Hallelujah hits UK top ten, twice! One good, one terrible...

Pingfah · December 16 2008, 05:58 PM

Ugh, some winner of a shitty UK reality "talent" contest has absolutely murdered Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, and naturally it's going to shoot straight to number one. I have honestly never heard anyone destroy such a beautiful piece of music so completely. Warbling up and down scales like a Mariah Carey clone, completely missing the heart and soul of the piece, shallow empty crap.

The good news is that it has sparked a buying frenzy at i-tunes for Jeff Buckley's infinitely superior version, and right now it looks set to go in at number 3. Very strange.

Amazingly enough, Leonard Cohen's original sits at number 34, which means the same track is in the UK top 40 3 times by 3 different artists.

Couldn't have happened to a more deserving song IMO, just a shame about the horrible version.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7786171.stm

wamdue · December 16 2008, 07:55 PM

and people say adding downloads to the chart was a good thing, it can throw up oddity's like this

im blaming facebook for this

RevdKathy · December 16 2008, 08:14 PM

What you're missing (and Auntie is avoiding telling you) is the song at Number 2. See, if you had to choose a Christmas number 1 from the X factor winner and Terry Wogan with Aled Jones... well?

Sort of a Hallelujah Sandwich.

Neroon · December 16 2008, 08:23 PM

John Cale's version is pretty searing in its own right. In fact that's how I first came to hear it. But there is something special about Buckley's treatment. Maybe it's that he died at such a young age, or maybe it's his vocals....

kitkat · December 16 2008, 08:57 PM

I gotta say that when Jason Castro did Hallelujah on American Idol I was incredibly impressed. It's one of those songs that people tend to screw up because the one we all know so well is amazing, but his was flawless and absolutely beautiful. Y'all should check it out on youtube.

wamdue · December 16 2008, 09:07 PM

RevdKathy wrote:

What you're missing (and Auntie is avoiding telling you) is the song at Number 2. See, if you had to choose a Christmas number 1 from the X factor winner and Terry Wogan with Aled Jones... well?

Terry Wogan no question (im listening to him on iPlayer right now)

Pingfah · December 16 2008, 09:22 PM

I haven't heard the Wogan track actually, I dread to think

I think i'd still go for the Wogan track even without hearing it though, as the alternative is nothing short of an abomination.

wamdue · December 16 2008, 09:28 PM

well here is the Terry Wogan video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=731rTEW_0Cc

my second choice being Geraldine McQueen - Once upon a christmas song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kmPz5IbU90

but I would be happy if pretty much anyone who wasnt her from the X-Factor was No1 this christmas

Pingfah · December 16 2008, 10:03 PM

Haha, I love it. Yes, I think I prefer Terry and Aled by a long shot

Barbados Slim · December 16 2008, 10:56 PM

My favorite is the teen show montage friendly Jeff Buckley version.

Angel4576 · December 16 2008, 11:10 PM

^^ Same. Buckley's version is my favourite.

cultcross · December 16 2008, 11:15 PM

King of my Grotto wrote:

well here is the Terry Wogan video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=731rTEW_0Cc

That is the most.. British song release I've seen in years.

I love it.

wamdue · December 17 2008, 01:34 AM

St. Nicked wrote:

King of my Grotto wrote:

well here is the Terry Wogan video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=731rTEW_0Cc

That is the most.. British song release I've seen in years.

I love it.

which is odd given that Terry Wogan is Irish & Aled Jones is Welsh.

Never underestimate the TOGS

Tomato · December 17 2008, 05:02 AM

Hey I like X factor. I think Alexandra did a better job than JLS. thank god she won.

wamdue · December 17 2008, 05:12 AM

Tomato wrote:

Hey I like X factor. I think Alexandra did a better job than JLS. thank god she won.

