about Pop music!!! I just said that other genre's of music "are covered"that are NOT pop, like country, blues, etc.

So it would be nice to hear folk covered one night and perhaps some younger people would have some exposure to it that might not otherwise listen to it.

I recall one idol contestant said several seasons ago that she never had really listened to or been exposed to country music, her friends and family didn't listen to it, etc. So on the night they had to learn country songs, she was very happy to be able to learn about country music and to sing one. It was several seasons ago and I don't recall what song she sang or her name.

And YES, I think there would be nothing wrong in having a folk night on this program. Yes, of course they are trying to become the next idol and I don't think having the singers learn a folk song would be bad at all! Geez!

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: Allan Conn
Date: 26 Mar 11 - 06:38 AM

"He's not on it this year. Stephen Tyler replaced him."

That is because Cowell left as he's launching an American version of the British show The X-Factor this year. The show in the UK used to be called Pop Idol and was made by Simon Fuller with Cowell as a judge as in American Idol. That stopped quite a while back and Cowell made The X-Factor which is a similar show. except that there are four judges and each one supposedly mentors their singers - divided into four teams of boys, girls, over 25s and groups. The show is as much about which judge is going to win than what act is going to win and audience manipulation etc goes into overdrive. Whatever one thinks about the format in general The X-Factor is an inferior show to American Idol. The standard is lower with there always being at least one pretty awful act getting into the final 10 which seems to be to cause a reaction; the range of music is more limited and you are much less likely to see the competitors be allowed to play their instruments.

The winner last year, Matt Cardle, made an impact at the auditions singing "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and the various judges (ie supposed experts) made comment after comment about how brave he was singing a woman's song! Apparently completely unaware it was written by Ewan McColl

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: Allan Conn
Date: 26 Mar 11 - 06:48 AM

"Surely there are pop hits of Dylan songs - for example "Mighty Quinn", no?"

And "If Not For You" by Olivia Newton John. "Wheels On Fire" by Julie Driscoll. Maybe not a hit as such but there is an Avril Lavigne" version of "Knockin On Heaven's Door" which my now teenage daughter used to play non-stop. Sure there are plenty more if one scoured the brain especially from the 60s.

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: GUEST,Desi C
Date: 26 Mar 11 - 08:21 AM

Well 99 if you look at mr Cowell's taste in Music i.e Cheryl Cole, danni Mynoque, Spice Girls, whoever was told to 'try Folk' should take it very much as a compliment. Fact is there are usually a few good voices on U.S Idolk/X-Factor, but they're then forced to sing the crap Cowell likes and musicall are ruined for life

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: oldhippie
Date: 26 Mar 11 - 05:50 PM

The show isn't good enough for folk !!! The only decent artist to come out of it (imho) is Carrie Underwood, and with her talent she would have made it without the show, it would just have taken a little longer.

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: harmonic miner
Date: 26 Mar 11 - 06:05 PM

Most of the music of Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan etc is pop music. That in itself is not a bad thing, and they are some of my favourite artists.

Actually I hate classifying music into genres. It's either good music or not, either well played or not. And all of those criteria are hugely personal.

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: RunrigFan
Date: 26 Mar 11 - 06:13 PM

But most of Bob Dylan is folk, clannad is celtic, but some their music covers a different range of styles from pop, new age, soundtracks, jazz as long as they keep to the folk, and the gaelic, its a good thing ;)

Many folk such as Kate Rusby covers pop, but is she trying to be pop and not folk? The majority of folk bands is not just folk but a range of different styles ;)

Subject: RE: No folk on American Idol
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 27 Mar 11 - 12:16 PM

Any TV producers out there? Ya want folk music?...America (Britain) Folks...Folk Idol...Hootenanny--whoops, been done.