I am not saying she was not the best of the 3 acts who were on the show, but that does not make her song "good"

December 16 2008, 05:58 PM	#1
Pingfah Admiral Location: Cornwall	Hallelujah hits UK top ten, twice! One good, one terrible... Ugh, some winner of a shitty UK reality "talent" contest has absolutely murdered Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, and naturally it's going to shoot straight to number one. I have honestly never heard anyone destroy such a beautiful piece of music so completely. Warbling up and down scales like a Mariah Carey clone, completely missing the heart and soul of the piece, shallow empty crap. The good news is that it has sparked a buying frenzy at i-tunes for Jeff Buckley's infinitely superior version, and right now it looks set to go in at number 3. Very strange. Amazingly enough, Leonard Cohen's original sits at number 34, which means the same track is in the UK top 40 3 times by 3 different artists. Couldn't have happened to a more deserving song IMO, just a shame about the horrible version. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7786171.stm __________________ I won't be a rock star. I will be a legend. Freddie Mercury

December 16 2008, 07:55 PM	#2
wamdue Admiral Location: wamdue	Re: Hallelujah hits UK top ten, twice! One good, one terrible... and people say adding downloads to the chart was a good thing, it can throw up oddity's like this im blaming facebook for this __________________ Im Proud of the BBC

December 16 2008, 08:14 PM	#3
RevdKathy Kid with a limp Location: Throwing snowballs at RevdKathy	Re: Hallelujah hits UK top ten, twice! One good, one terrible... What you're missing (and Auntie is avoiding telling you) is the song at Number 2. See, if you had to choose a Christmas number 1 from the X factor winner and Terry Wogan with Aled Jones... well? Sort of a Hallelujah Sandwich. __________________ "God bless us, every one"

December 16 2008, 08:23 PM	#4
Neroon Memory and awareness Location: On my ship the Rocinante, wheeling thru the galaxy	Re: Hallelujah hits UK top ten, twice! One good, one terrible... John Cale's version is pretty searing in its own right. In fact that's how I first came to hear it. But there is something special about Buckley's treatment. Maybe it's that he died at such a young age, or maybe it's his vocals.... __________________ “You break through the veil whenever you strap on a sword or chant the ancient verses. You escape when you write a poem or a tale that brings beauty into the world. You are set free whenever you love—even those who believe you’re crazy." ~ Jef Murray, 'Seer: A Wizard's Journal'

December 16 2008, 08:57 PM	#5
kitkat Admiral Location: The South	Re: Hallelujah hits UK top ten, twice! One good, one terrible... I gotta say that when Jason Castro did Hallelujah on American Idol I was incredibly impressed. It's one of those songs that people tend to screw up because the one we all know so well is amazing, but his was flawless and absolutely beautiful. Y'all should check it out on youtube. __________________ I don't have ADD. Oh look, a chicken. Past, present and future walked into a bar...it was tense.

STAR TREK

CSI

ABOUT US

December 16 2008, 09:22 PM	#7
Pingfah Admiral Location: Cornwall	Re: Hallelujah hits UK top ten, twice! One good, one terrible... I haven't heard the Wogan track actually, I dread to think I think i'd still go for the Wogan track even without hearing it though, as the alternative is nothing short of an abomination. __________________ I won't be a rock star. I will be a legend. Freddie Mercury

December 16 2008, 09:28 PM	#8
wamdue Admiral Location: wamdue	Re: Hallelujah hits UK top ten, twice! One good, one terrible... well here is the Terry Wogan video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=731rTEW_0Cc my second choice being Geraldine McQueen - Once upon a christmas song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kmPz5IbU90 but I would be happy if pretty much anyone who wasnt her from the X-Factor was No1 this christmas __________________ Im Proud of the BBC

December 16 2008, 10:03 PM	#9
Pingfah Admiral Location: Cornwall	Re: Hallelujah hits UK top ten, twice! One good, one terrible... Haha, I love it. Yes, I think I prefer Terry and Aled by a long shot __________________ I won't be a rock star. I will be a legend. Freddie Mercury

December 16 2008, 10:56 PM	#10
Barbados Slim Rear Admiral Location: The L.A.	Re: Hallelujah hits UK top ten, twice! One good, one terrible... My favorite is the teen show montage friendly Jeff Buckley version.

December 16 2008, 11:10 PM	#11
Angel4576 Rear Admiral Location: United Kingdom	Re: Hallelujah hits UK top ten, twice! One good, one terrible... ^^ Same. Buckley's version is my favourite. __________________ I am a Ranger. We walk in the dark places no others will enter. We stand on the bridge and no one may pass. We live for the One, we die for the One.

December 17 2008, 05:02 AM	#14
Tomato Rear Admiral Location: T.O. in Canada eh!	Re: Hallelujah hits UK top ten, twice! One good, one terrible... Hey I like X factor. I think Alexandra did a better job than JLS. thank god she won.